10.44 Z (Pt. 2)

(I’m on break until the 23rd! It’s a two-week break so I can go to Iceland! Wish me luck and no volcanos! —pireteaba)

 

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[Level 33 Streetwise Guardswoman!]

[Skill – Pursue the Quarry obtained!]

 

 

When she woke up, she wasn’t dead. Zevara knew that because everything hurt. But there weren’t any sharp pains; so no broken bones.

Somehow. Nor was she chained up. Another plus. She was, in fact, lying on a cot in a root cellar of some kind. She based that on the smell—and the sounds of movement above her. For a few moments after she woke, she lay and took stock. Mostly of her new levels and Skill.

Nice. Even with her head aching like a football after the Little Crab’s team practice, Zevara appreciated the new Skill. Good for footchases. It was always a bit of a mystery which class would level after she did something. She had to just guess why she gained a level.

They’d raided the Brothers, so why the [Guardswoman] over [Watch Captain]? Probably because the [Watch Captain] had been an idiot, taking that fight when she knew it was bad. The [Guardswoman] had fought decently well enough, hence the levels.

But it’s the [Watch Captain] who’s very much in trouble now. This was bad. Kidnapped by a gang? There was no hiding she was awake; Zevara had moved a bit, and she knew someone was in the room from the faint sounds of paper, breathing, murmurs from above. The creak of floorboards. Cards? A basement?

Time to face the music.

Zevara sat up slowly, opening her eyes, and someone spoke.

“Before you go thinking to do something unwise, Watch Captain, just know the hat’s back on the head. There it stays until it goes off. That’s the way it works, see? Not often we need to remind folks how it goes, but Liscor—it’s new to us. Reckon we’ve both had a bad day, as it were. You’re a prisoner, by the by.”

Her head throbbed. Zevara thought someone had punched it hard enough to knock her out. Her neck felt like it had been twisted half-off.

“For what, a ransom?”

“Just until a few of ours get let out. It’s simple enough. Unless Drakes don’t do hostage swaps?”

“Oh, I think we’ll figure it out. Especially if you got Ronss too.”

Zevara winced as she turned her head; there was a lantern glowing on a stool, and a man was sitting in a chair at a card table. Ah, tophatman.

He looked bad. Cuts on his face and nose clearly broken; a bandage was over it, but she probably seemed far worse. He wasn’t smiling, and a huge gash on his lip twisted as he pursed his mouth to spit and thought better of it.

“Him? He got out. So did most of your guards. They scrap better than most. Or maybe it was because there was a fire-breathing Watch Captain throwing down behind them. You’re lucky you didn’t burn half the boys up.”

“[Non-Lethal Strike]. I don’t kill unless I have to.”

Her jaw hurt horribly. Zevara worked it, then remembered she could use her hands. She touched a gigantic bump, and the tophat man’s lips twitched.

“At least one of you knows the score. Seems to me that Watch Captain Ronss is a fucking idiot.”

“He was promoted to the job last month. And given bad intelligence. He never worked in the Watch when we had to step wary of gangs. Relc and Klbkch were already a duo when he made [Guardsman].”

This civil discourse was nice. She’d had worse after being worked over in a fight. The hatman spat.

“Never got beaten down and left in an alley? What kind of self-respectin’ Watch Captain hasn’t had at least five of those?”

“The kind that comes from Pallass. Venim played this wrong. I don’t know what gangs Pallass has, but I doubt they ever beat down an entire Watch unit.”

Zevara rested her head against a wall. That was what the mistake had been. Well, mistakes.

I should have told Ronss to back it off the moment they said the gems weren’t here. I did, but I thought we could take them.

She’d known the Brothers were dangerous, but she’d never seen them fight like that. She’d thought Ser Normen was some kind of prodigy among them. Now, she wondered why he hadn’t made all of them Knights of Solstice.

“Alright, let’s talk. Who the hell are you?”

“Call me Robb. I’m the fellow in charge of Liscor’s chapter of the Brothers. And you’re the old Watch Captain. The one who knows this city. The one who’d know better than to force a gang to put its back against a wall.”

“If I knew better, I’d have stopped this from getting out of hand. My city’s changing. I never ran into a gang like yours back in the day. Even Soot’s heavies didn’t fight like that.”

Robb grinned and grimaced as blood ran from his cut mouth.

“We have a reputation we aim to keep.”

And it was going to go through the roof now they’d taken out ten squads of Liscor’s Watch. Zevara didn’t know how they’d address the Brothers. With heavy gloves, she suspected, if they had to arrest them. If not…leave them be.

Damn it. She’d have preferred the Watch won that fight, but she supposed they had done well enough if they’d mostly gotten away. Certainly, another Brother at the table appeared pretty bad. Oh—he had a huge scar across his cheeks and nose. A clearly healed wound from a very straight slash.

He was the one she’d cut in the fight. He must have had a healing potion? For a bad cut like that, he needed it. He had a bowler hat on and gave her a nod.

“Nice swordwork, Watch Captain. Nearly put me to rest, so it did.”

They were way too convivial, but Zevara wasn’t fooled. There was an edge to the Brothers right now. She suspected only the hats on their heads were keeping them civil. Impropriety had been offered—she was in danger.

“So…do I get to keep all my pieces if the hostage exchange doesn’t go forwards? Or is there going to be a message?”

Robb shuffled the cards hard without eyeing her.

