Chapter 1 - Taste of Blood

“Here’s your today’s earning, kid. Now, beat it!”

The words tumbled from a stout man, his speech slurred with drink as he
tossed a small pouch toward a skinny teenager. With a metallic clutter, the
pouch hit the ground and the coins spilled out. The lanky teenager bent to
retrieve the coins, his fingers counting each piece.
“So, seven again today” the boy muttered under his breath,
disappointment twisted in his guts.
“What was that?”
“Nothing” the boy responded swiftly. He knew arguing wouldn’t change
anything.
The tavern owner continued drinking and waved him away dismissively.
The night had already cloaked the small town of Atria and everyone has
already left the tavern.
Zephyr turned his back on the drunk owner and made for the exit.
“He ripped my pay again” he brooded.
As he pushed open the creaking door, a wave of icy air assaulted him.
This was town Atria’s unforgiving weather.
It was a Wyvern curse, some muttered. Maybe it explained the never
ending winter. Zephyr just shrugged. Curses or not, he had to survive
another night in this cold weather.
Survive…huh?
A ragged sigh escaped from his throat.
Why is he still alive? Why was he left behind? Why him?
And sometimes, why does he has this desire to…
Zephyr paused his thoughts. Anymore wouldn’t do any good.
With heavy steps, he made way towards his shelter. It was a mockery of
a home - a crude lean-to fashioned from scavenged wood and a single,
weather-beaten mat lay on the damp ground.
Zephyr slumped onto the worn hay mat. A sigh escaped through his lips
as the cold seeped through the thin clothes. His eyelid feels heavy.
Exhaustion has finally got to him.
Damn it, gotta get up before dawn again
He cursed as he surrendered to the fatigue.
…
But his slumber was abruptly disrupted. He was awakened by sensation
of someone pinning him down.
When he opened his eyes, he felt a cold, sharp dagger pointing at his
throat.
“Listen, boy” the voice was calm yet chilling.
“If you value for your life, you’d better tell us where the girl is hiding.”
 Three towering men in the dark cloaks loomed over him. Their face were
obscured by the red masks that bore a resemblance to that of wolves.
A girl? Hiding? Just what the hell are they talking about?
“He is wasting our time, let’s just end him and continue searching for the
girl” one said impatiently.
“No need to taint our hands with pointless bloodshed.” the leader replied
in calm tone.
Keeping the dagger steady at Zephyr’s throat, the leader posed another
question in threatening tone.
“We saw the girl enter this place. Are you certain that you didn’t see her?
Or did you hide her?”
Zephyr was unfazed by his threats. He shrugged and looked straight at
the leader.
“What are you expecting from a “Misfit”?”
“Tch…”
The leader looks annoyed by Zephyr’s response.
Without saying another word, he turned away dismissively.
“We have wasted enough time. Continue searching for the girl.”
With that command, they dispersed quickly and vanished into thin air.
After sitting for a while, Zephyr scanned around to make sure they were
gone.
“It’s safe now” Zephyr whispered.
A slight rustle broke the silence as the figure materialized beside him. A
girl in a hooded cloak that shimmered with intricate design of royal purple.
Must be an item that gives invisibility.
Zephyr thought.
The girl’s chest heaved as she try to regain her breath. It looks like she
was holding her breath to remain undetected.
Without saying anything, Zephyr handed her a worn leather water
pouch. She snatched it gratefully and gulped it down in one go.
“Thank you…so much” she managed to say between gasps for air.
Zephyr couldn’t see her whole face as it was partially covered by the
hood of her cloak. But he could make out youthful features and a delicate
build beneath. And judging from her clothes, she must be a noble or higher
status person.
“What you did was so brave, I will be sure to repay your kindness.” The
girl thanked Zephyr.
Zephyr merely nodded in response. He didn’t do it out of bravery or
heroism. He is just sick of seeing someone getting killed or taken away right
in front of him.
“How did you know that I was here?” the girl questioned out of curiosity.
“A lucky guess” Zephyr said nonchalantly “I was more surprised that
those guys didn’t find out.”
 With a small smile on her lip, the girl clutched at the hem of her cloak
and said
“This isn’t an ordinary item.”
“I see. Good for you.”
The girl looked annoyed by Zephyr’s abrupt response.
