1

A pair of paddy wagons pulled up in the middle of the road. Dust scattered into the air as their horses came to a screeching halt. It had been twenty-two minutes to the dot since a fight had broken out at the Drunken Tankard and now the long arms of the law had arrived to collect at the behest of Crest Evermore. The riders wore white and blue robes. There were three of them. Two helming one cart, and one driving the other.

One of the riders, the short and feminine-shaped one giggled to themselves.

“If I had a moolah for every time we’ve set foot here, I’d be richer than King Komodo,” Sasha Mordain snarked pulling the hood of her cloak back, revealing her wild auburn hair. She looked over to her cloaked companion sitting next to her, giving them an absurd grin. Bumping them on the shoulder, she attempted to elicit some humor from what had become routine. “Shit if he keeps busting dude’s asses like he is we might even be able to afford us our own kingdom one day.”

“Greedy as always Sasha,” Edge Rider, the man on the other cart, unveiled the hood of his cloak revealing his sour green hair. He smirked. “Why not marry a prince if you want glory so badly?” He asked, not an ounce of seriousness in his voice. “Oh wait, I forgot. You’re a hot-tempered tamale. No man wants a nag for a wife. Especially not royalty.”

“Leo!” Sasha whined looking up at the one sitting next to her. “Edge is bothering me again.”

Leo Lamour lifted the hood of his cloak back to reveal his golden blond hair. “Quit with the bullshit you two.” He commanded, giving them both glares. “Why can’t we ever just do a job without the hassle, huh? Look I know the smaller public disturbance cases don’t particularly interest you guys, but you can at least act like you’re taking them seriously.”

Expected.

He wasn’t taking her side.

Rolling her eyes, Sasha jumped out of the passenger side of the wagon, annoyed Leo wasn’t defending her but reprimanding them both. “Well maybe if Edge wasn’t such a loudmouth all the time, I wouldn’t give you so much ‘hassle’, Sir Leo Lame-O.” Pacing in front of the cart Sasha stretched as the Drunken Tankard came into view. She was about to walk ahead of her cohorts when along her way she stumbled. She let out a ‘Woah!’ as she hit a bump in the road. She looked down scowling. “What the hell?” Beneath her heel was a man in a fancy outfit.

The others jumped from their wagons onto the dusty road, coming around front to see what the bother was.

“What’s wrong Sasha?” Questioned Leo.

“Nothing,” Sasha said putting any tension at ease. “Just some hobo lying in the middle of the road.” Kicking him over, she revealed that the man hadn’t just been laying there. He was outright unconscious. Peculiarly, his jaw jutted to one side as if it had been dislocated. There was no bruise, no blemish that indicated he had been hit, but it looked nasty. Everyone was now staring at the man with cringed expressions.

He looked like he was in pain.

None of them knew it yet, but they were looking at the soundly defeated Captain Izel.

Edge took notice of his features, and his appearance struck him as odd. “Hey, doesn’t this guy look sort of….pirate-y? You think this is the work of—?”

“Crest,” Leo interrupted Edge. He looked up. In the distance, as he took a closer look, the upper half of the tavern door had been taken clean off. No doubt about it, that was the work of Crest the bouncer and a result of a fight. “Come on you guys, leave him be for now.”

Leo stepped over the body and began walking towards the tavern. The others followed in behind him, not giving the unconscious pirate a second glance as they passed. Whoever he was, it didn’t matter to them. What was more important was that he was the victim of a beating, and everyone had a good idea who had done it. If he was one of the crooks they had been sent for, they would attend to those details in a heartbeat. At the moment the one responsible was who they were looking for.

2

“Crest had to take out the trash recently I see,” an observant regular attempted to engage in light conversation with Dorsea as she took his order. Obviously, he was referring to the mess Crest had made.

“He’s quite the warrior our Crest. He’s a heck of a guy.” Dorsea shook her head as she leaned into the table penciling down everything the customer wanted. Something of a withered laughter squirmed its way out of her all the while. Being complimentary to that goofball for her was like eating her own heart. He was the kind of guy that made her roll her eyes, but she believed in the old motto, ‘credit where credit is due’.

Her head lifted from the table as she finished jotting down everything. Just then the sound of the front door cracking open attracted her attention. Through the front door came three familiar faces. As she picked her stuff up off the table, she greeted them. “Edge, Sasha, Leo, howdy.”

