Lescar

Stepping out into the midday, now approaching noon, Lescar moved towards her first destination, Taldur having already stated where he wanted to go first.

Hopping, almost skipping along, Lescar was practically beaming, a rapturous buzzing high still filling her chest that had been there ever since she came back from the adventurers guild.

And that high had not yet to come down.

Lescar was feeling great, the past few days had been frightful, painful and almost fatal, but right now she was feeling absolutely terrific.

She had escaped from the sewers, was clean, was well fed, felt stronger than ever, had acquired a large wealth of income, and... had spat figuratively in Joel's face.

Things were looking pretty bright.

Lescar did not usually hold grudges, but when people tried to have her killed just so they had a better chance at running from something they might not even escape, she could not let them off easily.

Lescar smiled to herself as she remembered the look of rage and fear on Joel's face, she did not entirely understand why Joel would fear her speaking out so much, but she had still relished it all the same.

Although two of her treacherous past companions still went on unscathed...

Lescar walked on for a bit down the busy street, being careful to avoid direct contact with any rag wearing people with shifty eyes or anyone well dressed who seemed too at ease.

Anyone with such expressions was quite possibly an inexperienced thief or a veteran and would try to fleece Lescar as she passed them by.

Lescar being a thief herself, knew the subtle cues and body language most newbie thieves expressed and could easily avoid them before they became an issue.

Even on the guarded main streets of Octaal, crime was still pretty common, many desperate individuals trying to strike it big and get lucky.

A novice decision.

Lescar knew that if you lingered in the main street to much, eventually you would be caught and getting caught was a death sentance.

Justice, when it was dished out, was often harsh.

Too bad Justice was not usually carried out on the people who really deserved it.

Lescar's smile wilted somewhat as she remembered the other two nobles that had played a part in her near demise, deftly weaving through the crowded streets with one hand on her coin pouch as she went.

Neither Tiaahn or Sereth had been punished for what they did, Lescar in particular feeling ill will towards the more arrogant and stiff-necked of the two.

Lescar still trembled with anger when she thought about any of the three noble's that had left her for dead, but restrained herself under Taldur's orders to not antagonize any of them.

Not even that ass Sereth.

Vibrant plumage ruffling the large insect had promised her in a straight statement just before she had blackmailed Joel that, 'their time will come, little girl, be patient and wait, the best hunters are never hasty.'

Lescar had heard this and begrudgingly agreed, she knew that Taldur was right, at the moment she could do almost nothing to them directly, the three of her adversaries were protected both by law, as corrupt as it was, and a large number of servants and hired muscle.

Taking on the three of them would have been suicide.

So, Lescar would wait, she had enough trust in Taldur to believe him, as he had kept his word so far and had proven to be more than just a monster.

He had proven reliable and... surprisingly, even protective of her, that was why she had given him that name...

Lescar's subtle frown turned upside down as she lightly touched Taldur's still body, it securely hanging around her neck.

The mysterious insect had not stirred or said a word since they had left the guild housing, outside of instructing Lescar of the places they should visit, otherwise remaining silent and still, yellow eyes impassively staring as he hid in the darkness of Lescar's drawn over hood.

This did not bother Lescar, she had noticed him doing this often, it was typical behavior for the cockroach, and she had been reprimanded for interrupting him in the past.

Anything other than an emergency or something of great importance would meet with the cockroach's intense disapproval before the interrupter of his in-depth thinking would receive a light smack to the head with a whip-like feeler.

Lescar had already seen it happen a few times to Roulette... and only Roulette, neither Dewey or Dwayne being foolish enough to bother Taldur when he did that.

Lescar wondered what the enigmatic bug was thinking of now?

Was he cooking up plans to dominate the local city block? creating schemes to put a clinch hold on the nobles? formulating goals to further his dark agendas?

Lescar did not have much knowledge of exactly what the large bug had planned, the information he had deigned to share being relatively cryptic or very simple, the insect insisting that he would share more details when it became relevant.

But he had made it pretty clear that he wasn't satisfied with the humble swath of the sewers he had laid claim to, he wanted more.

And Lescar would be joining him for that crusade.

