William was thinking for quite some time.

Jehair was carried away in chains as the construction continued. New fields were dug in a hurry as crops were planted. His armor lay near him, and he considered putting it on again. He'd carried it for so long, and losing it had not gained him any relief. His blonde hair flowed in the wind, and the scar over his eye ached.

William was soon becoming very angry, and he wasn't sure why. Larxe and her wolves seemed outright lucid, in contrast.

"I suppose I should say it will all be worth it," said Felix in his shadow.

"How could it possibly be worth it?!" said William as he stood up in a fury. "We've been wandering the lands like wolves for weeks, battling plague and bandits! My armor is filthy despite my best efforts; I'm covered in sweat and blood! Every victory only serves to open doors to more futile struggles!

"By this point, I have jumped between every single side in the entire length and breadth of the land! I'm exhausted; my friends are far away, perhaps even dead! The country of Antion is on the verge of collapse, and all my efforts may have been for nothing!

"And even if everyone in this horrible place pulls together, the land will be a shadow of itself!

"And now I've had to throw my guide in prison for high treason, among other crimes!"

"Well, it has been a long journey," said Felix. "The cards were stacked against us from the start. There was no winning hand."

"The next time I agree to walk across half a continent for Raynald and Rusara, stab me," said William. Then he saw Larxe snuffling around on the ground on all fours, hair tied to keep it out of the dirt. Her very shapely rump was raised skyward as she crawled like a dog in the dirt. "Larxe?"

"I've been identifying the clothes and effects of the bodies," said Larxe, not looking up. "Trying to find trails.

"Most are from Escorn or Haldren, some of Rius' old buddies. We got a bunch of scents on them, and we're following them to their sources.

"Once we arrive, we'll follow any scents they connect with. It'll take a while, but we'll find their blood. We always do."

"And what will you do when you find them?" asked Felix.

"Investigate," said Larxe, crawling near them and shifting. "Our sense of smell lets us know where people have gone. And if people hide their scent, we'll sense the absence and learn to investigate.

"Neral Dinis trained us in all the laws of Antion, and we have only been looking for an opportunity to enforce them."

William looked to the people, then back to Larxe. It was midday. "Have you talked to the people?"

"No, they'd scream and run away," said Larxe. "Don't want to antagonize anyone." Following a scent, she followed it to him and clambered up, her hands on his knees as Felix went for his sword. But Larxe was face to face, looking at him hungrily.

"Get off," said William.

Larxe stepped off and kept on snuffling at the ground.

"...Felix, go talk to the people out there," said William. "Find out if they saw merchants or anyone who could incriminate our friends. And also ask them if they were the ones that bought the beer.

"There might have been a mass shipment."

"Smart," said Larxe, not looking up.

Felix moved off, looking at him in a warning.

"Fine, be that way," said Larxe, standing up. "I was hoping to see the fear in their eyes."

"Please don't alarm them, Larxe. They've already been through hell," said William. "I'd recommend having human agents talk to people in your stead. Werewolves have a reputation." Thus far, the wolves had avoided them completely and been only observed.

"Mmm, this is good Nakan beer if I ever tasted it," said Maius's voice behind him. William looked back to see her sitting on a rock, still clad in white and drinking from two filled flagons. "I haven't tried anything like this in a long time. Only a few drinks give you this kind of feeling.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"They must have been getting it from several places.

"Want a sip?"

"No, thank you," said William.

"Lamech introduced me to them," said Maius. "They're the ones who were helping Tavish."

"Lamech? What was his connection to this?" asked William.

"Oh yes," said Maius. "He's the one who got them into the brewing business. They used to make the stuff, but he financed manufacturing it en masse. Then Cirithil sold them slaves, to till the fields instead.

"It was all legal back then. Prisoners of war and such."

"Where is Kiyora?" asked William, shaking his head. "She usually shows up much more often than this. Something must be occupying her."

"Who, Virtue?" asked Maius.

"Virtue?" asked William.

"That's what they used to call her in Tarasif," said Maius. "She used to call me Vice. Hates me, needless to say."

"You two seem like you'd get on well," said William. "I thought she sent me here to help you."

"Well, we did get on well once," said Maius sadly. "A long time ago.

"You know her as the Dreaming Goddess, but she's also the Goddess of Virtue. She goes by that guise in Escor; most gods have different guises."

"When was this?" asked William. "Nevermind, I don't care right now. Later, perhaps. Larxe, why have you calmed down so much?

"You are not nearly so violent as you were."

"I go in cycles," said Larxe, sitting on the rock beside him. Looking up at the sky, she looked almost sane and beautiful. "When I'm thirsty, I lust for blood constantly. When I get that blood, I think more clearly. Taking action also helps. The bloodlust doesn't affect me as much when I'm fully focused.

"I direct all the packs and enforce order when it needs to be there. We must constantly eat and devour unless we have something we're all focused on."

William looked to Maius. "Maius, you've changed in guise as well."

"I enjoy beer, martial arts, and seducing handsome men," said Maius, throwing herself back. She crossed her legs and landed on the cold stone like a pillow bed. Her breasts bounced, and William had difficulty keeping his gaze on her face. "I can get all of that pretty easily.

"I just educate myself to keep my domain running. It's a depressing side job. There isn't a lot of faith to get from drunkenness.

"You need to keep things entertaining." And she turned around with a flourish of red. Once again, in the form of her red outfit. "So what do you want, handsome?"