They all greeted her back, each stumbling over their brief words. Lingering on the dining room floor for only a few moments they were met with the usual sights they saw anytime they came around. A thug here. A thug there. Not one of them moving. Same as the guy outside. And though they had clearly been thrashed good, there was no sign of gore. Somehow, when Crest was involved there never was. It was part of a certain style he had picked up called ‘Whirlwind Wolf’. This technique was powerful, allowing him to take care of his enemies without drawing blood, a thing he considered needless to do.

“Hey Crest! Borka!” Dorsea yelled out beckoning the attention of her coworkers. “We got visitors!”

Crest was enjoying beers with Borka while she was on her break when Dorsea called. Their conversation came to an end at the mention of guests. They turned around. As they realized who it was, enthusiastic smiles dawned on their faces.

Leo gave a sideways wave as Crest noticed him.

Rising from his stool, Crest went over to meet with Leo and the others while Borka remained at the bar taking small sips of her beer.

Stepping up to Leo, he gave his friend a firm handshake.

Smiling through his razor-sharp teeth Crest looked tickled pink. “How’s it going partner?” He said with a welcoming tone.

While his greeting seemed inviting, his appearance wasn’t. Leo and his gang got a good look at him. The guy was still in his beast form.

“Well and good thank you,” Leo stared at him oddly as if something else was on his mind, and to say the least, he had a few words. An uncharmed expression appeared over his face. “Though Crest I must ask you, since I haven’t before, but ever since you’ve gotten that garish transformation, you’re always running around like that. Has it become that comfortable to you?”

“Well, I never. Was that a slight?” Crest snorted, sticking his nose up at Leo as though he were insulted. It was all in jest though. The jaunty smile quickly returned. “No. I kid. I’m not offended. Honestly, if you want the truth, it’s like a second skin to me. My shadow has become another identity. Another me. The true me. The monster that I know I am inside. It’s an armor that’s just as important to me as my sword.”

“I must admit,” Leo confessed. “If nothing else, you at least have the grip of a monster.” He looked down. They were still shaking hands. Leo was interlocked in Crest’s iron grip, his black claws digging into Leo’s glove. It was unconscious at this point.

“Oh, sorry,” cringing in embarrassment Crest let go.

Leo massaged his left hand; it was now throbbing. He began to stare at Crest with a grouchy gaze. Crest only shrugged in response. “Anyway,” Leo went on. “We shouldn’t be too long, we’re just here to collect.”

Crest’s face became deadpan. “Right, right, I know you guys are busy.” He gripped his neck running his hand down the length of it. “Well, I won’t hold you. But it'd be nice if you guys could stick around for a beer or something."

“Please, Crest,” Sasha wore a sultry smile. “Hold us as long as you’d like. He may pretend. But there’s no one Leo would rather be in the company of than you. He loooooovees you.”

“Sasha!” Embarrassed and glowing red, Leo bumped her in the shoulder. “Behave!”

Sasha continued. “Now you just tell us all the details of this little incident and we’ll do the rest.”

Crest laughed. Knowing that Leo cared for him, brought him joy.

“Well let me see here,” Crest pondered, a puzzled look covering his face. “The pirates came in. And I knew that they would be trouble, just by the stupid smirks on their faces. They drew their swords on Borka and I just had to put them in their place. Most of them are still here……and there. The captain I sent flying through that door over yonder. He's outside becoming one with the pavement. And one of them I didn’t bother to put down. He got away, but he should still be in the area. Can’t imagine a guy running around in the nude is going to be too hard to find.”

Leo’s eyes surveyed the scene one more time. It wasn’t though he found it shocking that Crest was so powerful. But the boy that he had grown up with had changed significantly since their hunting days. He hadn’t seen him improve every step of the way, but he could tell there was a difference. There was something almost artful in how Crest vanquished his foes now. There was care in his craft. As if each blow had been thoughtfully planned out and meticulously decided.

Leo often came and went without many words. Rarely giving a second thought as to what Crest had been up to in recent days. He figured it was the same old same old. However, curiosity must have gotten the better of him that day, because Leo suddenly felt an interest, an urge even, to catch up with his long-time friend.

Leo snapped his fingers. “Sasha! Edge! Pack those scoundrels away. They’ll answer to King Komodo and his court. As for me, I would like to catch up with Crest if you two don’t mind.”

“Sure, no problem boss,” Edge gave a salute.

“Hey wait a minute,” Sasha barked. “You expect Edge and little old me to do all that heavy lifting while you and your boyfriend play googly eyes for twenty minutes?”

