Deep in the valleys carved by one of the many branches of the Kix River was a town called Kul Creek. Winter was starting to show its bite, and so the chimneys of every house poured out lazy smoke to keep it at bay.

It had looked so much smaller when Dreiki had seen it at the top of the canyon, but now that he was up close to it, he felt as if he was being swallowed. The winds swept down from the top of the valley and funneled along the river’s flow. This place felt as if it had not seen the sun in years it was so cold.

Ezo sneezed, lapping his nose with his forked tongue. Dreiki was hugging his cloak tightly along with Luna.

Savekio seemed completely undisturbed by it, “Haven’t the two of you had ice baths everyday for the past few months? What’s this cold in comparison?”

“It’s usually not the wind that makes me so cold!” Luna said.

“Look forward to pain and discomfort, and you will find it more manageable.” Savekio said.

“Why would I look forward to that?” She muttered.

Ezo crawled itself under Luna and picked her up. She laid overtop his back, rubbing her cheek into his furred mane, “At least you understand.”

“Sometimes I think Ezo likes you more than me.” Dreiki snickered, relaxing his grip on his cloak and trying to ‘look forward to the pain’. It wasn’t so bad until a blast of wind took his soul away. His feet were aching from a combination of the cold and having pulled the cart along for the past few miles. He was ready to sleep.

“Listen up. Today is a learning day, and today’s lesson is ‘If you are a lamb, pretend to be a wolf. If you are a wolf, pretend to be a lamb.’ Remember why we’re here, and remember that our enemy has eyes and ears anywhere.”

Dreiki recalled what he had trained for in the past few weeks. Lockpicking, disguise, deception, misdirection, and concealment. Fighting, for the most part, was to be left to Savekio. There was a lot more good to be done when Dreiki did not attempt to overpower his enemies. Just the same, he had gotten pretty good at hunting with only a knife and hatchet. Something Savekio had challenged him to do for the past month.

He had briefed the two of them on the situation in Kul Creek. Apparently, the local lord was profiting quite substantially from the trafficking ring in their city. Not only that, but they were keeping a few venator knight children as their servants. Likely as a bargaining chip to maintain the loyalty of whomever those children belonged to.

Those children had been trafficked only a couple days before him and Luna had been captured. On top of that, it was said that the trafficking went deeper than just turning Venator Knight children into servants. It was even a tactic for the child to be groomed to inherit their parent’s mark, and for their parent to be put to death when the brainwashing was complete. Loyalty birthed from servitude and reliance.

Even those without a brand ended up missing in the night. The slave trade was strong in this town and incredibly profitable. Much of the nobility and upper class of Kul Creek had some sort of connection or oversight of the slave markets. Auctions were common, and inhumane. Parents were separated from their children, brothers from their sisters, husbands from their wives.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Savekio had not needed to describe in as great a detail as he did to get Dreiki’s blood to boil. It was inhumane.

“Anger is more harmful than that which provoked it. Recognize it, tame it, and use it as your tool, or it will use you.”

Savekio had reminded him of that lesson again and again. Dreiki knew he was right, but it was still difficult even if he knew what to do.

“Where do we go first?” Dreiki said.

“Well, Argo, first we must go to where the crimes are happening. The underbelly of this village is likely to have more information and trails to follow than anywhere else.”

Argo was the name Savekio had given him to disguise his identity. Argo was a street urchin displaced by his circumstances. A half human with a chip on their shoulder and something to prove. Loud and proud about their heritage as a Venator Knight’s child.

It was not a difficult role for Dreiki to play, but it was a dark mirror nonetheless. The plan was to act as bait, so they could capture and interrogate whoever took it.

The first place they went was a tavern. It was one of the seedier places in town, and it was clear it catered itself to a less than savory crowd. The sign outside read ‘The Bloody Knuckle’.

This is where ‘Argo’ would be staying while Savekio, Ezo, and Luna camped just outside the city. Room and board was cheap unless you looked like you could afford a higher fee.

Luckily, Dreiki had never looked the type in his life. He kept the small amount of change Savekio had given him in his shoes. He didn’t trust his pockets in places like this. Maybe that’s why he had cold feet?

Well, he certainly had cold feet the moment when he entered the warmth of the tavern. There was nothing truly warm about it. It reeked of ale, sweat, and blood. And the smell was about the easiest thing to detect in this tavern from how dimly lit it was.

The only decent source of light was the bonfire burning away in the center of the room.

But somehow, Dreiki could still feel their eyes on him. “Oi! Watcha lookin’ at huh?” Dreiki said in his practiced ‘Argo’ tone, rolling up his sleeve to show off his brand, “Don’t none of you go tryin’ anythin’ neither. I’m the Caprirona’s son!” Caprirona was a headstrong Venator Knight of little renown. According to Savekio, he had disappeared quite some time ago, and didn’t have any sons. Hardly anyone would have known that, though, much less question it.

He felt their eyes leave him, “Yeah that’s right! No trouble for me, or you’re gettin’ the ram’s horns!” He said, hating this persona he had to act out. He focused on his task, heading over and purchasing a room for himself.

Dreiki had made sure to take the exact amount out of his shoes before entering. No point in hiding his money there if people saw where he was retrieving it from.

He took a couple minutes to get comfortable in his room. Dreiki sent a wave of hot air through the covers to fry any fleas or bedbugs that might infest the blankets. It was also nice to have a nice warm blanket to wrap himself in and rest in.

He was allowed to sleep for a couple hours now and rest his body. Even though the mattress was hard as a plank and the blanket was scratchy as sand, it was still more comfortable than the chilling air which whistled through the boarded up window in his room.

It was easy to sleep, and hard to wake up, but the anxiety of succeeding in his tasks is what sprang him from the warm comfort of his bed. Now that night had properly fallen and he had alerted everyone in the tavern of his status as a Ventator Knight’s child, it was time to take a walk outside.

He stuck to the back alleyways and shadowy corners. If trouble didn’t find him tonight, then he would try to find trouble. Judging by the figure tailing him, though, it seemed he had already been found.