Summoning the cord of wood didn't take long, and Onyx stood watch as requested, though Ezekiel could feel her feline eyes judging him the entire time. Wiping his hands together, he looked at the box he filled along with an adjacent one, producing two full cords of wood for Ella.

"The spell will last a few weeks, but I'm sure they'll burn through all of that before it expires." Ezekiel explained to Onyx as he adjusted his jacket and buttoned his collar again.

Walking out from the back of the tavern, the two proceed down the street to the pier, the sound of the sea and ships filling the air around them. Ezekiel watched sailors working endlessly, filling and emptying multiple ships docked at the port, the trade obviously keeping the town busy and well-funded.

Onyx padded behind him, her nose sniffing all the new smells of the docks, her senses going wild at the stimulation. The sailors were of all shapes and sizes; some orcs, goblins, kobolds, and even a minotaur worked closely with the humans. Zeke strode down the street innocuously and up the furthest pier, where he found Davis with a rod in his hand next to a short blue creature in shabby clothing, both dangling their feet over the edge.

"Davis?" Ezekiel asked, not wanting to surprise the boys.

Flinching at the sound of his name, Davis stood up, his eyes full of fear and regret. "Mr. Ezekiel, sir. Sorry about before..." Davis said, he gaze never leaving his feet.

"It's okay, I understand. I had a pleasant conversation with your sheriff. We got the issue under control. I also spoke with your mother..."

Davis winced again, not sure what trouble waited for him when he got home.

"Seems she's just happy you got home safe. We worked through the recompense and I'm going to stay at your tavern for a few weeks. I even did your chore for you while you've been here fishing."

"My chore?"

"Yes, I filled all of your wood stores."

"Whoa..." Davis exclaimed, his regret replaced with confusion.

"Half a cord would have taken me the better part of the morning and afternoon. How did you fill two cords so quickly?"

"A secret I learned in the military. Now I assume this fine fishing friend of yours is the Drez you spoke of?" Ezekiel asked, looking down at the water goblin with an outstretched hand.

Drez shook it cautiously, his voice squeaky and soft.

"Th...thank you, sir, Mr. Ezekiel Graystone." Drez replied. His grip was surprisingly firm, and Ezekiel noticed the amphibious being was all toned muscle without an ounce of fat on him. Goblins normally had fierce, fiery eyes, full of chaos and mischief, but Drez's were softer, hiding a kind soul behind green irises.

"It's my pleasure, Drez, and please, call me Ezekiel. Mr. Graystone isn't necessary. Do you and Davis go fishing here often?"

"After he's done his chores and I've finished cleaning the boats the dockmaster assigned me for the day," Drez admitted.

"You clean the boats?"

Drez nodded, still a bit shy in answering the elf.

"Humans can clean the outside well enough, but they pay me to get under the ship, seeing as I can breathe underwater. I get paid 3 silver a day to clean the hull of two ships, and I get 1 silver for each ship after that. I just did two today, but the dockmaster says we should get a few more in the next couple of days."

"Show him what you found!" Davis exclaimed, nudging Drez.

Reaching into his torn-up trousers, Drez pulled out a pearlescent sea shell, perfectly unbroken and beautiful in the midday sun.

"I collect them, the dockmaster lets me keep them in the shack I rent from him."

"You live in a shack?" Ezekiel asked curiously.

"Yeah, he charges me 2 silver a day in rent.

Shaking his head, Ezekiel resolved to not rock the boat any more than he already had, remembering his promise to the sheriff.

"Tell you what, I might have a job for you that could earn you some extra coin on the side."

Drez kicked his feet, his face contorted in conflict.

"Dockmaster says I shouldn't be picking up any side jobs, seeing as the ships need cleaning daily."

"It's nothing that will detract from your current duties. Just something you keep in mind and ask around as you’re doing your normal work on the docks."

"What is it?"

Reaching into his jacket pocket, Ezekiel produced a parchment with an image sketched onto it. It looked much like Ezekiel with pointed ears, but the moon elf on the sheet had longer, shaggier hair and was clean shaven with a wicked smirk on his face.

