Josef wanted to break his short sword across his knee. "How did they find out I was still alive? Wouldn't they just assume I'm dead? They wrote me off back at The Crow Meadow."

Josef's voice rang out amidst the cramped room of The Backwards Flow, one of Gangdrup's most prestigious inns.

"Keep your voice down, Josef," Claudius said, his gills pulsating in the darkness. "While these walls aren't paper thin, anyone could still be listening in on us."

As if testifying to that very fact, the floorboards above them game off an eerie groan. Josef forced himself to breathe in and calmed himself.

Josef then turned to Malark, waiting for an answer.

Malark pressed his palms into his knees as he sat on Claudius's bed, putting his thoughts together in his mind before he spoke. His typically orange-skin had tilted two shades closer to the red around his face.

Finally, Malark spoke: "Josef, your reasoning is correct. Kipfish weakened himself even further when he used his abilities as a near-seer to peek into The Crow Meadow. There he saw Gupnit cackling wildly to himself as The Crow Meadow turned to ash—"

"Before we go any further," Claudius said hurriedly, looking towards their door "are we safe here? Do we need to leave right now? If you found us this easily, then The Ba'ha Company will surely…."

Malark shook his head. "I don't know, Claudius. I don't know. All I know is they apprehended Gupnit the same night you two had fled. They brought him back later that evening. He was out of his mind. Apparently he'd fallen foul of a silver sweetwind. It came down on him while he was alone in the meadow."

Josef's eyes lit up. "Well that explains it. Silver sweetwinds amplify one's emotional state, right? I remember when we left The Crow Meadow. Gupnit was screaming for us not to leave. He was already out of his mind."

Malark arched an eyebrow in surprise. "Already knows about sweetwinds? You're learning quickly, Josef. That's good to see. And well done, Claudius."

Malark gave another nod to the Sea Gwell, who was no longer his apprentice, but nevertheless Josef could tell Claudius appreciated the accolades.

"I'm trying my best," Josef said slowly. "Claudius keeps shoving facts from Izzblum's Guide to Drinkers of Goo down my throat."

Malark peered at Claudius in shock. "What! You have a copy of Izzblum's, Claudius?"

Claudius tittered. "Long story. I didn't want you to confiscate it…so I hid it. Sorry, old friend."

Malark rubbed his chin. "Well this makes more sense. I was wondering how you'd made it this far. The pieces are starting to come together."

"I'm still confused though," Josef said. "Wouldn't they assume I died during Moonsneeze?"

"They would've yes," said Claudius, "but word travels fast. The Ba'ha Company most likely has at least one spy within Gangdrup—"

"It's more than that," Malark said quickly. "Before Kipfish depropagated Gupnit for burning down their only ratification outpost, he informed them of a crucial fact: you had shown none of the typical sings accompanying a goo-drinker facing the end of Moonsneeze."

Josef put his hands on top of his head and breathed in deeply. "That explains it…I guess the question now is if The Ba'ha Company will come to Gangdrup to capture me."

"The Ba'ha Company has never intruded on the affairs of the sewerfolk so far," explained Malark. "Gangdrup has its own council, its own laws, guards, and its own militia, if needed. The Ba'ha Company's outpost here is underfunded, but operational — or at least it used to be. With The Crow Meadow out of commission, there will be changes…"

"We should leave tonight," Josef said suddenly. He was surprised the words had come from his mouth. Fear was there, rustling up his spine.

"Josef, we have Mal's protection right now," Claudius explained. "If we leave this feld, that ends. And you're into the next phase."

"You have been reading," Malark said, once again looking at Claudius anew.

"There's more, Malark," Claudius said, gesturing at Josef. "Apparently the crows, before their meadow burned down, told Josef they were unable to ratify him—"

"Because he was too weak," finished Malark. "I know already. I already heard."

Josef smiled. "Well at least The Ba'ha Company is confused on one point." Josef then stepped towards the window and peered through the slats down to the street. It was almost empty. A beggar crouched along the street grabbing market leftovers. A single barge trudged across Lake Ferngloom.

"And what precisely does our goo-drinker mean by that?" Malark said, speaking to Josef's back, an anxious curiosity peppering his words.

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Josef looked to Claudius. The Sea Gwell nodded for him to proceed.

"It wasn't that I was too weak. It was because I have a different type of goo in my body."

Malark gasped. He looked to Claudius and then back to Josef. "That makes no sense. A different goo? Everyone knows there's only one goo recipe."

"Not according to The Crow Meadow," stated Josef.

"Claudius," said Malark, turning to his old watching partner, "is this true?"

Claudius threw up his hands. "I didn't believe it at first either, but then even Mal confirmed it to be true. It almost killed her trying to ratify Josef."

Malark shook his head in disbelief. "Well I guess this explains Josef's non-typical reaction during Moonsneeze…but how?"

It was Malark's turn to stand. He scratched at his grey hair, head bent while walking in a circle. "I've been at the Ba'ha Grotto since Josef was brought to us. We've never changed our recipe, I'm sure of it."

A knock thudded on the door.

Josef froze. Claudius spun himself towards the entrance to their room. Everyone held their breath while another knock came banging on the door.

"Goo-drinker? Sea Gwell? It's Rayala."

Josef sighed in relief, but Claudius motioned for him to bring his sword.

Claudius crept towards the door. "We're busy at the moment. What can we do for you Rayala? Is everything alright?" Claudius jerked his head, signalling for Josef to get behind the door.

