"Before we go, there's something I need from you." I turned to Lily. "I want to see one of your potion bottles."

Lily brought over her hefty suitcase and pulled out a little wooden box. There were leather slots stitched into the inside of the box to hold the vials and bottles, containing liquids of all different colors and viscosity. I scanned every bottle carefully, trying to access the information that old Elsa's memories had on them.

I learnt none of those bottles were all that special. "Do you have more spare bottles like these?" I asked.

Lily looked puzzled. "Just empty bottles?"

"No, the bottles lined with azure varnish," I said. The varnish was what allowed basic containers to hold magical contents. "And I want at least three of these."

Lily obliged with my request and I thanked her for it. Then I turned to Smokewell and Asmod and said, "You all can head over to the tram stop, I'll meet you there." I said as I slipped the bottles along with my knife and hexonomicon in my reticule.

"Where are you going?" Smokewell asked.

"I have to test something," I said as I left the apartment.

****

It took me about half an hour to carry out my experiments, but I was glad at least nothing drastic happened. I met up with them at the stop as we'd decided.

"What even took you so long?" Smokewell asked.

I just gave a coy little smile and remained quiet.

"Miss Elsa, why is there mud on your skirt," Lily said.

"Let's just say that I succeeded in what I was hoping for," I said as I kept smiling.

The tram ride to downtown was fairly peaceful. But I could tell Smokewell had to make an effort to keep her mouth shut most of the way. Her tail kept twitching back and forth anxiously and she made quiet grumbling noises that managed to attract a few curious stares from the fellow passengers.

After boarding off, we asked around for directions to the Ursus Lane. We had to walk through two market streets and several high brow stores to get to our destination. I got a strange feeling as we made our way down the roads. The blind man had said the public house had been burned. But it was still in a place as busy as the downtown of Orowen.

"It's cursed, isn't it?" Lily said, voicing the question that was swirling in my mind.

"I wouldn't rule out the possibility," Asmod said.

"If we are really going to take a blind man at his words, then yes, the place might be cursed," Smokwell said after hopping onto Lily's shoulder. "If it hadn't been cursed, someone would've broken it down and built something new in its place."

I couldn't help but frown. If it really was where the blind man said, then the curse was probably real and not just some rumor. "I'm wondering why didn't anyone come to cleanse it? Any witches in particular," I said.

"Probably because someone is benefitting from letting the hex remain on the property," Smokewell said. "Or maybe the local regulated coven is too incompetent to handle hexes. Not everyone is going to be a gifted genius." She raised her nose to the sky with an almost aristocratic arrogance.

I shook my head. Asmod, who was leading our little party, came to a halt. So did the rest of us. We'd arrived at the public house.

And it wasn't a surprise why anyone hadn't dared to destroy the property. The concrete walls were cracked and bare but their bases still had a charred look to them. Whatever windows remained were either broken or coated with dust. Half of the roof had crumbled away. And the door at the front entrance was a blasted piece of wood, dangling from a rusty hinge. An equally rusty metal sign hung from a rod. It simply read: Rosa's House.

I looked around, scanning the up and down of the street, observed a few pedestrians who passed us by. No one met my gaze with their own, they didn't seem interested to. It didn't feel like anyone was watching us. The air outside the ruined building certainly felt more foreboding but it didn't feel like we were about to get ambushed. But the question still remained evident in our heads.

"Of all the places in Orowen, why this one?" Lily asked.

"It's just very convenient," a man said behind me. It was Hopper.

I almost jumped at his sudden appearance.

"I was convinced you weren't going to come," he said, walking ahead of us and by the entrance of the ruined public house. He was dressed quite formally--in a three piece double breasted suit, a pair of white gloves, a pair of brogues, a walking cane and a top hat.

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"We almost didn't, trust me," I said and gripped the strap of my reticule a bit tighter, reminding myself I still had those bottles with me. It gave me some confidence I didn't know I needed.

"We weren't going to, but you know how that old saying about curiosity goes." Lily shrugged.

"The one where it kills the cat?" Hopper said with a small grin.

"No, the one where the Witch hunter General gets his butt whipped for interfering where he isn't needed," she said.

Hopper's grin vanished. "I haven't heard of that one."

"I think we are digressing," Asmod said. "Now that we are here, shall we proceed?"

