[ ––––––––– Ϫ ––––––––– ]

Dekhan clapped above his head, signaling workers in the kitchen to pay attention.

“The competition is officially over! We're closing for today! Good work everyone, it was a huge success. Everyone gets a bonus!”

It was an hour after the finals, so the majority of guests left. Others decided to stay for the night or were just finishing their dishes, enjoying a late after-event atmosphere, or spending time in a good company.

Contrary to merry people outside, expressions of workers were that of relief. Groans of pain, grunts accompanied exiting cooks. Arath was the only unbothered person, who remained where he stood.

“Hey, my boy. You're free for today. Enjoy the after-party.” - Dekhan shouted to Arath, who was impassively cleaning glass after glass, mug after mug.

“I prefer it here. It's silent.”

Dekhan examined the boy and smiled. After all the time spent together, he had a better understanding of his employee. He knew it was sincere words, Arath felt better working in the kitchen than spending the time with the people. That's just how he was.

Right now, it didn't matter though. - “You're not getting paid extra, these are not working hours and the order comes from your master... Noemi is quite wasted, so you might want to bring her tonight's special...”

[ ––––––––– ֎ ––––––––– ]

“Sup.” - Arath casually walked up to Noemi and Augmi, dressed in an apron and a bandana.

Augmi was holding sobering salts under Noemi's nose, while simultaneously preparing a hot detox tonic. The girl's wrecked state appeared worse than after gut wound and the venom, except for her stupid, proud, drunk smile.

“Spicy chili with salamander meatballs, once.” - Arath put the bowl under Noemi's nose.

The lizard girl took a wooden spoon and dug in. She quickly sobered up, then spoke with a full mouth. - “Did you hear the news?”

“Yes. What were the rewards?”

“Sixty silver coins... a mug...” - She showed a large wooden mug with an amber. It had inn's trademarks engraved in it. - “...and this!” - Noemi pulled out a black item in the shape of a bracelet with a gap in it. An electric current ran through the gap. - “Touch it!”

Arath trusted the lizard but involuntarily removed his arm as soon as he was electrocuted. The impulse wasn't strong enough to cause any injury, but the pain was still unpleasant. The boy didn't speak but was intrigued by the item.

“Sorry!” - Noemi laughed. - “It's weird, it's attracted to the steel...” - She showed how spark jumps to her plates and ignores the mug. - “...but not to the wood.”

While Noemi and Arath talked, Augmi looked somewhere else. - “Is it... a smoke?”

“Fire! FIRE!” - A rat in cooking apparel started to scream on top of its lungs while moving to the exit and encouraging others to evacuate.

Arath uttered. - “Dekhan is still there.” - He quickly informed Noemi, knowing well that it was in her part of the contract to intervene.

Augmi took echeveria powder out of her purse and gave it to the lizard girl, who immediately stood up and jumped into action.

[ ––––––––– ֎ ––––––––– ]

Noemi arrived at the kitchen, knelt down to avoid breathing the smoke in, and looked around. Clay bricks in the left, rear corner were scorched black by raging pillars of flame that erupted from a large cauldron filled with disposed, old grease.

Noemi had to think fast, she picked one of the steel trays from a worktop and placed it over the pot, to slow down the spread of fire.

When she was there, she noticed a few shards of shattered, slightly oily glass. She grabbed a piece, tucking it into her coin bag, then moved onward, to the passage to an alcohol cellar. Dancing flames and enormous clouds of hot smoke effectively blocked any access.

Noemi didn't want to resign, but first, she decided to wholly inspect the current floor and noticed a red stain, leading behind a row of cabinets. She moved there and noticed Dekhan, lying on the floor in a pool of blood. There was a stiletto stuck crossguard deep in his guts.

Noemi didn't know what to do, but she knew that she must intervene, so she grabbed the rat under the armpits and moved him out of the kitchen as gently as she could.

Outside, a group of people was already waiting to help. They were members of militia and firemen, who locked the steel door to the kitchen as soon as Noemi transferred outside, hoping it will allow the fire to die out.

