Sun woke me up. The blanket somehow found its way tangled around my feet and as our beloved star was high enough its glare woke me up. I took to the seating position and tried to ascertain the time. It was well before noon but not that early, morning dew was a long-past memory by now. O figured it was around 10 AM. Still, no one was up yet. The job they did on my leg, and 6 hours procedure Anne did on her own beforehand could've wiped the girls out, Ronald likely drank himself to sleep but I expected Santino to be up by now. I carefully stretched my leg, all puking and pain haze prevented me from feeling much last night, but I barely felt anything wrong with my leg. Sure I looked like a hobo. My only shirt has gone, my pants were torn under the knees, and the left boot looked like a German Shepherd used it as a chewing toy in the past seven years. I never particularly cared about my looks, but even I had few standards. Low ones, true, but every journey starts with a first step, 18 bucks could buy me some clothes. Quality of which I shouldn't think about right now.

I approached the basin and passed my cut shirt, something occur to me. I drew my sword and picked up the rag located front pocket and with two fingers pulled an old comb from it and placed it in my pants. Whatever way water circulated cleaned up the filth from last night and I enjoyed what became my ritual by now plunging my head several times into biting cold water. Wellington, for all its distractions, was bereft of any water that didn't have a faint chalky aftertaste, a byproduct of all well being dug through a thin layer of limestone. And finding fresh and cold water there was a near miracle. This would be a decent place for a house if only weren't those pesky Hellhounds. They solved their alpha problem, with a loser lacking an eye and a part of the lower lip and a winner having the right ear torn off. From time to time smaller ones sniffed around the wards, but for the most part, they kept their distance and we kept ours. After the fourth plunge, I was ready to face the world with all disasters and try not to get killed by that “V”s cousins and actually do the opposite and facilitate their shuffling into the great beyond. If anything I heard about them was true I was doing community service there. With my still wet hair, I drew the comb out and shuffled it through bassin. Now I was standing with the bloody thing in my hand and stared at it, honestly, I saw people use it, and barbers used it on me, but I lacked hands-on experience. Not sure how long I was standing there looking at the damn thing when the melodic voice sounded off behind me “Come on now, I have full faith in you.” Elunara was leaning against the large rock. I was fortunate my skin was rather successfully attached to the rest of my body because I almost jumped from it. Instead of it doing 360, not even realize I used the comb as the knife pointing the sharp end forward before registering who it is. “For sweet baby Jesus! I swear you Elves had some secret meeting making bets who will scare me to death.” With a completely straight face she nods “Yup, we do it once every generation, you should be proud, only very special people are even considered.” I don't know what, her beauty, hair, or that singalong accent made my IQ drop to the level I actually raised my eyebrow and before I could stop myself uttered “Really?” She laughed, generally ever since it was decided who was in and who was out she basically changed into a different person. She had the same kind of laughter as Ronald, loud, full-hearted...genuine. She did not even dignify that question with an answer but moved from the stone until she was a few paces from me and extended her hand “Gimme.” I raised my eyebrows. “Come on both of us have the stuff to do today and trust me you will not stare the comb into submission so, hand it over” I shook my head incredulously but obliged.

