I entered Raven’s Rest in the late afternoon, just as the sun was starting to set. I visited Orla’s shop and the Enclave, but my disappointment, the front doors of both establishments were barred. I hoped everyone had reached Encelas safely.

Thankfully, the Guardhouse was open. The only two people inside were Captain Farrow and Lieutenant Tarlest, and Tarlest smiled as I walked in.

“Our intrepid adventurer returns! Any news of Nagak-Thurn?”

I pulled out a chair and fell into it, exhausted. “I have… a lot of news.”

It took me ten minutes to describe the political situation in Nagak-Thurn. I presented the essential facts in broad terms, without mentioning green hags or Zuvil the necromancer. The two officers listened in rapt attention as I related Odriana’s decision to pursue diplomacy instead of war. I also mentioned the diplomatic mission of King Urctanus in Zelenkh.

“No more trouble from Nagak-Thurn, then?” Farrow asked. “That’s fine news indeed.”

“I… also have news of Palomir,” I said gravely. “But you won’t find it welcome.”

Farrow snorted. “If you’re going to slander Palomir the Just, you might as well hold your tongue. I won’t hear a hard word said about him.”

I sat back, prepared to argue, and my hair fell into my eyes. Reflexively, I brushed the locks aside with my hand.

To my shock, Captain Farrow jumped to his feet. He shouted something, but I couldn’t make out the words, if there were any.

“Captain?” Tarlest turned to Farrow. “What’s wrong?”

Tarlest stood at least twice as tall as the dwarven captain, but Farrow hurled the lieutenant toward the center of the room with one hand. Gray fur sprouted from Farrow’s face, head, and neck.

I nearly fell out of my chair, mouth agape. Captain Farrow was a follower of Venabel. When Vahanna had said that Venabel had agents throughout the kingdom, it hadn’t occurred to me that she’d placed agents in the King’s Guard. My hands trembled as I unstrapped my crossbow and took a silver bolt from my bandolier.

“YOU HAVE OFFENDED THE LADY OF MURDER!” Farrow snarled. “AND YOU MUST BE DESTROYED!”

After completing his transformation, Farrow howled and glared at me with furious yellow eyes. Then he leapt, his mouth revealing rows of dagger-sized fangs.

I fired at the rampaging wolf, and I thought the bolt had struck its target. But Farrow rammed into me, throwing me backward and out of my chair. When I got a better look, I saw that the creature on top of me was a dwarf, wounded and naked, and not a wolf. Once I caught my breath, I rolled Farrow onto the floor and got to my feet.

Tarlest stood over the fallen officer. “Wh-what is this? What happened to the captain?”

“Captain Farrow joined the ranks of Venabel’s followers. He can change into a wolf, but being wounded with silver turns him back into his regular form.”

“Madness,” Tarlest whispered. “Farrow would never kneel to the Lady of Murder.”

I stood over the prostrate dwarf. “I’m going to ask you some questions, Captain. Answer them, and your suffering will come to a quick end. Agreed?”

Farrow replied between gritted teeth, “Agreed.”

“When did you start following Venabel?”

“A year ago, I caught a case of Sewer Rot fighting a clan of kobolds. It’s a wasting disease that leads to madness and death. Venabel appeared to me in a dream and offered to cure me in return for my allegiance. I… I accepted.”

“You’ve been working for Venabel for the last year?” Tarlest said.

“I’m sorry, Tarlest.” Farrow spoke in a low whisper. “You’re the finest officer I’ve ever worked with.”

Tarlest appeared to be on the verge of tears. “And what did she ask of you?”

“Every fortnight, I reported on the condition of Raven’s Rest.”

“Venabel appeared to you every fortnight?” Tarlest asked.

“No,” I said, “you reported to Palomir, didn’t you?”

Farrow pressed his eyes shut. “I sent a message to Palomir every fortnight, reported on the village, and received his orders.”

“Palomir kneels to Venabel?” Tarlest cried. “Has the world gone mad? What orders did he give you?”

