part - 1 - ' For A New Beginning '. Chapter - 1

Raven hates the cold weather most. And yet she accompanied Eris to the venzor, coldest place in the empire.

The venzor alleys were white from all the snowfall, but even snow wasn't enough to keep the rotten smell of dying alleys to

reach the raven's nostrils. She walked faster to catch Eris's pace, "Do you know what will be best right now ? " she asked nearly colliding in a drunk man.

"Finding crane mention empty ?" eris said, pulling her hood forward almost covering her eyes now. "How about a cup of warm tea with cakes ?" raven said with a smile, flashing a newly stolen pouch of coins, "I have a few coins lying around."

"Rae stop stealing from folks, we have a job to do, and barely a few minutes to waste,"

"It was him walking with such beautiful thing and that too, too drunk, my hands got little happy," raven said while keeping an

eye on people around her. "and a thief taking time to steal is no thief."

For that Eris said nothing. Venzor has a certain reputation for the best killers, assassins, and thieves. But stealing is a raven's skill and you're bound to show your skills. At least that's what raven thinks.

They passed a few groups of refugees and broken shelter homes, covered in ghostly dust. When she stole a few glances in one, she saw a few kids trying to burn the furnace, their shattered clothes barely covering their unfed bodies. She remembered the warmth of her cottage, the smell of freshly baked bread, and her flowers which will be in full bloom by the next full moon, she was thinking about his laughter - her favorite sound, when Eris nudged her, bringing her back into reality. From where they stood Dries bridge was in sight; they've to go separately from here. Raven nodded to Eris and disappeared into another dark alley.

Raven checked all her knives, blades, and poisons, she doesn't need poison (not today) but she liked the feel of it. She observed the moments of servents going back and forth in the crane mansion, the mansion sits gracefully in the dark venzor city with its marble - whiter than snow, and the purple ivy trying to climb on its shiny surface as beautiful as gems maybe more.

Sometimes eris would joke about covering it in blood with raven not totally disagreeing sometimes.

Raven removed her gloves, stuffing them in her pocket, 'Eris would've already entered the place', she thought.

She hurried to the gate when two guards stopped her. 0ne too heavy-eyed barely standing straight, maybe tired from his last

shift, while others reeked of alcohol but still alert. "What business ?" heavy-eyed one asked. " I am a messenger of general naieor

it's an important notice for manor", raven replied. " General sending a little girl to all the way here ?" the other guard snorted.

Raven fiddled with her pockets removing the royal seal, "Can I enter now ?." A sudden shift of attitude in both guards, standing

straightly, the first one said, "My apologies miss, but I'm afraid manor isn't here at the moment".

I know raven thought to herself.

"But this notice is very important if not manor let me meet miss. Natalie, she will pass this message."

Both guards exchanged few glances, the first one hesitated for a moment then said: "let me escort you there."

She followed the guard silently, everything is going perfectly, even from inside of the mansion wealth is shown marvelously, rare showpieces and paintings to gold engraved words everything was inviting her to steal but the job isn't done yet. After walking for few more minutes, she pulls the guard into an empty corridor, and before he could have evaluated the situation, someone slaughtered his throat - Eris.

Eris winked at raven " To the next part"she whispered and before Raven could've replied eris was already gone. Raven left the body in a nearby room. she hurried to Natalie's room.

'It would be hidden in Natalie or manor room', she remembered her client's words. Eris will search the manor room while raven

will look in Natalie's room. Manor won't be here and Natalie will be asleep from the medicine, Eris poured early in the morning, and if she got lucky she can get her hands on few good items.

it's gonna be an easy job.

Natalie's room smelled like fresh roses, honey, and books. She was asleep on her bed and still in a heavy violet gown with a

ruby necklace adding to her beauty. raven hurriedly looked around the room, through heavy dresses, books, letters, and secret lockers but there was nothing. 'it must be in his room' she muttered to herself and carefully reached to manor's room she was expecting eris to already found it. but all she saw were beautiful white walls now covered in red and a dead manor

in the middle of the room. His blood was turning the ivory carpet under him into a dark shade of black, eris was ruffling through books, her black hair free from her tunic as dark as tar. She fought him.

Everything was a mess, they weren't supposed to kill him, he wasn't supposed to be here, guards will be here anytime and documents were nowhere to be found, raven's heart was beating loudly in her chest. she was afraid but eris?

She was as calm as ever.