Destin reluctantly told Vak everything he knew about the local chapter of the Grievspair Organization. It seemed they operated out of a tailor shop within the city walls; a popular place known as “Fit Sew Good.” The shop was a “front,” which Destin tried to explain a few times. Vak didn’t need to understand the details.

If everyone knew it was an illegal operation, why was it allowed to continue? How did having a very public false identity like this tailor shop help in the slightest? In the end, it doesn’t make a lot of difference. If that is where they are, then I will try and arrange Miss Hale’s release.

Destin set up a meeting with his contact, Alon. Vak was to meet him at the Tailor shop right before it closed this evening. Destin would not be joining Vak, which surprised him.

Destin seemed to care for Nina Hale genuinely. In his sick way. No matter, this outcome is honestly preferable: no one to look after.

Vak opened the door to a rather impressive shop. Fit Sew Good was much larger than the Huxley family Bakery. There were remarkable suits and dresses hanging from a variety of racks throughout the store. The tailoring business must be going very well. He mused. A lanky man was speaking with an older woman with at least four boxes on the counter.

“Welcome… uh… sir.” The lanky man stammered after looking to Vak. “I’ll be with you in a moment.” Then he went back to his transaction with the older lady. He seemed nervous.

One of the thieves? Is that why I put him at such ill-ease? No, I’ve been spooking everyone I meet, there is no reason to jump to conclusions.

Vak walked around the shop, pretending to look at clothes. He scanned the area for assassins or cutpurses ready to jump out from behind the racks. Everything seems reasonable, not at all like what I imagined a criminal ‘front’.

“Excuse me, sir,” The lanky man said, surprising Vak by appearing behind him. “Are you finding everything you need?” The man said cautiously.

How did he approach me without me hearing? Vak wondered. “I’m not here for clothes. I have a meeting with Alon.” Vak responded carefully.

The man’s demeanor changed immediately. He took a step back and fell into what looked like a fighting stance. His foot fell behind him for support, and his hands raised in preparation to deal with an attack.

“I am Alon. You have exactly ten words to tell me what you are doing here.”

“I am Vakdragnar. Destin sent me about his debt.”

Vak could see the man weighing his words. He did not lower his stance for a few moments. “That was more like eleven words, but very well, come with me,” Alon said motioning Vak to join him back behind a curtain.

Vak ignored the joke at his name and followed. It led to a small collection of stalls for people to try on garments before they purchased them. Alon went to the third stall and pushed on a mirror which opened up to a secret corridor.

Vak was forced to stoop to follow. They walked down a small corridor, which led to a back room with eight other people. They tensed as Vak entered, some even drew weapons. Vak began to take inventory of the room almost immediately. There was another door opposite the corridor they’d come in.

Multiple entrances, smart. Vak thought while looking around. An injured man was lying on a table Vak had initially missed in his count of the room. Bandages covered half his face, and his legs had been cut off below his shins. He seemed to be sleeping despite his injuries.

“Rosina,” Alon said, breaking the silence. “Will you go close up the shop?”

“Of course, sir.” She said moving with a quickness that told Vak, Alon did not like to be kept waiting.

So, he is the one in charge here. Destin failed to mention that.

“So, you noticed, Bradshaw. Good.” Alon said, standing beside Vak. He was speaking of the bandaged man. Vak had been unintentionally staring at the sleeping man trying to figure out how he was injured. “If you’re here to speak about Destin’s debt, Bradshaw is at the crux of it. The drugs to keep him alive have been costly.”

“He was one of the kidnappers,” Vak said peacing Alon’s words together.

“He was the only survivor. One of my men hired to do a simple job. Except we both know it wasn’t so simple, don’t we?”

“I went to her apartment and saw the aftermath..”

“Good, so you’re up to speed. Where’s our money?”

“I do not have any money,” Vak said.

“What did you say?” Alon practically yelled. The other thieves moved as though they’d received some hidden command. They began to circle Vak.

“Your friend, says he did not know he was hiring you,” Vak explained. “He said, as far as he knew this was a favor between friends.”

“Friends?” Alon practically spat the word. “He has the stones to speak of friendship? I grew up with him, and he sends us into that bloodbath!”

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“He is a despicable person,” Vak confirmed. “Sending you to kidnap someone who trusted him. I would be mad as well. That does not explain why he is being held liable for that man. Was it not you who blew up the apartment? What is the point of using black powder in a simple kidnapping?” Vak said as the criminals circled him weapons ready strike.

“What?” Alon said, taking a step back. “A bomb? Is that what you think happened?”

“I saw the apartment. It was devastated.”

“Leave it to Destin. He sends this idiot in his place hoping to, what, intimidate us?”

“I am just here to negotiate the safe return of Miss Hale,” Vak said his hands up.

“It seems you are woefully ill-informed to the situation,” Alon told him. “There was no bomb. Your idiot friend hired us to kidnap her. The price adjustment is because he declined to mention we’d need to hide his girl from a demon!”

“What are you talking about?” Vak demanded.

“Why don’t I let you hear about it for yourself,” Alon said. He walked over to the bandaged man and gently shook him awake. “Bradshaw, wake up.”

“Gaaahhh,” Bradshaw said as he was coming too.

