The rattling wooden cart was an extremely familiar sound to Anton, one that brought back memories of his first journeys outside of Atros. Of an insane man who drove his cart at its maximum speed over every tiny bump and depression, throwing Verona into his lap more often than not. This time was not so pleasant despite the better conditions. The streets of Danafra were laid with very flat and tightly fitted stone, obviously the work of some poor, abused slave, so it was far less noisy than Atros’s streets.

Anton walked alongside the stolen cart, the two surly Ix leisurely dragging the cart seemed rather happy to not be returning to their Seocurian Masters. The fluttering thought caused Anton to look at Longinious, still in her Spear Form, and resting just inside the cart within hand's reach. It had been Longinious's idea; she couldn't use her Mobile Form, for obvious reasons, and him holding her in her Spear Form would only add to the attention that a pale Graterian man in Danafra would automatically acquire.

And the thought… It's gone. Shame, Longinious wouldn't have to worry about it. Maybe remembering everything wouldn't be entirely good. Remembering every horrible and stupid thing I've done in perfect clarity wouldn't be good. Then there's my time before 'this' world…

As Longinious threatened to roll away a slim hand reached out to stop it. Lux sat in the cart, wearing better clothes, along with a heavy cloak that wasn’t stained with blood. Anton wanted him, and Lucia, to wear good and solid clothes. However, no Beast-kin slave wore anything remotely as good or even clean as them and to do so would draw unwanted attention. Lux was simply happy to have pants and a shirt without holes.

Beside Lux sat Calo and Sheso. Their Shadow Hunter clothes lay underneath an outer layer of stolen clothes, so they were not just two floating heads. They had begrudgingly agreed to return the Shadow Hunter garb when they were done. Neither Anton nor the Twins needed to explain why having two invisible Dark Elves running around Atros's rooftops was fraught with danger. Anton hoped Leran and Cagec would understand when they were inevitably told.

“How much further?” Verona coughed harshly and shuffled over to Anton's side. She rested an arm over the side, waving her hand until she caught Anton's. “I'm getting sick just thinking about being in this cart. That insane driver from back home… Bouncing around like my food's about to come back up." Verona frowned and looked to the sky. “I wonder if he’s still alive? If someone hasn’t put a knife in his back for bringing up their food?”

"The Bestiary is not much further." Lux wanted to stand up but restrained himself. He had been told he would be free this day, a few more minutes meant nothing. "Near the south. I've been there a few times."

"Good reasons?" Verona gave Anton's hand a final squeeze before bringing it to rest in her lap.

"I… I don't know." Lux looked down, even with his thick cloak he was drawing in on himself. "I was very young. Very young…”

“Was your mother there?” Anton asked. Cetina, walking at his side, leant forward and tilted her head.

“I think so…” Lux did not seem entirely sure.

His eyes focused on a passing building. It looked like a relatively unremarkable Seocurian building, with large wooden beams erupting out between the floors and adorned with prodigious greenery and life, but Anton was drawn to the sign hanging over the front. The store dealt with Magic, tomes and magical books he guessed, but it was smaller than the one Anton had visited during his last visit to Danafra.

“Were you sent there before as well?” Verona asked.

Lux shook his head, he pulled his hood tighter as an ear threatened to come free. “No. But… I had always wondered about magic. Mom had been brought to some sort of demonstration when I was very little. I can still remember the fire and stone flying about. Water dancing in the air and crashing to the ground before surging back up. Everyone was cheering. It was incredible.”

Lux looked enamored in his old memory. There was every chance that it was one of the few good memories he held with his mother, not that he appeared to have a bad relationship with her, just that there were sparse opportunities for a Beast-kin to have pleasant memories in this wretched place. Anton tapped Cetina’s arm.

“Doesn’t that sound a little like the roving circus you saw when you were younger?”

“It could be the very same.” Cetina smiled faintly. “I can’t imagine there would be many, not when Mages are so rare and desired by countries for their strength.”

“Not mine…” Verona managed a faint chuckle.

Anton glanced at the cart, waiting for Mezot to try and jump free but she and her daughter had already been sent back to Atros. While their current group could pass relatively undetected it would be extremely difficult to disguise their large Charms and their pale skin. He doubted there was anything such a little store had to offer them anyway.

"When we arrive out our new home we'll test you for how much mana you have." Anton received a quizzical look from Lux. "And if you've got enough you can also learn Principle Magic from Mezot. Did Fliodher say what you could do with your Glyph?"

She told me it'll allow him to commune and control larger and more ferocious creatures. But let's see what a Beast-kin heard.

Lux did not reply. His attention was focused entirely on the magic shop. A tremor ran down his body, his head dropped while pulling his shoulders in tight to his body. Calo and Sheso shared a glance, shrugged and nodded towards Anton.

"Sorry, Uncle Anton." Tiny welts of tears bundled in the corners of Lux's eyes. "I was just thinking about using magic. Fire and Water… Did you say I could use magic?"