“Depends on how this Watch Commander plays it. But we’re an upstanding sort, Watch Captain. Looks bad, don’t it, if a beloved Watch Captain gets hurt. The Brothers make a living keeping the streets clean. Not bloody. Blood only goes down when there’s a point.”

He stabbed the table so hard his finger left a hole in it. Yep, he was mad. His head turned to her.

“Seems to me—someone owes us a lot of blood for this. Not every fellow’s walking away from this. Now we’re in bad with the Watch, and the Watch’s got a bloody nose. You wouldn’t happen to know who decided to tell that fine Watch Captain we had all the gems in our bar?”

Zevara thought of Bobble and kept her face straight.

“If I did have names, I think I’d put myself at risk of their wrath.”

“Not if there’s none of ‘em left to be wrathful.”

Bowler hat rumbled. Zevara felt a prickle down her spine. Alright…if she said a name, people would die. She could—if a [Guard] had died or been maimed, that was on Bobble or whomever had set up this disaster. Played both sides against each other. But she felt the [Watch Captain] in her refuse.

This was a mess. This was bad—and she knew that the Brothers were on a knife’s edge, almost literally. Even so—Zevara’s eyes narrowed.

“If you think Liscor’s going to roll over and let you in as the only gang, you’re mistaken, gentlemen. The Jeweler’s Guild was a big move. Too big for a gang. That’s all flash, not what I’d expect of quiet folks like you.”

Robb raised his brows, amused.

“You think so? It’s big, it’s showy, aye. But it ain’t earning us bad marks as far as I can tell. Who cries for the [Jewelers]? Not many. They’re rich here as in any other city. We know who to hit if we want people to smile at us on the street. We take where it makes sense. Don’t squeeze a rock for water. Squeeze a fat, bloated tomato and water the streets a bit.”

“Downright altruistic of you. So you like to spread the wealth?”

“Modestly. Maybe we have to bribe a lot of hands. Not much to do but take our coin.”

And have everyone rooting for you to hit another fat [Merchant]. Wonderful. It was going to make rooting the Brothers out very hard if no one minded their presence.

“So you mean to tell me your gang’s a net positive for Liscor? I’ve heard you clean up the streets. You cut down on bad crimes, and only do protection money and big jobs? You must leave the small fries to their work. For a bit of money from them too.”

Robb gave her a gap-toothed smile.

“It don’t pay to be honest, Watch Captain. But it pays to be the cleanest rat in the bucket. I hope you can see your way to avoiding this kind of thing with us again.”

For answer, she just spat blood out of her own mouth.

“You’re lucky he’s on desk duty or you’d have met Sergeant Relc today. You think that cute shoulder-charge works on him?”

There was a chuckle in the room, and the air grew colder. Robb dealt his cards with a sigh. He tossed down a card in front of Zevara, then another as he circled the table.

“Looks like we’re going dancing with your district in the future, Watch Captain. Can’t say I’ll enjoy that. At least you’re not in charge of northwest.”

Ancestors, they were going to be a problem for Ronss. Zevara checked her cards with one hand reflexively. Two 2s. She raised her brows.

“What’re you playing for? Unless you left me my money pouch—”

“Oh, it’s just pride and life on the line. Same as always. What’re you in for?”

She glanced at the group of men and then made a beckoning gesture with two clawed fingers.

“How about you tell me what your best item you sell is. And if none of my [Guards] are lying in a morgue, I don’t come back with the Free Antinium and Sergeant Relc.”

Robb actually missed serving a card. He half-spun in his chair, and one of the other men at the table, the four-hundred pound giant, lowered his cards.

“‘Scuse me, Watch Captain. But I reckon you don’t get who’s being interrogated here, as it is. I don’t think you’ve got that many cards to play.”

“Deal them up. What are you selling, and why does it involve the Antinium?”

Robb was dead still as he eyed her, and Zevara’s gaze didn’t waver as sweat slid down her spine. She added after a moment.

“Noiraid told me I’d get an answer. Don’t leave me hanging.”

He blinked and then flicked a card at her. She caught it. Another 2. Robb dealt in the table, except bowler hat—he’d folded. He stared at her.

“You know the good missus?”

“I’m on an investigation. Antinium have been stolen from, and Humans are doing it. Want to clear your names?”

There was a laugh from the watchers in the background—and then Robb blinked.

“We wouldn’t steal from them. They’ve got nothing as-is. We trade with them, Watch Captain. Fair prices, with our margins. Miss Noiraid could tell you that herself. Unless she pointed the finger our way.”

She hadn’t. In fact, the Brothers were a good candidate for this set of thievery, but it just didn’t fit them. Zevara sat back as another card was dealt. A [Prince]. She still had a few more cards. Metaphorical, and literal.

“I want the truth. Give me what I want or believe me, I can make trouble.”

“You and your entire Watch House, Captain Zevara? How do you think that’ll play?”

Robb held the fifth card between his fingers to her, and she bared her teeth at him.

“I don’t know. Ever thrown down with Antinium Soldiers? There’s at least three hundred of them in the Free Hive.”

She grinned at their blank expressions, and clarified.

“Under the treaty with Liscor, they can have three hundred Soldiers at maximum. Though it looks like more when they’re on the streets. When the Watch in Liscor falters—the Black Tide marches.”

Robb stared at her until a smile split his lip again, and he handed her the final card. She showed three 2s, a [Prince], and the [Archmage]; no one had anything higher than two pairs.

