As they drifted through the cave floor paths of Shansheer cover under the direction of Captain Orc, Alayne drifted off. He called out that he'd catch them up shortly, it was never hard to find a tavern in a town with a little help from the locals.

He wandered through streets and markets, down the back of blocks of roughly carved housing whilst gently playing his strings. He realised after spending a bit too long enjoying the loneliness that the constant smell of old seawater was the only thing following him. Without turning he knew there was a gaggle of youths who had thought to try and get a free show from a travelling bard, or they were going to rob him which in this town was the more likely outcome. He smiled only to himself and played a few gentle notes knowing they'd be cheering his name in moments eve if they had thought to rob him at first, not long later he played his notes a bit faster and louder as he walked, singing along as he did so

There's a town in a cave where they'll rob you of out

They'll take all you've made and make off with a shout

It's home to vagabonds, the rough and the mean

If it's laws you be after than you shouldn't have been

To Shansheer O Shansheer the town of freedom

The only towns arse lacking the emperor's thumb

Not his best but children loved vulgarities and he'd seen even the most stoic teen falter at words such as 'bum' or even the implied use of the word. His followers cheered and sang along as he repeated it a few times, ending with a flick of his strings that sent a shower of sparks and glittering nothings falling over them.

He danced away and sung his lute over his back when he entered the next street over, a market set up for selling to pirates and smugglers that came through on their way to whatever seedy drinking establishments could be found. He'd descended to the bottom tier of the city, back to where they'd started. Captain Orcs new boat sat against the dock gently swaying, dwarfing the other ships docked their and causing onlookers to stop and stare, some in fear of impending empire invasion until a friend or passer-by pointed to the barely visible black flag high above them with the yellow circle and invisible eyepatch.

Alayne was also watching the guards that had taken up residence here, there were groups of them mingling with townsfolk buying, drinking, gambling clearly here to make their lords look strong in some way and they knew it was a pointless posting. Others he watched still tried to patrol in some way to keep up appearances for some reason, but the throngs of people didn't move for them as they did in every other city under the empire, but nor did the guards try to force or beat their way through, instead they gently pushed through or tiptoed around keeping their eyes focused ahead and not looking at any illicit goods been sold, or paying head to any cries for help and certainly not going anywhere near the massive ship that had recently docked that had once belonged to one of the highest ranked people in the empire. Alayne found it pathetic to watch but he couldn't turn his eyes away from watching them wander back and forth, doing nothing, seeing nothing and been worth nothing, he laughed out loud as one such patrol got within earshot and the leader, a tall gaunt looking woman with thin lips and large but deep set eyes, glared at him as she past. He smiled, not his charming bardic smile, but the smile of a cocky youth he'd once been who enjoyed watching the authority fail in anyway.

"Dawd...Dawdl"

Alayne had almost forgotten Surrich was there, the head just seemed to enjoy dangling and seeing new sights.

"Sorry"

"Your d...d...d"

He was right, he was dawdling he knew but once he entered the Soiled Tankard things would become real again and they would expect a plan from him, so he'd strutted his way down here to take in the town but also to buy a map. A simple map of the mainland that he could plan his next steps out with his companions. He really had no idea what he was doing but this seemed like a right minded purchase and he began to walk along the sea front with stalls flanking him on either side with all kinds of men and women peddling everything a sailor would need; Patrol schedules of the Empires navy, sunken treasure maps covered with a few specks of blood so you knew they were definitely, undoubtedly, irrefutably real, crates of the finest - nope he misheard - cheapest rum you could buy, and many more called out to him before he finally found a small table set aside in a corner covered with rolled up parchments

Raven was sitting in the Soiled Tankard, one of the few drinking establishments he'd visited that actually earned its name, with Captain Orc. A one roomed inn with only 5 tables and a thick layer of something on the floor that smelt too strong to just be spilled drinks. They both had cups in front of them, chipped and stained with the odd bit of debris floating to the top of the ale, despite that The Captain was on his 3 full pint and showed no signs of stopping and they'd barely been sat down for a moment.