Farrow turned his head and groaned. The answer wasn’t coming, so I pressed the silver bolt deeper into his neck. I repeated Tarlest’s question. “What orders did Palomir give you?”

"Only one. He demanded that I ignore the king’s decree.”

Tarlest looked ready to explode. “What's the king’s decree?”

“Two weeks ago, King Quistald ordered every guard in Raven’s Rest to report to Encelas and assist with the defense. All treasury funds were to be spent transporting citizens to the capital.”

Tarlest lowered his head onto the desk and shook as though he was sobbing.

“So Palomir ordered you to keep the King’s Guard here so they could be slaughtered,” I said. “What were you going to do when Galliel’s army arrived?”

“Palomir said I’d be commissioned as an officer in Galliel’s ranks. And we all know the prince is going to win. It’s just a matter of time.”

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I closed my eyes, considering what the dwarf had said. Now I understood why Farrow had torn up Palomir’s letter to Nalkak.

I turned to Tarlest. “Any more questions?”

The large man shook his head slowly, so I fired a silver bolt into Farrow’s chest. Tthe weeping dwarf burst into flame. +2,100 XP!

I turned to Tarlest. “What are we going to do now?”

“Follow the king’s command,” Tarlest whispered. “Travel to Encelas.”

“But when I first came to the Guardhouse, Farrow said something about a missing guardsman and strange encounters in the Northern Forest. I can still work on those missions.”

“That’s all in the past. The king wants everyone in the capital, so that’s where we’re headed.”

My heart sank. If I’d still been Level 7, I wouldn’t have minded missing a few quests. But I was barely at Level 3, so a missed quest could mean the difference between life and death. How was I going to gain experience?

“Are you sure?” I asked. “I wouldn’t mind exploring—”

“I’m sure.” Tarlest stood and wiped his eyes. “As the senior officer of the city’s guard, I’m going to enforce the king’s decree. When the stables open tomorrow, I’ll hire every coach and horse I can afford, and I’ll transport our soldiers and citizens to Encelas.”

“But—” I started.

“And you’re coming with me,” Tarlest said. “The chamberlain needs to hear about Palomir, Farrow, and these wolf creatures. Understand?”

I lowered my head. If I hadn’t pursued Palomir, I could have worked on the other quests. But now there was no going back.

“I… understand,” I said, defeated. “I’ll see you at the stables.”

⚔

Around noon the next day, I looked out of the coach and watched the dark waters of the Baildril flow by. I thought about the things I’d buy in Encelas with the gold I’d received in Zelenkh—new weapons from the shops and magic items from the Enclave. At the very least, I'd buy a better crossbow.

Seated across from me, Tarlest looked haggard and beaten. The officer who had traded jokes with Farrow was gone.

“How can you smile at a time like this?” he asked.

“Nothing’s trying to kill me. Besides, it’s a lovely day.”

“Doesn’t it bother you that Raven’s Rest is going to be overrun by Galliel? The prince doesn’t take prisoners, you know. He raises the dead and forces them into his ranks of soldiers.”

“Of course it bothers me,” I replied. “But we’ve hired every coach and horse in the village, and now half the citizens of Raven’s Rest are on their way to Encelas. You followed the king’s decree to the letter.”

“I was born in Raven’s Rest, and I swore an oath to defend it with my life.” Tarlest looked utterly defeated. “And now I’m running away. Of course, you don’t understand oaths and loyalty—all you do is kill for money.”

I stopped smiling. “It’s too late to defend Raven’s Rest, but we have a chance to defend Encelas.”

“Do we really?” Tarlest sat forward, his eyes moist. “As you said, the Lady of Murder has agents throughout the kingdom—agents who can transform into wolves. Isn’t that right?”

“That’s right.”

“Then what chance does Encelas have? With Galliel’s army attacking from outside and Venabel’s agents attacking from the inside, how can the kingdom defend itself?”

“We have at least one advantage. Thanks to my mark, we can flush out Venabel’s agents.”