Lescar thought about what she now knew was a meaningful contract, in a way Lescar had sold her soul for power, despite it just being a blurry dream, the deal that she could barely remember in that vague reality, was binding.

Her soul for power, was that what she had really traded away in that indistinct dream?

Lescar could barely hold an image of that place in her head, it hurt to think about it, developing a stubborn headache if she tried too hard to recall it or remember what exactly Taldur looked like there.

The best she could summon to her mind was a mash of protruding arms legs and feelers that joined together in an unseen amorphous body in a moving mass of aberrations that radiated a sense of apprehension and silent terror.

'Was that his true form?' Lescar did not know.

The only thing she clearly remembered was the deal she had made, the rest was blurry.

A deal that took everything, but also gave in equal amounts.

The Devil bug had promised that she would become a queen and something about that just felt appealing.

Lescar could practically see herself wielding a scepter and raising it overhead as cheering crowds shouted her name, Joel, Sereth and Tiaahn all bound before her, their heads being forced to bow down as 'her' guards physically compelled them to, yes... something about it really took her fancy.

Lescar shook her head, the smile that had been growing on her face, disappearing as she reasserted control of her fantasies.

She had not done it for power alone...

There was a small chance her brother could still be alive and Lescar would not give up until she made certain of her brother's demise.

Taking a deep breath at the thought, Lescar walked forward, taking long strides, moving through the crowds of the main streets with easy familiarity, passing over the bumpy cobble street with practiced steps and a confidant sway.

She had lived in this sprawling city for practically her entire life and was comfortable with the noise and hustle, unlike the person following close behind her.

Or rather, the rat, that was following behind her.

"Sis' this place is so loud and full of stinky smells," Roulette said anxiously eyeing up the surrounding people warily, "I don't like it, it hurts my ears and my nose."

Lescar furrowed her brows slightly at Roulette's statement, she found it Ironic that Roulette would even say something like that, while the city definitely wasn't the best smelling place, it certainly smelt better than the sewers, although the glade and forest that Taldur called home did not smell that bad compared to the rest of the sewers.

Blinking and flicking her gaze back at a nervously chittering Roulette, Lescar observed the rat tiptoe daintily behind her, giving Roulette a scathing and short answer.

"Well don't breathe in through your nose then," Lescar said aloud with her real voice, ignoring the couple of glances that were shot her way by curious passers-by.

Lescar did actually like the white rat who considered Lescar to be her big sister, but at the same time Roulette was really annoying.

She would not stop asking questions, often random ones that made no sense, she would constantly point at things and ask what they were or what they were called, and she had a penchant for accidentally making insulting throwaway comments.

At first, Taldur had answered each question the rat had, but eventually, it looked like Taldur had gotten tired of Roulette's endless questioning and had simply refused to speak, leaving the white rat to seek out a new wellspring of information.

And what better wellspring than her 'big sister' Lescar.

Lescar gritted her teeth before taking a deep breath, It wasn't really Roulette's fault for her incessant curiosity.

From what Lescar understood, Roulette had only recently become capable of intelligent thought, Her 'partner' being the reason for it.

Lescar had honestly never heard of collared creatures becoming intelligent as a direct result of being collared, but Taldur had gotten this result every time, what was different about him that made this so?

Lescar knew that he was powerful and that there was something special about him, and even more strangely at times, when she let her thoughts drift, it felt like she had known him for years, despite it in truth only being days...

Lescar idly touched Taldur's still feathery form as she walked, It had to do with the ambiguous connection she and all of the other familiars shared with Taldur, it had to.

Lescar came back out of her inner thoughts as Roulette squeaked audibly, still responding to Lescar's earlier given advice.

"But sis! then I can't find anything! or sniff out bad guys!" Roulette whined plaintively, "Then they will sneak up on us and steal our metal thingies!"

Roulette pointed her bony tail at Lescar's money pouch before puffing up a little, her white coat of fur ruffled.

"Hahhh..." Lescar sighed aloud at Roulettes words as she rubbed her forehead, Taldur had made the little rat paranoid with his earlier explanation of how money worked, Lescar herself thought it was strange Taldur knew what it was, but then Taldur was an abnormal existence that still didn't make sense to Lescar.