"There is no reason why you shouldn't." Longinious’s voice caused Lux's ears to almost push his hood off. "From Mezot's lessons I believe a Glyph would not prohibit or impede any other type of magic."

"W-What is that?" Lux quickly glanced down at the spear by his feet. "Did, did that just talk?"

"I did." Longinious sounded rather pleased with herself. The light in the central sphere turned towards Lux. "Greetings, Lux. My name is Longinious, Anton's Avatar and weapon. It is a pleasure to finally be able to speak to you."

Lux's face twitched as he lent closer to Longinious. "How… How is that possible?"

"That's a great question." Verona softly mused.

"We’re still working on that.” Anton said. “But she can’t show you her real body in Seocuria-”

“Is there something wrong with the magic here?” Lux held the edge of the cart tight. “The blonde ladies, with the big metal disks, they didn’t use any magic. I think, I think the older one seemed lost.”

Verona chuckled. “Mezot’s a strange one, but she’s very nice… Once you actually get her talking about anything other than magic. Axia’s the same. I don’t mean that she’s like Mezot, but she’s quite nice, so long as you aren’t trying to hurt her mother.”

“Right…”

Lux didn’t appear completely satisfied with the answer but was content to remain silent for now.

“As I was saying, Longinious looks very different to her current Spear Form. But if she were to change in Danafra they would be all over her.”

“Is she a pretty Beast-kin?”

Verona cracked a smile. “You’ll do well with us, I’m sure you will.”

Lux looked at Anton rather befuddled.

“Why thank you, Lux.” Longinious’s crackling voice was lighter than normal. “I believe I may be. Regardless, Anton speaks the truth. I would be hunted as a unique Beast-kin. Not to mention that my size would make it difficult to remain inconspicious.”

“What-”

“She’s saying she’s fat.” Verona snickered. “A big fat fish, and that makes her embarrassed.”

“I am not!” Longinious managed to rock the spear back and forth slightly. “And I can’t change myself or how I look. I alsothought that it would be very distressing for Lucia and Lux to witness… Well, me emerging from my Spear Form. While it appears that, at least now, Lux isn’t disturbed by the concept I don’t feel-”

“I will say that your tail looks very interesting.” Verona rested against the cart wall. “Like stars in the night sky.”

Longinious let out a single stammer, the shine in the central sphere looked away towards Anton. Calo and Sheso shared a look then shrugged. Lux continued to smile awkwardly, unsure of what to make of their exchange.

“When we get back Longinious can show you her…Hmm?” Cetina tugged on his sleeve. “What’s up?”

“Those people walking past.” Cetina nodded towards a small group of Seocurians they had just passed. None had given them more than a passing glance. “They talked about Dark Elf ships to the north of Danafra. Sleek and traveling without docking anywhere.”

Calo and Sheso shifted to their side, listening intently in their silence.

“The ones from the Green Moon Clan I'm presuming.” Anton scratched his beard, frowning lightly. “I really need to get Kal to shave me. But yes. We got most of those sleek vessels. Guess we’ll be needing to reclaim Jaka sooner rather than later.” Anton smiled at the Twins. “Then your clan can have your ships back. No pirating though. Unless they think they can actuallytake on Soecurian ships without any losses. And I mean none.”

“I…” Sheso clicked her tongue. “Maybe we’re not thatgood. But we’re pretty good.”

“Do we have enough people to spare for such a thing?” Verona asked. “I remember a lot of Goblins just pouring out of that place.”

“What are Goblins?” Lux asked with a voice mixed with curiosity and confusion. “Are they some sort of Beast-kin that are free?” Lux almost pushed Verona to the side, stepping over Longinious. “My father was a Beast-kin from across the sea."

Lux pointed towards the ocean, obscured by buildings but the smell of salt lingered. "Are they really free over there?"

"You remember your father?" Anton asked.

"No." Lux's ears fell. "But others talked about him. Just… That he wasn't here anymore."

"Well, regarding the Goblins, if you’ve never heard of them, that's probably for the best. Vile creatures. They do terrible things-”

“I’m sure that Lux doesn’t need to know the full extent of their atrocities.” Longinious said softly, Verona slowly nodded in agreement. “At least right now.”

“True. I’m sure that’s what the Seocurian soldiers train themselves on. Might not be as effective in a pitched battle against equals. And yes, there are some Beast-kin free outside of Seocuria. Of course they’re being oppressed by others, other Beast-kin actually, but they’re there.”

“Wow.” Lux almost had stars in his eyes. “Just like Fliodher said.”

As they continued to slowly travel the city of Danafra continued to come to life. Anton wasn’t surprised that it was the Beast-kin that arrived on the city streets first, assembling signs, setting up dining areas and cleaning away trash and the many leaves that fell from the hanging plants. They easily outnumbered the Seocurians four or five to one but none had the fire of defiance in their eyes. It was not wise for them to do anything against their Masters. At least for now.