“Arath!” - Noemi called and the boy arrived instantly.

“Make room, put him on the table.” - Arath called and militants helped to clear the area.

Arath examined the victim and was dumbstruck. He recognized the hilt of his own stiletto.

“It's a lethal wound. I can't help.” - He answered to all the people looking at him.

Dekhan still had a shallow breath. Blood was spilling out in abundant volumes. The rat barely lifted his eyelids and looked at people around him, he spotted Arath and lifted a hand, pointing at him, mumbling out something, then died. Nobody could understand what did it mean.

Everyone who remained in the building was stopped by the militia and asked for a testimony. They first wanted to talk with Noemi, who explained where and what she found, including giving militants a piece of oiled glass. Next, people were asked who was the last person seen entering the room, but nobody remembered anyone other than Arath. One person even pointed out that stiletto appeared like his.

Arath outright admitted it was his weapon and he believed it was stolen, which resulted in militants wanting to check his belongings. They went to his room, searched the backpack, and found a wet spot that smelled like flammable oil.

Arath was taken into custody for further questioning.

[ ––––––––– ֎ Day 84 ––––––––– ]

After the Arath's arrest, the Inn was closed. Augmi offered Noemi to live with her, instead of overpaying for alternative lodges.

Noemi woke up with a slight headache, but she well remembered all yesterday's events.

Noemi climbed down the stairs, to her, that place was a second home and she felt more comfortable staying here than the Inn, especially after Dekhan's death there.

Augmi was already awake, she had a monocle on her face and was reading a book.

Noemi didn't say anything until she sat next to Augmi.

“I'm still shocked...” - Mouse spoke first. - “...Dekhan's family is devastated.”

Noemi lowered her head, saddened. - “I hope they'll catch the culprit.”

“That's what we must speak of.”

Noemi listened.

“Militia might think that all evidence points to Arath.”

“...but ...he's innocent. He tried to save Dekhan, twice.”

“Yes, and witnesses already confirmed it.”

“...so is there any issue?”

“I don't know. The situation doesn't feel right.”

“Why is that?”

“Many reasons. The assassins had smoke bombs and snake venom, it's hard to get. Arath suspected someone high up. Also, I can't think of a reason why Arath would be framed.”

“Maybe he was bad for someone's business?”

“Perhaps, but then, why wouldn't anyone attempt to hire him first, or even after Dekhan's death?”

Noemi shrugged, she had no ideas. - “Maybe Arath hides something that we don't know. I think that I will pay him a visit.”

[ ––––––––– ֎ ––––––––– ]

Noemi traveled to hangman's square and arrived next to an office of Night Heralds, where she obtained papers necessary to enter the jail, which was located two streets farther, at a stone building covered in moss.

The girl entered and found a warden, who signed her documents, then moved to open a barred, steel door that led downstairs, to cells.

Arath was resting on a straw bedding, lying on his side, almost as If sleeping. On the right side of the cell were two buckets, one was a toilet, the second was for water. A bit farther was a plate with rat bones and an untouched portion of fungus mush.

“Arath, are you okay?” - Noemi asked, a bit worried.

Arath moved to sit and face Noemi. - “Yes.”

“You can't be serious. It reeks in here... and looks horrible.”

“I'm used to that.”

Noemi took a longer look at Arath's face, she kind of expected it to change from recalling bad memories, but it remained as still as ever. The boy apparently didn't care. It appeared that it really was normal for him.

“...it's a second time.” - Noemi slowly spoke.

Arath waited.

“Second time you're supposedly framed.”

Arath ignored the note.

“Can I really trust you? It's not normal to happen.”

“You can't trust anyone.”

Noemi's shoulders dropped. - “Okay, okay. Be like that.” - She sighed. - “Tell me, why apart from Dekhan, would they target specifically you?”

“Good question.”

Noemi crossed her arms, she was at the starting point and needed time to think.