“Are you in pain?” Alon asked with genuine concern.

“A little,” he mumbled.

Vak did not have much experience with narcotics, but the bandaged man seemed a bit out of it. Like his head bobbed a bit back and forth, and he slurred his speech.

“I need you to tell this man what happened.”

“Wha… what happened?”

“The other night, during your job.”

The man immediately sobered up. His face grew pale and began looking around wildly as though he needed to escape.

“It’s alright, Bradshaw,” Alon said. “You are safe here. It’s not coming back.”

“I still see it when I sleep.” Bradshaw began, his hands were shaking. “It’s etched in my brain.”

“What did you see?” Vak asked. That look in his eyes. He has seen something haunting.

“It was impossibly tall, like a twisted skeleton with these gnarled horns from the side of its head. It just appeared out of nowhere, and the room broke apart. It lifted its unnaturally long arms, and these black tendrils came from the ground. I thought I’d lost my mind.” The man began to weep as he talked, then his demeanor changed completely. He began thrashing around violently. “It took my legs! It took my legs!” he began shouting; he was staring down at his injuries.

“Bradshaw. Calm down.” Alon said with little effect. Bradshaw grabbed Vak and could see how broken this man had become.

“I could hear it speak in my head. It was going to devour me. It took my legs!”

Alon quickly stuck a needle in Bradshaw’s arm, and the thrashing slowly stopped as the man passed out. Vak looked from the drugged man to Alon again, trying to make sense of what he was hearing.

“Where is Nina Hale?” Vak asked quietly.

“Dead.”

“What?”

“You saw the apartment; nothing survived that. I hope, for her sake, that demon devoured her there. There are many worse things than death, and I would not wish them on the waitress.” Alon said somberly, looking at his bandaged friend slowly returning to unconsciousness.

“Why was this demon after her in the first place? What would it want with a tavern waitress?” Vak could feel his anger rise. He had hoped to save her, and he was having a difficult time accepting that was beyond him now.

“No idea,” Alon said cooly. The criminals had circled him again; drawing their weapons. “I only know Destin lied to me. I don’t like liars. It's a shame you got in the middle of this, but I have to send a message to Destin. Let him know any further attempt to involve other people is going to end badly.”

“You don’t want to do this,” Vak said. He wasn't entirely convincing. Part of him wanted to let loose his anger on these criminals.

“Kill him,” Alon said without any sympathy.

Behind him, a wall erupted in a fiery blast.

Shards of wood splintered, hurled through the air as they blasted inward into the hideout. A woman wearing a long orange and red robe floated into the room through the fire. Her hair was a vibrant orange, and she played with it as she surveyed the carnage. Flames danced around her body like a shield.

It took Vak entirely too long to realize he’d met this woman last evening at the bar; probably because she was much less on fire at the time. She levitated for a few moments in silence as the criminals looked at her in disbelief. Then they charged at her, completely forgetting about Vakdragnar.

She had not come alone. Braid, from Nina’s apartment, stepped out in front of her. His gleaming silver armor a sharp contrast to the gloom of the hideout. He had his Large hammer that he swung with one hand, knocking the nearest assailant across the room. The thief hit against the wall and did not get up.

The hammer pulsed with white radiant light as it made contact, and he swung it again at a second enemy hitting him square in the chest and sending him flying. Braid stood like that in front of Cassie attacking anyone who tried to get near her. Three more thieves hit the walls with a sickening crunch as they foolishly thought they could take him.

Cassie sent out streaks of fire that shot across the room, striking criminals and knocking them to the ground. A few ignited and rolled around in agony in an attempt to put it out. They lay there howling in pain, unable to continue fighting.

Alon charged at Braid and then dove under his hammer as he brought it around to strike him. He was determined to kill this fire mage. That was when Dam appeared behind Alon driving his dagger into where the man’s liver would be. Dam’s attack had been precise and quick. He had picked the spot specifically to do the most damage. Alon crumpled to the ground.

Just like that, the fight was over. Shattershade began to take stock of the room as a fourth member strolled in. The Tey Paira, Anka Cotton, grimaced as she ran her finger along a bloody wall. She walked in with no great hurry. She moved to each criminal, checking on their wounds, and offering a small prayer for the ones that died. Her hands lit up, and the criminal’s eyes grew wide as they sucked in a sharp breath of air.

Braid stormed over to Vak. He was a tall, impressive man, and not much shorter than Vakdragnar.

“Who are you?” He demanded.

“I am…”

“Rag?” Anka said in disbelief. “You told me you weren’t involved with Grievspair! Was that all a lie? Some kind of plot to steal from the church?”

“What? Wait! No, I would never!” Vak tried to explain. He did not want to fight Shattershade after that display.

“We better take him too.” Braid decided. “Cassie?”

Vak put his hands up in a placating gesture. “You don’t understand.”

“Shhh,” Cassie said her eyes glowing like a flame. “Time to sleep now, handsome.” She raised her hand, and a cloud of strange purple dust swept across Vakdragnar. His eyes became heavy, and he fell to one knee. He could feel himself falling asleep and unable to shake it off. The compulsion was too strong. He landed on the ground hard and then fell into unconsciousness.