Orabas made use of his blessing and ignited his index finger to a bright red then he waved it over a small block of cheese atop his rye bread. The cheese melted into the bread slowly, and when he was satisfied with the way the cheese melted, he cooled his finger. He waited two dozen heartbeats for the cheese to cool and to seep into the bread before he picked it up and bit into it. He found the way the cheesy melted in his tongue satisfactory, but he much preferred his cheese melted into wheat bread. He grabbed his mug of brown ale and took a drink to wash down the bread and cheese. Wine and ale were abundant in the larder of the Anvil and Hammer, it seemed that while nyghtmare was Master Rickert’s vice, alcohol was Jace’s.

Perhaps when all this is over, I’ll introduce Jace to the teachings of the Unseen. It could help him master himself as I did.

Orabas bit into the rest of the cheese bread and chewed slowly as he ruminated over the last two days. After cleaning up the shop and transporting Master Rickert's body to the Corpsedressers, Orabas decided that the details of Master Rickert's suicide and letter would not be released to anyone but Jace, Orabas himself, and his unit. To everyone else, Master Rickert simply committed suicide for unknown reasons, and his apprentice was deemed innocent of his death. Orabas predicted that Solas would send someone after Jace to get more details of Master Rickert's death and to kill him. For Jace was a liability now that he had come into contact with Bastion Knights. So, for the last two days, Orabas hid in the Anvil and Hammer, waiting for the fish to bite. Jace had not been approached by any fish in those two days, but Orabas was confident that they would show up soon.

As Orabas took a drink from his brown ale, he heard the shop door creak open. He stood up, and made for an area in the kitchen he found that let him overhear what was being said without being spotted. For the past two days Jace had closed the shop door quietly, but this time the shop door closed shut with a loud slam. It was the signal that Orabas instructed Jace to use when he believed that the fish had come for him. There was the shuffling of footsteps, three maybe four people including Jace.

“You know who we are?” A voice that wasn’t Jace’s asked.

“I think so, but I had hoped that you all would leave me be.”

There was a round of laughter. “No such luck, unfortunately. We had to wait to make sure no Bastion Knights were skulking about. You can relax we just have a few questions for you.”

“Did Rickert really kill himself?” A rough voice asked.

“Yes.”

“Did the Bastion Knights find the cache of drugs?” Another said.

“Yes. They also figured out that Master Rickert was delivering drugs. They questioned me and I feigned innocence of any involvement and that I knew anything about it. I think they believed me which is why they let me go.”

There was a moment of silence perhaps the fish were deciding whether they believed Jace or not.

Jace was rather convincing, I’m impressed he didn’t waver.

“How much do you know?” Came the question after the moment of silence.

“I know that Master Rickert was getting the drugs from you people, but I don’t know your identity, nor do I want to know. With Master Rickert dead I no longer have any reason to deliver drugs for you, so please leave and don’t approach me again. I’ll not speak of you to anyone.”

Judging that it was the right time. Orabas rolled up the sleeves of his uniform to his elbows and began making his way to the shop.

“Sorry apprentice, but we can’t let you live.” A fish said.

Orabas grabbed two pouches from his belt both filled with a pitch-covered ball of cloth and set them atop his palms. “Jace, duck.”

Orabas entered the shop where three men in dark green gambeson were surrounding Jace with daggers drawn. Jace was ducking, protecting his head with his arms as the fish turned to Orabas in surprise.

“Gods!”

“The Inquisitor of the Sun!”

“Grab the apprentice!”

Orabas made use of his blessing and ignited his palms. The pouches instantly became balls of fire in his hands, and he threw one at the smarter fish who was reaching for Jace. He jumped out of the way, and the ball of fire hit a wall with weapons on display, the weapons glowed a dull red as the ball of fire fell to the ground, still burning. Orabas threw the other ball of fire at the fish running towards him and caught him in the chest. The fish’s gambeson burst into flames as he fell to the floor wailing and rolling.

“Gods! Help me! Help me!”

Orabas ignored the burning fish and turned his attention to Jace and the remaining fish. Jace, in the chaos, had run towards the shop door and had his back to it panting in what seemed excitement and fright. The two fish were wary, one had his dagger pointed at Orabas, the smart fish went to a wall and grabbed a longsword keeping his eyes on Orabas as he did so.

“Jace, go and fetch the others.” Orabas had his eyes on the fish, so he didn’t see Jace leave, but he heard the shop door open and shut quickly.

“One of you will live the other will be seeing the Unseen.” Orabas heated his orange hands to a blinding white and approached the fish.

“Don’t panic! Grab a sword and keep your distance!” The smart fish told the other fish.

