Prologue

A lone figure moved in the shadows, silently passing through the night. The crescent moon glowed overhead, barely illuminating the shadow’s path. They entered an alley and stopped suddenly and smiled.

“How long have you been following me?”

“Long enough to know where you are going; tell me, do you always venture out alone while your useless followers sleep?” There was a cool edge on the speaker’s voice, like a knife being slowly unsheathed.

The shadow turned around to face the speaker. “I think you underestimate me, Sen,”

The speaker, Sen, frowned, but kept his tone rigid. “You’re attempting to distract me, Niros. I can see it in your eyes.”

“You know what,” Niros paused, “you’re right.” Niros’s eyes gleamed eerie silver in the moonlight. Sen heard a nearly inaudible thump behind him and cursed as he turned, light glinted off of something long and sharp, he barely ducked out of the way. As he did so, he pulled a knife from an outer boot harness and sliced at his attacker’s legs. They spun and kicked him in the head. He dropped onto the pavement and rolled left. As he stood, Niros leaped at Sen and slammed him into the wall of the alley, pinning him. The possessor of the blade walked closer to him, he tried shrugging off Niros’s grip to no avail. The blade was thrust into Sen’s chest and the world went black.