— Have you ever heard of Rangers? — Kimer asked from the couch as she glanced curiously at the words in the book.

Gwenda was on her way to the library to pick up some books she had ordered there and ran into her friends along the way. She was almost fainting from hunger when an elderly woman passed by them offering food, and she took all five loaves from the tray. The woman just smiled understandingly, she was there for that. Now Gwenda was devouring the penultimate loaf while searching for a book on the shelf.

— Don't even get me started. — Louise commented — The king is crazy about them.

— Why? — Gwenda found herself asking suddenly, unintentionally. She blinked.

Louise shrugged.

— Who knows.

— Rangers are the guardians of the Infernal Beasts. — the Shooter explained — Extinct.

Kimer laughed.

— Everything's extinct nowadays. Interesting.

Gwenda let out a snort mixed with a laugh. She had to agree. Not even dragons have been seen anymore.

If there are no Rangers, there are no guardians. If there are no guardians, there are no Infernal Beasts. If there are no Infernal Beasts... there are no dragons.

— Did the king find anything about them?

The friend shook her head and her white streaks swayed in front of her face.

— He's completely frustrated.

Gwenda raised her eyebrows.

— Do you know who made the guardians go extinct? — Kimer and Louise looked up at Gwenda.

She found the right book and took it off the shelf. Holding the bread in her mouth and the other in her hand, she flipped through until she found the page where she had stopped one day. She still remembered. Gods, she still knew which page she was on the day everything around her started burning. Her surroundings were hot and in flames.

Gwenda swallowed hard and took the bread out of her mouth to continue:

— Just as being blamed for all the bad things on this continent and... maybe not in the whole world, humans were the ones who destroyed the Guardian Palace. I'd say it wasn't very smart, considering that the Infernal Beasts were released into the world. — Gwenda scoffed — Not all of them were found. Probably a new species was created, no one knows. It could be living in the depths of Fahar.

Kimer made a strange sound and Gwenda looked at her.

— Fahar is far from being a place where an Infernal Beast would dwell.

The Shooter gave her a smug smile, wondering how she was so sure.

— I think these creatures will show up, sooner or later. I also don't expect the king to find anything. — Louise turned to Gwenda, with a look of questioning and interest — Much less to use it for evil if he finds any trace.

— That was one of the dumbest sentences I've ever heard. — Gwenda shot back and pushed a chair away from the table, sitting down. — If I didn't live in Carsany since I was born, I would still believe that he would have the courage to put his hands where he shouldn't. It's the man wearing a crown in Carsany that we're talking about.

— You don't live in that castle day and night, Gwen. — Louise became more serious when addressing her friend.

— Exactly. — She agreed — I'm not in the same foul claws as yours.

— Your bloody mark suggests otherwise. Don't fool yourself, Gwenda.

Gwenda looked her up and down. It wasn't rare for the two of them to spar with words and their humiliating meanings. Louise was the kind of woman tough and gentle at the same time. When necessary, her demeanor became as rigid as stone, only the gentle and wild waves of a sea could mold.

She wondered if the king treated the Shooter like a pawn. And if he liked it, the feeling. But Gwenda already had answers to that. But her past and her lineage put her in a lost, slow, and cowardly position. She was old, feeling late to act.

She could play the same game in return, but she had been doing it for a long time. She already treated him like the dying marauder he was. The only one she met in her life, after his father. A genetic aberration.

— Whatever. — she muttered and turned to Kimer and Louise — What else do you know about Rangers?

Louise rolled her eyes in boredom.

Gwenda clenched her teeth and grabbed another book from the shelf.

— If we go after this information, we might be one step ahead of the king.

Louise sighed.

— Gwen, he won't start a war if he finds the answers he's looking for.

— That's the point. He might not, but someone else, another creature might. It could be us.

— What? — Kimer spoke up.

— It's an option. — Gwenda continued as she pulled the chair closer.

— No, it's not an option, Gwen. — Louise put her hands between her thighs.

— We can start a fight against the king, a rebellion. It wouldn't be surprising to anyone if the Carvlineas rebelled someday. They deal with this every day, they know how it works.

The two friends stared at Gwenda as if she were a stranger suggesting something utterly ridiculous.

— You must agree with me that he's not the best king Carsany has ever had. He won't be missed.

— My vote is no. — Kimer said.

— No, Gwen. — Louise reinforced — I don't even know if you're telling the truth. But considering your status in all of this, your ideas have gone from bad to worse.

— It was instinct, Gwen. There's nothing to do but study them. — Kimer closed the book in her lap tightly and set it aside.

Indeed, it was strange to even mention that, considering the whereabouts of the guardians: zero, non-existent, with a 1% chance of return.

Gwenda looked from one to the other.

It was true. Every word that came out of her mouth was true, the purest and brightest. It had been an option, but now that she received denials for it, she would have to figure it out on her own or not even start scheming.