Even now that she had talked with him extensively at this point, Lescar knew He wasn't telling her the whole truth of things, but then, she imagined he would never truly share all of his secrets, He was not prone to sharing his history.

Lescar dismissed the wayward thought and turned her head to give Roulette a response as she walked on at an even pace.

"Sister," Lescar began, being careful to use the term of address that Roulette was adamant she use, "No one will steal our money, I have a firm grasp on it and know how to avoid being pickpocketed."

"But you might miss them!" Roulette said with wide ruby red eyes, "or they might sneak past you because you have no sense of smell!"

Lescar raised a brow at this, she was sure that was a light jab at her and her ability to retain their dubine, but said nothing about Roulette's statement and instead focused on explaining how they would be fine.

"Sister," Lescar said again in a matter of fact voice, "I have lived up here in these streets for over a decade and I know how to handle the thugs and criminals that make themselves comfortable around here."

Lescar watched Roulette's expression out of the corner of her eyes as she walked forward, she could not read Taldur's insect face but with Roulettes more mammalian features she could read a few expressions from the rat.

Roulette looked disgruntled and dissatisfied, her whiskers also aquiver with something else Lescar couldn't quite identify, but it did look like the rat wanted to say something.

Taking the initiative Lescar added before Roulette could squeak out a response, "Additionally, Taldur specifically instructed me to hold onto the money."

Roulette's expression soured and her whiskers wilted at this phrase.

"Oh, daddy said so..."

Lescar could see a rueful look on Roulette's long snout and something else...

'Was that jealousy?'

'No, it couldn't be,' Lescar decided, 'a rat being envious of her? that was silly.'

Although... this was not the first time Lescar had felt something like this from Roulette, when Taldur had first declared Lescar would be his perch until later note, she had felt a twinge from the rat, and later whenever she carried Taldur around Roulette would often look gloomy and dispirited.

'No I'm just over-reading things,' Lescar declared to herself, hoping that nothing would come of her little rodent sister's possible fixation.

The two of them walked in relative silence for a few minutes, Roulette's head hanging low as she followed behind Lescar, tail barely lifted off the floor, the throng of people moving past or by them was increasing, Lescar knew they were almost at the first location.

"Cheer up, Roulette, we are almost at our first stop," Lescar said in an upbeat voice snapping her fingers behind her to get the white rodent's attention.

Roulette sniffed glumly and looked up, then blinked before sniffing some more, her eyes slowly widening with excitement.

"Wait, something smells really nice now!" Roulette said, her tail beginning to stir and flick, causing some part of the passers-by to move further away with annoyed looks.

"What is it? it smells really tasty!" Roulette said, the despondency having already left her voice as she licked her chops, long front teeth visible as she salivated.

Lescar laughed at seeing Roulettes return to her usual childish demeanor before saying in a snicker.

"I'm sure we will find out soon enough."

They moved through thicker and thicker crowds that were gathering around stalls or street performances, these displays were but an appetizer for what was to come.

The bustling crowds thickened and the vendors grew more numerous and varied, but this was not where Lescar intended to stop.

Continuing to move forward the two of them passed under an enormous stone arch covered in old runes that read Conifer square on a sign that had been hammered to its pinnacle.

Stepping out from under the massive stone arch Lescar nodded towards her surroundings before turning back to address Roulette, "Welcome to the city market," Lescar said splaying her hands wide as she gestured to the wide space the two of them had just entered.

"Oh wow!" Roulette said with honest wonder in her eyes and an eager twitch to her pointed nose.

Conifer square was a big place, everywhere you looked exotic and interesting stalls could be seen, stalls of every kind lined with goods and produce, some sold tantalizing cuisine while others sold foreign and bizarre jewelry or clothes.

Roulette turned around and around on the spot like a spinning top trying to locate what was making those good smells as she burned the scenery into her memory, her nose twitching the whole while.

Lescar found it almost comical, it reminded her of a dog chasing its tail.