“One thing.” - Arath looked Noemi straight in the eyes. - “Do you honor the prepayments?”

“Of course I do.”

“I would like to use them now.”

“Why? How?”

“Be at noon at hangman's square, then wait for the result of my trial. You'll understand.”

[ ––––––––– ֎ ––––––––– ]

Noemi strolled around until noon then waited at hangman's square. A large crowd of rats gathered in front of the gallows.

Night heralds escorted a single prisoner to a wooden platform. His face was hidden beneath a black cloth. The town's mayor was following the escort. He was a middle-aged, two and a half meter tall, well-built and slender bat humanoid, wearing nothing but a ragged pair of three-quarter trousers. His head was quite small, compared to other races, he had pointy long ears and strangely intelligent, yet reserved, yellow blind eyes.

The mayor stepped forward and announced.

“Guilty of three robberies and a murder, Zahar from Lynn.”

The crowd booed as night heralds revealed the culprit's face. Zahar was put in stocks and people began to throw rotten vegetables. During that time, the mayor recited the verdict – death.

Noemi was stunned. She couldn't comprehend the implications, but she instinctively pushed people aside in an attempt to make it to the front before it's too late.

The convict was moved to a stool and rope was placed around his neck.

“Stop!” - Noemi tried to shout through the crowd's chants of contempt.

Mayor kicked the stool, Zahar writhed for about quarter of a minute, then stopped moving.

Noemi arrived at the front of the barriers, she was fuming. - “All of you...” - She uttered, taking pauses. - “...cheering... for such a despicable act.”

A few nearby people looked at her and stopped chanting.

“You're murderers yourself, hypocrites!” - She exclaimed. - “Who gave you the right!?”

Somebody tossed a rotten vegetable at Noemi's face. Some other people close to the girl started laughing.

Noemi brushed it off and turned a deaf ear, she jumped over the barrier, but two night heralds blocked her way and tried to apprehend her, other two militants were coming.

“What are you doing!?” - Noemi shouted, struggling. - “Let me go!”

Two men grabbed her by the hand, but she managed to push them both away, she was fighting like a bear and more night heralds had to come. In the end, it took seven people to capture her.

The mayor was intrigued. It was the first time someone openly opposed capital punishment and it was the first time he saw someone of the girl's kind in the town. Although he read the report about new adventurers per monthly basis, so he still knew about her.

“Tell us, newcomer, do you sincerely believe it would be better to let a murderer roam the streets, freely killing others?” - The bat asked ceremonially, loud and clear enough so everyone would hear.

“Nobody said that! There are better alternatives!”

“Like what? Prison? Are we going to reward criminals with free accommodations and meals now?” - The mayor laughed and the crowd followed.

“Exile!” - Noemi speak.

“...and who is going to take responsibility If he would still murder another person?”

“Everyone.”

“Care to explain?”

“If warriors are too weak to protect citizens and elders aren't wise enough to change a person, then it means that the tribe must face that hardship to grow stronger.”

“Noemi... right?” - Bat remembered the name from the records. - “Did your tribe ever face starvation? Did they live in a place like ours, being raided by monsters every night and day?”

Noemi was silent.

“We live in a society, where resources are scarce, there will never be enough warriors to protect everyone day and night. Moreover, some people refuse to change.”

“It's still wrong! It was murder!” - Noemi shouted bluntly, she didn't know what else to answer.

“No, it's justice.” - Mayor calmly and coldly responded and signaled night heralds to take the girl away.

Noemi was dragged behind the barriers. She felt sick inside and knew that she wouldn't allow the deed to go unpunished.

At that time, there was a public reading of today's trial results.

“Gorros Bell, owner of 'Salty Slug', guilty of fraud. Penalty – sixty silver coins.

Antha Irious, minor theft. Penalty – chopping off left hand.

Dashar from Yord, killing not his slave. Penalty – five gold coins, returning four years of servitude.

Arath, arson, and murder. Penalty – death.”