“Well played, Watch Captain. Someone get her a sample to look at. We had to dip into the stash after this scrap. Our most valuable item does come from the Antinium. Miss Noiraid brokers a lot of it. It’s rare, and we sell it to very, very interested clients. All of ‘em north-folk. Big names. A few have come down to get it direct like, but it’s a very respectable business.”

Zevara got up as the table broke apart, and Robb motioned. Now she was onto it—she saw a familiar scrap of parchment in his hands. He offered it to her, and she unrolled a cheap bit of writing paper with words that glowed on them.

“Don’t read the whole thing unless you want to use it. We’d charge you for that.”

She blinked down at the writing. It said:

 

‘Hope. What is hope? Hope is something you must learn, for we are born without it. We are birthed, given our tasks, bleed, suffer, and die, and there is little hope down there. 

Hope is the first moment you realize that things can be better. It is a taste of fresh air. Hope makes life harder, because once you feel it, you cannot unfeel it or lose it. It is heavy and painful, and it makes the darkness and the suffering worse.

Hope is worthless if it is alone, because it is just longing, and it will never save anyone. Hope is not faith. Faith that is just hope means you do the same thing without working to make things different. Faith, and true hope, is action. When it is dark in the Hive, dig up to the light…’

 

The glow from the text seemed to fill her up, as if she heard a voice speaking the words. A familiar voice. Pawn’s voice. She felt like something was stirring inside of her, a feeling provoked by the words—until Robb snatched it from her fingers.

“Apologies, Watch Captain. That fellow has a way with words, don’t he? But this is worth more than you make in a month.”

“What—what is that?”

The leader of Liscor’s Brothers offered her a crooked smile.

“Something only Antinium can make. It takes all forms. Mostly the good word. Sometimes other things.”

Now her mind was focused. Zevara croaked.

“Other things? So regular Antinium walk around with—this?”

“I think the fellows in that Hive don’t realize what they’ve got. Or they don’t care. There’s not much of it, mind. Good enough to sell in small batches, but quite a few fine fellows have it. Most won’t sell; it’s Miss Noiraid who knows who’s willing to part with it for gold. You say someone’s stealing this stuff?”

Zevara looked the Brother in the eyes.

“This is a Watch matter.”

“Of course, of course. But that’s bad for business. If the good bugfellows started getting antsy, that hurts us all. I’d love to comply with a Watch inquiry into important business.”

She folded her arms and made a quick decision.

“I think some people don’t understand how to tell what’s genuine…stuff apart from just possessions. Thefts have occurred. Humans. Your lads wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”

His eyes narrowed. Robb motioned to her, and she followed him up out of the cellar. The rest of Brewman’s Bar appeared fairly trashed from the fighting, but he moved past Brothers who were in annoyingly good shape and found another familiar face.

“Lemmingway, you do work with Miss Noiraid, right? You have anyone stealing from the bugs on those streets? You’d stop it right quick if you did, correct?”

Lemmingway, the young man who’d charged her with knives, was sewing up an elbow with needle and thread. That was tough—he glanced up, startled.

“That, boss? Yeah, we ran off a few idiots. They just tossed what they took. I woulda given them something more, but you said go gentle. So we went gentle as milk on a cat’s tongue. Gave it back to the Watch fellows who showed up, nice and proper.”

That squared with Guardsman Cossl talking about how some items were recovered. Even so—Zevara frowned.

“Lots of Antinium were missing things.”

“How many thefts have you seen?”

Robb demanded, and Lemmingway protested as he bit the thread in half with his teeth.

“Not that many, Boss! You want us to look out for that kind of thing?”

The Brother’s leader nodded, and Zevara thought that would help—but it didn’t deal with all the Antinium who’d already lost items. Poor Carpenter Laikos—but now she knew why the items were being stolen.

Just not what they were.

“I want to know where the Antinium sell this stuff. Maybe I can see if anyone else is lurking about. You said the north has lots of buyers? Not the south?”

Robb raised his brows.

“Oh, aye. All the big players—and new ones. The Flower Lady, Mister Thighs—he’s new, but sharp—and the old players. The Wit, the Shallowgrave Sisters—all under House Roses, you know? Anyone with eyes wants them.”

She had to decipher some of that. She didn’t know all the nicknames, but everyone knew Magnolia’s, and Mister Thighs was obvious. Well, well, well. But it begged the question—

“Really, the nobles?”

“Oh, and the gangs. They’re all respectful of us because they know what we’ve got, and none of them thought Liscor was worth the effort.”

“None of the south?”

Lemmingway laughed at that, and Robb snorted.

“The south has different deals. The gangs, yes. But no city. Who’d want Antinium goods? We made some offers, and they turned their noses up. More for us. Astonishing, really.”

He shook his head, tutting over the failure of Drakes. Zevara was stung by that.

“You don’t mention Gnolls in all that.”

“Ah, them! Well, I think Miss Noiraid has another deal going on. Clever folk, that lot.”

Huh. Something no Drake was part of—well, it made sense with the Antinium—but everyone else wanted badly. Zevara worked her jaw with a wince.

“Okay, I want a guide to the spot now.”

“After we make sure the lads are out of holding, Watch Captain.”

Robb answered instantly, and she remembered she was a prisoner. Right. Damn. Zevara was about to ask if they had a pillow so she could lie down and let the world spin for a moment, or if they had a drink, when there was a knock at the door.

