I awoke to the sound of shouting. Straightening up in bed, I glanced around in confusion, thoroughly disoriented. The storm was still going strong, violently slamming against the window shutters that were sealed shut. Another shout sounded from down the hall along with a shout for help. My brow furrowed as I seemed to recognize some of the voices. Cursing, I jumped out of bed and opened the door. Seeing a small influx of people rushing down the hall, I followed them hurriedly. I couldn’t even sleep in peace.

Pushing past the small crowd of people, I saw the innkeeper and two other men working overtime to barricade the window that seemed to have been burst through. Hearing more shouts all around, I realized it wasn’t the only room that had its windows broken down. Shards of glass and wood were all over the floor, everything was soaked by the rain. Small puddles gathered on the floor while Thalia remained squeezed into a corner on the bed, remaining under her blankets. Distress was clear on her face as she gaped in shock at the mess that her room had turned into.

“Atko!” I heard a call and finally noticed Clary was in the other bed, in the same position. The pools gathered on the ground as three grown men struggled to press the wardrobe door against the hole in the wall. Seeing what they were trying to do, I sighed and walked over, “Move!” I shouted at one of the humans. Listening to me, he moved to the side as I stepped forward and pressed against the makeshift barricade with all my strength. The edges finally connected to the wall, allowing the innkeeper and the others to nail it shut.

A loud bang of thunder sounded just outside, startling most of the people in the guild. Looking concerned the innkeeper cursed and shouted, “Maverick! How’s it going in the other rooms?!” Hearing a shout from upstairs, I rubbed my face in frustration. This storm was worse than I had imagined. Just a moment ago, I got a glimpse outside. Needless to say it was an intimidating sight. The streets were totally flooded, carts and other things thrown about like feathers. A house on the opposite side was even missing a good part of its roof. It was pitch black despite it being morning. This was my first time encountering a storm of this degree. Though I had passed through a couple of them during my travels, they were nowhere near this horrifying.

The people withdrew from the room, leaving to help the others who had their rooms wrecked by the storm. Glancing at the two girls, I sighed, “Well, good morning I suppose.” Thalia seemed to glare at me as if this was my fault, making me snort and head out, “Thanks for the help Atko.” Clary said with a stressed smile. Waving my hand, I left them to their awaiting clean up. Walking back to my room, I opened the cupboard and saw Monty’s things inside a box.

Grabbing it, I tossed it on the bed and sat down. Digging around it, I took out his things one by one. They were nothing special, a dagger, a flask and some clothes. Frowning at the lack of usefulness, I was about to head to the tavern when I realized something. Taking out the overcoat in the box, I rummaged through its pockets and found a piece of paper stuffed into the inner one. Opening it up, I scanned the contents of it. It was from Xavil, instructing to take his team into the forest where the agreed upon ambush would take place. It mentioned with some severity that the elf named Thalia must be with them. Seeing Monty was supposed to burn this letter as soon as he read it let me know how much of a joker he was. Can’t even follow instructions.

Taking this little piece of evidence, I stretched and went downstairs. Heading to the bathhouse, I took the soaked clothes from yesterday that had dried enough not to drip anymore and took them upstairs to hang on the small string attached to the right side of the wall. Having handled my things, I felt like heading down to the tavern. I was in no rush to interrogate those meatbags, let them stew a bit longer in the cold basement.

Grabbing a seat at the bar, I saw there was still no sign of the innkeeper. They were probably still busy cleaning up and repairing the damages from the storm. Leaning over the counter, I grabbed the first bottle that came under my hand. Seeing Thalia and Clary were finally downstairs, I narrowed my eyes at the red haired elf and went to join them. They were both dressed in simple clothes, wearing light tunics and leather pants. Deep bags were under the elf’s eyes, showing she barely slept last night. Clary on the other hand seemed to be in good spirits despite the fact they had a very unpleasant awakening.

Not asking for permission, I took a seat opposite Thalia and remained quiet as I uncorked my surprise bottle. Sniffing the opening, I was surprised to find it smelled awfully like rum. Ignoring the glare I was getting, I took a curious swig and found it was indeed rum. Not bad. Setting my bottle on the table, I began a stare off with Thalia. Clary was awkwardly sitting on the side, glancing at us with a dry expression, “Seriously you two, will you stop with the tensions already. It’s enough that the storm is still going strong, no need to make this so difficult.” She muttered in exasperation, some annoyance clear in her eyes.