Hopper looked at the little man as if he was noticing him for the first time (which he probably was). "I agree with the gentleman." He tipped his hat at Asmod and then he turned to lead us into the public house, "Shall we?"

My grip on the reticule turned tighter, "Why do you want us to come inside?"

"For privacy, you know?" he said, his grin had returned. "I would rather discuss the matter at hand while we are far away from prying ears."

I turned to look at my companions. Lily didn't look even slightly scared, Smokwell was a bit wary but a restrained feral glare swirled within her eyes. Asmod looked at the dark entrance with a careful expression. They all looked at me and I gave a nod. Then we followed Hopper inside.

Rosa's House was as desolate from the inside as it was from the outside. Tables and chairs lay in a burnt and dusty mess, rats and lizards slithered in the shadows. The only thing intact was the counter at the far end of the big chamber. Hopper walked around as if he had been there a dozen times, as if he owned the place.

He certainly didn't seem to sense (or just didn't care) what the rest of us could. There was a heavy sulfuric stench in the air. My instincts told me that this was what an accursed territory smelled like. Maybe that was also the reason why I felt like other than the five of us, there was a sixth person present in the public house.

Hopper kept his walk just as casual as before and stepped behind the counter. "Let's cut to the chase," he said as he lit a single candle that had been sitting on the countertop. "The green blood theory being false, I'm sure, that's the main reason why you came here." He looked up from the candle flame and at each of our faces. "Ignoring the threat of an ambush."

Before I could answer Lily said, "Your threats are as weak as the walls of this place. We are free people now. There is no case you can use against us."

Hopper raised his hands. "I don't intend to. Unless you leave me no choice, of course."

"I'm asking again," I said, "What do you want?"

After a short pause he said, "I want you to help me rescue someone."

"Why us?" I asked.

"Because, you have the talents I need for my little mission," he said.

"The last time I heard someone say that to me I found myself in quite a bit of trouble," I said.

"I'm glad to know that you have prior experience for things like these," he said.

"What's in it for us?" Lily asked.

"You don't get arrested," Hopper said. Then he laughed. "I'm kidding, that's just half of it. There is a prize for you at the end of it. For all of you. If you succeed, you'll be quite happy with your reward."

"Didn't you say you just resigned?" I narrowed my eyes at him. "It's not like you can actually get us arrested."

"The ink on my resignation letter is still warm," he said. "And I was the general of the witch hunter division. My word is still going to carry more weight than any of yours."

"Even if you go and tell them the truth about the knife test, aren't they going to hold you accountable for all the executions you carried out previously?" Lily said.

"They will. I'll be thrown in the jail for my deeds," he said and then he smiled a ghastly smile against the candlelight, "But, I'll take you all with me. Even the written confession that you provided can be proved to be forged."

For a moment, no one said anything. For a moment, I could hear the searing thread of the candlewick that was burning.

"Who is this person you want us to rescue?" Smokewell said, hopping up on the counter.

Hopper gave a small smile and pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket, unfolded it and laid it next to the candle. "He was arrested in Orowen before they transported him to the Pallport Penitentiary. His name is William Hammer."

The man's last name hadn't gone unnoticed to me or my companions.

"Why does he matter to you?" Asmod asked.

"You see, he belongs to quite a prestigious family in Stonebarrow city." Hopper ran a gloved hand over the sleeve of his coat. "He had been living under an alias when he was arrested. So no one knows of his origin except for me and a few others. His family is going to pay quite handsomely to anyone who brings him back." He smiled at each of us.

“How handsome are we talking about?” Smokewell said.

“About thirty thousand steambolts,” Hopper said.

The number was followed by a silence. I could tell by the looks on everyone's face--they were trying very hard not to drool.

"Yes, we all like the shine of a bag full of steambolts, but why are you after this man? You want some extra money for your retirement?" I said.

Hopper nodded. "You can say that."

I pulled all my companions aside in a huddle. "Just so we all are on the same page–"

"Yes," Smokewell interrupted. "We are taking up the job. I'll drag that man out of the depths of hell just to buy a house with a room of my own."

"I wouldn't mind adding some new furnishings to my Nook," Asmod said. "Actual furnishings. No enchanted façade."

"I want to eat the barbecued basilisk in Volcano Lane!" Lily hopped up and down.

I couldn't help but grin at their enthusiasm. "Well, until we find a safe way to sell off those bones, this might be our chance to get some real income for now."

We turned back to Hopper. "We're in!"