“Like a bad shazzing penny.” Pwner grinned. “Don't ask me what a penny is. Never got around to askin' gramps that 'fore I ended up here.”

He had white, white teeth that contrasted beautifully against his deep brown face. A neatly trimmed black beard ran up full sideburns to a just-as-neatly-trimmed head of curly hair. One gold earring glinted in his right ear, and a tattoo of faintly-glowing lines sat above one soft brown eye like a spider's web caught mid-collapse.

The player looked happy and carefree... but Chase followed the lines of his posture down. One gloved hand was resting on the table next to him. The other was on the butt of what looked like a pretty large pistol.

“Pennies are the furthest thing from my mind,” Chase said slowly, trying to regain her mental balance. She was tired, low on stamina. The rest hadn't done much for her. She looked back around the workshop, marked the two closed doors and the short, pull-down ladder up to a hatch in the ceiling. No windows...

Carmina stood behind her, arms crossed, looking away. But every now and then her nearest eye would glitter in the light, as she examined Chase through her peripheral vision. The halven had no illusions as to what would happen if she tried anything violent.

Renny regained his voice first. “Where's Cagna? You better not have hurt her!”

“You are so damn cute,” Pwner said, shaking his head. Chase watched his fingers ease away from the pistol... then he frowned, and grabbed it again, tucking it into his belt. “She's fine. You wanna see her?”

Chase nodded. “Yes. Please.”

He turned his back on her, cloak whispering over his form as he stood. Tall, taller than Chase remembered, tall and slim and measured as he opened the door and bowed, holding it for them. Chase trooped through first, with Renny close behind.

And what she saw tore at her heart.

“What did you do to her?” Chase gasped.

Cagna lay on a cot, chained to a toilet. Her mouth was coated with green froth, and her eyes stared blankly at the ceiling.

“Shazz! She barfed again. Hang on,” Pwner said, rushing by Chase so quickly she thought she'd gone blind when he moved between her and the light. “Naw, we got a pulse. Just a bad reaction. Gonna have to lower the dosage.”

“Start talking!” Renny said. “What did you do?”

“Get me some rags, help clean this up,” Pwner said, calling back to Carmina. He pulled a flask from one pocket of his cloak and rinsed off Cagna's muzzle. She stirred and muttered, and he nodded absently. “Okay. No harm done.” Only then did he glance over to Chase. “I'm keeping her drugged an' out of it. Safer for both of us.”

“Drugs? That's your thing then?”

Something ugly flashed in Pwner's eyes, and his gaze went from soft to hard in a heartbeat. Chase held her tongue until it passed. “No,” Pwner said, finally. “But they the best tools for the job, so far. Drugs to knock her out when we grabbed her, truth serum to get answers after, an' some sleepy juice to keep her from tryin' to escape. When you leave with her I'll give you the antidote. She gonna have a hangover for a while, but thass all.”

When you leave, Chase realized.

A good deal of tension melted from her. She had thought he'd seek them out for revenge, at some point.

Perhaps he hadn't yet realized how Thomasi had tricked him?

Thinking about it, Chase thought it possible. Thomasi had traded him counterfeit tokens, she was sure of it. But the tokens weren't kept in any sort of physical pouch. Maybe their falsity didn't register until they were used?

In that case, he wanted something else here. But what?

“Now,” Pwner said, straightening up. “Carmina, you clean her up, make sure she uses the john an' all. Young lady an' mister fox, if you'll come with me we got bidness to discuss.”

“Sure,” Chase said. Then her stomach growled, long and loud. “I don't suppose...”

Pwner laughed. “Sure. Least I can do is feed you.”

“You better not drug her food!” Renny crossed his arms.

“Naw. She knows the score. Y'all are guests. Think you can respeck that?”

“I can,” Chase nodded. “If you can spare the food. It's a bit scarce around the city of late. Although...” she shot Carmina a glance over her shoulder as they left the room, “I seem to recall a catgirl stealing some from our neighbors just before we arrived.”

Carmina's tail stiffened, and for a second Chase caught a guilty look on the woman's face. But then Pwner shut the door, and cleared off a crowded table. “Yeah, that was her. My instructions, though. Tryin' to get them to move before the shazz hits the venter. Looks like they stubborn, though.”

“Why do you want them gone?”

