Chapter 1

He knew it was time, what he lived for, the only thing that kept him going and fueled his revenge. Bloodlust was a friend in these times but it was a double edged sword, he could battle far beyond his normal range but it drained him and left him horribly exhausted afterwards and left him hollow with the atrocities he could commit during it. It was needed though, he couldn't finish his revenge without it. He slowed his breathing with the sounds of approaching steps, this was always the worst part, the waiting. He slipped into the space of his mind he kept it all locked in and readied himself, this man would be harder to kill than the usual.

He felt the hairs on his body rise and the blood start pumping through his body faster, gods he loved this feeling, it almost made the atrocities he did worth it, almost. His muscles bunched on his position at the roof's edge and as he prepared for this skirmish, he noticed how beautiful the night was, clouds covering the moon and the hint of a storm in the air, what an odd thing to notice before deaths began but this could be used to give him some ground, knowing she would love a night such as this, his rage could be pushed off for a few precious seconds longer. He let some trickle in and his senses sharpened, his eyes seemed to glow slightly in the moons light and his muscles bunched, his target was here, the one he had been waiting for, he could torture the information from this one and finally find the man he was searching for.

Unfortunately he couldn't pull back even though the mans family was with him, he hated when he had to access this part of himself but with a foe as skilled as this man he would need any chance he could get, he spared a moment to send a prayer to the gods for the children, he blocked out the sight of them under his sword and passed on to his target, gods, he was so close, he could finish his revenge and then pass on. He would not have to live the life of a murderer and avenger, of a forsaken man, hunted and feared. This would be his salvation.

The cold drip of water running under his fur was a small but constant annoyance but the rain would serve a purpose tonight. He needed the guards complacent, and lulled into making errors. These weren't average run of the mill thugs, those he could handle easily but 50 trained guards were another story, even for someone of his skill.

Thanatos shifted his coat tail to cover his tail and set out at a brisk pace, seeming to be any normal fur trying to get out of the rain. He hurried past the guards, thinking that he would come back later after they had seen him pass. Civilians were always forgotten and he wouldn't draw attention. His real name wasn't Thanatos that was the name given to him by the populous after his deeds had become known, he feared even thinking his real name. With the various ways to read minds whether natural or magical, a true name was a valuable piece of information.