“You know, just because work has been slow doesn't mean you have to go looking for it in such an unreliable way.” The short woman said while peering into a crystal glass.

The man waves his hand dismissively, “The details don't really matter just as long as there's work to be found.”

“It's your funeral.” She says while still peering into the crystal glass and writing down an address on a paper napkin.

“Come on, you're not sending me to certain doom, right?”

She sighs, annoyed. “The only thing I can tell you are these vague details. You know how this works.” She should charge him extra for having to deal with his stupid questions.

“You've always been close enough in the past, I'm sure I'll be fine.” Very few people have the skill necessary to tell the future, and even those that do cannot do it easily. In fact, calling it the ability to tell the future isn't all the correct either. As far as modern knowledge knows, it's impossible to tell the future for sure, but certain well attuned individuals possess the ability to view possible futures. Despite the having the ability to view possible futures, much is hazy an unknown about the accuracy of it. 'Viewing the future' involves peering into multiple possible futures, and scrying the most accurate vision among them. In short: It's a complicated process with varying degrees of accuracy even for the most experienced fortune teller.

“I didn't get the feeling it was a dangerous job, but that doesn't mean it's safe either, so be careful.” She says while exhaling fumes from her pipe. Using her fortune telling ability to look for job opportunities felt irresponsible so she disliked doing this, but if she had this ability it only made sense to use it for something. It would be a waste to never use her fortune telling. The man takes the napkin with her notes from her and heads out.

It's a cold December day, and it's snowing particularity hard. Oscar hoped the trek over to this creepy, uninviting, mansion was worth it. He knocks on the door. No answer, but he's probably just being impatient because of the weather. He waits a few moments and knocks again, with even more vigor. It's almost unthinkable that a house wouldn't have a doorbell in this day and age. The ancient door begins to creek open and a small boy answer. “It's too early for a delivery. Who are you?” Even the clothes the boy was wearing looked severely outdated. Did everything in this mansion have to look ancient? “Me, Oh I'm Oscar.” It was unusual to have a bell boy be, well, an actual child.

The child blinks surprised. “Um, okay who sent you? We're well off on groceries for this month.”

Maybe Oscar should just come out and say it, but knocking on someone doorbell and announcing you're here to rescue a kidnapped princess to an accomplice wouldn't end well. Then again this was just some kid, whats the worst that could go wrong? “I'm here to rescue someone.”

“That doesn't answer my question... but if you can help my master very well. What is the name of the person you're looking for?”

“Well,” Oscar laughs nervously. “I don't actually know.”

The boy frowns. “You're here to save someone you don't know the name of? This sounds more like a scam than anything else.”

Oscar waves his hands. “I-I can explain! Kind of.. Well, work has been a bit slow lately so I asked my friend who works with magic if she could use that to help me find something. She said there was a princess who needed rescuing here.”

The boy sinks his head in disappointment at hearing the shady mess Oscar was telling him. “Almost none of that applies to my master, but maybe somehow an idiot like you can still be useful. Come in and be quiet about it.”

“Ahh, Finally” Oscar says as the door closes behind him. He slaps his face to help him warm up. It truly was another frozen night. “What was that about me being an idiot?” He says to the child.

“Try to keep your voice down. My master is a very paranoid man and if he sees me talking to you before I explain he'll probably get violent. This way.” The boy motions for him to sit before a lit fireplace. “You look cold we can keep talking here.”

Oscar gladly sits down. The mansion is beautifully decorated, and whoever lives here must be beyond rich. Normally someone without connections like him would never be welcomed into such a place. “Almost all your information is wrong, and I still don't know well enough about magic to know if you're making fun of me.” The boy pouts. That's understandable enough, Maria's magic level was high and the thought of someone like that using magic for something as foolish to find a new job was almost unthinkable. His frustration was understood. Oscar pats his head. “I promise I really came to help. We had a good feeling the small lead we had was unreliable, but my friend is never wrong. The core information should be right: Someone here needs my help. You aren't denying that are you?”

The boy glared at him with a look that seemed to say 'don't patronize me'. “I'll try to explain quickly. There's no princess here and don't mention her or you'll make my master sad. My master is a very distrusting man so he'll probably refuse your help, but I might be able to convince him to agree to letting you help.” The boy doubted this man could be of any use, but if his friend could use magic well enough to know someone needed help here, they might be of use. This man was a connection to someone more useful. “The issue is there's a magic barrier keeping my master trapped here. There's other problems too, but that's the main real one. Me and my master don't know much about how to use magic so we haven't been able to leave since his father put up that barrier.”