“Do you think any of the Beast-kin will recognise you?” Calo asked.

Lux was still finding it difficult to differentiate between the twins, at least until he learned which mole belonged to whom.

“I don’t think so.” Lux watched three Canine Beast-kin Beast-kin haul crates of food under the watchful, and hateful, eye of a Seocurian Manager. With defiantly folded arms they nodded to which items needed to be taken first, the Beast-kin gave shaky nods in return but never looked them in the eye. Those nearby didn’t pay them any notice. “No. But I’m sure they would recognise my mother.”

That’s one thing we don’t really have a good way to deal with. She’ll be known as a ‘collaborator’ for some time. And it only takes one idiot to do something incredibly stupid.

Anton’s thoughts were halted by the emergence of the Bestiary. It was nowhere near as dramatic as the black dome of the Danafran Slave House but it still made Anton feel rather unnerved. The building was only a single story with none of the normal Seocurian architecture adornments, this time it was covered in what Anton could only call razor wire, or a close approximation to it. The remains of several small animals languished in the coils of rust speckled metal, some sections were crushed flat but still contained a few wisps of fur and even a tiny scale. Breakouts by the beasts weren’t uncommon but the Seocurians had taken precautions.

“I suppose that’s a good sign.” Anton mused to himself. “They’re not completely broken. Well, at least some of them aren’t.”

Verona and Cetina shared a look but said nothing.

A few guards waited outside, lounging about in their heavy armor while drinking heavily despite the early hour, red flushes to their dark skin and unnaturally swaying arms. One was pestering a Shark Beast-kin who ensured their alcohol continued to flow freely. Anton really wanted to see how they’d perform in a real battle.

"I'm sorry that we have to bring you here." Anton said as they began to slow. The guards took almost no notice of them. “But we need to do this for Fliodher, the Goddess that gave you that mark.”

Lux took a slow, deep breath. “This is exactly what she told me would happen. Exactly. So… I’m ready.”

Anton offered his hand to Verona. “I'd like for most of the Dark Elves to stay outside with the cart. Everyone else needs to get ready to keep a flat face, even when they see horrors.”

“Just throw out some gold and see what happens?” Cetina asked. While Anton helped Verona and Lux out of the cart, Cetina helped the Twins. “Or would that be too obvious?”

“Same plan as normal. We’re just the representatives of some crazy Graterian man wanting some exotic pets. With far too much money and not enough sense.” Anton smiled. "They'll be all over us."

Anton saw the guards finally starting to notice their presence. “Let’s see how this mess goes and if I can make it without punching someone.” Anton flexed his hand. “I wonder how much weight I can put into my punches now?”

—[]---

Lux held his cloak tight as the Manager showed them through to the pen containing the Sivu’s. The Manager of the Bestiary, a younger but slightly portly man with thinning hair, was unsurprisingly dubious about their intended purchase, especially when told by the young woman manning the front desk. Unsurprisingly, his attitude changed when a Tanzanite gemstone landed on the table. Without further complaint he ushered them into the Bestiary, even without surrendering their weapons.

Lux continued to shiver as they traveled deeper. At first it had been simple creatures, large beasts of burden along with some giant Panthers from The Shadow Isles, but they were quickly becoming more exotic. And far angrier. The black metal cages had many cuts and scratches, some bars so thin it reminded Anton of the barred door leading to the Blood Hammer Dwarven Hold. He was more focused on their structural integrity than what lay within.

Anton placed a hand on the young Beast-kin’s shoulder to reassure him, at least that’s what he hoped it would do as they could say little to a slave that, by all accounts, they should be dismissive of. Lux nodded and calmed a little but was still shaking.

Verona’s Glyph would make her go crazy if she ingested blood. I can’t imagine what he’s feeling with all these tortured creatures…

Anton caught the eye of a bear, patchy fur and yellowed teeth. They were angry but also incredibly sad.

We can only save those that we can save. Suppose it might become our mantra when operating in this land.

“Are those cages safe?” Verona asked. “Some of them are looking a little…”

“Thin.” Sheso quietly finished.

“I can assure you that these cages are extremelystrong, young Graterian lady.” The Manager gently motioned to an empty cage, then to a small, simple emblem on the top right corner. A single sword resting on a round shield. “Built by the United Empire. And have been with us ever since. Very expensive and near impossible for us to recreate, but very strong.”

“And this is enough to hold a Sivu?” Verona continued to speak. “I’ve been told they’re quite large.”

The Manager frowned at Verona but quickly resumed his business smile. Instead of responding he looked at Anton.

“It was a thought I’ve had. A concern, really.”

The Manager motioned to a much larger door. The two guards reminded Anton of the slave auction, specifically their large bows and the barbed arrows. Anything that made it past the door was to be put down. Cetina nudged his side and motioned to the floor, to many faint lines in the stone. They had been repaired but the evidence of escape attempts remained.

