Misplaced Title - Chapter 1

The clear night brought with it a complete absense of warmth. Raven's heels clicked loudly on the cobblestone streets, in the hollow alleys of homes that made up Venicia. The city had an ominous moan, the wind licking with perverse aggression at her slick tresses of midnight hair. Most people knew not to venture outside their homes after sunset unless in desperate urgency, but for a young woman to walk alone, with no particular direction or destination, was most certainly asking to never be seen again.

Raven walked along, however, troubled naught by the threat of darkness that lay like a suffocating mass, relief achieved only by the splinter of sunlight that splashed across the roof tops every morning. Raven's hair lay in straight, choppy layers just hitting her collarbone. Her attire was not becoming of a fashion wary woman. She clad herself in black wide leg trousers, flat light weight boots, and a black blazer to match. Though Raven already appeared strange by her androgynous styled wardrobe, what was most disturbingly captivating about her outward appearance was her eyes; the right was a pale, pure orb of gray. All of the beauty that would have been recognized by every gentleman in Venicia, however, was quickly vanquished by her left eye. Within the iris was a stain of crimson. To stare into her eye was as if to stare into a foreboding pool of blood. Often the most brave of men got shivers down their spine when caught in the impatient and challenging glare of her eye. To those naive enough to know her only as a mystery, it was rumored that she was a living gateway to Hell itself.

So beautiful a city ought to be appreciated for its splendor, thought Raven as she turned at the end of the street, no matter the danger that notoriously hid around every corner. She began striding leisurely down a hill that lead from the tight knit cluster of townhouses, to the maze of thin, twisted streets of downtown.No sooner had Raven reached the outer limits of the packed in buildings of downtown, did she hear a quarrel erupting, with multiple voices echoing off the cold stone buildings. Raven's eyes flickered upwards in a quick response to subtle movement. Tenants in the immediate upscale apartments drew their shades in an attempt to avoid getting involved. Raven clutched her gun held securely on her belt underneath her blazer and tensed. She was confident, especially for a woman, but she was not reckless or careless. Gingerly she removed her weapon, pressed herself against the wall, and inched closer to the alleyway where the scuffle was taking place. She listened tentatively so she might make out what was being said.

"What do you make of this worthless worm?" croaked a hoarse voice. The way it scratched and gurgled saliva sounded nastier than the gutter itself.

"I'd say the scared little mate is lost. Like a filthy, vermin covered pup. Disgusting waif," replied a second voice, this one much sharper and educated than the first. The thick thump of impact was heard of boot to body. This was quickly joined by a barely audible whimper of hopeless agony.

Raven took a deep breath and in one swift move, cocked her gun, raised it straight, and turned around the corner. Guns were immediately drawn and raised. "Wait, don't--!" cried the more intelligible of the two muggers. But before he could stop his ghastly partner, he had leveled his gun to shoot. However, in his drunken state of power, and probably liquor, he had hesitated and fired a shot that was far off point. Raven hardly had to move in the moment to avoid the direction the barrel of the gun was aiming. She fired a warning shot into the putrid thing's hand. His gun fell, as did he. His knees hit the cobblestones and he moaned as he clutched what shreds were left of his hand. The gurgling of his saliva as he cried gave Raven half a mind to shoot him in his throat.

"Miss Raven! A thousand apologies, my lady! Please, this man is a fool, he knows no better."

She snarled and glared menacingly. "And you always were a cocky fool, yourself, Laine. One day your carelessness will be the end of you." Her tone obviously lacked empathy or patience. There were far worse things here than two fools for thieves.Laine's face twisted into frustration and embarrassment by gut reaction before he could hide it. That was all the proof of carelessness she could take for the evening. "Make yourself scarce before I leave you out as bait for the night guards," she hissed venomously.

Before the two could clamor away, Raven held out her hand with expectation. Laine hesitated, but saw that her arterial eye seemed to start glowing slightly, and his heart sank in utter defeat to his ego and anything else he had. He searched his pocket and pulled out a leather bracelet and a piece of a bread loaf. This is what they mugged this sad sap for? Although, she had seen worse for less. She knelt down by the wheezing boy on the ground, and shook his weak hand, then said gently, "Hey, I'm Raven. Welcome to Venicia. Come with me; the night guards most surely will have heard us," while quietly equipping his bracelet. When she saw the fear and hesitation in his eyes, she added, "I might not kill you yet, but if the night guards reach you, you'll never see the sun come up again."