‘Carl’ jerked and thrashed around. His flailing limbs kicked sand all over the place. Kaiz winced a little as he watched. The spy's face mirrored his body, squeezing and contorting in pain. If he had a voice, he'd likely be shrieking to the moon.

Kaiz had taken it away though. A rune rested on his throat, silencing any sound it may have produced. While his left hand held a small battery to it, his right hand held a much larger one.

He removed it, cutting the power to the rune that laid across the spy’s shaved head. Kaiz had seen as much as he could tolerate at once. Now, it was up to ‘Carl’ to decide if he would like to repeat the last ten minutes again.

“I’m going to let you speak now. What is your name?”

His panting became audible as soon as Kaiz removed the smaller battery, “I told you.. you sack.. of shit. Anton. Anton Siegel.”

“And where are you from, Anton?”

“Norden.”

Kaiz shook his head, “See ‘Anton’. I know that's a lie. You cover it well, but I know that accent. I'm from the planes too. We'll have to do it again.”

“Wait!”

His yell was desperate, but Kaiz was actually happy to. He really didn't want to have to watch again.

“Will you answer truthfully this time?”

“Just wait!” ‘Anton’ chewed on his lip, “I can't tell you my name. But! I can tell you what my mission was!”

Kaiz nodded, “That’s a good start.”

He took a shaky breath, “My main role was feeding them false information. Leading them away from our holdouts and sometimes into ambushes. I… also was tasked with attempting to grow closer to Heldermann.”

“Did you?”

“No. He’s very cautious with his inner circle.”

“Was that always the case?”

“...”

Kaiz reached for his head, “Was that always the case?”

“Wait! No, no it wasn’t.”

“You infiltrated his inner circle?”

“...” He grimaced, “Yes. We used to have spies all over his court.”

“How long have you been Struleren?”

“Six years.”

That shocked Kaiz, “You came with the Baron?”

“Yes.”

“Ernst sent you?”

The man had a good grip on his facial features. His expression told Kaiz nothing. The momentary hesitation before he responded bellowed though.

“Yes.”

Kaiz sighed. Then taped the battery against his scalp for a few seconds.

“Uergh!”

“Every time I feel like you’re lying, I’ll do that again. Nod your head if you understand.

‘Anton’ slowly nodded.

“So. If it wasn’t Ernst, who?”

“Please…”

“I don’t know anyone named Please.”

“I can’t say!”

“Hm.”

His reluctance to speak gave Kaiz an idea of who it could have been. Six years was a long time to be setting up spies. That implied more than just a minor interest. It was also a long time to wait. If Phoenix Cliffs had spies all over the Baron’s court, from the moment he arrived in his fief, getting an overwhelmingly favorable deal should have been child’s play. In fact, what was the need to pillage and intimidate if you already had influence at the highest seat of power? That just didn’t make sense.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

What did make sense to Kaiz, was the idea that ‘Anton’ here had nothing to do with Phoenix Cliffs. He may ally with them now, but he came as part of someone else’s agenda. Someone who also came from Norden.

He let the battery hover next to ‘Anton’s’ head, “Does this mystery spymaster happen to go by ‘Count’?”

For the first time, the man’s face responded before his words did.

Kaiz cursed.

----------------------------------------

“I… don’t like this.”

Kaiz agreed with Rieka, though for different reasons.

He’d learned a few more things from Carlton, as he named the spy, but nothing more substantial than the revelation that Count Emmrich was behind this mess. He covertly communicated that to Viz, foolishly thinking that would let him see the quicksand for what it was, but that news hadn’t swayed him in the least. It may have made him more excited.

Right now, he was preparing to head to Silberg. He would join Rieka and her squad and together they’d tell the tale of how he’d met them on his adventure and decided to travel with them for extra security. Along the way, Carlton revealed himself to be a spy and led them into an ambush. He bravely fought with them, but they still lost half the squad. He’d then request a meeting with the Baron.

Rieka didn’t like it because she would have to lie. Kaiz didn’t like it because it was a stupid risk to take. The lie would get exposed quickly, he doubted it would hold for even a day. If Viz didn’t get a meeting, a good meeting at that, before that point then they were screwed. Especially when they were technically Emmrich’s men at the moment. Though that blood run was in heavy question.

