There was no way in hell I was going to have those shackles put on willingly. Sure, it wasn’t a slave collar; I knew that. But the way I saw it, being shackled, was one step away from losing my freedom again. Plus, the Guardsman, apparently the one in charge, mentioned the interrogation room, a place I’ve had not-so-fond memories of. And so, watching the pair of gate guards while the other four hurried over, I tried my best to rein in my temper and explain myself.

After all, I wasn’t stupid not to understand that a lot had changed since Rayden issued me the ID card, and the details on it simply did not match with the current me.

“Look, guys. I don’t want any trouble. The thing is...”

“Then put these on yourself,” the Guardsman cut me off, unmoved by my plea.

[Guardsman: lvl 129]

Damn! The man was stronger than me - doesn’t mean I wouldn’t dare to face him. If he were alone, that was. He wasn’t, though.

[Guardswoman: lvl 124]

Even Brynn had a few levels on me, and the four that finally caught up with us were at similar levels to her. There wasn’t much to think about. To stand up to them would be insane, especially when my mana reserves were at rock bottom. Actually, even if I were in top condition, I would shy from facing them all at once.

So I took a breath and tried to look as unthreatening as possible but resolute. “Seriously, you won’t get those shackles on me, not in a million years.”

“Either we do this the easy way, or... we’ll make you! It’s up to...”

“Look, I’ll sit on that hill over there,” I said, not wanting to listen to the man’s threats when I saw no point to them. I wasn’t going to wear the shackles willingly, period. “Call Rayden. She’s the one who issued me the ID. I’ll wait, won’t move my ass. I promise. Just... don’t try to put those on me.” I would bite back.

“That sounds reasonable, Elias,” Brynn said, nodding to herself before she glanced at the rest of the gate guards. “Guys, did you notify the barracks? Captain Rayden?”

“Traiana’s tits! Why would we do that?” one of the men who came running from the guardhouse shook his head. “We’d be laughingstocks if we called for help because of someone like her.”

“What’s the deal with her, Elias?” Another asked, her weapon pointed at me like the others. “Isn’t that Grey? She looks like her to me.”

“Same here,” said another. “I was just watching her match yesterday.”

“Aren’t we supposed to wait for her arrival?”

The Guardsman shook his head, gritting his teeth. “You ought to bloody address me, sir. And it’s not her. The details on the ID card don’t match.” His fixation on the slight error and an unwillingness to let it go bordered on stubbornness. It was frustrating, so much that I couldn’t keep from growling out loud. Not a very smart move. All six immediately froze, tense, waiting to see what I do next.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to...”

“Then you shouldn’t have done it,” the Guardsman cut me off, again.

Pissed off at him for doing that, I didn’t let it go this time. “And you shouldn’t point weapons at someone for making a minor mistake like that! The details don’t match because my name changed, I went through Class Evolution, and my mana adjusted with my guardianship!”

“Nice story. But I don’t give a fuck. It’s common sense to update your ID card when shit like that happens.”

Yeah, what could I say? “I’ve been told it's something I miss. I mean, common sense.”

“That’s your problem. We can solve all this shit easily if you put these on,” the Guardsman rattled the shackles again.

A shiver ran down my spine, followed by anger filling my heart. “Never!”

“Is that really necessary, Elias?” Brynn asked the man. “I mean, I don’t update my ID every time either...”

“But you damn should. It’s your obligation as a Sahal citizen. Your ID card is supposed to be up to date,” the Guardsmen told both his fellow guards and me. The man was obviously one of those people who followed the rules to the letter. Not that it was a bad thing. Just, sometimes the rulers didn’t quite fit the situation and needed to be bent a bit. Unfortunately, this one didn’t seem keen on turning a blind eye to my blunder.

“How else are we, as city guards, supposed to know who we’re dealing with, huh?”

“They could issue everyone an Identification Station instead of just Tablets,” suggested one of the gate guards and added: “...sir.”

“Are you nuts? These things are expensive as shit.”

“Not to mention that every one of them is being tracked by the Empire. In the wrong hands....” The man didn’t finish the sentence for everyone to figure out the consequences of one of those devices falling into enemy hands.

“Issuing one to everyone is nonsense. They’d have to put an Imperial Agent on everyone’s ass.”

“I’d rather quit,” scowled one of them at the idea of being watched all the time.

I could relate to the sentiment. Being watched wherever you go sucked. But somehow, I learned to ignore the agent’s presence when I was in the city, that nagging feeling at the back of my neck, that feeling that...was back. SHIT! That bastard was out there somewhere, watching me. With things getting out of hand at the gate, I didn’t have time to pay attention to it, but now I was sure. It was definitely him and not anyone else who had their eyes on me. After the weeks of having him on my tail, I could tell at least that much.

Hard to describe, but there were nuances in that nagging feeling, making it possible for my instincts to discern him from all the looks I was getting when I walked through the city. But the question was, why the hell wasn’t he here?

