Chapter 14: Black sky swarm

Her body shook with fear, tears streamed down the teen girl's face. "T-the sky... The entire sky was black, their voices echoed in the wind. I could only hear my friends, m-my family's screams." her frail body was covered in scars and gashes. 

"M-my dad.. H-he" the girl choked on her tears. 

A swarm of monsters were covering the skies, the girl was dragged along In front of her father. Her weak frail body slowing him down but he was resolute in his choice. 'I must at least save her.' 

The man pushed her through the front door and held the door shut behind him with his body. "get to the cellar Freya, there's a secret hatch under the stairs. Go as deep as possible and hi-"

A beak pierced through his guts. Splattering his blood across his daughter's pale face. Her father's eyes locked with hers. He tried to speak but all that came out was a burst of blood, so instead he mouthed the words.

"Go quickly! i love you."

The girl, Freya barely even reached the stairs before the front door collapsed. And alike a swarm of locusts the flying monsters flooded in. The floorboards creaked beneath their weight. The very house itself groaned under the pressure of thousands of lifeforms.

Freya slammed the door shut behind her. "I-im sorry dad" she whispered as she silently crawled towards the second layer cellar.

"I see, what do you think Alex?" Gathered besides the young girl named Freya were the four highest human power's in Silverbranch. Alex Eartine, the chief commander of the knights. Elana Eartine, the Commander of the Greatbow division.

Beside them was Robert Silverskin, the commander of the Bulwark division. And the governor: Robert's father, Sir William Silverskin.

...

Ray rubbed his head in confusion. "So... your telling me that a swarm of Squallor's destroyed an entire Village? and numerous carriages too?" 

"I'm telling you Ray, its the truth. Or so my last customers said, apparently they watched it from a nearby hill. Tens of thousands of Squallors descending upon a defenceless village like a tornado."

"It took less than twenty minutes supposedly. Before the only thing that remained was rubble and the occasional bloodstain. The bastards even ate their own dead. Something doesn't seem right with the story but im certain the village no longer exists."

Ray didn't have the energy to continue his tour after that news. So he made a quick run back to the dormitory. 'Could i survive a sky of Squallors? No i failed last time, and I won't be so lucky the next one, i need to get stronger.'

Ray wrote a quick note in his Journal before setting off to find someone...

"So let me get this straight? you want to kill a criminal? which one?" Rexar looked at the child-soldier in front of him in confusion. 'Who'd randomly want to kill someone, apart from sicko's?' Rexar thought to himself.

"doesn't matter who, there has to be some scum that'd be better off dead right? your a Nightstalker, isn't it your job to kill off such people?" 'So many questions. i just need to get stronger.'

"I've never killed a human since I've been here. Don't accuse me, If anyone'd know its my son, go find Varin, you know he's a gate guard. he'd be much more informed than me."

Ray left without another word. Varin was amongst the new batch of Cadet's, training his spear-skills against a monster training dummy.

"Varin get over here, we need to talk." Ray called out. 'Faster come on, we don't have time for loitering.'

Varin discarded his spear, leaving it buried within the throat of the training dummy before jogging over to Ray. "what's the issue?"

Ray repeated the same idea to Varin. "Don't ask any unnecessary questions, i need to kill someone. You know any heinous criminals or such?" Ray struggled to see Varin as a threat like he did Rexar, so they were much more relaxed around each other.

Whilst around Rexar Ray stayed like a obedient student, only acting up occasionally. But Ray and Varin acted with utter familiarity. So when Ray asked him not to ask, Varin listened.

"Hmm.. let me think, there is one, but are you sure your up to it. He's not some unknown person."

"Is he a criminal that deserves to die?" Ray asked curtly. With the newfound urgency ray was feeling, he'd risk killing the governor if they deserved it.

"Definitely, the Scumbag tortures the girls of Silverskirt retreat every night. And i don't mean the fun kind. He plucked one of the girl's eyes out. But he's a well paying customer and that girl was set for the next 10 years with the pay she got. So they put up with it... Still deserves to die though."

Varin wouldn't say it to encourage him, but he would have killed this bastard years ago if he wasn't worried about exposing his family.

Ray noticed how easily Varin was talking with him about murder. 'Well Varin is a non-human monster Afterall, something like murder shouldn't make him flinch.'

"Wanna help me take him out then? Just let me be the one to end his miserable life."

"we'll head to the Silverskirt retreat tonight, don't wear any armor and buy some black hooded robes."

The sun started to set and as night reached it's peak the duo met up by one of the sewer gates.

"Have you been to the Silverskirt retreat yet?" Varin asked him with a grin.

"I'm still 16, I've got other things to pay attention too, like training." 

"tsk, virgin. don't let what we're about to do turn you off of going there though, The girls there are- hng~" Varin thrusted the air with exaggerated effect.

Ray looked at him with slight disgust. And it shown on his face as Varin awkwardly wiped the joking smile off his face and lead the way..

"there's two entrance's to this brothel, the aboveground one. And the sewer entrance that we'll be taking. put your robe on and make sure none of your body can be seen. We'll blend in easier that way."

"Those who enter through the sewer door, expect not to be looked into. They come this way, wading through shit and piss purely to keep their identity hidden. Our target comes in through this way too."

The duo quickly reached the entrance, a metal doorway with two guards in front. 'guards? here at a brothel? who'd do such a job?' Ray thought to himself, he knew he couldn't 'endure' such a fate.

They slipped into the brothel without much hassle. Handing the two guards 10 bronze coins each and they turned their gaze.

"We're going to the second room in the basement, if he's here that's where the prick stays. rooms made of solid rock and is soundproof." Varin muttered, disgust oozing from his voice.

"One last chance, do you want to turn back. or change both our lives forever, your going to see and do things you'll take to your grave."

Ray took a deep breath, 'I want to do this right, i need to. with this level up i can at least hope to survive longer.' He nodded his head slowly, pushing the metal door open slowly. "Im ready, lets do this."