Urash wondered if Kyösti had always been such a raging drunk. He had known him most of his life, and he certainly aways put away more than necessary. It added to his charm, if anything. Kyösti was a buffoon, but one that could hold his own in any conversation. Even if he didn’t partake, Urash always enjoyed Kyösti’s drinking company.

To see Kyösti here now, with dried puke in his beard, Urash wondered if his friend was for Ostior.

“Ati’s dirt, you look like shit,” Urash said, pitifully. He was never one for subtlety.

“I know, I know… I can’t stop shaking. Couldn’t sleep. You-you- you don’t know what it’s like out there.” Kyösti had apparently approached the guards earlier that night. He had pestered them for hours, asking for Urash’s audience. They politely declined until Urash’s usual wake up time. Urash decided this would be the last time they would meet. His friendship with the man was becoming a liability.

“They’re gonna kill you if they smell your breath,” Urash said. “I’m surprised they haven’t already.”

“I don’t care anymore... It’s the only thing that stops the shakes.” Kyösti fervently rubbed his forearms. Urash recognized what was happening: he recalled an uncle that drank spirit until his skin yellowed. He had died not two moons after receiving news bandits had delayed that the mead caravan. It was one of many reasons Urash refrained from drinking over the years.

Urash sighed and beckoned Kyösti to follow. He hobbled over to his mattress, pulling out a bottle of Thalassian wine, one Kirashi had given to him on the Holiday. He had been saving it for a special occasion, but seeing Kyösti like this wasn’t inspiring much desire.

“Bless the Gods,” Kyösti moaned as he uncorked the bottle and began chugging. “The gods”, he had said. He had given up on Ati. Urash repressed his usually forked tongue. The faster he could get this pathetic man out of here, the better. As Kyösti drank, Urash glimpsed his usually stoic guards. They couldn’t look away from the fat man, either out of disgust or morbid curiosity. Urash couldn’t blame them.

After thirty seconds, Urash took the bottle from Kyösti. He had chugged nearly two-thirds of it, as if it were water. “That’s enough.”

Kyösti staggered, swaying as he fell into a state of euphoria. “Thanks, Zaman,” he said between burps, “you gots no more?”

“I’ve given you what I had. This is it.”

“Awh comeon,” Kyösti whined, as if he were a child.

“I only had what Kirashi gave me. And now that she’s gone…” At the mention of her name, Kyösti sniffled his nose, his eyes welling with tears. Urash wasn’t sure that was because of genuine loss or whether that meant he would be without liquor from here on out. Urash suspected it was a little of both.

“Zaman,” Kyösti said between tears, “would ya do me a favor… and look fo’ some more? I would really… really…” He had lost track of his thoughts.

“I’ll keep an eye out,” Urash lied.

A familar thumping knock slammed against Urash’s door. Urash handed the wine bottle to one of his guards, who promptly placed it under the mattress. He took Kyösti by the shoulder and led him towards the door. “Get out of here. Let them in on your way out.” Kyösti nodded. He walked off balance, but his shakes had ceased for now. He swung the door open and trotted out as fast as he could.

Three men traded places with Kyösti. The first was Juddken, Boah’s wretched and vile son. The last was Thed, a recently promoted guard who Urash had recognized for working for the Awil-Ishtar family before the plague began. He wasn’t the smartest guard; in fact, Urash found him quite stupid. But he supposed Juddken had to make do with whoever. The identity of the middle guard surprised him, though.

“What are you two doing with Heikk?”

Thed laughed, speaking in a loud, doughy voice. “This one was cot tryin’ to escape! Found ‘em by the fountain this morning, I did. Been missin’ for a few nights, thought none’n would spot ‘em.”

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Heikk kept his gaze on the ground. He wasn’t bound, but he had likely been tossed around by the guards prior to arriving. “Like I’ve been saying, I posted myself on the wall! We’re watching for bandits!”

“Like bandits wan’ to come ‘ere, ahaha. You’re trin’ to escape, arencha?”

Heikk spoke slower, as if speaking to a toddler. “I need water to stay posted, how much more do I need to say?” Heikk looked right at Urash. He wasn’t sure whether the young man was pleading for help or was just annoyed. Urash certainly wouldn’t have blamed him if he wanted to escape. Still, the guard wasn’t Urash’s problem.

“Ati blessed you with a mouth yet you treat it like an asshole,” Urash spat at Thed. Thed giggled at the joke, not registering it as an insult. He instead pushed Heikk, who shrugged it off.

