Stalls were knocked over, goods spilling onto the muddy street. The market erupted into chaos.
Damn it! Who?! Was it Martis?! But his men said he was interested in me! Whitening?! Why?! What’s their goal?! Who hired her?! Why was she waiting for me?! She knew my name! It was deliberate! Why was Kail the one killed?! Fyar’s mind raced, trying to find any logic in the current situation.
He kept running, leaping over wooden crates, slipping through the terrified crowd. He ducked into a foul-smelling, narrow alley, hoping to lose them.
I have to contact Zaefal... but I’m probably a wanted man now! No... I have to hide first!
Meanwhile, inside the Iron Fangs’ headquarters...
Kail’s lieutenant, now in command, stared at Kail’s body with a clenched fist. His face was as hard as stone.
"Send a message to all our outposts!" he ordered one of his men who wasn’t seriously injured. "Spread the word: Starfall has killed Boss Kail. Put a five-hundred-gold-coin bounty on his head, dead or alive!"
His man nodded and immediately ran out.
"You," he said to another. "Go to the city guard’s office. Report this murder. Make sure the name ’Starfall’ becomes an official fugitive of the city!"
That man also ran.
"And you," he commanded his most trusted man. "Go to Stone Town. Report this to Lord Martis. IMMEDIATELY!"
The last man ran out of the headquarters, shouting into the streets, spreading the news of Kail’s death and the name of his killer throughout all of Dark Town.
Inside the Bounty Hall...
The large hall was stuffy, filled with the smell of sweat, stale ale, and desperation. Dozens of bounty hunters, thugs, and informants were gathered inside, their voices creating a constant, low drone. In the center of the room stood a large, weathered wooden board. Dozens of torn and yellowed bounty posters were tacked to its surface. This was the unofficial information hub for the criminals of Dark Town.
The front door was kicked open. one of Kail’s lieutenant, his face red with rage, stormed in and shoved a drunkard out of his way. He walked straight to the desk in front of the board, where a burly woman with a scarred face sat. Her name was Masha, the board’s keeper. The lieutenant threw a heavy pouch of coins onto the desk. The loud clink of metal made several heads turn.
"Post a new one!" the lieutenant ordered, his voice hoarse. "’Starfall’. Killer of Boss Kail. Five hundred gold coins, dead or alive!"
Masha showed no expression. She picked up the pouch, felt its weight in her hand, then gave a short nod. She reached for a rusty iron bell hanging beside her and struck it with a small hammer.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The deafening sound of the bell brought all activity in the hall to a stop. Conversations died. Mugs were set down. All eyes turned to Masha.
Masha took a nail and a hammer. With one steady motion, she tacked a new slip of paper, a crude sketch of Fyar’s plain white mask right in the center of the board, covering the face of another, older bounty.
"LISTEN UP, YOU FUCKER!" Masha shouted. "THERE’S A NEW BOUNTY! TARGET: STARFALL, KAIL’S KILLER! FIVE HUNDRED GOLD COINS! DEAD OR ALIVE!"
Silence hung in the room for a few seconds. Then, the crowd erupted in a greedy murmur. Bounty hunters who had been lounging in their chairs stood up. Thugs who had been drinking drew their daggers. Their eyes were now focused and sharp. Five hundred gold coins were enough to change their lives.
At the Wild Dogs Gang’s headquarters...
A gang member rushed into his leader’s private room, his breath ragged. "Boss! There’s news from the Bounty Hall! Kail... Kail of the Iron Fangs, he’s dead!"
The leader of the Wild Dogs Gang, a thin man with a cunning gaze, lifted his head from the pile of coins he was counting on his desk. He did not look sad. The corners of his lips pulled upwards into a smile. "Who killed him?"
"Their new fighter, Starfall. A five-hundred-gold-coin bounty has been placed on his head."
The leader laughed, a hoarse and dry sound. "Hahahaha, interesting." He pushed his chair back and stood up. "Gather everyone! We’re joining the hunt! We’ll also take over his territory. The Iron Fangs gang is now headless. It’s time for the Wild Dogs to take over!"
On a dark rooftop...
A slender woman with long, black hair was calmly cleaning her crossbow bolts with a piece of cloth. She heard the shouts of "MURDERER! STARFALL!" from the streets below.
Her movements paused. She listened for a moment, her head tilted slightly, processing the commotion. She then folded the cleaning cloth and put it back in her pouch. She slung the crossbow over her back, checked her quiver of bolts, then moved silently into the darker parts of the rooftop, heading in the opposite direction from the pursuing mob.
At the city guard post on the border of Dark Town...
The corrupt guard captain was counting a pile of coins on his messy desk when one of Kail’s men burst in, his face frantic.
"Captain! Boss Kail was murdered! The culprit is a masked fighter named ’Starfall’! You have to make him an official fugitive!"
Kail’s man threw a heavy leather pouch onto the desk, where it landed right next to the captain’s pile of coins.
The captain’s calm expression immediately changed. He picked up the pouch, weighing it in his hand, then grabbed a blank bounty poster and a quill. "Alright, alright. What was the name again? Starfall?"
In a dead-end alley...
Fyar managed to slip into a narrow, dark alley, leaning his back against the cold, damp stone wall. The pain in his shoulder was now throbbing intensely. His breath came in ragged gasps, each inhale burning his lungs. From the main street, he could hear the shouts that now screamed his name, getting closer.
"FIND STARFALL!"
"FIVE HUNDRED GOLD!"
"HE WENT THIS WAY!"