Elunara stood to my left and bot gently and expertly as Sydney start combing my hair. Like she read my mind, she did nothing fancy, just untangled placed that twisted into knots and brushed the rest straight “How old are you?” The question came unexpectedly “30,32 not sure exactly. Why?” She stopped brushing for half a second to tap on one of the older scars and returned to her task. “That would be an impressive collection for a hundred-year-old if you fought ever since you reached your 18 birthday that would still be at least two wounds a fight, meaning you are incredibly bad but lucky, watching the way you handled yourself against Falx you have some skill and some luck” “Oh some skill, do I? Well, thanks your highness” She chuckled moving behind “Pretending won't do good to anyone, except boost your ego, which could get you killed in the long run I won't have that on my conscious, especially if I can help it.” I must've moved to glance at her since I got one of the educational slaps over the head with the comb “Eyes front, imagine I'm naked...scratch that imagine I'm beholder.” I grumbled under my breath “First option was more appealing.” “And hence was replaced, you don't have much of the pants left, how about we don't get ourselves in awkward situations before we know each other's full names at least” I opened my mouth to say something smartass but I paused. She was right. Santino might and might not be his real name but his full name...nope. Same with Roland, “son of” and all that was awesome, and I had no doubt it was true, but he also never offered his family name, for our household monster Santino more/less spelled out that her name is so complicated that they just call her “Anne”. As for Elunara, her full name was never offered. And from what little I remembered knowing the full name of any Fey-like being gave you the edge. Now Elves were cousins from the third generation, but they still counted. I figured I was a long way from knowing her actual name. “Sorry, didn't mean to kill conversation like that.” She sounded actually apologetic and for once I took a leap of faith, sure for me easily reversible since aside from Santino I was the only murderer in the pack. “No. it's not that. I mean we can call ourselves whatever we want, and our goal can be whatever but we are strangers to one another. We don't know each other's names.” “In time...” “Yes. yes...” I reflexively started to wipe the hair from my eyes before realizing what she was doing and instead just covered my eyes “...in time can happen a great many things. Roland, Santino, and Anne hanged together for at least half a year. Do they seem like one happy family?” There was a pause with Irish Elf moving to my right “No, not really.” “So what will change with the two of us in the picture? We magically become one big happy family?” she continued to brush my hair in silence, and soon she was done. ”Listen, Hákon just because I'm the Elf it doesn't mean I have all the answers, especially in this case, but I'm not on the constant edge about who should I kill next, and what will happen if I get it wrong.” I blinked a few times “That obvious eh?” She returned me a comb “Obvious? No. Only to a blind donkey, I wouldn't like to be close to you when you snort a line of Faerie dust. But I'm also good with Empath Arts. Better than the rest in this group anyway. You don't like to kill, but you do it the same way someone would clean thrash. Something that needs to be done.”

I sighed as I slid the old comb in the pocket. ”O.K. I need to talk to Anne, then scratch some money from Santino to replace my clothes hopefully with something that won't blow apart on the harder breeze.” She chuckled “Although that would be quite a sight, I think it would be best to deprive myself of that pleasure. How much?” I tilted my head “What?” the sight I likely presented half naked and the look on my face just as someone offered me crown of the England, jewels and all. “Haven't you heard stories of all Irish Elves having a pot of gold?” “Aren't those Leprechauns?” “Another name for Elves and they thought those were Gnomes while they thought we are Dryads and the same kind just different subspecies.” “So a pot of Gold is true?” “Not as such but I promise I'll explain the exciting world of finances some other time. Anyway, I'm independently wealthy, this is not money for me, but for doing the right thing. I know those people are rare but they do exist, even if you struggle with such a person in yourself.” I raised my hands “Don't wanna hear anything about that, so you are willing to loan me some money.” “No, I'm willing to give you money to buy new clothes, if I loan you anything I'll never see the money anyway.” I was looking at her like the Vampire walked up to me and said that they can survive on cabbage just fine but hunting Humans is more interesting and they really don't like the sun. “So how much?” This was an awkward situation, I planned to ask 30 from Santino because he'd do the same to me and likely spent at least 10 on a poker table. But now some last part of my shame was polishing the boot to