Without saying anything Roulette suddenly stopped spinning before she raised up on her hind legs and scented the air, long whiskers twitching and flicking before she darted off in a direction.

With Roulette springing off towards the distance, it was less comical.

Roulette was getting too far away.

"Hey Roulette!" Lescar called out to the white rat telepathically, having to jog to keep up with the rat as she shot off in a certain direction.

The white rodent didn't stop or pause but sped up, ignoring or not hearing Lescar as she called out.

"Roulette! stop! don't run off!" Lescar said in a worried voice as she followed the rat passing through a mass of people, ignoring some of the vendors who called out to her or the bystanders that cursed at her as she barged past them.

She had something more important to take care of then some random stranger's feelings, her idiot rodent sister had no idea what could happen to her if she ran into the wrong people here without Lescar.

Roulette disappeared behind the throng of legs and bodies as Lescar struggled to keep up, her expertise at navigating busy streets only affording her so much, when Roulette's more sleek and diminutive form could easily wind through the crowds.

Lescar knew the city and how to deal with most of its denizens, but that did not make the city safe, not even Conifer square was entirely safe, and Lescar knew of a shady yet prolific butcher's shop that wasn't too picky with what was butchered, the people that acquired the meat for this butchery where nicknamed the ratcatchers by most.

This band of butchers were practically a criminal gang unto themselves,their name being there because dire rats were often captured then ripped apart at the butchers and sold there as meat to the more desperate individuals, Lescar had even heard unsavory rumors that sometimes unwary street kids or children were chopped up and served as 'special cuts'.

Lescar wasn't sure If Roulette was a dire rat or some other sort of other rodent species but it would not matter much if the ratcatchers found her before she did.

She would end up in pieces or in someone's pot if Lescar did not find her soon.

Lescar frequently found Roulette annoying, but there was no way she wanted to see the little white rat die or get hurt.

Taldur certainly would not take it well if anything were to happen to Roulette, Lescar was certain that despite the cockroaches posturing and general behavior to otherwise dissuade Lescar from noticing his attachment to Roulette, that, was, in fact, an act to cover up his dignity.

She wasn't stupid, Lescar could tell that much from the cockroaches voice at the time he had apologized to Roulette.

"Roulette!" Lescar shouted desperately aloud, "come back here!"

Even as Lescar began forcefully shoving her way through the crowd, the last traces of Roulettes bony tail whipped around a corner, breaking Lescar's line of sight.

Practically ramming through people at this point with more force than she would normally use, Lescar came to a stop in the middle of conifer square, looking left and right trying to spot her sister, but finding no sign of her, she had lost Roulette.

"ROULETTE!? ROULETTE!" Lescar shouted down the mental connection but received no response.

This was very bad, the ratcatchers were always on the prowl and even with Roulette's decent offensive ability, Lescar couldn't see the rat winning against any more than one of them.

As Lescar began to despair and feel angry, the insect around her neck stirred, sensing Lescar's distress.

"Something wrong partner?" The cockroach asked in his whispering wind and decaying leaves like voice.

"yes, Roulette just ran off suddenly and now I've lost her."

"What!? ughhhhh..." Taldur groused with annoyance "did you see what she ran off after?"

"No?" Lescar answered uncertainly, she assumed Roulette had off after smelling some sort of food, but she was not actually sure.

"Hmmm," Taldur growled dissatisfied before stopping for a second in thought, "give me second I can already contact Roulette..." The cockroach went silent for a bit but a strange buzzing sound played in the link between herself and Taldur, before rising in pitch to become a whine like that of a mosquito.

The feathery cockroach twitched and clacked its jaws as it sat coiled around Lescar's neck, Taldur was annoyed but not at Lescar, he was talking to Roulette using the bond he shared.

Taldur had more powerful connections with the others than Lescar and seemed able to always communicate with any of them at long distances, including Lescar herself, but Lescar found it hard to convey silent words when she tried to mentally converse with any other familiar past 30 feet.

Having more coverage than Lescar, Taldur was able to reach out and scold the little runaway, Roulette was definitely getting chewed out for her rash actions if Taldurs angry clacking was anything to judge by.

