Kari finally decided to deactivate the stasis himself, before Rhaspalaka’s hired street urchin was in the trap’s range. A countless array of icy projectiles was sent flying into the air, every which way, from every stage of the grand water fountain.

The boy froze.

There was a collective gasp as distant onlookers watched the icicles erupt, and then terrified shrieks as they came back hurtling down to earth. Some used their Gifts to shield themselves and others, creating barriers made from wood, sand, sandstone, rock, and even condensed air. Kari’s ice spears fell onto these barriers into explosions of dust and icy mist.

Kari had no time to help clean up his mess. While everyone was distracted, he used his Gift to send a great quantity of water out of the window and then leapt out after it. Keeping the bubble of water suspended below him, he used it to break his fall from the third-storey window, landing on his feet in the humble flower garden that decorated the tavern’s storefront. Kari allowed the water he used to fall to the flowerbed.

Without losing a second, Kari seamlessly joined the flow of the panicking crowd, fleeing from the sudden disturbance that had erupted in the centre of the square. With a glance, Kari was able to confirm that the boy Rhas had hired hadn’t given up.

The boy was conflicted for a moment, but then seemed to make up his mind and climb up the fountain just as Kari hoped he would.

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I wouldn’t expect any less in Sarigold.

Now following the crowd into a clamorous sidestreet, Kari took the opportunity to turn, just in time to see the boy grab the codex and flee into a different side street, towards the north where Rhaspalaka had been. There was no sign of the Wright.

Based on the scouting that Kari had done the day before, he knew that the particular sidestreet that the boy had fled to joined up with the one Kari was currently sheltering in, someplace near the Sarigold library.

Kari took off without delay, pushing his way through the crowd, most of whom were still fleeing in a frenzy.

It took a minute, but Kari reached the junction where the two streets matched up. The grand entrance of Sarigold’s Library of Laajvaar was just a hundred meters away.

Be it luck or fate, Kari saw the boy disappear into another alley across the road, barely thirty paces away. There was no sign of Rhas.

Kari hurried in pursuit, crossing the busy main road and entering the shady lane that the street urchin boy had run into.

Kari’s footsteps echoed in the sudden quiet of the narrow residential alley. Up ahead, the boy noticed Kari’s presence, sprinting away after a backwards glance and a sudden yelp.

Rather than blindly give chase, Kari’s instincts told him to look around.

The hustle and bustle of the main road had given way to an eerie silence.

There on the rooftops above Kari were three dark, hooded shapes. An intimidating aura filled the quiet street.

A resident of a house nearby hastily shuttered their windows.

Facing the wordless killer intent emanating from the Wrights, Kari drew a large amount of water from his gourds.

A nervous drop of sweat made its way down Kari’s unflinching brow.

So far, everything was going to plan.