Enters the Thief

The moon shone over the city of Kapri, the lighted lamps illuminated the various streets where few people wandered. Kapri was the largest city in the continent, due to its location in the territory of the Butant clan it had the largest economic power among all cities. Thanks to this, many people migrated to it which reflected in the size of the population, Kapri had the biggest population in the continent.

But being a densely populated city is not necessarily a good thing, many of the people who migrated to Kapri had no money and when they arrived in the city they ended up living in the streets and sewers. Without a home and unable to get a job many of these people ended up as beggars or resorted to violence to survive, increasing the instability of security in the region.

Many of the children born of these homeless families were abandoned, because their parents could barely survive alone. Most of these children ended up roaming the streets and lived a life of misery. Few were lucky enough to be taken in by an orphanage that took care of them until adulthood. These abandoned children grew up without a surname until they reached the age at which their Lineage would show which clan they belonged to.

The best hope for their future was that their Lineage was powerful enough to attract the attention of a group of mercenaries that would take them in and train them, thus giving a better life to them, after all even if they ended up dying in battle, at least they guaranteed one bed and food for the rest of their lives. Upon reaching the age of 15, people who did not get a job were expelled from the orphanage and became homeless.

One of them was Malyc, as a baby he was abandoned by his parents and was lucky to be found by a woman who ran an orphanage that took him. But in an unprecedented case in the history of the continent his lineage had not manifested, because of that he never got a job in any mercenary company even though he trained more than anyone else. Inevitably after he completed 15 he was expelled from the orphanage.

Since then Malyc became a homeless person and started to get involved with the people who ran the underworld of the city, to be able to raise enough money to eat he became one of the many drug dealers who sold Mysterium, a highly addictive drug that gave euphoric feeling to the users. But this life was not easy either, drug dealers lived in territorial fights and because of that Malyc lived in a remote location away from the region of other dealers, which resulted in a small number of customers.

Now 19 years of age, Malyc's only company was a dog, a mutt named Guido, whom he had found abandoned on the street two year ago. The man walked side by side with his dog through the streets hiding from the guard and looking for more customers.

His average height body was thin, and his bones could be easily seen through his shabby clothes, his white skin had a pale tone and his dark hair was thick because of the dirt and long because it was rarely cut. His black eyes showed large dark circles, the result from many sleepless nights he had spent on account of the hunger.

Another day without a client, it seemed that these days were becoming more frequent. If things continue this way not even selling Mysterium would be enough to ensure his survival. The man slowly walked toward the dead-end street where he slept, the lights of the lamps in the way made his shadow flicker on the stone floor. He continued walking through empty streets while his dog followed him closely.

Upon arriving on the street where he lived, he slowly walked over to a small tent leaning against the wall and threw the bag where he carried his belongings. He checked in his pants and saw that the small knife he carried for protection was still there.

"Guido apparently this will be another day without a meal" he said wearily, looking at the dog as he sat down.

Lately the areas of the other drug dealers were expanding and soon he would have to move again to avoid fighting. The drug he bought to resell was getting more expensive and it made his profit decrease. He looked at the starry sky wondering if there was any use to remain alive or whether it was not better to die and end this suffering. At this moment Guido started barking.

"What is it Guido?" the man asked. Seeing that the dog was carrying a dead mouse in his direction he grinned. "Good boy, it seems now we have at least one meal"

Guido dropped the mouse in front of the man who cut it in half with his knife. Malyc quickly started a fire with the wood he had left and began roasting his dinner. Guido at his side was already eating. The man looked at the dog with teary eyes, if not for the constant companionship of the animal he would already have given up a long time ago. Guido finished eating and grunted toward the man who started stroking the dog's head as he laughed.

Malyc took his half of the rat from the fire, extinguished it and began to eat. When he finished his meal, he started looking in his purse for the canteen of water. The man drank two sips and filled a bowl with what was left to the dog that was quick to start drinking. Then a noise drew Malyc's attention, at the street entrance there was a trio of men standing still looking in his direction.

He recognized the man in the middle, he was another drug dealer in the city, Lugh Fortred. Lugh was blond and had black eyes, his skin was white, and his stature was average. He had also grown up in the streets, but because of his lineage he could get in territorial fights with no major concerns. The ability of the Phoenix Lineage allowed him to recover from any injury that was not fatal and because of this he was able to quickly get a reputation. The other two men standing next to Lugh were his helpers.

Slowly and with a smile on his face Lugh walked toward Malyc, his aides followed behind him.

"From today on this area is also mine, so I'd like you to get out of here right now" Lugh said looking directly at Malyc.

