Brian and Sophia reached the Gritty Gauntlet’s intriguing entrance. Nervously picking at the frayed edges of his orange scarf, Brian stepped into the questionable establishment.

The raucous chatter and clinking glasses of the crowded tavern seemed to fade into the background, as he steadily searched the pub for a familiar face. His eyes landed on a table in the back left corner, where Mandrix, Serdna and Jax were sitting.

As he walked over, he was welcomed by Mandrix's confident posture and Jax's unpredictable smile, depicting very different approaches to life between the two. Brian approached their table bracing Sophia closely as she held her nose together.

Jax stood from his chair. "Hey Brian, you've got that 'just walked into a den of sevlows' look about you. Reminds me of that time I tried to broker peace between a nest of rogue Basilisks and a brood of Crystalline Drakes. Did you know they both have a profound love for Garnet Berries? You'd think they'd bond over that, but nope, ended up in a three-phase standoff."

“Where is my Kofrix?” Serdna sneered.

“Um… we had a setback.” Brian helped Sophia move in front of him. “Do you think you can heal her real quick?”

Serdna frowned so much that his eyebrows touched his nose. “Holy cow, you fellas don’t let me recover my valtite. First, you were so poisoned that I had to literally bring you back from the dead. Then I got here, and Mandrix wanted me to heal a nasty wart on his back. Holy cow, if you would have seen that shit… it was the size of my fist.”

“Fucking shit dude!” Mandrix slammed the table. “I told you not to tell anyone. Isn’t that protected health information or something? Also, what the fuck is a cow?”

Serdna looked at Mandrix silently for a moment, then continued, “moving on, I’ll do this last one,” he paused. “Because it is Sophia,” his voice sounded more casual. “But after that it will cost you solars.”

“In that case, I haven’t given you a receipt of how much I’m going to charge you for opening that dungeon,” said Brian.

With a strum of his Lyre, Sophia’s crooked nose snapped into place with a satisfying crack. It was a disgusting yet impressive sight.

“We’re even,” Serdna said, plainly.

Sophia’s eyes widened. “Wow! I can breathe again! Thank you, thank you Serdna!”

"Fantastic job, Serdna! Did you know in some cultures, a broken nose is considered a symbol of bravery? They believe the misaligned nose tells a tale of a warrior's resilience. But of course, Sophia, your breathing comfort takes precedence over ancient symbolism.

The sudden thud of a leather pouch on the table jolted Brian from his musings. Solars spilled out, glinting like scattered stars against the beat-up oak table. Bull stood before them, his smug grin revealing perfectly white teeth.

"Here's your cut, Casto." he drawled, running a hand through his meticulously styled hair.

Mandrix eyed the coins skeptically, scooping them up and letting them fall through his fingers like sand. A frown creased his forehead as he weighed the pouch in his hand.

"You're short, Bull," Mandrix growled, tossing the pouch back at him. "There's coins missing.”

Bull's smirk didn't waver. "Take it or leave it, Mandrix. That's all you're getting."

"Is that so?" Mandrix replied, his voice dangerously low. Brian remembered feeling a familiar tension when Mandrix’s cores got destroyed back at Reptiscale Caverns.

"I am exasperated. You think I'd short you,” Bull splutters, flushing red.

"Think? Nah." Mandrix leaned back, chuckling. "Know? Absolutely."

“Ok, ok. I will give you the rest in a few lums. You can trust me, you know I am good for it.”

"You're about as trustworthy as a chronovore, Bull. So, where the fuck is it?"

"Look," Bull said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I paid you what I could. Be grateful for that much."

"Grateful?" Mandrix scoffed, rising from his seat, his large sword clanking against his heavy armor. "You think I should be grateful for your incompetence?"

"Keep talking like that, and I'll show you just how incompetent I can be," Bull sneered, cracking his knuckles.

Brian held his breath as the two men circled each other, he knew this wasn’t going to end well. He glanced at Serdna, who shared his concern but remained silent, knowing full well that intervening would only escalate things.