The door opened and Lux shuddered once again. He covered his nose with a gloved hand and scrunched his eyes tight. The smell wafting out was rather foul too.

“They’re not much further.” The Manager said with his unchanging smile.

Beyond were larger cages, holding silent Perytons, declawed Griffons and an entire throng of Ogres. They looked just as stupid as the duo Midas had slain, but without the anger. They, along with the other creatures, sat slumped in the corners of the cages. Empty eyes stared listlessly at the stone floor.

“The sooner we’re done with this place the better.” Verona grumbled.

“How much longer?” Lux whimpered. Anton had not removed his hand from his shoulder, so Lux gripped it tight with his gloved hands. It was very weak, despite the trembling strain. “How much longer?”

Anton made sure the Manager was looking away before replying. “We’ll be gone the moment we can, okay? I need you to be brave for us, okay?”

“Okay, Uncle Anton. I’ll do my best.”

Anton still wasn't sure what he felt being called an Uncle, especially by someone he barely knew, but he allowed it. So far Lux had been quite a good and honest, if a little traumatized and naive young man.

The Manager heard part of what they said and frowned, when he saw Anton’s hand on his shoulder his smile returned, far more honest this time.

Probably thinks Lux is my ‘toy’. Well, keep playing along for now. It doesn’t matter to us what they think.

They continued past more cages, taking a sharp turn to the right, before arriving at the pens. The Manager stepped to the side and pulled a dull curtain to the side.

“Here are the Sivu, honored Graterian.” The Manager slipped out of the way as the curtain moved free.

They barely had time to look before a creature lunged at them inside the cage. A near deafening clang of metal rang out, followed by terrible scraping sounds along with the snapping of a gigantic jaw. A wave of wet and near rancid air washed over them. The dim light coming from above barely illuminated the Sivu beast but Anton knew it was massive. The dull yellow teeth alone were longer than his forearm.

Lux backed into Anton, Verona shuddered and pulled close while Cetina almost drew her sword. The others were not far behind.

“How didn’t that scare you?” Verona nervously chuckled.

Because I was stunned into a stupor?

Anton said nothing, the Manager seemed very happy about their terrified reaction as he continued to pull the curtain back further.

The creature slowly retreated, but not before taking a final swipe at the metal cage.

“This is…” Sheso clicked her tongue. “Bigger than I thought.”

Anton’s eyes adjusted to the dimmed light and the Sivu came into view. It was just as massive as he expected, as he feared.

The Sivu was akin to a giant stocky lizard with large gray scales. Each scale had a raised point, almost like Anton’s new scales, and looked extremely sharp. Between the scales along its back and limbs were tufts of a darker gray fur. Dirt and grime had become matted into the fur, causing it to clump together and looked extremely painful when it moved, enough to move and twist the scales on its chest as the creature breathed. Thicker fur ran along its back, from the top of its nose to the end of its tail, which was quite wide, a little shorter than the length of the rest of its body and almost a solid piece of natural armor. More than enough to crush an armored man with a simple swing.

Four red eyes studied them intently, two forward for hunting with two almost on the side like prey. Each eye was as big as Anton’s head and covered with a thick semi-translucent layer. One eye retracted the protective layer, he could see the veins running through it, but it quickly brought it back.

Lux took a shaky, tentative step forward. “This… This is more than F-"

Anton quickly wrapped his hand around Lux's mouth. The young Beast-kin stopped dead, like a deer in headlights. The Manager merely raised a single eyebrow.

"I'm afraid that he does tend to speak his mind too much." Anton disliked the play he had to do. "So just this one? I was led to believe there were more."

"There are others in the Bestiary." The Manager smiled. "But this is the most fierce of the Sivu we have in our collection. I thought it fitting for a presentation."

At the mention of its name the beast lumbered closer to the cage. Claws, larger than his foot, gripped at the smooth stone floor, adding more scratch marks along with tiny plumes of white dust.

"Fierce?" Anton asked, not taking his eye off the creature. "It's certainly as menacing as I was told."

The Manager smiled, moving closer to the cage. All four gigantic irises constricted to a pinprick as he moved closer, the thick muscles beneath its hide tensed and its body lowered, yet it did not attack.

"This one had its eggs smashed right in front of it, because it tried to escape. Didn't you?" The Manager mocked the silent beast. "You tried to escape and you had to be punished for that. You understand that, don’t you?"

The Sivu’s lips curled back, the base of its massive teeth had turned black, along with the gums. A stubby tongue emerged, caked with saliva.

"I think it remembers." Cetina said softly,her hand continued to rest on her sword.

"Of course it does." The Manager kicked the cage. The Sivu continued its silent snarl but refused to move. "We wouldn't have them in such a cage if they were stupid."