“By the beard of Eothis, what are you talking about?”

I showed Tarlest the brand on my forehead. “When Farrow saw this mark, he turned into a wolf and jumped at me. When I show this to the citizens of Encelas, we’ll find out who’s working for Venabel.”

Tarlest sat back, a thoughtful expression on his face. “That is an advantage. I’ll have to report to Lord Harad as soon as we reach the castle.”

“Who’s Lord Harad?”

“The High Chamberlain, in charge of all civil matters including the enforcement of the King’s Law. Within a city, all the guards report to a captain. Within the kingdom, all the captains report to Lord Harad.”

“Does that mean you’re the new captain of Raven’s Rest?”

“The Guardhouse in Raven’s Rest is empty, so there is no captain. Once I report to the chamberlain, he’ll make me a regular guard in the Encelas Guardhouse or a soldier in the army.”

Tarlest’s expression became grim and he turned to look out the window. After minutes of silence, I checked the Global Map and saw the circled star about an hour away from Encelas. I decided to strike up more conversation.

“Besides defending against Galliel’s attack, is anything interesting happening in the capital?” I asked.

“King Quistald and Queen Galswin, long may they reign, haven’t sired any children since their sons died at Elinia. They’re expected to adopt Lord Berrol, but he’s in his fifties, and his sons died at Elinia as well.”

“Who’s Lord Berrol?”

“He’s the High General, in charge of the kingdom’s army. From what I hear, the chamberlain is fiercely jealous of Lord Berrol becoming the next king, and he created his own secret police to make sure the crown ends up on his head instead.”

“The chamberlain doesn’t sound like a pleasant man,” I replied.

“Don’t take the rumors seriously. I’ve met Lord Harad a handful of times, and he seemed decent enough, if overworked. From what I hear, he and the High Wizard, Kazerath, are the smartest men in the kingdom.”

I smiled at the lofty titles: High Chamberlain, High General, and High Wizard. I hoped these officials would send me on quests, because I needed all the experience I could get.

“What’s crime like in Encelas? Any major problems?”

“With so many refugees coming in, it can be hard to find work. Many unemployed youth join gangs, and the largest of them is the Street Wolves.”

“Are they thieves?”

Tarlest nodded. “Theft and assault, but they make most of their money selling daelmar.”

Tarlest uttered the word daelmar with such gravity that it reminded me of a police officer lecturing against the use of hard drugs.

“Any other problems?”

Tarlest cocked his head to the side. “From what I hear, there have been several odd murders in the last six months.”

“What do you mean, ‘odd’?”

“Aristocrats and major officials have been found stabbed in their homes, but no one ever sees anything. No broken doors or signs of struggle. Just dead bodies with dagger wounds.”

“That is odd.”

I thought about all the murder-mystery novels I’d read, but nothing helpful came to mind. I wondered if I’d be sent on any quests related to daelmar or the strange murders.

⚔

The coach slowed as we entered a large wooden building filled with a powerful scent of manure. After we came to a stop, the coachman cried out, “The Royal Stables!”

“What's the plan?” I asked Tarlest.

“I’m going to tell the chamberlain about Captain Farrow. You are going to spend the night at the Prince’s Arms, which is the finest tavern in Encelas. Tomorrow morning, I’ll meet you in the common room.”

“How do I identify myself? Do I need documents?”

Tarlest shook his head. “All who obey the King’s Law are welcome within the city walls. But don’t annoy anyone wearing green and gold.”

The two of us walked out of the stables into a busy thoroughfare. Unlike Raven’s Rest, Encelas was a proper city, and crowds of different races—human, elf, dwarf, halfling, lizardfolk—bustled past us, talking animatedly. All around me, I felt a vigor and spirit that I hadn’t seen in Raven’s Rest.

“Head that way.” Tarlest said, pointing northeast. “The Prince’s Arms has two gold sabers over the doorway, so you can’t miss it. And Dylan?”

“Yes?”

“That mark on your forehead makes you essential to the defense of the capital. Stay out of trouble.”