"This is the image of a moon elf much like myself. He goes by the name Zeldren. As you work throughout the day, please show this to people to see if anyone recognizes him. If they do, send them my way at the Firefly Tavern, and let them know I'll pay for a meal to speak with them."

"Okay, sounds easy enough."

"Excellent. And seeing as you're such a professional at the docks, I'll pay a gold a day for your services."

Drez's eyes went wide in shock. "Wow, th...thank you, Mr. Ezekiel Graystone, sir!"

"Please, Drez, just Ezekiel, or Zeke, even. That's what my friends call me."

Feeling a little left out, Davis fidgeted at the prospect of gold being handed out for such an easy task.

"You know, Mr. Graystone, I could help Drez out. I often run errands for Mom down here, helping gather food and stuff for the tavern. I could wave that parchment around as well, but I'd need to borrow it from Drez from time to time."

"Not a problem Davis, I'd be happy to have your help as well, and I have a second parchment you may use." Ezekiel explained as he produced another one for Davis. "I want to clear it with your mother first, but I'd be happy to pay you a gold a day as well for your help. Believe me, it is greatly appreciated."

Reaching back into his jacket, Ezekiel produced two gold coins and pressed on in the hands of both Davis and Drez. The boys held the coins up to the sun, both excited at the prospect of easily earning the same amount every day.

Heavy footfalls behind the group announced additional visitors at the end of the pier, causing Onyx to instinctively place herself in front of both Drez and Davis.

"Why don't you introduce us to your new friend, Drez?" asked a heavy, graveled voice belonging to a rotund and tanned older man in loose-fitting trousers and a leather vest. He was bald with wisps of hair on the sides of his head, and he was followed by two larger men, both wearing similar dockhand clothing.

"S...sorry, sir. This is..." Drez stuttered.

"...Mr. Ezekiel Graystone, of the Forgotten Isles. A pleasure to meet you, I'm sure." Ezekiel finished, placing himself in front of the others. He could tell there was a sinister familiarity between Drez and the humans, and he hoped to save the goblin needless conflict.

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The man held an outstretched hand that stank of fish and blood, his nails dirty and gnarled from a life of work at the docks. Holding back his revulsion, Ezekiel met it with his own, only to have the man attempt to squeeze the life out of his hand in an iron grip.

Knowing the game being played, Ezekiel refused to display any outward appearance of pain, not wanting to give the man the satisfaction.

"Greggory, though my friends call me Greg. I see you've met our resident swab. The thing is lucky we pay him to clean the ships. He really only deserves a fish a day for the work he does." The man laughed.

"I see, and I take it you're the dockmaster who pays for his services?"

Greg spit on the ground near Ezekiel, his mouth black from the chew he had pressed against his lower lip. Outwardly, Ezekiel kept his calm demeanor, but inside his mind was screaming at the disgusting salvia now covering his shoe.

"I am, set him up with boats to scrub daily."

Onyx stalked around the men, raising concerned glances from Greg's colleagues at the creature.

"Shouldn't you have your pet on a leash?" Greg asked dryly.

"She isn't my pet, and her name is Onyx. You're free to ask her to stop anytime. She'll understand you perfectly fine."

"How much for her? She'd fetch a fine price with such a perfect black fur coat to be made into fancy clothing," Greg joked viciously.

"She's not mine to sell. As I said, she doesn't belong to me."

"Fine, then she's free for us to take as we see fit." Greg nodded to his two companions at the cat, but neither seemed overly eager to approach Onyx.

"I assure you, that would be a bad idea. Her fur isn't the usual fur you trade here. It's a bit more... sturdy."

"Yeah, it's made of metal!" Davis snapped back while petting Onyx, displaying his comfort and familiarity with her.

The two other men looked in awe, recognizing the reflection of the animal's coat for the first time. Both took a step back, fear evident in their faces. Greggory, however, smiled broadly, revealing a mouth missing multiple teeth.

