Wolfram hopped ahead of William, as he searched for what he considered "clues for his adventure." William smiled as Wolfram swung his wooden sword. Every now and then, the boy would turn around and make sure that William was still watching before he would swing again.

"Will we be training today?" Wolfram asked as he jumped in front of William. He cocked his head slightly while his face was beaming with a smile. William's fingers intertwined with Wolfram's hair as he ruffled it.

"We can at dusk," William said.

Looking down, he noticed that Wolfram's white scarf had come undone. He knelt down to match Wolfram's height. Taking the edges of cloth into his hands, he twisted them until they knotted together. He then tucked the end of the scarf into Wolfram's leather tunic and adjusted his navy blue jacket after. Wolfram pulled away and began to adjust his clothes himself.

"I can do it myself, father," Wolfram said as he picked up his wooden sword. Will laughed and they continued to walk down the path.

Wolfram returned to his play fighting, while Will followed not far behind. Women who passed by giggled at the sight of the young boy and quickly dipped their heads the moment they saw William. He merely waved them off in return.

However, something else caught his attention. Behind him, there was the sound of fast approaching metal boots. Not long after, about ten men jogged past William and Wolfram. Watching them, he saw the type of armor of the soldiers with spears in hand. They weren't high ranks. The pace and amount of men were what caused his brain to rattle.

"Wolf," William called out. Wolfram perked his head up and quickly turned to face William. Wolfram's eyes watched as his father motioned for him, and with haste, he jumped to his side without question. "Stay by my side until I say so."

"Yes, father," Wolfram said with his "serious" voice. Will looked down at him, and with a smile, he ruffled his thick, black hair once again.

"You don't have to be so serious," he laughed. "Did you see the number of guards that passed by? And how they wore low ranking armor. Usually, ten is the ones dealing with the aftermath of something."

Looking up, Wolfram stared at William with wide eyes. It was as if he was staring into the past. Wolfram was a spitting image of Will, the same mist eyes, to the black locks, down to the jaw, and the mouth. But, he had his mother's button nose and small ears. Slowly, Will could feel his heart beginning to ache as he thought of her.

"Father," Wolfram said, calling William back to his senses. "Look!"

Following Wolfram's small finger, William laid eyes on the destruction of the town square. Guards ran amok trying to gather and record the damage done to the roads, homes, and the statue ontop pieces of paper. Some of the women helped treat those wounded, judging by the bruises on their skin he assumed from falling rubble. No one showed any signs of gashes nor bleeding. However, the patterns of ink on the ground were particularly odd to him.

Stepping into the town square, he looked around him. His eyes flared the moment he spotted that the damage extended past the town square. The way the rubble and ink followed in one line appeared as if there was a chase of some sorts. Or at least, that was what he was able to predict.

"It's a lot more damage than I originally expected," a familiar voice said. Looking over, he spotted Zaydn walking up to his side. "When the messenger ran into my room I couldn't have expected this."

"What exactly happened?" William asked while he knelt down. Removing one of his gloves, he slid his finger across the black stuff and squashed it with his thumb and pointer finger. "This is...ink?"

"That stuff isn't just on the pavement it's now running through the canals below the city. You can thank our elven friend from yesterday," Zaydn scoffed as he turned to look at the damage. He mouth words, as if tracking where and what was destroyed. William's eyes looked down at Zaydn's twiddling fingers the moment he began to hear him mouth numbers.

"The halfling? She did this?" William asked as he put back on his glove. Lifting his head, Zaydn rolled his eyes at the mention of the word. His hand moved from his hip to the hilt of his sword and began tapping at the edge.

"Aria?" Wolfram asked. His beady eyes stared up at William, and then moved back to the damaged houses. Zaydn quickly glanced at Wolfram, and it was shortly followed by a long sigh.

"She didn't do it exactly, but she was a part of it. Walk with me, I'll explain on the way," Zaydn requested and he gestured for them to continue.

Step by step, they walked next to each other with Wolfram being in the center. Zaydn eyes wandered for a bit, while the sounds of people and construction took place around them. Citizens and soldiers worked together, picking up the pieces of rubble that scattered around the region. Some even focused on pulling the collapsed buildings around, while crying families stood nearby.

"From the reports, it seems some sort of colossal snake made of that stuff attacked the city," Zaydn said. "It began to destroy buildings, the ground, and crushed some of the carts from the market. People say it kept circling the town square, sensing, as if it was searching for something."

"Where were your men when this happened?" William asked.

"Yea, uncle Zaydn, you usually are quick with action," Wolfram said. Zaydn shot him a glare the minute the words left him. Dropping his head, Wolfram moved closer to William and spoke quietly. "Sorry."

"It ate my men whole. Yet, none of them died," Zaydn said while he continued to walk. William gave him a puzzled expression, and Wolfram did the same. "Instead, they all threw up the same substance on the ground. From what some of the citizens are saying, the snake chased the halfling all the way until she jumped into the canal. Then it dissolved into the water, revealing her and the men."

