It was a dark, dark night. Nothing could be seen out in the shadows beyond the small village. The small village was the only village within a few good km's.

Several candle lit lights flickered, creating a eerie cold scene. All were asleep, the drunks in the tavern snoring loudly, and the nobleman of the village, a council member from Frankfurt, supposedly there.

But from the shadows emerged a man. Robed in black, and breathing deeply, he walked through the street, walking towards the large house in the middle.

As he approached, he looked up and quietly chuckled. His target was near, a target which would ensure that Kaiser Siegfred encountered nothing more. And most of all, one gone.

He quietly waved his hands, and all lights around the house extinguished. The street plunged into blackness. He had thought with the death of his old buisness partner it would all be fine, but somehow, Hugo found out. The Brotherhood was supposedly finished...

Ge pulled a small picklock from his belt, and picked the lock. THe door creaked open to reveal a lovely home. The man, was obviously drowning in glory. A great couch was planted in a wide living room, glorious paintings hanging on the walls.

Stealthily, he ascended the stairs. The stairs spiralled upwards, and finally opened. A large bed was placed in the middle of a small room, the place opened up to the cold night air. There was hilltops with lights twinkling on them. None could tell the village was there, unless they stumbled into a wall.

The cloaked man silently drew a pistol, and looked around. In the bed was only one figure. Quietly the man approached, and was soon looming over the person.

He pointed the gun and pulled the trigger. It sounded like a angry elephant, the blast echoing around the hills. Soon lights were being lit in the place, and curios voices could be heard, as doors opened to find smoke pouring from the second floor window of the Council Members house.

The cloaked man seemed to fly out the window, pocketing his pistols and drawing a large knife. But he encountered no one, and soon he was fleeing into the hills.


1 Week Later

The large city of Rome was bustling, once again noisy as the Holy Roman Empire's Capital. Amongst the crowd a man walked, he was cooly watching the many fountains, as people brushed past him.

Another man stood nearby, leaning on a railing. He looked over at the other man and nodded, and he came closer.
"Dieter? Have you seen the newspapers?" the man demanding pretending to watch the passing crowd.
"The papers? Where is your brain man? In your arse or your head? Of course I haven't, I was on leave up in Northern Germany near Frankfurt." replied Dieter quietly, still watching the fountain but no longer relying on the railings for support.
"Here" the man slipped Dieter a paper and continued, "I know what happened up there. You weren't on holiday were you?" asked the man suspicously, now watching Dieter intently. DIeter ruffled the paper, and before he read he said,
"Anymore detective work Sergeant and I will ahevt o silence your little meber of life." he replied, then resorted to reading.

The front cover read nothing, but the other man turned the pages until he was quite into th paper, then pointed at a rather large article. Dieter read,

Witness of Count Hans Killed

Yesterday, near the City of Frankfurt, a shocking death occured. The man, known for the famous investigation into the then Prinz Jobst's scandal ambush, and a local council member, has been killed. It occured at the very blackest of the night. The man has also been called forward related to the case made in the Imperial Diet by Count Hans against Kaiser Sigfred's right to be Kaiser.

Dieter looked up.
"Shocking, we are to ensure the rest of the witnesses have great protection. Now, is the man I wish to see ready to speak?" asked Dieter, skipping the discussion of the article whoch was sure to come up.
"Yes sir but-"
"I don't bloody want to discuss this newspaper, it always reports false stuff. Let us meet the man, he is a old friend." continued Dieter, and waved the Sergeant away.

After some time, he returned, accompanied by another taller man. He did not recognise Dieter.
"Let us walk?" suggested Dieter, the tall man nodded. Dieter brushed away the Sergeant. Briskly, they srt off. Slowly winding through the streets, looking at the carts offering things to sell. While they walked, Dieter proposed conversation.
"Well, my old friend, you do not recognise me?" the man shook his head,
"I am Dieter" said Dieter. The man, shortly unfocused as a group of giggling beautiful women passed him, laughing, he quickly turned to Dieter, drawing a sword. Dieter, put a hand on his arm, his grip making the action stop. They cotinued, but now under the nervous and curious watch of others.
"Now, let me make it straight. You provide nothing more to Count Hans, or your life is on the line." Dieter told him, drawing him into a abandoned alley.
"No! You are a evil man! If I knew what you were up to, I wouldn't have helped you! Your poor assa..." Dieter drew a long, curved sword, and pressed it against the mans throat.
"Like my blade I got from Outremer? Now, listen my fri..." But now Dieter was cut off, as someone came barging into the alley, knocking him tot he ground. The glint of a blade flashed, and soon a Longsword was bearing down upon Dieter. Quickly, he parried it and got to his feet, to find the Sergeant and the other man standing with swords drawn.
"Sergeant! What are you doing!?" asked Dieter,
"I shall not let you kill another witness." Quickly he was bearing upon Dieter gain, and they duelled feriouscly. He yelled something, ans quickly the other taller man fled.

Dieter parried, did a fake step to his right, then jumped to his left and stukc at the Sergeant. The curved blade found flesh, and sliced the Sergeant at his waist and then curving upwards to cut his stomach open. The man fell to the dusty ground, gurgling as blood flooded his mouth. Dieter spat on him and leaned down, so he spoke face to face.
"Never, investigate or somehow ruin Dieters plans, or your life is falling from the line." cackling, Dieter rose and spat ont he man. He slashed a clothsline hanging above him, and the clothes fell on the Sergeant, covering him, as they slowly turned red.

And Dieter left, noy a care he had blown out someones ember.

Ember of life.