"Fine," Mandrix spat, lunging at Bull with a speed that belied his size. The two crashed into each other, their fists flying. Brian watched as Mandrix landed blow after punishing blow on Bull's face. In the scuffle, their drinks and the pouch of coins tumbled to the floor.

"Alright, that's enough!" Jax finally intervened, grabbing Bull's arms as Brian and Serdna did the same to Mandrix, pulling them apart. Their breathing was ragged, muscles taut from tension.

At that moment, Brian finally understood the difference that the strength stat made. His hold on Mandrix was a mere spectacle. Even though he was gripping the towering man’s arm with all of his might, it didn’t confine Mandrix any more than a simple shirt would. Brian felt it with every one of the giant’s minor movements, and a quick look at Serdna told him that he was in the same boat.

"Get out of here, Bull," Brian warned, glaring daggers at the bruised and battered man. "Next time, pay your debts in full or don't bother showing your face around us again."

Bull's eyes flicked between Brian and Mandrix, still filled with defiance despite his injuries. With a final snarl, he turned and stalked away, disappearing into the throng of patrons.

As they settled back down at the table, Brian shook his head in disbelief. "Why does everything always have to end in a fight here?"

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Because it's the only way Bull will ever learn," Mandrix grumbled, flexing his bruised knuckles.

"Maybe," Jax piped up with a grin, "it's because they're both secretly in love."

"Shut up, Jax," Mandrix snapped. Brian wanted to laugh, but he thought better than to further antagonize Mandrix at this point.

Mandrix's bruised face twisted into a scowl as he swiped angrily at the dust on his clothes. "Everyone, sit down," he commanded. Brian noticed the tension in Mandrix's voice as he took his seat at the head of the table. He hoped Mandrix would get to the point quickly, his mind drifting towards the enticing prospect of tasting Arcasium-brewed kofrix.

"Alright," Mandrix continued, rubbing his temples. "I have something important to discuss." Brian glanced at Sophia and raised an eyebrow, silently asking if she knew what was going on. She shook her head slightly, lips pressed together, indicating that she was just as clueless as he was.

"Damn it, Bull," Mandrix mumbled under his breath, his anger momentarily rekindled. "You had to go and ruin my vibes before we even started."

Brian leaned back in his chair, he crossed his arms over his chest wondering what could be so important that has him this worked up?

“Hey, Brian," Jax said, leaning back in his chair and balancing precariously on two legs. "You think if we combined our brains, we'd be smarter than Mandrix? Or just twice as sarcastic?"

"Very funny, Jax," Mandrix retorted, rolling his eyes. "You know, people say I am crazy, but you are at a whole other level."

Laughter bubbled up from Brian's chest, surprising even him. "It would probably result in some sort of chaotic genius," he admitted, tugging at his scarf again.

Before anyone could say anything else, something materialized between Brian and Sophia, seemingly out of thin air. It was the same person who had attacked them on the street earlier, the one who had broken Sophia's nose.

In an instant, Brian stood up with his fists clenched and ready to defend himself. Sophia followed suit, standing by his side.

"Whoa, whoa!" the man in black exclaimed, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "I apologize for startling you."

"Startling us?" Brian snarled. "You're the bastard that attacked us earlier!"

To Brian's surprise, everyone around the table remained seated, staring at the scene unfolding with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. Mandrix, however, threw his head back and laughed so hard that tears streamed down his cheeks.

"Ah, Brian," he gasped between chuckles. "You’re scared of Zilax?"

"Zilax?" Brian's face flushed with embarrassment, his anger momentarily forgotten. "This guy broke Sophia's nose! And you're just laughing?"

Mandrix wiped the tears from his eyes before fixing Brian with a level gaze. " Relax, Zilax is harmless. He is breezy." he began, struggling to keep his voice steady. "He works for me."

"What do you mean he works for you?" Brian demanded, his confusion mounting.

"I hired him to get me intel," Mandrix turned to Zilax, "So chum, what did you find?"

Zilax stepped forward, his black mask shimmering in the candlelight. "I apologize for my earlier actions," he said softly, addressing Brian and Sophia. "The chief enforcer noticed you both, and I couldn't risk jeopardizing my mission."

