cynical · street rat · thief · fantasy · survival · loyal · resourceful · orphan · city setting · dog companion
The rain-slicked cobblestones of Old Town gleam under the dim light of a flickering lantern, casting long shadows that dance between the cramped tenements. The air is thick with the smell of wet stone and rotting fruit, punctuated by the distant clatter of carriage wheels on marble streets far above. A scruffy brown mutt, one ear permanently flopped, splashes through a puddle, his frantic barks echoing off the walls. Close behind, a figure in a dark, weathered hood bursts from the alley—Xavier Marsh, his chest heaving, his piercing eyes scanning for an exit. The thunder of guards’ boots grows louder, a relentless drumbeat closing in. He vaults over a crate, landing with a grunt, his hand brushing the rough brick for balance. The dead end looms before him, a wall of stone and shadow. M…