"Do you think it's wise to drink so heavily Captain?" Raven had a single drink in front of him he'd taken 2 sips out of so far and the Captain stared at his mostly full mug before responding with a raised eyebrow.

"How come you aint drinking much? Is it a cult thing? Be it one of those that says you can't be pleasuring yourself or drinking ya pain away? If so it was the right call running away"

Raven had started this, the Captain seemingly forgetting the many drinks they'd shared so far on their journey, but something else needing addressing.

"Why do you keep saying I was in a cult?"

"Were ya not? From what the bard says it do be sounding like one?"

"No, not at all, it was a great honour to serve the Stoneoaths"

Captain Orc seemed to genuinely think for a second, and not pretend to as he often did and hoped no-one noticed, as he took a long drink and then a longer drag on his cigar.

"Aye alright lad, I meant nothin by it. But tell me, did this not a cult raise you in solitude from the outside world?"

"Well, yes I was taken in as an orphan and rai-"

He nodded

"And tell me this now, did they force you to live your life by certain prinsap-prinsip...rules that didn't always make total sense but were not to be questioned?"

"Again yes, they are a military body, they have to be strict and-"

He nodded again, no judgement in his eye as he spoke.

"Secondly lad, could ya be leaving if ya wanted to without becoming a disgrace or worse?"

"N-No, you could retire back to Stonehold once you were deemed to old or unfit to serve but you could never leave the Stoneoaths completely"

Captain Orc lowered his cigar and his drink and locked eye with Raven for a moment.

"It may have been a cult" Raven took a long swig of his drink under the Captain gaze, a madman that had talked him into a realisation that made him question everything he had been raised to believe in.

"But I-we-they did good, we weren't some random assortment of fools praising a god or non existent deity"

He got a slap on the back that threatened to choke him.

"Nah you praised rules, order, traditions. No harm in it lad, you helped people from what I gather. Could be a lot worse, could have be sacrificing babies or burning ya 'main mast' in a ritual fire just at the age it becomes useful. Nah you were in a good one as far as cults go, don't be hard on yaself about it"

"Have you ever been in one Captain? You seem to know the key points I missed?"

"HA, no cult would have me lad. Been a pirate all me life" The quick laugh caused the rest of the sparsely crowded inn to pause for a second.

"Isn't a pirate crew a bit like a cult as well though?

He laughed again, clearly he thought Raven was grasping at straws, and again the rest of the patrons stopped to stare in shock

"Nah boy, me crew can leave when they want, do what they want and be what they want. Pirating is all about freedom."

"But as a child you surely couldn't just leave? How does a child join and survive on a pirate ship?"

"No, I be stuck on the ship but I was bought and paid for. It wasn't a cult lad, just standard slavery." said in such a deadpan way Raven almost thought he'd misheard it.

Captain Orc reached into a chest high pocket on his deep red coat and pulled out a small leather hoop that had been ripped at the seam that joined both frayed ends.

"The only words I ever learned to read 'Half Copper'"

Captain passed the hoop to Raven who read the same words he's just heard, long since worn down and only really readable because the Captain had spoken them aloud.

"That's all I be worth to the world, I keep it to remember that."

"I'm sorry Captain, I didn't mean to bring up the past like that."

"Don't be daft lad, you showed me yours and I showed you mind. We all be here because we be damaged in some way, ain't nothing wrong with sharing that."

Raven could have really done with a bard who didn't like long awkward silences now to break the tension with a silly song.

Instead they drank in silence for a time.

As he finally finished his first cup and tried to find some words to restart a conversation with his friend, the tavern door opened and Raven hoped it would admit their missing companion.

It was almost evening by the time Alayne found the Soiled Tankard and he was a tad frustrated by the time he arrived. He'd been to Shansheer a few times over the years and it changed often with businesses closing as their owners were killed or ran out of town and new ones popped up often so he was unsure on where the inn was. But he'd wandered and as he wandered the varying tiers of the town he found no fewer than 5 drinking establishments, all looking a lot less like a set of un-mucked stables than this one did, and all within closer distance to Ricksters hovel than this one as well. He had half a mind to question Captain Orc on his choices but he knew that was pointless and would end in a long discussion around something completely irrelevant that would drive Alayne half mad.

