he longest time he had felt like a burden to the others, and they had spent a great deal of money for the healers to make him better and to give him a proper

t what he didn't tell them was that

at secret

a grin, 'are you ready to go

in places, and couldn't move as easily as he could b

erly. 'I want to h

s, and he turned to the res

he called to th

th the blind member of their guild stayed behind, listenin

oke to their backs as the guild

particular quest, but the journey was comfortable enough. The phoenix they had found many

The guild no longer lit fires anymore, but huddled around the phoenix instead, who always burned brightly. It would regard them with its human-like eyes as th

s. They were as large as horses, spitting green venom at its prey, and looked like a cross between a spider and a scorpion. Grotesque

res that had already hatched and were at this time relatively harmless, Leroy did no

eturn?' Rude ha

for humans, we try to make space for them and keep them apart from us. There is a line between beas

e said this, then looked

their reward, and re

ild to sell the phoenix they had guarded all this time, they found they could not do it. It had bonded with each

he cage. All of the guild members gathered a

r the first time, its fire l

g profile bright as it ros

obtain and risked so much for, flew away, never to be seen again. But not

through the open sky, feeling warmth a

he centre of his chest, and

w…' he

m just in time to see him fade away, something

pened his eyes, he st

began the task

or this evening was to infiltrate a great manor and kill the man who resided there. A greedy

istance. As usual the witch had given him very little detail about anything. As usual. He wasn't sure why she

pected th

e tree in the shadows. 'Alright…' he said to himself at last afte

ned to be looking out of any of the windows facing the road, all the

manor. The whole property was encircled by a huge wall, and the gates at t

mbled to himself, 'somewhere sn

te. There was one tree in particular growing conveniently close to the wall, and if that wasn't enough, ivy grew up this

try climbing t

from several different branches and landing ungracefully in a tangled me

es from his white-blonde hair and scowling, f

g towards the ivy.

one. Waltz drew a sharp intake of breath, pulling his hand back sharply. The insect had latched onto his finger with its pincers, like some sort of crab. Waltz furiously tried to shake it

nd throwing it over his shoulder and into the dark woods behind him. He began to c

ftened a little. Waltz flailed around in the bush for several seconds,

in, stepping out from the fol

something metal creaking. He turned, seeing with distain one of the iron g

s around him, but there were many weeds also. Surely a dept collector would have a garden that was pristine, with not a single blade of grass out of place, but in this garden certain areas looked completely forgotten and unloved. Waltz paused then, seeing a large tree from which a swi

Waltz mutter

way, creepi

ind this dept collector and

ge sight indeed, one that seemed so out of place to the story he had been fed by the w

ant closer to the window he could feel the warmth from the lar

e playing games within the room, several different games within several di

low the window as he peere

rth is goi

e rooftop a drain pipe runnin

dow, grasping the pipe firmly wi

cold as he slipped many times on the algae that grew on the drain, again, not

erly to himself. But then again… he thought as he

o think of such things, but ins

ff the drain and holding onto the ledge for dear life. He regretfully

his head, breathing a steady sigh as he closed his eyes. He opened them again, gripped by a s

hild's bedroom. There were two beds, one against each wall on opposite sides, and sh

nto one of the many magical pouches he carried and taking a piece of the substance within. It was a colour-less gel that wou

pressed a small piece of it fi

nd a small section of the glass melted quickly away

eached forwards, slipping his arm carefully through the

. He closed the window after him, drawing the curtains to hide the hole in the gl

elves were soft toys and colourful learning cubes, puppets, s

I suppose' Waltz mumbled to hims

ning cheerfully on the walls, realising there would be no place to find cover. He glanced one way down the corridor, then the other. It appeared deserted and was as silent as

en balcony; the blood-red carpet beneath him muffled his footsteps as he went. Before him on the floor below was a large hall, and above a chandelier made o

ng each other across the hall. Waltz lingered away from the balcony until the childre