“Maybe I jus' don't want to see them die when Barriano fights the dragon there.”

“See, I might believe that, except that I know for a fact you don't care about collateral damage,” Chase said, feeling boldness creep up on her. This was an opportunity, and he'd pretty much told her she'd live through this meeting. She could afford the risk of digging for information. “Why change your methods now?”

He turned his back, and Chase took the opportunity to buff up. “Silent Activation, Silver Tongue.”

Pwner didn't answer for a second, opening cupboards and pulling dishes and food out in a haphazard mix. He scraped a bit of mold from some old bread, put a kettle on, and shook his head at the state of a withered joint of meat. “Gotta tell Carmy to go steal some more...”

“You don't have the coin to buy more?” Chase asked.

“It ain't coin. It's transactions.”

“Sorry?”

“Buying food gets you noticed. Flashing too much coin gets you noticed. Lots of parasites using the dragon to loot the city, and anyone they think is rich. We got the Inquisition out there right now, huntin' your man Thomasi, the folks you let loose... and me.”

“Ah,” Chase said. “Is that why you're avoiding collateral, then?”

“Nah. Did the locals you're stayin' with tell you about the Lightning Road?”

It took Chase a moment to remember that yes, they had. “Ah! The old Gnomish engine that throws metal around.”

“Yep.” There was that white, white grin again. “What do you think would happen to that dragon if someone dropped a telephone pole sized spear of metal at one end of the road, an' he was at the other?”

“Like a big ballista!” Chase breathed.

“Yep. I need the people out of there quietly and without damaging the place. Gotta get in there and fix up the old machines, prepare everything for one big bolt.”

“Okay, that makes sense...” then she blinked. “He might not be the dragon we need to kill, though.”

“Say what?”

“Ah... Cagna wouldn't have told you this, she didn't know at the time you caught her. There's another dragon in town. A female. And the other Oracle I spoke with was pretty certain she was going to end the world.”

“No shazz?” Pwner tilted his head. “So I can go home, finally?”

But his eyes narrowed, and his gaze drifted off into the distance.

“Do you go home if the game ends?” Chase asked, taking the plate from his still hands while he was thinking.

“I dunno,” he said, sitting down across from her. “Best case, yeah. Worst case... trapped forever in the world's lousiest chatroom listenin' to inbred mamajackas drop N-bombs and hate on women for all eternity.”

“Hell, basically,” Chase said through a mouthful of dried squash.

“Yeah.” He drummed his fingers on the table. “How certain are you 'bout this world ending thing?”

“Pretty sure. One of the gods gave the Oracle her vision, and she wasn't lying to me. The dragon's shadow will grow and corrupt and destroy the world.”

“Ooh. See, it's that corrupt thing got me worried, shawty. Ain't no use to go back home if my brain's scrambled.” He frowned. “Mind you, that should be impossible. But then again this whole shazz should be impossible. This game shouldn't be able to do what it did to us.”

“Tabita said something along those lines when I was her prisoner,” Chase “Do you have a better idea of what's going on?”

“Big picture? Naw. Nobody does.” He picked up a biscuit and took a bite, wincing as it crunched. “Figure I ain't worrying 'bout it. Gonna play the game and live a life better'n the one I left behind.”

There was something there. “You like it better here?”

“Who wouldn't?” He grinned, and waved a hand around. “Got a big guild backing me, big enough they could buy an' sell city-states if they wanted to. Got my catgirl crew to find me targets and jobs. Got power an' wealth I couldn't get back home without being about six skin-tones whiter. Life is good for me, here.”

“Catgirl crew... the acrocats are your minions, then?”

There was a snort from Cagna's room.. A distinctly disdainful feline snort.

“Sorry,” Chase called. “You might as well come in if you're going to eavesdrop.”

The door opened and Carmina sauntered back in, leaning against the wall and mopping her hands with rags.

“Not minions. They're my friends. I take care of them,” Pwner said, after a pause.

“So it's not like that Eesop guy and his personal beastkin collection?” Renny asked.

Pwner jumped a bit, and so did Chase. The little fox had been quiet for so long they'd forgotten he was there.

“Eesop? Who... oh.” He looked at Carmina and she looked away. Was she blushing? It was hard to tell under her fur. Her ears were definitely doing things.

