“Nggh, very good…p-paladin.” Kaleb released Vince’s hand, he clutched it and hissed. “How’d you figure me out?” He kept a calm tone to control the situation, Esme was not so relaxed.

“Get out of my way!”

Iridia made a threatening jab at Esme, and she backed off.

“Where is the necklace?”

Vince looked up at Kaleb while gripping his wrist, his face was a tapestry of pain and shock. He climbed to a stand and took a moment to compose himself. “You broke my hand.”

“I’ll break every bone in your body.”

“The necklace is safe, you’ll have it back, you have my word.”

“You’re not in much of a position to barter.”

The Orc sighed, “I am in no position at all, my death warrant is sealed if you don’t do what I ask of you.”

Kaleb laughed, “I’ll kill you and find it.”

“No, you won’t, you might have sniffed me out, but that necklace has already passed over the palms of ten men by now.”

Iridia gritted her teeth, “Give it back.”

“How did you know to take this?” Kaleb pressed, Vince, siphoning information the best he could before he’d deliver the final blow to this thief.

“Honestly I didn’t! I was planning to have you arrested at the docks and help you get freedom in return for an escape.” Vince wore a razor smirk proudly in honour of his fortuitousness.

Kaleb sighed, “I shan’t kill Paladins for you.”

“They aren’t Paladins.”

Iridia frowned, her spear lowered and she took her eyes off of Esme who seized her chance to dance by her weapon and disappear into the back.

“Leave her,” Kaleb held out a hand. “How do you know?”

“All the Paladins are gone, summoned by the Empire, I helped them two assume their roles, they were feeding me, but those turn-coats started supporting the militia. They want me dead.”

“Sounds like your problem.”

“Our problem.” Vince raised both eyebrows.

Iridia banged the base of her spear haft on the ground, “That necklace…” she glanced at Kaleb, reading his face—he allowed her to continue— “I-it’s nothing special, to us…it’s a diplomatic offering to the Elves, to fix your ports problems!”

Vince looked between the paladins with a wide-open smile, his pearly whites sparkling, “You think Elf trade is the issue?” he shook his head. “There are two boats that have permission to leave these docks now, mine and a militia one, soon, they’ll both be owned by the militia when I am captured and tried, then you’re both knackered.”

Kaleb slumped back onto the couch. “Why did that militia man send us here?”

“Not everyone is on their books, some are on both.” Vince sat down on the tall backed chair, carefully mirroring Kaleb. “Trinius and Saldagor are just like me.”

“What are you?” Iridia frowned, still unable to believe that this was the man they had met on the road not so long ago.

Vince smiled, “Your friend here knows.”

Kaleb grunted, “Men of many faces, very hard to detect.”

“How did you figure me out?” Vince pressed the question once more.

Kaleb smiled with glee, “A lucky guess,”

Vince nodded, “You have met my kind before?”

“I have, you spoke far too well as a simple merchant, and you speak much too clean for a gang leader.”

Vince raised his bushy eyebrows and grunted, “I wasn’t always like this.”

“Save it,”

“I didn’t lie when I told you I could get you a ship, I’ll have you on your way to the Elves, but you need to clear out those imposters for me.”

Esme returned with a bowl of icy water for Vince’s hand, Iridia watched her with a dragon's scowl.

“When you kill these two, you’ll be de-facto Paladin house leader, you’ll have control, the Emperor doesn’t anymore.”

Kaleb bit his lip, “What do you mean?”

“We used to get imperial instruction every week from the house of the Emperor, nothing for three months. The last instruction had every Paladin leave, that’s where my… ex-friends saw the opportunity, a forged writ here, a few papers there and we ran the place. Of course, I knew the truth…that’s a problem to them.”

Kaleb rolled his eyes, “Not so bright are you?”

“Agreed, but I can take advantage of every opportunity I run into, I’m resourceful like that.”

“How do I know you won’t betray me?”

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Vince smiled at Esme and nodded, “Why would I? With the two gone, I can send you away on my boat, all you need to do is assign me my new role, and I’ll be working for you.”

“What new role might that be?”

“You’ll assign me as head of the militia.”

Kaleb sighed deeply, there was always more someone wanted.

“You get your boat, I’ll give you back the pendant, it’d be suicide not to, you’d kill me, in fact I am the one who should be worrying, once you’re in charge you could betray me!” Vince nodded verily, his clever words were undeniable in their logic. “But, make sure you do it publicly.”

“What do you mean?”

“Demonstrate that they are both Men of many faces, make it a spectacle.”

Iridia sat back with Kaleb, “Is this wise?”

“It’s unorthodox, but if what he says is true then killing false Paladins is our duty.”

Vince nodded, crossing his legs and turning his hand in the icy water, “He’s right, mhm, I’ll even send Esme with you, she’ll help you find your feet.”

“We don’t need help from one of your street girls.” Kaleb bit like a viper.

Esme’s face flushed a tomato red, “You f—”

“Calm, Esme, calm, calm.” Vince smiled. “Esme is a very close associate of mine and she has a vested interest in my success, for example, she can show you and your friends where to get a bath.”

Iridia fizzled and huffed, “We don’t smell that bad.”

“Your smell is pungent, but your friend here is so large no one bothered to mention I imagine.”

Kaleb, “I will kill these phonies—”

Vince raised his finger, “Might I add, if I come across any plans for you to betray me, or Esme suddenly goes quiet, I’ll be gone with your precious trinket.”

