text: A shadow moved and the chase began. Alec darted from his hiding place behind a battered chimney and dived forth into the night, landing like a cat and immediately springing up after his prey. His quarry - this time a rather plump halfling by the name ‘perrin’ - glanced over his shoulders, eyes wide with fear. Alec was used to this, and held no reservation in using all force necessary to uphold the councils justice. An enchanted obsidian dagger flew from his cloak, burying itself deep in the back of the halflings left Leg, its devilish enchantment shutting the muscle off instantly, causing the small man to crash to the cobbled floor. Alec skidded to a stop over his fallen target, then with a coy smile announced himself. ‘I, Alec Eagle-eyes, hunter and justice keeper for the Vallywall council, am taking you in on charges of theft and treason, resist and you shall be swiftly executed’. He smiled at the last word, in his 4 years hunting criminals on the streets of Vallywall he hadn’t once had to bring the final justice, and he prayed he’d never come across a criminal evil enough, to require it of him. The halfling began to mumble his excuses, the usual sort about being framed or how he needed the thousnads of gold pieces he took to feed his children. Used to these sleezy lies, Alec grabbed his chubby wrists and with a stone cold gaze tied his wrist, just a smidge tighter then he ought too. Seeing how his excuses were falling on deaf ears, the wretch took up a new tactic. ‘don’t see many half elves like you around’ Perrin began, but was quickly cut off. ‘I suppose not’ ‘didn’t think your kind were liked around here, the council being elven they tend to look down on your lot...’ ‘metaphorically, as oppose to how they look at you’ Alec shot back with a laugh. The halflings mouth gaped, though standing at barely above three feet, less then half that of his captor, he didn’t have much of a comeback. The Halfling stayed silent the rest of the journey, as Alec half led half dragged his captive the council hall in the centre of the city, far from the shady allies he’d been caught in. The great building shone in the moonlight, its twin spires reaching high towards the stars, and a waterfall crashing behind it into a crystal clear pool. Statues of the 6 members of the ruling council surrounded the entrance courtyard, though not all was peaceful, much to the half elf’s surprise. A crowd had gathered in the circular court, mostly humans, shouting protest at something, though Alec payed it little heed, as for years the council had been accused of corruption, though when your in a seat of almost complete power (second only to the king) for upwards of five hundred years, people start to question how. With the doors shut behind him the noise faded away as Alec lead the thief down the gilded halls, a yellow carpet spread across the floor and a glass ceiling let in light from the moon and stars, reflecting on perfectly placed prisms to bathe the room in a peaceful light. No matter the criminal, no matter the crime, they always accepted their arrest here, Alec had always thought it was in some way enchanted, though the natural beauty was enchanting enough. Two sleek, Elven guards met him at the end of the hall, taking Perrin and handing him a new scroll. ‘This one’s important, half, don’t mess it up’ one guard muttered with a smile, and the other laughed. Alec stared the guard who spoke down until he shrunk back and stumbled off with an obviously smug halfling. Angered, but unfortunately unsurprised, Alec opened the scroll. He eyes widened at the first words, ‘the king is dead’. As he read on dots started to connect, the crowd outside must be blaming the council, for the council were now the sole power in Vallywall, though they couldn’t be responsible otherwise why wait five hundred years, and 23 monarchs, before striking. The scroll also said they knew who was responsible, though they had no motive. The aura from a local scholar, one Tridus who worked at the waterfall library, had been found in the kings study, and as such the council wanted him brought to justice. At the bottom the scroll was very clear, Tridus is to be considered dangerous and should be killed on sight if he shows any threat. Alec never wanted to read those words, but for the safety of the city he loved, he would follow them to the letter... Wasting no time he returned to the rooftops, still slippery from the recent rain, and charged to the waterfall library, up-vally from him, which made the travel hard as he clambered up walls and gutters, higher into the city. Once he was there he checked his long sword, sheathed at his hip, as well as his enchanted, obsidian dagger. Trisdus wasn’t hard to find, as Alec spotted him in a window still studying despite the late time, likely still too stressed to sleep but wanting to maintain his facade as a scholar, though the experienced hunter expected that his whole purpose had been as an assassin, likely from a rival kingdom wanting to weaking the throne before making an attack. Justice would be swift. Like a panther Alec slid from his rooftop vantage and leaped to the ground at the library entrance, boldly strolling in, his presence immediately noted by all those inside, though they were silenced as he drew his sword and raised his finger to his lips. He passed the stairs rapidly, before kicking the door in and giving the newfound assassin a larger than anticipated panic attack. In a rather un-assassin like manor, Tridus fell to the floor and scrambled away on his back side, not taking his eyes from the cloaked half elf in his doorway, which blocked his only means of escape. ‘Stop right there, traitor’ He spat the last word, and obediently, the human froze, raising his hands to show he held no weapon. He was certainly not like any other assassin Alec had ever come across, though he imagined that was the genius of it. ‘your under arrest for the murder of our king’ he announced, forgetting his introductions in his shock at the lack of a fight he received from the man who had killed the most powerful being in the realm. Flustered, he sheathed his sword but kept one wary hand on his dagger, while moving to take out this rope. Tridus suddenly seemed to wake up, as though finally realising this wasn’t a dream borne of his sleep deprived study session into the rare herbal remedies used by the highland folk in the nearby vallys. ‘I’m sorry... what!?’ he shouted, eyes bulging with fear Stunned, and unsure what to do, Alec kicked the scholar back, and stood over him, ‘The king has been murdered and your aura was at the scene of the crime’ Alec replied, almost shaking from shock at the way the events had unfolded. ‘If it was his study that was from showing him these’ Tridus replied shaking, then went to reach for something concealed in his bag. Noticing this Alec reacted instantly, jumping up and launching his glassy black dagger straight at the mans heart, its enchantment taking instant effect and stopping the muscle working, cutting his life of immediately. For the first time in his life Alec didn’t land with unnatural precision, instead landing like a rock fallen from a cliff, slamming hard to the floor. Over a hundred criminals brought in, but this his first kill, and though he knew the man to be evil, an assassin and a danger to all the civilised folk in Vallywall, he found it hard to see it that way. His facade was convincing, he’d give the man that. After what seemed an age he stood, quickly checking Tridus’ pulse to confirm his grim expectations, then set to retrieve the hidden weapon the man had planned to kill him with. In its place, he found a notebook. His horror rose as he opened the leather cover, for it was page upon page of evidence as to the corruption in the council, aswell as notes on a plot to kill the king and a note from the king himself granting the scholar protection from all investigators, signed by his majesty. Like curtains opening it all became clear. The council killed the king, they framed Tridus as he had been investigating them, removing an enemy while also having evidence as he had been in the kings study that very same day. With one last look at the still warm body of Tridus, a true scholar and noble citizen of Vallywall, he vowed to not rest until all was unveiled, and after slipping the notebook into a pouch, he dived to the night with a tear in his eye and an unquenchable rage in his heart. Justice would be brought to Watervally. Like a shadow he moved through the city; his new quest began.