Vestiges

Chapter One: 10 Years

A cloaked man walks into the only tavern on the outskirts of the Falahan Kingdom. It's a small establishment in the middle of a small clearing on a near forgotten path leading out of the kingdom. The forest surrounding it is home to some of the wildest and strongest beasts in the world and so the lone building is home to some of the strongest and rowdiest adventurers in the world.

Accompanied by a young girl, no more than 14 or 15 years of age, the man casually finds a table in the middle of the room, completely ignoring the stares from the patrons. Keeping his hood over his head to hide his face, the two of them wait for the barmaid to make her rounds. Hushed toned conversations and whispers start immediately, but the couple ignores them.

"Crimson cloak..."

"That can't be him..."

"That girl is smoking!"

"Whatcha gonna have, stranger?" the barmaid asks as she stops at the table. She does a quick double-take as she looks at the young girl since her skin seems to be glowing just under the surface as if she bore fire from within and a small wisp of smoke emanates from under her cloak. The barmaid removes her eyes from the young girl, with difficulty, and looks back at the man. The man never looks up at her and just quietly stare into space. The young girl frowns as she looks at him and turns to the barmaid with a bright smile.

"Nothing for me, but he'll have an ale." The barmaid is taken aback for second then smiles back at the girl.

"You got it, young'un." She walks to bar and speaks to the barkeep as interest in the couple starts to wain and conversations get rowdy and boisterous again.

"You have to be nicer, Kai." Kai grunts in response.

The barmaid brings him his ale before long and he gingerly sips it without moving his hood. The young girl bounces in her chair slightly as if impatiently waiting for him to finish so they can leave. Kai just finishes half of his mug when the door bursts open and immediately stops all noise inside the tavern. Four shining soldiers, in full armor, stomp through the opening. They are followed by a rat-like bureaucrat noble that slinks in behind them. One of them is shinier than the others and is obviously higher rank with his feathered helm and blue satin sash across his breastplate, adorned with medals. They quickly scan the crowd as they spot the couple at the table.

Continuing to sip his ale, Kai ignores the soldiers as they surround him with swords drawn. The young girl stops bouncing and smiles at the soldiers as if she knows the punchline to the joke and can't wait to tell it.

"Blood Red," the higher rank shouts at Kai, "I, Captain Renald, am here to arrest you for the kidnap, torture, and murder of Prince Helem the 2nd. Do not resist, I have been told that dead is just as good as alive." Kai only slightly moves his head, so his face is still hidden in the hood, but he looks at the soldiers surrounding him. The girl starts bouncing impatiently again.

"You are so certain it was I that did this crime," he asks turning back to the Captain.

"Do you have any proof?"

"Of course, I do," the Captain responds loudly. "This noble happened to pass by as you committed the murder and was brave enough to come forward." The rat noble sneers a smile and bows gracelessly.

"I live to serve," he vomits. The Captain nods and turns back to Kai at the table.

"That is all the proof I need to arrest you. We have methods to get a confession from you." The girl looks at the slippery noble when she notices Kai staring at him and her eyes grow big with recognition. A firm grip on her thigh by Kai stops her from leaping at the noble.

"Is that so," Kai slowly replies without breaking his gaze at the nobleman. For a brief moment there seemed to be a flash of red from under the cloak, where his eye should be. The Captain looked skeptically at the darkness there and slowly raises the hood with his sword. A collective gasp and murmuring sounds through the quiet hall as Kai's face comes into full view for the first time.