"I see…" Anton tapped his hand on Longinious. He pointed to Calo and Sheso. "Can you two please bring him," Anton nudged Lux, still silent and rigid even after removing his hand. "Closer to the cage and let him do his thing? I wish to speak to our esteemed Manager about prices for all of them."

"All?" The Manager appeared bemused, disbelieving that Anton could pay such a sum, whatever it was. "All thirty five?"

Christ. Well, there goes our budget. Zuhura’s going to be pissed at me for this.

Longinious’s light spun in the central sphere. Something he had forgotten or at least she wanted to remind him of. Probably the gemstone mines to the north Rasha spoke of.

"Indeed." Anton casually stepped away, the Twins pushed Lux forward who had regained some composure. "Of course I cannot pay for them right away, you see."

"Of course." The Manager followed, clearly playing along for his own amusement. "Such fortunes would be difficult to carry in such a small, rickety cart that you left outside."

No mention of the Dark Elves is a good sign.

Anton rummaged through a pocket, searching for a Tanzanite stone and gave a quick glance at the cage. The Sivu no longer bared its teeth and had approached Lux. Lux was clearly terrified but began to whisper to the giant beast.

"I believe," Anton spoke louder than necessary. "That this will be sufficient to start with.”

“It will…” The Manager had completely disregarded Lux and the Twins. His eyes widened at the sight of the purple gemstone. It was the largest they had, a beautiful crystal that had no inherent value, only for its rarity.

Money is a curious thing. Zuhura and Cetina would do a better job explaining it than me.

“Please, take this as a deposit for the Sivu’s until my employer is able to gather the necessary funds. Just to show that we're serious, of course.”

The Manager inexplicably summoned another Seocurian, who scurried off with the Tanzanite gemstone to presumably check its genuineness.

"While I have your undivided attention," Anton began. "I presume that you have a few moments to spare for me?"

"Are you interested in other items in the Bestiary?” The Manager’s eyes were filled with lust for gold. “Though the Sivu’s are the largest in our collection, we have many more. I’m sure you saw the Griffons?”

“Don’t they normally live in Graterious?” Verona asked. “Costly to bring them this far?”

“Indeed.” The Manager’s eyes narrowed. “But they sometimes venture north, even to Seocuria to hunt. Surely you know this.”

Verona shrugged. “I’m not here for my knowledge.”

Anton saw the Manager’s eyes glance down to her chest, hidden by her cloak but not the curves. He looked rather pleased by what he saw but said nothing.

“I did see them.” Anton said, the Manager had already averted his eyes. “But I’m more interested in why I’ve heard the Sivu’s have been pushed to the brink of extinction.”

Anton didn’t actually care why they had, but he wanted to keep the man from noticing Lux speaking with the now docile Sivu.

“And who could honestly kill these creatures on their own.”

“Mainly creatures like this are brought to Frindal. To their capital for the summer games. Another hold-over from the era of The United Empire. Quite profitable for everyone involved. People from all over the world flock to see the blood and carnage in their vaunted coliseums.”

Don’t mention anything about the beasts and slaves that have to die for the spectacle.

“There’s some nonsense about appeasing the gods,” The Manager shrugged. “But that is more of a tradition than anything else. Justification for trade and profit. Favor from non-existent gods means little compared to the surety of gold. As, I’m sure, you can attest to.”

“Gold never goes out of style.” Anton smiled. “But it appears that you have quite a lot of holdovers from The United Empire yourselves. These cages, for one.”

“They left behind a great many things. Our language, for one.” The Manager smiled and took a short step forward. “Did you know that before their unification there were hundreds of languages? Only after the conquest of The Shadow Isles did everyone begin to unify under a single language.”

“I did not know that.” Anton lied. “But isn’t that about the same time the Beast-kin appeared?”

“You know a of some rather obscure history, especially for a Graterian.”

“As do you. Not as a Gratarian. I wouldn’t have expected a dealer of beasts to be knowledgeable about ancient history.”

Anton gave a brief glance back. Lux and the Sivu were almost locked in a trance. Sheso’s hand hovered over Lux's shoulder, ready to pull him back and away from the deadly claws.

Still needs more time. I suppose I should try and play along with this dreadful person.

“I do not spend all of my time here. And it is an interesting subject. But, yes, it was the Burning Light of Eidfell. The birth of the Beast-kin.” The Manager continued to smile. “Without Seocuria their legacy, such as it is, wouldn’t exist. I’m certain there’s a layer of irony that they don’t understand or appreciate.”

“Really?” Cetina sounded thoroughly incredulous. “You honestly believe that?”

The Manager properly looked at Cetina. “Unlike Graterious and Bebbezzar we didn’t exterminate every Beast-kin during our separation from the collapsing United Empire. If it weren’t for us, we’d need to use Human slaves. I sincerely doubt the Dark or Wood Elves would submit so easily to us.”

Cetina grunted and looked away, the Manager seemed happy with her reaction.

