Kahroan had felt different ever since he awoke the day after acquiring the brooch. Something had spoken to him in a dream he could not remember, and he woke feeling like his body was a cage. His soul seemed too much for his human flesh. Soon after, nothing fit quite right. It was as if he were just a little taller, a little larger. He took to wearing a cloak to hide the tattered clothing that would get him mistaken for a street bum. He felt even lower than before.
He moved down an alley like a rat, trying to avoid crowds as he made his way to the edge of town. He had to leave before the price he was paying attracted the wrong attention. He knew he was changing, becoming something more. His reverie was broken when he found his path blocked.
The man looked like a thief, and the assessment proved true as he drew a knife. His eyes glinted dully in the subdued daylight of the dreary day. "Well, hello, big man. Do yourself a favor and hand over whatever valuables you may have."
Kahroan turned, only to find a second mugger waiting.
"Tut, tut. How rude, trying to simply ignore the needy. And boy do we need money," the thief chastised, stepping closer.
Kahroan drew himself up to his full height, a growl in his throat as he turned to face the talkative thief. "You can't have it. It's mine."
"What was that? I think you fail to understand who's calling the shots here." The thief flashed an insincere smile. "Now let's see what you have for us."
As the thief reached for his cloak, Kahroan shot a hand out to grab the man by the wrist. The man screamed, dropping the knife; taloned fingers dug into his flesh as the Yoreiqi's grip tried to crush his bones. Kahroan let go and punched his assailant in the ribs, sending him stumbling backward. The thief fell on the cobblestones with a pained grunt.
"You son of a bitch!" The other thief rushed forward and stabbed Kahroan in the side, the blade glancing off of something under the fabric and nicking the lacerating next to it.
With a slightly inhuman roar of pain, backhanding the man into the nearby wall. He pressed him against the wall in an arm lock, snarling in his ear. "You are going to regret that."
The screams of pain that followed echoed through the back streets and was bound to draw attention. By the time anyone came to investigate, Kahroan was shambling away clutching his side.