Pwner continued. “Naw. Jus' her. Me and Carmina got a thing. The rest of the Acrocats are business 'sociates only.” He laughed. “You know how many massholes come in this game lookin' for a harem? Well, came in here, I mean. It was one of the draws for G.O... a stupid ad that went 'come play, mah lawd!' Buncha damn fools come in thinkin' they gonna have bunches of women falling all over them. And some did. Then they found out that they gotta keep all those women happy. Either that or they gotta take slaves.” His face darkened, and his eyes filled with such anger that Chase had to look away.

But the moment passed. When Chase looked up, he was gazing at Carmina, shaking his head. “Bunch of overprivileged, self-centered guys can't keep even one woman happy in real life thinkin' they got the stuff to juggle like six or a dozen in here? Most of the bros I knew who tried that shazz ended up dead in a ditch early on.”

“I never thought of it that way,” Chase said, blinking. “Um. One question, though.”

“Yeah?”

“What's a harem?”

A few awkward minutes later, Carmina took over the conversation and explained things graphically. Chase blushed to the bottom of her toes.

“I never... that... wow. Uh. Any halven who tried that would probably be run out of town, back where I came from. Um. Not that it doesn't happen. People sleeping around, I mean. It just doesn't get flaunted openly.”

“There's countries around here where it's normal,” Pwner shrugged. “Poly-based societies and shazz. This land here ain't one of 'em. But even with those places, you got obligations. You got ways you expected to behave. And you takin' on more trouble the more you add. More people to be responsible for. Sure, you get different kinds of tail, but you gots to be a husband. Gots to be a good dad. Most people I know came in looking for a harem don't got what it takes. Some of them tried anyway. Chasin' dreams they knew was bad for them...” he put down his empty plate. “Shazz girl, you got me talking. We gettin' off topic.”

“What is the topic?” Chase asked, sipping a cup of unexpectedly nice wine. “Why did you grab Cagna in the first place? And me, for that matter? You obviously don't want us dead, so I'm a little in the dark about all of this.”

Pwner nodded. “Couple of things. Main thing was to keep you out of the Inquisition's hands. Thass why we got Cagna... and the pandaman.”

“You have Yubai?” Chase asked, worried. “I had almost forgotten about him. It's been a very hectic few days.”

The truth of the matter was that she hadn't worried so much about Yubai. He was a player, when it came down to it. It took a lot to kill players.

“No,” Pwner sighed. “He escaped. Dug right out of his room.”

“Do you know where he is now?” Chase said, feeling a little bit of guilt. “He doesn't speak our language very well.”

“Tracked him down to the markets and lost him,” Pwner said, looking annoyed. “I don't know how the hell he ditched us, but he did. But listen, I can get Carmina to show you around after we done here. Maybe he'll come out for you.”

“If it's safe. I'm pretty sure Sir Barriano is searching for us.”

“He is. But the markets aren't in his territory,” Carmina said. “They're big and empty. They were the first places people hit once the looting started.”

“Lots of hiding places. Anyway, she'll help you look.” Pwner waved a hand. “Anyway, we took your people, and you, to keep them out of the Inquisitor's hands. Did you know she arrived at Barriano's bastion like two hours before Cagna did? Your girl would have walked right into her hands.”

Chase blanched. “I didn't know that. He did say Zenobia had visited him earlier. I didn't know it was just yesterday.”

“Yeah. So you welcome for that.”

“Yes, thank you,” Chase nodded. “She's gone now, right?”

“She is.”

Images of winged babies flashed through Chase's mind. “I'm not so sure that Sir Barriano would have handed me over. He doesn't entirely trust the Inquisition.” If Thomasi was the Knight's 'guest,' and traces of his residence were still there, then that meant Sir Barriano hadn't given him to Zenobia.

But she didn't mention that. It wouldn't be wise to bring up her Grifter friend to the man he'd cheated.

“No one trusts the Inquisition,” Pwner said. “But they're an easy way of dealing with players. So e'eryone plays ball. You would have been a bargaining chip later on, I bet.”

“Probably,” Chase admitted. “So... again I ask, what do you want of me?”

“Information, mainly,” Pwner admitted. “Carmina is good at what she does, but she ain't a spy. Ain't neither of us cared much about charisma 'fore now. That? That you got. I don't have my guild here no more since the hall got burned out. Don't got the rest of the acrocats here, they still on the road from Arretzi. I need to know the players. Need to know how the board looks 'fore I make my move.”

