Ansel Narth crouched atop the wooden lookout tower, scanning over New Dawn for any indication of Zeer and the men. He became more and more worried for the other men with each passing moment. Why are they taking so long? Were they captured?

He slowed his breathing and focused all his attention on memorizing the town's layout. The cloudless night made the crescent moon shine brightly, giving him ample light to see. A couple of cobblestone streets away to his left was a three-story wooden building with a thatched roof. The place swarmed with Crimson Guards. They patrolled all around the building's perimeter and even had a lookout on the roof. I need to be wary of their line of sight.

Far on the other side of town, a large stone building with short spires on each side of the entrance towered over the buildings surrounding it. From his vantage point, he saw a stained glass window with the emblem of the Church of the Divines: a single hand reaching up with a dozen hands reaching down from above. He looked to his right over the square below. Even though it was night, people still made their way around the town. Sounds of laughter and music reach his ears from the various buildings around him. The smell of smoke from all the chimneys clogged his nose to any other smell.

Ansel's eyes examined each wooden building - looking for any sign of Zeer and the men - when someone distinct caught his eye. A familiar man in all black with a scar over his eye to his cheek was greeted by two Crimson Guards.

Celibrik. Maybe there's a chance he knows where Zeer and the men are. The Crimson Guards motioned for Celibrik to follow, and they all headed in the opposite direction of Ansel at a quick pace. This is my best chance. They have to be heading somewhere important.

He sheathed Keill's black blade and peered back down the ladder to see if any guards had emerged onto the roof. No one in sight. Climbing down the ladder as quietly as possible, he made his way to the roof below. He needed to hop roof to roof without drawing attention and follow Celibrik and the two guards. Sweat beaded down his forehead from the heat of the black cloak and from nervousness. Anxious thoughts threatened to cloud his mind but he focused all he could on the mission in front of him. You can do this.

The next building over was only a few spans away, much like back in Dawnsguard. He landed on the next building's thatched roof and paused. Sounds of alarm came from the building below. He continued hopping from building to building at a quick pace. Only paused for a moment on each roof to check the large three-story building to his left and the guards on the surrounding walls. He couldn't risk the guards noticing him and raising the alarm. After a few minutes, he could see Celibrik and the Crimson Guards below, moving at a brisk pace through the narrow streets.

They didn't slow for anything. Beggars occasionally came up and held out wooden cups, but the Crimson Guards yelled at them or kicked them out of the way. Ansel seethed watching them treat the citizens this way, but it was nothing new. This was how they acted back in Dawnsguard, why would it be any different here? He squatted low on each building's thatched roof while he stalked them, using the pitch of the roof to hide and peer over. We must be getting close to where they're going. Their pace slowed with each new street.

After only a few more minutes, Celibrik and the guards arrived at a two-story wooden building. There were torches every few feet, lighting the area, and Crimson Guards stood attention at all the entrances. Celibrik was greeted warmly. They led him inside, then closed the door behind them. Ansel could only see four windows from where he was perched. Two on the bottom level and two on the top.

Someone or something important is in there. Let's find out what.

Five Crimson Guards stood on the roof, scanning the area, so that wasn't an option. A two-story stone building with a chimney was to his left, in the perfect position to see into the top-level windows. He pulled his black cloak around him and hopped from his roof to the other, barely making the jump. Exhaustion crept into his muscles from all the jumping, but he ignored the feeling. He jumped up and grabbed the top of the chimney, and lifted himself up. A slight gust of wind brushed his cloak but shielded him from the chill.

From his new vantage point, Ansel could see into the top left window of the building where Celibrik had entered. The room was dimly lit but he could see Celibrik standing in front of four men, kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs and their mouths gagged. Standing to his left, not tied up, was Reed. He pointed to Zeer and explained something to Celibrik excitedly.

Ansel clenched his jaw. That bastard. He must've turned them in to save himself. He realized he was gripping the hilt of his black blade till his knuckles turned white. Reed had betrayed them. Chances were, he'd sold out Ansel and the Aslians as well. The anger helped push away any fear. He needed to come up with a plan to get them out of there.

C'mon Ansel, think of something. He couldn't get anywhere near the building with the amount of Crimson Guards surrounding it. Suddenly, an idea dawned on him. If he drew the guards away from the house, he could slip inside. That was it!