Thalia snorted and looked away from me, “You tell him to get lost, lest I lose my appetite along with my sleep.” she said with clear loathing, refusing to speak directly to me. Finding her childish behavior amusing, I chuckled and took another sip. I kept my silence, simply staring and waiting for her to break. Seeing her eyes dart around all over the tavern, looking anywhere but at me, I could sense her knee was jumping up and down. After a minute, she also started to tap her fingernails on the table. She was getting more flustered by the second while I sat there in silence and drank my rum. Just as Gorin returned and brought them each a bowl of warm oatmeal, Thalia stood up furiously and slammed her palms on the table.

Glaring at me with clear aggravation, she ground her teeth, “What the hell do you want?!” She shouted, gaining the attention of the whole tavern and startling Groin who made himself scarce. Chuckling, I put my half-full bottle on the table and leaned forward on my elbows. Grinning at her with slight jeering, I clicked my tongue in mock disapproval, “Calm down cupcake, you’re making a scene.”

Noticing her behavior, her cheeks blushed slightly in shame as she sat down while whispering apologies to the other patrons. Lifting a brow, I snorted, “Good, now we can chat.” I said calmly and gestured at her breakfast, “Go ahead.” She seemed to be confused at my behavior, but my tactics were properly chipping away at her guard. As long as I kept her riled up and confused, she’d slip up eventually. Clary suddenly hissed at me furiously, “Will you stop fucking with her! Seriously! What the hell is your problem!?” I was stunned at her outburst, gaping at her with bewilderment.

I knew that even though we fucked on occasion, Clary was Thalia’s friend first and foremost. Noting her stance on the matter, I grinned at her, “I have no clue what you’re on about. She’s the one getting prissy over nothing. I’m just here to talk.” Glancing at Thalia who was eating her oatmeal, I smirked, “Wasn’t that what you wanted? Different ways to handle conflict? Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure we’ve been having one since yesterday. Just give me some answers and I’ll leave you alone.” I stated simply, carefully observing her behavior.

Her eye seemed to twitch as I used her own words against her. With lips pressed into a firm line, she let go of her spoon and glared at me, “Fine! But I want answers as well! No lies!” Smiling, I crossed my heart with a finger in a teasing manner, “Alright, we each get a turn to ask one question, step out of line and it’s over.” I sated with a shrug, “I’ll go first.”

She seemed to want to object but stopped herself and nodded instead. Looking at her carefully, I ignored Clary who stood to leave in her hissy fit, taking her oatmeal to a different table. Narrowing my eyes at Thalia, I enjoyed watching her squirm, “What do you know about the Damned and the Virtuous?” I asked simply. Seeing I was getting to the heart of the matter immediately, she glanced away and cleared her throat, “I know they are reincarnated from other worlds, supposedly chosen based on how they lived and need to have strong, lasting sentiments. If I understand correctly, the Damned are bearers of negative principles and emotions, like hate and rage. The Virtuous are the opposite, bearing positive intent. I don’t really know much else, only that we have the potential to change the world and can sense one another like we did.”

That was indeed interesting. Change the world though? What a joke, why bother?

Furrowing her brow, she gave a long sigh, “Your turn. What do you know?” she asked with a slightly sly gleam in her eye. Amused, I grinned at her, “Absolutely nothing.” Her eyes widened, the scowl on her face turning into full blown anger, “We agreed no lies!” She hissed from between gritted teeth. I shrugged, “I’m not lying to you cupcake. I don’t know how your passing went, but I was too fucked up to remember much of the encounter. Anyways, your turn again. Am I the first one of the Damned or the Virtuous that you’ve met?”

I eyed her with some suspicion this time, paying close attention to the changes in her breathing and heartrate. She snorted, “No. Your turn. What is your connection with my uncle exactly?” Keeping her gaze tightly locked on me, I leaned back with a small smile, “I owe him some favors since he helped me out.” I answered vaguely but truthfully before going to my next question, “What happened to you in that void?”

Seemingly startled by my question, she bit her lip nervously, “I don’t really know. It was warm and I remember feeling safe. Something, I don’t know what, spoke very strangely, saying how I will live again and get another chance to do good. But it kept reminding me never to forsake who I was, that there would be consequences.” She shook her head with a deep frown, “I don’t really understand it.”