William considered his answer. "I'll get back to you."

"Fair enough," said Maius before spinning and vanishing in a wave of red cloth. Then, just before it covered her, she blew him a kiss.

William sat down sadly.

"I gotta hand it to you," said a bitter voice. "Selling your guide to werewolves in the middle of a land you don't know is a pretty gutsy move."

William looked up to see Imogen coming back, looking bitter. Looking down, he saw Jehair's scythe at his feet. Picking it up, it felt meant for him and yet wrong. "Imogen..."

"This is yours by right. Taken from Jehair before she was arrested," Though he could not remember taking it from her.

And he offered her the scythe. Imogen looked at it with a forlorn expression on her face for a moment. Then, Imogen' took it sadly with an unsteady hand. "She was supposed to give it to you when you came to us."

"I'm never going to be the person you want me to be, Imogen," said William. Based on what he had seen, Imogen had been hoping to fill the place Kiyora had gotten to. He didn't understand why, though.

"I guess not," said Imogen.

And she vanished. So did Maius without a look, and William felt lost. As if some part of him he'd always desired to gain had been rejected by him. A sense of wanderlust was lost, replaced with bitter hatred of evil.

Felix came forward, carrying a list. He'd taken paper with him just in case. "It had to be done, William.

"It was the only decent thing you could have done. The law must be enforced, or men will not fear breaking it. Injustice must be punished, or men will cease to be good.

"We have done both."

"Felix," William halted. "I'm glad you're with us."

"I have a list of the dead. Most of it," said Felix. "Apparently, there was a paper shipment with some of the merchants. They don't mean anything to me. Do you know them?"

William took the list and frowned as he saw them. There were many, and he chose not to write to spare their families in his volume. "Some of these are among the most influential non-noble merchants in Haldren. And also, in Ascorn, I remember hearing of them from Rius, though I won't speak of their names.

"I had dinner with a few of them in passing when I was younger and visiting Ran Telus. But, none of them were militarily important."

"Let me see," said Larxe, taking it and looking over it sadly. Why was she sad? "A lot of important Ascorian Merchants, some Sornians too, and a few from the realm of Lord Tarsus."

"Cirithil must have been offering them a chance to advance their position. Likely by undercutting the authority of the nobility," said Felix. "They work as church merchants, and the Lords can't use the usual punishments.

"How are we going to handle this?"

"I'm going to have every criminal hung and drain their blood," decided Larxe. "Then Cirithil won't have anyone left to provide political cover.

"Then I will drink his blood and cast his corpse to my wolves."

"There is another possibility," said William sadly. "These Lords might have been conspiring with Cirithil. The merchants were acting on their behalf."

"Edmund Telus has been allied with your Father for decades," noted Felix.

Massacre came forward then. "They journeyed together to Themious."

"I'm not saying such a thing is happening, only that it is possible," said William. "Alliances break up, even among friends. Either way, if my Father does not know, we have no time to tell."

"We'll have to go to Ran Telus then," said Felix.

"I'll have to go to Ran Telus, you mean," said William, standing up. "Felix, you will stay here with my armor. Massacre will move faster with just me. I'll take my sword and shield and ride straight to Ascorn. I can take a ship with the Furbearers and be right after them.

"Larxe... why don't you come with me?

"I could use your help." Also, he could use the guide now that Jehair had been revealed as a traitor.

"I've got work enough to do here," said Larxe sadly. "But, I celebrate that you have new prey to hunt. And I pray that the killing delivers you the blood you desire."

"...Welcome to the world of the living," said William, wondering what she meant by 'blood'; it did seem to be a liquid. "Massacre, we must go."

And leaping onto the chimera's back, he clung to her mane. Then Massacre shot off like an arrow from the bow of destiny. She moved up the slopes like lightning, leaping over crevasses and ridges. The wind on William's face was cold, and his hair whipped behind him as he clung for dear life.

William wondered if this, too, was the work of Farasa.

Abruptly, he saw her before him, though she was not there. She was dressed now in flowing red, more concealing. "William, I have news for you."

"What is it, Farasa?" asked William.

"Your enemy Lamech has taken Princess Oresa of Western Kalthak hostage. He is taking her to Haldren," said Farasa. "She is likely to be murdered, and no one knows or has time to care.

"You are the only person I can go to about this."

William halted. "...Son of a...

"Very well. I'll do what I can for her. I was heading after him anyway. Grant me haste; I need it."

And Farasa was gone.

Massacre cleared the fortress before the sun set and shot down the slopes. Faster and faster she went. It was as though urged on by all the gods, and all who saw her fled in fear. A few shot arrows wildly, but she leaped over their darts until they came to the came.

Rushing in, they found Amenos fitting the last ship for sail. Massacre fell to her knees in exhaustion.

"Amenos!" cried William, relieved to see a friendly face. "Prepare to make sail for Haldren! Take me at once; it is a matter of urgency! Massacre, rest here, and await my return."

Amenos blinked in surprise but quickly nodded. "I am at your disposal," said Amenos. "Though I would not have been here if you come even an hour later. Where are Jehair and Felix."

"I'll tell you when we are at sea," William leaped onto the ship. "We set sail. Every moment counts."

And they did just that, hurriedly pushing off and setting the fail. A favorable wind blew them swiftly and surely toward where they needed to go.

So William Gabriel set on his return journey alone and far earlier than expected.