In the short time since we’d arrived, the bar downstairs had become quite busy. Nearly every table was crowded with half drunk muscle heads. Their raucous shouting filled every corner of the bar.

Mugs slammed on tables where patrons played tense games of dice and cards. In another area, men lined up to arm wrestle. Two dwarves wearing leather armor competed fiercely over several rounds until finally both fell silent and lay motionlessly upon their backs. An older woman leaned against a wall near the stairs leading down. She wore nothing except an almost sheer tunic tied loosely beneath her breasts.

Shuffling between backsides and dodging elbows, Melinda and I made our way to the door. We passed a couple arguing loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear, "You're always drinking!" the male shouted angrily, holding tightly onto his female companion's hand.

“Oh spare me!” The woman roared sharply. “I know what you do all day.”

The man scrunched up his face and moved closer to the woman. "Huh? What does this have to do with my work?”

“Is that what you call it?” The woman sneered as she shoved him away. “Well, I suppose if you’re the one thrusting your hips.”

“By Styrmir’s wrath I swear I’ve done no—”

The woman closed her eyes to slits and gave a bemused smirk. “Be careful how you finish dear, or the storm will strike you down.”

With thundering force the man slammed his fist on the table. The worn wood split with a bursting crack that silenced the tavern and brought all merriment to a standstill. With wide-eyed shock and fear etched across their faces, the entire room turned toward us. My heart pounded violently within my chest as my blood rushed faster and hotter than ever before. For a moment I couldn't move a single finger. Then I realized it wasn’t me they were staring at, it was him.

“You spilled my drink!” The woman shrieked, her eyes dark and fierce like an angry beast. Her long blonde locks swayed wildly behind her as she forced wind mana out from every part of her body.

“Whatever, bitch. drink if you want to.”

Huffing and grumbling as he went, the man pushed patrons aside on his way to the exit.

Muttering under her breath, the woman said, “honestly, do you not realize a fox knows her own scent?”

As the bar patrons returned to their drinks and games, Melinda and I continued on and slipped out the door.

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

Until darkness descended on the town, we tried asking around. We avoided the bandits, who patrolled the city like a regular town guard, but found surprisingly few people willing to talk to us. Most people ran the moment we mentioned slaves, bandits, or Styrmir. One man warned us that we were asking dangerous questions, but he wouldn’t say more.

The night sky was a beautiful curtain of navy speckled with stars of every color. The air was cool and crisp. We weren’t making any progress and I wasn’t eager to return to Zidg. He tried hot seem harmless, but I got the sense he was probably the most dangerous entity I’d encountered so far.

Walking aimlessly between buildings, we wandered along streets dimly lit by floating yellow lights, like little wisps dancing above our heads. Occasionally someone would pass by, either walking alone or in pairs, though mostly couples. They kept close together, usually walking arm in arm or hugging each other. Some were drunk and stumbling all over the place, others apparently couldn’t wait to get home or to an inn before…

Thankfully, the square was quiet. We sat on a bench between two wolf shaped statues that each spat a steady stream of water into a large round fountain at the square’s center. Melinda leaned against me, resting her head on my shoulder. “It’s beautiful,” she said.

Staring blankly at the sky, I asked, “what is?”

“This place. It’s all a lie held together by thin strings and willful ignorance, but it’s still beautiful.”

I had to think on her words for a minute. Finally I answered, "Yeah, for a place run by bandits and slavers, this city is nothing like I expected…" I paused remembering something I’d read about a similar place in a story. “What do you think they do with the people they capture? Until they're sold, I mean.”

Melinda shrugged. “I imagine those not pleasing to the eye are put to work somehow, the pretty ones are probably someone’s plaything.”

I winced at the suggestion, but she was probably right and it gave me an idea. “I think I know where the elves are.”

We both stared down my finger to a central building. It was larger than all the others and I’d seen bandits come and go from it periodically. The architecture was a cut above the surrounding structures, but the building wasn’t enough to impress me, not after the marvels I’d seen in sunder. Even the common buildings of Avantia had more visual appeal.

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“There’s no question the bandits are operating from there…” Melinda sat up and looked at me. “…but if that’s where the elves are—”

Certain we had the same thought, I finished for her. “We’ll have to free them on our own.”

Melinda nodded, but she looked worried.

“Styrmir and Gerald, those two are the only ones we have to worry about.” In truth I was only concerned about Stymir at this point.

Ever since I woke up in the cave with councilman Odel, my body felt full of strength. My core was stronger now and it wasn’t just that I’d reached a higher stage. My core had somehow started to change. Normally a mana core becomes more clear as it progresses stages, mine was now black, but stronger than ever. My spells were visibly different now, filled with a dark energy that added potency to every cast.