But what the hell was she asking for? Louise worked for the sovereign right beside him, almost like his right hand, and Kimer served him as a Carvlinea. In other words, both were within the law and never had a reason to doubt their own king, she couldn't ask that of them. But Gwenda, the Shooter, carried the hatred for the sovereigns of Carsany in her blood, day after day. It was funny that Kimer and Louise didn't see it, didn't care. Or would they have supported her in something.

She had to admit that this idea came to light, and that she would be able to do it, slowly and patiently. After all, she was being invited to go to the castle and stay there. She could gut the royalty if she wanted.

Gwenda stopped flipping through the book and, slowly, looked at Lou.

— If I want to find out something about this, I can go look for it myself. — the friend said and slouched against the back of the couch. — That's not why we came here.

— Why were you coming here? — Gwenda realized she hadn't asked that until she actually asked it.

— My boss needed a book because she lost hers around the sector and couldn't find the reserve at home. And with her condition, I offered to fetch this thing.

Kimer didn't usually read. Or rather, she hated it. It wasn't expected to hear a better praise for books coming from her other than "thing."

— What book?

— Beauty in ancient arts.

Gwenda recognized it without a second thought, but didn't let anything show.

— I guess you wouldn't even know where to start looking.

Kimer formed her mouth into a thin line and shook her head slowly.

Gwenda tilted her head.

— Shelf A5, row 2-24.

Kimer widened her eyes and hurried off the couch.

— Before I forget... — she commented before slipping away between the corridors straight to the stairs to the upper floor.

Gwenda toyed with the edge of the book leaf in her lap.

— Beauty in ancient arts. — Louise savored the words and winked. — I don't think I've ever heard of it.

— It's about... — things. — wind.

— Wind?

— Wind. — Gwenda agreed and glanced away to the title of the book she was holding.

Rangers. Nothing more, nothing less than well-trained and successful guardians, with the Intact Palace now completely destroyed.

That's what history says. What the books suggested. But Gwenda knew they could be altered. She knew there was more than one story, in all parts of the continent and the world. No story was the same, books told differently and Gwenda almost fell into disgrace to get them. To know the truth.

Until today she has doubts about what might have happened at certain times. She didn't know if it was one of the Infernal Beasts that escaped and wreaked havoc on Carsany, if a ranger let the creature escape, or if a malicious fey went there and destroyed the five guardians who were lying in wait in that... prison for beasts. She only knew that the guardians died. And thus the war began. One of many triggers.

First, the guardians attacked Carsany, blaming them for these deaths. The smell of human was everywhere, they said. They claimed and collected all the evidence to prove it. Humans denied it but didn't leave it blank, they wanted revenge and so they did. They captured and tortured the animals of each Ranger, then the guardians themselves.

It was an exaggerated revenge, Gwenda would say. But she couldn't do anything. At that time it was every man for himself. The problem is that the story is confusing.

It was foolish to think that a human could defeat five rangers. Not because he was a human — humans could also be rangers — but because defeating five guardians was not for the faint of heart. Of the five who were there, one of them could be an elf, an orc, another could be a human, a half-fey... they could be anything. The subspecies allowed anyone. Each one was of a different race.

So no, a human couldn't win without getting broken... unless he died along with them. But the story doesn't say if he remained alive, men and women say that. And Gwenda didn't believe it.

If it was a human, she was more than willing to go after to at least find out his name and about his life. It would be difficult, she knew, but she would still venture into what she needed to get where she wanted.

It's been almost a century, but every nerve of hers said it was possible to find information. Even more so if it were a fey.

— Are you going to keep an eye on the king? — Gwenda asked.

Louise was cleaning her nails when she replied:

— I don't know.

Gwenda knew that if she had been smarter, she would have kept that desire to overthrow Hendrix's reign to herself. Kimer and Louise could more easily accept learning about rangers without an obstacle they would obviously recoil from.

— I'm not stupid, Lou. — she said. — I just want to understand what H wants from me.

— Why do you think rangers have anything to do with you? — the friend asked.

— You know where I'm going with this.

Louise looked at Gwenda.

— No, I don't know.

Gwenda studied Louise from head to toe and raised an eyebrow before fixing her eyes on the book in her lap, trying to focus on some new word or information she didn't know.

Kimer and Louise didn't know about all of Gwenda's life, especially her mother's. Only Darcy Raux had all the information about Gwenda, making it possible to know more about the Shooter's life than she herself did.

The three stayed in the library until lunchtime and then returned to their respective areas, except for Louise, who went to the castle. Kimer took the book to her boss, and Gwenda took three more for herself. One more after this incredible conversation she had with her friends. Later, they would meet again.

She had thanked herself for feeding the elf earlier today... it was more like an owner taking care of her pet. And now she had to bring lunch.

She decided she would eat her food and then take him a new one, not leftovers. She regretted giving him the instant noodles, but at least the elf weakly admitted it wasn't just any slop.

----------------------------------------

It was going into the department and not coming out anymore. Gwenda sighed.