“Of course it’s not just that that makes Seocuria such a great nation. We were the last hold out for The United Empire before its final collapse. Their armies and fleets vanished, leaving us all to our fate.” The Manager smiled, nodding towards Lux without giving him the slightest attention. “And for them to bow their heads and serve.”

He made a mocking sneer. "Better than being extinct at your hands."

Verona subtly touched Anton’s side, her eyes flicked to Longinious. The light in the central sphere was spinning wildly.

Definitely need a way to communicate silently.

“They…” Anton had to guess what Longinious was trying to ask. “Surely they could not have all just got up and left. Returned to their homes, and sold the ships or turned to pirates?”

The Manager chuckled. “I’ve never heard that they had. Their armies were larger than what we could muster even now, their ships completely filled our harbors and could crush a Dwarven vessel just with its sheer size. One day they were simply never heard from again. So I don’t think they just disappeared or returned to their home. Doesn’t make any sense.”

“Thousands of soldiers cannot just disappear overnight. Unless… Unless they set sail into the East.” Anton saw Longinious stop fretting. “But there’s nothing out there, right?”

“A few rocks filled with bird shit and fat lazy seals.” The Manager shrugged. “The United Empire controlled most of the world, before being beaten back by the Wood Elves. And there's nothing out there.”

I wonder if Longinious’s map included underwater features? A continent sized underwater plateau a few meters down would be missed by explorers. And given her affinity for the sea... I think we're a fair way away from scuba diving.

"I'm sure the question has caused many shouting matches, and quite a few arguments in more learned circles. Danafra must have several such institutions, surely."

"I try my best to frequent them. And I will admit that I am a patron of the local university. For you see-"

As the Manager became enamored with his self congratulation Cetina tapped her sword and pointed a finger at the cage. The Sivu was almost smiling at Lux, almost, and began to slowly back away.

Finally. This farce can end.

Anton waited for the Manager to finish. Though he hadn't been paying much attention he appeared glad to simply have someone listen to him without interrupting.

"While I would love to visit I'm afraid we are on a rather tight schedule. I cannot say when we will be back for them.” Anton brushed his hand along his shirt, the hidden coins made clinking noises the Manager did not miss. “But I must have them well fed and cared for. My employer wants all of them in top shape, not half dead and rotting.”

Not that it’ll be a problem for us, if we can actually touch them without being eaten whole.

“Of course.” The Manager bowed low, Anton wondered if he could ask for a discount in the future but decided not to push the matter until they had all of the Sivu’s. “Of course. I can tell you that this amount will easily cover the costs until spring, though it is not as far away as it might appear. And if we do not have full payment before summer the Sivu’s will be sent to Frindal. Partial payments will secure some but not all."

"I understand. I don't particularly miss the snow of home." Anton saw Lux and the Twins walking back to them. The Sivu watched from its prone position, two eyes trying to burn a hole right through them. "Or the cold. But we shall return soon for all the Sivu’s. And I would be greatly disappointed to hear that one had died before its allotted time. Or sold again.”

“Rest assured that won’t happen. Our profitability relies on our reputation, which we won’t risk for a few coins.”

Anton gave another smile. “Are they all good?”

Lux glanced at the Twins. “I… Yes. Yes they are.”

“Excellent.” Anton motioned towards the exit. “We will be returning shortly with transportation. I wish you a good day.”

The Manager happily shuffled towards the exit and bade them follow. A final look back revealed the Sivu staring intently at them, what emotion the giant lizard creature had he did not know.

No one spoke a word until they had cleared the building and had returned to the Dark Elf guards. They were quite relieved to see everyone alive.

I wonder what they would do? Green Moon aren’t exactly the most popular of the clans.

Verona sighed as she leant against the cart, planting a hand on her hip and pouting softly. “Shame we’re not strong enough just to charge in and kill people like them. Would make everything so much easier.”

“One day. One day.” Anton ushered everyone into the cart. “Time to pick up the Arachnids and head home. At least Ulyaa won’t be stressing herself now.”

“She does produce quite a bit of silk.” Cetina mused.

“What was it like?” Anton asked Lux. His head twitched towards him, almost stumbling. “Talking with the Sivu?”

“The mark on my back was really warm.” Lux took his seat. “But it didn’t speak. I spoke to it and… It felt more like a feeling that it was talking back to me.”

“Anything good?” Verona asked as she boarded the cart.

“He was very angry at the Manager. Its eggs were broken and forced another to eat it. It… He doesn’t understand why it was done. And it makes him very angry. There was a lot of other bad stuff, stuff that it didn’t want to say. Didn’t want to remember that it even happened but can't forget it. Can’t forget.” Lux cleared his throat. “It didn’t actually talk to me, just a feeling that’s what it said to me, when it growled and licked its lips.”