The Brothers went quiet. Lemmingway produced several needles, which he held between his fingers.

“There ain’t a codesign. You want us to—?”

Robb rose slowly.

“Hold on. Hold on—”

His eyes flicked to Zevara, and she hoped like hell Relc wasn’t stupid enough to raid the Brothers to save her. Not even with the entire Watch House! Zevara was tensing, ready for anything, when someone kicked the door in.

Then there was fire. A Brother ready to leap on the intruder froze up, and the green flames burned, making the men with hats flinch back. A man pulled off his helmet, and Zevara stared.

“Gentlemen. I’m a bit disappointed in you all today.”

Ser Normen was wrapped in green flames. The [Knight] strode into the bar fast—ignoring the dangerous men around him, because he was one of them. Or had been. His eyes were focused on Zevara, and Robb put up his hands fast.

“Normen? Ser Normen? We were just—”

“I’m here for the Watch Captain before things get messy. I heard you threw down with the Watch—Captain Zevara’s a friend of the inn. A friend of the Order of Solstice. If she’s hurt—”

Two more [Knights] were at the door. One had pink flames—Jewel? And the other had grey and black flames, and a Brother who had caught sight of him went dead white. He backed into one wall, and Zevara squinted at a [Knight] she didn’t recognize. Robb choked as he saw the third [Knight]. She saw his face drain of color.

“T-that’s—”

The rest of the Brothers were ready to go, not seeing whatever he had. Zevara moved. The [Watch Captain] didn’t realize she was between the two armed groups until she was shouting.

“Stand down! Stand down; that’s an order! I’ll have no more blood here! Lower your weapons!”

To her amazement, it worked. The armored [Knights] hesitated, unwilling to stab her, and one of the Brothers halted, hat in hand. Robb leapt in as well, shoving his people back.

“Hold it, hold it! That’s Normen! Back it up!”

Normen lowered his mace and looked Zevara over as the Brothers untensed.

“Watch Captain? We thought we’d have to rescue you. Are you alright?”

She winced as she tried to smile at him.

“Just beaten up. The Brothers got it bad too. Is anyone dead or…?”

“There are a lot at the [Healer]’s, but somehow, no.”

He seemed as confused as she did. Normen glared at Robb. Zevara moved to keep herself between him and the other man—she felt like one punch and there might be more blood and she refused to have it. Normen snapped at Robb, confused and angry.

“How did the Brothers take off their hats and no one died?”

The big man rubbed at his nose, clearly unsettled. And as the rest of the Brothers cooled, they seemed to notice something that drained the fight from them too. Zevara was so busy glancing around for danger she didn’t see what had them on edge. Robb muttered.

“W-we scrapped hard, but we used some of our inventory to ensure no one kissed the ground for good. That looks real bad. But, ah…Normen. That’s a dead man behind you.”

Robb was still staring at the unknown knight. Zevara was trying to remember what each fire meant. Grey…and black. Robb was backing into a wall. Normen just gave Robb a weary smile.

“Dead’s no excuse when there’s things that matter to be done. Watch Captain Zevara’s coming with us.”

“But the lads—”

Normen’s green flames burned as he pointed at Robb.

“She walks. And mind the rest of the fellows understand that some things you take your hat off over—this? You put it back on. The city needs her.”

Zevara wasn’t sure she liked being singled out like this, but she did appreciate the dramatic rescue. She nodded at Normen, waiting for Robb to object, but the [Knight] with the…bowler hat was striding into the room.

“Hello, lads. I have an offer for you.”

Crimshaw smiled with two eyes aflame, and Zevara stepped back from someone who gave her all the wrong vibes. A killer as cold as Soot, blazing with beautiful, deadly fire.

She glanced at Normen, and he nodded to her.

“We came to make sure you were alright. The Brothers will be—a problem for Liscor, and we can’t stop them. I’m not one of them anymore, even if they respect me.”

She nodded at him.

“That’s my problem. I appreciate you putting in a good word for me. They won’t cut my throat if I arrest too many of them.”

“Oh, they only do that to the Watch Captains they think are rotten.”

He offered her a weary smile of regrets and motioned to the door. Jewel saluted Zevara with her sword.

“Can we take you back to the Watch House, Captain Z?”

The withering glance that Zevara shot her made the [Swashbuckler] falter. The Watch Captain shook her head.

“No. Actually…you’re too noticeable. If I can go on foot, I have somewhere to be.”

The [Knights] blinked at her, but she had just had a thought. Now was the perfect time to go to the spot where Antinium sold their items. The entire city knew the Brothers had just thrown down with the Watch. If a thief was going to be anywhere…

 

——

 

Thirty minutes later, Zevara was panting and walking down a street in the warehouse districts near the Antinium Hive entrance. She was almost grateful that all eyes were on the Brothers’ hideout; few people took her as anything other than a [Guard] on patrol.

She eased into a shadow, groaning as she felt all her bruises screaming at her. This was apparently a street where Antinium could sell those mysterious scrolls. What they were…she’d forgotten to ask Robb. Damn. She’d go back later if she needed to.

What a day. What a disaster. She had to debrief with Venim and Ronss about just how south this had gone, but if no one was dead—she just needed to figure this out. A small win, that was all!

A Human shoving one of the Workers down so she could nab them and arrest them and close the case. But life was never that easy; no one committed crimes in front of the Watch, because, well, that’s what they were there to deter. Duh.