She was almost sure she wouldn't leave there anytime soon. She had a lot to do, research case after case, piece by piece. She asked Darcy for a bulletin board so she could connect the dots as soon as she arrived. The boss gave her two days to get one, and Gwenda didn't question why she couldn't just go out and buy it right away. But she found it strange that Raux didn't say something like: figure it out. Simple and quick. Because normally that's what Darcy would respond. Dry and unenthusiastic. Serious and completely lost in work. Raux could very well protect Gwenda from what she didn't see, so she accepted this offer that she would look for the bulletin board for her and moved on with her heart pounding.

— I was here thinking about how the interrogator didn't help at all. — Ryxer grunted and threw the paper on the table before taking a huge sip of his tea.

Gwenda frowned and picked up the paper. She hadn't stopped to look yet, but now that Vannyer mentioned it...

She scanned the words written in cursive letters so close together and stretched upwards that she had to squint her eyes. Gwenda was annoyed by the handwriting and couldn't tell if it was hunger manifesting at the wrong time that helped the restlessness.

— They weren't the ones who put the magic in the bomb. — Gwenda commented as she tried to read without skipping a syllable. — They were willing to die for it, for the plan to be completed. They knew they might not escape, but still tried at the request of the one they made the deal with. This deal consisted of... — she blinked three times in a row and moved the paper further away, then brought it closer again. — Taking the bomb, implanting it, and letting the other do the rest. All for... the story to move faster. — and down in the bottom left corner of the paper, it was written: — Successfully executed.

Gwenda lowered her arm and stared into space. She felt Vannyer's eyes running over her body, as if she were on display. A warm flush filled her cheeks, and it was so embarrassing that she knew she got even redder because of it. She looked to the opposite side and spoke:

— The explosion in the sector had nothing to do with the one at the wall. If the plan was completed... then it was completed. They shouldn't know about the sector. — Gwenda turned to Ryxer, who was watching her attentively and with something more like... she didn't know what that meant. — So that the story moves faster. It wasn't just about opening a hole in the wall for the magic to enter, it was so that something else could pass through. Magic was just a bonus for the mystics who were here inside. Because if the creature that invaded the kingdom left no traces, it means it must have entered through one of the underground tunnels, which means it knew. It means it's from Carsany or found out from someone here. And if magic was put in the bomb, we know it's a mystic. But now, how long has it been in Carsany? How long has a mystic been out there, free, hopping between houses without being discovered? How long has he been planning this? Arth Cheack would never use those tunnels again, but he could very well have sold the information, so they could execute this plan perfectly. And... — Gwenda stopped to catch her breath — Sweet Sister. — she walked to the middle of the room and clasped her hands behind her head. — He can bring the entire army of Telomeron or even the entire Alphardj to knock down our wall. He's been going from inside the wall to outside all this time, and we haven't seen a damn thing.

— The tunnels were protected. — Vannyer's voice came out sharp yet concerned.

— But to what extent? — she turned over to Ryxer on her stomach. Probably now she was red with anger. — Would a fey be stopped? With magic or not, would a fey be stopped?

If on the coast the North Elf managed to decimate the guards and turn them into a pile of bodies... anything could happen with a piece of the wall missing, anything... oh, shit.

— The tunnels. — Gwenda hurried to go to the table and gather the papers — We're going to the tunnels, now.

— If something had happened, we would have been informed. — Vannyer stood up and leaned over the table. Gwenda did the same.

— Are you sure? So you think they would find it important enough to tell us that the guards of an inactive and rotten tunnel were killed? Blood, Vannyer, we need to know if there was blood. Finding out something that might not make a difference to them is a pretty reasonable reason not to tell us. Especially when they think they know it has nothing to do with our case.

— The tunnels lead straight to the wall, it's relevant.

— I know. — Gwenda growled and stepped back again. — They're idiots. You... — she stared at him — Do you understand where this information puts us? Do you understand the conflict? There's a fucked up mystic walking around Carsany for decades or more eras, we don't know. How long has he been planning this? And for what? To start a war and make us mere humans, mortals, like flea-bitten strays who bow down to mysticism? Or maybe revenge? And their revenge is not exactly one we should let our guard down for even a second.

And about the poison... if the sector 6 case has nothing to do with the wall, the poison has already been spread to the rebels. And why did the rebellions suddenly start weeks after the wall was blown up, and on top of that with a type of poison capable of decomposing the body in seconds.

When it was spread, or maybe even sold, the rebels saw a way not to be caught and tortured. A way that saved them from the consequences. Gwenda just hoped civilians wouldn't find out about it.

Satyrs aren't that smart, they wouldn't come close to planning something that big, but they'd take risks. Which leaves Gwenda wondering if there aren't more rebel satyrs in Carsany. But the fairies worked with only one person, from what Gwenda found out during her last interrogation. And that person may have hired rebels to make the explosion in the sector just another distraction. And there wouldn't be a shortage of satyrs to carry out such a plan.

There was only one rebel who managed to escape the explosion without needing to use that poison. They just needed to assemble a team and look for him. The Shooter would talk to Darcy about this later.

Gwenda rushed to the documents of the previous cases involving satyrs, after the wall exploded. With trembling hands, she brought them to the table and opened the folder, spreading the documents around.