“I see. I'll do whatever I can to help.” Oscar says with a smile. Oscar had very little magic experience himself, but he could always bother Maria for help once he gathered all the details. The boy then bows politely to Oscar. “Please do whatever you can to help him. My master is very distrusting so getting him to agree to your help might be difficult. I'll go get him now.” The boy said before leaving.

Oscar was left alone and he had time to fully take in his surroundings. There were a few things off about this place. For one a mansion this big, surely, would have to have a large staff around to take care of it, but the only worker he heard of was that young boy. The boy he met, himself, had an unusual scent to him. He looked human but clearly wasn't. His scent was very neutral, unlike any other living thing he's met before. There's nothing wrong with not being human, but that doesn't explain the neutral scent.

A man about Oscars age, appearing to be in his early to mid twenties, walked into the room followed behind by that young boy. So this was the lord of this impressive mansion finally making his appearance. “Mede, who is this stranger and why have you invited him to our house?” The lord asks the young boy.

“This is the man I told you about!” The young boy, whose named appeared to be Mede, said.

“Oh- you have wings. Big wings. I mean of course you do.” Oscar says trying to hide his surprise. At the mention of his wings the young lord opens them wide showing off their wingspan and flashing a toothy smile behind his jeweled mask.

“Sorry. That was rude of me to point out like that.” Oscar says. The other man only rolls his eyes. “You don't smell human, so seeing my wings shouldn't be that surprising to you.”

Oscar waves his hands. “You're right, you're right. I just don't see many winged folk around here. Sorry for starin' like that.” The young lord sits down and the boy sits down next to him. “Let's get to business. Who sent you?”

“That boy asked me the same thing? Why do you think someone sent me? I'm just here to help!” Oscar says honestly.

The young lord crosses his hands. “I am in a very delicate position. It's much easier to believe someone has come here to kill me than to help me, otherwise how could you have found us so easily?”

“I don't know what or how much that boy told you, but I'm honestly here to help. As for the other thing I have a friend whose really advanced with magic and future viewing that told me I could find someone here who needed my help. That's how I was able to find you!”

“I see” The young lord stands up and in a blink of an eye he's at Oscar's throat with a sword. “You're mocking us. Give me one good reason I shouldn't cut you down where you stand, assassin. Name who hired you and I'll let you live. Do you really think I'd believe something as stupid as that?” Oscar looks around for help. This job sounded easy when he first took it. Sneak into wherever the princess was being held and sneak her out. Not only was there no princess the man he was supposed to help was this paranoid, violent, asshole.

Mede quickly stands in front of Oscar. “Renze I think he's telling the truth.”

“Mede, you know even less of the outside world than I do; how would you be able to tell if he's lying or not?”

“Please, let's hear him out. I think you're too distrusting for your own good. You were just as suspicious of me when we met too. Besides , whoever he is, we could best him in a real fight!” Renze, the young lord, lowers his blade from Oscar and it seems to vanish into the air. “Very well. I don't like it, but I'll give you a chance. I should know the name of the man who claims to be able to help me, shouldn't I?”

Oscar breaths a sigh of relief and puts his hand to his neck as if to be sure its still there and not teared into by that sword. “Oscar I'm Oscar. Nice to meet you..?” Oscar had caught his name but it would be more polite to let the other man introduce himself. “I'm Renze, and this is Mede.” Renze says while patting the boys head. Mede seemed to be happy with this level of affection from Renze, as opposed to how vexed he was at the same motion from Oscar earlier. “I have a rude question to ask. I can smell you aren't human and that goes a far way in gaining my trust, but I can't identify the smell. What are you then?” That goes a far way in earning Renze's trust? Does that mean if he was a human he would have sliced him down without a second thought? A bit terrifying to think of. “Oh, me? I'm a werewolf.. You haven't smelled a werewolf before?” That was strange. This area had a high number of werewolves living here. Renze smiles at hearing that. “A werewolf. Good. As long as you're not a human we'll get along well. If you haven't met one before I'll clear the air. I'm a vampire. If you can really help me I suppose I'm in no position to deny your help.” A vampire huh? They were rather rare, but the picture was starting to make sense. Some rich prick in a mansion with bat wings would be a vampire.

