“If memories serve, the Shadow Claws once ruled Pamalyra behind the scenes.”

Tama regurgitated all she knew about the unaffiliated group who attacked Kihet and Lily. The last piece of intel roaming around the city regarding to the fabled organization were their executions. Their assets were seized by the Merchants and the name vanished from history in time, left as a silly fable to children.

“What brought this up?”

“Lily and I found these.” Kihet dropped the batch of medallions onto the table.

“Nyie see… this is certainly fine craftsmanship. The only issue is to prove its authenticity.”

“Can you?”

“I’ll go find people who can. Since this is a sensitive matter, I’ll need to find trustworthy professionals to not spread rumors. If word gets around and reaches those people’s ears, you’ll lose that trail for good.”

“I’ll leave it to you.”

“Actually, grumpy one. I have other things to disclose. It’s about the people who are after Rogus.” Tama discretely slid an envelope towards Kihet.

Kihet immediately noticed the parchment was scented. The flowery aroma reminded him of Fatilda’s perfume to which he nearly retched during his first encounter. With deliberate movements, Kihet carefully cut the lip of the sealed letter. As he unfolded the envelope, a mix of curiosity and confusion painted over his expression.

Behind him, Lily peeked over his shoulders.

It appeared three of the Merchants, aside from Fatilda and one other, three of the five, made individual requests to target Rogus.

Vike Kamrah, overseer of international relations requested Rogus to be captured alive. Next was Rag Greypelt, master of the mercenary guild who requested Rogus to captured preferably alive. Finally, Belka Vilja, the Deckmaster of Navargzan’s harbors, footed an insurmountable sum for Rogus’ death.

“Rag and Vike could have their reasons to capture Rogus seeing how they try to keep Pamalyra running as is. The only one hard to justify is Belka. Why would the Deckmaster be the only one to request an assassination?”

“The Shadow Claws targeted Kihet and me. Are they working with the Merchant Council? It wouldn’t make sense since they had some history of clashing.” Lily added.

“They probably thought you two were going to get in their way.” Salith commented. “What did they look like?”

“Cloaked. They were controlled by Pixie Dust.”

Salith exchanged looks with Aten who had been silently keeping watch out the window. “We also encountered a similar group as well, but we couldn’t retrieve any of their belongings. It looks like we’re all in their crosshairs.”

[Was investigating where dust from.]

“Since there aren’t much traces here, the trading must be done at another port or something.”

“But we don’t have any other leads to find them. I also don’t want to do anything drastic until we find Rogus.” Kihet said. “Tama, you have any leads?”

“No, but I have something else I need to share with you all.” Tama then slid another envelope towards Kihet. It was stained with blood. “Do you still remember Douglas?”

“My memory is still crystal clear. What’s up?”

“A few weeks ago, the port he resided was ransacked while Douglas and his crew was out fetching supplies. The finger you showed me was his Ma’s…”

“I remember. Did he find her?”

Tama nodded, but with her hood hiding her expression.

“Douglas’ letter reached me just today. It says the Merchant Council were working together to hunt him down. In that message, the Merchant Council were the ones who tortured and killed his Ma in the cruelest way. He doesn’t know if he’ll be able to complete my request anymore. He plans to attack Navargzan in a week to get revenge for his Ma and warned us to leave now.”

“Is he planning to kill all figure heads of the Merchant Council?” Kihet inquired.

“Yes.” Tama answered despondently. “And only because it’s Douglas there’s a chance he can pull it off. I’m sure you heard of some of his other names and titles.”

“If I remember correctly, it’s Silver and the Liberator?” Lily pondered.

“I don’t know this Silver or Liberator, but someone strong is planning to siege this city, right?” Salith asked.

[Heard he killed one Guardian his own.]

“Damn. That’s insane.”