Even internal spells like burst were more powerful, then there were also new skills like accelerate. I wasn’t sure how I learned to do that, but I just knew I could. My grasp on mana was stronger too. I didn’t think I’d need siphon, against most mages I could probably pull the mana right out of their spells.

“What about the commanders, or the fact they vastly outnumber us?” Melinda asked.

I hadn’t given much thought to the commanders or the bandits numbers. At the end of the day these were all criminals. I had seen firsthand how easily they stabbed each other in the back. Even Styrmir had no qualms killing them when it suited him. If we took down their leaders, I didn’t think we’d have to worry about the rest.

I explained my thoughts to Melinda, but she didn’t seem convinced. After a moment of silence she finally spoke up. “You’ve grown so much in such a short time, Silv. I’ll follow your lead and be there to support you if you need it.”

Melinda held me in her gaze for what felt like a lifetime. She was smiling, her eyes peaceful and relaxed. It was an ordinary expression, but there was something more to it—a sort of satisfaction or pride shining brightly beneath. There was some emotion I couldn't quite pin down... Whatever it was, it warmed me inside.

Melinda leaned against me again, resting calmly on my shoulder. A smile spread across my face as I savored the moment.

“That’s them there, the one’s been askin’ questions an’ disturbin’ folks.” A man said, his voice nasally and irksome.

Five men encircled us immediately. They were Gerald’s men, dressed up like town guardsmen. No amount of armor could cover their lack of training and discipline.

With a sinister expression one of the men held up a hand, his fingers spread out and electric energy flashing between them. “Stand up, boy!” he demanded.

Another of the men pulled Melinda from the bench as a third struck me from behind. Pushed from the bench I fell on my hands and knees. The first man blasted me with lightning, but I barely felt it.

“You want to know about slaves, huh?” the same man sneered. Someone else kicked me as he continued speaking. “We’ll take ya to ‘em real soon…” he paused, licking his lips as he ogled Melinda. “I bet commander Yeol will want to break your bitch personally.”

My body trembled with rage as my hands balled into fists.

“Don’t worry, boy; I’m sure he’ll let you watch.”

One of the men laughed, then I heard a slap and Melinda yelling, “keep your nasty hands off me!”

The lightning mage raised his hand toward her. Mana was already jumping from his fingertips. Eight bolts of lightning shot out from his hand, winding and twisting toward Melinda.

She could handle herself, I knew that, but something came over me in that moment. I stood up, stretched out my hand and pulled the lightning toward myself. The bandits watched, shock plain on their faces, as all eight bolts gathered into an orb against my palm.

Without a thought or any hesitation, I slammed the electric orb against the mage’s face. There was a thunderous pop as the orb exploded and sent him crashing through the fountain.

The man marked by Melinda’s slap still had his hand cupped and extended toward her breasts. I wasted no words. It only took a thought to send an earthen spike shooting up through his ass out through his mouth. It wasn’t enough. Neither man even made a sound. They didn’t suffer, I ended them too quickly, too easily. I wanted to hear their screams, savor their terror and shock.

Turning to the next, I intended to consider options more carefully. Seeing that the nasally informant and the three bandits were already backing away, I thought I’d test the limits of telekinesis.

“Sit!” I commanded, gesturing toward the bench but not waiting to see if they’d do as told. Instead I took hold of them one after the other, forcing their body into sitting positions and placing them on the bench beside each other.

They were all mages, I could feel their mana. The last one even used burst to try and break free of my spell—all he managed to break was his own leg. He screamed when it snapped, then again when I slammed him mercilessly into the bench. Writhing in anguish, he nearly fell off the bench, but I pushed him back into place.

“You’re going to answer all my questions from now on, and I suggest you answer quickly because the only way any of you are leaving here, is if I find out everything I want to know before those spikes beneath your seats kill you.”

As I spoke, I started channeling mana into the ground beneath them. Earthen spears began to rise from the stone. It was slow at first, then the largest of the bandits hissed, “I won’t tell you a damned thing!”

The spear beneath him shot up rapidly until its point pierced his skin, then it slowed again. He tried to stand up, but with all of them on the bench it was easy to hold them in place all at the same time. He bit his lip and his face shook as he clearly struggled to hold back tears.

“Refusing to answer will only hasten—”

Another man, the one with the broken leg, spit at my feet.

Taking a deep breath, I accelerated his spike as well. When I heard the squelch of the spike sliding into his flesh, I stopped it’s growth.

“No more wasting time. Where are my people, where are the elves?”