kick me in the balls if I pulled the same stunt with her. I awkwardly shuffled “I don't know I likely could find something decent for 20 bucks I have my own tenner.” She pulled out the fine sateen pouch and threw it to me. “They are 5-dollar bills. Take 50$ but when you return I want it to look like you spent at least 40 on clothes, I'm a woman I can smell those stuff. Also, replace that hanger you call sword” Now she raised a hand to cut me out “Yeah, yeah, I'm sure you have a lovely memory about cobbling it together and that you stabbed many lovely creatures with it, some to death even, but it looks like shit, it's too short and it's outdated for few centuries. Buy a decent Scottish Broadsword, maybe even an English saber or Italian Schiavona. Personally, for my taste last one is best but I see you as a two-sided Broadside guy.” By now I was already slightly stunned and just silently counted 50$ when I remembered the productive way for her to use that newfound confidence. “Ok, while you are chatty, what can you tell me about “V”s people? “ “Drows? Well, that's some calamity that is overdue to wipe them out.” I raised my eyebrow “So you'd be O.K. with the genocide of the part of your people basically because of some old grudge? That's a bit cold?” Elunara gave me a small smile “Talk to me when you meet more than one of them. But for tonight by something against toxins and poisons. Everything they use will be coated with it. Don't count on the dark, they can see in the dark as best Dwarf tech, they didn't adopt firearms but started to use rapid-fire and burst Hand crossbows, I know they know they are trying to scale burst technology but Der-Durdan destroyed their testing facilities, but like everything, it's a matter of time.” I sighed “Ok, let's back up,” Again that laughter was so full of joy that I found it impossible to get angry even when it was pointed at me. “Rapid fire means, same as your revolver, they can fire more than one bolt without reloading. Hand Crossbows are equivalent to your revolvers, they are a bit shorter but due to wings not being good for duels, Rapid Crossbows are equivalent to your rifles. The small one carries 5 bolts, the big one 10. Don't discard them. They did not cross to firearms because stealth is one of their most potent weapons. Imagine a bunch of Humans in a dead dark and suddenly 5 fall dead, no sound, no muzzle flashes to orient yourself, then 5 more are dead. If by some miracle there are more than 10 of you you start to flee and notice that there are more of you than it should be, more people fall before creatures in black with full face black helmets but tarnished so they don't reflect the light begin to jump from one horse on another. You wonder what the hell, and why you tumble to the ground when you felt no impact before your severed head bounce off the ground.”

I'd laugh but with the look on her face, I saw she is completely serious “Burst is the evolvement of a normal Hand Crossbow that fires 3 bolts at once. They managed to mount 3 more hands and enlarge the magazine. But the size is enlarged too they are hard to deal with on one hand and precision suffers, they usually use them in closer quarters, size-wise, and to some extent use think of them as sawed-off shotguns. That's why the full version is an issue, they are large as it is, and enlarging the magazine and placing two more hands is not conducive to their style of combat. Der-Durdan are I guess best explained as Dwarven special forces. While Drow are mortal enemies to Us and Them, it is the fact that, since they shared a biome, they held the front line and have more experience. Der-Duran are in essence small 5-10 Dwarfs, specially trained and equipped especially for combat against Drow, down to the suicide vial.” I tried to lighten the mood, although more to warm the bones that started to feel like icicles “Damn you make them sound like the mythical boogeyman.” She placed a hand on my shoulder “They are one of the three most dangerous species Underground, it's foolish not to recognize it. As you saw with Vul... “V” They are far from unbeatable but give your gravedigger time to prepare and fight on his own terms you would see the side of him you better pray you miss.” I tilt my head “Forgive me, but you seem VERY well-informed yourself.” Her green eyes sparkle as she smiles and actually “boops” me on the nose “Why would only Dwarfs have special forces? Now go to Anne, I imagine Khyon will want to check the place of ambush and zero in the rifle.” I frowned “I never mention him or the rifle if I remember correctly.” “Indeed. See how much I trust you. Go back to the basin once you're done, I have something to teach you.” With that, she smiled for the last time and then moved as she will step to the right but instead vanished behind the stone, which should be impossible physically and art can bend, stretch, shrink, etc laws of physics, they can't completely delete them. I would usually move my tendrils there but I didn't dare to expend my Art yet, I'll need to pass this block somehow. Or I'll stay as the corpse in the savannah tonight.

