"One more question for you, worm." I lifted him up and way from the girl, bringing his head back to my face. I turned him so his ear was pointed at me as I spoke very clearly and slowly. "Who told you to start targeting children?" I didn't think the man had it in him to go any bleaker, but he did. Interesting reaction, that. He shook his head rapidly, and refused to say anything, even when I tightened my grip on his neck and began strangling him. Very, very interesting.

Whoever had prompted these crooks to go after children scared this criminal more than a Huntsman did. That took some doing, for those like this lout that recognized us. I knew I wouldn't be getting anything else out of the piece of excrement in my hands. The girl might have had a point, with her final request. He wouldn't be going to anyone got with his leg punctured and bleeding, not with as terrified of both me and this mysterious individual as he was. But - just because she had a point, did not mean that it was one that I agreed with.

No. This piece of trash had been preying on the people of Alerar for far too long. And he apparently knew enough to be involved with the kidnapping. I kept my eyes locked on his, and I knew what he saw in them. Silver fire, anger - and nothing of the mercy that the naive girl wanted to sho him. He closed his eyes, and I saw him take a deep breath before letting it out slowly.

"Game.. Had to end some day, eh, Hunter?" He looked up. I nodded slowly, and he opened his eyes to stare at me. Then with a feral, sudden grin, he grabbed for the dagger on his hip, tearing it from its sheath. It came up, flashing towards my side -

Crack! The sound was wet, sharp as it rang through the still night air. The blade froze before falling to the ground, the crook's arm going slack. I let him fall to the cobblestones, and he landed with a meaty thud, loose limbs sprawling about the stone of the street. I clapped my hands, dusting them off as I looked down at the man. His eyes had gone blank and vacant in death, and I knew it wouldn't be long before the foggy film covered them. I knelt down and closed his eyes.

There was a short, sharp exhalation - a scream, that had me twist my head up. Right. I had forgotten the girl was watching. Well... Too bad. She was staring at me with wide eyes as I picked up the dagger before standing up straight, tucking it into one of the many pockets on my coat.

"You don't have to come along, girl. You can let this matter lie, return to the bar and drink away what you've seen." My voice was calm and measured as I began running my hands across my gear, checking each of the throwing spikes that were strapped to my chest, then running along the Saw-Spear. I wanted to make sure that everything was in order before I went after them. And judging from her wide-eyed expression, this girl wasn't used to seeing death. Best, perhaps, to spare her from witnessing any more. Especially as I tended to be a bit... Bloody when I worked.