Hearing that not everything had gone according to plan for the thugs sparked hope in Elira's heart. It probably meant someone somewhere was doing their job. 'Hopefully, Captain?' In any case, knowing such types, she didn't dare let her smirk cross her face.

Instead, she looked at the bruiser woman's other shoulder where she had draped Vara. Much to Elira's relief, her friend returned the look, her gaze no longer as clouded as before. The pain was still there, though, a lot of it. No wonder. When they clashed, the mountain of muscle that carried them didn't seem to hold back. As it was, Vara ended up with at least a couple of broken ribs.

'Looks like Harcon wasn't lying,' she thought, as his potion seemed to be doing a pretty fine job. Elira wasn't a healer, though. For all she knew, Vara could have been far worse off - damaged internal organs, internal bleeding.

However, with nothing more she could do to help her friend right now, her gaze turned to Grey, the half-Terr'den they first had met a week ago.

As their drill sergeant had said back when they were rookies in the Castiana City Guards: "Knowing you were looking at an illusion is the first step to seeing through it." As such, leaning on years of training and her weaves, it wasn't that hard for her to see the young woman surrendered to her fate instead of a sack of potatoes slung over the shoulder of the bouncer. Grey surprised her in more ways than one.

The way she was able to shake off her slavery experience in a matter of days was impressive. There, in the Imperial Library, she was a completely different woman from the one they had picked up at the Esulmor Gate.

'The gate! Elias!' Elira's heart clenched at the thought of her brother, and her eyes darted in the direction of the Southeast Gate. But the settling darkness covered by the light of the street lamps made it impossible for her to see any hint of trouble at the gate. In fact, not knowing better, it seemed like any other night.

'Elias...' She breathed her brother’s name into the gag as the sight of the evening city disappeared when they entered the building, barely managing to catch a glimpse of the woman standing guard at the entrance.

[Swordstress: ₪₪ sigils]

'Fuck! At least two hundred and fifteen sigils. Was it really that Ward who was behind all of this shit?' If true, then her odds of escaping along with Vara and Grey, while slim before, had now dropped to zero. As such, her thoughts turned back to Grey, the source of all the trouble. 'She's cute, but... Is she really just half-Terr'den?'

The ferocity with which she tried to escape the slavers - it was like watching a wild beast. Few people with her sigil or more would have gone to such lengths. All the more puzzling was then the complete lack of any defiance on her side when they put the collar on her. As a city guard, Elira has seen a few people get collared after falling into debt they were unable to pay back or being sentenced to slavery for crimes. Nothing pleasant, but the vast majority of them resisted the magic of the collar as long as they could. Not Grey, though. It was like something had broken inside her.

'What happened to you, Korra?' Elira couldn't help wondering as she looked over the half-Terr'den's nasty burns. Harcon's magic did a number on her, but the man was right; she was obviously able to take it and better than anyone she knew with her number of sigils. In fact, her regeneration seemed so good that in that short time, her burns visibly healed. 'Just who are you?'

"Korra Grey. Finally," a man's voice snapped Elira out of her reverie. Spreading her domain across the room as she now faced him with her arse from the bruiser's shoulder, she found him sitting comfortably stretched out on the leather couch placed in the middle of the room. Another man stood with his arms crossed on his chest, leaning in the corner of the room, watching everyone.

The one on the couch sported dark stubble on his cheek and short hair. He was dressed in dark gray pants, a gray shirt, and a black ankle-length coat that he had slung over his shoulders. Waiting for everyone to file into the room, he grabbed the brim of his fedora hat and bowed his head slightly. "Forgive my rudeness, ladies and gentlemen, greetings to you as well. But you must understand my delight to see the one we are all here for."

'Damn, that almost sounded like they were rescuing some kidnapped princess. Was Grey a prin...NO.' Elira pushed the thought away, focusing on the fact that behind all the shit truly stood Bastian Ward, leader of the Shadowbreaker Seeker Company. She had her doubts when she heard the swordstress outside mention his name - after all, the Shadowbreakers weren't some little Seeker Company. On the contrary, they were one of the most influential companies in Castiana, with many businesses like this one, apparently, owned across the city. Albeit it was a company with one of the worst reputations.

The death rate of their rookies in Fallen's Cry was... 'Hold on! That couldn't be it, right?! They wouldn't risk everything just because Captain Rayden kept a close eye on them for that, would they?' After all, Shadowbreakers wasn't the only Seeker Company that their captain was trying to push into following the law.

Stolen story; please report.

"Mr. Ward," Rutledge greeted the leader of the Shadowbreakers, unable to hide his unease.

"I like your presentation, Arlo. But why do I see two more arses than I should? What's more, belonging to the ladies of the city guards."

"You see, there were complications," he said, sweating his head to explain the reason for bringing Elira and Vara with them. "These two, they didn't do what we expected."

"Ah, I see. Unfortunately, that seems to be something all city guards, whether active or former, have in common."

