Taking my phone from the guard, I slipped it into my pocket and started toward the district where Gentle Gerald liked to wander. The air was finally cooling a bit, just enough to make my walk bearable.

I pulled out the dagger and looked it over. It didn’t seem dull to me, though I wasn’t exactly an expert. I was the guy who ordered takeout, barely touching the kitchen unless I had to. The only time I'd been forced to cook was when my mom was so out of it from drugs she couldn't lift a finger. I’d made us a quick snack once, only to slice my finger trying to cut bread. I definitely wasn’t chef material.

“Citizen,” a guard interrupted, eyeing the dagger in my hand. “Sheath that blade. You’re making folks nervous.”

I stopped, sliding the dagger back. "My apologies."

He nodded curtly, scanning the crowd. “Have you seen any elves around here? We suspect they’re aiming for our Queen. Gods bless her name.”

I shook my head. “No, sir… what happened with that murder near the forest well?”

“We’re still investigating. Leads are thin.”

“Right. I hope you catch whoever’s responsible.” My voice came out flat, disinterested.

“We will.” His gaze sharpened. “Keep that dagger in the sheath. Now, move along.”

“Yes, sir.”

He moved on, joining another guard nearby. As I resumed my walk, a sudden gasp caught my attention. I turned to see two men dragging a hooded woman from a nearby tavern. They forced her to her knees, one of them yanking her hood back, revealing her pointed ears and pale skin. An elf.

“Guards!” one of the men yelled, his voice thick with pride. “We caught one!”

“Damn elf!” spat the guard who’d just spoken to me. He stormed over, striking the elf with the back of his hand. She crumpled to the ground, and the men who captured the poor woman kicked her as if it was sport, the hatred in their faces all too clear.

"Where’d you find her?" the guard asked, looking at the two men.

“She tried to rent a room,” sneered one of them. “She had a kid with her, but he ran off through the back door.”

“Good enough,” the guard replied, smirking. “We’ll find him soon enough.”

“No, please, don’t hurt him!” the elf pleaded, clutching the hem of the guard’s clothes. “Please!”

He roughly yanked her away, staring down at her. “We’re not monsters like your kind,” he spat. “We don’t rape or torture. We give merciful deaths.”

“He’s just a child!” she screamed, her voice desperate. “Please!”

“Child?” The guard’s expression darkened. “Humans have children. Not your kind. You have… monsters.”

She tried to protest, but he slapped her hard, cutting her off mid-sentence.

Another guard approached, this one helmetless, grinning with malice. “An elf, huh?”

“Yeah,” the first guard responded. “I’ll send word to prepare the execution grounds.”

“Perfect,” the new guard replied, yanking the elf to her feet with a twisted grin. “I’ll bring the monster out.”

I watched the whole scene, my expression neutral. As they marched her away, our eyes met briefly. In that moment, I had one single thought: Glad that wasn’t me.

══════✦══════

The walk to the Karmak district was tense. Guard presence had clearly increased, and people were more on edge than ever. Conversations drifted past me, snippets of hushed voices debating the murder in the forest and their growing resentment toward elves. This endless cycle of hatred was becoming senseless, only fueling more damage on both sides.

Rounding a corner, I pulled out my map and double-checked it. A shop sign behind me read “No-Lala,” just as it did on the map’s depiction of Karmak district.

“Alright, Gentle Gerald,” I murmured under my breath. “Where are you hiding?”

I started down the cobbled street, scanning the alleys and glancing at every shadow, hoping to catch a glimpse of Phobe’s dog. I vaguely remembered something about a strange “P” mark on his body.

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I spotted a man walking nearby and stepped in front of him, giving a slight wave. “Hey, sorry to bother you. I’m looking for a dog with a ‘P’ mark on its body. Seen anything?”

The man gave me a quick once-over, frowning. “Can’t say I have. My own dog went missing here, too. They say it ran off. ‘Man’s best friend,’ huh? Doesn’t feel like it right now.”

“Right,” I replied, offering a sympathetic nod. “Well, thanks anyway.”

“Good luck, kid,” he muttered, already walking away.

I continued down the street, stopping briefly at a narrow alley with an old homeless man dozing on a dirty pillow. He seemed peaceful enough, so I quietly backed out and wandered further down to another alley, just as empty, except for some litter blowing around in the wind.

After pushing through another few alleys, I stepped out into a small clearing, where a tall statue of the Queen watched over the square. Around her, small vendors sold trinkets, worn swords, and glittering jewellery. I spotted a woman rearranging items on her blanket display and approached her.