A large number of papers were on the table, and Gwenda held her breath unintentionally. Satyrs weren't seen in Carsany like this before the wall case.

Gwenda Matchstone understood that they were subordinates or simply hired to take risks here. There were many willing.

Satyrs, nymphs, fairies... all interconnected.

Gwenda ran her hand over her face.

Vannyer dared to take a step to the side to get away from the table, to approach her.

— Calm down, damn it...

— No. Vannyer... damn it. — she rubbed her forehead. — He's in Carsany, I know he is. — she went to a shelf of old, dusty books and picked up one about the geography of Carsany and opened it with a swift motion. Without caring about the dust or mold, she grabbed a map and closed the book. — And we'll find him while we uncover his indecent plan.

She didn't know how she could still breathe, how she could move. She knew she was only standing because of the instincts that warned her where to go, what to do. Maybe she would stay inside the sector for the rest of her life until they captured the mystic. Because she knew, gods, she knew and felt everything, she felt she would be the victim in this shit, she would be the damned victim.

Gwenda could very well see those heavy, muffled steps entering their room now and landing their vivid, death-filled eyes on hers. The Shooter looked at the door and felt the color drain from her face. Then she advanced and closed it, with a lock and all. When she turned back to the table, she noticed Vannyer's gaze bouncing between the door and her. If he thought she was crazy, he better not say anything about it, not to her or anyone else. She was fine with how things were going on in her head, she didn't need a remedy that could even dull her reasoning.

— Here. — She pointed to a point on the wall on the east side — The explosion. The tunnel is 100 meters away. The bomb literally destroyed up to 95 meters, the rest gradually eased off. At meter 100, everything remained intact, the only one that suffered no damage.

Vannyer approached by her side and Gwenda diverted her eyes to the warm body there and tensed.

— And how the hell did the fairies manage to escape.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

— The same magic that contained the bomb for a while could be used to keep the explosion out of the protection bubble against them. — said Gwenda — But I don't know if that's possible.

— I thought you were an expert in these things.

— I am. But I don't know what mystic it was. — Gwenda stepped back more to contain herself from punching him in the nose. — Fairies are fast, thanks to their folding wings. They're all born with them folded, shrunk, and already with the shape of the folds. If a place is folded wrong, they may very well not fly anymore and maybe even have pain forever. I didn't test the fairies' wings, I had no time, we don't know what happened properly when it exploded, at least not with them. They may very well have flown the 95 meters away and fallen into a trap on their own. Or they were thrown by the explosion and caught. After all, falling into a trap on the ground, fairy and ground isn't a very good combination. — Gwenda sighed — I hope that bearded one still goes to interrogate them.

— Ah, he'll go. — Ryxer seemed to chuckle, and Gwenda looked at him — What?

She swept his face. From the chin and jaw up to the thick eyebrows and hazel eyes. They were beautiful, more so than her father's, which were green like the grass in their backyard when Gwenda hadn't yet fled.

She pursed her lips into a thin line and glanced at Vannyer's. She felt and saw the difference in him. Gwenda averted her gaze to the map and straightened up.

— Pray that Darcy knows of something that happened in the tunnel near the days of the explosion, where it all began. — Gwenda let out a long sigh and took three steps back before heading to the kitchen area to search for food. Damn gods, she was so hungry she could devour a whole chicken.

Gwenda made instant noodles since she had plenty, and one wouldn't be missed.

She needed to speak with Darcy. Ask the elf for more things, answers. Go to the arena. Head to the tunnel where the entrance was. And then meet with Louise and Kimer again to discuss ranger matters.

Didn't want to entertain the thought that perhaps her trip to the tunnels would be denied, now that she was stuck in an office Carvlinea role and lacked a weapon to defend herself. But she would still try, she would press Raux to go there, even if it meant taking the whole sector, which would probably happen.

Gwenda felt the food rise back up when she had eaten half of what was on the plate. So she set it aside and went in search of a carrot. She washed and peeled the parts she wanted before eating, tearing off pieces with her teeth.

Knew she might not have consumed even half of her bowl of noodles, but she felt it was enough.

Ryxer Vannyer might have seen her eat quickly and stored what was left in a pot, leaving it on the counter, but he didn't comment and simply continued studying the map.

— Let's go. — Vannyer didn't take long to comply, and Gwenda was still munching on the carrot as she ascended the steps.

Arth Cheack may have provided the information about Carsany to a newcomer, he may have sold that information, hired someone. He may have done anything. But also not be guilty of it. He might be at home now with his two children, lying on the couch and smiling at the sister he once left alone to pursue the idea of making Alphardj a united continent.

Gwenda didn't think of anyone else besides Arth Cheack who had this crazy idea, so she wouldn't consider removing him from her mind, even when she knew that anyone else could have leaked this information.

----------------------------------------

— Do you know when they died? — Gwenda asked Darcy beside her.

— No. — The boss replied, then turned to another agent. — What did you find?

The Shooter observed the tunnel entrance while listening to the response.

