Gunnar shook his head. “A hatchling, huh?”

“I can think of no better word for you.”

“Thanks for that.”

“Just give the spell a try. It’s not much yet. But I expect it’s a magical path you might want to follow.”

Gunnar focused, suddenly filled with a new understanding and awareness of the natural world. Mana coalesced at his fingers into a tiny wisp of flame as though his fingers were a lighter.

A small gust of wind rose up and doused the flame almost immediately.

“I’m gonna really mess up some baddies with that,” Gunnar said.

“Hatchling,” Sheira said. “But it will allow you to learn to manipulate flames. You can’t create flames well from scratch, but with practice you may learn to manipulate them in other ways, including putting them out. Which, for an assassin, could be very useful.”

Gunnar lit up a little at this.

“Practice,” Sheira said. “Learn how all your spells really work, what all you can do with them. What the possibilities might be with a little more knowledge and power. The more you practice, the more prepared you will be when greater opportunities come your way.”

Gunnar nodded.

“And that concludes our lesson,” Sheira said and began to walk off.

“You heading back to the crypt?”

“I’ll begin training this afternoon, but I’ve got my own shit to take care of till then. I’ll see you when I see you.” The elf made her way to the ladder at the edge of the rooftop.

“Hey, Sheira. Thanks! For everything.”

Sheira merely nodded, then vaulted over the edge and slid down the ladder without using a single rung, slowing herself by adding friction with her palms and boots.

Gunnar shook his head. He seriously thought she must have been an acrobat or a gymnast or something in her previous life.

She took off down the street and out of sight, and when Gunnar was sure no one was watching below, he descended as well, using each and every rung.

***

Back at the crypt, the leaders of the Cryptids gathered in the Soul Room for their first council meeting. The dwarves had fashioned a decent table from some scraps of wood, though the five of them sat upon small crates for the time being—well, four of them sat. Cork was so short, he could barely see over the edge of the table, so he stood on his crate.

“We’ll craft some real chairs once we get what we need,” Grippa said.

Gunnar couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of Cork scowling with his arms crossed.

“Did you get your supplies?” Gunnar asked the mountain orc.

Grippa nodded. “The essentials anyway. Hammers and nails and a proper ax and that sort of thing. It’ll take some time to build up all that we need. The money pool is not all that large at the moment, and I didn’t want to use it all up at once. We may need it for other essentials like food or blankets.”

Gunnar smiled at the way the orc had stepped up to the task of leadership. “I appreciate all that both of you have done to bring our groups together. Cork, do you think you can put together some teams? I’d like to start sending some hunting and gathering parties out into the woods.”

Cork furrowed his brow. “Well, someone’s got to do it while you’re off gallivanting, don’t they?”

Gunnar wasn’t sure what the dwarf meant.

“It’s always nice hearing secondhand that the leader of your new faction is leaving for an unknown amount of time.”

“Sorry,” Em said, turning to him. “I thought you’d have mentioned it by now.”

Gunnar grimaced. “I was going to here in a minute. Well, yes, Em and I have a quest in Mavenport. Cork, you and Grippa are going to be left in charge while I’m away.”

“Ahem.”

“Er, and the Crypt Keeper,” Gunnar said.

Cork huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. “Well, it’s a damn good thing you didn’t make that kobold a council member.”

Gunnar tried to suppress a bemused smile. “I may be the founder, but this is your faction. All of you. This is an opportunity to start making it your own.”

“What should we be working on while you’re away?” Grippa asked.

“Sheira will be leading you all through drills, but beyond that, I think the three of you should decide. You have the power to assign roles and create quests.”

Grippa nodded. “Housing and supplies, of course.”

“And cleaning up the bloody mess in my halls,” the Crypt Keeper said.

“And then what?” Cork asked.

“We need ways for everyone to gain XP and to contribute to the faction,” Grippa said.

“But not in the city,” Cork said.

“This place is a den of thieves, but it still benefits the rich and powerful,” Grippa said. “When we defended ourselves in this crypt, I think it lit a spark in all of us to resist the way of things.”

“We’re a bunch of slaves and hobos,” Cork said. “Not revolutionaries.”

“Perhaps,” said Grippa. “But small acts can still add up to something. Look what we’ve already done with these Merry Men.”

“If you say, Rob the rich to feed the poor, I will punch you,” Cork said, glowering.

“Rob the rich to feed us, more like!”

Gunnar just shook his head and smiled. “Grippa might be on to something there. We need quests. This world would most likely provide them through robbing the common folk that live outside the city walls, but there are still some traders that cross by land and pass through the western gates. I bet there’s plenty of opportunities for raiding.”

“More slavers, I’ll bet,” Grippa said.

“And who knows what else,” Gunnar said.

Cork shrugged, but nodded. “All right, well, we will need some informants to watch the roads, and learn more in one of the outer villages.”

“Sounds like a great start,” Gunnar said. “Anything else?”

“Er,” Grippa said. “Before all that, there’s something I’d like you all to consider. A first quest, I guess you might say.”

“What’s that?” Gunnar asked.

The mountain orc looked over at him sheepishly. “It’s about Dash, the, er, merman from the slaver.”

“I thought he swam off,” Gunnar said.

“He did,” Grippa said. “But while I was in the city, I sort of ran into him.”

“Impressive, considering you were trading on the western end of the city, nowhere near the port.”

Grippa looked down. “I’m sorry, sir. I wanted him to know we were all alright.”

“What’s he still doing lingering around Thailen?” Gunnar asked.

“He needs help,” Grippa said. “You see, his princess-to-be is still here in the city. Came on a slaver a few days before we did. Apparently, she’s been put to humiliating work at one of the taverns in the city.”

Gunnar’s stomach sank. “Yeah… I know the place you’re talking about.”

“You do?”

“He’s the one who sent Kohli to attack us. I think I know where this is going, and I’m afraid I’ve got to say no. Sykes is too powerful, and it’s only been a few days since we got this crypt safe so Sykes couldn’t find us. It’s too risky.”

Grippa’s expression fell. “I understand. It’s just that Dash is a good friend of mine.”

Cork cleared his throat. “I believe a matter like this is not Gunnar’s decision alone. This is a council, is it not?”

“Of course, you’re right,” Gunnar said. “Anyone else in favor of crossing the man we just barely managed to hide this crypt from? I am a firm No.”

“I am a firm Yes,” Grippa said.

Cork shrugged. “This Sykes is a piece of shit, and this sounds like a low-key quest. Rescue one mermaid stripper? What can that take? One or two people? Besides, it might succeed simply because of the audacity of it. I am a Yes.”

Gunnar frowned and turned to the Crypt Keeper. The old woman raised her hands. “If you say it is a risk, then I vote No.”

“Em?” Gunnar asked.

Em did not hesitate. “I hate any scum who trafficks women or mermaids or anyone else. Besides, we’re about to leave the city. We don’t even need to come back to the crypt, so it really shouldn’t be a risk to anyone except us.”

“Us?” Gunnar asked.

“A crew of one or two Rogues?” Em asked. “Sounds like a good one for you and me.”

Quest Update - Mermaid’s Heist

Description: For Sykes, you are the gift that just keeps on giving. Your ally’s pal, Dash, was separated from the love of his life by slavers, and now, she’s been put to work at the Mermaid’s Shells.

Objective: Free the princess Lydenestra from her bondage.

Reward: Increase the morale of your faction. Form a bond of trust with the merfolk of Altaea. But failure could really upend your future goals with the Nighthawks. So have fun with that!

Do you wish to accept? Yes/No