It wasn’t hard for me to sneak away from the guard headquarters. Not with my experience in the now…former Nocturne Division. All the guards and soldiers were too busy dealing with refugees even to try to search for me.

Once I was a good enough distance away, I lingered in a rubble-strewn alley between two buildings that had collapsed in on themselves. I don’t know how long I stood limply in that alleyway, with no relevant thoughts in my mind at all, slowly getting soaked by the rain clouds that had moved back in on Elderwyck. But eventually, something caught my attention. A light, back in the direction of the manse.

I lifted my head just in time to watch as a figure in a white robe took off into the sky, born aloft by two burning, firey wings. Dully, I watched as what could only be Honoka flapped away from the city, no doubt to seek out Grey and tell him about…everything.

When she had disappeared from my sight, I finally stirred from my near stupor. Watching her leave, a thought entered my mind.

Where was I going to go? I suppose I could just hide out in the flat that Sylvia and I had been using as our cover, but that felt wrong to me. I don’t even know if it had survived all the chaos, and frankly, I wasn’t inclined to go and find out.

It would feel empty without her.

Besides, I couldn’t just sit around and do nothing for the city, while it had been violated so thoroughly by Rhazal and his Revenants. I wasn’t that callous.

I…had the glimmer of an idea about what I could do though, and it would even involve doing something I had long wanted to as well. But I’d be taking advantage of the chaos to do so. I weighed the idea for a few minutes in my head, before ultimately deciding to go for it.

First, though, I’d need supplies. I…had something to do, at the prime place to get them anyway. Might as well kill two birds with one stone.

Decision made, I strapped my new staff to my back with a raggedy length of torn-off cloth from my clothes.

And set out for the docks.

……………………………………….

I didn’t enjoy discovering that the docks seemed to have been hit harder than even the bulk of the city had been. Most of the buildings and warehouses had been ravaged by the hordes of Revenants, and it was rare to find any of them that hadn’t been damaged in some way. In retrospect, it even made a twisted kind of sense.

Of course Rhazal had instructed his bestial children to flood this area. After all, it was one of the places people had likely fled to, seeking a way out of Elderwyck. The sea was dangerous, but not more than a Revenant that was going to tear your throat out.

Sadly, I don’t think many had got out that way, judging by the bodies I saw all around me.

I sighed and continued my trek through the ruins of the docks.

Eventually, I came upon my destination, only to be conflicted by what I found. It seemed like I wasn’t the only person who had the idea I did.

The former dockside headquarters of the Nocturne Division here in Elderwyck was swarming with familiar figures. I was surprised by both groups, to be honest. I hadn’t expected either of them, if for different reasons.

The first thing that caught my attention was a familiar ship, docked at the ruins of our warehouse.

The Thorny Reef.

Bella was back.

I was…almost glad to see them. In retrospect, I’m not sure if any of the pirate crew would have survived the assault on the warehouse. At the time, I had wished they had been there with us, if only for the reinforcements. But now, they had dodged everything that had gone down in Elderwyck and arrived just in time for a bleak task.

They were picking through the half-collapsed warehouse, and digging out the bodies.

My now-deceased comrades were being carried by grim sailors back to the Reef itself, presumably to be laid down in the cargo area. Loyalist bodies, on the other hand, were being dumped into a pile by the front of the building. I struggled to feel any sympathy for those who had killed my compatriots.

However, the second group filled me with relief.

Not everyone from the Division had been killed, up at the palace.

They weren’t all wearing their masks, but they were wearing their Order armor. There weren’t many of them, to be truthful. I only spotted about four armor-clad forms assisting the pirates in extricating our deceased comrades from the ruins, but even that was more than I had been expecting. I was just glad anyone but Dusk, Sylvia and I had survived Nerexxa’s trap.

They presented a problem, however. I had been hoping to scavenge some supplies from headquarters for the task I’d decided upon. But how could I present myself to them? I’d…changed, since anyone had last seen me. I didn’t have my mask, either. It must have been lost somewhere in all the fighting. I was lucky that I still had my weapons on me, both my daggers and my new staff. I had lost my tool pouch with my mask, so I didn’t even have a Bond Breaker on me, much less any of my potions. I only had on the gifted clothes Renauld had given me upon awakening.

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I felt incredibly naked right now.

And a naked man like me, couldn’t verify his identity.

I sighed and prepared to leave. I’d just have to find and scavenge the materials I needed for my task somewhere else.

Something stopped me, however.

Mainly, the dagger that had found my throat.

I stilled as I became aware of someone at my back. My pulse picked up as I cursed myself for my inattention, wallowing in my own misery as I had been. I sensed someone lean in closer to my still head, still hooded from my conjured Thorn Cloak.

“Well, well, well,” I heard a familiar female voice whisper playfully in my ear. “I only know one man who has thorns as red as these. And here I thought he was dead.”

I let a sigh of combined relief and frustration exit my mouth as I relaxed. I hadn’t been sure if she had survived the chaos, with the wound she had taken. But it was nice to hear her voice. A small smile crossed my lips, despite everything.

“Not quite,” I said out loud, as the blade was removed from my throat. “It was…pretty close, though.”

My ambusher stepped from behind me and into the dim light filtering in through the mouth of the alley we were in.

Wisp, as I’d suspected.