Instead he tucked his new map under his arm and prepared to make a true bardic entrance, he paused at the door though as he heard shouting from outside, not the usual jovial shouting of a full inns worth of people talking over each other, the shouting of people either in or about to be in a fight. If this was common here then no wonder the good Captain had chosen this particular building.

With a sigh and expecting the worst he opened the spongy moist wooden door and, despite preparing himself, was still shocked at what he saw.

The common room was mostly empty, along the wall opposite the door Alayne had entered there was a bar, on which leant the cook, the server and the owner. All 3 were watching with looks of amusement or confusion as, in the centre of the room, a large green man with a bright red hat and coat was fighting off a small brown furred monkey that hovered above him and kept landing on his shoulders or head, trying to claw at his face or blindly searching hands. A dark haired wide eyed youth was circling them trying to find the correct moment to separate something he'd never seen before and a scraggy short dumpy thief sat on a chair staring at the 3 with a look of amazement.

Alayne sighed again, he realised if he included his sighs in the writing of this tale then half of the retelling would be him sighing to the audience, maybe just one long drawn out sigh as the start to set the mood.

"Cassandra, whilst it is lovely to see you again can you please take a tiny little break from attacking Captain Orc? Yes? Good."

Everyone paused as he entered, this momentary pause was enough for people to regain their composure and they sheepishly sat down, Raven in particular looked embarrassed by his poor performance during the scuffle. Cassandra sat on the table in front of Rickster claws still ready to pounce and not taking her eyes of the Captain, who sat whilst straightening his hat and lighting a fresh cigar as usual; the fight seemingly already forgotten by him.

"Now, what did I miss?"

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"H-he c-called me Powder, Alayne, y-you know I hate that."

Cassandra was another long time friend of Alaynes, well more of an acquaintance, as he knew very little about her. What he did know was that at one point Captain Orc had purchased and trained a flying monkey and named it Powder. Many years later when Alayne happened to be on board the monkey fell to the ground and started convulsing. Captain Orc had been heartbroken and was prepared to put his companion down when it had suddenly revived itself and now had the ability to speak.

Now a she, this knew personality had asked question after question and had only answered one of their own and that was that she was called Cassandra Louisiana Khalippa Phe'Hestus, all this time later they knew nothing of who she was or had a flying monkey had suddenly become her.

As expected this had caused a lot of confusion with Captain Orc and he was unable to grasp that his simple minded pet had been replaced by some vastly intelligent woman who didn't belong. She was often anxious and lacking social skills but relatively calm in almost every situation Alayne had seen her, but Captain Orc could always push her buttons and he didn't even mean to.

"I do, I do. Captain please don't, it's not a big ask"

"Argh I forget. I saw her fly through the door and all I could see was me poor lost Powder" He was genuinely upset, the brute had loved that little beast. Alayne hadn't, it was always shrieking at people and scratching anyone who got close and it had once left a horrible surprise in Alaynes hat and another in his lute, neither of which had been particularly easy to clean up.

Cassandra was much more civilised and capable of an intelligent conversation which was an uncommon thing amongst Alaynes contacts and friends. He was curious how she'd found them but she'd always been very capable despite the limitations of her current form.

"Sorry lass. Truly" A rare apology caused a hushed silence to fall.

"Y-Yes I'm sorry as-aswell, for the scratching that is" That seemed to settle things, at least for now.

"Do all monkeys talk? You are the first I've seen, they aren't local to Rha'Vander"

"I am not a mo-"

"No they don't Raven, and we can get the finer details down later." Alayne cut Cassandra off, he didn't need to overcomplicate things with the larger mystery of what she was right now, especially not with Rickster and Captain present.