Anton scoffed as the cart began to move. “Piss poor attempts at training, that’s what that is. Fear and terror instead of respect and understanding. Unsurprising for this place. But so long as it understands that we’re on the same side, along with the rest of them, then it’s fine. Once they see how much better off they'll be they'll be jumping with joy."

“Oh yes.” Lux smiled, his ears pushed his hood up. “I think he understood. But he didn’t trust a lot of what I had to say. He did think a Beast-kin working with Humans and Seocurians was strange.”

“Our Chirok’s are friendly and know it's a safe place to raise their pups. And Luna likes it too, though Shawn and Jocelyn have been looking after her so much she's essentially theirs. At least I haven’t been able to see much of her. So this will be nothing new. Well, their jaws are bigger than a Chirok’s so it’s a little more frightening. Snap a soldier clean in two.”

“Do you intend to ride them into battle?” Cetina raised the brow above her eyepatch. “I will admit that no horse would dare ride against them.”

“Now that would be a sight. Covered in shining armor, a dozen soldiers on the top. I can see it already.” Anton gave her arm a squeeze. “For now they’ll have to deal with increased rations and maybe some dental work."

"Thank you, Anton, for asking about the landmass to the East." Longinious said. "It is extremely frustrating that it appears I may be mistaken about the map. Not even an enthusiast like him knows anything about it. For such a landmass to go unnoticed by all seafaring races and civilisations is simply odd."

She sighed, the crackling in her voice louder than normal. "I refuse to believe that I was misled. There must be a reason…"

“Too expensive?” Cetina offered. She frowned, realizing she was talking to a spear. “Setting up new settlements is a very costly endeavor. Atr… Home is the same. Except we have vast fortunes to buy what we cannot easily make ourselves.”

Longinious scoffed. “The Age of Imperialism proved that Empires will invest unconscionable amounts of money into projects that may never return the investment. For prestige or simply to deny a foe. Considering the wealth of the United Empire at its zenith I doubt they wouldn’t have tried. And if it failed there would certainly be records at the very least. A nascent power to belittle them.”

“I suppose there might be some merit to that…” Cetina frowned at Verona. “That Sovereign Palace you’re making the Dwarves-”

"Maybe there's that Tethra magic covering it." Verona offered, pointedly ignoring Cetina. "You left that stone here that stopped everyone looking at it."

Anton threw Cetina an apologetic look. "True. No one's found it yet. But for a whole continent?"

Verona shrugged. "I'm just throwing out ideas here, that's all."

Longinious clicked her tongue. "It is extremely frustrating to think there are no more hidden sites. No more capability for increasing my knowledge or strength. Extremely frustrating… Perhaps, perhaps Wilford will know more? He may very well have some pirate connections, knowledge of routes and coves that are hidden from the world at large."

Cetina nodded. "Leran and Cagec certainly will know more." She smiled at the Twins. "Being former pirates themselves."

"How quick you are to turn to pirates for help." Calo chuckled. "And presume that we are pirates."

"Aren't you?"

"Well… Yes. Our Clan was." Calo stretched out her legs. "Emphasis on was."

Anton clapped his hands. "All good thoughts. Lux, thank you for your help. We just need to swing by one more place before we get you to your mother.”

Lux let out a single awkward laugh as the cart began to rattle away. “Thank you, Uncle Anton. Is… Fliodher didn’t mention that you all would be like this.”

“You’ll get used to us.” Verona playfully tapped him in the arm, Lux was baffled by the act. “Plenty quick you won't even recognise your old self.”

Lux quickly smiled. "I hope so."

Anton smiled as Lux settled in deeper into the cart. “Now, let's actually go get those poor bloody Arachnids. Can’t keep them or Ulyaa waiting, now can we? I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to see so many.”

—[]---

Qinos continued to stare at the table, at the pile of gold and silver mounded in the center. The wealth lying before him was more than most people would see in their lifetimes, yet it was making him incredibly uneasy. By simply how easy it was to get.

Anton, the strange Graterian Man, was delighted to hear they managed to scrounge up was more than he expected and had paid extra in response. He seemed happier to know they were both male and female Arachnids, nor was he concerned about the poor condition of many.

“Does that mean he’s trying to breed them?”

Qinos rubbed his weathered face with both hands. Tiny flakes of dried skin fell off and onto his hands. He hadn’t suffered this affliction for some time, only when he’d accepted their house was destined to fall.

“I must find that cream…” Qinos’s eyes failed to leave the gold, nor did his body even attempt to rise. “What choice do we have?”

A faint knocking stopped his musings. Alal, their only Beast-kin servant, shouted as he ran to get the door. In the corridor Qinos caught the back of Lethu hurrying after him. He mentally sighed, knowing full well that their love was only going to end in tragedy.

Maybe with all this I can get them a small home out of the way. Somewhere near the center of Seocuria where no one will bother them. It won’t be much, but they can’t have a Half-Breed in Danafra. Not again.