— Just bones. I mean, no magic or anything that could have killed them. They've been dead for a while; I can't find out much. There are no signs of fights or bullets around, I can confirm that.

Gwenda closed her eyes and asked:

— How did they not find this earlier?

— No one else came here to find out. Usually, it was the guards themselves who came to warn us of something. And since this didn't happen frequently, we found this delay normal — The detective replied, and Gwenda squinted at him.

— Even after all these peculiar cases. — She muttered to herself, irritated by the oversight of trained people. The only job was to worry about secret exits like this, and there they were, searching what should have been intact no matter what.

They stood still, looking at the bones strewn in front of the entrance. Not together, but also not too far apart.

The guards had a base near the city and took turns. Half must have died, and the other when they returned to watch. But no signs of fighting.

The rebel in the sector explosion drank a type of poison that made human flesh decompose in a matter of seconds. The bones were the only things left intact.

It couldn't have been that long.

No signs of struggle. Not a single scratch.

— What's the likelihood they were drugged? — Gwenda asked.

— To end up dead like this? — The agent asked and shook his head — Almost none.

— And poisoned?

— If they were poisoned... I can't say.

— How long do you think they've been dead?

— Long enough for the flesh to completely decompose.

— And that means a year.

— A little longer.

Gwenda observed the bones.

The wall explosion occurred weeks ago, this shit is impossible. It was clearly a poison. That exact current poison.

She sighed. Her boss said:

— I'll let you guys talk about decomposing bodies and see if anyone found anything around here.

Darcy moved away toward the tunnel, descending further down the small hill to where the agents and detectives were studying the bones.

They were in a huge hole in the ground big enough to fit Darcy's entire research team and some combat agents, where the round, smelly, old tunnel was positioned with pure dirt around it. No trees in sight up there, it was a grassy desert until you reached the city, a completely open area with no signs of life.

This was one of the many reasons why nobody ventured here, especially a mystic lost in the kingdom. Who could easily be seen. And may the gods save him if they saw him.

— Carsany's army would be the most feared by Alphardj — pondered Gwenda, shifting her gaze to the weapons on the belts of the agents scouring the area. — The guards on watch were taken by surprise. The mystic entered through the tunnel, indeed, unless he was capable of annihilating firearm users trained to keep their eyes open and with splendid reflexes. We know that not even mystics can go that far when we have firearms. There was no fight, no bloodshed. We were attacked from behind by an intruder who knew the secret passages. And who knows how long he has been entering and leaving this kingdom.

Silence followed, the gears in her mind were moving, leading from a mediocre idea to a more elaborate one. A cycle.

But she realized she was saying this to herself and no one else.

— So... — Gwenda closed her eyes and prepared for whatever came out of the mouth of the agent beside her — Have you and Vannyer found out anything else?

— That's none of your business. — She replied, returning to the real world where most were jerks — Anyone can betray anyone.

The agent chuckled.

— Including you.

Gwenda gave a small smile and didn't turn when she replied:

— Good thing I took on this case, then.

— How are you and Vannyer? — She couldn't ignore the playful tone in his voice. — I heard he helped you on an occasion a few days ago.

Gwenda narrowed her expression.

— That's none of your business.

Ryxer must not have been discreet at all when he went to call Darcy.

— I bet you two are getting along great.

She turned around without saying another word, but someone bumped into her. She quickly pushed Vannyer's chest and watched him stagger backward. Gwenda grimaced at him.

— Sorry. — Ryxer rolled his eyes at the agent beside her, who was watching closely before facing Gwenda again. — I need to talk to you.

The Shooter lifted her chin and looked at the agent who didn't even know his name before pointing to Ryxer.

— Goodbye and good luck.

She and Vannyer stepped away, and Gwenda felt Ryxer's frustration beside her, as if he couldn't believe such a thing. Her companion didn't even know where to put his hands, which wandered from his pockets to his hips, then back to his pockets and then behind his back.

— What's your problem? — Gwenda gave him a little push.

— What did that guy want?

Gwenda rolled her eyes.

— Not the time for that. What do you want, Vannyer?

He approached.

— There's been a theft.

— Where. — She demanded to know, putting her hand on her hip, but then closed it into a fist for not having her gun.

— Well. It's kind of funny because this had never happened before. Bruce called Darcy a few...

— Bruce?! — Gwenda dug her nails into her skin.

— Ryxer replied quietly and put his hands in his pants pockets.

— What was stolen from my bar? What did my cousin say?

— Nothing of much value, from what he said.

— Everything is of value, Vannyer. There was a damn theft at my place. Did they catch the culprit?

Ryxer opened his mouth to speak, and Gwenda hurriedly planted her feet on the ground to keep from running away and leaving all this behind. Because she couldn't.

— Matchstone. — Vannyer and she turned to Darcy at the same time. — Your motel was robbed, and Bruce is already dealing with it. Now, I want you to tell me what you think about this incident with the guards. Quickly. — The boss stepped away, and Gwenda saw it as a cue to follow her.

The Shooter grunted and did so, standing about a meter away.

