Valerius pulled on a dry set of linen clothes that smelled faintly of mildew. He sat at his small, scratched desk, his head throbbing as he tried to piece together the night he was supposed to have died.
Two faces stood out in his mind like stains on a clean floor.
The first was Ramsey. They had been friends at the Arcane Academy. They used to complain about their lack of magic over cheap drinks. Valerius had trusted him, but in the end, it was Ramsey who had swung the club that broke his skull.
The second was Aisberg. He was a real monster—a "Wizard" who could move faster than the eye could see. He was a lead teacher at Maloney's Edge, one of the best sword schools in the city.
A few weeks ago, Valerius was broke. He had no job and no money. When he ran into Ramsey, his "friend" offered him a job as an assistant at the sword school. The pay was great—three times what a normal worker made. Valerius had been so happy he almost cried.
For two weeks, he worked under Aisberg. Then, two nights ago, things went wrong.
Ramsey told him about a "secret job." They met at a bar on Fragrance Street after dark. They got into a black carriage, and Ramsey gave him leather armor and a sword. They stopped in an alleyway where Aisberg was waiting in the shadows.
"The target is a mechanic," Aisberg had whispered. "He has something we want. Valerius, you come with me."
The next few minutes were a nightmare. The mechanic wasn't a fighter; he was just a man with a family. Aisberg moved like a ghost, killing everyone in the house—the man, his wife, even the kids.
There was one guard left, bleeding on the floor. Aisberg pointed at the dying man and looked at Valerius. "Finish him. Join us."
To stay alive, Valerius did it. He pushed his sword through the guard's heart.
On the ride back, Ramsey promised him a pile of gold. But Valerius couldn't live with what he'd done. As soon as he got away, he ran toward the Great Cathedral to report the murders. He never made it.
"I was stupid," Valerius muttered to the quiet room. "I should have taken the money and waited until morning to talk to the guards."
By running for help immediately, he had shown his hand. They had been following him. They caught him, beat him for hours, and then Ramsey hit him in the head and dumped him in the river.
"Let them think I'm dead," he whispered. "They're in the light. I'm the one in the dark now."
He knew he couldn't stay here. Ramsey knew where he lived. They wouldn't come today, but they'd come eventually. He had to disappear.
He moved his desk and pulled a loose stone out of the wall. Behind it was a small envelope. He dumped his life savings onto the bed.
The money in this world was simple:
Copper Bits (for the poor)
Silver Crowns (worth 20 coppers)
Golden Shields (worth 1,000 coppers)
He counted it up. He had exactly 1,000 coppers. It was a decent amount for a worker, but it wouldn't last long while hiding in a city as expensive as Oakhaven.
He stuffed the money into a hidden pocket. He grabbed an old sun hat and pulled it low to hide his face. He packed his wet clothes in a bag so he could throw them away later. He didn't want to leave a single clue that he had been here.
Valerius took one last look at his room, stepped into the hall, and shut the door.
He needed to find a place to hide