"For now, Raven this is Cassandra Louisiana Khalippa Phe'Hestus, Cassandra this is Raven Broken-Oath."

As they nodded to each other Alayne unfurled his newly acquired map across the table and took a small piece of charcoal from the nearby simmering heath to draw with.

"We are here, and for the sake of Raven, this is the Emperor's palace Vilkadorma, we need to get-"

"S-Sorry Alayne, n-not we."

"Sorry Cass, I meant my little band of outlaws, you are happy to sit in of course and join if you'd like" it would be nice to have intelligent conversation now and again but it wasn't important to the plan, just his sanity.

"Y-you invited Rickster, and well, I-I help him. "

"Ah you're the 'boss' he spoke of?" now it made sense how she'd found them, mystery solved.

"Rickster said it was fine."

"Ri-Rickster w-will do anything you ask and and that's why I help him."

"O Please don't fight over me"

"Why come then lass if you don't be intending to join the fun"

"Well it's al-always nice to see old friends. It's, well it's hard to come by friendly faces these days." She paused, she never looked anyone in the eye when she spoke "B-but also to hear from yo-yourself that you are actually attempting something so nonsensical. You mean to attempt to ki-"

"Ah whispers please friends" Alayne jumped in, sparing a side glance at the inn's staff who were now back to work, but like all inn staff clearly still listening to conversations.

"Sorry Alayne but...but you're just a b-bard Alayne, a silly little man who sings songs and recounts stories of great men and women."

Nothing he hadn't said to himself but the words stung but he shrugged them off like he did everything.

"I know exactly what I am, thank you. It's either possible death doing this or certain death if I don't."

Alayne recounted in evener quieter whispers what had happened to get them here so far. The mere mention of the Greymen had sent Cassandra into a panic and Rickster reacted equally shocked moments later when it had settled in. She also seemed to perk up as Alayne discussed his show of power, Alayne had only spoken about the poor man in Cornostus that lost his head, in his recounting he completely missed out any mention of his former apprentice.

"S-so he may already have this power?"

"We don't know for sure, but the greys have been getting nervous. There is a reason he is so isolated, that he cares not a jot about his offspring and why he killed all the mages all those years ago."

"It's a good assumption that he either has or nearly has, everything he needs to live forever. We need to act" Raven echoed Alaynes last point to drive it home.

Cassandra ran a small clawed paw through the tuft of brown fur on top her head

"Th-this all seems m-madness"

"O come on boss, fink of the fame"

"Let me hear your plan Alayne, we will take this one step at a time"

Alayne spent the next few hours with his group marking out the key cities on the map that they should move through to get to their goal. Much had changed since he'd been gone, whole cities wiped out and new smaller settlements popping up and disappearing just as quickly. It did mean they had more free areas to move through as formerly major cities like Crowshearth and Ploughdawn had both been wiped off the map. It was monstrous hearing all of this at once, he remembered long nights in many of the lost cities and towns, remembered faces from the crowds; starry eyed children, cheering drunks, angry jealous stares from partners who felt their marriage was at risk. How many were gone, killed for no reason other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The Emperor had receded away from public life almost completely, entire towns and hamlets had been arrested and carted off to work to the dungeons of the capital for the slightest offence. The minor lords now warred with each other over the empty land with no oversight or iron fist to keep them in check. Most free people had fled to places like Shansheer for the explicit purpose of being in a place most nobles want nothing to do with.

Despite his heavy heart he and his companions managed to put together a well thought out travel plan and they intended to start first thing in the morning after a good night's rest at a much less disgusting inn. Cassandra informed them of the 'Sailors Cot' just before Ricksters house, that had comfy beds for the night and not nearly as many lice as he could see dancing along the tables in this inn.

"O we can't go yet"

"Did we forget something Rickster?"

"O no, but I told some folk you'd be here tonight and dey were dead set on meeting you. Ran off towards de barracks when dey heard you was in town wit da Captain"

The other 4 suddenly stood up from their chairs.

"Who did ya tell lad? What happened?"

