Chapter 2

I found Tubs standing outside a Tavern, a friend of mine owned and operated, shaking with a dead look in his eyes. They were the eyes of failure I've seen this time in time again, I hoped I wouldn't have to see those damned dead eyes in Tubs. I put my hand on his shoulder and drove him into the tavern so we wouldn't be in the open. Even in the morning the tavern is filled with a bunch of drunkards screaming and singing. The song they were butchering was an oldie from the time before the cleansing, Big Iron, a song I believe is about some knight with a giant sword, who strikes down bandits by the dozen. The smell was pungent like always, cheap ale with body fluids does not mix well, but it's a comfortable smell down here in the slums.

"Baryel, my friend what brings you into my little slice of heaven." Behind the counter was a short, dark man, with long dark beard that reaches down past his knees. His short stature is not to be mistaken as a weakness, beneath his beard is a body made of pure muscle, I once saw me lift a horse off the ground and threw it at a group of men who were making trouble outside the tavern.

"Dwarf, my friend I need me one of your private rooms". A smile lit up on his face.

"I told you not to call me that you bastard, and you know and I can't just give you a room" that smile never left his face, because he knew payday was about to begin.

"I know, I know". I reached into my my coin purse and pulled out a single gold Ecchen. I raised it above my head and rotated it so everyone who was looking at me could see it. In the slums if you see someone pull out a gold Ecchen, it's a warning, you never know how some got the money and for all you know the person could be very, very dangerous.

"Come this way friend, I have just the room for you"

Dwarf walked from behind the counter and beckoned me to follow. I obliged and steered Tubs, into a room Dwarf picked out for us. Once we entered the room Dwarf closed the door behind us so that only the three of us will be privy to the conversation that's about to happen. Tubs went to the single straw bed and laid face first into it, a faint sob was heard coming from him. Dwarf looked at him, a series of questions were behind his eyes. If he was about to asked one it died on his tongue, moments passed in complete silence and finally draw sighed and broke the silence " So what are you gonna do about him?" he asked. I looked at him then looked away and sat down on the edge of the bed not occupied by tubs. I knew he wouldn't take kindly to an insincere answer, we sat there in silence again. My mind was racing what should I do? Do I tell the truth. I rubbed my hand threw my hair, cursed and pulled my dagger out of its sheath, and examined the blood stained blade.Dwarf started to talk but I interrupted him. "I'll tell him the truth, he deserves that much." Dwarf grinned, turned to leave looked over his shoulder and told me that was the right move and to leave through the back the stunt i pulled with the ecchen was gonna cause trouble if I went out the front. With that he left the room leaving Tubs and I alone. With that Tubs rolled over and looked at me his eyes bloodshot from crying. He went to speak but his voice came out a horse whisper. "Stay here I'm going to get some water then I'll tell you

truth". He didn't say anything just stared at me and nodded. With that I got up and went searching for some water for him and something with a little kick for me.

5

Tubs was right where I left him when I got back, I handed him his water and sat down next to him. I glanced at him sighed and sipped the whiskey I bought from Dwarf, I tried buy the cheapest one but he told me no friend of his would be drink the pisswater he sold to less fortunate of his clients and poured me a whiskey. Saying it was on the house. With Dwarf nothing was free, he wanted me to do something for him and now this whiskey put me in his debt, which is a very unpleasant thing, I learned because you had to deal with me if you owed him money. The thought of me having to torture myself for a late payment caused me to laugh, while I took another sip. Tubs looked at me like I was some insane wizard laughing all by himself in a secluded tower. This caused me to laugh even harder, maybe I was actually insane. I noticed that Tubs glass was empty, so I asked if he could told now talk without sounding like a preacher who had one to many sermons. He didn't say anything but nodded his head. "Very well" I said " Time for you to learn the truth about old brother". I searched for the right words, but before I could speak Tubs asked " Your not normal are you?"

I didn't know how to answer that, what did he mean by normal? Gods I was not good at this shit, I thought which this caused me to smile giving me confidence if I could smile I could find the right words. "Depends on what you mean by normal, do mean normal as in not having any magical powers or do you mean normal as in a person who doesn't kill his fellow man for money? This seemed to make him uneasy, I didn't give him time to answer.

"If that's what you mean, I'm afraid to say that, No I'm not normal. If fact I've been keeping a secret from you. I'm not some petty thief who gets lucky and robs the right mark. No, That's not the Phantom the whole kingdom knows. It's the Phantom you know, a false one, I kill people when I'm paid the right sum of money. I do it with ease and that is because I have the ability to become one with the shadows, every shadow around me is under my control." As if to prove this I stood up and went to the darkest corner of the room and let the shadows consume me I waited a few seconds and emerged from another corner of the room, Tubs was still looking was I used to be so I coughed into my hand. Hearing this Tubs snapped his head in my direction and stared at me mouth agape in awe. That was when he burst out laughing, I smiled he was back my little brother is back not a some little sobbing child but my brother my successor to the Phantom name. After he stopped laugh he wiped the tears from his eyes, these were tears of happiness not of sadness, thank the gods.

"Will I learn how to do that someday" he beamed. Something is his eyes said he knew that it wouldn't be possible, so he wasn't surprised when I told that it was impossible, but it still hurt him.

"You know you can't, Tubs. I'm sorry but you have to be born with it, some people can summon fire from their hands while others can turn their bodies into stone. I control the shadows." Saying this I sat next to him and pulled him into a hug. "Don't worry though I will make you even better than me, I don't care that you failed. No one is perfect at first but you will be in time." With that Tubs started crying again I wasn't sure if it was happiness or sadness, but I didn't care he would be safe and so would I, as long i was alive he would become the best assassin in the whole kingdom. I kept holding him till his crys subsided, he was only a child he was allowed this I thought. After I was sure he was done I let go of him and got up. I stretch and told him it was time for him to go home alone. He started to protest but I raised my hand in silence and he went quiet. "I believe Dwarf has a job for me, I fear I will have a late night. Don't wait up for me and don't answer the door unless you know it's me."

"I know, don't even open the door if it's Dwarf" he interrupted in his usual matter of fact tone. This caused me to smile, I opened the door and gestured for him to leave. He did so without a word, before he turned to leave the tarven out the back Tubs turned around and looked at me the look in his eyes hurt me, he told me to be careful. I told him he had nothing to worry about but the sadness in his eyes didn't leave. "I'm the Phantom after all I can't die." I forced a smile knowing that I was lying through my teeth I'm just a regular man with a gift not one of the gods. Seeing my smile Tubs imitated it but to well because there was no happiness in it. He turned to leave and I watched him go. Before he could step out the door he looked over his shoulder and told he that see me when I get home, I nodded and turned to go find Dwarf.