Zevara saw several Antinium glancing around as they held objects that looked suspiciously like bits of wrapped up scrolls…or maybe even bigger texts. They were all coming out of a warehouse’s side exit while Antinium Workers loaded it up with goods and brought out more.

Aha. A place where Antinium would always be, so if a few snuck away…Zevara sighed. Actually, it occurred to her that the thieves had never struck here in her interviews. Of course not. This was the one spot where there were too many Antinium.

“Think, idiot. You have the Brothers doing ‘official’ business with Antinium, some [Thieves] trying to cut out the middlemen, and people trying to just buy and sell here. All of it illegal or unregulated, but only the [Thieves]…why steal? Why not just buy it outright?”

Well, being cheap was always a reason. Zevara eyed a gaggle of Antinium comparing what they had in their hands. They looked like…regular Workers. A Soldier? And a Painted Worker? Oh my, the Antinium were learning to be criminals. At least, some of them. She sighed, wondering if it was worth just approaching them and asking what they were doing—they might freak out, though, if they thought she was going to arrest them. But she didn’t even think they had real contraband. Just—

At that moment, a black carriage with the crest of House Reinhart on it rolled past Watch Captain Zevara in the street. Her jaw dropped.

Lady Cecille Reinhart’s carriage came to a dead halt in the street, and that rat-faced [Driver], Sollux, leapt down. Three of the flunkies did likewise and he snapped his fingers.

“You lot! We want to buy whatever you’ve got. Pronto! We’ve got gold. You get that? Gold.”

The Antinium had jumped when the carriage appeared, and they hesitated, then crept forwards nervously. Sollux rolled his eyes and made beckoning motions as the carriage window rolled down.

Zevara couldn’t believe her luck. She crept forward as the Antinium spoke to the impatient [Driver]. He was glancing around warily as they were and spoke loud enough to hear.

“Yes, gold. Give us all of the things. The genuine articles, not…er, Your Ladyship? How do we know what’s authentic?”

He hurried over to the window as it rolled down more. From her side of the street, Zevara only saw the other side of the coach, but then she heard a slap, a yell—and the Antinium flinched.

Sollux came back, rubbing his face.

“—Just give it over! And it’d better work or we’ll tell your Hive-leaders or whatever about this!”

The Antinium were very nervous then and argued amongst themselves before one was brave enough to hand over a little booklet. Sollux stared at it, showed it to the flunkies, who all shrugged, but then ran it over to the coach. He came back.

“Okay, that’s one. Is that one? How much?”

The Antinium didn’t know, so Sollux counted two gold coins into a palm. The Antinium clutched them to his chest, and Zevara thought of the pet shop.

How many pet shop tickets and acid fly bowls did that buy? Or Fortresses of Fluff? Now she saw why Noiraid and the Antinium were selling this stuff. She bet Noiraid got a better price, though. From the looks of it, these Antinium had just caught onto the deals like she had.

Another one was approaching the carriage—but Sollux waved them back.

“No, no, you don’t approach her with your filthy everything. You give it to me, I give you gold. Her Ladyship doesn’t want to breathe the same air as you v—v—very nice bug people, got it?”

Dead gods. The sheer contempt radiating from the carriage was like an aura in itself. Actually…Zevara knew something about auras as Lady Cecille definitely had one. Her boredom, contempt, and dangerousness coiled around her like a snake’s scales. Zevara eyed the carriage, wondering when she should interrupt—

And then an eye appeared in the blinds. One huge, staring, green eye. It swivelled right, left—and locked onto her.

[I See You]!

It was as if someone had drenched Zevara in cold water. She jumped back with a jolt of surprise—too late. She’d been spotted? How?

Lady Cecille Reinhart—! Some kind of Skill? When Zevara peeked around the corner again, cursing, the mood had changed. Sollux was in his carriage, and the three flunkies were striding her way.

“Ancestors—”

Zevara stepped out from behind her corner as if she’d intended to do that all along. Instantly, the three bodyguards halted, and the Antinium froze. They fled as she raised a hand.

“Wait! No one’s under arrest—damn it.”

The guilty ran when the Watch came, and the Antinium were very guilty, even though she doubted she’d have even done more than lecture them. Lady Cecille Reinhart, though, was made of sterner stuff.

The window cracked down slightly as Zevara walked over.

“Lady Cecille, a pleasure to see you again.”

“Watch Captain, how unfortunate. Tell me, does the Drake Watch enjoy harassing the nobility?”

“We don’t have many of your class in our cities, Lady Cecille. I do apologize. May I ask what you were doing?”

The [Lady]’s voice was unruffled, and she didn’t even glance at Zevara; she was literally powdering her nose using a mirror. But that eye had been all malevolence a second ago.

“Merely some business, as I informed you and that thug of a Drake last time. Have I done anything illegal, Watch Captain?”

“I don’t know. It seems to me you have been dealing with Antinium quite personally.”

“I have stolen nothing, Watch Captain, as you observed. And I tire of your accusations. Whatever you may think in that copious brain of yours—”

Cecille Reinhart drawled, then snapped.

“—I have broken no laws in Liscor. Put that on a truth stone and eat it!”

Zevara had pulled out a truth stone and was indeed staring at it. It flashed white, and she had a thought.