Rayala's muffled voice spoke again: "I just wanted to let you know we just had a strange guest inquiring after you and the goo-drinker."

Claudius opened the door a smidgen. Rayala had her hands on her hips, she looked about briefly but then finished what she had to say: "A Koyo with a circular scar around her eye popped in. Luckily she came to me first. I don't want any trouble, but I pleaded ignorance concerning your whereabouts — don't want my patrons hacked to bits, especially while they're residing in one of my rooms."

"Thank you, Rayala. We may have to depart sooner than anticipated. Do we owe you anything?"

"You're all paid up save for a loaf of bread the goo-drinker inhaled. But seeing as you've brought in a slew of business for me, I think we can put that to the side. I'm sure the Koyo will be back…"

"We understand, Rayala. Thank you for the tip off."

Josef heard Rayala's steps creaking back down the stairs. He felt his heart hammering against his chest. He stepped out from behind the door as Claudius closed it, letting his short sword return to pointing down at the floor.

"A Koyo?" Josef asked Claudius.

"Wolf moles. Love the dark, intrigue, and stalking things. This one, with the Scar, goes by Elfrieda. Elfrieda the Plumscar. She's The Ba'ha Company's top Windsnort Ranger," Claudius said.

But then turned and banged his fist against the wall, shaking the bed. "Of course they sent Elfrieda after us! The Void take her."

Josef's felt another wave of fear creep through his body. His gaze drifted over to the window slats once again, scanning for any sign of a creature fitting Claudius's description.

But no mole-wolfs were in sight. In fact, the streets were quite, save for one carriage bouncing along the boulevard in the distance. Even the sole vessel on Lake Ferngloom had retired.

Josef turned back to face Claudius and Malark. "If this Elfrieda has been sent away to check other inns, perhaps it's best if we stay here for the night?"

"The goo-drinker raises an excellent point," Claudius said. Josef could still hear the frustration in his voice.

"There's risk no matter where we turn at this point," Malark added quietly.

A span of silence followed Malark's comment, a silence that all enveloped all three escapees of the Ba'ha Grotto. Together they felt the night deepening, the gears in their brains clanking and fidgeting, and a conjoined sense that a great risk — even the risk of stillness — lay at their feet, waiting to be acknowledged.

They all listened as the steady twang of harp strings could be heard downstairs along with laughter's roar dulled by the floorboards.

"I have an idea," Josef said, glancing at both Claudius and Malark. "We switch rooms. It's probably common knowledge what room we're staying in. If we switch rooms we'll be able to put at least a bit of a buffer between ourselves and Elfrieda, or whoever else is stalking us."

"A half-decent idea," said Claudius. "If we are going to stay the night here we might as well take any precautions we can." But Claudius's gills then trembled slightly at the side of his throat. "I just hate the idea of staying here when Elfrieda has already stopped by. If she asks around, she's going to eventually find someone who'll point her straight towards us."

Malark's head collapsed into his hands once again. "I wish I was back in my cave. I wish none of this had happened. My books…my goo-sacs…"

Josef felt a rush of worry as he watched Malark start to breakdown. The man had lost everything. He then looked at Claudius but the Sea Gwell had brainmoled off into another realm. His eyes were wide, vacant.

But then Claudius spoke: "I never intended—"

Malark shook his head. "It's fine, Claudius. The Ba'ha Company is rotten. We both know it." Malark wiped his face with the cuff of his loose tan shirt. "Josef is both alive and his brain is free of the brainsnakes instructions thanks to you. I just don't know what I'm going to do with myself."

Josef crouched down next to Malark. He knew nothing about the man, but it was apparent his life had just fallen apart and the first thing he'd done was come and warned them.

"How did you find us?" Josef asked.

Malark sniffed. "It was either Mal's or Bouldershore. Took my chances." Josef watched as Malark's eyes stared into his: "different goo…" Malark then mumbled vacantly. "Different goo. I still don't believe it."

Claudius suddenly strode towards the door. "Alright, we change rooms. I'm going to tell Rayala."

Malark's head perked up. "Is that wise? If Elfrieda…"

"Malark's right, Claudius," Josef added. "Rayala might appreciate being left unawares concerning all of this."

Claudius nodded his agreement and they proceeded to collect their belongings and exit into the hall, which was once again vacant, the candlelight barely moving in the stillness.

They quickly ascended two floors, rising all the way to the topmost floor of The Backwards Flow. The hall on this level looked no different, but there were less rooms, and Josef remembered Rayala had confirmed that at least one of them had already been rented out.

Suddenly the stairs behind them began to creak. Josef spun and saw a woman with long hair dyed light green climbing the staircase. She wore traveller's clothes, everything a brown leather, but tufting out from the left side of her upper jacket pocket was a purple stone. A dagger was sheathed at her waist.

Her head had been bent down as she climbed the stairs, but when she looked up she spotted Josef first and then Malark and Claudius.

She put her hands on her waist. "A Human, a Sea Gwell, and a Candor. All in Gangdrup. This is indeed a strange alignment. I don't demand any answers to this peculiarity," she said as she climbed the last few stairs. "But I do demand a cup of tea."

"We were just, umm" stuttered Josef, unsure of what to make of this new arrival.

"Heading to your room?" She offered, removing her gloves and gesturing for them to proceed onward. "Please, after you. The invitation stands."