From what I could tell, that bastard wasn’t even moving, let alone rushing over to my aid. Instead, he was sitting there with his thumbs up his ass enjoying my fuck-up, for sure. Not that I didn’t get the man. I’d be pissed, too, if my ward, Idleaf, did crazy shit like teleporting from Castiana into a forest full of beasts without me knowing. I’d probably let her have it, too.

Still! Did he think I was gonna let myself get arrested and put in shackles? Or was he banking on me defending myself?

“Shut the fuck up, guys!” the Guardsman, Elias apparently, berated his fellow guards. “This is a serious matter. Why the hell do you think we check ID cards, huh? The chick could be who she says she is, an airhead like Brynn here, or for all we know, she could be an enemy spy, messing with us here while the real Grey rots in a ditch somewhere.”

The man had a point; I had to give him that. But... “Would a spy let herself be discovered this easily, though?” It would have to be a really dumb spy who had no idea how basic things like ID cards worked in the Sahal Empire. By that, I don’t mean I was dumb, just clueless at times. Usually, people didn’t even realize when they grew up in it from a young age how many ingrained customs and unwritten rules were in society, how much that could be overwhelming for a foreigner like me, especially if other matters like surviving took precedence with you.

“Come on, Elias...she’s right.”

“Don’t give me that shit, Brynn. I’m not letting someone I don’t know who she is into the city. What if she kills someone there, huh? I won’t take that risk. Do you, any of you?”

I could see all five guards thinking about it, mulling over it in their minds, while they kept their eyes on me. In the end, none of them objected and just gripped the hilts of their weapons tighter. I couldn’t blame them; the man had a point, again. Not that it did any good to get me out of this mess, quite the opposite.

“I thought so,” the Guardsman muttered under his breath, his full attention back on me. “For the last time, then. Are you going to put these shackles on yourself, or...?” He didn’t have to say more; I understood the hanging threat. Or they were just gonna make me.

Still, as simple to resolve as putting the shackles on would make the whole situation, I couldn’t do that. “Sorry...just if you could get someone here. It doesn’t have to be Rayden. Blaine, Marcus, or Janina. Seriously, I’ll wait, sitting on my ass, doing nothing.” I was getting pretty desperate; thoughts of what to do when they attack were racing through my mind. “If you’d done it right away, they might have been here by now.”

Should I fight back, let Idleaf teleport me over to Esulmor, or hit them with my beast presence? None of that sounded like a good idea. And if Sah was hoping I’d scream to him for help, he was damn wrong.

“So, the hard way, huh?” the Guardsman sighed and signaled to his fellow guards. They all moved at once in a coordinated effort, something my squad was lacking, to subdue me. They were fast, faster than I expected, so I did the only thing I could do in that split second. I unleashed my beast presence, hitting them with the full force of it. Not that I could do otherwise.

Expectedly, all six stopped in their tracks, frozen in fear. Some were visibly shaking, and others’ skin took on pale hues. What was going on in their pants was something I didn’t dare to guess. Instead, knowing there was no talking to them, I took the chance, turned on my heel, and bolted off back into the wilds. I could figure out how to get into the city later when I wasn’t being threatened with the shackles and the interrogation room.

The issue with my presence didn’t take long to show up, and the gate guards recovered from their shock in a few heartbeats. Yet, to my surprise, and despite their earlier determination to get me, they didn’t give chase.

“This is way outside our league, Elias,” I heard one of them say as I slowed down.

“Yeah, it is. Call it in,” the Guardsman nodded, watching me cautiously, while one of his fellow guards turned around to rush back to the guardhouse - I guess ‘call it in’.

Whether I should rejoice or worry was beyond me, though. On the one hand, they could call Rayden or one of her lieutenants, who knew me. Hell, I think most of the master guards knew me, too. I was sure I could reason with them. On the other hand, the city guards did not operate outside the city, as far as I knew.. That was a matter for the army, meaning if they made that call, I could have soldiers on my tail.

‘Shit!’ I immediately thought of Colonel Gill. The man wasn’t exactly fond of me. He even tried to kill me. So, it wasn’t hard to imagine him pulling some strings and making sure they sent someone, let’s say, not so gentle to do the job once he finds out.

“Okay, that’s enough!” the familiar voice of an Imperial Agent boomed through the area. Sah didn’t make any threats, nor was it fear of getting in trouble that stopped me dead in my tracks. I was pissed, royally pissed, that he decided to show up only now.

“Sir?” the Guardsman wondered at Sah’s appearance, obviously aware of who the man was. However, unlike the other gate guards, he was fairly calm in his presence, unfazed, you could say, just puzzled.

“Sergeant, I’ll take it from here. No need to make the call,” Sah told him and looked at me. “Get back here, Grey.”

“I’m not sure I want to!” I barked back, arms crossed over my chest.

The bastard chuckled, which made some gate guards even more uncomfortable. “Nobody’s gonna put shackles on you.”

‘And what about the interrogation room?’ I kept that remark to myself, though. It wouldn’t be fair to the Guardsman and would only sound like I was throwing a tantrum, which I was dying to do, but I already felt he was treating me like a kid. So I swallowed whatever snide remarks were on my tongue and slowly made my way back.

“But, sir, her ID card...you’re sure it’s her.”