You can fake these things. But is she? It looked above-board to me, but…

“I’m afraid I’m allowed to ask more questions, Lady Cecille. Roll the window down? Completely, if you wouldn’t mind?”

She bent down and peered into the carriage. The window came halfway down, and she finally saw the pale-faced, pursed-lips of Lady Cecille Reinhart. She was…well, Zevara didn’t know if she was attractive by Human standards since they were all sort of doughy, but the scowl probably didn’t help.

She was wearing different clothing today, but the scarf remained. Zevara glanced at Cecille Reinhart and guessed at her height. Then she smiled.

“What is so entertaining, Watch Captain? Or does the rain truly grow mushrooms in those brains of yours?”

Zevara’s smile gritted, but she just eyed the scarf.

“Lovely scarf you have on, Lady Cecille. Almost like…rosewood crossgrain.”

She thought nothing could have made Lady Cecille look more like she was scraping skunk droppings off her foot, but the slow head-turn of outrage said that Zevara had managed a mortal insult.

“Rosewood crossgrain? I knew Drakes had no taste. Just look at you. But you think this resembles the inside of some tree? This is Scintilla Ichtania, the thread of the Crimson Weaver spider. The most complex and beautiful cloth you will ever see in your life.”

The scarf whirled as she lifted it, and Zevara saw it didn’t really resemble the grain of a tree at all. In fact, she was surprised even Carpenter Laikos had mistaken it for that. The insane spiderweb pattern that whirled across the [Lady]’s body were like a million branches of a spider’s web writhing and dying in a bloody sea of night.

Beautiful.

Haunting.

Expensive.

But close enough to rosewood crossgrain, she supposed, for an Antinium [Carpenter] to mistake it as such. Zevara leaned over the window.

“I’m afraid that makes you even more of a person of interest in my case, though, Lady Cecille Reinhart. When was the last time you went down, oh, Colecutlet Street?”

The expression the woman gave her was of utter scorn.

“Do you think I know the streets of this damned wet city, Watch Captain.”

“…I suppose not. Then when was the last time you wore an all-blue dress and pushed a Worker on the street?”

Zevara’s eyes were locked on the [Lady] for any tell, any sign, and her truth stone was in her grip. The [Lady] just stared at her. Stared at Zevara with utter contempt on her face…until her eyes narrowed.

“Listen to me, Watch Captain. I swear, on House Reinhart, by my blood, and by my hope to never be bothered by you again that I never have left this carriage while in this city. My desire to walk the slippery streets? Zero. I have stolen nothing. I have committed no crimes in this city. Yet.”

The truth stone was shining white the entire time. Zevara gave it a dismayed look. What in the…?

Cecille gazed pointedly at the stone.

“Now, if you will excuse me? I suggest you use that brain you claim to have, Watch Captain, and refrain from chasing the wrong tail. Aren’t you Drakes good at that? Or is it just the dog-Gnolls?”

Zevara jerked back from the window, and it snapped up.

“Hey! I wasn’t done asking questions—”

The carriage shot forwards, and she nearly fell on her face. Growling, Zevara saw the flunkies stepping back as the [Driver] whipped the horses forwards. She strode after Cecille.

“Halt in the name of the Watch! I have—”

She saw the carriage shoot down the street annoyingly fast even in the rain and on the slick ground, then come about sharply. Zevara sighed. Even the [Lady] wasn’t stupid enough t—

The carriage accelerated fast. She jumped left, swearing, and saw the horses swing around—the [Driver] was giving her a pale-faced, wide-eyed stare as he yanked at the reins.

Then he ran her over.

 

——

 

This time, there were sharp pains in her chest. Broken ribs. Zevara lay on the ground as someone walked over to her. A foot nudged her in the chest.

“Oh dear, you’ve run her over. Sollux, you fool! Quick, summon the Watch! Guards? Guards! Arrest this man and save this poor Drake!”

Ow. The foot had kicked her in the broken ribs. Zevara lay as the shout was taken up, and she hoped someone had a healing potion. Someone…

A voice interrupted her pain after a while. Someone bent over her, shielding her from the rain.

“Watch Captain, I do not believe your investigation is going well.”

“Noi…raid?”

The dame was back. Smoking on a nali-stick. No, wait, she was just eating it. She had the envelope in her hands; Zevara’s vision was hazy.

“Yes, Watch Captain. I believe you have been hurt quite badly. And you have not found the thief yet.”

She just ran me over. But Noiraid seemed to disagree. She squatted down.

“Lady Cecille Reinhart is a difficult customer. She haggles and goes behind my back. It is muchly inconvenient, as Bird would say. I knew she was dangerous. Thank you for being an example.”

“Call a [Healer].”

“Hmm. I do not think that will help with the broken bones, Watch Captain. I believe you require a favor. And a demonstration, now that you have some answers. I hope you will deal with this matter for me. Carpenter Laikos did not want his new doll, and I do not like failing.”

What? The doll? Was this just about the doll? Zevara didn’t understand. The dame stood over her and pulled something out.

“Here we are. This is a very good one. Listen, please, Watch Captain.”

She read from something in her hands. Zevara listened, and it felt like Noiraid’s voice shifted slightly. Still female, they embodied another speaker, or perhaps…many, all speaking the same words. And not just words—she felt like the meaning was in her broken bones. Filling her.