The fish obeyed and made to grab a sword, and Orabas rushed him immediately when he did so. The fish turned back to him in alarm and made a wild slash with his dagger, but he was too slow. Orabas caught the fish’s wrist with one blinding white hand, then flesh and bone melted in his grip.

“Ahhhh!” The fish’s scream joined the burning fish’s scream as he fell to his knees alongside what remained of his hand and dagger. The smart fish had used that moment to attack Orabas forcing him to step away from the now handless fish as he avoided a slash that caught him in his upper right arm which his padded uniform stopped from cutting flesh.

Orabas was planning to capture the handless fish and kill the smart one, but when he stepped away the smart fish shoved his longsword through the handless fish's neck who was still in shock, staring at his charred stump. He didn’t even notice his death.

Smart and vicious.

“I suppose you’ll have to do.” Orabas raised his burning white hands in a wind form combat stance preparing to go through the smart fish's guard and take his hands.

The smart fish said nothing as he pulled the longsword out of the dead fish's neck and took a stance of his own and approached. His slashes were quick and practiced, but Orabas was as the wind as he weaved through them and got closer. The smart fish was skilled and knew to keep at a distance, backing away every time Orabas got close. They continued their dangerous dance for a long moment, Orabas taking a few shallow cuts to his arms and uniform before he realized he wouldn’t be able to get close to the smart fish as he was now. So, when the smart fish retreated again, Orabas didn’t follow, and instead, retreated as well.

Orabas breathed steadily. “You’re a smart fish.” He heated his hands once more to a luminescent bluish-white that warped the air around his hands. “I’ll give you a chance to surrender. I’m not confident I can take you in alive.” He was sweating heavily, he couldn’t maintain this heat for long.

The smart fish scoffed but his expression was wary. “You won’t be taking me in at all.”

Orabas said nothing else as he straightened his hands and made them knife-like. No longer needing to avoid the longsword he approached the smart fish without hesitation. The smart fish was startled, but he recovered quickly and stepped in for an overhead swing that Orabas met with his right hand. There was a screeching hiss as his luminescent right hand melted through the steel longwords when it touched his flesh. The top portion of the sword that was cut fell to the ground, and the broken sword passed him by harmlessly.

“Gods!” The smart fish cursed looking at his broken sword in disbelief.

Not one to pass up an opportunity, Orabas swept the smart fish’s right leg with his own and cooled his hands as the smart fish lost balance and fell to the floor. He stomped on the smart fish’s right arm that was still holding the broken sword, and he let out a yelp, losing his grip on it. Orabas kept his foot on the smart fish's right arm and loomed over him with a now blinding white right index finger, Orabas bent down and pressed his index finger into the smart fish’s left shoulder.

“What are you doing!” The smart fish struggled as Orabas’s index finger when through cloth, flesh, and bone before touching the stone floor.

Orabas had cooled his left hand entirely, and he used it to cover the smart fish’s mouth and squeezed. “Arggg!” He flailed like a fish, but it was no use, he was pinned to the floor securely.

The smart fish's flailing grew weaker then came to a complete stop when he fainted. Orabas removed his hand, then index finger, and cooled it.

Time to take a look at what I caught.

Orabas first approached the fish he had hit with a fireball. The fish’s gambeson only made him burn faster, his flesh was red and charred with blood and burns, but Orabas could still hear him breathing faintly. So, he unsheathed his dagger and gave the fish a quick merciful death by stabbing him in the heart. He made a prayer to the Unseen for his soul, and then stomped out the still burning fireballs with his boots. He moved on to the handless fish and went through his pockets. He found a small coin pouch, a key, and some strips of dried salted meat. Finding nothing else, Orabas returned to the unconscious fish and went through his pockets. He found a heavy coin pouch and a small pouch of dark blue powder that didn’t look like nyghtmare or any drug Orabas had seen before.

Curious. Is it just a more refined nyghtmare? Or a new drug?

Orabas strapped the pouches he collected to his belt, then cleaned and cauterized his wounds with a warm orange finger as he waited for his unit and Jace to arrive. They were hiding in Master Rickert’s, now Jace’s house in the Craftsman District. It was a fair distance away, but Orabas had expected them to arrive quickly considering they had their horses hitched to a nearby stable.”

As if answering his call. Sir Chance burst through the shop door, longsword drawn, Sir Damien, Sir Chase, and Jace close behind. “Sir Orabas, we’ve come!”

Orabas regarded them with a displeased glance but decided not to reprimand them. “Good. Take this one, and put him atop the wagon.” He nudged the unconscious fish with his boot. “The corpses as well.”