Sah nodded. “I’m sure, Sergeant.”

“If you say so, sir.” If anything, the Guardsman seemed glad that this whole mess was over and he could get back to his otherwise peaceful job.

“How can you be so sure?” Brynn asked, finding her courage. The Guardswoman wasn’t questioning Sah’s judgment; she was genuinely curious and too chatty for her own good. “Were you able to say that from such a distance? Is this a skill all Imperial Agents have? You know, when I was a kid, I wanted to be one.”

“Interesting,” Sah raised an eyebrow. “What changed your mind?”

“Actually, I don’t know,” Brynn shrugged. “Everyone’s been talking bad about spooks and...sorry, sir. I mean, Imperial Agents. Not that I think badly of you. You seem like a nice-ish guy. So, is that a skill?”

The man seemed lost for words, and that was rarely seen. “Yeah, I’d like to know the answer to that, too. How can you be sure it’s actually me?” I asked as I reached them. This time no one was pointing a weapon at me or threatening to put me in shackles, a nice change.

Sah gave me an amused glance, and then he looked back at Brynn and the rest of the gate guards. “I was keeping an eye on this gate way before Grey showed up.” His voice took on a more serious tone than I expected, and the way the guard stiffened told me it wasn’t just about me anymore.

“Well,....your performance wasn’t exactly brilliant,” Sah said, deliberately prolonging the whole thing, tormenting the men and women. “But I can’t say I was disappointed. Some of you could do with taking your assignment more seriously.” The look he gave Brynn when he said that spoke volumes, and no one missed it. His remark served as a warning to her, in fact, to all of them. “However, I must say that the Sergeant assessed the situation correctly, and you all responded promptly within your capabilities. I’ll mention that in my report.”

“Thank you, sir,” the Guardsman said for all of them, pleased with the assessment. Who wouldn’t be glad for praise, right?

Well, I had a problem with that. Not with the praise per se, but... “Wait! You mean to tell me that the city guards can actually put a person in the shackles if the information on the ID card doesn’t match the reality, that they can send them to the interrogation room?”

“Believe it or not, Grey. They indeed can and should. As the sergeant rightly said, such a person is a potential threat. You may not like this measure, but it has prevented many tragedies during the Mind Wars.”

“But if I was mind-fucked, how would you know just from the ID card?” I argued. After all, the last time I returned from Esulmor as Guardian of Idleaf, three people checked me to see if mind mages had tampered with my mind.

Sah smirked. “I wouldn’t. Look, those were different times, and at every gate, there would be someone capable of detecting tempered minds. A small discrepancy on your ID card, and they didn’t even bother to check if you were alone in your mind. It was a direct ticket to jail and the interrogation room where everything was laid bare. You can probably imagine that a lot of people ended up in shackles during the Wars, just for the mistake of not updating their ID cards.”

“True,” nodded the sergeant.

“Damn!” one of the younger gate guards gushed, and I could actually hear Brynn swallow dryly, muttering under her breath: “I’ll update my card right after my shift.” I understood her. Sah was able to put my little blunder into a whole new perspective.

“What are the things that actually have to match on my ID card? Not every skill, surely?”

“No, skills are not recorded on cards. Sergeant?” Sah passed the word to the Guardsman.

“Name, Class, Level, mana signature. None of yours match.”

“Wait! Level too?!!!”

The Guardsman nodded, unfazed by my outburst. “Says a lot about a person’s strength.”

I turned to Sah, looking to him for confirmation. The bastard smiled. “It is true, Grey.”

“Are you shitting me? But then I’d have to update it pretty much every fucking day.”

Sah just shrugged and nodded. The others gave me an is-she-serious look. That someone would gain a level practically daily was beyond their wildest dreams.

“Shit! Fucking bureaucracy,” I cursed. “Isn’t there anything that can be done about it?” If not, it’s going to be really annoying.

“You don’t have it from me, but technically, if you’re not going to make a fuss in the city, ID cards are only checked when you enter settlements these days.”

“Sometimes not even then,” the Guardsman noted.

“Unfortunately. Some places are very lax. Glad to see that’s not the case here. Well, let’s end this here. Sergeant, I’m taking responsibility for Grey here from now on.”

“Very well, sir. Welcome to Castiana, Grey,” the Guardsman said in a learned phrase clearly repeated countless times and beckoned me into the city. The others made way for the two of us and let us pass.

I was almost out of the gate when I remembered my journey and the rather unfortunate encounter. And so, halting in my tracks, I again turned on my heel.

“There’s one thing you should know,” I said, scratching the back of my neck nervously. They all looked at me. “I ran into a merchant on the way here.”

“And?” asked the Guardsman when I made a too-long pause.

“You may well hear from him about a flying beast. Well,... that was me.”

“The day is just getting better and better,” the man breathed and, with a nod, beckoned me to go. And I went, glad it didn’t have to be in shackles.

“Flying beast?” Sah asked after walking a few steps alongside me. “I’d like to hear about that...and about you teleporting out of the city, as a matter of fact.”

Yeah, that. I was expecting a grilling from him for that, but he wasn’t the only one with a lot to say.