Ansel looked two cobblestone streets over and saw the three-story wooden building he'd noticed earlier with all the Crimson Guards swarming around it. In the front of the building was a cart with two horses with two guards standing watch. Not far off the cart was the other exit to New Dawn, wide open for them to escape through if he succeeded. An idea formed in his mind, and he grinned at all the mayhem it would cause the guards. But the grin slowly slid from his face as he thought it through more. It would cause a lot of mayhem to the Crimson Guards, but it would also hurt New Dawn's citizens and the town itself.

Ansel found himself extremely conflicted. The plan he came up with was a good one, but could potentially hurt innocents in the process. It went against everything he stood for as a Foundling but... was he even a Foundling anymore? He pulled up his right sleeve and looked at the spiraling black tattoo that marked him. Other potential plans raced through his mind, but as he thought each through, none worked like the first one.

Ansel knew he had to do it. The fire was the only way to save them. Rescuing Zeer confirmed their safety with the Aslians. Zeer's my friend. He's my ticket home too. He swallowed the lump in his throat and climbed down the building to the ground below. He needed to find a Crimson Guard or two alone.

Their crimson armor was the disguise he needed.

Pulling his hood up to hide his white hair, he walked along the streets while keeping an eye out for any Crimson Guards alone. He turned a corner and saw a lone Crimson Guard grab a woman by her neck. The guard wore a helmet, perfect for what Ansel needed. The man yanked her into a building nearby; she let out a quiet yelp. His footsteps echoed off the cobblestone streets as he walked up to the door they entered. Satisfaction welled up inside him. He had to do something he would regret tonight, but he would save at least one innocent before the night was over.

He carefully pushed open the door and slipped inside. Muffled whines and cries reached his ears from around the corner. With a light step, he crept through the house. They were in the room next to him, he could hear them.

Ansel burst in right as the guard finished pulling off his chausses. His armor lay on the ground nearby. The woman - half-naked with her arm held behind her back by the guard - was crying into the floor. A young girl sat in the corner, her hands covering her face while she cried too.

Ansel unsheathed the black blade and pointed at the guard. The guard's eye's widened, his mouth stuttering to get words out. The guard's forehead dripped with sweat. He wore only his undergarments.

Ansel's anger threatened to brim over. He pulled down his hood. "Get away from her right now, you bastard."

"It's you, the Foundling Prince Dayne is searching for," the guard said surprised. He cupped his hands around his mouth like he was going to yell.

Before a word escaped his mouth, Ansel thrust the sword right through the guard's face with ease. The man collapsed to the ground. Blood pooled around where his face had been.

The woman got up, covered herself, and ran over to the little girl in the corner. They both huddled there, staring at Ansel in fear.

He wiped the sword on the man's undergarments and crouched in front of them. "I'm sorry you had to see that." He reached out to help them up but the woman and the child shied back even farther into the corner, both of them crying even harder.

"Please... leave us... we won't.. say a... thing..." the woman said between crying gasps of air.

His heart sunk at seeing their fear. The gratitude he used to get was absent.

He turned away from them, not wanting to see their crying faces any longer. He took the Shroomveil out of his cloak pocket and tucked it in his waistband, then took off the cloak and donned the crimson armor on the ground. He adjusted the sheathed black blade over the armor so it was easily accessible. With the helmet on his head, he looked back at the two women.

"I'm going to leave my friend's cloak here. Will you watch over it for me please?" Ansel asked. He was sad to leave the cloak, but he couldn't take it with him where he was going.

The older woman nodded yes. With her hand shaking, she gently caressed the younger girl's hair. Ansel frowned while he watched them. The time of the Foundlings has truly passed. And it's all my fault.

With a heavy heart, he walked out onto the cobblestone street. Two passing Crimson Guards did the signature salute - a fist to the chest and a slight nod of the head. Ansel replied with the same salute and headed toward the three-story wooden building.

Time to risk it all.

After a couple of twists and turns, Ansel made his way to the wooden building crawling with Crimson Guards. Just play it cool. He walked up to the guards blocking the entrance.

The right guard put his palm out. "Where are you going soldier?"

"Celibrik ordered me to retrieve the cart. He has prisoners to escort back to Prince Dayne," Ansel replied, making his voice a tad deeper.

The guards looked at each other for a moment, then motioned for him to go through. Ansel kept his face cool but inside he was soaring with happiness.