Moving to Anne's tent I was thinking about both Elunara and what she said, all of this made me regret I was involved in this and enticed me at the same time. Someone or Something is killing Gods, there are drops of blood to get. Dwarven and Elven secret services or elite squads at least. Is also good-natured Roland one of them? Should I ask? What Santino knows and where actually he fits there? So many questions without an answer, at least to me. It made me feel like a pawn. Was I? What was my actual worth to these people? I was in front of the tent, it smelled even fully closed, how to get her attention, I couldn't exactly walk in. Could I? I coughed loudly “Anne, it's Hákon. Could we talk?” After a few seconds “Oh, the Puppy. Sure, you remember how to enter I believe.” I sighed again unlatching two buttons just to lift one side and slip inside and then latch them again “Can we drop Puppy bullshit, how would feel if I called you...” I turned and forgot what I wanted to say. She had a light golden necklace with a jade scarab around her neck...and that was all, she sat on the low chair she used when she was healing me and brushed her hair with an amber hairbrush, thankfully her legs were crossed still I saw way too much I pinched the bridge of my nose although more out of frustration. “Anne for fuck sake. This is so not helping.” She shook her head “I might point out that you are not particularly more dressed either.” Although there was a playful tone in her voice, there was a smell of roses together with a brief breeze. “Open your eyes puritan.” I did so “Hardly Puritan, but girls in our camp make me want I'm at least Eunuch sometimes.” She was now standing in front of me tying a silk cord around also silken robe, it was nearly “see through” but at least went through the trouble of that “nearly” “A bit drastic solution.” “I agree wholeheartedly and I explored other solutions.” She raised her finely manicured eyebrows “And?” I moved to the pile of pillows that seemed like a place to sit and pointed to it raising my eyebrow. She nodded “Please. Would you like some wine or cold sweetened rose water?” I scratched my forehead “I'm kind of a hick so I never tried that last.” Anne nodded then it was solved, “You can't die without trying one of the best things the East ever offered to the West.” With her speed, it took less than 5 seconds for her to offer me a golden goblet with a circle of finely cut rubies in the shape of tears. She pointed at it and swirled her finger making three ice cubes. I first smelled it, the perfume on his robe did not do it justice, liquid smelled of a freshly plucked rose at the height of its scent and there was something else in it. “Is that a lemon?” She nodded in a slightly surprised but approving way “Few drops, together with a touch of vanilla.” I sipped on it “God, I think I could live on this instead of water.” She nodded “I'm glad you like it, feel free to join for a goblet or two. What you wanted to discuss before you were...distracted.” I took another sip enjoying its taste and trying to figure out how to phrase it best. “You are psychically distracting, not your fault, something your kind developed over time.” She tilted her head spreading her eyes innocently, their dark color hiding the pupils or the most important part of them. “Just psychically distracting? Your pants disagree.” I crossed my legs “Anne please, I'm not an orator, this is already hard.” She raised her palm “I'm sorry, sometimes it's just too easy, you mentioned you were looking for a solution.” I nodded “And I think I found one, but it is untested, in other words, I have no idea what will do to you, except make you sick if you try to feed on me.” She places her chin on the knuckles of her forefinger and middle finger while her elbow rested on her knee. “Talisman of The Emperor, here of all the places.” My eyes spread “You know about it?” She laughed softly, unlike her usual laugh this was not almost but actually sad “I should, it was made for me.” Then at last her mood improved because her next chuckle was usual Anne, I was unaware why until I realized my jaw actually opened leaving me with wide-spread eyes and with wide opened eyes. I managed to collect myself “Anyway I don't think there is anyone able to buy it outright, but the owner managed to produce a potion that replicates power for 24 hours for 100 dollars a pop” “Greedy bastard.” she hissed. I shrugged “Kinda, but if you possess unique produce, you dictated prices.” She looked at me inquisitively “What if harmed me beyond feeding?” “Then I wouldn't take it.” Just like that, I shrugged. “We just managed to repair our relationship to this level, I won't risk it. There have to be more ways. Until then we can figure out the strategy that works.” She stood up and walked across the room in a way that made me keep my legs firmly crossed, Anne traced the left side of my face with the tip of her finger “That's more trust than anyone showed me since Santino, and centuries before that. There are no side