“Why do you stay anyway?” Iridia sneered.

“This port is mine by right!” Vince snapped.

Kaleb laughed, “By right it belongs to the Farlow bloodline until the Emperor deems it Imperial property, don’t you forget that, Orc.”

Vince lifted his hand and placed it on a towel Esme had laid on the arm of his chair, she proceeded to wrap it for him. “Well, I have good reason not to leave and you’re my last lifeline, so perhaps we have a deal…” He nodded to Esme, “As a token of my…friendship, I bestow upon thee a purse of coin, help you find your feet.”

“We already have coin,”

“Not that much, not enough for me to bother picking it out of your cart that’s for sure.” The corner of Vince’s mouth curled up with delight.

“Let’s say I kill these two jesters, why would Port Farlow accept me?”

Vince uncrossed his legs and leaned in, his face twisted with scrutiny, “Do you think everyone has forgotten who runs this place? They will do what the Imperials ask of them providing they can stay here and pedal their wares.”

Kaleb rolled his tongue around in his mouth, Vince had an answer for everything and they weren’t bad either. The balance of Farlow Ports' freedom of Imperial domination balanced tentatively on the tip of a blade, one maniacal emperor away from brutal genocide, the profits must stay high and the resistance must stay low. “Where are these Paladins, how do I get to them?”

Vince clapped his hands and yelped, forgetting it was broken, “Ahem, glad to hear you’re on board.”

“I didn’t confirm a thing.”

“Well, Esme can help you get close, be mindful they will resist any Imperial dutyman, I imagine they are already aware of your presence, they’ll be scheming your downfall quickly, but they have nothing to offer you that compares to your trinket it seems.” He winked at Kaleb, who was scorning him bitterly, he could have stolen anything from him, it had to be the necklace.

“I was just going to sell it you know, so lucky you kicked up a fuss in front of me.”

Kaleb thought a moment, “You were the militia guard that told me to go to Esme?”

“Red-handed!” He laughed.

Iridia shook her head with disbelief, impressed somewhat at how quickly he could think on his feet. She followed Kaleb’s decision to stand and watched him, he looked uncomfortable in his own skin, as if he didn’t quite fit inside his whole body. He had been compromised and there was no easy way out.

“Very well, Vince, I’ll help you clear out your friends, but I assure you, when I am finished with my quest, I will return and I will repay you.”

“I don’t doubt it…Kaleb, you’ll pay me in full.” He raised his broken hand, “Esme, take them out, keep them…incognito.” she smiled, “All quiet like, have them washed too for the love of Everborn.”

Esme sauntered around, she had a sexy elegance to her walk that oozed confidence, she chose to hide it under a cloak retrieved from a hanger by the side of the door, her long frame hooded and her beauty masked. “Come along then, let’s get your stuff stowed away and you…smelling like a human…” She winked at Irida.

Iridia scowled, she reminded her of her language teacher who visited from Angelspree, she felt as if Esme looked down on her like a little girl.

Esme led them through a maze of alleys and corridors, the sea came in strong and the moist air helped to lift the stink from their clothes and hair. The city’s wondrous mosaic floors soon became sandy and covered by rotten planks. It was hard to see the city in all its glory while weaving through the labyrinth of passages that ran between the buildings. Nets hung above their heads, barrels of fish blocked their path and old fishermen grunted at them as they were forced to make way.

“Here,” Esme slid a rack of Fisherman's hooks to one side and led them through a hidden doorway, Kaleb had ducked low and could barely get through. Waiting inside were a group of Orcs, Morgan and Flencer. The room was a simple box, nicely furnished with all of them sitting on pink couches, there was even a bookcase and a small bar with a selection of ales and wines.

“Oh thank the divine!” Flencer called.

“What’s going on?”

Morgan scratched the back of his head, “We got pulled up quick, dragged here and told if you don’t walk through that door we are dead meat.”

Kaleb nodded, “Very good, looks like I made the right choice for now.”

Flencer chuckled, “Glad ye didn’t think for yoursel’ this time eh?”

“Don’t make me regret my decision.”

The party were treated to a much-needed bath, a storage room for their things and some cloaks to keep them hidden, though it was still hard to miss. Fortunately, the many comings and going in Farlow Port meant there was something that fit Flencer well enough.

Kaleb went for his bath last and separated so he could watch over his party, it was their turn to keep an eye on things now. He settled in the warm water and was able to forget everything for the smallest of moments.

Esme entered and smiled at him. “We found a cloak to fit your size.”

“Did you need to come in to tell me this?”

“Brought you a towel as well.” She raised her eyebrows and sat it down gently beside the bronze tub on the small dove-white table. “I understand you’re not happy about the situ—”

“You understand absolutely nothing, you’re a simple peasant woman with eyes for money, and your body moves well but I have met your kind before.”

“My kind?”

“You’re a seductress.”

“I didn’t think I was that pretty.”

“Don’t play coy with me, have you ever seen what happens to a person's face when they are hanged?” Kaleb splashed the water with his foot and leaned back, his bare body on display.

Esme kept her eyes on his, “I haven’t.”

“There isn’t enough make-up in Mildania that can hide it.”

She nodded at that and headed to the door, she placed her hand on the frame and stopped, looking back, “For an Order that worships a heart, you surely are lacking in one.”