The Sergeant’s eyebrows raised, and she saw his confusion when she looked up at his face.

“What do you mean another murder?”

The man looked at the guards near him, and they all shook their heads. None of them had any idea what Grace was talking about.

“Explain,” the man said. “Where is this other murder?”

“I’ll lead you, but it’s the other way. No, I won’t run, but it is fifteen minutes away from here.”

His fingers began to tap on his handle again, his mind working to consider all possible angles and truths Grace might be telling.

“Lead on, but know if you try to run at all, we will hunt you down and kill anyone you are friends with.” Pausing, the officer held his hand out at about waist high. “Even if it is a younger sibling.”

Grace swallowed. There was no need to fake her emotions this time. The fear of Levi getting injured was real. She had made this mess, and now she needed to find some way to clean it up.

“I understand. I’ll talk about it as we walk.”

Grunting, Miles nodded to his men, who frowned but resumed their position.

“We need to go back down this street and turn left.”

Grace had told the captain about what she had found and the scene of the officers. She mentioned how when she inspected the bodies, none of it made sense.

“Did you actually see the bodies?”

Miles shook his head no. “I read the reports.”

Grace nodded and shuddered. “A man’s head was torn off… literally torn off like someone twisted like a top an–”

“I know,” Miles cut her off with a hand. “What else?”

“The injuries were weird. It was as if they were done by hand. Whoever did it had to be strong and fast. Exceptionally strong. I’ve been around enough death…” she paused, licking her lips, “and how those men died wasn’t like anything else I’ve seen.”

Miles nodded. The report seemed impossible to believe, but hearing what Grace said began to remove his original doubt.

“Turn here, then it's the first alley on the right.”

“You sure get around,” Miles stated, motioning the men to follow her instructions.

“My parents are dead, sir… all that I have is my brother, and I have to pay rent and a share of anything I find. That means I must scour the city for anything we can eat or sell.”

A man grunted from ahead, obviously wanting to say something but holding his tongue.

When they got to the alley, the guards stood before it.

“About fifty yards down, there is a door on the right that has been busted out… inside is…”

Grace pretended to gag a second and then held up her hand. “I found... I ran straight home and to my brother. It was gruesome and fresh.”

The Sergeant held up two fingers, and two men moved forward, swords out. After they had gone about five steps, Miles motioned for her to move, and another man came with him.

They stopped when the two men approached the door, and one peeked inside.

Bringing his head back, both Grace and Miles noticed the man’s face had gone slightly white. The guard looked at the captain and nodded.

“We’re going to need a torch, sir.”

“Make one. Someone use your alcohol that I know one of you have.”

Five minutes later, Grace stood near Miles and two other guards, watching them inspect the corpses in their flickering torchlight. Rats were hiding outside the torchlight, their beady eyes shining, waiting for the people to let them get back to their meal.

“Look at that woman’s neck,” the guard said.

Miles bent down and inspected it, grimacing at what he saw. “Sliced to the bone… from behind.”

“Who can do something like that, sir?”

Grace’s voice was as timid as she could muster.

Standing up, the Sergeant had his hand back on his sword, tapping the handle again. Drops of burning cloth and liquid fell to the rotting floor, quickly stepped on by one of the guards lest the wood catch on fire.

After a few more minutes of examining all the corpses, Miles turned to Grace.

“Did you loot them?”

“I did, sir. I got four copper coins. I gave my housing master three and kept one.”

He watched her, studying her, and then nodded.

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With a sharp whistle, each guard left the building, handing Miles the torch as he held out his hand for it.

“Don’t tell anyone,” Miles said, leaning toward Grace as he held the torch near her. “I don’t need panic spreading amongst the people that some killer is out here doing this to both guards and… citizens.”

The last word he had said felt forced. “Regardless, you have helped me more than you know. As such,” Miles reached into a pouch on his side and pulled out a single silver coin. “I will reward you. Tell me immediately if you find any more of these, and I will ensure you are compensated again. Do you understand?”

Grace nodded quickly, focusing on the silver coin pinched between the Seargant's fingers.

“Good. Now, I’m sure you have some way of keeping this hidden so that no one takes it from you.”

“I do, sir. Thank you, sir!” Grace exclaimed, mimicking Levi when he was excited, bouncing slightly.

Holding the coin out, he dropped it in her hand, and Grace winked as she put it in her mouth and swallowed it without hesitation.

Chuckling, the Seargent shook his head. “Smart… real smart. One last thing, and if you are as smart as I think you are, you know what will happen next.”

Grace grimaced, nodding slowly. “Just once in the face? I can take it.”

The Sergeant nodded and moved to the door.

“James put this out.”

A guard came and took the torch from him.

Turning around, Miles gave a slight nod of his head. “Ready?”

Grace nodded, holding her hands out to her side.