We were silent for a while as I watched her get sucked into her own thoughts. She seemed to want to ask the same question but refrained, afraid I’d once again pull one from under her, “You said my uncle sent you, tell me what he said, word for word.” Her eyes sharpened suddenly, the question catching me off guard. However, I grinned, “That’s strike one. No demands, only questions.” She seemed to realize the error of her wording a step too late as I continued, “Are you Evergreen’s weakness?” I asked with a whisper.

Her face paled as she noticed the glint in my eyes. She was silent for a second, contemplating on what to say, “I don’t know.” she finally answered with a complex look on her face. I could tell she wasn’t lying which showed me exactly how she thought of that uncle of hers. I tapped my finger with interest. He clearly didn’t want her dead and considered her important enough to spend a favor. So why did she doubt him? What kind of a man was he underneath all those masks?

I noticed she was staring at me with expectation. Furrowing my brow, I cleared my throat and snapped out of it, “I wasn’t listening.” I said, knowing she must have asked a question. Annoyed, she repeated it, “What did my uncle tell you when he sent you to save me?” She asked properly this time, making it clear she wasn’t dropping the topic. I grumbled, “He said to save you and to investigate who is responsible for the whole thing.” I omitted telling her about the protection part, not wanting to give her a leverage to abuse. She was really naive if she thought I’d tell her the full truths.

Seeing she couldn’t tell a part of the message was missing, I tilted my head, “How would you describe Evergreen?” She scowled and grunted, “Why the hell are you asking so many questions about him?!” As she exclaimed in clear irritation, I shook my finger at her and clicked my tongue, “That’s strike two cupcake, never answer a question with another question. One more mistake and we’re done.” She glared at me hatefully, making me chuckle as I waited for my answer, “He’s conniving, controlling and would stop at nothing to get what he wants. The man always has a scheme upon a scheme. It would be stupid to involve yourself into his business.”

She was looking at me strangely. I already knew her next question was going to be something utterly useless, “Would you kill me if you didn’t have a deal with my uncle?” I rolled my eyes, my intuition confirmed as I answered without a doubt, “Not if you don’t give me a reason to. Though, if you continue to preach and annoy me further, I just might.” Her eyes widened as clear confusion flashed on her face. Hah, it would appear it was not the answer she was expecting.

Since I didn’t really give a shit if she was from Earth or some other hellhole, I continued to probe on Evergreen, “What is Evergreen’s goal?” I asked after some deliberation, taking a swig of my remaining rum. Sighing, she shook her head, “I don’t really know but, knowing him, he most likely wants to take over the entirety of Terra Silva. His last few warnings have given me enough hints to know that much.” Feeling disappointed at the lack of information, I felt like it was about time to finish this little charade of ours.

Taking a deep breath, she asked what would be her last question, “What kind of world are you from? Why are you like this?” She asked two questions in succession, thus, breaking the rules and ending our little chat. Lifting my hands up with a grin, feeling glad at her fuck up, I stood up, “Game over cupcake, you didn’t follow the rules. I’ll see you around.” Walking away, I headed to the doors leading to the holding cells. Hearing her frustrated squeal, I ignored her curses and cracked my neck. It was high time to get this interrogation over with.

Stopping in front of the cell, I saw the trio was in horrible shape. The whole basement was overflowing with water. The flood had somehow gotten in and reached my ankles. My prisoners were sitting in the rainwater, shivering like little snowflakes. Monty wouldn’t stop coughing and the woman was in a daze, staring blankly into empty air. Xavil, on the other hand, was in the worst shape. Despite having him healed yesterday, I saw he was unable to even sit up. Instead, he was lying there in the shallow pool of water, deathly pale.

Cursing, I unlocked the doors and pulled him up. Hearing his heartbeat was bit too slow for comfort, I shouted for the healer. Holding the dying man by the collar, I saw the healer come down in a rush not long after. He was most likely on standby at all times, at least during the storm. He glared at me as if conveying an ‘I told you so’ and began helping the ragdoll of a man. Putting some herbs in his mouth, I helped him out and shut Xavil’s nose and mouth, making him reflexively swallow.

Seeing my prisoner got better after a couple of minutes of hardcore healing, I grinned at the healer in thanks. Crossing his arms, he narrowed his eyes in accusation, “Maybe it would be best if I stayed with you during the interrogation. If your treatment of them so far is evidence enough, I believe they might die before you get anything useful out of them.” Snorting, I took Xavil out of the cell, holding him a bit of a distance from me so he doesn’t drip on me, “I don’t recall asking for your opinion. You’re welcome to stay if you have the stomach for it, a healer might come in handy if I have to resort to torture.” I said thoughtfully, glancing at him in time to see him visibly blanch.

