The world was in shambles. Humans tried hard to evolve, to rebuild and regain. It took them over a century to become whole again after the Great War but there would always be a wound that could never heal. A crack in the facade, something that would forever stain that perfect picture. Humanity would never be the same.
The blind man Siare knew this all too well. He had been there to witness it as he would be for many more such events. It was a cruel and sad part of humanity and someone had to exist and record it all.
He traveled alone, as he often did, just a short man with a lace bandage over his eyes and a cane to guide his way. The cane was mostly a formality as the man didn't need to see to know where to go. It was all the same to him, if people viewed him as a helpless blind man or a being to be feaRiven. Sometimes he was the eccentric inventor who'd lost his eyes in an accident, sometimes he was a lord whose money couldn't save what was most important. Each person perceived him differently and none of that mattered in the end for he would always be there, knowing them.
No one truly noticed him enough to take action against him. How could a blind man present any threat? They didn't know his real name, his origin or what he was capable of. He could just enjoy a stroll throughout the various planets of the Solar System and beyond without anybody even being aware of what he was doing.
Which was why, the presence of a red headed man with such a murderous intent surprised him. Siare had been walking alone, as he usually did, heels and cane clicking on the rocky pavement when he noticed it. Someone was trailing after him. They weren't very careful about it, probably because of his blindness. That man couldn't have known that Siare didn't need eyes to be aware of his presence. Siare's lips curved into a smile. He didn't bother changing his route, instead just walked back to the hotel he rented a room at. Whoever was following him with such a desire to kill had some questions to answer.
It didn't take long after Siare closed the door behind him for the man to take action. He'd sneaked into the room making almost no sound and soon enough there was the tip of an arrow pointed inches away from Siare's face. He smiled, unaffected, as if he didn't know the danger he was in.
"Tell me, why does a skilled assassin want my death?"
The reaction was instant. The intruder gasped, hands gripping his bow tighter. His mind raced and Siare buried himself in it, fishing for any piece of information he could gather. There wasn't much, the man was a contract assassin who'd been paid a hefty sum to kill him. Whoever contracted him hadn't shown his face, had likely not even been there in person to make the deal. It remained a mystery as to who would want Siare dead.
"Ah, it's more boring than I expected," he muttered under his breath. "A waste of my time." He reached out his hand, pressing two fingers on Riven's forehead. The archer's lips fell open, hands too shaky to hold his bow. He fell to his knees right by Siare's feet, staring up at the man that dug through his mind. There was nothing particularly interesting in his mind, just another assassin with countless deaths under his belt. His former Master, that was a being Siare himself had crossed paths with a few times before, but it didn't seem to carry any significance in Riven's life now.
"Killing you here would make no difference to me," Siare said, removing his fingers from Riven's forehead. "I suggest you leave and, if you know what's best for you, never follow me again."
After all, Riven had far too little meaning for him to stain his hands with his blood.
"No! I don't want to leave."
Siare could read his thoughts before they became words. He still let the man speak, trying to make sense of what was going through his mind.
"No one but my Master has bested me in the past twenty years. Please, become my new Master. I will serve as your bodyguard if you need me to be, I will do anything you want. I can be useful, I promise, just let me follow you."
It seemed that whatever he'd touched inside that man's brain had changed him. Siare consideRiven the offer. Again, it made no difference to him. He had no need for a bodyguard nor a companion and the readhead would likely get bored of his life too soon. Still, there was no harm in his offer, as pointless as it was.
"Hm." Siare shoved his cold hands in the pockets of his coat, a smile forming on his lips. "I suppose having a bodyguard wouldn't hurt for a while."