“The problem is, he’s an acquaintance and to find the person Tama’s looking for, we need the merchants alive.” Kihet rubbed his chin. “We only have so many dependable people we can count on. If Douglas is as dangerous as Tama makes of him, I doubt the guards would put up any fight.”

“Then, how about this? We should prioritize those we can help.” Lily unrolled a lengthy parchment she found. “We know the Samark has nothing to do with Douglas’ loss and has been helping the Scalemen with financial and housing aid.”

“Nyas much as I dislike it, Douglas must nyot reach Vike.” Tama added. “He is most familiar with international affairs and Pamalyra would lose many international trading routes and businesses without him.”

[Question. Who fifth family?]

“You don’t need to worry about them. They’re not even in Navargzan.” Tama lethargically waved. “Nyanyways! Times ticking. Let’s focus what’s in front of us.”

“En. I agree. So that’s two families we can protect. If we add Ainig, Yizdra, and Kihet’s friend, we have enough numbers to help one more. Salith, what if you contact Rozzosea’s Queen for help?”

“They won’t make it in a week’s time. Ryker gave word the Queen is traveling here, and it’ll take her three weeks to reach us at the fastest time.”

“Then we need to redouble our efforts to find Rogus if we want a chance to talk down Douglas. We also have to look out for the Shadow Claws. There’s a chance they might interfere.”

----------------------------------------

Within a span of four days, Fatilda managed to build a safe haven housing the Scalemen.

Vol could see everything standing running across the rooftop of buildings. He searched all over the Scalemen community while trying to spot Kihet’s traveling companions.

With no luck, he dropped by his residence hopping his friend would be there.

“Yo, Kihet! Let’s go grab a drink and do some stupid shit together like we used to…! And, he’s not here.”

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

Vol barged through the door finding an unoccupied room. For a moment he thought there had been a robbery, but upon jogging his memory, Kihet’s messiness was one of the main traits Vol was well acquainted. The bed sheets were flipped, equipment cluttered all over the tables and the floor was blanketed by pieces of loose bark skin with words scribbled on them.

“If Sorah was here, she’d whoop his ass after seeing this mess.” Vol scratched his head. “This is the third day I haven’t seen him. Where did he go?”

There were interesting gadgets Vol was tempted to grab, but knowing how much of a prick his friend became, Vol decided it was best to leave the room as is.

As he closed the door, Vol spotted a Tortoise Folk carrying a crate making its way towards him.

If Vol recalled, this Scalemen was among the few Kihet got along well. His name was Ainig. Vol sensed a particular heaviness whenever his eyes tagged the Tortoise like something invisible lurking around staring back at him from the shadows.

Still, seeing someone acquainted with Kihet, the Tortoise might know where his friend disappeared to.

“Yo. You seen Kihet around?”

“H-huh? Crabby? N-no, I haven’t. Sorry.”

“Are you putting these in front of his room?”

“I-it’s actually for Tomoe.”

“I see.” Vol nodded. “Wait a minute. Doesn’t every one of Kihet’s friends have their own rooms? Where is her room anyways?”

“Over there.”

“Hmmm?”

Had Vol’s memory betray him? Did he happened to wander into a girl’s room without noticing?

There was a scent of heavy metal and grease in there, but now that he thought deeply about it, there was also a hint of flowery perfume. Not that Kihet wore any in the first place, or had he?

Vol could always smell the same scent on Tomoe and Kihet on every early morning they’ve met.

“Isn’t that Kihet’s room?”

“Yup.”

“But it’s the only one on this floor.”

“Yes?”

“C’mon. Don’t lie to me. Those things are for him, isn’t it?”

“B-but it’s not?”

Vol slowly put the equation together. His body was visibly shaking until he couldn’t bottle up his anger any further. His eyes burst with tears and cried.

“Dammit Kihet! You already graduated before me and now you’re just bragging!”

“Eep!”

Vol’s unexpected outburst caused Ainig to flinch, resulting in him dropping the box of goods. The crate split open and spilled its contents in front of them.