"I guess she got lucky," William joshed. Zaydn rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. With an annoyed tone, Zaydn continued to speak.

"Quite the opposite. She knew that was the way to end it. Right after we got the men out of the water, she told us that they would be fine after they threw up this black stuff." Zaydn paused and turned on his heels to face William. Not long after, his blue eyes shifted down towards the inky trail beside his greaves. "Which I'm sure I don't have to tell you what that means."

"No, you don't. This is Venom's doing," William said.

His eyes quickly shifted to the black ink. The situation seemed strange to William. They had been careful in making sure to slowly take over the watchtowers and guard posts, yet they willing assaulted the city. They went from steady planning to reckless action. It was a drastic shift, and enough to make it clear to William that the minds behind the two plans were clearly two different people.

A light flickered in his head, lighting up as he had a thought struck him. William knew exactly who to go to. He knew exactly who would have answers. He knew exactly how to get her to talk. Taking Wolfram's hand into his, William guided him along as he turned away from Zaydn. However, he stopped. His eyes stared up at the broken base of the statue, it's marble and pieces scattered around the area. A horse leg in a corner to a head about ten feet away from the statue itself.

"Very ironic that the statue of the late King Curtis was destroyed by the very people he made a treaty with. I assume you'll be the one to tell Ike that they destroyed his favorite grandfather's statue," William said with a smile. His head turned to his twin brother, who hadn't noticed that he even stepped away from him.

"Your humor never changes," Zaydn said as he finally looked towards William. "Anyway, why are you here?"

"We're going to visit Sam!" Wolfram added. "Then I get to train, are you going to come to watch uncle?"

"Perhaps another time. I currently have my hands tied up since this incident. You can blame the halfling for that," Zaydn said with an annoyed tone. William glared at him and just as he opened his mouth, but Wolfram jumped in ahead of him.

"But, you said she had nothing to do with it?" The child clutched his small hand into a fist, and his wooden sword was shaking. It was one of the few times Wolfram raised his voice. It took both William and Zaydn back.

"Wolfram, we'll have to work on your speech some more," William said as he placed his hand on Wolfram's shoulder. With a small amount of pressure, Will squeezed his shoulder, making him calm down.

"And give him a lesson on morals as well," Zaydn chimed in, which made William's brows furrow. "Honestly Will, does he know nothing about mix breeds."

"Not all of them are the same, Zaydn," William said. "He's my son. He's allowed to see differently than your corrupt views and morals. Now, if you don't mind. Wolf and I will be taking our leave. Judging by the circles around your eyes, I would recommend you go home and rest for once."

"Wait," Zaydn called out the moment they turned around, causing them to stop. "Don't call my morals corrupt when it's the way things are here. Besides, I'm not the one walking around trying to avoid their fiance. It's time to grow up and learn your responsibility."

William's eyes slowly brightened. Not long after, his pupils were completely covered by the light-blue glow over his eyes, which was followed by small sparks of lightning at his fingertips and the corners of his eyes. Wolfram lifted his head, watching as his father nose scrunched, his fist shook, and his jaw clenched. Taking his arm, Wolfram pulled William away from the town square.

As they walked through the alleyway, William counted backward to ten five times. However, no matter how many times he reached zero, the last words of Zaydn clung to him. His eyes still burned brightly. He could feel the energy pulsing at his fingertips, like tiny feet dancing beneath his skin. With a grunt, he finally lifted his hand, and a bolt of lightning shot from the palm of his hand towards the brick wall.

William's eyes dimmed, and the sparks retracted back into his skin. Air filled his lungs, as he ran his fingers through his hair. With a long sigh, he continued to walk down the street while Wolfram jogged beside him. Peering over his shoulder, he spotted the black scorch mark on the wall. He tried to put it behind him. After all, the city was already doing repairs, one small mark wouldn't be much trouble.

Will, opened the door to The Wolf's Den. Running past his father, Wolfram jumped onto the stool before the bar and sat in it. William closed the door behind him and looked around the room. He didn't see him, but he could hear Sam whistling from up the stairs. The sounds of water and cloth smacking against the wooden floors was enough to give away that he was cleaning.

"Wolfram, why don't you go behind the counter and find you something to drink. I'm going to go talk to Sam," William said as his foot rested on the edge of the steps. He began to go up until he stopped and looked over at Wolfram again. "Don't touch his 'special' bottles nor alcohol. I mean it Wolfram, those are off-limits."

Wolfram nodded his head, and William ran up the rest of the stairs. The wood squeaked beneath his feet. It had always been old floor boarding, but what stood out to Will was the recent shine the wood had to it. He turned down a hall and found Sam on the floor with his sleeves rolled up as he scrubbed the floor with a washcloth and a bucket of water beside him.

Lifting up his head, Sam met Will's eyes and his lips curved to moment he spotted him. He tossed the rag into the bucket of water. William looked behind Sam for a moment, noticing a trail of black spots leading into a room. The same room Aria was in. Sam, noticed William's wandering eyes, and eventually looked behind him as well.