No, it had never occurred to Gwenda that her dive could be robbed, mainly because her cousin was there all the time, always keeping his eyes open and ready for anything. It wasn't for nothing that she left him to take care of the place. After all, he was just drinking and screwing around with anyone out there. Gwenda basically saved him by finding a job worth the money she's paying him.

— On the day of the sector 6 explosion, I found one of the vials with poison. — Darcy turned to her with a furrowed brow. — It may have been the same thing that killed them. Considering that the bones look... reasonable, I'd say poison was more likely. The flesh decomposes the exact moment the content is ingested.

— So, the guards were poisoned. — The boss concluded.

Gwenda wasn't sure what she was doing, but she agreed.

— Which means he's still out there. — Gwenda huffed.

It wasn't the satyr, much less the elf locked behind bars in the sector.

— He who?

— The mystic. The fairies made a deal with someone, and their only job was to plant the bomb. He left no traces, which shows he wasn't nearby at the time. He went through the tunnel, and some time before, he must have gotten rid of the guards. The bomb only expanded 95 meters, the magic used was significant and entirely planned. Marking an area for a weak bomb to explode like that... it has to be a powerful creature. The tunnel is 100 meters from the exploded site, calculated with great care not to destroy his only path.

Gwenda had to take a deep breath.

— He's in Carsany. And not for a short time. Making a hole in the wall was precisely to make lost mystics here rebel, like the satyr we found in the sector 6 explosion.

It was Darcy's turn to take a deep breath and tilt her head before facing the detectives still gathering information at the tunnel entrance.

— So we need to find this mystic.

Gwenda licked her lips and bit her lower one before agreeing and looking down at her own feet. She knew she should do this. She knew Darcy would send Gwenda to do this.

— I'll reinforce the defenses at Silent Towers and contact the general to request support from the other sectors. What's left for us is to hope they support, especially sector 9.

— Denying an order from the general is not really their style.

— No, but denying that we're getting close definitely is. They would be capable of letting the mystic escape to put us in a bottomless pit.

The two watched the detectives work while exchanging doubts and collecting samples that Gwenda didn't even know what they were for or why they were needed, but she never commented on it. It was their job.

So that was it. Going after a mystic that she judged to be powerful, more than Arth Cheack. She couldn't say if he was as cunning as him, but she could clear that up later. She just prayed it wasn't Arth himself.

If the sector 6 explosion had nothing to do with the wall's explosion... well, that case wasn't hers; she didn't know what they had already found or who was trying to find out.

But she would speak up about finding the fugitive on the day of the explosion if sector 6 didn't.

— Listen. — the chief began. — Don't tell anyone about the poison or anything else you found out. Much less that I'm reinforcing defenses; the general will keep it secret if I ask. — she looked at the agent beside her, standing erect with her hands clasped behind her back. — I don't want this information in the wrong hands, especially if this mystic finds out. So be careful, Gwen. You're one of the few who know about this; if they find out this secret, they might come after you or anyone else who knows. Stay out of trouble and let things move forward. Live your life and uncover the case without fear or regrets.

Gwenda's heart raced inside her chest, but she still agreed. She would solve this case, and she had already walked halfway. Vannyer was there to help, but not to be trusted.

Without fear, without regrets. Darcy's motto, which she always uttered when she felt that something was going to happen, that could happen. If they laid their hands on Gwenda for finding out more than she should, nothing and no one could help her. The mystic might as well not be working alone. Just like Arth, who gathered more humans than his own kind.

It was almost impossible for the creature to be working alone to invade Carsany and bring magic to this area, but that's what the fairies said. The rebels drank the poison, but that didn't mean they were working together. The sector exploded almost a month later, the tunnel guards died almost on the same day as the wall — or so Gwenda assumed. This poison may have been discovered by the rebels or given, and now the rebellions will appear more frequently, whether they want to or not.

The fairies said they were working with only one, but she couldn't say if that someone told them they were working alone. What remained to think was that she really had no idea if the rebels had anything to do with the wall explosion, back to square one on that. However, again, she forced herself to remember that it wasn't her case.

Gwenda sighed. There was still a lot to think about. And she needed to know from the people if there was any news about a substance that could make human flesh decompose so quickly. Because if there was... if it was being sold out there or if the recipe was exposed... she couldn't count how many deaths there would be just in the Capital. They needed to find the fugitive rebel.

Without fear, without regrets. Sometimes Gwenda thought that Raux said this more to herself than to Gwenda. As if she wanted to get rid of the past that seemed to corrode her chief.

One step at a time, Gwenda told herself. One step at a time until she could ask Raux about it.

One step, and then another.

----------------------------------------

It didn't take long to be at Pantaneous Taurus, standing at the counter waiting for each employee's forms. No drinks, no deviations. She was there for a reason and would move forward.

Gwenda had left that smelly hole in the middle of nowhere when Darcy retreated back to the sector. The Shooter hurried to grab Crepúsculo and run to the bar.

Her cousin welcomed her joyfully, even though he looked pale from what had happened, or perhaps afraid of what Gwenda would do to him. But she wouldn't do anything she might regret later.