"What's your interest in this area? There are almost no customers here, it will not bring you any good" said Malyc as he rose slowly.

"That does not interest you, the whole north area of Kapri is mine and if you do not obey me now things will only get worse for you" said Lugh as he motioned with his head to one of his aides. The aide started walking toward Malyc.

The man was tall, strong, had white skin and his hair and his eyes were black. When he got close to Malyc he turned his face toward Lugh.

"Do it" Lugh said quietly. The man then took Malyc by the neck and put him against the wall. Guido cowered in a corner against the wall, the dog had never been brave.

"There's no need for violence, I'll pack my things and go out tonight, I was thinking of changing places anyway" said Malyc with difficulties.

"From tomorrow on I do not want to see you in any of the areas that are under my command. If I hear the mere rumor that you were selling Mysterium in my area I'll send one of my assistants to kill you, you understand?" Lugh said with a menacing look.

Lugh's helper dropped Malyc and returned to the side of his boss, the three men turned back and began to walk toward the exit of the street. Malyc began gathering his things, there was nothing to win in fighting Lugh especially when he was with his helpers, the best he could do was obey. But halfway to the exit Lugh stopped walking and looked back towards Malyc.

"You know, I always hated the way you act. You always listen to me, but always answers me looking into my eyes. Who do you think you are to look me in the eyes? You're the trash of society, you are an insect crawling on my side begging for mercy. Today I'm going to make you learn your place in the world, you two go and give him a beating" said Lugh as he looked at Malyc.

"No! Please! I didn't do a thing" said Malyc desperately.

The two men began to walk slowly toward Malyc. The other aide was also tall and strong, he had dark skin, blue eyes and was bald. The two arrived at Malyc's side and threw him to the ground, as soon as Malyc fell to the ground they started kicking him. Guido then started barking.

"That's for you to learn your place you shit, you're just a bug, you are under a mouse, you do not show your face in front of me, if I'm walking on the street you kneel and kiss my feet" Lugh said angrily.

The two men continued the beating, and Guido then attacked the leg of one of them while barking. The man simply kicked him away, but the dog got up and returned to barking.

"Silence that fucking dog at once" cried Lugh.

"No! Leave him alone, you can do whatever you want with me, but do not touch him!" Malyc shouted with tears in his eyes. Seeing that one of the men stopped beating him and now walked toward the dog he screamed again. "Escape Guido, run!"

But the dog did not listen to the man, Guido attacked the man walking toward him. The man kicked the dog again, but this time before the dog could rise from the ground he held him in his hands and strangled him. Guido struggled for a few moments while growling and then stopped moving.

"Guido! Guido!" Malyc screamed in despair as tears streamed down his face, but it was too late Guido was dead.

"We're done here, let's go" said Lugh to his henchmen, who started walking toward the exit of the alley.

Malyc twitched as he stood up. He then began to laugh hysterically while still crying. His eyes fixed on Lugh and his henchmen.

"I was going to obey you, I was going to leave. I did not do anything for you, and yet you were not satisfied with just a beating, you still killed him" said Malyc still laughing as his tears still roamed his face.

"He went mad, do a favor to this miserable fool and kill him too" said Lugh with a disgusted face.

As the two men walked toward Malyc he took his knife from his pants and because of the darkness in the ally none of the other men realized it. He then ran toward the black man who stood still waiting to hold him, but before the black man could do anything Malyc stabbed him in the heart. The surprise in the face of the other two men was evident, and the dark-haired man fell to the ground dead.

"You killed him, you killed him, you killed him..." said Malyc repeatedly while laughing.

The remaining henchman drew his sword and attacked Malyc who tried to dodge, but still received a deep cut on his chest. Blood began to drip, but that did not make Malyc stop. Still repeating his words as if in a trance he attacked the man that stood before him in the head with his knife. When the man fell to the ground dead Malyc took the man's sword and began to walk toward Lugh.

"You killed him ..." he kept repeating, his eyes now trembled on his eyelids.

"Get away from me! You are possessed by a demon!" Lugh shouted as he ran. But the man could not escape.

Malyc chased Lugh and hit him in the back with the sword, which caused the man to fall to his chest on the floor. Malyc then knelt on Lugh's back and began to stab the man with his knife while laughing. Lugh died, but that did not make Malyc stop, he spent a few minutes stabbing the body while laughing and crying. After a few minutes fell to the side of Lugh's body, he had lost too much blood.

Malyc screamed for one last time as his vision got blurry. He then slowly closed his eyes as he lost consciousness.