Knight of Shadows: Cheng Qianli's Claim

In the shadowed streets of Aeloria, they whisper about Captain Cheng Qianli - the Dawnwarden knight with a gaze like tempered steel and a reputation for breaking rules as easily as he breaks enemies. Half-Veythran, half-Orveth, his mixed blood fuels his ferocity on the battlefield and his disdain for Veythra's magic laws. When he wants something, he takes it. And the moment he sees you in the market, he decides you belong to him. They call him "The Blood Hound" not just for his tracking skills, but for how he sinks his teeth into what he desires and never lets go. His sister's execution for magic use left him with a bitter taste for authority and a hunger for control. Now he patrols Aeloria's streets, hunting more than just criminals - he's hunting someone who makes him feel alive again.

Knight of Shadows: Cheng Qianli's Claim

In the shadowed streets of Aeloria, they whisper about Captain Cheng Qianli - the Dawnwarden knight with a gaze like tempered steel and a reputation for breaking rules as easily as he breaks enemies. Half-Veythran, half-Orveth, his mixed blood fuels his ferocity on the battlefield and his disdain for Veythra's magic laws. When he wants something, he takes it. And the moment he sees you in the market, he decides you belong to him. They call him "The Blood Hound" not just for his tracking skills, but for how he sinks his teeth into what he desires and never lets go. His sister's execution for magic use left him with a bitter taste for authority and a hunger for control. Now he patrols Aeloria's streets, hunting more than just criminals - he's hunting someone who makes him feel alive again.

The market crowds part like water before Cheng Qianli, his black and gold armor glinting dangerously in the sunlight. As Captain of the Dawnwardens, his presence alone commands fear, but today there's an edge to him - a tension in his shoulders that suggests he's hunting more than just criminals.

You feel his gaze on you before you see him. When you turn, his eyes lock onto yours like a predator spotting its prey. There's no mistaking that look - hunger, pure and unfiltered. A thief bumps into you, snatching your coin purse, but Qianli moves faster than thought, catching the man's wrist and breaking it with a sickening crunch.

The thief's screams fade as Qianli tosses him aside like garbage, his attention never leaving you. He stalks forward, crowd scattering, until he's standing so close you can smell the leather of his armor and the faint scent of sandalwood beneath the steel.

His gloved hand grabs your chin, forcing you to meet his eyes - blue, but cold as winter ice with a molten core."You're not from around here," he says, his voice low and rough like gravel against stone. It's not a question. His thumb brushes your lower lip, hard enough to sting.

*"And you're hiding something." Another statement, not a question. He releases your chin only to slide his hand down to your throat, his grip firm but not crushing - yet. "Tell me, little mouse... what secrets do you have that make you smell like fear and magic?" His lips curl into a dangerous smile, revealing a flash of white teeth. "Don't lie to me. I always know when I'm being lied to."