effects except it would poison me if I tried to feed on you and will indeed block my effects. Take the first batch we will pay for it since it is a kinda group expense.” It struck me like I was incredibly lucky as money goes today, and it was not over. “After that, you will get that talisman, to use, eventually I will take it back, it is a very personal item for me. Once I might tell you the full story, but now it just caught me slightly off guard. You will be free to make potions whenever you want.” I coughed “I kinda don't know how and Anne...” She placed her finger on my lips. “I won't kill whoever this graverobber is, he'll even get “lost and found” fee, less than he asks but way more than he deserves. As for the recipe maybe you wanna write this down it is very complex, take a bottle of hard liquor of your choice and place a talisman in it for a week. Then separate the bottle into 5 equal parts and take a gallon of water and just sip it over it. Presto you have a potion together with something that will kill an aroma and make it taste like shit. Otherwise, go the common route, and separate the bottle into five 0.35 pints shots, seal them, and 24 hours before you expect to meet one of my kind, unseal it and enjoy yourself, repeat every 24 hours until the danger passed.” The look on my face must have been befuddling because she laughs grab my cheeks and plant a kiss on my forehead before pinching them. “Sorry for all Puppy business but you are so cute when confused. I'll stop calling you “Puppy” but you showed me trust I'm returning the favor.” I grumbled, “Don't do it in front of others.” “What?” “Don't make me repeat myself, if you like it so much just don't do it in front of others.” She laughed again “Well, thank you.” I shook my head and raised my hand “O.K. you won't kill him, but he literally makes a living by selling anti-Lamia juice, how do you plan to do it?” She looks down at me, next blink of my eyes she's at the other side of the tent holding in her hand a snake bracelet and displaying it like for magic trick, next blink she is above me with her feet on the ceiling of the tent and bracelet perfectly straightened and shoved into one of the pillows next to my head she did perfect flip and land in front of me. “People often make us the seductresses, forgetting that we are the full package when it comes to danger, he sounds like he possesses the brain, let's hope he uses it because I don't have to kill him for him pray that I did. Any more questions?” I raised both of my hands “No ma'am.” “Good Puppy” I gave her a glance and a sigh “O.K. I need to find Santino to check with him about my plans for the day and Elunara asked me to find her before I leave.” I emptied my goblet of Rose Water, still amazed at how much I enjoyed it I just abuse my privileges about coming for a cup or two. Anne just smiled “I think Santino will be at the Basin right now, he decided to shave after you passed out last night.” “Thanks” I stood up “Wait for thanks after this.” “Eh?” I turned barely in time to catch something in my hand and not on my nose, I looked in my palm it was a silver pendant with some runes on both sides. “Thanks for the heads up, what is this? We're not engaged now or something?” She laughed “You wish. You didn't think to run the gauntlet with Hellhounds on your tail every time have you?” my look gave her all the answer she needed “We really hired psycho this time. I make them, but yours was the last time thing. It will keep Hellhounds at bay.” “Hm, I assume you keep wards in working order.” “Who else? Ronald” I gave a half-shrug and nodded “Good point.” I did find Santino next to the basin giving himself a shave with a large knife and a broken piece of mirror. Elunara was laying on the opposite side, apparently, they were chatting, I tried to imagine what that is not work-related those two would have to talk about and drew a blank. “And here comes my pupil.” Instead of turning his entire head Santino just adjust the mirror slightly and nods “Kid” “Santino” “I hear you found another way to get yourself killed, you are good with that.” I shrugged “Everyone needs a hobby, or it will be driven insane in this desert.” “True I guess, catch.” this time something flew at my face over the left shoulder but faster I barely caught it. “People really like to chuk things at heads around here.” He raised his eyebrows “Forget about it.” I look down and saw God damn 10-dollar Coronet Head. “These are barely minted how the hell you managed to get your paws on it?” “By eating my vegetables and praying every Sunday like every red-blooded American should.” At this, even our Irish friend laughed “Fine what should I do with it, Reverand Santino.” “Buy yourself a decent knife.” I frowned “What is this certain obsession with my weapons, she with a sword...” I nodded toward Elunara “... Now you have an issue with my dagger.” He shook his head “I have no issue with your dagger, I'd buy it if you were selling it but would you shave with it?” He got me there and saw