His voice was like music. It wasn’t that he was singing because he wasn’t. His voice just reverberated with rich, velvet tones. It demanded to be heard and listened to and ears accepted the order amiably. They lingered on the ends of every word, hoping for more and disappointed if nothing more came.
      His voice was a dear friend, a close friend that you’ve only just met but have known forever. You’d do anything it asked because you were afraid to disappoint it. His voice was dangerous and exciting and enticing.
      “Good evening!” the words washed over the guard at the gate. He watched the man walk toward him. He was dressed entirely in black and his pale skin was accented by the drastic difference of color. The man should have seemed disconcerting but something about that smile, that voice…
      “Good evening sir,” the guard smiled in return. The smile was wide and happy. Happier than he could remember being in a long time, “What can I do for you?”
      “I was just wondering what town this was?” the man in black looked past the guard and into the dark village.
      “This is Virantus,” the guard glanced over his shoulder, as if he would find something new behind him that he hadn’t seen before, “Not much to look at, pretty small but we like it here. It’s quaint and the Regent mostly keeps out of our hair, you know?”
      “Yes, it’s pleasant,” the guard was glad that this stranger agreed with him about the town he’d lived in all his life. The guard had never had much love for it but with the compliment of the man in black there was a new life to Virantus, “How can you complain on such a beautiful night?”
      “That’s all there is here,” the guard drawled and began to notice more about the night. The stars were brighter than normal and he even noticed some constellations. The two contrasting moons, one slightly red and the other tinted with a blue hue, were like eyes watching over him. A warm wind blew gently through the grass and trees. The guard could imagine a giant in the sky, with moons for eyes, breathing life into the homely town, “I’ve never noticed how nice it is here.”
      “Sometimes all it takes is someone to point it out to you,” the stranger was beginning to seem less like a stranger and more like a lost friend. The guard wanted to invite him over to catch up and let the weary traveler rest his legs, “I’m sure you work too hard.”
      “Lord Nigel is the baron here,” the guard suddenly became angry with his employer, like he had been treated unfairly, “He always posts me at these late shifts, like I don’t have a life of my own.”
      “That’s horrible,” the man in black frowned sympathetically.
      “Yeah, it is horrible,” the guard was starting to feel vehemently.
      “Has anything interesting happened today? Anything out of the ordinary?” it was an interrogation but the guard had no idea, he just thought he was having a conversation.
      “Well, the baron had a couple of visitors today,” the guard began and when he saw the man in black raise an eyebrow he continued, “They were sentinels. I’m sure you’ve heard of them, those soldiers they’re always telling stories about. They do some real amazing stuff, huh?”
      “That they do,” the stranger smiled and his stark white teeth glinted in the moonlight. His skin appeared dark compared to his teeth, “Would you mind telling me which house belongs to the baron?”
      “It’s the biggest building in the city,” the guard was very forthcoming, “It’s two floors and made from wood and stone. You can’t miss it.”
      “Thank you, my friend,” delight overcame the guard upon hearing that he’d made a new friend. He couldn’t help letting a smile cross over his face, “That’s a beautiful sword.”
      “This thing?” the guard smiled inwardly, glad that someone had noticed his weapon. He’d spent a lot of time and money to get it, “The town blacksmith made it with help from his apprentice. We’ve got the best blacksmith in the realm, he can make anything.”
      “Have you ever had to use it? Kill anyone?”
      “No, we don’t usually have many problems here,” the guard shrugged his shoulders, “Mostly just bar fights but we don’t use weapons for those, just clubs if we have to.”
      “Well there is a first time for everything,” the man in black said cryptically. The guard watched his new friend curiously. His voice was like music, a close friend, and a poison, “Draw your sword and kill yourself.”
      The guard didn’t feel like he was under any spell. He didn’t feel like he was being forced to do anything, he wanted to do it. The blade hissed as he drew the steel from its scabbard. He saw his own reflection in the blade and then stabbed himself through the heart.