"That's because of your little friend from yesterday," Sam said as he raised himself from the floor. He brushed off his hands with the cloth around his waist and strolled up to William. "It's good to see you, Will."

"To you as well, Sam," William said with a smile. The two grabbed each other's arms and patted each other's shoulders. "I hope she hasn't been giving you too much trouble. Is she in the room?"

"Actually no," Sam said as he turned to face the door. "She came in without a word and walked out with a pair of worn-down daggers. She actually didn't leave that long ago."

"Do you know which direction?" William asked.

"To the left as soon as you go through the main doors. I assume Wolfram is here and you'll want me to watch him?"

Sam picked up the bucket from the ground, stepping back towards the direction of the ink trail. Will jogged down the hall and stopped at the corner to turn back to Sam. With his hand resting on the wall, Will nodded as he flashed Sam a smile.

"You owe me one!" Sam yelled with his thick accent.

"I promise I'll pay you back as soon as I return!" Will yelled back. As soon as he reached the bottom of the stairs, he turned towards Wolfram. "I'm going to head out for a few. I promise I won't be long, so while I'm gone, cause a lot of trouble for Sam."

"Will do, father," Wolfram said with a giggle as he held up his wooden sword.

William opened the doors and quickly turned left. His head whipped around the alleyways and corners, attempting to find some sort of clue as to where she went. Scanning down the pathways, and looking at the people around there wasn't having much luck. No one had seen a redheaded girl run by, yet, many of them had seen splotches of black ink trailing in one direction.

Following their directions, Will eventually came across a black trail that went down a path. It was like a stream guiding him. Of course, what was waiting at the end wasn't a refreshing lake. Walking around a corner and crossing a bridge, he finally spotted her.

She was standing in front of a doorway of a store. Looking up, William noticed the obvious sign that hung above with an anvil on it. She lifted her daggers before the blacksmith, her hands obviously shaking as the blades clinked together. The blacksmith flinched at the unsettling noise. His eyes took one look at the blades, and he shook his head as he slammed the door in front of her face.

"I don't know what you were trying to do with those blades," William said as he walked towards her. His voice caused her to jolt. Spinning, she held up both blades towards Will. He stopped, looking down at the rust and tear on her blades. "You weren't going to get anywhere with no money, so why are you here soaked and talking to a blacksmith?"

"This doesn't involve you," Aria spat back. She took a step closer, keeping her eyes locked on him. "I'm tired of you and your brother. I don't care what he said, I'm not afraid to attack."

"I honestly have no clue what you're talking about with my brother." A smirk grew on William's lips, as he raised up his hands. "But, if you're not afraid to attack by all means do it."

Aria showed her teeth as they grinded against one another. Charging, she thrust one of the daggers forward. Will took hold of her wrist, twisting it as he pried it from her hand. Just as she swung her other dagger, he blocked the attack with the dagger he just took from her. He released her arm. Striking at her elbow, he used the heel of his hand to knock the dagger out of her grasp and threw the other one as well. With a grunt, she pushed away from him. She then lifted her foot and yanked off her left boot.

"Get away from me!" she screamed as she lifted up the boot.

William stumbled as he lifted his arms to protect his face from the incoming heel. He dropped his arms and marched forward. As he mumbled under his breath, Aria stepped back. Turning to run from him, William grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward. Her face pressed into his chest, and before she could become aware of what was going on, he bent down and wrapped his arm around her legs.

"Hey, wait!" Aria said as she was lifted over his shoulder. "Put me down, William!" She thrashed her arms and wormed around, attempting to break free of his grip.

"Calm down." He began walking with her continuing to slam her fist into his back. "I'm just taking you back to the Inn where your room is, and before you give me your 'I don't want to go back now' speech I'll tell you this. You're soaked to the bone, covered in ink, and fainted yesterday because of your wound. So for once, rest your body."

Aria stopped. She stopped pounding, she stopped fighting, and she stopped cursing. Her hands held onto his back, using it as a support to hold her up. She was silent. William bent down to pick up the boot she had thrown at him, and he could feel her eyes staring at the back of his head.

"Why do you care?" she asked in a calm voice. William returned her with a laugh.

"Don't be mistaken," he stated, "I'm doing this because I have a few questions about Venom. You're the only person who has any useful information. Now be a good halfling."

William heard Aria click her tongue. However, it was faint and sounded less like irritation and more like a disappointment. Her body tensed the moment he called her "halfling." He felt her hands curl into a ball, how her entire body shifted away from him, how a short sigh left her. He looked down at his feet for a moment, before taking a deep breath and lifting his head to speak once more.

"I'm sorry." Aria tilted her head at the start of his words. For once, she was listening fully. "Part of me does care, a very tiny part. I don't exactly want you to die. Mix-breed or not, your life does matter, Aria."

Hey guys! This chapter is longer than the others, haha, sorry about that. Anyway, it's nice to see someone is reading this story! I hope you're enjoying it. Did you like it? Did you hate it? Was something off or wrong to you? Thoughts on the characters or events? I wanna know these things! Thanks for reading, and have a fruitful day!