Uthar began walking away when a guard's voice called out to me.

"Halt! Where do you think you're going? You assualted a citizen and you will be held accountable for the crime."

"It would seem you have bigger problems."

I responded matter-of-factly. as I turned my back on him and continued to walk to the tavern.

"You shall be held accountable for your actions!"

The tip of steel poked into my back as the guard threatened me with his sword and I gave an weary sigh.

Jade, who had been hiding in the shadows stepped out and approached the guard. "Oh, leave him alone, he was just drunk. Weren't you honey. Do you want me to tell you all the crimes you've committed?"

The guard paused. "On second thought, since the bounty on his head is so small I'll let him go."
Looking at Uthar the guard sheathed his sword. "Just don't forget, I know who you are now, scum."

Jade smiled at the guard who still looked cautious, Jade began leading Uthar away and after a few yards stopped and planted a kiss on Uthars lips.

The guard strutted off, casting suspicious looks over his shoulder.

When the guard was out of sight, Jade ran her hand through her hair. "You owe me big time."

I raised my eyebrow in interest.

"Why do I? I am I murderer am I not? Couldn't I not just have killed him?"

I asked in a plain, factful manner.

Jade pursed her lips. "You could have, but I didn't want to see you get hurt, or anyone else. There has been enough bloodshed for the day."

She cocked her head at him. "Besides, now that your friend has killed the duke, he'll be in dire need of your help. That is of course if the guards ever find out who he is."

"And I don't plan on telling anyone what you two have done." She smiled. "The duke was a tyrant anyways."

"I have my own problems to still to solve."

I said simply as I walked towards the tavern glancing at the scar on my hand. I had grown up under the rule of a tyrant and understood any sort of pain that the populace had experinced but the threat looming would make both tyrants' draconian rule pale in comparison.

Jade look thoughtfully at Uthar. "What do you plan on doinng then?"

"Once i have paid off the favour I owe you I will be returning north. I'll be trying to finish my own task."

I said moving into the tavern and towards the stairs leading up to Dryn's room.

"I was so close."

I muttered to quietly to myself."

"You already did." Jade smiled warmly at Uthar and disappeared down a side street.

I didn't realise she had left until after I reached Dryn's room. I looked to the empty space and frowned momentarily but shrugged a second later before entering the room.

When Uthar entered he found Dryn sitting on his cot reading through a elegant leather book.
Uthar also noticed that Dryn had white bandages wrapped around his bare chest.

Dryn looked up from the book and smiled. "Uthar, I thank you for your help in recovering this book."

"You can be on your merry way, your debt to me is paid."

I nodded and turned to leave. With one foot out of the threshold I paused and turned about,

"What does it say?"

Dryn frowned. "From what I have translated, It foretells of a rising threat and a prophesized hero, a light in the dark, that will overcome the impending doom.”

Dryn smiled. “It sounds like a mere child’s story.”

Closing the book, Dryn tossed it to Uthar. “You may be able to make more sense of it than I.”

I smiled when I opened the book being greeted with the language of my kin. I skimmed the first few pages reading the typical poetic theme and reading through sterotypical good vs evil. When I came across the portion of the book describing the prophetic antagonist. It was vague and ambigous but it described somebody of great magical strength, promient in the darker mage schools who grew more powerful with every enemy he slew.

I exhaled slightly throwing the book back to Dryn.

"I sounds... familar... but I don't see why it would be in a prophecy."

Dryn shrugged, "Nor do I."

Dryn studied Uthar. "Do you know of anyone who does possess the power to steal his enemy's strength?"

"In a way... with each man or woman he kills he raises them to serve in his ever-growing horde. He is a master necromanncer. He is the delusional bastard I spoke of earlier. He and his living followers raid small, helpless villages raising the dead and burning the village to the ground while his undead army remain hidden deep in an underground cavern."