“You can stay here till dawn. I am sure someone will come get you,
right?”
The girl was surprised by Zephyr’s insight.
“Y-yeah…that’s the plan” she stammer out.
“Great” Zephyr said as he lied down on his worn mat.
“Are you going to sleep now?” the girl questioned him.
“If I don’t sleep now, I will have nothing to eat for tomorrow.”
“Oh…” the realization of Zephyr’s situation dawned on her.
“I didn’t think about that. I’m sorry.” Her voice was tinged with regret as
she lowered herself to sit beside him.
Then, she started chanting in whisper. And Zephyr could feel the air
around him started to warm up. It was as if an invisible fire was crackling
nearby.
Zephyr turned his head toward her direction and looked at her through
half-closed eyes.
A spell?
“You look so cold.” The girl said softly. “And don’t worry, this is a basic
grade spell so it would be hard to detect the mana.”
“Thank you” Zephyr mumbled, his eyelids heavy with sleep as he shifted
to get comfortable on the mat.
“So, what is your name?” the girl’s tone was warm and curious.
“Zephyr” he answered abruptly.
“Oh, Zephyr,” she repeated softly, “I’m Cassandra. But you can call me
Cass.”
“So, was it Cass? Can you just…stop talking for a moment? I really need
to sleep.”
Frustration seeped into his words.
“I am sorry…” Cassandra’s voice softened in sadness.
Zephyr sighed and rubbed his temple in annoyance.
Just what is the deal with this girl? Why do I feel bad?
With a jolt, Zephyr sat upright. Looks like he isn’t sleeping tonight.
He turned to look at Cassandra, who seems taken aback by his sudden
movement. An awkward silence hung between them.
Zephyr had forgotten hold a normal conversation with people, let alone a
girl.
“So, what do you do for work?” the girl stammer out to break the silence.
“I work at the local Tavern,” Zephyr responded. “So, who are these
guys?”
 He was curious about the men from earlier.
Cassandra hesitated before answering,
“I think…they are the Bloodhounds”
The Bloodhounds, the infamous assassin guild known for their brutal
killing methods and merciless combat style. Zephyr have heard other
adventurers speak of them.
Looks like I barely escaped a horrible death.
Zephyr thought as he glances at Cassandra, wondering why these men
were after her.
Despite everything, the warm air filled around him thanks to her magic.
This was a sensation he hadn’t experienced in years.
A faint smile form on his face, it made him remember about the old
memories.
But…
They are nothing more than memories now.
How many years was it that he had lived like this? Five? Six? He lost
track of time.
And sometimes he has this unspoken wish…
I wish someone would change this mundane life of mine.
"Zephyr! Look out!”
Cassandra shoved him aside as a sharp dagger slice through the middle,
missing both of them. Picking himself up from where he landed, Zephyr saw
a figure standing over them.
It was the bloodhound assassin from before.
The man’s eyes glared angrily at him from behind his mask as he said
threateningly,
“What did we told you? You’d better not be lying.”
As the assassin moved towards Zephyr to finish him off, a fiery phoenix
swoop downed onto him causing him to stumble back in surprise.
“A Phoenix?” the assassin said in surprise.
“No wonder we were ordered not to kill you.” He continued.
As the phoenix continued its attack on the assassin, Cassandra rushed
over to Zephyr’s side.
“Are you hurt?” She asked him, her voice filled with worry.
“I-I’m okay.” Zephyr assured her as he got back on his feet.
“We need to get out of here quickly!”
Cassandra’s finger wrapped tightly around Zephyr’s hand, pulling him
into swift dash.
The chill of cold wind whipped through the alleyway of town Atria.
Zephyr was surprised by Cassandra’s endurance and stamina; he was
struggling to keep up at her relentless pace.
All of sudden, an object glinting in the faint moonlight flew towards
them, A dagger - aimed directly at Zephyr. But it halted mid-air and began
to dissolve slowly.
Cassandra had already prepared a defensive spell while running to
protect both of them. Zephyr could only stare in awe at Cassandra’s quick
thinking and magical prowess.
Then Cassandra halted her footsteps. A shadowy figure appeared before
them. It was another assassin, the one who had thrown the dagger from
earlier. He unsheathed two more dagger from his belt while another closed
in from behind them. Cassandra’s phoenix quickly flew past him and
fluttered protectively near her.