"Rare stock then. Best be careful with that. Valuables can run off when you're not looking." Greggory replied, his eyes never leaving Ezekiel's. "Other than that, let's talk about you buying out my boy."

"Excuse me?"

"I saw you trading gold to Drez. What are you paying him for?"

"Nothing that should interrupt your pre-established contract with him."

Greggory looked Ezekiel up and down with a wary eye, taking note of the moon elf's attire and general demeanor.

"If you're looking for help down at the docks, who better to strike a deal with than the dockmaster himself, right?" Greg reasoned.

Ezekiel raised an eyebrow and did some quick mental calculations. Having the dockmaster's assistance would benefit in the search for his brother, but thus far from what he knew of the man, he had very little reason to trust him. Greggory seemed just as capable of selling him out for any coin he could barter for as opposed to actually helping him find Zeldren. Then he remembered the parchment. He had more copies, but they were further down his dimensional pocket in his jacket. While the boys didn't really notice, he was sure Greggory would, and he was definitely the kind of person the sheriff warned him of.

"I appreciate it, kind sir, but unfortunately those were my last two pieces of parchment with his image drawn upon. I'm sure the boys will do a fine enough job in assisting my search," Ezekiel said, attempting to politely turn down Greg's offer.

Greg's discerning eye swept over Drez and Davis now, who had both pocketed their coin and their parchment as well, not wanting to give the dockmaster any reason to take what they had just been given. Greggory was just about to speak again as another pair of footfalls broke the momentary tension of the group.

"Colonel Graystone! I see you've met our dockmaster, Greggory," Bron said loudly.

The sheriff walked up, his hand resting on his sword hilt as he took position between both Ezekiel and Greg.

"Sheriff, please, ‘colonel’ is unnecessary as I'm no longer in the military." Ezekiel detected an inquisitive glance from Greggory at the use of his title. "And I'm impressed by the hospitality of the citizens of Greencoast, such as Master Greggory here. Truly second to none."

"Now, Greg, has the colonel had a chance to explain the sad tale that has brought him to our sleepy town?" The sheriff asked.

"No, he has not," Greggory replied curtly, his eyes darting back and forth.

"Seems he's lost track of his brother and is seeking any help in tracking him down. He doesn't expect to find him in Greencoast, of course, but as he correctly pointed out to me, we have a lot of travelers passing to and fro. Now I'd consider it a personal favor if you could keep an ear out, maybe ask a few of the sailors you work with daily, see if they might know of anything," the sheriff reasoned.

"Unfortunately, sheriff, the 'colonel' here just ran out of parchment with his brother's image on it," Greggory replied.

"This shouldn't be a difficult matter, Greggory. Simply ask if they've sailed with or heard of a moon elf in any of their travels. I'm sure there can't be many out there."

Greg half-snarled at the request, though he saw little other way of snaking out of the situation.

"Of course, sheriff. I'd be happy to help out Mr. Graystone here." Greg offered, dropping the colonel title unceremoniously.

Giving a brief hand gesture to his companions, Greg backtracked and left the conversation, without any courtesy.

"Well that was fairly unpleasant," Ezekiel commented after he was sure the trio had walked far enough to not hear him. Onyx snorted, her opinion clear on her face.

"Apologies for that. Greggory controls the docks and he's an opportunist. If you're serious in your pursuit, you'll need to figure out how to deal with him for the next few weeks, assuming you're still planning on staying here."

Looking back at the sheriff, Ezekiel straightened his jacket while checking his collar. "I do, sheriff. Davis's mother has seen fit to provide me room and board."

"Good. And I see you've met Drez. Best swab in all of Terrial."

Drez's expression changed instantly from disdain to pride as the sheriff openly complimented him.

"Y...yes. You see, Drez do good for the colonel," the water goblin beamed.

Ezekiel rolled his eyes and gave the sheriff a tired look.

"I really wish you wouldn't, sheriff. Using my military title will only raise additional questions as to my service, which is complicated in and of itself."