“When it is dark in the Hive, dig up to the light. See it, time and again, because no one should ever keep you from the sky. We have rules, my brothers—and sisters—and orders, and a Queen. But we also have our own choice to make. We may live down here and merely hope, abandon it, or we can do what we must. What we must, because we can, and because no one else will save us.

Not even her. What we receive in our lowest moments is merely…a helping hand. A finger in the right direction. The rest is up to you. So when I say, ‘I hope’, my friends, I truly mean ‘it must be’ someday, somehow. Even if I must make it happen myself.”

Then there was light—and a cessation of pain, and Zevara gasped as she pushed herself up. She came up, water spilling out one earhole, shaking herself, and stared down at her armor. Her ribs! She—felt at her ribs.

“Huh? I’m—I’m healed?”

Noiraid lowered the blank scrap of paper and handed it to Zevara. It crumbled to ash as the Watch Captain saw the glowing words that she had been reading dissipate in her grip.

“Very healed, Watch Captain. Even your bruises.”

It was true. Zevara felt at her jaw, and the swelling was gone. She inhaled—no sharp pain, no footsore blisters—

“Dead gods! That was like a healing potion! A high-grade one? Is that—”

Noiraid dusted her palms off.

“Yes. And yes to whatever you were going to ask next. You have your answers, Watch Captain. But I am still missing mine. I would offer to help more, but—”

She glanced around. Pounding boots and whistles—a Watch patrol was coming. Noiraid walked towards the Antinium still loading things into the warehouse.

“I think the Watch is very busy today. Please try not to get yourself badly hurt again? The market value of this article of faith is higher than the sum of gold you gave me.”

Then she was gone, and Watch Captain Zevara was invited, once more, to a meeting with Watch Commander Venim.

This time, he wasn’t very happy.

 

——

 

There was an art to being chewed out by a superior. Truly, Zevara had lots of experience with it with the old Watch Captain. How you reacted or what you gave your boss mattered.

Sometimes, you just stood there and took it like a lump—other times, you fired back, depending on whether or not you’d pay for it. For instance, Zevara used to be summoned and scolded for ‘stirring the pot’.

The old Watch Captain, Eresc, had been big on not stirring pots. Every time she’d gotten one of Soot’s subordinates, or made a big fuss, he’d accused her of putting the Watch in danger. And she’d argued with him until he’d thrown something at her, because she was a Senior Guardswoman and if he fired her, the people who’d voted her into her position would have something to say to him—and Liscorians had never been exactly quiet about how they felt.

Venim was different. She liked him, but it was clear now they had philosophical differences in how they operated. And she needed to get along with the Watch Commander, so Zevara tried not to snap.

It worked well at first, because the first thing he did was offer her a seat and ask if she needed a [Healer].

“You’re not looking as rough as I feared. Did you have a potion, Watch Captain?”

“No potion, but I got some healing, sir.”

“Really? How?”

She hesitated, but he should know about the scrolls. Venim’s jaw dropped when she relayed that.

“Healing scrolls? Ancestors, and the Antinium have them and they’re, what, manufacturing them?”

“Yes, sir. Which explains the thefts and, to some extent, the trouble I’ve been having with other individuals of note in my investigation. Has Lady Cecille Reinhart been arrested?”

Here Venim hesitated, and Zevara’s heart sank.

“She’s fled the city.”

“No, in fact, she was very cooperative in summoning the Watch. At this very moment, your assailant is in prison. Sollux, I think? Her [Driver].”

“Her…she ran me over, Venim!”

Zevara’s ribs hurt just remembering it, and Venim sighed.

“On truth stone, her man swore she gave him no orders whatsoever and admitted to hitting you. She passed every truth stone test—and she’s a Reinhart. She’s paid a fine, and her servant is in jail. This…is a complicated matter, Zevara. I was going to address the Brothers raid first, but you deserve to hear it straight off. Before she was even in my office, I had an [Advocate] for House Reinhart meeting with the Council.”

“An [Advocate]? What kind of class is that?”

“The kind that advocates.”

Venim didn’t laugh. He glanced to the side.

“House Reinhart controls a vast amount of trade. Magnolia Reinhart’s family…they run Invrisil. I suppose they took it from her? They indicated that if Lady Cecille was impeded in any way, things would get—messy between Liscor and Invrisil.”

“So you arrested her. That’s an open threat against Liscor.”

“After deliberations with the Council, we fined her extensively and let her go. There’s a precedent, Zevara—”

She was on her feet. This was where the anger came out. It reminded her of Soot, and she said so.

“Watch Commander! We don’t bow to outside pressure!”

“Captain Zevara, take a seat.”

He waited until she did and stabbed his desk a few times with a claw.

“That’s an unfair statement to throw at me, and you know it. How many times have you gotten orders from a Walled City and had to enforce them? We don’t want trouble with House Reinhart. If she had crossed the line and you’d been maimed, I’d have her locked up. But I am told that House Reinhart loves to make their point with [Assassins]. Esthelm’s Watch Captain and Celum’s sent me a [Message] to that effect. These new Reinharts—or old ones, I can’t tell—are aggressive. You’re not the only one Lady Cecille has run over.”

“What? She makes a point of doing that?”

Zevara was stunned and outraged. Venim clarified.

“Not in our city, but it seems vehicular damage runs in that family. We should arrest her, Zevara. But she has truth stones on her side.”

Truth stones. Zevara felt at the one in her pocket and cursed.

“A fat lot of good those have done me recently! Every single person I’ve used it on has evaded it or I’ve been certain they could subvert the stone.”