Now both of their escape routes were blocked by these two assassins
who circled them cautiously. Waiting for an opening to strike.
“Seems like your Phoenix is still immature” one of them spoke, glancing
the Phoenix who perched on Cassandra’s shoulder with an injured feather.
“Thank you for stalling them, Icarus.” Cassandra whispered gently. “Can
you still fight?”
Icarus let out a spirited squawk and then quickly dived toward the first
assassin, attacking with miniature spirits of flame.
On the contrast, the second assassin lunged toward them. But he was
unable to break through Cassandra’s flame barrier. So he backed away and
rounded them and searched for the weakness. But Cassandra’s didn’t let him
do so. Without missing a beat, she conjured up a ball of fire but the assassin
nimbly evaded them.
The assassin vanished suddenly, shrouded by his cloak. It was the stealth
item that rendered him invisible for a while. It was the item similar to
Cassandra’s cloak.
Using stealth as advantage, he began hammering the barrier with quick
and precise strikes. Gradually, cracks started to appear in the flame guard.
But Cassandra was far from panicking. Instead, she started intently at
her weakening barrier. Then she thrusted her arm upwards, forming a
searing chains of flame on her hand. With utmost concentration, she flung
them toward the invisible assailant. The flaming chains latched onto his
torso, binding him and once again revealing his presence.
The assassin writhed and squirmed, straining against his restraints.
“Zephyr, can you step away for a moment?” Cassandra requested calmly
Flame from the barrier started to cluster around her, setting her hazel
hair alight like a fiery halo. The air around her simmered with intense heat
as white lightening crackled and danced over her hand.
Meanwhile, the assassin was starting get free.
But before he could get free from the chains, Cassandra had already
conjured a blade of searing hot lightening in her hand.
With a swift horizontal slash, she slashed through the air. The assassin,
still bound managed to duck it but soon realized that the blade wasn’t aimed
at him.
 “Roda, look out!” he yelled at his companion.
But it was too late…
The blazing blade scorched the first assassin into a human charcoal
while the phoenix in turn, dove towards the bound assassin struggling to get
up from the ground.
Cassandra dropped to one knee as most of her mana depleted. She was
exhausted and panting heavily.
“Are you okay?” Zephyr asked anxiously with concern.
To be honest, he is bewildered by the fact that a young girl like her could
achieve this feat against the two assassins of famous guild. And without
even getting hurt in the process.
Why was she evening hiding in the first place. He wonders
And then he realized, as he heard sounds of chains dragging toward
them.
“As expected from the Kingdom’s princess.”
The shadowy figure emerged from the shadows, his face covered by the
wolf mask. It was the leader who was questioning Zephyr. His blood-red
eyes glared coldly at both of them.
He held a red dagger and a sickle connected by chains which scraped
along the ground.
“Useless weaklings” he muttered as he looked at the fallen bodies of his
underlings.
“So, Princess,” he addressed Cassandras with an ominous tone, “if you
come quietly with us, I will spare your friend here.”
“Do you really expect me to believe that?” Cassandra retorted defiantly.
The assassin leader burst into a twisted laughter.
“Of course not” he sneered.
Then suddenly, he lunged toward Zephyr and Cassandra with a blinding
speed. But the attack was intercepted by Icarus who took the damage in the
process.
“Icarus!” Cassandra called out.
The phoenix flew toward Cassandra’s chest and disappeared in the form
of an egg.
The assassin leader launched another chained attack, aim at Cassandra.
She managed to evade it but hurt her legs in the process.
As the assassin slowly advanced toward Cassandra, Zephyr stood in front
of her, his legs shaking and sweat trickling down his face from fear.
However, he chose to stand his ground.
What am I doing? Zephyr thought.
“Oh…” the leader sound amused. “Seems like you want to die quickly”
The leader kicked Zephyr in the gut and sent him flying like a rag doll.
Rather than a kick, Zephyr felt like he was hit by a giant mace. The
difference in their strength was too big.
 Before he could even recover, a sharp dagger pierced his left hand.
Zephyr screamed as the pain surged toward him. His body felt like it was
filled with lead and blood started to seep from hie eyes. He coughed, each
heave bringing up more blood.