"M-Mr. Ward?"

"Turns out the Master Guards weren't as deep in the floor of Fallen's Cry as we thought. But don't worry, Arlo. My men are keeping them busy for now. Time's getting short, though."

"Yes, I understand, sir."

"No, I do not think you do, Arlo," Wards said bluntly, rising from the couch. "Anyway, put her on her feet, all of them. I want to see what's so special about her."

'Wait! He didn't know!' As hard as she tried, Elira failed to imagine who someone like Ward might be willing to work for. 'Was some new criminal organization in the city, or Sahal? Was it the Kingdom of Arid?'

While Vara hissed in pain as they were brought to their feet, Elira hurried to see if it was really Bastian Ward they were talking to.

[Master Shadow Mage: ₪₪ sigils]

'Fuck! It's him.'

[Shadow Thief: lvl ₪₪ sigils]

‘And his Shadowbrakers,’ she thought at the info the Lattice showed her as she glanced at the not-very-striking man standing in the corner of the room. Given the swordstress standing outside, and who knows how many others still out there somewhere, Ward seemed to bring along the very best. Quite surprising when he claimed his people were facing Master Guards in the city.

"Hmm, Slave, 97 sigils, mixed half-Terr'den," Ward said, thoughtfully assessing Grey's appearance. "Definitely a unique look, but not something that can't be found - by the way, your work, Harcon?"

"Yes, sir. She..."

"I need no explanation. Her regeneration seems certainly remarkable. Yet, not unique - not even to someone with her number of sigils,” Ward said, leaning closer to Grey. "Pray tell me why the interest in you?"

"She, she poisoned us, sir," the young workhand blurted out helpfully when Grey remained silent. "...with her tail."

"Did she? Interesting."

"She is also a shifter, sir."

"For Traiana's sake, shut up, Tate!" Rutledge growled, clearly on edge.

"Oh, let the young man talk, Arlo. So then, the half-Terr'den shifter who didn't go wild. That certainly has some value, but... not nearly as much as I was promised, so..."

Much to his annoyance, Grey remained silent, the slight swaying of her tail betraying that she was even enjoying it. 'Has her spirit returned? Good, that’s good.' That was one less worry if they were to escape.

"I see," said Ward after a moment, straightening his hat. "Arlo, did you order her to keep quiet?"

"Yes, Mr. Ward. That's standard… oh. Sorry. Hey, you - you have permission to speak."

"Excellent," Smiling like this was all a game to him, Ward cut a small bow off his head. "Allow me to introduce myself, Bastian Ward, leader of the Shadowbreaker Seeker Company."

"Korra Grey," Grey rasped after a moment's hesitation.

"I have to say I was hoping for a little more - words. Such as an explanation of why...?"

"Bastian!" the shadow thief barked at him sharply, moving unnoticed by everyone in the room, now standing with his arms braced against the couch.

"Yes, Draven?"

"Isn't part of our contract to - not to ask?"

"Unfortunately, you're right. Curiosity got the better of me. How could it not, when we are paid so generously and Miss Grey here has even caught the attention of Deckard?"

"Deckard?!" Harcon's outcry, and not just his, matched Elira's yell into a gag. 'For tit's sake, what was going on?! What does Grey have to do with Deckard, the Deckard?'

"You mean the former lieutenant of the Castiana City Guards?"

"None other, Harcon. Pray tell me why would he be willing to leave Fallen's Cry to teach someone like her at City Hall?"

"What?" As confused as the others, the former Master Guard looked at Grey. "He wouldn't. Not unless... unless he saw her as his potential apprentice."

'Deckard's apprentice? Grey? That didn't make any sense at all.' Everyone in the city who's ever heard of Deckard knew that he was looking for one, but also that he hadn't shown any effort to do so, let alone show any interest in anyone. Sure, he showed up at City Hall from time to time, but never for anyone in particular.

"That's what I thought," Ward said, nodding his head. "Which brings us back to you, Miss Grey. I'm willing to make this whole thing a lot more bearable for you if you satisfy my curiosity. Pray tell what caught Deckard's interest?"

At that moment, silence fell over the room, everyone clinging tensely to Grey's lips. And as if she knew it, she took her time thinking about it. "W-why... why would I say that to someone working for mind mages?"

'M-mind mages? What? Did she mean it as an insult? She had to. Poor one, it wasn't even remotely funny.'

Dread, however, seized Elira, as Ward did not seem keen to deny the fact.

"Interesting. You seem to be more aware of your situation than I thought."

'No. Tits NO! Mind mages - in Castiana? No. No, that can't be true,' Elira tried to deny what she had just heard. If true, the implications of that would be horrendous. The city, the people. 'How many were brainwashed? How many became thralls?' She dared not even think that her brother had become one, instead turning her thoughts back to Grey.

'Deckard? Mind mages? Just what are you, Korra?'