Thatch heard the cacophony of commotion at the gates from his chamber. He wondered what those sounds could mean, but he felt it would be a good time to attempt an escape.

He pulled desperately on his metal cuffs; the skin of his wrists shearing from the force, blood sticking to the iron. It took time, but by the time he resolved himself to break his wrists to escape, he noticed complete silence outside.

He didn't have any time left, and in a last struggle, among the loud clattering of his chains, he pulled once again, feeling as if he was close to succeeding.

The sound of boots striking stone came toward him now, and he heard the creaking of the door to the chamber. He shielded his eyes from the rush of light peering through the open doorway. In his momentarily diminished vision, he made out the silhouette of a large armoured figure.

His vision cleared slightly, and he saw the face of an old man with a tired expression on his face.

"Who are you?" Thatch asked, his voice barely audible. This could mean death. His mind turned quickly amidst his desperation and he decided to take a gamble; almost everyone in the city who wasn't a knight of inquisition, worked for the High Seat.

---

Luark looked at the boy and decided to pretend he hadn't seen anything. He made to leave when the boy's voice sounded.

"Who are you?"

'I can just leave this alone, right? Kid will probably die here and I can just say I had no idea if I'm asked about it' Luark thought.

Right. It wasn't his job. He'd already done that. He just wanted to go back to the castle and sleep.

"Do you work for the High Seat?" The fading voice came once more as he was about to close the door behind him to leave.

'Fuck.' Luark thought. Everyone had seen him enter this room, and most people passing through the gates had most likely already seen this kid and the brand on his shoulder. He needed to figure out what was happening; he shouldn't have killed all the guards just now.

He couldn't feign ignorance anymore.

'Do I really have to carry this kid back to the castle? I really don't wanna come back here' Luark thought.

'I'm really too old for this shit' Luark sighed.

----

Serce waited with the five other Knights of Inquisition in one of the High Seat's castle chambers. He looked carefully at his halberd, and he smiled with satisfaction. He was pleased that it was spotless; not a blood drop staining the blade. His attacks were still swift.

He looked around at the other knights, massaging their shoulders or feet, or lying down for a nap.

"I'm going for a stroll" He said as he got up from his seat.

"Don't take too long Cap. We're still under suspicion y'know" a knight yawned as he said.

Serce nodded as he picked up his halberd and left the chamber.

There was something he needed to do.

----

"Do you want to die?" Azroth said with unconcealed venom.

"Your son smells like Rat" Wick said as if that sufficed as a full explanation.

"Fuck. You." Azroth said as he got up from his table. He was tired of this fat bastard. He would kill him and then drag his corpse to the fucking Inquisition.

"Hmm... It's not you, then...?" Wick said, confused, but Azroth seemed not to hear him.

"Father, stop!" Ginger said, as he pushed his palms on the granite. He had been particularly attentive to this conversation and had noticed something odd.

Azroth paused, looking at his son, waiting for him to continue.

"Sir Wick, you still haven't mentioned why you've come here, and you came to this meeting without the other knights. Why is that?" Ginger spoke as confidently as he could, hoping his deductions weren't delusions.

"Smart one, hmm...?" Wick said as he leaned back into the sofa, causing it to creak dangerously.

"Rats are looking to kill a boy. Hmm...I want to know why. Rats are suspicious" Wick said as he began to pick his teeth with a sliver-fish bone.

"Rats wanted to come to this castle. I want to know why. If High Seat had eaten that, I would know he too is a Rat" He continued as he gestured towards the fleshy pulsating lump on Azroth's side of the granite.

"If you, High Seat, are unrelated to them, that can only mean..."

A halberd burst through the room, breaking the thick metal door frame, and sliced through a part of the stone wall.

"Hmm... It was a set-up" Wick finished.

Serce walked into the dining room, hefting his halberd on his shoulder, and looked at the trio.

Once his eyes fell on the pulsating lump on the granite, he smiled.

"Sir Wick, I hope you don't mind. I was worried you were taking too long and something may have happened to you." Serce bowed, then made his way to Azroth's seat.

Azroth looked at the knight and turned to face him, and then he glanced at Wick.

'What the fuck is going on here?' He thought.

He was about to get ready to kill the fat bastard, but actually, there was another Knight being this rude in his castle? Was his place some sort of joke?

Ginger got up and looked at the knight who entered. He recognised the Knight's weapon - it was the one that sliced that woman's head in the waste. He thought as fast as he could to figure out what was going on. He saw where the knight's eyes landed and he made a quick decision.

"Sir Wick, Sir Knight" Ginger said so that everyone could hear him clearly, as he got up slightly.

"Why are you looking for a boy?" He continued, making his way to his father close by.

"To read his memories," Wick said.

"To kill him" The knight who just entered said.

"Kill him, Rat? Why, are you scared, hmm...?" Wick said with a smile.

"Of course not, Sir Wick" Serce brought his halberd down and looked straight into Wick's eyes.

"It's simply because he's cursed by The Under - the brat burned my house down," Serce said.

"So, Sir Wick, will you return my item to me?" The knight said as he glanced again at the table.

The item was gone.