A laughter, from a deep and forgotten place, echoed in his head. The Manager was one of the most powerful men in Seocuria, a man that had seemingly lost his mind after he’d lost the chance to have a Half-Breed give him a Quarter-Breed, the next stage in degeneracy, then just as miraculously returned to sanity.

“I wonder if you even heard me say it was pointless…”

“Qinos?!” Gwili’s voice echoed down the hall. “Are you in?”

Of course I’m here. These old joints can barely move most mornings.

“In the sun room.” Qinos dared not shout back, not unless he wanted his voice to break for the rest of the season. “Trying to get some heat into me.”

Gwili carried a large bag with him, along with a faint smile on his face. When he saw the small pile of gold it faded.

“Is that from them?” Gwili placed the bag on a spare chair. By the sound it was rather heavy.

“Of course.” Qinos cleared his throat. “They were very happy… And what have you found?”

“I bought fish for lunch.” Gwili did not smile as he produced several large fish from the bag. Already gutted, they would be easy to prepare even for a pregnant Lethu. “While I was waiting. Didn't want to just be standing there. People were already looking at me strangely.”

“And?”

He glanced at Lethu and Alal, both waiting in the doorway. Gwili’s shoulders dropped when he saw Lethu rest a hand on her burgeoning stomach. While the bump was small it was noticeable and growing fast.

At least he’s worried about them too.

“They’re gone. The Arachnids are all gone.”

“We knew they wanted-”

“No!” Gwili did not shout but was only a notch below. “No, father, they’re just gone. None came out, I saw them all go in, and they’re just gone!”

Qinos frowned as he lent back into his chair. It was extremely comfortable, sometimes he just slept there the whole day, but he had no time for sleep.

“You’re only one person." Qinos dismissively waved his hand. "Perhaps they took them out the back.”

Gwili put the fish back into the bag. “I checked. I kept walking around the moment they shut the doors. And they’re all gone. No blood, no dead Arachnids. Maybe they could have left without me spotting them but not over two hundred Arachnids. Nothing… I just don’t understand.”

Qinos fell back into his chair. The warehouse that housed the Arachnids was quite large, more than large enough for a few to slip out unnoticed if only Gwili was watching. It did not, however, explain what happened to all of them.

"It is none of our concern." Qinos sighed. "Not anymore. We have received payment, far more than we expected, so that's the end of it."

"Are they going to be hurt?" Alal asked. Despite being a Shark Beast-kin, with large serrated teeth that constantly threatened to push out of his lips he was exceptionally gentle and kind. Perhaps that was enough for Lethu to fall in love. Perhaps the young girl had an alure to the forbidden and dangerous.

"I don't think so." Qinos tapped his knee. "No. I'm certain they'll be fine. There are cheaper alternatives should they want to do something like that."

"I knew an Arachnid." Lethu spoke wistfully. "A very nice man…"

"Lethu, Alal? Can you please take these to the kitchen and prepare them please? We shouldn't waste good food."

The two gave a nod and lifted the heavy bag. Alal took it from Lethu, nodding to her stomach, though the pregnant girl still offered to help.

"Father. Is it strange that I don't want anything to happen to them?"

"Of course not." Qinos smiled and shuffled forward. "It means that everything I've been trying to teach you hasn't been a total waste."

"Not everything. Some of it has to have worked it's way in there. So… What are we going to do with all that?" Gwili pointed to the pile of silver and gold.

"Spend it, of course." Qinos shuffled forward until he was just on the very edge of his seat. "What else do you do with it?"

"Invest?"

"Invest in this damned house, for once." Qinos pointed to the roof, sagging slightly and speckled with the stains of mold. "Get it fixed and looking like it damned well should do. And more. Before all that mess…"

Gwili took his seat.

"Doesn't matter. Can't bring back those families, we're just lucky to be alive. Now, I'm also thinking of buying some plantations out west. Hardy crops…"

The thought of purchasing a plantation, filled with its Beast-kin slaves, brought back the tiniest vision of Anton sitting across the table. While he professed to understand the plight of the Beast-kin, and their families fight for their better treatment, there was something more to it. Not hostility to him or his house, but something.

"Hardy crops." Qinos cleared his throat. "But we won't be mistreating the Beast-kin there. Far from it. They'll be well fed and looked after. They'll end up being more productive than ever before, even when they're working less."

"It's not exactly what I thought you meant when you showed us those things."

Qinos lent forward. "I showed you those things so you understand what is happening." He fell silent, only the noise of fish being gutted. "And what will happen to us if we don't do something to fix it."

"I understand."

"Do you?" Gwili straightened his back. "Well, let's hope you do. Now get me some paper and prepare to write some letters for me. We're going to put House Alal at the head of the Seocurian Empire."

"With just some letters?"

Qinos wished for the strength of his youth, so he could give his son a quick slap around the back of his head.

"Not today, and probably not in my lifetime, but one day. Now, enough chat, could you get those papers for me? We have a lot of work before lunch."