by the hesitant look on my face. “I rest my case, go to your Elven friend and buy a good blade, not a decent, not a passable, so you can drink or gamble away the rest, I want to smell money from it.” “Fine for fuck sake, I'm buying the best damn sword and knife I can find and clothes that say I can afford them.” Elunara stood up and stretched “And you are sure you will win the rifle?” I looked at her "If anyone can, I can because when Khyon fucks up I'll kill survivors. Happy?” She smiled innocently “Hey I just asked.” “Questions you should know nothing about.” She just turned “Ok time for a lesson. Come here.” I jumped on the basin with my right foot and leaped upward, earning small ironic applause from Santino which earned him one finger salute over my shoulder. Elunara was sitting in a shade where the twins had the tent a few nights ago. “Take a seat across from me” I was a stubborn asshole but just as I said if someone will show me something for free... Well, I was not that stubborn “When you fought Falx, that was the first time you emptied your tank completely ever right?” I nodded “And now you're scared that will happen again and are hesitant even to try using Arts” I frowned “Well “hesitant” is a bit strong...” “Have you used them at all since then” I found a really interesting bush to look at instead of answering. Suddenly she pinched my arm I winced “Ow, for what is that for?” This time she frowned “I'm not a wise man from the mountain holding a monolog, I want to help, you need to talk.” I went with my hand pushing my hair up, away from my eyes. “Yeah. I did not like how it felt and every time when I think about doing something, I think about that feeling again and I freeze. I'm not “hesitant” I'm scared shitless.” She smiled “That's a good start, I thought we'll have to use “hesitant” the entire time.” You are not a grandmaster at wielding magic, Arts, whatever. You somehow bungled into it and it helps you, you never really thought about it... until now. And you don't like the conclusions you are coming to.” I look into her eyes “Are they right?” Elunara shrugs “Some are, on some, you are being too harsh on yourself. But that is a too big a topic to cover in one quick session. We're here to do what you should do long ago, find the source of your power and learn to tap into it so you can draw from it and refill your reservoirs.” “I know my reservoirs but I don't use them” This caught her off guard a bit as most do. “Why?” “Because bad things happen when I do.” “Show me.” Some gunslingers use thin leather gloves, some use slightly thicker versions but without fingers. Mine were a mix of both, thin enough, but also fingerless. That is the kind that came into fashion with Gunslingers who were able to use arts. I turned my gloves palms up and show her the seals. She was stunned “You sealed your power away and let it replenish naturally?” “How bad was bad?” I again found that piece of grass fascinating “Very.” “Take one glove off” I shook my head. She made a series of gestures making the first two of us isolated from the world in a bubble, I looked toward Santino and he looked distorted like I watched him from a bowl filled with water, she made another series isolating me from her. Then I noticed all tone was gone too. I was in my own small world. Elunara was now distorted like Santino, I couldn't hear her either but I could see her eyes. She nodded. For the first time in years, I gently tugged on the left glove, as I did familiar feeling came over me, the smell of brimstone small motes of flames whirling around me, I moved the glove just a half off. Burned tissue underneath was barely visible. I looked up. Elunara looked around her bubble she now looked scared I saw Santino noticed something too and was approaching yelling something but I couldn't hear him I looked at the gloves half drawn off then noticed stones in the ground around us bubbling and there were no motes anymore steady stream of flame filled my part of the bubble trying to crush either way I pulled glove back on.

It was around 3 PM when I reached Wellington, it took a while to sanitize the sight of our experiment. By some miracle, Elunara was fine, a better mage than even she knew. She admitted that when we were alone what will happen if I drew the glove off because she lost sight of me completely? Just a whirlwind of flame separated from her by a thin barrier. I kept for myself how much I wanted to do just that, let it free. I entered Khyons shop looking like a charred shit, shirtless, with torn and in a few places burned pants. and my trusty boots with completely melted and fallen off soles but the leather was still relatively good. He looked at me incredulously “Hákon what the hell, we need to go and spot the best place in 3 hours tops.” To his even larger surprise, I just nodded. “Don't worry, I'm here to order a few things and am off to wash. And remember this date since this is the only time you will hear this from me. When I order stuff the stuff? Price is not the issue.”