Without hesitating, the man slammed his fist into Grace’s side. The moment it was on its way back, his hip shifted again, and he hit her again on the other side. Six rapid blows landed, and Grace shook as they impacted her.

She doubled over, clutching her sides and breathing heavily.

It was taking every ounce of her being to not laugh. Each of those punches felt like a twelve-year-old was hitting her. It stung a little, but none of them had the impact a grown man, trained in doing what he was doing, should.

She forced a cough and took a moment before standing up slowly.

“I’ll only hit one eye. Close them if you would please.”

Grace did, and she almost felt like the man was kind. The second her eyes were shut, the hit came, smashing into her left eye socket. This one hurt, and she felt tears forming from the impact. Knowing it should have hurt much worse helped slightly, but it was a valuable lesson to learn this way.

She felt a hand pat her head and heard the Sergeant whisper in her ear, “If you find anything, come to the guard post. Tell them you need me and that ‘the cat was barking.’ Anyone who hears that will ensure I am found quickly.

She grunted and nodded, keeping her eye covered.

“Be safe.”

With those words said, the man turned and walked to the left, leaving her alone with the two corpses of her doing.

***

Quest Failed: Second Condition Not Met. Ability will not be upgraded.

***

A bit of her soul felt relieved. She didn’t doubt she could have won that fight, but she didn’t want to go down that road unless there was no other choice. Moving toward the door, she started to hurry towards her home, knowing there would be a lot of people looking for her.

“Sit!” Max barked, moving his chair out so she could rest on it. “One of you three, go get me a bucket of cold water now!”

Twitch took off, his head ticking even as he ran.

Max looked at the other two and grunted. “One of you go get a clean cloth and tell her brother she is home.”

One of the men nodded and ran inside, banging the door as he did and bringing a few curses from Max.

“I can’t believe they let you live!” he exclaimed, turning on his heel and squatting down to look at her eye, which was red and a little puffy.

Feigning injury to her sides, Grace nodded, took a slow breath, and let it out. “I had to protect Levi and the others… someone had to, or we know they would have…”

Max nodded as Grace stopped talking. She heard her brother shouting her name from inside the building.

“Grace! GRACE!” he shouted, running out the door and down the three steps before throwing himself at her and hugging her.

Grace winced, waving off Max, who was about to grab and pull the boy off. She didn’t hurt, and the role she needed to play was easy. What sister wouldn’t endure the pain of her brother's hug, even if she had a broken rib?

“I’m ok… you’re ok… now please let me breathe,” she whispered.

Levi jumped back, tears forming as he realized he was hurting her. “I’m sorry, sister! I didn’t–”

“It’s okay. Now, stop crying and smile. I’ll be ok.”

He nodded his head, wiping his wet cheeks, and sniffed a half dozen times. “You sure? You’re going to be ok?”

“I am… now just stand here and let me catch my breath.”

A few minutes later, most of the residents of the building were all outside, offering her praise and thanks for her smart thinking.

Mrs. Grayeduan came to her and patted the other cheek. “Thank you, dear. My boys were there, and if you hadn’t…” She sniffed, choked up on her words, and just smiled. She blinked, and a tear came.

“I’m happy they are ok,” Grace replied.

She nodded and motioned for her three grandsons, who came forward, giving a slight bow. They were between the ages of eight and eleven and had played with Levi multiple times at the well. They were turds, but she didn’t mind as there weren’t many other kids for him to play with.

“Grace,” Max said, snapping his finger and getting everyone's attention.

She turned and saw him giving one of the warmest smiles he had ever shown him.

“For your selfless act, I will remove all obligation to pay for the next three months. Anything you find or earn is yours, no matter how high. On top of that, I have a gift.”

He snapped his fingers again, and one of the gang members brought a small box to Max. He took it and handed it to Grace. “These are rare. Enjoy it. Share it. Do whatever you want. Know that the entire city of outcasts is talking about you.”

She peeked inside the box and couldn’t help but let her jaw fall.

It wasn’t the greatest-looking apple, but a mostly red and barely shriveled piece of fruit was in that box. It had been so long since she had eaten one. For Max to give this meant more than words could convey.

Closing the box as others wondered what was inside, Grace did the math.

“Can you cut it so that everyone gets a piece?”

Max’s eyes widened, and she saw one of his eyes start to well up. “You would do that?”

“Everyone here is family. Why wouldn’t I?”

Max sniffed, took his sausage of a thumb, and rubbed the corner of his eye.

“I can do that!” he replied with a smile.

Grace nodded and handed the box back to him

She would do this her way every chance that she could.

In just a few days, Grace realized everything she believed and knew was limited. There was so much out there she didn’t know and hadn’t seen.

Even immortality no longer seemed like a myth.

I swear if I can keep my soul, I will one day experience it all with my brother.