The senior Agent had been injured before the fighting at the warehouse had even begun, in an ambush by the now defunct SED forces. Crook, rest her soul, had carried her away to be looked after by a friendly Healer here in the city. She still looked a bit rough, with visible bandages poking through around the edges of the Order armor she had strapped on. Even now I could see that it sat roughly on her frame, from the pinched expression on her unmasked face.

But she was alive, and doing her best to smile at me.

I returned it as well I could with my hood still up. Thankfully, the bottom half of my face was exposed enough for the gesture to transmit. When Wisp extended her arm, I gratefully took it and grasped her forearm in a warrior's greeting.

“I’m glad to see you pulled through, Wisp,” I said quietly.

Wisp nodded at me. “Same to you, Hangman. I…couldn’t make it to the fight at the palace, but…” She trailed off. There was a reluctance to her voice that told me enough.

I shook my head. “It’s a good thing you couldn't, don’t worry about it.”

Wisp sighed in slight relief. “Thanks. Some of the others, well. They don’t think the same. Speaking of…” She made a show of looking around in slight hope. “Do you know where Crook…?”

My face fell, and even with my hood up, Wisp was able to catch my meaning.

“Oh.” She said quietly.

“Her body…I’m not sure where it is,” I admitted. “It might be at the guard headquarters, since Dusk took…someone else there recently. But you’ll have to ask her, if you can find her.”

Wisp nodded. “I’ll do that. But what about you?” She said with forced cheerfulness. “What are you doing skulking about in an alley with a Skill up? The war might as well be over now, at least in this damn city, and we have things to do.”

I looked away from her. “I need supplies for my own task,” I said shortly. “I…was going to get them from the ruins, but I didn’t want to interrupt you guys.” I was quiet for a moment. “And…I…I wasn’t sure how to…approach everyone. I picked up a…curse from the Calamity, Wisp. I don’t look like…me.” Saying that was far more difficult than I expected. To the extent I practically had to force the words out.

Wisps brow furrowed at my words, and she ducked down to try and look up my hood. I shied away from the movement, retreating further into the darkness of the alleyway.

Slowly, Wisp straightened up to look at me thoughtfully. “Alright,” She said after a moment. “I can get some stuff for you if you’d like. I don’t mind.”

I was startled at the offer. “I…thank you, Wisp,” I said, touched. “You don’t have to do that, if it’s a problem.”

She shook her head. “I don’t care even if it is,” She said bluntly. “I’m retiring after all this shit anyway. We may not have known each other long, but you were a decent sort to me. I can fetch some supplies for you.”

I nodded and then told the woman what I had been after. She nodded back and then departed, leaving me alone in the alleyway.

After about fifteen minutes of waiting, Wisp returned carrying a small sack for me. Over her shoulder, I could see curious crew and Nocturne members craning their necks to see what she was up to.

I made sure to stay in the darkness.

Wisp handed me the sack, and I looked inside of it for a moment before nodding. “Thank you, Wisp. I appreciate it.”

“Maria,” I heard the other woman say unexpectedly. Looking up, I say a wry smile on her lips. “My name is Maria. Maria Rellani.”

I nodded slowly, before extending my arm once more in farewell. “And I’m Nathan Hart,” I said, doing my best to smile at the exchange. “Nice to meet you. And…I’ll see you around.”

“Maybe,” Maria said, nodding. “Maybe you will. See you around…Hart.”

At that, the other woman spun on one heel and prepared to leave the alleyway. I stopped her at the last moment, though.

“If you see Bella,” I said quietly. “Tell her…tell her Nate sends his regards.”

I saw Maria’s head nod slightly after a moment before the woman left the alleyway for good to rejoin the recovery efforts. When I was finally alone, I sighed again and slunk back off down the alley, slinging my pack of supplies over my shoulder to join my staff.

…………………………………

After leaving the docks district, I found an abandoned house to get my work done. It wasn’t hard, considering just how many of them there were. Once there, I got to work forging the item that I needed for my task, from the junk weapons I’d asked Wi-Maria to grab for me.

A new Bond Breaker.

It wouldn’t be as good as my old ones, considering it was made from the daggers and spearheads of Loyalist ground-pounder weapons. But it would do, and it didn’t take me long to forge one with Aetherial Melding. I’d progressed far enough in my usage of the Profession now that I could simulate the spark I needed to shape metal without the use of a forge. I felt a pang of nostalgia for the ‘grill’ Azarus had made for me months ago for that purpose, but shook it off. That had just been a crutch.

I was so familiar with this design by now that I could make a Bond Breaker in my sleep.

When I was done, I inspected the near forearm-sized bident with a critical eye. I clucked my tongue at it, considering the quality of the materials, but it was functional after I inserted the tiny monster core I’d requested. I slipped it into the sack from Maria, and removed the fresh armor, clothes, cloak, and blank mask she had put inside.

It was…nice to be back in full Nocturne regalia.

Even if the Division was dead.

Fully kitted out, I took a deep breath and nodded.

You see, I had never forgotten about the Sculpted near ‘slaves’ that operated the farms in the vicinity of Elderwyck. I had just put them out of my mind for the duration of the operation against the city. I’d had assurances from Hook that when it was all over, I could go ham on my slave freeing.

Well.

The operation was over, and I had at least four days before the Army reached the city. Nobody was going to stop me now. Honoka had said to lay low, but…

I liked this idea better.

It was time to get to work.