"I see. Apologies then, Mr. Graystone. Davis?" The sheriff asked, suddenly switching directions in the conversation.

"Yes sir?"

"Your mother is asking for you, something about the firewood and whether you actually brought any back with you. Apparently both boxes are filled."

"Yes sir, Mr. Graystone saw to that this morning."

"He did, did he..." The sheriff mused as his discerning stare turned towards Ezekiel.

Ezekiel was suddenly caught in a coughing fit as he placed his hand on Davis's shoulder, walking with the boy down the pier back to town.

"Ahh, yes, I saw to it this morning. Simple matter really, an old military trick. I'll make sure master Davis makes it back to the tavern to see his mother.”

Reeling up his rod, Drez packed up his fishing gear and took off after the other two. "Drez come, too. Buy pint with gold colonel gave me."

"It's just Ezekiel, Drez, and you drink beer?"

"Oh you'll see what he means." The Sheriff kept an eyebrow raised with concern as the trio left.

It was a short trek back to the tavern, though it was uphill, and Ezekiel was discouraged at how muddy and dirty his shoes had become in his short trek through the village.

Stepping into the tavern, Ezekiel removed his shoes, not wanting to trudge the mud through Ella's clean establishment, as Davis also removed his own shoes and placed them on a shelf near the door. Drez was barefoot and he just stomped his feet on the rug, trying to get as much off as possible.

"Oh thank you, Mr. Graystone, but it's a fact of life near the port. Mud gets dragged in more often than not, but I'll clean the front later," Ella explained. Davis and Drez both took their fishing gear to the back, stowing them behind the counter.

"Mr. Colonel Ezekiel gave me a gold coin, so can I have a pint please, Mrs. Larner?" Drez asked as he climbed up to sit at an empty table, his feet dangling down as he was too small for the table.

"Of course, sweetie. One pint, coming right up," Ella replied as she moved back behind the bar.

Ezekiel left his shoes on the shelf with Davis's shoes as he took a seat at the bar.

"You serve the boys pints?" He asked.

"Just Drez, and it's not really a ‘pint.'"

"Oh?"

Pulling out a mug from behind the bar, Ella opened a jug and poured the contents into the mug. It had a sweet smell, and she poured a smaller tasting glass and placed it in front of Ezekiel. Taking a tentative sip, the moon elf grinned in understanding.

"Apple juice. Looks enough like ale without the head."

"Yeah. Drez made the mistake of drinking proper ale once, and he hated it. But he sees all the dockhands and sailors drinking it all the time, so I give him a 'pint' whenever he asks, but I just pour him apple juice."

Downing the last of his tasting glass, Ezekiel nodded in agreement.

"Drez, honey, your pint is ready."

Drez leapt off his chair and padded over to the bar to grab his mug, returning back to the table where Davis set up a board game of some kind with wooden pieces. The two began playing, both clearly familiar with the rules.

"Well, I think I'll retire for a short nap. My travels today have worn me out. I'll be down later for dinner."

"No problem, Mr. Graystone. Between saving my boy and chopping two cords as quickly as you did, I'm shocked you're not exhausted and dead on your feet."

Wincing at Ella's comment, Ezekiel cursed himself for filling it up as much as he did. He just wanted to help her out, but he realized he should have taken the implications of it being so easily filled into consideration.

"Yes, well, it was a simple military trick I learned ages ago. No big deal, really. Happy to help, as I said," Ezekiel explained as he picked up his shoes.

"Oh, leave them. I'll polish them as you rest."

He felt a pang of guilt, knowing how long it would take Ella to polish his shoes when he could take them upstairs and cast a simple cleansing spell to freshen them. Knowing that would result in even more questions, he left the shoes on the shelf instead.

"Of course, it's greatly appreciated," Ezekiel said, giving Ella a sympathetic smile.

Walking upstairs with Onyx, who had remarkably clean paws, the two retired to their room. Ezekiel removed his jacket and stretched out on his extremely clean bed as Onyx curled on the soft rug, both falling asleep quickly.