“It was the Blood Poison.” the leader said in twisted tone “Soon, you
will struggle for every breath. Your blood will darken until it’s black. Then
you will die in agony.”
“Zephyr!” Cassandra cried out in desperation.
A fire ball was hurled at him but the assassin easily dodged it.
He then turned to Cassandra and said menacingly,
“Don’t worry, princess. You’re next.”
Zephyr could only watch in pain as the leader walked toward Cassandra.
Damn it, why does it always end like this?
Cassandra’s eyes were wide with fear. But she hasn’t given up.
With her all of her remaining mana, she started chanting a spell.
“It too late!” the leader said as lunged toward the princess.
Then. there was a loud clang of metal against metal. Cassandra saw the
back of a man clad in white armor standing protectively in front of her.
“Doran!” Relief washed over Cassandra.
With powerful swing from his greatsword, Doran the knight send the
assassin leader flying with tremendous force.
“Are you hurt, Princess?” he voice tinged with concern.
“I-I am fine. But…Zephyr! Take me to him” she asked anxiously.
“As you wish princess.” Doran said as he carried Cassandra over to
Zephyr.
Zephyr is now struggling for air. He can’t feel his lungs. He can’t feel the
air around him. His vision is getting blurry. And his skin was turning
unhealthy shade of pale.
“Doran, give me the lotus.” Cassandra requested.
“But…Princess” Doran hesitated.
“I will take responsibility for it…” Cassandra replied in hurried tone.
With a nod, Doran handed over a small, shimmering lotus to Cassandra.
She gently placed it in Zephyr’s mouth.
Zephyr skin began to return to regain its natural shade. He could feel the
rush of air filling his lung once more. His injured left hand was slowly
healing. But his body felt drained, too weak to even stand upright.
The assassin leader lunged at them again but Doran was quick to block
the attack,
“Stand back, bloodhound. You are no match for me.” Doran warned.
“Yes…that is true. I am no match for Doran the Rune Knight,” The leader
conceded “But did you really think I came here alone with just these fools?”
Suddenly, rustling sounds echoed around them as about 10 more
bloodhounds emerged from the shadows.
 They circled around Zephyr and others. Doran extended his greatsword,
a colossal weapon with a yellow glow running down its edge and intricate
rune were engraved in it.
“Please stay behind me, Princess.” Doran urged “And run when you see
an opportunity.”
“No, Doran. I will fight alongside with you.” Cassandra objected “But I
need to recover my mana first.”
Doran look conflicted but eventually give in.
“As you wish, Princess”
Cassandra pull out a potion and began sipping it while accessing their
situation. There are about 10 bloodhounds excluding their leader - each
armed with different weapons like daggers or crossbows and one even had a
Katana.
It will be a difficult battle but she is confident that they could win with
Doran by her side.
She glanced at Zephyr who was struggling on the ground due to
aftereffects from the poison. She felt bad for dragging him into this mess.
Suddenly, the assassins launched their attack - those wielding melee
weapons charged toward Cassandra while others fired their crossbow.
Doran quickly positioned himself in front of Cassandra and readied his
sword while Cassandra instinctively.
With a powerful roar, Doran swung his greatsword with such such force
that it created a Whirlwind. The whirlwind knocked back the assassins and
deflected all incoming projectiles. Seizing that moment of distraction, the
assassin leader tried to sneak up from behind with chains in an attempt to
capture the princess
But Doran was there.
He intercepted the chains mid-air, forcing the leader to retreat.
“Tch…You’re a nuisance.” The assassin leader grumbled as he got back to
his feet.
He pulled out his dagger and sliced his palm open, letting blood drip into
the ground. Then he started chanting an incantation.
Soon, a blood mark appear on the ground encircling them all.
One by one, the defeated assassins rose again - their red eyes glowing
ominously beneath their mask. The eyes glared at them from within
darkness like predators hungry for blood.
Cassandra suddenly felt her body becoming heavy and sluggish.
“A field spell” she muttered.
“Yes” Doran confirmed. “Blood Hunger - it’s a field spell used by
bloodhound commanders that induces blood lust to their allies and slow
down enemies’ movement.”
“And what about you, Doran?”
“Fear not, Princess. Such spells don’t affect me.” Doran reassured her
confidently.