“Hi,” I said politely, “sorry for interrupting, but have you seen an older dog with a ‘P’ marking?”

She paused, tapping her chin as if trying to recall. “Older dog... No, don’t think I’ve seen him. But you could try asking that man.” She nodded toward a stall across the way, where a burly man stood over a display of shields and daggers.

With a nod of thanks, I crossed over to the stall, hoping this lead might get me closer to finding the dog. “Hello, sorry for bothering,” I greeted him. “Have you seen a dog with a ‘P’ mark on its back?”

The man scratched the back of his head, glancing up at the sky as if trying to rewind his memory. “Maybe… yeah, I think I saw one like that last night, just outside that tavern.” He gestured to a building down the street with a lazy nod.

“Are you certain?” I asked, holding his gaze.

“Of course. My stall’s open day and night—I see a lot come and go.”

I let out a small sigh of relief. “Thank you. That helps a lot.”

“No problem, boy. Be safe.”

I made my way to the tavern the man pointed out, realising it was the same one I’d visited to ask about Gabriel’s dog. They’d said the dog was attacked, injured so badly that it didn’t make it. I could only hope they’d help me track down Gentle Gerald this time—this whole thing was starting to feel like an endless chase.

I stood outside the door, taking a quick glance around before stepping inside. The place was quiet, empty except for an older woman standing behind the counter and a younger woman, maybe late twenties, wiping a glass beside her.

“Hello.” I approached them, my voice steady. “Maybe you remember me. I was here looking for a lost dog.”

The older woman squinted, recognition sparking in her eyes. “Yes… vaguely. Which dog was it?”

I frowned, catching her tone. “Which? Are that many dogs coming through here?”

“No,” the younger woman chimed in, setting her towel aside, “but dogs have been going missing up and down the street. All over Kinowa, really. Ours went missing too.”

A weight settled in my stomach. “Any idea why?”

The younger woman hesitated, glancing at her mother. “Well, it---”

“No,” the older woman cut in quickly. “It’s dangerous, Suzan. We’ve discussed this.”

Ignoring her mother’s warning, Suzan went on, her voice dropping. “Elves. They’re taking the dogs. I saw it myself—an elf living in one of the back alleys. I saw him grab a dog and a cat and slip away toward the exit.”

My eyes narrowed. “When did this happen?”

“They always do it at night, right after the patrol shifts.” She spoke with certainty. “I saw his pointy ears and everything. It was definitely an elf.”

The mother shifted, clenching her hands as she shared a wary glance with her daughter. They were holding something back; the air between them practically hummed with unspoken words. It was something---evil?

“So… why didn’t you tell the guards?” I pressed, leaning in. “If there’s more going on here, I need to know. I just want to find the dogs.”

The mother looked away, then finally murmured, “We… we gave him food, a blanket, even some water. The elf had a little sister with him, and we couldn’t bring ourselves to turn him in.”

“And…” Suzan continued, choosing her words carefully, “we just couldn’t let them die.”

“So Gabriel’s dog,” I clarified, “the elf wounded it and ran?”

The mother looked puzzled, but Suzan nodded slowly. “Yes, it was hurt when we found it. We tried to help, but… it was too late.”

The mother sighed, muttering something under her breath. “Too old to deal with all these elves…”

Suzan glanced at her mother, a stubborn set to her jaw. “Mom, I can go check that place I mentioned. You’re worrying so much—”

“No,” the mother said firmly, her voice steely. “You’re not going there alone. Absolutely not.”

“What place?” I asked, picking up on their tension.

Suzan looked at me, a mix of hesitation and determination in her eyes. “One night, I worked up the courage to follow that elf. He’s been bringing the dogs to a small hut in the forest. I turned back before I could do anything about it. I could tell the guards---but if they found out we’d been helping him and his sister, we’d be in serious trouble.”

“Hmm.”

She looked at me, her gaze pleading. “Would you come with me? If you’re there, maybe my mom will finally let me go.”

I shook my head. “This sounds way too risky just for a dog.”

“We’ll pay,” she offered quickly, her eyes desperate. “Two gold. How about it?”

I tapped my chin, weighing it. It felt foolish to risk my neck for a dog, but two gold could go a long way for supplies, and if I was going to survive here, that might be worth it.

I let out a resigned sigh, nodding. “Alright. Let’s go find those dogs.”