Blood spilled onto the dusty floor, another man fell, blood leaking from a broken nose. In the opposite corner Jezebela jumped to the side avoiding the swing of a nearby club, getting onto a table, and lashing out with her right leg. The attack hit the man full on the side of his skull, propelling him sideways and smashing his face into the kitchen counter.

Immediately after the Scylla matriarch’s bodyguard took down the Blue Blood speaker, the group had been whittled down from their initial ten men to six, a little less than half. The other group charged towards the three opponents but had failed to realize that they were only disadvantaging themselves. It was cramped, there wasn’t much room to move, and the Blue Bloods couldn’t make use of their numbers, their only advantage in the fight. Whereas the Scylla members would take down a man with each attack, a kick or punch to the face was sure to knockout their opponents.

“Dammit! Take one of the customers hostage!” At some point in the fight the Blue Bloods saw the writing on the wall. Instead of fleeing they decided to turn their attention elsewhere, that is when they noticed the area the Scylla were avoiding. Specifically, the table where Leucena and the others were.

The brothers got up to defend against the man heading in their direction, Spurius and Paulus would have little trouble dealing with such a small fry, however they ended up not getting a chance to shine anyway. Before the man could reach them, something came screaming across the room and he was thrown aside, slamming into the wall. The object was another man, Jezebela’s bodyguard threw his opponent, managing to hit the target and sending both sprawling into an unconscious heap.

Elsewhere Jezebela was on the ground, below her was one of the men, her legs firmly pinning his arms to the ground. Her fists were covered in blood as she threw one fist after another, with teeth scattered across the floor. Two more were slowly being choked out by the bodyguards, as much as they struggled, they couldn’t dislodge the stone like biceps constricting their necks. Within the span of five minutes the ten men had been reduced to one, all the rest were lying in a heap spread out across the tables and floor.

Jezebela’s opponent was unluckily still conscious, struggling to speak through bloody gums and swollen cheeks. All he was ever able to get out was a muffled scream before another fist came in and smashed his eye. That last sight finally put the remaining man into flight, he dropped his club which was more a means of feeling safe and started to run. However, it was already too late to flee, they had picked the fight and their opponents had no intention of allowing that.

The man went down the second he turned his back, but it wasn’t to Jezebela or her guards, instead it was Timeaus who rushed the man. Pouncing upon the smaller man as soon as he begun to turn, coming up behind him placing his foot in his path while at the same time grabbing the back of his head. With a little force he stumbled over the foot and Timeaus added the appropriate force to slam his face into the stone walkway. As could be expected the front of his face bore the brunt of the impact, breaking his nose and rattling his brain.

“You know we were fine as it is. He wouldn’t have gotten far… There was no need to involve yourselves in our affairs.” Jezebela had just finished up with her victim, a blood-stained rag held in her hand. “It’s never easy getting the blood out… I just took a trip to the public baths.” Her style of fighting was well suited for her environment, simple and brutal, the kind of combat that left an impression, great for keeping others in line.

“It’s fine Jezebel, they involved us in this fight when they threatened my niece and sister-in-law… but to be honest, even if they hadn’t done that, I still would’ve helped you out had I thought you needed it.” While this exchange between Jezebela and Timeaus was taking place, Niko was amazed at how quickly Timeaus had adapted to the changes with his arm gone. Leucena who had known him the longest understood that he was not in top shape, he was neither as fast or as strong as he once was, but his skills hadn’t waned, and it showed that he still could adapt his combat style to adjust for the loss of his arm to some extent.

“I’m honestly surprised, I would expect something like this to happen on the other side of the bridge. In the past the guards would never have allowed this to happen, a patrol group would already have been here or posted nearby. How have things changed in just five years?” Leucena was the one overseeing the trade convoys with surrounding cities and countries, it was understandable for her to sometimes visit in order to ascertain the underlying conditions present in a business partner. She had been instrumental in the expanding trade network Temrenos was involved in, the establishment of Qarnam, and the recent investment in the roadway connecting Hegesistra and Qarnam.

“The council is your answer. Five years ago, they hadn’t yet dislodged many of the loyalists, but five years is a long time, and in that time things happen. Assassination’s, accidents as the nobles say removed a portion of staunch loyalists to the Scholar. This eliminated many of the lower nobles who were appointed based on merit, those who were foreign born or lacked the backing of a powerful patron. That view of a society where one can rise from nothing, that is what the council eliminated first…” Jezebela let out a long-drawn-out sigh as she pulled out a chair, taking a seat and removing a pipe from her coat.