Before he headed off toward the wagon with the two horses, he looked back to see if the guards were watching him. They were already talking to another group of Crimson Guards, so he headed inside the building.

Inside the three-story building, benches and small beds lined the walls. Small chests sat at the foot of the beds for the guards to store their belongings in. The area smelled of dirty men that hadn't bathed recently.

Dozens of Crimson Guards were walking around doing various tasks. Many saluted him while he passed through the building, and he continued doing it back. Nervous beads of sweat dripped down his forehead. Every moment was another he could be caught. He needed to be as quick as possible. Who knows what Celibrik is doing to them by now.

He turned a corner and noticed a small room where the latrine was located. A torch hung on the wall outside the entrance of the room. Ansel looked around to see if anyone was paying attention to him. No one was. He grabbed the torch, walked into the small room, and closed the door behind him. The latrine had flies fluttering all around it, and the room smelled of shit. Holding his nose, he tossed the torch into the latrine. The fire ignited quickly. Smoke billowed from the latrine, the fire began to spread. He walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. He paused, giving the fire a few more seconds to escalate. Here we go.

He ran into the barracks room, waving his arms franticly. "A fire has broken out in the latrine. THE BUILDING IS ON FIRE!" He sprinted out of the building before anyone could ask him questions. The guards all ran in the direction of the latrine.

He ran over to the two guards near the cart and horses and yelled at them that the building was on fire. The two guards ran off. He jumped up onto the front of the cart and snapped the reins of the horse, guiding them toward the building Celibrik was at. As he rode away, he turned his head and saw that the fire had spread rapidly, and the whole building was now on ablaze. Smoke filled the air. He coughed into his armored arm. Nobody had suspected him at all. Thank the Divines. Finally, some luck.

After a short ride, he pulled up to the building where Zeer and the men were located and yelled at all the Crimson Guards posted. "A fire has broken out! We need as many men as possible. Prince Dayne has sent me to get reinforcements!"

Inside, he prayed they would listen to him. They did. The guards abandoned the building by the dozens and ran off toward the fire. Even the ones on the roof climbed down a ladder and ran off toward the flames. The roaring fire was already spreading to other buildings close by it.

Ansel looked back at the fire, spreading as it gobbled up building after building. He bit his trembling lip. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt innocents, but he had to save Zeer and the others. That's what he told himself. He shook his head, forcing himself to focus.

This is going to be the hardest part. I've got to somehow stop Celibrik from killing us all with his Viberium powers and get Zeer and the others out of there. If I get a chance to end Reed, I will. He clenched his jaw with determination.

Ansel ran into the entrance and scanned around. No Crimson Guards were still in the building, at least on the first floor. He could hear grunting upstairs. Celibrik must be beating them to get information. He pulled off his helmet, dropped it on the ground, and ran up the stairs. His breath became ragged with each step. The weight of the crimson armor grew.

He emerged onto the second floor and crept to the entrance of the room the grunting came from. He peered around the corner; his eyes widened at what he saw.

The room was dimly lit and blood pooled on the ground. Two of the men from Building 49 were dead, their heads blown off. Zeer was on his knees, panting heavily while cradling his left arm. His arm was twisted at a weird angle and sweat-drenched his forehead. His face was a mask of pain. Celibrik held the last member of Building 49 by the throat against the wall - his right-hand palm opened and aimed at the man's head. Reed faced Celibrik with his back to Ansel. He leaned against the wall and picked his teeth casually.

"I want every scrap of information out of you about the Native Races. Every word you've heard them say," Celibrik said.

"I've already told you everything I know, please don't kill me!" the man pleaded, his eyes wide with terror.

"Not good enough." A small ball of wind circulated in Celibrik's right palm. He slowly moved it toward the man's head until it reached his face. As the ball touched the man's head, it exploded, coating the wall with chunks of human brains.

"No!" Zeer yelled at Celibrik. "He'd told you everything he knew, what more do you want to know that Reed hasn't already told you?" Desperation coated his voice.

"I guess you'll have to tell me yourself," Celibrik said emotionlessly. He turned around and walked toward Zeer.

Now is my chance.

Ansel ripped his black blade from the sheath. He roared, then he sprinted at Celibrik. Celibrik turned with surprise, his eyes wide and mouth open. He put his hand up, palm open toward Ansel. But it was too late. Ansel chopped the black blade downward, cutting off Celibrik's right hand. The man let out a scream of terror. He gripped his right forearm with his left hand as blood gushed out of the wound. A small ring fell from him onto the ground.