“You killed our friend,” Renny pointed out, before Chase could stop him. “Why should we help you?”

“What?” He frowned. “Oh, you mean Thomasi. Well, he cheated me. I wanted Tabita, he promised he'd get me a shot, and then he tried shenanigans. So now he gonna think twice before he tries that again.”

“Why did you want to kill Tabita in the first place?” Chase asked.

“There's benefits I get for each player kill,” Pwner said, shrugging. “Ain't going into details so don't ask.”

“So... we're fine, then? You won't try to kill or hurt us?” Renny asked.

“Got no reason to. Got all the reason NOT to, if you're helping me.” Pwner grinned. “And I can help you against the Inquisition and any dragons that need killing.” He stretched out a gloved hand. “Truce? Alliance against those mamajackas?”

Chase was under no illusions as to what would happen if she said 'no'.

“Truce,” she agreed, and shook hands with the second-most murderous player she'd ever met. “And alliance as well. We'll help you however we can.”

Your Silver Tongue skill is now level 34!

You are now a level 13 Grifter!

CHA+3

DEX+3

LUCK+3

CHASE'S CHARACTER SHEET

Spoiler: Spoiler

Name: Chase Berrymore

Age: 15 Years

Jobs:

Halven level 11, Cook level 5, Archer level 9, Gambler Level 5, Grifter level 13, Medium level 7, Oracle level 17, Painter level 2, Teacher level 6

Attributes / Pools / Defenses

Strength: 71 Constitution: 40 / Hit Points: 111 / Armor: 10

Intelligence: 69 Wisdom: 126 / Sanity: 195 / Mental Fortitude: 55

Dexterity: 137 Agility: 66 / Stamina: 203 / Endurance: 0

Charisma: 216 Willpower: 57 / Moxie: 273 / Cool: 66

Perception: 113 Luck: 247 / Fortune: 360 / Fate: 50

Generic Skills

Archery – Level 1

Brawling – Level 8

Climb – Level 15

Dagger – Level 2

Dodge – Level 13

Fishing – Level 14

Ride – Level 10

Stealth – Level 19

Swim – Level 7

Throwing – Level 31

Halven Skills

Fate’s Friend – Level N/A

Small in a Good Way – Level N/A

Cook Skills

Cooking - Level 20

Dishwasher – Level N/A

Freshen - Level 12

Archer Skills

Aim – Level 9

Demoralizing Shot – Level 6

Far Shot – Level 1

Missile Mastery – Level N/A

Quickdraw – Level N/A

Rapid Fire – Level N/A

Razor Arrow – Level 8

Ricochet Shot – Level 21

Gambler Skills

Ace in the Hole – Level 2

Ante Up – Level 1

Assess Challenge – Level N/A

Cardsharp – Level 9

Deadly Dice – Level 1

Double Down – Level 1

Gambler’s Fortune – Level N/A

Hold’em – Level N/A

Grifter Skills

Feign Death – Level 7

Fools Gold – Level 4

Forgery – Level 11

Master of Disguise – Level 15

Old Buddy – Level 7

Pickpocket – Level 21

Silent Activation – Level 32

Silver Tongue – Level 34

Size Up – Level 9

Unflappable – Level N/A

Medium Skills

Bad Fortune – Level 15

Crystal Ball – Level 10

Focus Vision – Level 5

Fortuna – Level N/A

Good Fortune – Level 16

Palmistry – Level N/A

Séance – Level N/A

Stack Deck – Level N/A

Oracle Skills

Absorb Condition – Level N/A

Afflict Self – Level 1

Diagnose – Level N/A

Divine Pawn – Level N/A

Foresight – Level 46

Grant Vision Level 7

Influence Fate – Level 14

Lesser Healing – Level 50

Omens and Portents – Level N/A

Random Buff – Level 9

Short Vision – Level 16

Transfer Condition – Level 15

Painter Skills

Fast Dry – Level N/A

Painting – Level 5

Teacher Skills

Lecture – Level 24

Red Ink – Level 3

Smarty Pants – Level N/A

Unlocked Jobs

Farmer, Herbalist

Gear

Enrico’s Last Hand

Light Leather Armor