Unlike with Lescar, Roulette could not afford to ignore Taldur, and Lescar could practically hear the one-sided berating that Taldur was dishing out.

For a short time, the high pitched whine persisted then Taldur spoke up abruptly breaking the sound as he informed Lescar with a suddenly cautious voice.

"Roulette is fine, but apparently someone over there wants to speak to you."

"To me?"

"Yes, be on guard."

Lescar was startled by this information, who would want to see her? she had yet to do anything too outstanding.

"Wh- where is this person?"

"Mmm... according to Roulette they are next to some giant podium hidden just behind that large sculpture of what she calls a 'four-legged grass eater? Taldur said in a slightly puzzled voice, "I think she means a horse."

Lescar glanced around looking for a horse sculpture and soon found one, the only one in visible eyesight, a statue of a horse rearing up with a confident-looking saber wielding man on its back.

"Found it," Lescar said, already walking towards the large stone sculpture, one hand tentatively touching Taldur and the other her sheathed sword, she having already moved her coin pouch into her satchel when she had begun to chase Roulette.

"Be sure to keep what we discussed earlier a secret." Taldur reminded Lescar, "I don't want to have to clean up a murder just to hide my existence"

Lescar nodded sending her confirmation and agreement down the link, she did not want people to find out about Taldur either, she would probably be burned as a witch or possibly in the worst-case scenario have her tongue cut out and be handed over to eager nutters looking for magic test subjects.

Neither would result in a quick and painless death and the second could result in years of torment before death was administrated, she had heard all about the madman doctor called 'the excoriate.'

Many unfortunate people had disappeared and the rumors always whispered about the excoriate being responsible.

Lescar had no idea what he looked like or who he was, the monstrous individual being an enigma cloaked in shadow, but what Lescar did know of him made the most cutthroat gangs look saintly by contrast.

There was no way she was going to let her secrets slip out.

She was determined that much would be true.

Lescar strode forth in steady gait, her eyes studying her environment as she approached the stone horse, looking for any telltale signs of an ambush or waylayer's, she was not worried about regular thieves or thugs but more about the paid professional kinds.

They existed and made other killers look like children by comparison, these polished men and women who made their living off murder and assassination rarely crawled out of the shadows, but Lescar couldn't be too careful.

She was dealing with an unknown party of unknown strength, one that could either communicate with Roulette or that understood Roulette was more than just a mere rat.

Lescar tried to remain wary but it was hard to keep tabs on all the people here, the crowds were only growing denser as she moved onwards.

Even to Lescar who had been here herself innumerable times, today seemed especially busy and bustling with activity.

She hoped that her unknown caller was a reasonable type, here amongst the tide of other people, minor altercations were often ignored by those not directly involved.

She would receive no help from the masses if things went *prarg-shaped.

Lescar moved deeper into the throng of human beings and gradually found the reason why so many people were gathered around this area.

Beyond a large grouping of people, Lescar could see and hear a man walking back and forth on a podium, the same podium that Taldur had mentioned, screaming out something for the stall behind him, the man advertised the displayed objects, a long line of people lining up to purchase or appraise the products on display.

Curious what might be drawing people in but still worried about Roulette, Lescar went in to search for her ratty sibling, listening with sharp ears while she looked.

What she heard would have made her excited normally and it did perk her interest but she still had to find Roulette.

Waving his hand about theatrically, the man on the podium Lescar now recognized as a city Crier, shouted out words of encouragement towards curious onlookers, the tiny round-rimmed hat on the man's head sitting precariously on the edge of falling off but never quite doing so, as he flapped about and gestured exaggeratedly with an astonished and in awe expression at the large extravagant stall behind him with a nasal voice.

"LADIES, GENTLEMEN AND ALL YOU ESTEEMED PEOPLE OF GOOD STEAD, WELCOME!" the richly dressed crier boomed, tipping his hat off in the direction of some lavishly dressed women in frilly dresses before he addressed the crowd at large,

"COME BUY FROM THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS TRAVELING ENCHANTERS EMPORIUM, RANKED THE BEST IN EAST"

It was all interesting and fascinating but Lescar couldn't divert her attention from the task at hand, scanning the ground near the podium Lescar finally found the rodent she was looking for.

