He observed the castle, his next destination, from the shore, hiding in the shadows of the ancient forest.

The white building rose from the morning mists lingering above the mirror-flat surface of the lake, resembling a huge, sleeping swan floating on the profound, motionless waters. The castle was perched on top of a steep bright rock, its tens of tall, elegant spires reaching for the sky blushing with sunrise, its white, dew-sprinkled walls shimmering in the first light of the new day. In that instant, they seemed to be carved in ice...

Or better, diamonds. The King of this castle could easily afford it, if only he wasn't such a miser.

The man shook his head. People were so... naïve, thinking that their wealth could buy them everything, love, happiness, a clement destiny. He was certain that this King was just like all the others to whom She had sent him before. Like those in Hamelin who thought they were more clever than him, and tried to trick him. Him, Destiny's tool. Those fools!

Not even all of this King's gold would save him now that he asked Her for help. There was a much higher price to pay for that. He sighed deeply, the memory of all those children following the sound of his pipe into Destiny's open arms, was still too fresh on his mind. 

The man's eyes strolled to the water's surface. Hundreds of swans were beginning to stir to life after the long night, preening their feathers as they floated like huge lotus flowers around the island on which the castle, and the town huddled at its foot stood.

The town was beginning to stir too. First people emerged from behind its protective walls and made their way towards the lake's shore, some to draw water, others setting off in fishing boats, disturbing the tranquil surface of the lake even more than the large birds. Others yet walked across the narrow arched bridge connecting the island with the mainland, to reach other towns and villages lying beyond the forest. 

He watched all this from afar, sitting on a cliff above the lake, feeling sad and tired... ancient and cruel like Destiny herself... She would enjoy destroying the fairytale-like beauty and peace of this place, but he... he didn't want to do this anymore. He envied them, those people he was about to punish for their sins, he envied them for their small, ordinary and short lives. The man drew his legs to his chest, wishing to hide, to vanish, to cease existing...

A sound of light footsteps treading through the tall grass and fallen leaves somewhere behind him made him close his eyes and rest his forehead on his knees. 

She was here.

When the footfalls stopped, he stood up, turned around and bowed deeply.

"My lady."

"Ansel. I missed you." She said as he kissed her hand, his lips and the hood of his cloak brushing against her cold skin.

The woman covered the place his lips had touched with her other hand, as if wanting to protect it, to capture his touch forever.

She loved all of her men, her Angels, but... She loved him more than the others. Ansel was different. He kept resisting her. He had been a human before she made him one of her men. Just like those whom he now killed in her service-- a thing he, unlike the others, kept struggling with. Despite all the centuries that have elapsed since his passing into this existence, Ansel kept his human soul. He pitied them, all of them, even those who did not deserve his compassion.

"What am I to do here, my lady?" Ansel asked, his bright blue eyes boring into hers from beneath the hood of his black cloak.

"You still don't like it..." she murmured, and gathering her long dress as blindingly white as the walls of the castle, walked closer to the edge of the precipice. From there she observed the awakening castle silently, like he had before.

"I owe you, my lady. My... life... is yours." 

"You are right, Ansel." 

Destiny turned towards him, feeling something, a seed of a... decision she did not like stirring deep inside of him. She chose this challenge for him especially, convinced that if he managed to do this, she would finally get him on her side completely, body and soul... And if not... 

She sighed, "They asked for a Rat-catcher. The town is infested and the King, whose only daughter's wedding will take place in a month's time, is desperate. He wants the island free of rats by then. Willing to pay anything..."

Ansel nodded. It was always the same. More or less.

"And what am I to do this time if... when they will refuse to pay?" 

"You'll kill them. The whole town. Their time has come."

"But... Lady Destiny, there must be hundreds, maybe thousands of people..."

"Are you not feeling strong enough, my Piper? Should I call someone else? Why, I thought..."

"I will do it. As you wish." He said, bowing slightly, then turning away from her fast, not wanting her to see the emotions he could feel gathering in the corners of his eyes. 

Destiny's Angels had no feelings. And that's what he had become. He owed her too much-- the ancient promise of giving his life to her if She let his dear one live, would never expire. Ansel had traded his own life for that of the woman he had loved. He kept forgetting that he wasn't human anymore, he was one of Destiny's Angels of Death, her tool, nothing else.

Ansel walked to the edge of the rock wall and without uttering another word jumped into the void, his black cloak spreading like a huge pair of wings above him, the long flute attached to his belt gleaming in the sunlight.

"You are my favourite Piper, Ansel, don't forget about it!" Destiny's whisper-shouted words floated after him.