“Gather like-minded individuals,” Suran told Baron Reginald first thing the next morning.

“You mean allies?” Reginald sipped tea. “Allies are good, but what would you have them do?”

Suran put down his cup of tea, “A few days ago, there was a riot at the market. It had people, but no power.”

“I see. I think I understand. I will make the appropriate preparations for the riot and the aftermath. When should we be ready to go?”

“I’ll find out. If there is no specific time, then as soon as possible.” Reginald hummed in agreement as he took another sip of his tea. Finishing his drink in one swig, Suran got up, “There is much to do and no time to waste.” He left Reginald to gather support on his own while he went to see Shroom.

He still was not sure of Shroom; there was very little that would inspire any confidence in his actions. A short leash had to kept on him to prevent him from straying, so a short visit seemed in order. Besides, there was something Suran wanted him to do anyways.

 He came up to the house of Shroom and showed himself through the gates and to the door. After a knock, one of his servants opened the door and let him in. Through the halls, up the stairs, and to the bedroom door he went. Suran entered Shroom’s chambers without warning.

Shroom was nervously pacing his room in nothing but his underwear.

“Oh, you’re awake,” Suran dryly commented.

“W-w-what?! When did you get here?!” Shroom shrieked from fright. He hurriedly ran off to his closet, “Also don’t just barge in without knocking!”

Was he embarrassed by being nearly naked? Suran found that idea slightly amusing. “I didn’t think you would be awake at this hour.”

“Normally, you would be right,” Shroom shouted from his dressing room. “I got a nasty letter late last night detailing that Clyde will be visiting me today, so I couldn’t sleep at all.” He emerged from this closet in proper day clothes. “That reminds me,” he cleared his throat, “WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO LAST NIGHT?!”

“I put my plans into motion, fought Clyde, and cut off his hand.”

“…I don’t want to believe you,” Shroom said, rubbing his temple. “Anyways,” Shroom snapped into urgency, “You have to get out of here now! Clyde said he would be coming and I do not want you and him in the same room.”

“Fine, but I have another task for you.”

Shroom groaned, “What is it now?”

“It’s great that Clyde is coming because I want you to get some information for me. Anything involving the movement of their men or their goods would do.”

“What are you planning on doing? It would be easier for me to ask questions if I know the end result.”

“You don’t need to know.”

“Then how am I going to figure out anything?” Shroom’s whining didn’t stop.

“I told you roughly what I was looking for, so I am sure you can figure it out.”

A servant knocked then entered the room, “Excuse me, a Clyde Maxwell is waiting for you.”

Shroom went pale and turned to Suran, “Shit, not now! You have to get out of here!”

Suran looked around. There wasn’t a way out that wouldn’t cause unneeded attention. “I will hide here,” Suran said, walking up to Shroom’s closet. Shroom eagerly wanted to argue, but there was not an opportunity as everyone could hear Clyde barging through the halls. Suran slipped into the closet and heard the events unfold.

“Lord Harry Shroom, you are going to tell me everything!” Suran heard a door burst open. “You are going to tell me everything so I can find this damned foreigner and rip his guts out!”

“I already gave you all the information I had yesterday.”

“Then wiggle out more information from that stupid informant you claim to have.”

“I’m afraid I’ve lost contact with him after your assault last night. The only thing I know is that they aren’t going to leave anytime soon now.”

“Oh? They aren’t leaving now?”

“Yes, I don’t know what caused their change and plans, but that is what it is for now. As I understand, your arm got caught off –”

“You damn right it did! Look! LOOK AT IT! It’s just a dead stub now and has this black growth on it. None of the doctors or cleric I’ve seen could make heads or tails of it! I bet if I kill the man it’ll go away. If it doesn’t, maybe I will sleep better with his head on my damned nightstand.”

“W-well yes of course! Since they won’t be leaving, you can request assistance since you will need a hand –”

“YEEAAAAAAAARGH!”

Suran heard a table flip over and a window break.

“You better not making another fucking joke about this or the next thing that is going to break is your face!”

“Ah-apologies…”

“Anyways, I already sent some requests out. My dear brother is making arrangements to come and help – probably just to screw with me in person as he always does. All we have to do is keep those fools in place till he gets here.”

“I can try to get in contact with my informant to see if they have any plans on leaving so we can adjust, but if I may ask, what is the timetable for reinforcements?”

“No one will probably be here for at least five because the stupid fucks that run the show decided it would be a great idea to branch out everyone and send them to bufu fucking Palukath. The unsurprising exception is my brother who said he would be back Occasday night. He alone could probably deal with this shit by himself, which I guess is good. The downside is he will be the only one here; there will be no one to stop me from smashing my head into a wall repeatedly, hoping I die, from being stuck, alone, with my brother.”

“So we have to hold them for three days?”

“Oh, uh, yeah. We will be watching them so they don’t do anything stupid, but you find your informant, or whatever the hell you are using to get your information, and tell me if there is anything going on.”