“This should be good enough.”

Kaiz looked over Viz’s disheveled form. He didn’t often see him appear so out of sorts, his appearance was something he meticulously crafted. Kaiz was now being equally meticulous in deconstructing it, deliberately making him look worse for wear.

The battle had been tough on his mind and body, but his chest piece meant that Viz’s clothes didn’t have a scratch or tear on them. That would be suspicious when the entirety of Rieka’s squad was banged up in one way or another.

“Wait.”

Kaiz splattered a bit more blood on his chameleon. Red looked on with disgust, again, but Kaiz ignored her. There was no point in reexplaining the necessity. He fanned the blood for a few seconds, both spreading it in the desired direction and drying it quicker.

“Now you’re good.”

“Finally.” Viz and Red replied at the same time, clearly in agreement.

Kaiz shrugged. He probably went overboard, but he didn’t mind. At worst, he wasted twenty minutes of their time. If Viz would be the risk taker, he’d be the voice of reason and caution.

Given the go ahead, Viz immediately gathered with Rieka and rode towards Silberg, “See you tomorrow!”

Kaiz and Red moved to an abandoned village thirty minutes away from the town. They’d camp out there while Viz raced off to tell his tale. He hadn’t really thought of it while they were devising the plan, but he’d be spending the night alone with Red.

She had spoken a sparse few words since Viz’s threat a couple days ago. The last half day or so had her becoming more vocal, but it was still only on the occasion. The air was very much still awkward between them.

He knew that would have to change one of these days, they had at least one blood run to complete together, but today wasn’t that day. Today they didn’t speak to each other.

For someone who spent a lot of his time alone it shouldn’t have been a problem, but it was. The silence of solitude was acceptable, the silence of a staring ‘compatriot’ was disconcerting.

I’m starting to see why people find the mask unsettling.

Kaiz decided to stay busy until sleep took him. That was the best course of action. He had a lot to do anyway. The village was small by village standards, but quite large by ‘housing for two people’ standards. They didn’t need a dozen buildings to themselves.

Having so many structures around them did give them cover from anyone peeking around, but it also blocked their own vision. The chameleon’s abilities weren’t useful while they slept. If something, or someone, snuck up on them, they’d have no way of knowing.

I should really learn some larger detection runes.

Kaiz sighed as he went about laying old fashioned alarms. He was thankful Viz was at least wise enough to pack some. He trapped every doorway he could with a thin string attached to a bell. That ended up being only ten. Between their two bags, there were only ten bells. It was enough though.

They had two boxes of spring traps as well. Six in total. He placed four of them around the three houses they were staying in. Two for his, one for Red’s, and one for the home of the two chameleons who were already sound asleep. Then he placed the other two in two separate decoy locations.

Once satisfied that they were properly hidden, he moved to boarding windows. Not their windows, but the windows across from him. A simple ruse. If they noticed the traps before running into any, they’d check the boarded houses before theirs.

Hopefully.

Finished with that, he head into his home for the night and inscribed the small detection rune he knew. It was a heat and mana check.

He drew it across the floor of the room that served as the only entrance into the closet he’d be sleeping in. He triple checked it before connecting it to a secondary rune that would flash in his face to alert him. When he was certain both were good, he brought out his largest battery.

The room was largely barren, but there were enough pieces of deteriorating furniture to hide it in a spot that would allow it to power the runes while staying out of sight. As soon as the runes were active, he tested them. Of course, they worked as intended. Finally, he grabbed some sand and dust and covered them up.

Content with his work, he retired to his bed. Or rather, sleeping pad. It was a bit uncomfortable. The pad put him maybe an inch and a half off the ground. Being fully geared didn’t help either, but he’d experienced worse. The discomfort would ward away deep sleep anyway, so in a sense it was a plus.

Hope Viz doesn’t fuck it up. Somehow get a death squad sent after us.

Those were Kaiz’s last thoughts before he drifted off to sleep.

…

…

…

The rune flashed.