Sir Chance seemed apologetic as he nodded and sheathed his longsword. He made for the unconscious fish, Sir Damien, and Sir Chase went for the corpses, and Jace approached Orabas.

Jace looked over his messy shop and sighed. “What now?” He asked Orabas hesitantly.

“You’re to come with us to our barracks. It won’t be long before Solas or whoever sent these men after you suspects that they won’t be returning. You’ll be our guest for the time being.”

“Guest?” Jace ran his hand through his unruly hair. “It sounds more like I’d be a prisoner.”

“As far as I’m concerned you’ve done your part,” Orabas said as he put his thick leather gloves back on. “If you believe you’re no longer in danger then you’re free to stay.”

Jace seemed to contemplate it for a moment, then nodded. “I’m staying here.”

“Truly?” Orabas asked, surprised.

Jace smiled weakly. “This is my smithy, and shop now. I can’t run away at every sniff of danger. It’s not good for business. Besides, I need to clean the shop, it’s… a mess. If you need my help with anything else I’ll be here.”

Is it the folly of youth or does he truly believe he’s no longer in danger?

Whatever Jace’s reason. It was his decision, so Orabas didn’t try to convince him otherwise, instead, he grabbed the pouch with the blue powder, and presented it to Jace. “Do you know what this is?”

Jace took it, opened it, and pinched some of the dark blue powder. Orabas saw a glint of recognition in Jace's eyes as the blue powder slipped through his fingers. “I’m not sure. I rarely delivered this, but when I did… it was always in the Craftsman District.”

“Anywhere specific in the Craftsman District?”

Jace closed the pouch and returned it to Orabas. “The fountain, Alm’s Tears. There's a loose brick in the foundation that I was to always hide it in.”

I’ll send someone to investigate while I interrogate the fish.

“My thanks. If you’re ever in need of my help come to me or show the mark of the Unseen to a Bastion Knight they’ll inform me.”

Jace looked at the mark of the Unseen branded into his right palm and nodded. “I will, and thank you for honoring Master Rickert's last request.” He said solemnly.

Orabas smiled slightly and grabbed the heavy coin pouch he had taken from the unconscious fish. “For your cooperation, and as an apology for damaging your shop.” He said handing the coin pouch to Jace.

Jace was astonished as he weighed the coin pouch in his hands. Orabas turned to leave the shop alongside the rest of his unit who were taking the corpses and unconscious fish to the wagon. “Farewell, Jace. Not many get a second chance as you do, so stay out of trouble from now on.”

“I will, Sir Orabas.”

*****

Orabas threw a bucket of cold water at the unconscious fish. He woke with a gasp and a furious shake of his head. When he was done shaking, he blinked and looked around his cell in the deepest depth of the barracks dungeon that Orabas had Sir Lance reserve and clear of other prisoners.

“Hello, fish,” Orabas greeted as he handed the metal bucket to Sir Chance to refill with water.

The fish didn’t reply and instead tested the shoulder that Orabas bore a hole in. He winced but did nothing else, he couldn’t. Orabas had taken off the fish’s clothing, leaving him naked save his britches, and placed him on a chair bolted to the stone floor. The fish and chair were wrapped in heavy chains to keep him in place, and Orabas sat across from him on a wooden stool.

“What’s your name, fish?”

The fish simply scowled.

“Who sent you and the others after the apprentice?”

“No one. He owed us a debt.” He attempted a shrug.

“Where do the drugs come from?” Orabas asked as Sir Chance returned with another bucket of water.

“There are drugs in the city?” The fish asked with mock horror.

“Indeed there are.” Orabas grabbed the pouch with the blue powder from his belt. “This blue powder what is it?”

Orabas had sent Sir Chase and Sir Damien to investigate Alm’s Tears, but they wouldn’t return until tomorrow, and he wanted answers now.

The fish stole a glance at the pouch but had no notable reaction. “No idea. I’ve never seen it.”

Orabas placed the pouch back on his belt, then gestured Sir Chance forwards with a wave of his hand. Sir Chance understood and approached the fish, lifting his legs. He tried to struggle, but he was too tightly wrapped in his chains. Orabas grabbed the bucket and placed it underneath the fish’s feet, then Sir Chance let his legs fall into the bucket.

Orabas made use of his blessing and ignited his right hand to a warm orange. “Who are the people helping you cache and deliver the drugs throughout the city?”

The fish met Orabas’s eyes defiant and said nothing.

“You’re a smart fish,” Orabas dipped his warm orange hand into the bucket of water. “I don’t think I have to tell you what I’m going to do if you’re not cooperative.” Steam rose from the bucket as the cool water warmed.

The fish flinched, but his eyes were still defiant. “You won’t kill me.” He said confidently.