Suran heard the shuffling of feet, the slam of a door, and a sigh of relief.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

“You can come out now,” he heard after a few minutes. He came out of the closet. The room was a mess and Shroom sat in the middle of it on a chair. “Did you hear what you wanted?” Shroom asked.

“Where is ‘bufu Palukath’?”

“Haven’t heard the phrase before?” Shroom got up and started picking up his papers that spilt over when his desk was flipped. “It simply means middle of nowhere, albeit very crudely.”

“When is Clyde’s brother coming again?”

“Occasday.”

“…When is Occasday?”

Shroom stopped tidying up and turned to Suran with a frown, “What do you mean ‘when is Occasday’? I understand you might not be from around here, but do you not even do the days of the week? Today is Solday, which means Occasday is three days from now.”

“What would the Kingdom do if they knew a member of the Terrible Ten was coming in at a dock?”

“Well… I think it depends on who you tell. Tell some random guard and nothing will happen, but if you tell some Kingdom official, then they would not turn a blind eye and some men would be sent to intercept.”

“I see. Then I will be back two days from now,” Suran began to leave the room. He had to talk to one more person before the day ended.

“Do you mean Cresday?”

“If that is two days from now, then yes.” He left.

On the street, he made his way away from the residential district where the upper-class resided and headed towards the market district. He made his way through the streets and into the market. It was midday, so he expected there to be a large crowd out, but it was nearly deserted. Only a few people were shopping through the streets, and most of the stores and shops were closed. He made his way to the back of the market towards the grain.

Sitting on a chair, bruised and bandaged, was a familiar face.

As Suran approached him, the man frowned and crossed his arms. “It’s that bloke again. What brings you back ‘ere?”

“I wanted to talk.”

“Oh, now you do, do yeah?” He responded, irritated. “After our last chat, you get us all riled up and I barely got out by the skin of my teeth.”

“You fought for good reason, but it was the wrong place and time.”

“What’s that suppose’ to mean? What else could we do?”

“Is the grain market still ailing you?”

“All of us grain merchants are bent over getting collectively fucked in the ass by this rigged economy. So yes, yes it is.”

“I have information that you could use to do damage to those rigging this economy.”

“Oh yea? What is this ‘information’, huh?”

“If you are stilling willing to rise up and fight, then I will tell you.”

“Dying from poverty, dying from getting my head kicked in by the powers that be, what’s the difference? You bet your arse I’m gunna keep fightin’.”

“Then listen closely since this opportunity will come once.” Suran told him that on Occasday night, a shipment of grain and other goods will be made at Pier 21. The recipient, a group that was amassing grain and governmental connections to corner the market. Suran gave him his instructions: burn the pier, dump the grain, raid the boats. The man happily accepted the information and promised he would bring everyone out for this as if the hundred odd riot from last time was only scratching the surface.

His conviction was clear; the man would put all of his effort towards assaulting the docks Occasday night. Suran felt no need to monitor or instruct him any further. The man certain of his capabilities.

A majority of his plan was set into motion; only a few touches remained. He returned to Baron Reginald’s home and informed him that the assault was to happen on Occasday night. Reginald held no objections to the date, his own task progressing along smoothly.

His next task came Cresday morning. He left the home of Reginald and made his way towards Shroom’s. He took a different path to Shroom’s home this time; Clyde made mention of watching Reginald’s estate, so he dipped and ducked in the alley ways to be sure none followed him. After his peculiar path, he arrived at his destination sure that he was alone.

He showed himself into the home. The servants were getting used to his sight so they raised no questions. Shroom acted as a homebody, so when Suran entered his room, he was sure to find him there.

Shroom, or someone else, had put the room back in order. Except for the window. That was still broken, but it was covered up.

“I was expecting you,” Shroom said from his work desk.

“I have your two final tasks.”

Shroom let out a sigh of relief, “These are the last two? Then please tell me so I can quickly get this over with.”

“First, leak information that a member of the Terrible Ten will be arriving at Pier 21 Occasday night. Tell it to some official that will take action.”

“Picking a fight with Clyde’s brother? It might be a little troublesome, but I think I can find someone at the Castle who would listen and act on that information.”

“Good. Tomorrow morning, tell Clyde you have new information.”

“Alright, I can do that! What do you want me to tell him?”

“Tell him that Deputy of the Land, Hendrick von Auer, is in danger. Tell him that on Occasday night, an attempt at his life will be made at his home.”

“I-i-is this true?! Do you plan on killing the Deputy of the Land?!”

“No. he needs to be out of his home, and Clyde needs to be occupied with him. During that time, I will go into his home and do what I need to.”

“Well… I suppose it can be done. Just to be sure, that is all, right?”

“I have nothing else for you. Keep your head down and don’t tell Clyde anything. If everything goes according to plan, then you will be free to go.”

‘Thank god…”

The finishing touches were done. All that was left was the execution. Tomorrow was Occasday. Tomorrow he would rescue Natalya. Tomorrow he would make Namnoc wish they had never crossed him.