Chuckling, I took Xavil to the office of the holding cells. It was a small room, containing a desk and chair with a couple of papers and books on the shelves. Though, no one was here now considering the flood. Kicking the desk away carefully, I made space and grabbed the chair. Setting Xavil on it, I saw the man was still unconscious. Grabbing him by the cheeks roughly, I shook him awake, “Rise and shine, you’ve got information to give.”

With a startled gasp, the man woke up. His eyes darted around in clear panic as a violent cough made him buckle and twist. Letting him go, I glanced at the healer who was standing in the corner, avoiding to even look at the scene, “Didn’t you fix him?” He scowled in disbelief, “I’m a healer, not a miracle worker. The man is sick, there is no magic that can cure diseases. Only an alchemical concoction can help him.” Glancing between him and my prisoner, I shrugged, “Well, I suppose he’ll live long enough to tell me what I want to know. Right, Xavil?” I grinned down at him. The man finally got out of his cough, glaring at me defiantly, “Screw you!” he hissed weakly. Though I commend his effort at coming off as assured, he couldn’t hide the pure terror he felt. I had put him through hell and back.

To show I wasn’t fucking around, I gave him a nice slap. Careful not to break his neck and jaw, I saw his head snap to the side. Since his limbs still weren’t working properly, he slipped off the chair. Crouching down, I stared at him indifferently, “Are you working for the Earl of Harlheim?” I asked coldly. Seeing he was keeping his silence a bit too long, I grabbed the back of his head and put his face against the flooded floor. Gurgling like a madman, he jerked around. Not daring to keep him under for too long, I pulled him up, “Are you working for the Earl of Harlheim?” I asked again.

He coughed violently again, this time from the filthy water that entered his mouth, “Y-yes!” he stuttered in-between coughs. Nodding, I let go of his head and set him back on the chair as a reward, “Good. What does he want with so many slaves?” He glared at me, before spitting out, “To sell them! They are worth a lot of money and he needs it.” Lifting a brow, I noted his loyalties were clearly only to himself. Leaning forward, I grinned viciously, “Tell me everything you know and I’ll let you go.” I lied, keeping my threatening poise. He gave a dry laugh, “As if I believe you!”

Grinning down at him, I grabbed him by the neck, “I don’t really care what you believe but, rest assured, I will make you wish for death if you don’t start answering my questions.” His eyes widened in terror, fully aware I would deliver on that promise. Quivering, the man winced at the pain lacing his neck, “Alright, alright! The Earl recruited me a year ago, promising wealth and status once he takes over the entirety of Harlheim. He wants to usurp the Council. Though he tried keeping it a secret, he was too conceited and slipped up. I have no doubt, he wants to make his own little kingdom. He’s been gathering resources for years using black markets and criminal organizations. All those nobles don’t know it yet, but he plans to have them all butchered so he can take over everything in his territory. The slave trade were the last resources needed to wipe out Evergreen’s influence from Harlheim. He already has a small army ready to destroy the Warmongers in this area, all the guards are on his payroll and he already has most nobles under his thumb. That’s all I know! I swear!”

The man sang like a canary, not even slightly caring about the severity of the information he was giving out. Grinning in satisfaction, I glanced at my witness. The healer was gaping in clear shock, his previous doubts wiped away. Letting go of Xavil for now, I looked down at him, “And what about Thalia? What was the plan?”

Sudden nervousness flashed in his eyes, mixing with the already existing fear, “I- If I say anything, Evergreen is going to tear me limb from limb!” I was surprised he currently feared him more than me. Having to rectify that, I directly tore off three fingers. Xavil screamed in pain, holding his arm tight to his chest. With gritted teeth, he tossed himself off the chair and began crawling away. Lifting a brow, I stomped on his already fractured leg, breaking it again, “Talk or I’ll continue. Evergreen is the least of your worries right now.”

Tears seemed to find their way into his eyes as I noticed a sudden resignation in them. He slurred with nonsense, “I... can’t... soul...” Before I could react, the man’s jaw locked, biting off his tongue. Cursing, I opened his bleeding mouth forcefully but it was too late, a small piece of meat fell out limply. Shouting at the healer, I couldn’t do anything to prevent the massive blood loss. Though, the healer was already fast at work, it was over. Xavil was already in horrible shape from previous wounds and the disease. He was dead.