A man sat abruptly on the stool next to hers, rubbed his oily face with his huge beard, and locked eyes with Gwenda. The Shooter simply glanced at him from the corner of her eye, standing like a delicate statue while he looked like a brute made of muscles and fat.

A bartender dropped the towel on the inner counter and went to serve the man next to Gwenda, who ordered the most famous drink in the bar.

Gwenda took a deep breath and continued to wait while listening to shouts and laughter from men and women. Feet pounding on the wooden floor as they danced to the sound of the harmonica right in the middle of the room, where there was a large enough space for it.

The upper floor was only near the windows, tables, and chairs only at the ends, and Gwenda had a view of what was happening upstairs. The attendants seemed like madmen rushing to deliver such requests. And now with Gwenda here, they became more tense.

Bruce appeared at the back door, and Gwenda only followed his movements until he reached her and threw the forms on the counter.

— They have nothing to do with this. — Bruce commented.

— Say that when I find the bastard.

The cousin smiled as if he wouldn't let this chance to taunt Gwenda pass.

— You'll scare them away someday.

— As long as they need the money, I'm sure they'll stay. — She replied.

After all, she hardly ever showed up at the bar to the point of scaring them away.

— Tell me what was stolen — Gwenda demanded as she looked at the old papers.

Bruce sighed.

— What else could be stolen in a bar besides drinks?

— And the weapons? — Gwenda ignored him.

— Which ones?

— The ones on display.

— I took a look, but... maybe one is missing.

Gwenda looked at her cousin.

— Which one?

— That dagger that shines like a rainbow.

— Son of a bitch. — Gwenda muttered.

Bruce smiled and raised his eyebrows.

— Who have you been spending your days with, cousin?

— Next to the scum.

The cousin laughed.

— Can you bring me information by the end of the week? — Gwenda asked.

— Yes, just don't expect too much. I'm not like you.

Gwenda raised an eyebrow.

— I want information about the theft and some things he might have left behind. Any hint of who it might be. If you suspect someone, don't be afraid to ask direct questions. Investigate, Bruce. Your job wasn't done with much duty in hand, so now you'll finish it.

The cousin just glanced at Gwenda's face and licked the inside of his cheek.

— Fine — He agreed.

— Great — Gwenda stood up. — I didn't want to leave this with you, you know that.

He agreed. He knew that Gwenda didn't like to burden others when she could handle it herself. But she was too busy with other things that she found herself with no choice. And leaving it to her cousin was better than anyone else. In fact, Bruce understood and would be happy to serve for something else, Gwenda knew.

She was used to solving everything on her own. Giving someone something she was involved in wasn't something that happened frequently. And it wasn't Gwenda's ego shouting, but rather the fear of not being in control and letting others get hurt in her place.

— I know, Gwen. — Bruce murmured and gave Gwenda a welcoming smile.

The Shooter returned a small smile back, silently telling Bruce to take care.

And then she left the bar, prepared to return in two days, at the end of the month.

----------------------------------------

In the library with Kimer and waiting for Louise to show up at the agreed-upon location earlier today, Gwenda was staring at a book, her forehead slightly furrowed with concentration and her left foot tapping impatiently.

The green armchair was already old, and Gwenda's butt was hurting in the spot where many people had already sat and sunk.

The book was the biography of a mage who became a ranger. Starlina Kilviane climbed mountains and protected more Infernal Beast nests than Gwenda could count. The mage lived in every corner of Alphardj, always traveling and seeking work in nests. She didn't like the Untouched Palace and kept her distance, but she had been careful not to mention such a place. Well, Gwenda repeated a thousand times in her head, now they know, and it's destroyed.

The Untouched Palace was where they trained, where newcomers were sent to live their dream. When they were proficient enough in all categories, they could leave the place and do as Starlina Kilviane did, or they could go on a mission and return to the palace. After all, their place was always there; they could come back anytime or any year, and not a piece of furniture in their dormitory would have been moved.

— Sorry for the delay — Louise said, running up to them and throwing herself on the couch.

Gwenda saw Kimer close the book momentarily and look at her friend. The Shooter saw this as a warning to do the same, and she looked at a Louise almost breathless from the run.

— You arrived right on time — Gwenda said and closed the book.

Louise frowned and moistened her lips with her tongue before replying,

— I arrived half an hour late.

— I scheduled half an hour early for this reason. — She replied and set the book aside.

Her hair was still wet as she leaned back to support her back on the armchair. She had come out of the shower with steam following her, and she hadn't had time to dry her hair properly. She wanted to arrive before them, specifically before Kimer, so she could look for the right books and have them ready when they arrived.

Louise had a habit of being late, and Gwenda already anticipated this in almost every encounter. When she thought she had to schedule earlier, she did. When she was almost sure her friend wouldn't be late, she scheduled at a specific time of day, the right moment. She almost always missed with her assumptions, so she decided to schedule half an hour early for almost every encounter involving Louise.