That rodent was sitting next to a large tent, a tent that was eye-catching and probably the largest one in the market today.

The first thing a person would notice about this tent was that it was huge, it was so large that even Dwayne with his vast bulk would be able to comfortably fit inside with 'a lot' of room to spare.

The second most obvious thing was its vibrant shade of violet and the obvious high quality of its make and the material.

Lescar reached out and touched the purple fabric as she moved towards the mouth of the tent where Roulette was located, it was silky and smooth, like running liquid cloth through your fingers.

Lescar turned her head back and forth wondering why exactly anyone would need a tent this large, it was a truly massive temporary structure, something that screamed look at me with its mere presence and demonstration of wealth.

Was this tent owned by the person that wanted to see her? it could be.

Lescar's drifting gaze eventually found the someone she had been tracking down, the massive tent's extravagance not distracting her from her objective.

Roulette was not in front of the populous stall, but instead off to the side just outside the large purple tent, busily nibbling away at something in a small bowl, looking quite pleased with herself.

"Stupid little mouse, thinking only with her stomach" Lescar heard Taldur growl, subtle worry being replaced with displeasure as he eyed Roulette happily chewing away.

"She has no idea what trouble she may have caused us." the cockroach said, bother being evident on his mandibles as he focused his gaze in at the bowl Roulette was eating from.

Lescar took a look at the food Roulette was eating but didn't recognize it, it just looked like little brown chunks to her.

"Someone gave Roulette that food and I don't like it," Taldur grumbled some more, jaws clacking with audible creaks, "it could just be a sign of good faith, or a simple courtesy or perhaps..." Taldur added in a low voice as his head came to sit eye level with Lescars own, "the first hook in order to tie us down, get us to owe our mystery hosts some favors."

"Mmm" Lescar nodded in agreement, her own eyes widening slightly, she had not thought of that particular possibility, although she had thought Roulette's recklessness might have gotten them involved with people they could have avoided.

Antenna flicking furiously as Taldur watched Roulette blissfully eat, the cockroach seethed silently.

"She is not getting dinner tonight," Taldur grunted shortly before he unfurled from Lescar's neck and lept off her shoulders coming to land on the cobbled floor with a solid thwack, on route to rat beratement.

"Follow." Taldur said in an abrupt bark with a flick of his plated tail, Taldur was not happy and Lescar was sure Roulette was going to get another earful.

Obeying Taldur silently, Lescar trailed after the bug casually, as if she knew what awaited her, she didn't want any onlookers to think something was amiss.

Taldur and Lescar were unimpeded by people as most were still crowded around either the podium, the stall the podium was advertising for, or other stalls altogether, leaving a mostly clear space for Taldur to skitter though.

The few people who noticed Taldur as he skittered by, either jumped out of the way with a squeal or hastily backed off, eyes bulging.

'While Taldur is smaller than he had been,' Lescar thought to herself, 'he is still enormous for an insect.'

Lescar did not think it was the best idea for Taldur to be roaming on his own feet right now, but with him as angry as he was, she doubted she could convince him otherwise.

Taldur ignored the reacting people and stomped up to Roulette, jaws clacking together like two metal blades.

Roulette turned at the sound, her elastic cheeks still round and filled with whatever feed that she had been gobbling up a moment ago, her eyes transitioned from satisfied to anxious as Taldur scuttled towards her.

'Yeah...' Lescar thought, not with satisfaction but with knowing, 'Roulette's gonna get it now.'

Lescar did not envy her little rat sister, Roulette was not the sort that thought things out before she did them, and Taldur was not the merciful type, the albino would be losing out on something and something she really held dear.

'Probably just food though,' Lescar said to herself with a wry expression.

Lescar with Taldur at the lead arrived before the staring rat who looked like she was thinking at a mile a minute, her eyes darting about.

As if he was not angry at all Taldur offhandedly said to the fidgety rat.

"So daughter of mine, what is it you have there?" Taldur asked, his voice suspiciously serendipitous.