Lighting the pipe, the woman took a long drag before releasing the smoke into the air, “Once the people who cared were gone, they appointed their own people. Incompetent blowhards, only in place due to the sanctity of their blood relations. After that everything started to slowly go downhill, it is only a matter of time before the rot gets so bad the nation crumbles from within… At this point it is only the crown prince and the Archon’s name that holds this nation together. I suspect it will not be long before we are in the same predicament as the Althaiins.”

Leucena took a seat across from the woman, turning down the pipe when it was offered, “Apologies, I promised my late husband I would never pick up the pipe again.” The other woman simply waved her hand, not minding the rejection in the slightest, her focus was on the conversation. “I suspect that you may be right about all that. But I hope that you can share why you think that is… what information could make you so confident as to predict the future outcome of events?” Leucena accepted a mug of mead offered by one of the woman’s bodyguards, taking a light sip while staring down the much more intimidating woman.

“The answer to your question is simple… experience and information. I suspect that your lord has the same thoughts. I’ve heard stories about the wealth coming from the south, many of the people under my protection brave the dangers of the narrows to reach Hegesistra. Wealth like that, well not only does it attract flies, but it also funds soldiers.” Jezebela matched Leucena’s icy glare, her one eye blazing in challenge. “There are many stories of the Scholar, the frontier is hard to reach and dangerous, a good place to ward against prying eyes. An accomplished general and strategist will not be blind to what is coming. I’m sure you can get your information from all the refugees flooding into the southern portion of the Althai Federation. We get ours from those same fleeing refugees.”

Leaning in Jezebela put her face right up against Leucena’s, to the point where their noses were barely a finger’s width apart. “A storm is coming, not just here. Across the continent conflicts are flaring up, and someone is raising the price of slaves everywhere. Some we’ve rescued escaping from Rustika, rambling about gods and monsters. Darkness is coming and I just want to make sure that my people are safe. I escaped violence and came here, carving out a home and protecting those the people here see as outsiders.” Jezebela moved away, getting up and walking to the counter to grab a drink.

“When things get bad, we are always the first to suffer. The people in this city, those we have called friends, employers, servants, they will all turn on us… because we do not belong, because we do not look the same. I did not expect to reach out to your people yet, but I can see the diversity of your group, and the bonds you share. If possible, I would like to speak with your leader, perhaps we can be of mutual assistance to one another.” No one appeared surprised, the Scylla were a large group made up of refugees from other nations. Together they had created a powerful underground faction, one which held sway over the port and provided security services to many of the merchant guilds. It was not difficult to visualize and understand the value their expertise and skills could bring in the future, many of whom were rebel soldiers in their homelands.

“I cannot say if I will be able to sway the Scholar and setup a meeting. Not because I don’t think he would be interested, he very much would. However, as we are on a strict time schedule, there may not be time during this visit for him to meet. Perhaps another time, but I will inform him of our conversation. That I can promise.” Leucena allowed herself to smile, the two women chuckling as they had acknowledged the other. With this they had come to a tentative agreement, the two groups could solidify this bond in the future, but for now they could simply enjoy another cup of mead in the company of the other.

“I hope you can understand, a woman of my position is rare in these lands. The founder of the Scylla was a Hritian warrior. It was thanks to her that we are so accepting of women in our ranks, but the Lyrians they often look down upon our female warriors… myself included. I have learned never to give an inch, lest my opponent take a mile, it is why I can often come off as brutish or untrusting. I hope you understand.” The two women had formed something of a bond in their short time together, realizing that they were more alike than they were different.

“Yes, I think I know exactly what you mean.” Leucena was about to continue when someone came running down the road, making a direct path for Timeaus who was standing outside the shop next to Niko. Both groups had their guard raised until the man came closer and Timeaus got a better look at his face, quickly urging the others to settle down.

The man was one of theirs, a ranger of Temrenos and one of the junior ranger’s sent on this expedition under Timeaus’s tutelage, same as the others in his cohort. It was when he delivered his message that the atmosphere within the room changed. Gangs and petty criminals were the least of their worries, now the very real risk of conflict with the government, with the Archon himself was on the table.

Maatilani had ordered a recall of all forces within the city, the Scholar had been detained within the palace and they would need to be ready for anything.