Crest crossed his arms with a prideful look on his face. Ignoring Sasha, he looked only to Leo. “Well if you wanted to catch up, why didn’t you just say so?” He asked grabbing Leo by the shoulder and dragging him off over to the bar. He looked happier than a kid in a candy store, ecstatic that his friend was making time to listen to him.

“Seriously guys? What the heck!?” Sasha stomped her foot in aggravation, now noticing she’d have to work extra hard this time.

“Come on Sasha,” Edge called for her, already picking up the body of one of the pirates by the legs. “Help me heave this one.”

Sasha frowned as she turned around to see Edge struggling. The deadweight looked like a heavy bastard. Oh, what a chore, she thought, as she walked over and picked up the pirate by his arms. Why does a pretty girl like me have to suffer?

It was a question she probably asked herself often, but one that she already had the answer to long ago. She was a slave and she knew it.

3

Borka finished her beer and made her way back to the kitchen just as Crest and Leo took their seats at the bar. She wanted to keep herself busy and out of their conversation. Her break had ended anyway and, in all honesty, she didn’t want to bother them. To her faulty recollection, it was rare to see them talking about something that wasn’t business. Well, she assumed it wasn’t business, since they were sitting down to talk. They must have had something else to talk about other than those dreadful pirates still.

But a part of her was curious, almost envious. What kind of bond did men that were almost like brothers share? Crest had always had nothing but positive words to say about Leo. And though Crest acknowledged her too, she was jealous of Leo. She was close to Crest, but she wished to be closer.

4

Lou poured Leo a drink, then waddled off to attend to a sudden influx of customers who were popping up at the bar. It was now the busiest time of the day and Lou had his hands full.

Crest whistled. “Lou is a heck of a worker, look at him go.” He noted as the guy rushed to fill tankards one after the other. He was moving so fast it was a wonder he didn’t spill anything. He was an expert barista, and Crest respected that. Crest didn’t consider himself an expert at anything. Nothing important anyway. “Anyhow.” He went on. “What is it that you wanted to talk to me about Leo?”

“Ah yes,” Leo said bumping his head with a fist. “Well…” He sighed a heavy breath as if he were apprehensive about what he was going to say next. A perplexed look showed on Crest’s face, as Leo took his time getting to his question. But after a moment’s hesitation, he finally asked. “Have you reconsidered? About working for the crown, I mean? You could be part of the enforcers. You’re adept at using magic now, you could join the sorcerer unit, with me, Sasha, and Edge.”

Crest groaned, looking down at what remained of his beer. Despite being good, no, great friends with Leo, he hated the peerage whom he and his gang worked for. Crest could never allow himself to work for the king or be part of his sorcerer squadron. Even if that meant denying his friend. Even if it meant denying his pocket the riches. “Look isn’t it enough that I stop the bad guys so you can bring them to justice? I want nothing to do with your clown or his circus. No offense.”

“Crest!” Leo exclaimed astonished. “You mustn’t speak ill of the king.”

“Yeah, yeah whatever.”

Leo noticed the unpleasant and sad look upon Crest’s face. He was moping. For whatever reason he could not convince Crest to work under the hand of the king despite the perks that came with being his servant. At one point Leo had assumed it was because of Crest’s free spirit that he would not pledge himself to the king, but the more he dug the more it seemed it was only loathing that kept him from doing so.

“If you have such a distaste for the king, why do you leave judgment to his court? Why involve me?”

“Because you’re my friend and you’re a much more noble man than I. I’m not a judge. I have to leave that to the folks who actually know what they’re doing.”

Leo’s mouth curled. “We judge men through trials. If they pass, they are set free. If they fail, they die. We are no nobler than any other man.”

Crest looked up from his mug and stared at Leo out the corner of his eye. “Why is that? Are you saying you don’t believe trials are valid? Do you not believe the gods’ rulings are just?"

“I believe the gods are just. But I also believe men are faulty creatures. Because of the trials, we’ve let go some of the men that you’ve apprehended. Does that not bother you?”

Crest stared back at his beer and took another chug. It was all gone now. “Not particularly.” He said, looking indifferent. “As long as it’s out of my hands, then all is right with the world.”

Leo placed his hand on his. For the life of him, he couldn’t understand why Crest thought the way he did. Crest wasn’t a bystander to any crime. When he felt there was an injustice being done, he acted. He was a good samaritan all things considered. “But it is in your hand.” Leo went on. “All of it. Because of you men’s lives hang in the balance. You hold their feet to a fire they weren’t prepared to be burned by.”