Oscar, probably, should avoid asking things that would upset a seemingly unstable man like Renze, but he couldn't just sit back and watch something horrible happening in front of him. “Before we get to your issue I have to ask. Is Mede here your servant? A child laborer? I don't know how old you are but that's very much illegal in this day and age Renze.” Renze looks at Mede and frowns. Mede quickly turn the other way. “ I'm probably not as old as you think. Who told you Mede was my servant? Did he tell you that?”

“I don't care what your big problem is I don't want to help someone whose using child labor. And, no one told me that, but when we were talking he kept referring to you as his master.” Renze frowns again. “There's a few things wrong with that statement, but Mede isn't a servant. And I told him to stop calling me that.” Renze kneels down to look Mede in the eyes. “Mede I told you before to stop calling me that. I'm hurt. You've never been a tool to me. I thought it that was clear. You wouldn't call a friend master. I know you're only trying to respect me, but a title like that means are positions are unequal.”

Oscar was utterly confused by what the two of them were talking about, but would wait for them to explain themselves before passing judgment.

“What are you, if not my master? What is our relationship if not master and tool then?” Mede Asks.

“For starters we were both abandoned by my father, aren't we equal because of that? I guess I understand your confusion. Our guest looks confused as well, and I think we should explain a bit. He looked ready to bite my leg off when he asked if you were a child servant. Both me and him explained our race you should do the same Mede.”

Mede turns around to face Oscar. “ Renze named me Mede. I am a dagger that my previous masters cared for long enough to gain sentience. You are wrong in calling me a child servant because I am not a child. I'm older than Renze.”

All of that made even less sense to Oscar. “You two realize how insane that sounds? How can a dagger have a human body like that?” Renze shakes his head and sighs. “I understand your confusion. It would be simpler to show him. Mede show him your true form, your real body.” Mede nods and seemingly disappears leaving a dagger on the ground. Renze picks up the dagger and a ghostly apparition of the boy is standing by him. “This is my real body” The now translucent Mede explains.

“I don't think I understand at all.” Oscar says.

Renze sighs. “Mede's existence is unique, but if you can't understand this much I don't think you'll be of any help to me. I'll admit I didn't understand when I first met him either until I looked it up on the net. The phoneme isn't well understood, apparently, but inanimate objects that are used for long enough absorb the emotions that their user has for them, and after a long time of being well taken cared of gain their own sentience or something akin to a soul.”

“You lost me you really lost me. You're saying that dagger you're holding is his real body?”

“Yuup. If that dagger broke I would probably 'die'. Or as much as something that was never born can 'die'” the ghostly apparition of Mede says with a smile.

Oscar touches the dagger. It certainly feels like a normal dagger. He would have to ask Maria if she knew anything about this when he gets back home. Mede being a dagger sure would explain his lack of a human scent. “Why don't you return to your human form Mede?” Renze says while tossing the dagger in the air. Before the dagger hits the ground a fully opaque Mede appears in front of them. “But as I was saying earlier. Regardless of what you were born or made, you're a being with your own will now. The moment you gained your own will was the moment you stopped having a master, so stop treating me like a master... as for your other question. I guess I think of you like a little brother.” Renze explains. Mede pouted. “If anything I'm the older brother. I'm twice your age.” Renze teases him by pushing Mede's hat over his face. “Different races age differently. That means nothing if you're still mentally, clearly, a child.”

Renze now turns his attention to Oscar. “That sure was off topic, but I hope you understand a little bit better. It's a misunderstanding. Mede is more like a little brother to me than anything else.”

“I still have more than a few questions of my own, but uh, as long as you're not treating him like a servant it should be fine.”

“If he wasn't a dagger, what else would he be?” Renze pulls at Mede's face teasing him some more. “I can't stand humans there's no way a human child would be living with a vampire.” Mede pushes Renze away. “That hurts stop it already!” he complains. “As a dagger I don't fully understand what's expected of me, but it's true Renze's never treated me like a servant and always scolds me when I try to act like one.”