Zeer lunged for the ring and grabbed it with his right hand. He kicked out at Celibrik, knocking him on his back with a grunt.

Ansel immediately turned on Reed, who was cowering in the corner with his hands up.

"Wait, please! I can tell you information about -" He didn't get to finish. Ansel swung the black blade down onto the cowering man, finishing him in one blow.

He stood over Reed's dead body, sword dripping with his blood. "That's for turning on us you bastard."

The red film that dominated Ansel's vision subsided, and he keeled over and vomited on the ground. The sight of the men from Building 49 with their heads blown off was too much for him. He felt a hand on his back and he whirled around, pointing the black blade at Zeer. Ansel's breath came out in ragged gasps.

Zeer held his right hand up, palm out. "It's okay kid, you saved me. You can breathe."

Ansel dropped the sword on the ground and hugged Zeer. Tears poured from his eyes. The brutish man wrapped his right arm around him.

Zeer patted his back in a soothing way. "It's okay Ansel. You did what you had to do."

Ansel let out a huge breath, wiped his face, then turned toward Celibrik. The man sat with his back slouched against the wall, breathing hard, and holding his right stump with his left hand. Blood gushed out of the wound. Ansel walked over and pulled off the tattered cloth that used to be Reed's shirt. It was stained with crimson blood.

He turned and threw it at Celibrik. "Wrap that up before you die." Celibrik picked up the cloth and wrapped his nub. He stared at Ansel the whole time white-faced.

"You're saving this man?" Zeer asked in disbelief.

"He knows who framed me, he has to. We're going to get it out of him," Ansel replied. Nausea rolled in his stomach when his eyes passed over a member of Building 49.

Zeer pondered over that, then nodded his head in agreement. "I would like to know a few things as well." He held up the gold ring that had fallen to the ground earlier. "This is his Relic. He can't use his Viberium powers without it."

"Keep that close to you and let's get out of here," replied Ansel. He walked toward Celibrik.

"You two think you're going to escape from here? Prince Dayne is probably on his way right this moment," Celibrik croaked angrily between labored breaths. His face was white as the moon.

Ansel punched him. Hard. The man's head lulled to the side. "Shut your mouth." He picked up the man with a grunt of effort. As they walked out of the building, Ansel noticed the helmet he'd worn earlier laying on the ground. He pointed at it. "Zeer, grab that please." Zeer did.

They walked outside to a scene of chaos. The roaring fire had spread through half the town of New Dawn now. Orange flames licked the sky while smoke rose to the Divines above. Crimson Guards were frantically sprinting around trying to put out the flames, while citizens huddled together, crying and trying to help. Ansel laid Celibrik in the back of the cart and put the helmet on to cover his hair.

Zeer cradled his twisted arm and scanned around them, eyes wide. "You caused all this?"

"There was no other way to get you guys out of there, I needed a distraction," Ansel replied. He swallowed the lump in his throat. Seeing the damage he caused made his victory lose its sweet taste. He couldn't bear to look at what he'd done.

Zeer climbed into the back of the cart with Celibrik."We had food, cloaks, and all the other supplies we needed. But Reed turned us in before we could get back to you guys. Celibrik got to us before we could escape." He put his head into his right hand. "I shouldn't have trusted Reed."

Ansel climbed up and sat on the front of the cart. "You couldn't have known what he would do. Don't blame yourself."

Zeer laid his head against the side of the cart. "We can talk more once we get back to the Aslians. Let's just get out of here. I've seen enough Crimson Guards for one lifetime."

Ansel grunted his agreement and snapped the reins. The horses took off at a gallop. With the Crimson Guards busy, they exited New Dawn without being stopped. He peered back over his shoulder to see the fire continue to spread throughout the once-bustling town behind them. I don't deserve to call myself a Foundling anymore. Tears welled up behind his eyes but he swallowed to stop them.

They raced off toward the mushroom forest at a gallop, riding over the grassy flatland. Thoughts of the damage he'd caused plagued him while they rode along. The faces of the lady and the little girl kept taking center stage in his mind. He couldn't hold the tears back any longer. They streamed down his face like a never-ending river.

Who am I anymore?