Doran plunged his greatsword into the ground causing its yellow line to
glow brightly. Suddenly, two more image of him appeared beside him as if
he had cloned himself into three.
“I will go deal with the assassin leader first, Princess. I will leave one of
my illusion here with you. Please put up the Flame Guard when you can”
Doran instructed.
Cassandra nodded in agreement.
The illusion clone of Doran leaped towards the assassins who attacked
him ferociously. But most attacks were dodged and parried except for few
that managed to hit him thanks to crossbow shooters. But this was not a
problem for Doran.
Firmly forming a fist on his left hand, the illusion smash the ground. The
impact was so strong that it made shock waves and knocked back the melee
assassins.
Taking advantage of the moment, Doran dashed toward three crossbow
wielders and landed a strong punch on one of them. The assassin fell to his
knee from the punch. The illusion kicked his face without hesitation.
As soon as one was down, Doran’s illusion attacked the other without
rest. He plunged the sword into his chest, killing him instantly.
The other one fired multiple arrows out of desperation but they were
futile against his armor. With a swift slash, he cleaved the assassin into
two.
He turned around, his armor stained with blood while resting his
greatsword on the shoulder
“You guys hunger for blood, right? Come and get it.” he said with a
chill voice.
The bloodthirsty assassins lunged at him but Doran easily grabbed one
by the neck and threw him at another, knocking both of them away.
Meanwhile, the assassin leader watched everything unfolding before him
with growing frustration. He knew titled holders were powerful but he
didn’t expect this level of strength from mere illusion.
“What are you looking at, bloodhound?”
A sudden punch landed on the leader’s face making him see stars for a
moment. His wolf mask shattered, revealing the face beneath it.
“You will pay for this,” he growled.
He took out the twin dagger from his belt and attacked Doran again - this
time, stronger and faster than before.
Doran switched to defensive stance, skillfully blocking each attack while
looking for an opening. The leader violently attacked Doran with renewed
vigor. Each clash of the metal even made the shockwaves.
The assassin leader vanished for a second and reappeared from behind,
trying to stab Doran. But Doran managed to grab his arms and threw him
away.
This time, it was Doran who charged toward the leader intending to
strike him down but he dodged just in time. The leader then spun his chains
and threw them towards Doran successfully wrapping them around Doran’s
hand.
Rather than attempting to free himself, Doran seized the chains binding
him and yanked them toward. The sudden movement jerked the leader
forward. With a swift kick, Doran sent him sprawling onto the ground,
gasping for breath.
The leader looked up the towering figure of Doran and it dawned on him
that he stood no chance against this formidable knight.
His men were already lying battered and bruised from Doran’s illusions.
Another illusion was standing around Cassandra, who had put up a barrier
and was poised for an attack.
Seems like it is over for them.
But they need to get the Princess. It’s their mission. Even he managed to
escape, failure meant certain death for a bloodhound. A smirk crossed the
leader’s face as an idea struck him.
He rose to his feet and pulled out a scroll from his pocket. He read aloud
the mystical text inscribed on it and pointed his hand towards Doran.
Doran stood unflinched after the incantation.
But something was wrong, such low level spell wouldn’t work at him
obviously. But…
He realized that it wasn’t aimed at him. His eyes widened as he turned
around to look at Princess Cassandra.
The illusion protecting her had vanished.
The leader used Hex spell from a temporal scroll. It will temporary
polymorph the target to an animal for a second. It was a common spell that
is ineffective against high level heroes like Doran. But it has the ability to
kill the illusions instantly.
As soon as the illusion disappear, assassin with a Katana attacked the
barrier. He shattered the barrier in one strike with his enchanted blade
leaving her defenseless.
But Cassandra wasn’t unprepared for these situations. She was already
chanting a high level spell as soon as the illusion disappeared. She stretched
both of her hands and summoned a flame dragon that flew towards the
assassin. The fire engulfed him, forcing him to drop his weapon.
Doran took a quick survey of the area. With this, all assassin has been
taken down except for the leader, who he will finish off soon.
But something was off about the leader’s calm demeanor.
That’s when he noticed it. His heart pounded as he saw an invisible
figure sneaking up behind Cassandra.
“Princess! Look out!” Doran yelled.
