POV: Nelson Signia

The carriage was shaking as we traversed the road towards the only place that she could be... Titan's Footprint. I looked to my side where my wife was sobbing. Trying to comfort her I put a hand on her shoulder.

"We will find her, do not worry my dear," I said in the most comforting tone I could produce.

She just continued sobbing. I turned back and looked at the back of our driver.

"How much longer until we reach this... this place?" I asked, already wrinkling my nose.

The smell out here was disgusting, I could smell animal faeces and the like even from inside the carriage.

Poor driver, I thought.

"An hour, sir," our driver responded.

"Good," I said.

I swear to the seven that we will find you, my darling daughter. Even if I have to dismantle this whole place... I thought as I looked out of the window and down into the footprint shaped crater. A long river slithered through it and from here I could already see it. The town or city or whatever else one might like to call this shit hole of modern civilization. It had been built around a wide part of the river and expanded from there.

I had no idea how they did it but the whole place looked worse than the slums in the capital.

"Typical for a place that decided to stay neutral," I whispered to myself.

The supposed hour that was supposed to be left until we reached Titan's Footprint stretched for what almost seemed like an eternity. My wife and I were constantly fidgeting on our seats in anticipation. When I thought about my daughter being in a place like that... I wanted to cry. But I needed to remain strong, especially now that we were so close.

As we finally closed in on the town I could see what it looked like better. I was shocked. Unlike the slums, which looked like a once noble and beautiful place that had been taken over by the poor and sick, this place looked like a nightmare. Wooden buildings stacked on top of one another with the occasional tree serving as support for part of a house or a rudimentary balcony. Stairs and ladders everywhere. A big wooden arch with the words WELOM TO TE FOTPRINT written on it with big white letters welcomed us to the town.

I scoffed.

"Can't even afford a proper welcoming sign," I said as we passed under it.

The streets were filled with people, most of them dressed in rags and the rest in dirty armours.

"Where shall we stop, sir?" the driver asked.

I turned around and slid aside a small piece of ornate wood, revealing a small window allowing me to look into the second compartment of the carriage which was filled with my five bodyguards.

"Do any of you know where we could find information in this... place?" I asked.

"We should try a Tavern, there we could also find lodgings, sir," one of the bodyguards suggested.

A shiver went down my spine when I even thought about finding lodging in this shithole of a town.

"You heard the man," I said, turning to the driver. "Find the most... luxurious tavern in this place."

"Of course, sir!" the driver said.

During the rest of the journey, I just went into my own thoughts, trying to stay calm and telling myself that everything would be fine. I was so absorbed in my own thoughts that I hadn't even noticed that we had stopped.

"Sir, are you alright?" the driver asked his hand on my shoulder.

"W-What? Oh... yes, yes," I said, surprised.

The driver helped me and my wife out of the carriage. We were on a paved road, so at least they had this. We were surrounded by buildings on almost all sides, to my right was the wall of a tall building, behind us seemed to be some kind of shop and in front of us was the tavern. It had four floors and a sign hanging from a wooden beam that hung over the street: The Paradise was written on it.

Well, I hope it is... and I also need to remember to get rid of the horses, I thought as I looked at the poor, mud-stained horses that had drawn our carriages.

"I want you to find a place for the carriage and horses, take one guard with you," I said to the driver.

"Of course, sir," the driver responded.

The tall man immediately turned away and took a guard with him as they left us.

"Well then, let us go inside," I said as I reached for the door.

But I didn't even have to open it. The door flew open and a large man stumbled my way. He reeked of liquor and urine. One of my four remaining bodyguards pulled me aside as the man stumbled out onto the street and crashed into the house opposite to the tavern. I stared into the tavern, which was filled with drunken people, with a look of disgust on my face.

We entered one guard in front of me and my wife, one to our right, one to our left and one behind us. People gave us strange looks as we walked up to the bar where the barkeep was currently polishing a cup.

"Can I help ya?" he asked when my wife and I stood in front of him, our guards still around us.

"Yes, we need enough rooms for eight people, I think three should suffice. We also need food and drink as well as information," I said.

"Hmm... well, we don't have that much lodging left but I can help ya with the other two things," the barkeeper said.

"Well, then we have a problem," I said, looking to one of the bodyguards.

He immediately understood and slammed his fist on the bark counter.

"If the lord requests enough room, then you will make enough room!" the bodyguard said.

"Hey, hey now. Don't get angry at me, I can't just throw people out when they've already paid," the barkeeper argued, both hands protecting his face.

"Look, we really need the room. I'll even pay double for all three rooms," I said.

"I'm sorry but I-" the barkeeper began but he was interrupted by the bodyguard once again slamming his fist onto the counter.

"Oi! If the 'keep says he ain't got no more space then he ain't got no more space for ya stupid idiots!" someone yelled from behind us.

I turned around and locked eyes with the man who said it. He was taller than my bodyguards and wore only armoured pants, gauntlets and shoulder guards, not even shoes. Strapped to his back with a leather strap was a long double-sided axe. He was bald and his brown eyes looked dull. The man also reeked of alcohol.

I wrinkled my nose.

"Dispose of this... scum," I said to my bodyguards.

"Right away, sir," they all said in unison.

"What'cha gon' do to me?" the dull man asked as he looked at my bodyguards.

Without answering one of them grabbed his shoulder and slammed him into the wooden floor, cracking it.

"Don't disrupt the lords business," my bodyguard said with a very serious tone.

But the man didn't answer, he was unconscious. My bodyguard then picked up the man by grabbing his bald head, grabbed him out the door and then threw him against the wall of the house opposite to the tavern as if it were nothing. Once he returned I turned back around to the barkeeper who had a look of genuine fear on his face. He then coughed into his hand.

"Well, I'll see what I can do about the rooms, you only need to give me some time," he said, with a changed tone. "About the other two things, food's easy but if you want information you need to give me more to go on."

"Of course. I'm looking for someone that was kidnapped and most likely brought to this... town," I explained.

"Well, if you're looking for someone then the one to ask is the Crow," the barkeeper said.

"The Crow?" I asked.

"Yes, the Crow. Big guy, wood elf I think. Red eyes, white hair and two thingies on his head. Always walks around with a hood and this big black bird on his shoulder. Just showed up a few months ago and started beating up the gang leaders around here. Heard he even ripped the spine out of one of 'em. If you want to find someone that was brought here the Crow either already knows about them or he will find out," the barkeeper explained.

Interesting... truly interesting.

"And where might I find... this Crow?"