Seeing them together like this really made them appear to be just a doting older brother and a younger one. Oscar wasn't so sure he believed the whole 'this child is actually a dagger' nonsense, but it was clear that his earlier impression of a child laborer had been wrong. Renze quickly becomes embarrassed at playing around with Mede so much with Oscar there. He coughs. “Sorry about that. We don't usually have guests over. Why don't we sit back down?”

The three of them sit back down near the fireplace. Renze and Mede sit right next to each other again and Oscar across from them. The fireplace behind them crackles throughout the night. “I have one more question for you. You want to help me, but why? Surely not out of the goodness of your heart.”

“Getting right to it, huh? I-I mean it is out of the good of my heart, but I do help people like you for my job. It's more of a donation pay what you can or will system.” Looking around Oscar expects to be handsomely paid after this job. Oscar never took a job purely for the money, but he had a family to help take care of too.

Renze laughs what could easily be interpreted as an evil laugh. “Money. You're working for greed then. That's a motive I can understand at least. You have my trust for now. Very well, how can you help me escape from here then?”

Oscar frowned. He didn't like the idea of being labeled greedy, but he had the feeling Renze had to be someone eccentric by the way Mede described him. “Mede explained what your problem was earlier, but it would be better to hear it from your perspective.” Renze nervously taps his fingers on the arm of the couch. “There's a barrier keeping me here and me specifically. Whenever I try to leave it burns me.” Renze looked down at the ground sadly. How Ironic it would be that such a barrier would cause a burning sensation. As if it was specifically chosen to hurt him not only physically but mentally. He shuffles his feet around. “Anyway, It was put up by my father either directly or by someone else on his orders. I've never had a good relationship with any of my family.”

Oscar nods, listening to him talk. “Was this out of the blue then? What caused him to do this?”

“Does it really matter? You allegedly came to help me.”

“It's important I understand all the facts to better find a solution, and besides, for all I know you're locked up here for some terrible crime.”

That was it. That was crossing the line. Renze stands up in a fury with his wings outstretched. “Now you've gone too far! You know nothing about me! You barge into my house claiming to want to help me but all you've done is insult and insult me! Do you have any idea what you're implying? I should slice you down to shreds for what you've just said!” He shakes his head. “I held myself back from stabbing you earlier, but now you're really testing my patience. You dangle freedom in front of my nose and threaten to take it back claiming its my own fault I find myself trapped here. How cruel, I expected different from other night folk.” Renze storms out of the room leaving Oscar and Mede alone.

Oscar is left wondering what he's stepped into and what exactly he said wrong. “Should I see myself out then?” He asks Mede.

Mede frowns. “You said you would do whatever you could to help him. Did you lie to me, too, then?”

“Well, I thought there was a very real possibility maybe this stranger was locked away justly. Maybe he did something to deserve it. From my perspective I could very well end up freeing a criminal.”

“Renze is moody, with good reason to be. You don't know how insulting and cruel what you said to him was, and it's not my place to say why. He's been locked here for years for no crime of his own and after finally , maybe, finding a way out you start saying its his fault he's here. You came here looking for work and to get paid and then insulted your boss. It's not his fault you jumped into a job without enough information to know if you'll take it or not.”

Oscar isn't sure of just how harmful his previous statements were, but in any job it isn't very smart to insult your client like that. It was clear to him that Renze had every right to be upset. “Alright, Alright I get it it was my bad. Having someone else like you vouch for him should be enough for me. I'm more than willing to finish my job.”

“It's not me you should be apologizing to, but if you're willing to help I can go try to talk to him.”

“If you would, Please.” As Mede went to go fetch Renze Oscar couldn't help but feel guilty about his thoughtlessness.

After about ten minutes of arguing Renze reluctantly agrees to come back down with Mede following behind him. “You're still here.” He says to Oscar with annoyance.

“Yes, I'm sorry for my earlier rudeness. I wasn't thinking about how it looked from your point of view. I'm still more than willing to help you if you'll accept my help.”

“I apologize to. I let my emotions get to to the better of me. It's a sensitive issue and a bit of a long story. My being here. To answer your earlier question: My father is a famous politician and it would be a problem for him if people knew he had a bastard son.” In other words, Renze's only crime was being born. When Oscar asked him earlier, it seemed as if he was implying Renze was guilty for the crime of being born and deserved this punishment.

“I'm sorry for asking such a difficult question. I promise I'll do whatever I can to help you. How long have you been here then?”