Aside from bundles of quivers, string and necessities, it contained daring silk lingerie. The scandalous pieces of fabric on some of them were so thin and tight it would trace the silhouette of the body perfectly.

Thinking how lucky his friend was, Vol collapsed on his knees with teary eyes. He even began crying blood.

“It’s not fair! It should’ve been me!”

But before he could continue his tantrum, his ears caught the sound of clashing metal. From his vantage point, Vol saw a crowd building near the entrance of the walled district strictly for Scalemen.

“What’s going on?” Ainig asked.

“I’ll go check it out.” Vol raised a crystal ball from his satchel. “Fatilda, is there someone attacking the Scalemen?”

“It’s Greypelt’s Mercenaries. We don’t know what they want at the moment, but I’m making my way over to the Mercenary Guild. Is the Oracle there?”

“Don’t know. He’s been missing for the last three days. Today, some of his other companions have gone out too.”

“Alright, darling. For now, diffuse the situation.”

“Stop calling me that!”

“You don’t have a choice, love~. Our contract says otherwise. Anyways, I’ll speak with Greypelt, but give me updates.”

Fatilda’s affection over the call almost made Vol retched. He begrudgingly tucked away the magic device and leaped out the nearest window. He gathered spirits of the playful wind to enchant his boots temporarily granting him in a boost of speed.

Vol zipped along the rooftops as quick as the wind only to arrive to the scene minutes later. He perched against the roof and observed an unlikely group confronting a small army of mercenaries. With his keen hearing and vision, he was able to watch the scenario unfold from afar.

Ryker confronted the mercenaries while Yizdra, Krullu and Fatilda’s hired guards stood behind him.

“What you mean? The Scalemen aren’t doing anything of sort. Holy Vol and I’ve been observing them day and night.”

“Just hand over the Alchemist. We can’t idly stand by while knowing Navargzan can be destroyed by his creations.”

“What creations? Can’t you see it’s mostly women and children? Most of them don’t even have the strength to bear arms.”

“Greypelt paid us to cut off the root before the Scalemen revolt. We have reports of Scalemen using explosive devices from the war in Stusis. An Alchemist is in charge of making them.”

It would explain Kihet’s unconventional weapon. Vol remembered the Firelance fired small explosive charges matching the description the mercenaries provided. Were they perhaps searching for Kihet?

But wouldn’t they have called him the Oracle instead of an Alchemist?

“How would you explain an unusual amount of sulfur and charcoal being moved towards the Scalemen district? We have a log of all purchases made by the Scalemen in the last week. They are clearly planning something. Is the Samark family endorsing them?”

“Oracle ordered them.” Krullu objected. “His weapon.”

“Is that how it is? The Oracle and the Samark Family are planning to use the Scalemen and take over the city! We’re going to stop you before Navargzan becomes a war zone.”

“Don’t you dare blame it on the Samark family!” Ryker roared.

Yizdra drew her hatchet. “What are they saying?! Why are weapons being drawn?”

“They’re going to force their way through to look for their imaginary Alchemist.”

Tension rose. Neither side attempted to start a fight and were trying to measure their opponent’s defense.

“Hang on a second.” One of the henchmen studied Krullu. “That one has bulbous eyes. Boss, it’s the weird lookin’ lizard! He’s the Alchemist!”

“Capture him!”

A pack of mercenaries pounced at Krullu without a moment’s hesitation.

“Me?! What did I do?!”

“You, get back!” Ryker threw himself in front of Krullu. “Yizdra, they’re after your friend!”

Ryker effortlessly dealt with the first wave, but their numbers were far too many for a lone warrior to stand against. The second wave would deem too much of a threat to a giant as they were armed with non lethal, large crescent tipped prongs.

A large pack lunged at Ryker, each one pairing up to target different parts of his body. A giant could easily overpower individual fighters, that was why the mercenaries quickly used many man catchers to pin down Ryker with overwhelming numbers.

