Cassius Lange

Midnight Bounties 4 - Chapter 4

Shieldmother paced up and down the courtyard nervously, scanning me like a feral beast eager to sink its fangs into her prey. Can’t say I didn’t feel like prey, though. The warning message in my Deeproot blinking red in the corner of my eye didn’t help either.

A colorful canvas of chatty nobles graced us with their perfumed presence all around the low wall of the courtyard. There must have been a score of those lazy rich fucks, each dressed more ridiculously than the last. A small...

Midnight Bounties 4 - Chapter 3

I opened the door to the King’s Stallion Tavern in Queen’s Street and stepped inside. The place was as large as the Lusty Lion’s ground floor, and it also smelled like it. The stench of sticky booze, southern pipe weeds and its patron’s perfumes mixed with the roasted meats and spices from the kitchen. The whole place just screamed wealth. Luxurious silk curtains hung between booths, golden laced furniture, and large beautifully carved wooden statues embellished every corner between t...

Midnight Bounties 4 - Chapter 2

“The song of the Ashpit,” I mumbled, lying in bed with my eyes open and staring at the ceiling.

“Go fuck yourself, you black-helmed piece of troll dung—ouch!” a voice from the square below the window cried.

Though I was used to the rumbling cacophony of the square, that morning seemed to be a bit too much even for the spectacularly low standards of courtesy. The shouting voices aside, it’s when I heard the clank of steel that I realized something was different. Despite...

Midnight Bounties 4 - Chapter 1

I rubbed my hands together and picked the last nail from my mouth, then stepped up to the frame of my new bed while holding on to an oversized hammer. If it turned out to be an exquisite piece, I’d never have another bad night’s sleep in my life.

“What a day,” I whispered with a hint of pride.

The backyard of the Midnight Bounties was in full bloom thanks to Opius, our resident vampire druid. The trees had grown tall and lush, offering blissful shade against the setting su...