We moved through the ghost town much more quietly after our realization. I don't know what was going through Rybrus's head, but I was worried - the outpost was honestly better fortified than Ravensbrook. I really hoped that whatever lured in the raiders behind this attack wouldn't lead them to head outwards towards my hometown.

My musings were interrupted when Rybrus waved me over before gesturing for me to be quiet. At first I didn't know why, but as I pursued him - I heard it too. Voices. Too distant to parse as words, but voices none-the-less. I softened my steps as much as I could at that and followed the audio-trail. It lead deep into the stone fort that was the centerpiece of the city - a crude building with four towers and walls in between them, tall, imposing and immensely utilitarian. As we passed inside, I took notice that a sign at the door designated it as the local guard's barracks and barred entry. The warning clearly wasn't enough.

The building itself felt like it's meant to be intentionally confusing - a maze of hallways and rooms connecting to each other. Each hallway had indents in the walls - large enough for a man to hide in - causing Rybrus and I to move slow else we risk being ambushed.

Eventually we found a staircase leading downwards, where the voices were clearly coming from. Roughly halfway down the steps I was finally able to start comprehend what was being said. "-need it! Get us in there already!" spoke first voice, a female one. She sounded annoyed.

"I's trying, but i's not so easy." replied someone else - a man with a heavy accent I've never heard before. Rybrus raised his hand with his open palm outstretched. I paused and he nodded, before quietly starting to search through his backpack.

"The longer we stay the higher the odds that someone we weren't expecting will show up. Is there really nothing that can be done to speed this up?" The female voice urged her companion[s?] on, only to recieve a grumpy response. "Safecrackin's no easy job, the more you's talk the longer I's takes."

Safecracking?

Rybrus finally found what he was searching for - two unremarkable small balls that smelled of soot and as many mouth-coverings - and motioned for me to follow his lead and put one of them on. We both were as careful with our steps as we processed further in. The area we've entered was clearly some sort of jail - individual prison cells lined a long and narrow hallway though none of them mattered. The voices we've been pursuing were coming from the end of the hallway - inside a closed room simply labeled 'No Entry'.

We prepared to violate yet another rule imposed by the local guard as Rybrus did a series of gestures to convey a simple plan. First, he pointed at himself and then down. 'He's staying here?'. Next, he pointed at me and the door and then started counting down with his fingers from 5, lowering a finger each second. I prepared my weapons, ready to dash in as soon as the countdown was over.

Four, everything was quiet.

Three, anxiety bubbled inside of me, though I tried to not think about it right now.

Two, the male voice began saying "I's got it!"

One, a loud click echoed through the hallway as whatever they were working on in there unlocked.

Zero, I bashed the door open with my shoulder and charged into the room with the momentum. Two small grey balls flew in besides me and upon crashing with the group burst and filled the room with smoke. My dynamic entry was accompanied by a completely new voice screeching "HOSTILES!" - which was promptly followed by rapid coughing as the unexpected smoke filled the lungs of everyone but me.

Frankly, I couldn't see shit, but I knew I didn't hear Rybrus rush in behind me - he truly must have stayed behind at the doorway to catch anyone who would try to escape. Meaning I could swing with wild abandon at any shadow I'd manage to pick out in the smoke, unlike our bandits who have to worry about their allies.

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It took me less than a second to reach the nearest source of coughing - and though my eyes burned from the sensation of trying to peek through the smoke, I spotted a figure hunched over, yet clearly holding a weapon. An axe if I was seeing correctly. A moment later my sword collided with what I assumed to be their head with a truly sickening crack, and the room was filled with the pained screaming of a human in agony.

The realization that I've truly just caved someone's skull in sunk in and my resolved was shaken. However, the discharge of a crossbow from the other side of the room got me out of my shock and straight into fight-or-flight mode. The bolt missed, as frankly the shooter had no idea what they were aiming at, but it was a good reminder that I don't have time to process things right now.

The female who was ordering the safecracker from before managed to recover first and started bellowing out orders. "Regroup on me!"

The howling of pain I've caused was causing my very soul to shiver in dread, but I couldn't stop - not now. I charged straight across the room, to where I heard the crossbow from, and soon another figure came into view - someone who was just pulling out their sidearm after picking up on my hurried steps and letting go off a something heavy that impacted the floor a moment later. Likely the crossbow. The action didn't do them any good though, as before they were able to truly pick me out from the smoke, I rammed my shoulder straight into their torso and jammed one of mom's daggers into their neck.

I tried to not think about the gargled noises of despair as I've hastily retreated back into the smoke, and heard yet more screaming of pain from the doorway - someone must have tried getting out and Rybrus caught them.

"Sound off!" Ordered the female, and only received two responses, both of whom sounded to be near her. This prompted me to pause - so far I've been successful because they were separated and confused by the smoke. Surprise was one hell of an advantage. However, if the three remaining were grouped together... I didn't see that going well for me. I retreated back to the door while ignoring the pained screaming to best of my ability.

"It's me." I surprised myself at how steady my voice was - much steadier than I was on the inside. "Got it" Rybrus confirmed as I passed the doorway and took up position on the other side of the door leading out of the smoke filled room.

"Ah, so you can talk. Good, name your price. I'll take my surviving people and leave, no questions asked." The female voice sounded as I looked at Rybrus with confusion. The evil guys here were negotiating with us? On one hand I don't think I can fight them directly, from how it sounded the three remaining were ready, and I really did not want to fight an uphill battle. On the other... They're the bad guys here! Why should we negotiate with them?

Before I could really voice my complaints, Rybrus already spoke. "What were you doing here? No bullshit, I want everything." My eyes went wide as he spoke and I started gesturing wildly - to my weapon and then in the room but he simply raised his hand - asking me to wait.

"Outside of the obvious goal of pillaging goods to sell so we're rich, we've been stuck here trying to obtain a Veda node, as well as at least one of the tomes." Replied the female immediately and my thoughts raced. Why would they need - oh... right. Having access to it would mean they know of movements of every travelling individual. They'd be able to be on the road when someone is already there to ambush them. They'd know of troop movements to dislodge their gang... There's no way that they should have one of those!

I saw Rybrus start rummaging through his rucksack again. "I see. I assume you are okay with paying any price then, considering you're going to be gaining something truly invaluable in return." His actions didn't make sense to me, why was he agreeing with them?! We have to stop them! I raised my weapons but Rybrus glared at me and motioned for me to settle down.

"That's right, name it and it's yours. I won't even hold a grudge for what you've done." The female insisted, as Rybrus finally found what he was searching for. A bottle. He promptly removed the cork from it and scent of alcohol filled the room. He then stuck a piece of cloth into it. A moment later, he was holding a second tool in his other hand. With a motion of closing his fingers, the second tool emitted a series of sparks before wafting out a bit of flame and the rag inside the bottle caught fire.

"Alright, here's my demands. First, sign this." He said as if this was the most mundane of exchanges and he was merely filing some paperwork. His words were accompanied by the bottle being sent flying into the room, roughly in direction of where I thought the female voice was coming from. Then, fire erupted, followed by howls of horror and tormentuous agony. Rybrus slammed the door shut. "HELP ME!" He shouted at me, and I obeyed, holding the door closed with all my strength as fire purged our foes for us.

The only thing left to do was wait until their agony was replaced with the silence of a grave.

I'm not going to sleep tonight. Or maybe ever again.