Brian relaxed his body. "So that's why you vanished when we met before." He hadn't expected an explanation, but it did tie up one loose end.

"Indeed. Your senses are quite remarkable, Brian," Zilax complimented, his voice barely above a whisper. "You spotted me when I meant to remain unseen."

"Ha!" Mandrix barked, his growl echoing through the chamber. "They sure are remarkable, ah Brian?” The veins at his temple were starting to pulse out again. "Like stealing my Oculus Core."

Laughter rippled through the group, and Brian felt his cheeks burn. "Well, without it, I probably would've died at least six times by now," he stated defensively. "Besides, I thought you'd already forgiven me for that. Come on big guy, think of it as a birthday gift… That was my birthday in Valteria after all. Or is it birthlum?”

Sophia giggled at the exchange.

Mandrix grinned, revealing his sharp teeth. "Wait, wait wait. To clarify, I forgave you for destroying the core, but not your debt. And don’t you forget that." He turned back to Zilax, suddenly serious. "So, what have you discovered?"

Zilax hesitated before sitting down, his dark gray duster jacket rustling with the movement. "Not much, I'm afraid. However, I've established a connection with someone inside the government."

"Who?" Mandrix demanded, but Zilax raised a hand, silencing him.

"Best to keep their identity confidential, for now," he replied. "My informant suspects the higher-ups are planning some sort of expansion." He paused, his gaze shifting to Brian. "You and Serdna have had multiple meetings with high-ranking officials, haven't you?"

Serdna was blankly staring at the distance. “What happened?”

A knot formed in Brian's throat. Though Mandrix could benefit from his relationship with Aleron, the validity of Mandrix's claims about the malevolent Aestari government remained uncertain to him. Brian wasn't naive; of course, a certain amount of corruption existed, as it did with every single government body in existence. But it didn't look like anything out of the ordinary. To him, it looked like an organization attempting to make the best out of a difficult situation.

He glanced at Serdna, silently pleading for him to stay quiet. "Our meetings were about a mission." Brian planned to maintain his response as vague as possible. "We don't have any information that might be helpful right now."

Mandrix's face fell, he was clearly expecting something juicy. Zilax, however, remained unfazed. "You're close to High Director Creslin, Brian." It wasn't a question.

Brian stared at Zilax, dumbfounded. Shit, Brian thought. How did Zilax know? He felt the pressure of his fists clenching under the table, nails biting into his palms. Deliberately, he relaxed his hands; he couldn't let his surprise show. It didn't matter how Zilax knew; all that mattered was protecting his position.

"Damn, Brian, you're one amazing dude!" Jax exclaimed, leaning back in his chair with a wide grin. "Well, Zilax, now that you bring it up, have you ever pondered about the etymology of 'closeness'? I mean, I can be physically close to a Galacian Tar Beast, but that doesn't mean we're about to discuss the political climate over a cup of Chrysaorian tea."

Mandrix's eyes gleamed with enthusiasm as he leaned forward, the firelight casting shadows on his face. "This is it! With you so close to Creslin, we can finally unmask this corrupt government!"

"Keep it down," Brian hissed, casting a nervous glance around the dimly lit tavern. "If I learn anything useful, I'll let you know."

"Of course, I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Brian," Mandrix replied, his voice still too loud for Brian's liking.

Sophia's soft hand landed on Mandrix's arm, silencing him. "Mandrix, if you want Brian to help you, he needs to remain unnoticed. If the Director finds out he's betraying him, we'll all be in danger."

Brian looked at Sophia with gratitude. She always had his back, even when he doubted himself. Her understanding gaze steadied him, and he felt some of the tension begin to ebb away.

"Fine," Mandrix grumbled, lowering his tone. "I'll be quiet. But we need to act fast."

"Agreed," Brian said, attempting to appease Mandrix. He needed to tread carefully, maintain his loyalty to Aleron while also helping Mandrix. It was a delicate balance, but it was one he had to maintain if he wanted to unlock the full power of the Valtite System.

"Let's go over our next steps," Sophia's words invaded Brian's thoughts. She always had a knack for steering the mood in Brian's favor.

"Alright, let's do this," he said quietly, but with unyielding resolve.