“It's been about two years now. A little more than that..maybe three? I stopped counting.” That's a bit better than the answer Oscar was expecting. He thought maybe the man had spent his entire life here.

“Why don't you show me what happens when you try to leave now?” Oscar asks.

“Very well, follow me to the door then.” Renze says and the three of them leave the room. Mede opens the front door and the cold, winter air once again breaths down on them. Renze gently holds up his hand to the area where the shut door had been and pain surges through it. A sizzling noise can be heard and the smell of burning flesh starts filling the air and he quickly withdraws his hand. “As you can probably tell by now going any further than here just burns me.” He explains.

“What about him?” Oscar glances at Mede. “Can he leave or is it just you?” Renze pats Mede's head with his hand that wasn't just magically burned. “He can leave. It's just me trapped here. Why don't you demonstrate as proof Mede.” Mede odds and jumps outside, standing across from Renze.

Oscar notices that Renze wears gloves on both his hands. “Do you think maybe its those gloves you're wearing? How long have you worn those for?”

“Oh? These?” Renze glances down at his gloves. “ Nah, it's not them. I never thought about that before, but I've tried leaving without them on.” Mede quickly just back inside. “But that was really smart Oscar! I would have never thought of that.” Mede remarks.

“Can you take your gloves off and try again for me anyway?” Oscar asks. Renze frowns at his request. “I can, just. Don't make a big scene okay?” Renze takes both his gloves off revealing serious burn scars and stuff them into his pockets.

“Oh holy shit did the barrier do that to you just now?” Oscar asks.

Mede glares at him and Renze rolls his eyes. “Are you an idiot? Didn't I ask you not to make a big scene? No. Wounds I got before I became a vampire don't automatically heal.” He raises his hand up and says. “You know, it would be very cruel if my body didn't heal itself to ask me to burn myself again like this for your own curiosity.” He teases with a toothy smile before pushing his hand against the invisible barrier and that oh so familiar burning sensation and smell returns. After another brief moment he quickly retracts his hands and they begin to heal. “That should be enough for you to believe me now, right?”

Oscar nods, “Of course. I wonder, your mask, could that have some magic on it that's preventing you from leaving as well.”

Renze tilts his head and quickly panics. “What on earth are you suggesting?!” A slight hint of fear can be heard in his voice and, despite wearing a mask, panic can be seen in his darting eyes. “I....” he pauses, having been caught off guard, and full of anxiety. “I can't take it off...”

“Is it stuck? I could probably yank it off.” Oscar offers.

“No, No no no you idiot! This is a nice, expensive, mask! Don't you dare break it!” Renze exhales, coming up with , in his mind, a suitable excuse.

Oscar crinkles his nose in disgust. “Oh? You care more about money than leaving? I would think you'd try everything possible to leave, but I guess you don't care that much if your expensive things are so important to you, young lord.”

Renze anxiously gazes down to the floor, avoiding Oscar's eyes. “No... It's not that I just.” He kicks at the ground like a nervous school girl. “You don't understand. You saw my hands, I'm hideously scared. That's why my father gave me such a beautiful mask to make up for that.” He says quietly. If Renze wasn't such a , well, violent vampire he would love to tease him for acting like such a nervous school child. It was incredibly humorous to see the previously proud vampire acting this flustered.

Oscar smiles at him. “What? That's all this is about? Sorry if I scared you from reactin' like that earlier, but there's no need to be so shy.” While Renze is distracted, Oscar quickly removes his mask, and as it drops on the ground the priceless object shatters, revealing his true face.

“W-Wh-Wh-what on earth have you just done?!” Renze quickly covers his face with his hands, but of course bits and pieces of his charred face can be seen in between cracks. Mede quickly jumps in front of Renze like a protective bodyguard. “Now you've really done it now Oscar!” He complains, but Oscar still has a goofy grin on his face.

“It's no big deal, don't worry. I can fix this.” Oscar explains, no, he could not fix the mask. He doesn't make enough in a year to replace something like that, so he better be able to talk his way out of this. Mede hesitantly trusts Oscar and steps out of the way. “How long have you worn that mask for? Far too long I'm sure. Come on, move your hands away.”

“Absolutely not! For all I know my hideous looks are part of the reason I'm locked here.” Renze says shamefully.