“No.” Orabas agreed, then heated his orange hand further.

The water and the fish both hissed as the temperature rose. Orabas removed his hand from the bucket and stood up to loom over the fish. “I don’t believe torture is effective.” He reached out to the fish with a bright orange index finger, and the fish moved his head as far back as he could manage. “You won’t break and the whole ordeal will be pointless, or you will break and you will tell me whatever it is you think I want to hear.” He touched the fish’s forehead with his index finger. “Either way, I won't be getting the truth from you.”

“You said no torture!” The fish yelled painfully as his flesh burned underneath Orabas’s finger.

“No. I said I don’t think it’s effective.” He seared a straight line across the fish’s forehead with his finger. “But I have to try.” He heated his finger to a blinding white. The fish’s skin charred, and his scream echoed throughout the dungeon.

Orabas took no pleasure in torture, and he truly didn’t think it effective, but in this case, it was the prelude to the actual interrogation.

*****

Orabas rubbed his eyes, trying to adjust to the darkness in his cell, but he could hardly make anything out. He had taken a nap in the cell next to the fish after the torture session since he had exhausted himself using his blessing for too long.

I don’t feel affected by my curse, but I should meditate. It could strike unexpectantly, and I don’t want my emotions getting the better of me in such an important interrogation.

He rose from the knitted blanket he had used as a bed and stretched his muscles. After he was finished he sat down cross-legged on his blanket and closed his eyes. As he meditated, the words Eldest Brother told him when they first met echoed in his mind.

Do not place the blame on a curse for your actions. Our body and emotions are the only things we are truly masters of. I will teach you how to master them. Is that not why you sought us out?

Hearing footsteps, Orabas opened his eyes and was greeted by an approaching torch illuminating the dungeon. Orabas remained seated on his blanket as the torchbearer, Sir Lance, passed him by without acknowledging him. Orabas found that commendable, he chose Sir Lance for this because he looked and acted like a scoundrel after all. Sir Lance and the torch faded from Orabas’s vision as Sir Lance made his way to the fish’s cell. There was a soft ring as keys jangled and then a metallic screech as Sir Lance scratched iron bars with keys.

“Wake up.” Said Sir Lance.

The fish groaned and spoke weakly. “I-I won’t tell you shit.”

Even though Orabas didn’t put much effort into the torture, he had to admire that the fish didn’t break or give anything up. He was a loyal man or he feared whoever pulled his strings more than Orabas and the Bastion Knights. Orabas was counting on the latter.

“Did you talk?” Sir Lance asked roughly.

“I said I won't talk, you bastard!”

“That’s not what I asked.” Sir Lance said impatiently. “Did you tell The Inquisitor of the Sun anything?”

There was a quiet lull for a moment. “Who are you?” The fish finally asked.

“Answer my question. Did. You. Talk?

“I-I didn’t say anything.” Said the fish, a hint of fear in his voice. “Did he send you?”

Again, there was a quiet lull, longer than than the one beforehand. After three dozen heartbeats, Sir Lance finally responded. “I don’t believe you.” He said somberly.

Keys jangled and there was a soft click as Sir Lance opened the fish’s cell door.

“Wait! Wait!” The fish said desperately. “I’m loyal! I’ve always been loyal!”

“Even if that were true we can’t risk you talking. Sorry.” Sir Lance said with convincing regret.

“Stop! You can’t kill me! Solas will have your head!”

Orabas grinned for what felt like the first time since he and his unit were assigned the task of finding the one behind the drug trade in Mefleiad.

“Why?” Sir Lance asked hesitantly. “What’s so special about you that Solas cares about your fate?”

The fish let out a relieved laugh. “I’m Cedric of House Owlking, Solas is my cousin.”

“What proof do you have of this? I can’t simply take you at your word.”

“The tattoo inside of my lip! Only those that Solas trusts above all others have it! Surely he informed you of that before placing you here!”

So, Solas has placed men within our ranks.

“Hold still, I’ll check.” Said Sir Lance.

Chains rattled, and there was a soft wince from the fish. “Now that you’ve seen it, let me go. Where are the others?” The fish said elatedly.

“Strange tattoo.” Sir Lance confirmed. “You should take a look, Sir Orabas.”

Orabas stood up from his blanket and opened his cell door as the fish let out a surprised yelp. “What!”

Orabas approached the fish’s cell and was greeted by Sir Lance torch in hand, smiling roguishly. “Excellent work, Sir Lance.” He commended the man.

Sir Lance shrugged lazily. “What can I say, it comes naturally to me.”

Orabas chuckled and turned his attention to the burned and battered fish who was looking up at them in horror. “Hello, fish. Or rather, Cedric of House Owlking.”