One by one, hired guards were immobilized by mercenaries. Unfortunate bystanders also got caught in the mess. Some fought back, but their weapons did not give them great range compared to the man catchers.

The only one unaffected by all of this was Yizdra. Her body was protected by a coating of deadly poisonous acid corroding any weapons of metal she touched. She pounced at one of the mercenaries straying too close and burned the fur off the unfortunate foe.

“We need magic!”

Casters invoked a water sigil, chanting a passage to connect to the water elementals. However, before the casters were able to complete the spell, a zooming figure flew by and knocked them unconscious.

“Okay, that’s enough. Everyone put down your weapons if you don’t want to see knives growing out of your calves.” Vol expertly twirled a knife in his hand doubling as showing off his handling skills and dexterous movements. “You do know this is area is private property, right? Mercenaries shouldn’t be here without permission.”

Many were quick to recognize the revered feathered ears and fan tipped tails of the sacred race.

“Holy Vol!”

“Man, Ryker. You’ve been getting your ass beat these days. I thought I chose you to become my second because you’re an unbeatable juggernaut.”

“If I were to use my [Wars Blood], I’d do more harm than good.”

“You would. Anyways, what’s going on?”

“Holy one, am I glad to see you here!” The leader offered a small bow. “These refugees seek to harm Navargzan. We are merely seeking justice before the problem arises.”

“That doesn’t mean you can barge in and ransack the place. You guys are making yourselves look like a villain. My friend isn’t going to happy about this.”

“It’s the guild master’s request. If anything, the Scalemen’s disappearance in this city would make it a safer place. Please tell them to hand over the Alchemist for the sake of Pamalyra’s peace. Surely the Oracle must understand.”

“Right. So, this peace. Is it your peace or Pamalyra’s? Mercenaries aren’t known to be charitable bunches.”

“We must’ve a change of heart.”

Bullshit. Vol wanted to say. Anyone sensible would notice their greed underneath their noble façade. Although Vol was oblivious at times, he wasn’t blind. The mercenary’s aim was to learn the fire medicine recipe from the Chameleon.

“Well, I’m in no position to hand over anyone. You should come back to ask my friend another day-.”

The crystal ball in his satchel pinged. It reminded Vol to give an update of his situation to Fatilda.

“Darling, they’re looking for an Alchemist. His name is Krullu.”

“Way ahead of you. I told the mercenaries to leave, but they’re not budging until they hand the Alchemist over.”

“Let them take him.”

“Huh?” Had he heard wrong? “Can you repeat that?”

“Give the Alchemist to the mercenaries.”

This was not her usual tone. Vol simply took a wild guess, but his instincts warned him of something on Fatilda’s end had gone wrong. Did it mean he could get rid of her if he disobeyed? The temptation was strong, but losing Fatilda would cause massive damages to the Scalemen Kihet painstakingly brought.

He did feel a hint of guilt thinking to abandon Fatilda. She was always the first one to lend her assistance during his stay in Pamalyra. He was somewhat indebted to her. Even if Vol ran away from his problem, he wouldn’t be able to outrun Kihet’s wrath.

“Shit.” Vol clicked his tongue. “How couldn’t I notice it?”

“Holy one.” The Leader snickered as he put away his magic orb. “Will you help us to maintain the peace?”

Vol vowed he would break the Leader’s nose one day.

“Ryker, tell everyone to stand down.” Vol made a fist. “Krullu, you’ll be going with them.”

“W-what?! Are you serious?!” Krullu screamed.

“Holy one, I will not allow this!” Yizdra protested. “Krullu’s knowledge of his machinations is vital to the Scalemen and the Oracle’s campaign! At least wait until the Oracle returns!”

“I never said he’ll be going alone.” Vol turned to the mercenaries. “I’ll be tagging along because I’m curious why you need him. You have no objections, right?”