"Der were 4 of dose sad looking folk who wander around not looking at out. Dey asked where I was off and I said to dem, I said 'I'm off to meet Alayne Ducard and Captain Orc and dis other bloke called Falcon or somet'. One of dem seemed to know your name and ran off to get der friends."

"Won't they just ignore us Alayne? They seem to ignore everything else around here" Raven had a hand on his blade as he darted towards the door and sneaked a peak through a small gap he made

"Maybe or more like hopefully. Depends how enticing a reward it is for a known traitor and the last great pirate on the sea"

Raven came running back as Cassandra went flying behind the bar to search for other exits

"There is a rather large group amassing outside. I don't think hope is going to work on this one."

"Cass!?"

"Sma-small group out back, both lords colours."

"I am not getting arrested in this of all places."

"We took down the princes, we can take some barely trained guards" Captain Orc had a wicked grin on his face.

"Is that a butter knife?" Raven had been distracted as Rickster had drawn his own weapon to match the others, a small knife no longer than a finger with blades that couldn't cut grass.

"O no, it does jams, marmalades, all kinds of spreads really."

"Rickster stay behind Raven and Captain. We just need to get out into the street, we can run and lose them amongst the people. They won't appreciate the lord's men actually doing their jobs"

"Is that just more hope Alayne?" Raven had drawn his sword now and stood with his back to Alayne looking over his shoulder.

Alayne shrugged as he grabbed the map off the table and tossed it into the fire.

"Argh too much talking boys, if we running lets be running." Captain Orc drew his curved sword and Alayne grabbed him to stop him from charging the door.

"Why lad?!"

"Everyone sit down and look happy, Raven with me" Alayne ran to the back of the room and hopped atop a table, he flicked his fingers across the strings as he always did gesturing out to the almost empty tavern as he played the opening notes of 'Victory for Victorious'. As he did the tavern filled with imagined guests pulled from his memory, scruffy looking sailors with the faces of guards and townsfolk he'd walked past at some point. Captain Orc seated at one table became the spitting image of Gaspar of the Flock which caused Raven to stop completely and go slightly slack jawed.

Alayne felt guilty for pulling from his friends past but there was no time to change it or attempt to alter the random assortment of faces he'd conjured, his own face slipped away and was replaced by a long beard and well weathered tan skin with beady eyes poking out from deep recesses.

Rickster, Raven and Powder remained unchanged, he didn't think they needed disguises and he didn't think he could if he wanted to. Sweat was already dripping from his forehead holding so much concentration at once whilst singing and performing to the more common tunes of the empire.

The door burst open and guardsmen flooded in from both the front and back entrance, filling the common room almost completely.

Alaynes fingers fumbled slightly as he tried to make every one of his illusions notice and react to the guards, heads came up, bodies shied away and some stared defiantly at the angry looking men and women who had chosen now to grow a backbone.

The hard-faced woman Alayne had shared a mocking smile with earlier led the group and stormed up to the makeshift stage.

"You are Alayne Ducard?!"

"Magnus Flutes at your service madam" He did a deep bow and used a weepy voice when not singing.

"and you?" She dismissed Alayne and turned to Raven.

"My apprentice" He struggled with the word for some reason.

"Does he have a name? Can he speak for himself?"

"...John...Smith" Alayne stared in shock at Raven, that's the best name he could think of? Alayne was sure he heard a groan from Captain Orc further into the room.

The guardswoman was trying to stare a hole into Raven, he wasn't backing down but he was clearly embarrassed.

"What a terrible name for a bard, keep trying boy" Alayne tried to divert attention back to himself.

"What do you mean? Are you lying to us?" Most of the other guards had been standing back and waiting but several moved further towards them, one young looking man drew a blade and stood beside their leader.

"Not lying exactly, but do Magnus Flutes and what was it.. Adeline Deckard sound like real names to you? It's a performance madam."

"What's your real name then?" the young man asked out of turn.

Alayne gambled and reacted with a slap to the face of the young man.