With a 'gulp' that could be heard from where Lescar was standing Roulette swallowed her mouthful in her haste to answer her father, her ears quivering and standing on end as she stood to attention.

"Um," Roulette began awkwardly, "a big hairy two-legger gave it to me daddy..."

Roulette was fidgeting and squirming, some of the brown kibble falling off of the corners of her mouth, Lescar thought Roulette looked almost constipated with that uncomfortable look on her face.

"Ahhh... and what did this two-legger say?" Taldur asked softly with an intense and probing stare.

Roulette continued nervously but did not get to finish.

"He told me-"

"Told you? Directly?" Taldur's antennae furrowed and flicked, clearly bothered.

Lescar could guess why, Roulette could not understand spoken words and could only communicate through her bonds and by body language, which meant anyone who could directly talk to her must be able to mind speak as well.

Which was unsettling and downright scary, they could be exposed in seconds.

"Y-yes," Roulette tried to finish at Taldur's consternated words as she paled more than Lescar thought was possible for the already albino rat.

"He said that he wanted to speak to my misstress," Roulette said, still nervous but with some confusion as well.

It did not look like Roulette knew what mistress meant.

'It would make sense given her unruly and childish behavior,' Lescar said privately to herself, feeling a little livid, Roulette had certainly not treated her like a mistress.

"Mistress?" Taldur said questioningly, before he said in a somewhat relieved voice, "well, it looks like my cover may still be intact, Lescar prepare yourself we are about to-"

But it turned out Roulette wasn't quite finished yet, hesitantly squeaking out a few more lines.

"And then, the hairy two-legger said something like 'Although it would be nice to speak to the real master.'"

Taldur froze, Lescar froze, and Roulette cringed at their reactions.

For a few moments of silence, they all stood still, Roulette expectantly waiting for a berating before Lescar came to herself.

'Real master? that's not a good thing to hear' Lescar said inwardly her eyes connecting with Taldur's at the same time as his with her's.

Taldur, his yellow staring eyes meeting with Lescar's, knew that things were looking compromised but kept his voice steady as he tonelessly addressed Roulette, his ire hidden.

"What more did this hairy man say?"

"Um, uh, oh!" Roulette floundered before she found something to say, "he said that the food was free of charge and that it was just to show that he has no hostile intentions!"

'Arrrrrrhg!... that... tells... absolutely... nothing!' Lescar heard the cockroach mutter to himself, barely picking up on the private words through the cracks that had again opened up now that the roach was angry, many of the words being lost in transition.

Despite Taldur's inner outrage, his exterior remained calm, only the slight twitch of a forceps showing any signs of agitation.

Quite suddenly and almost out of context, Taldur asked pointing a feeler at the bowl Roulette had already mostly emptied.

"Is that good?"

Expecting nothing but a scolding, Roulette was briefly taken back before she enthusiastically replied, sounding very eager and relieved, her ears flopping back down into a relaxed position.

"Oh! It's very good daddy! it tastes almost like-"

'smack!' a feathery antenna whipped out and caught Roulette on her ears.

"Ouch! what was that for?" Roulette complained, her eye's already beginning to water as she clutched at her long pointed ears with both paws.

"Didn't I tell you before we came to the surface, don't accept food from strangers?!" Taldur said furiously, any trace of that earlier cool demeanor gone.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

"Ouch! Ow! Owwww!" Roulette covered her head shielding herself from Taldur's flexible feathery antennae.

Smacking Roulette three times around the ears, Taldur scuttled closer before seizing her by said ears.

"OW! OW! OW! OOOWWWWW!" Roulette objected, her long ears now being twisted as Taldur pulled Roulette by the ears like a scolding mother away from the bowl of food.

With a serious lecturing tone heavily ladled with nettled displeasure, Taldur burned Roulette, "You are not getting supper tonight and if this happens again you won't be getting anything but moldy bread for a week!"

Lescar winced but almost laughed as well, one of the few foods Roulette seemed to hate was moldy bread, she having eaten some at one time when she had been snooping in Lescar's satchel for food and almost vomited it up as a result.

Roulette hated moldy bread.