Cursing, I tossed the now useless corpse into a corner very much to the horror of the healer. Tossing his hands in the air, the man left, not wanting to take part anymore. Glaring after him, I felt a small magical pulse in my pocket. Frowning, I ruffled around and took out Xavil’s spatial ring. Probing it with my mana, I saw surprised to find it unlocked. Looking inside, I had to take a sharp breath at the ridiculous amount of gold inside. There was at least 600 gold in there and I wasn’t counting the crystalline coins. There was also a few precious gems and jewels along with a letter. Taking it out, I read it in silence.

Fox,

I received news Evergreen’s niece was in town. Notify the others and prepare for immediate action. Make sure she’s in the team with your nephew and handle it accordingly. I want her by the end of the month! After that, prepare for the takeover, Evergreen will be unable to act once we have the girl. Make sure the others are at the ready for it, I don’t want any slip ups.

If push comes to shove, kill her.

King.

I scowled at the piece of paper. The message was short but clear, the ridiculous nicknames making it clear the Earl was the one who sent it. Calling himself a king, what a joke. But sudden realization hit me. This letter spoke of others. Could it be that Monty and Xavil weren’t the only plants? Paling in understanding, I reread the letter. The last sentence made me curse as I madly dashed out of the cell block. Heads turned my way as I burst through the doors, leaving wet, bloodied footprints while I glanced around the tavern, looking for Thalia. She wasn’t here.

Not a moment too soon, a sudden feeling of pure dread settled in my chest. As if the scythe of death loomed over my head, the warning bells of my deal went off. Faster than even I thought was possible, I rushed upstairs. Without hesitation, I burst through the door just as a dagger fell on the figure sleeping in Thalia’s bed. For the first time feeling pure and utter panic, I tackled the masked figure before the dagger could fully pierce the sleeping woman’s chest. The force threw us against the boarded up window, making it splinter as we both toppled out into the hectic storm outside.

Grunting from the force of the fall, I hissed when a sharp pain flashed in my abdomen. Barely able to stand up from the fierce wind, I saw no trace of the man. I pulled out the dagger that had deeply lodged itself into my gut, gritting my teeth as I looked for the culprit. The flood reached my knees, the level of it constantly rising and falling in the turmoil. Squinting my eyes, I saw something was floating in the pitch black waters. A sudden flash of lightning nearly blinded me as I winced. Sensing some foreign mana creep its way around my feet, I cursed in bewilderment.

Feeling a sharp pull before I had gathered enough mana to counter it, I lost my balance as I was pulled into the flood. The strong current pulled me along as I managed to finally cut of the mana flow keeping me down. A figure jumped out from my blind spot, another dagger in hand as it attacked with deadly precision, aiming for my throat. Sweeping out reflexively with my tail, the culprit was sliced in half. I tried to catch his top part but it was washed away too quickly.

Seeing the water level suddenly rose above my waist, I knew I needed to get inside. Seeing a few people shouting at me from the window in the distance, I trudged through the water with all my might. Another lightning bolt blinded me, hitting dangerously close to my location but luckily, didn’t get into contact with the water, striking the house instead.

Finally reaching the guild again, I knew they wouldn’t open the door. Digging my claws into the bricks, I gritted my teeth and climbed up to the first floor. Crawling back in through the window, the members of the guild were ready with the second wardrobe door. Sealing it shut, I couldn’t help but lie there for the moment. I was ridiculously close to losing my life because I assumed that Xavil and Monty were the only ones. I was clearly mistaken.

Sitting up, I nodded at the guild mates asking if I was okay and about what happened. Sighing, I glanced at Thalia and frowned, she was still asleep. Ignoring their questions, I saw Clary in the other bed, sleeping as well. Grabbing her shoulders, I shook her, “Wake up!” I shouted but got no response. They were thoroughly asleep. Glancing at the guild members, I couldn’t help but feel a spike of paranoia. Hissing at them, I jumped to my feet and glared threateningly, “All of you, get out!”

Stunned by my outburst, they gave me angry looks before leaving. They could probably tell is wasn’t a good idea to fuck with me right now. I saw the door on the side, it was torn it off its hinges. Sighing, I slumped to the floor, my back against the wall while a puddle formed under me. I couldn’t care less about being wet right now. I needed to find the others while making sure Thalia doesn’t die like a moron. This little assassination attempt made me realize I was too careless. The close brush with death infuriated me beyond belief.

Glaring hatefully at the barred window, I cursed the storm with a whole new level of fervor, a menacing bloodlust gradually forming in my gut.