Crest jerked his hand back. “But I won’t kill them.” His head shifted the other way. He wouldn’t look Leo in the eyes. “That’s the decision of the king and his court. Not mine. I let you handle things, because I want you to do well. I want you to have a successful career. But I have no interest in being the king’s lackey.”

“The king already knows of your power. He’s heard the rumors. He wants you. But I’m sure you’ve heard that enough already.”

“Yes. I get offers all the time. I don’t give a damn. I won’t work for him.”

Leo frowned. He wished Crest would cave for his own sake. He was playing a deadly game and they both knew it. “Crest you know if you kill a man without the jurisdiction to do so, you will be tried as a murderer. You’re too well known now to get away with it.”

“You’ve told me that before. That’s not who I am.”

“You don’t think that’s who you are. But look at your actions. You hand off the souls of those you’re unwilling to kill and leave them in the hands of people who are. What happens when you’re finally willing to cross that line for yourself?”

Crest turned his head to look Leo dead in his eyes. This time he didn’t flinch. His expression had become intense. “Understand this Leo,” he said without a hint of trepidation in his voice. “Only men can kill men. I am a monster, so I stick to killing monsters like me. People are fragile and weak; I’ve been cursed with strength. Having the power that I do, I must protect myself and my crew. Most men looking to hurt my friends have never run into a real monster. Something much stronger than they are. Killing isn’t against my code or rules or whatever, I just don’t believe I should destroy what has never known strength.”

His answer was a nice, clean answer. One that might have satisfied the inquisitive enough to end their questioning. But Leo wasn’t quite done yet. Crest was avoiding something, he was avoiding the truth. Leo was intent to get more out of him. “But.” He went on. “What if you’re unable to protect your friends? What if someone manages to hurt them? Kill them? What will you do then Crest? There might be a day when you have to kill. Or will you risk putting down your sword, when all you’ve ever known is a weapon, all to keep up the façade that you’re a sheep?”

Crest huffed. He had no comeback. Crest slammed his hand against the counter, seemingly in frustration. A response escaped him at the moment. He smiled something strange. “I’ll think about that when it comes.” He proclaimed, giving a non-answer.

Leo turned from Crest, looking down at his beer and taking a quick gulp. A splash of beer was left over his top lip, leaving it wet. Wiping his mouth, he let out a sigh. He looked longingly in front of him, staring at nothing but kegs of alcohol. Then a thought came to him. He was reminded of a touchy subject, he didn’t want Crest to bite his head off, but he felt inclined to ask about it anyway. “Are your friends here really so precious, that you would give up looking for your family? Didn’t you say you wanted to know what was beyond Umos? Do you really think you’re going to get what you want by staying here?”

Crest tsked. “I haven’t given up on my dream. I still have plenty of time to see the world. There isn’t any rush.” Deep down, Crest felt the words he was saying was a betrayal of what he truly wanted to say. It didn’t feel like there was as much time as he was letting on.

Leo raised an eyebrow. “You have time, sure. But it’s starting to seem you’re comfortable where you’re at. You’ve been loyal to this place for a while. Someone of your talent really should be working for the king, but if you refuse, and that’s your decision, you should at least get out of here. There’s a whole world waiting for you out there Crest, and I know how much you want to see it.”

Crest scoffed. He knew what he was saying was correct, but he didn’t feel Leo had room to talk. Neither of them had been outside of Umos. The fact that Leo had the balls to lecture him? Oh, the gall. “As if you would know.” He retorted. “Where have you been other than Umos? You’re in the same boat as me.”

Leo felt the need to correct him. He held up his hand in objection. “Ah, that’s where you’re wrong. We aren’t in the same boat. All I need is right here.” He spun around on his stool and faced the dining room floor to see Sasha and Edge still hard at work. “You on the other hand, are suffering. And for what? Your friends love you Crest, but you don’t owe them anything. The only person you owe anything is yourself, and you owe yourself the world. Think about it.”

Crest held his head in his hands, not saying a word. Leo was right. Crest needed to break free of his routine. He knew it, Leo knew it, everyone knew it. This couldn't be the final destination. In recent years it had become Crest’s goal to follow in the footsteps of his brother and father and see the world. It had become a personal promise to himself that he would meet them again out in the world one day, a full-fledged adventurer just like them; his ultimate end goal, the legendary Al Spar Munda.