"OWOWOWWWWW! " Roulette whimpered before between whines just managing to squeak out, "No! not hard mold rocks they are yucky! OW OWOWOWOOOOOWWWWW!"

Roulette's eyes were squeezed shut as she cringed under her father figures morale withering antennae that twisted mercilessly.

To any outside observer it simply looked like a cockroach was pulling a white rat towards it by the ears, but to Lescar it resembled a parental figure disciplining an unruly child.

It was almost funny.

After a few more seconds of intense ear twisting Taldur let go of Roulette, a slight hiss escaping from his sides as he said sternly to a remorseful and only slightly teary Roulette.

"Roulette don't run off again and don't take food from people you don't know very well, ok?"

Roulette's watery eyes quivered but no tears came out, the rat blinking them away before she nodded silently then glanced at Lescar with an unreadable expression before her eyes returned to Taldur.

'What was that look for?' Lescar frowned, she hoped that was not related to earlier.

"Your actions could get everyone in trouble or possibly killed," Taldur mumbled irritably, his antenna no longer twisting or thwacking any part of a rat, "Remember that for the future, all actions have consequences and they are often unpleasant."

The cockroach was not subtle with the facts and stated them straight to the guilty rodent, who looked down at this statement, whiskers drooping even further.

"Yes, dad, I'm sorry..."

Roulette's apology seemed to take some of the wind out of Taldur's sails and soon any anger the bug had been projecting disappeared altogether.

Despite Taldurs calmed state Lescar still heard a few of his internal thoughts before the cracks in his mentality sealed over.

'Ahhhhhhh... what... am... gonna do... with her?'

Lescar did not know why she could hear Taldur's inner thoughts sometimes, only that she could when the cockroach became overly emotional.

It was the only one up she had on the cockroach, and while she did trust Taldur for the most part, she felt better knowing she had something she could use.

With Roulette's whiskers drooping down even further to touch the floor in remorse and Taldur's rage dispersed, the issue at hand lay prominent and obvious.

Who was their unknown host and what did they want?

Taldur was clearly thinking the same thing as the cockroach turned away from Roulette, his antennae waving, slowly pointing towards the darkness beyond the tents entrance flap, not a thing being visible in the pitch past it, and that was now that Lescar's eyes had gotten really good at seeing in the dark.

"Lescar," Taldur said somberly from the floor as he stared straight ahead, "I don't know what we will be up against but try to be delicate, this is a precarious scenario."

Further reminded of her actual role as the only human in the group, Lescar clenched her jaw before crouching down to scoop up Taldur who deftly tucked himself away inside Lescar's hood, pausing only to look Lescar in the eye as he scuttled into place.

"Keep your head on partner," to which after a second of thought the insect added, "take care as you speak for both of us and any mistake could be disastrous."

Lescar grimaced to herself but kept a straight face, she had managed her performance earlier at the guild but she wasn't keen on acting again so soon, it was stressful.

Ignoring her own growing sense of discomfort Lescar said, "Of course," her eyes narrowed into slits as she struggled to make anything out in the darkness but failing, turning to face Taldur she continued "I always take care,"

Taldur clicked his jaws twice but didn't remark upon Lescar's statement, it looked like he didn't think so, but did not feel like disagreeing or undermining Lescar feeble confidence, with silent words the bug called the still sullen rat over.

Roulette sadly trundled behind Lescar looking woebegone and deflated, an unhappy downturn on her long snout, something Lescar barely noticed, having her own issues.

Lescar for certain didn't feel very confident, this would be her first real-time acting as the boss or more accurately the sub-boss? and she had no real idea how she should behave.

Stoic and strong maybe?

She honestly didn't have a clue, she had never been a leader, although...

Lescar recalled an image of a young man she knew and still resented, remembering the way he had commanded others.

'Was that the way she should act?' Lescar thought, now standing before the tent entrance flap.

There was only so many ways to find out.

With a deep breath, Lescar rang on the round bell that acted as a sort of doorknob receiving an immediate response.

"Enter" a deep but ageless voice answered.

Gritting her teeth but otherwise keeping her expression smooth Lescar stepped into the dark tent.

Her very first foray into hidden hierarchies that were.