It wasn't much expected for her friend to be late to come to the castle. Gwenda wondered if talking to her on the way in the streets wasn't delaying her from meeting the king.

— Before we start. — Kimer asked — I'd like to ask a few things, if you don't mind, of course

She was facing Gwenda, and the Shooter just stared at her with the best expression of boredom she could muster, not in the mood to improve now and hoping that her friends would help with her mood today.

— Yes? — Kimer gave a sideways glance to Louise, and from the corner of her eye, Gwenda saw her friend on the couch sit up straight.

— What's been going on with you?

Gwenda blinked and remained neutral.

— What?

— You've seemed shaken lately. Has something happened?

— I'm always shaken. — Gwenda hated the words that came out of her mouth.

Kimer shrugged.

— You know you can count on us.

Gwenda turned to Lou this time, who was cleaning her nails with a sadness stamped on her face. — — Why are we talking about this? — She asked — It's normal.

— Yes, and it's not only affecting you, Gwen. — Lou intervened. — It's draining the energy of the people around you.

Gwenda laughed.

— So this is about how my behavior and energy are affecting you guys.

— It's about you — Said Lou, and Gwenda opened her mouth in a smile to speak but was interrupted. — Your behavior is ruining you, you know? Have you looked in the mirror?

For a moment, the Shooter couldn't decipher if it was sarcasm or not. But then she caught Louise scanning Gwenda's dark circles and her seemingly thinner body.

— You're worrying about the wrong person, Lou. — Gwenda let the tone come out gently.

— Am I?

The two locked eyes, and Gwenda clenched her teeth until it hurt.

— Alright. — Kimer intervened slowly and carefully — How about we continue with the research on the rangers? Hum? — She added when neither responded.

Neither of them went through what Gwenda went through; their lives were normal to a certain extent. And by normal, Gwenda meant they were treated well and did well. Gwenda lost everything at 18, and that was the end.

Darkness walks hand in hand with the past that haunts even the roots of her sanity.

— We can start by searching for something about the first rangers in the books here — Kimer said, reaching for a stack and taking the top one.

Lou glanced away from Gwenda to see her friend open the book. Gwenda took advantage and did the same before speaking:

— Rangers are creatures like elves, and a little more. They're always alert, and even a fish jumping in a river is dangerous. They have an animal by their side, and the most common ones are wolves, owls, eagles, hawks, mice, and cats — Gwenda swallowed hard and closed her eyes — There's a story saying it was a man who was the first ranger, having a connection with the animal. What was soon called a witch and ended up no longer being human by society — She would say, pathetic — They've always been on the winning side, always seeking good. They gained more and more respect as the number of rangers increased. This man was one of the guardians of the Infernal Beast nests. His companions laughed at him when he communicated with his cat, as if it were just a joke — One of the Infernal Beasts was released, and only he survived. He began building a new nation that allowed any other and thus grew, taking on the title of guardians. And the only ones who dared to approach those nests again. Until that day.

Until that day when someone attacked and ended five rangers, releasing the beasts.

— The war of five centuries ago destroyed many rangers, but they recovered. And then their damned home was found, and another war began, but only with Carsany and the ranger nation; the rest of the continent allowed them to enter our kingdom and plunder everything, slit the throats of innocents until they grew tired. Until, somehow, the humans won and prevented the guardians from even being what they were destined to be, and thus they were extinguished.

It was a brief history because more things were involved. But her throat tightened, just as her stomach churned at the mere thought of what she was saying. She didn't want to think about it anymore. And worst of all, this story was the purest truth, which left Gwenda upside down.

— A good story to tell to grandchildren. — Kimer commented. Gwenda looked into Louise's eyes. Grandchildren, children... for anyone interested in knowing. — Here it says they could run faster than an elf saving their own life. — Kimer raised her head from the book to look at Gwenda, impressed. — Do you believe that?

Gwenda nodded slowly.

— They were great at what they did. Be thankful you're finally here, and not in the years when these beasts tormented anyone who was alone. — she said, snapping her fingers.

— So, were they completely extinct? — Lou asked. Gwenda nodded and adjusted herself in the chair to try to get comfortable.

— Both the Infernal Beasts and the rangers. — she said.

— Now that's a massacre. — Kimer said, with a surprised look and raised eyebrows. Gwenda tried not to be shaken by the comment, but obviously her heart faltered at the memory of her mother. She cleared her throat.

— If the king finds anything about the rangers — Gwenda asked Lou — could you bring me that information?

Her friend gave Gwenda a sidelong glance, but then agreed.

And so the research would begin.

If King H has ill intentions towards the rangers, Gwenda would be the first to find out and know that the blame for all those deaths may have been at the hands of a human. Her mother's death may have been by Carsany, just like her father's was.

Gwenda still saw his face when he told her to flee for the last time.

Lying on the platform with the rope swinging above, ready to be put around his neck, her father jerked his head up abruptly and looked at her, the greenest eyes she had ever seen wide open, sweaty, body tense with heavy breaths coming out of his mouth, brown curls stuck to his forehead and temples.

And then the whisper on the wind.

Run.