"How da-" he stopped as a leather gloved fist hit him straight in his nose knocking him back against the wall and causing him to see stars for a second. Sweat was still dripping off him and now meeting blood as it ran down his face, after the hit 3 of the patrons sat at the bar at the back of the room faded away, luckily all eyes were on the stage but he could see several of his companions tensing up.

He realised he may have gambled on his abilities a bit too much.

"Where is the idiot Kareem?"

The woman ignored Alayne struggling against the wall and Ravens tensing shoulders and turned to one of the guards in the back who pointed.

"There in the middle, with the rodent on his shoulder boss"

A small number of the guards from both houses gathered around.

With a snap of the fingers one guard grabbed Cass by the throat and two others slammed Rickster's into the table.

"Is that Alayne Ducard?" She pointed at the old man standing holding his nose above them.

"O no, dat’s Magnus Flutes" Alayne hid a smile.

They picked him up and slammed him back into the table.

"Are you wasting our time thief?"

"Lets leave the poor lad a-"

"Be quiet bard, your part is over"

"I think it be best if ya let the lad go"

The human looking Captain Orc stood as he barked at the guards, Alayne watched him fiddle with something near his eyes as two men came from the doorway to stand in the face of the Captain.

"This don't concern you"

Alayne managed to make all the illusionary patrons of the bar stand at once, turning to face the closest armed guard to them. It was hard to catch his breath through his broken nose causing a few more to flicker out of existence.

This time it was noticed.

A couple of the remaining men and women who weren't either occupied with Captain Orc or Rickster starting waving their hands through Alaynes illusions, causing them to dissipate in front of them.

Confused glances were shared, but the moment of fear that the bar full of standing patrons had caused was gone.

"They ain't real!!"

Alayne watched, panic building and face on fire as one of the two men in front of Captain Orc smiled and tried to pass his hand through the Captain who waited until his chest was slapped to grab the hand off of himself.

"I am!" with a quick twist the man's hand shattered and he screamed, his companion without thinking threw a punch that caught Captain square on the jaw. The small mouthed man seemed in more pain than the Captain after landing a hit.

Captain reached out and after a second of fumbling managed to grab the now scared looking man and slam his face down into the table behind him.

Rickster was still pinned to the table but Cass was now released as all faces turned towards the orc.

Raven had drawn his sword and was ready to leap into whatever fight was about to happen but Alayne stopped him

"Close your eyes!"

Alayne flicked a random selection of notes and a bright flash blinded everyone in the room, causing screams and confusion amongst everyone who had seen it.

"CAPTAIN NOW!"

The look of Gaspar faded from view and the hulky form of Captain Orc returned, causing those who could still see to take a reactive step back in fear. Orcs were a rare sight these days, an orc looking like the Captain was even rarer.

He switched the eye patch he'd moved from his missing eye and revealed his one good eye, unaffected by flash of light, Alayne hadn't realised Captain Orc knew his magic that well and was genuinely impressed with the man who now faced a small army of swords pointed roughly in his direction.

He smiled before turning quickly to Alayne.

"Get them gone lad, I'll catch ya up"

Raven darted out before Alayne could stop him a second time, he charged into the back of the leader and caused her to fly into the table in front, sending her own guards and Rickster spilling onto the floor. Raven punched and kicked his way through and he blocked swords from all sides that were swung wildly without target.

"Alayne take Rickster and run, we know the plan we'll find you."

He needed to stay, he needed to help.

He couldn't just leave them behind.

Alayne flicked his notes once more but nothing came, his mind was foggy and his breathing hard, he managed to replace the old face with his own but he could do no more. No more flashes or illusions would hear the call of his song, he couldn't see any notes hanging in the air to manipulate.

He was useless.

"W-we must leave Alayne"

Cassandra was pulling at his collar, steering him towards Rickster who had crawled to the back wall and sat confused and scared, a large lump appearing on his forehead.

She was right and he didn't look back as he gathered up Rickster and ran with Powder hovering alongside him.