ling a strong uncertain

going

other sound. It was

to it, list

ic

the balcony, movin

king his way towards a set of doubl

his head and pressing his

was able to identify a male and a female voice. The m

from inside the room,

stepping back, but he

n stared down the length of the blade towards this stranger as

screamed, but Waltz did not move. An

everything

from the floor below. The man stared at Waltz, and aft

ucy just saw a big spider, that

more seconds, listening intently. But the boy se

was clearly afraid and though he tried his best not to

as the terrified woman by his side clung t

ask you the same th

why you have come, is it not? I must have wronged someone very important and powerf

oman briefly, before l

o you are' Waltz

woman beside him

'You stay right

ulders

said. 'Tell me

Came the witch's voice in

uriously. 'Well I'm…

d, stepping back slightly and lowering his swor

shut

d. 'I have no idea what

ing and k

n? Why are there so

s, alone in the world and have no one else. I care for them until I can find a family who will take them from me. They are very happy

volved' the woman s

hing his sword and straightening

pay for

ing to her. 'There is only one woman I wish to ha

bly relieved. She wiped the sweat fr

eavens f

thing about a witch

g and frightening you. I think what you're doing here is a grea

f the hall. He was spotted by several of the children who happened to be nearby. They watched him curiously, seeing the cl

arrior?' sev

if he ha

f he's part

just like him

teps and sighing heavily. He looked up towards the sky, closing

enly free having defied

nary any longer' Waltz spoke

cast a spell on him as punishment for his disob

pefully, walking away from the manor and not look

ersing across moorland and mashes and woodland and town. When he finally reached the quiet crossroads where the

first to wel

a tired smile. 'I k

d and a warm bed to rest, here he stayed for an entire day

Waltz shovelled more waffles into his mouth, 'you're

ing an entire jug of honey onto his plate

nuinely glad to have Waltz back. Despite everything, Leroy honestly cared for Waltz

guild was sitting at picnic be

n Waltz's head that caused his h

suddenly as his ch

mself in horror, stumbl

ned to stare, some gasping in shock at

ace screwed up in terror

the witch's voice

ing massive in size. The guild watched in disbelief, som

mouth with many little sharp teeth. His eyes glowed orange, and

ning!' Waltz thought de

in panic, forming a

. They couldn't believe what they we

one he had tried so hard to hide, and for so long. He was truly a terrify

y. He reached out cautiously to the creature, doing so b

poke softly.

ears brimming in his eyes and

his face, feeling the wa

to glow again, and

ck at the rest of the guild in misery, reaching up to h

one, while the rest of the guild o

eep in thought and consumed with w

n his bed. He sat up s

s, which was completely out of the ordinary at this inn. Despite it being fairly quiet

z heard

swung his feet off the edge of the be

ved down the corridor and towards the

for one of the staff, a waiter

first appeared to be empty. But when he rounded one of t

d at first glance though bearing no

baul

s he could back outside to where he left his guild la

ut it was clear by their pale skin and blue lips, that nothin

and disbelief, seeing Leroy dead

a voice from i

d the next time it w

him only the clothes he carried on his b

irection, pausing only to drink from the rivers and eat only the tini

point in one of the forests, where he

his head up, shielding his eyes as he squinted to see it better, gasping in surprise w

d brushing h

fell from the heavens, landing a short

wed, before making his way eagerly a few seconds

ul find have

by the trees, were several great boulders, in the centre of which was a smooth patch of earth that was softened b

lief at this spectacl

allen fro

at a w

please refer to the cover, she should be easy enough to find – she is the on

unt on his fingers, tryin

d aloud. 'Oh well' he shrugged, makin

a better look at her large ch

e suffered a hor

g the blood pouring from between his

t as she surveyed Waltz's filthy and muddy profile.

ning himself up. 'Are you s

nd tilting her head back to the sky, 'the tr

s your

don't

ur own name?' Walt

n uncertainly. 'I

ltz offered, extending a hand. 'Hello S

same sneer and look of d

opping her head slightly

wn hand, and shook

ed' sh