 But he was too late.
Cassandra felt a hand grabbed her from behind. Silencing her mouth
with one hand and restraining her with the other.
It was the assassin from before with an invisible cloak. The one she
thought died from Icarus’s attack. Cassandra was a formidable mage. But in
terms of physical strength, she was easily overpowered by an assassin. She
couldn’t cast any spell as her mouth was silenced by the assassin’s hand.
The assassin slowly dragged her away as she struggle to get free.
“Don’t move an inch, Rune Knight” the leader warned Doran “We don’t
want anything unfortunate happening to your beloved princess.”
Doran gritted his teeth. Things had taken a worst turn.
In the midst of all, Zephyr was clutching at the edge of his
subconsciousness. He took in the chaotic scenes playing out before him. His
body, frail and feeble, lay on the cold ground, powerless to intervene. He
could do nothing but watch powerlessly as Cassandra was slowly dragged
away from him.
The same girl who had protected him with her quick wits.
The one who had eased the tormenting pain from the poison with her
tender touch.
And the girl who had seen him - truly seen him - in his otherwise
mundane existence.
Now she is in trouble. What can he do for her?
Nothing.
Why?
Why is he so powerless?
Why is he so weak?
Was it because he was born as a Misfit?
Countless unwanted memories that he wanted to bury in his past flooded
into his mind.
The fire, the screams and…the deaths.
There were people who cared about him, people he cherished. He
couldn’t do anything for them.
He just watched. Just like now.
“What? Are you just going to watch?”
Those mocking words echoed in his head, felt like a trigger. Mustering
all of his strength, he searched for a weapon. Anything that could help him
save Cassandra.
Reaching for a weapon, his hand landed on the Katana the burning
assassin dropped from earlier.
Then, it happened…
Zephyr felt the lightning coursed through his veins. He felt like he has
wield this weapon for ages; everything about it was familiar - its grip, its
weight.
 And most importantly, it felt right.
…To hold this weapon, and to fight with it.
Slowly rising on shaky legs he caught the attention of the cloaked
assassin.
“Hey what are you doing! Do you want this girl to die!?” he yelled
threateningly.
Zephyr remained silent.
For some reason, that image of Zephyr caused an inexplicable fear to the
assassin. He look like an undead rising from the dead.
In a blink, Zephyr disappeared from sight only to reappear slashing the
assassin diagonally aiming for his neck. The assassin managed to dodge in
time but not without losing his ear.
Cassandra seized this moment distraction, bit down the hard on the hand
covering her mouth and broke free.
As soon as she was free, Zephyr launched himself at the assassin with a
fury that left everyone watching in awe.
He is completely a different person now.
The assassin took out the twin dagger to deflect but Zephyr attacked
relentlessly. Slash after slash, he continued, like a madman.
The assassin saw an opening as he thought Zephyr was attacking
mindlessly and tried attack with both of his dagger, he spun around and
strike in a circle.
But to his surprise, Zephyr was prepared. He managed to duck and
retorted with a uppercut slash. As the assassin lost balance since he had to
dodge it backwards, Zephyr jumped and cut him from the above.
The last thing the assassin saw before blood gushed from his forehead
was Zephyr’s face.
“You…Demon..” the assassin cursed before being cleaved into two.
“Curses on you, brat! I should have just ended you back then!” the leader
cursed and charged at Zephyr.
But his attempt was cut short as Doran’s greatsword found its home to
his chest.
As the life was drained from him, he locked his blood-red eyes onto
Doran’s face.
“The bloodhounds will…remember this. And they….won’t rest until they
achieve their goal.” He uttered his final warning.
With that, the last of assassins fell.
Zephyr slowly turned to face Cassandra, his face stained in blood.
She looked back at him with wide-eyed shock and worry.
Where was the boy from before?
Suddenly, Zephyr’s strength gave out and he crumpled to the ground,
landing heavily on his knee before collapsing fully.
“Zephyr!” Cassandra cried out in concern. “Doran,” she implored through
choking sobs, “please help him!”
But for Zephyr, everything was becoming distorted and fuzzy. He could
barely make out the figure of Cassandra and Doran or hear their panicked
voices. All he could focus on were the words materializing before his fading
sight:
You have completed a hidden quest,
[Taste of Blood].