“Hehehe, Juddken has a new job for this ‘ere one. Got ‘em fo the tunnel!”

Urash ignored Heikk’s shocked expression and turned to Juddken. It was already hard to understand what the boy wanted on account of his missing vocal cords, but it was getting harder nowadays. Juddken’s eyes darted across the room, looking at nothing in particular. Most days he mumbled constantly, as if whispering to himself. Even when Urash addressed him, he seemed to be only partially listening.

“The tunnel?” Urash finally said.

“The tunnel that’s wot I said, did I?” Thed turned to Juddken, who shook his head no, but kept doing so after several seconds until it started moving in a circle.

That was enough for Urash, whatever these two wanted with Heikk they would get. He was nervous even being in the same room. Urash commanded two guards to move his bed. Heikk’s eyes went wide as he saw the angular pit that led deep underground.

“Watch your step,” Urash offered out of pity. “It can get a little tight down there.”

“What do they intend to do?” Heikk asked.

“Yo said ya wanta escape, roit? Ya wanna git out? Dig fo it, haha!”

“I’m not escaping, you halfwit!”

As Heikk protested, Juddken and Thed grabbed him by the arms and pulled him to the descending staircase. Heikk reflexively struggled, before lightly pushing them away and offering to approach on his own.

“There is a way out,” Urash said, “underneath the desert. There are a few boulders blocking the way, so you’re going to help them. They’ll bring food, and if you want water, the fountain runs above the tunnel so you’ll access from the walls. At the very least you should find it quite cool down there.”

“Oh, excellent,” replied Heikk bitterly. “This your idea?”

Urash smiled, sheepishly. He didn’t even have to answer. He had no control here.

As Heikk gingerly approached the first step, Juddken abruptly lunged forward and shoved Heikk’s back. Heikk yelped and toppled forward, disappearing down the hole. Thed clapped his hands in uproarious laughter as Heikk crashed against the stairs.

“What the fuck?!” Urash roared. He heard a snap and a tumble as Heikk’s body smacked against the wall several times. He continued so for about fifteen seconds before the tumbling abruptly came to a stop. Heikk mustn’t had fallen the entire way, otherwise the crashing of his armor would have faded into a distant echo.

Such a stupid impulse could only beget another stupid impulse. Urash lifted his cane and smacked Juddken’s throat with it. It was a light tap, but it sent waves of pain through the boy. Thed immediately pulled out his scimitar, which prompted the other several guards to unsheathe their short swords. They outnumbered the two, at least in here. Slowly, Thed placed his scimitar back in its sheath.

Urash planted his cane on the ground before things escalated further. Juddken furiously rubbed his neck, trying to massage away the pain. He didn’t even look angry. He hadn’t before he pushed Heikk.

“Heikk!” Urash called down the stairs. “Still with us, you poor fool?”

A distant cough greeted them. “I think I broke my ankle…” Heikk’s voice echoed. He was still alive, by the grace of Ati.

“One of my guards will help you down the rest of the way.” Before Urash could finish his command, the guard closest to him descended the stairs. As if he didn’t want to get pushed down, either.

“Thanks,” Heikk responded weakly.

With the room under his command, Urash stepped forward without fear. “Look, idiots. Boah assigned you a job. Are you going to accomplish shit-all if you kill the few good guards left in the manor?” He turned his gaze to Thed as he finished his sentence, knowing he wouldn’t catch the subtext. “You’re lucky he’s still alive. If you’re going to find more, best let them get down in one piece.” Neither guard responded. Thed frowned, clearly slighted by the old man’s gall.

Urash then turned to Juddken, tilting his head to straighten out his vision. “Next time, if you plan on kicking someone, please kindly stick your foot up your own ass and save us all the trouble.”

If Juddken registered the insult, it was lost on him. His eyes were darting around the room again.

It was hopeless. Urash waved them away. “Get out of here, both of you.” They promptly did so.

Urash sighed. He could only deal with Juddken for so much longer. And the more the Corps got killed off or disappeared, the more dullards like Thed would take his place. An army of dullards was still an army. Heikk was one of the few reasons Urash still felt comfortable working with the Corps, and Juddken was doing his best to disrupt that. Dealing with his father was barely easier.

Fortunately, Urash had a plan. Now that he had one of his guards underground, he could set things in motion.