“You gotta show the world your face some time, might as well be now.” Oscar complains while grabbing his hands and not letting go. The action takes Renze off guard so much that he doesn't have the energy to fight back, and perhaps, some part of him wanted to see the sun again. Just perhaps, some part of him wanted to throw his mask off and was grateful Oscar had broken it. “Are you happy now? My true face is beyond hideous.” He complains.

Oscar looks deeply into his face, and as expected, his face was totally marred by scars, but his deep brown eyes were breathtaking, and because of his facial scars, one was drawn to his eyes and could get lost in them. “You're not that bad Renze, your eyes are beautiful.”

Renze rolls his eyes and groans. “Shut up!” He quickly retracts his hands from Oscar. “Now what's the idea, big guy? It doesn't make sense for me to keep burning my flesh every clothing change.” He complains.

Oscar nods. “You're right, you're right. To make things easy you should just strip.”

“Hey, Mede, come here. I'm going to kill him using you.” Mede understands immediately and turns into a dagger in his hand. “First you break my precious mask and then, now this, this is sexual assault at this point after an initial assault! Maybe I really am safer inside this stuffy mansion.”

Oscar got caught up in the moment and forgot who he was dealing with. Teasing him this much was, quite literally, dangerous. “Wait! Please stop! I'm sorry it was a joke only a joke! There's no evidence to suggest that would actually work, so please calm down.”

Renze sighs and chucks Mede into the air, allowing him to take his child form again. “That's a shame, I don't think I've stabbed anyone since I came to this mansion.”He said with a smile. So stabby mc stabby lives up to his appearances, duly noted. “In any case I would have had to ditch that mask before leaving, it's just a shame to be exposed before I was planning on it.” He complains. That's good news for Oscar, that means he won't have to pay him back, right?

After an increasingly stupid chain of events they get back to the task at hand.“I've seen enough to fully understand the situation now. I have to admit, though, I can't use magic at all, so I personally can't dispel the barrier, but I have a good friend who can.”Oscar says after the air no longer feels threatening. Renze puts his gloves back on as Oscar continues to explain. “I don't know for sure if she can help, but she's an expert witch, if anyone can help her its you. I can call her and I'm sure she'll be more than willing to help but I have to warn you she's really eccentric.”

“It's cold outside tonight, let's go back by the fireplace and continue talking.” Renze suggests. Mede closes the door and they all regroup beside the fire. “We might be able to leave this place. What do you think Mede? Would you like to leave with me?” Mede hugs him. “Of course! You were the first person kind enough to give me a name. I'll stay with you for as long as you let me.” Renze sighs. “Should we even leave?” He looks to Oscar for guidance. “Maybe you can help me decide. I don't know if I should even leave. I feel trapped here, but my father has given me a lot. Years ago I happened to run into my birth father, and if it wasn't for him I still would be homeless and dirt poor. I owe everything I now have to him. I have all my needs met within this house. I don't want for food. I have shelter over my head. It would be selfish to leave, wouldn't it?”

“Of course it wouldn't be selfish. Let me ask you something, how often do you see your father? Since you've been here?” Oscar has a feeling the answer is never.

“That's..” Renze pauses to explain. “Well. It's pretty rare.. not often at all. Maybe once every few months here and there.”

“Alright. You're a grown man. And I'm sure you have more things you want to do with you life than stay around shut inside a mansion all day, correct?”

“W-Well of course... for one thing I miss flying.. There. There's a lot of things I'd like to do outside these walls.. but It seems selfish to even wish for that when I'm given so much.”

“Then let me put this another way: What else would you call another man restricting you like this? A kidnapper. Why would you owe your kidnapper anything?”

“Kidnapper seems like a strong word... He's still my father..” Renze says hesitantly.

Oscar folds his hands together. “This is gonna sound harsh but it's the truth. He isn't acting like a father to you, and clearly doesn't think of you as his son , so you have no reason to respect him like that. Even if a rich man kidnaps a homeless person, it's still kidnapping, isn't it?” A shiver runs down Renze's spine. “I guess.. I still feel ungrateful for trying to leave like this, but you're right. That makes sense.”

“If you're committed to leaving I'll call my friend now.”

“I'm still on the fence, to be honest, but you're right. Leaving is probably in my best interest. So go ahead and do that.”