“Well, maybe I can help with that, Watch Captain.”

Venim was giving her a guarded expression, and she blinked at him.

“What?”

“I’m going to put you back in office in the northern district. Relc will act as acting Watch Captain in your district—you take the northern Watch House. Captain Ronss handed in his resignation an hour ago. I’m trying to talk him out of it, but we need to show people the Watch hasn’t been beaten. The fact that you walked out of their bar is a good start.”

Zevara’s mouth dropped open.

“Ronss did? But the raid—”

She caught herself, and Venim put one fist on the table and gazed at her heavily. Guilt in his eyes. Different from the bad Watch Captain Eresc—he spoke straight out.

“I take responsibility for the failed operation as much as Ronss. He told me that you had a bad feeling on the ground—we should have sent Sergeant Relc and double-checked the information. And known how dangerous those damn Brothers were! We can’t afford to back down, though, Zevara. Not now that we’ve gotten a bloody nose.”

She stared at him.

“With respect, Venim—I think the error was in doing the raid once we knew there was nothing to be gained from it. And the last thing I think we need is to take on the Brothers.”

“Excuse me?”

He blinked at her, genuinely confused. Zevara repeated herself.

“I met the leader of the Brothers—Robb. He seemed willing to avoid more fighting if we can help it.”

“Captain Zevara, I can’t believe I’m hearing this from you. Did they use a Skill on you? A gang of criminals just attacked the Watch in broad daylight! Examples have to be made!”

Ah, there was the disagreement. Zevara took a breath.

“Again, with respect, Venim, I think that’s the Walled City in you talking. This is a nasty gang. Taking them on would cause a lot of casualties—true casualties, not the dustup we just saw. We don’t have Pallass’ armies backing us up. After seeing the Brothers fight, I’d soon as let them exist without going after them again. To that point, it’s what the rest of the gangs want. They’re annoyed the Brothers are muscling in and hoping we wear ourselves out battling each other.”

His jaw worked as Venim actually pulled out her file and glanced at it.

“Zevara. You went after the Soot gang for a decade. Your tenacity and unwillingness to back down is local legend. Where is this coming from?”

She looked him in the eye, seriously, hoping he’d understand.

“The same place that the rest of me operates, Venim. Practicality. I never closed the Corused Steer—a bar I know deals in drugs and has murders aplenty. I went after Soot because he was a bastard who pushed the line, went after the Watch, and wanted to make this city his. But I’ve always let some problems go.”

“But the Brothers just attacked us—”

“Because we forced them into it, sir.”

“So there’s no plan on biding our time and striking this Robb fellow later? Building a case? If that’s it—”

He was still fishing for something she didn’t have. Zevara rolled her shoulders.

“Let me put it like this, Venim. There’s problems in the city. [Murderers]. The corrupt—and there’s flaws you can deal with. The Brothers aren’t a problematic gang unless they’re pushed. We have more to deal with like the Antinium thefts—”

“Hold on, hold on. You’re putting two dozen Antinium thefts over the Brothers? Are you mad? Zevara, you took on Soot! We have a Watch three times as large as yours was!”

“I never got Soot!”

She snapped back and tried to modulate her voice. Venim sat back, and Zevara’s tail lashed. She couldn’t help it.

“I never got him. Sometimes you can’t, and I had Klbkch and Relc on my side. I guess Lady Cecille Reinhart is the same. Unless they slip up, some fish are too big to catch. But the Antinium—that’s something I can handle. No one’s paying attention to the Antinium, Venim. That’s on us.”

“They’re part of their Hive. I assume they police themselves for internal affairs. As for this…this is highly distressing, Watch Captain. I don’t…”

Venim pinched the bridge of his snout with his claws.

“—I don’t consider them an issue. I consider the integrity and image of the Watch in Liscor paramount. Ronss is shaken. The Watch is shaken. I need you leading the Watch, not pursuing lines of inquiry that get you run over.”

That stung.

“I thought I was supposed to be finding a niche that fit me with less work, Commander Venim.”

He raised his hands.

“One that is structural, in keeping with your office, not acting like a [Guardsman] on an investigation, Zevara! You’re out of office all day, and you take Relc, who’s supposed to be leading—then it’s down to the Desk Sergeants to keep order. What if there had been a crisis?”

This was true, and Zevara hung her head, trying to find a response and realizing that was her mistake. Venim stared at her until he broke the silence.

“I’m taking your advice on the Brothers under advisement, Watch Captain.”

He was? He gave her a nod, stiffly offended.

“I’m not an idiot. This is your city, and you were there and saw them in action. Even so, I’m making a judgement call as Watch Commander—I’ll put some good [Guards] on the Antinium theft case. Antinium, maybe, since it’s their matter. You’re to act as north district’s Watch Captain until Ronss gets back or we get a new Watch Captain. Assuming you’re not hurt.”

He eyed her, and Zevara hesitated, because that was largely reasonable…but she knew herself. She was about to push back.

“May I make a suggestion, Commander?”

“Very well…”

She saw him frowning and knew they were both trying to be reasonable. Zevara took a breath.

“Don’t let Ronss go on break. Or resign. Put him back in charge of his district. If he can’t handle it, he can’t. But he made a mistake. Dead gods, I’ve made plenty. He goes in, he puts in effort, and the [Guards] will support him.”

“Hmm. I can talk to him.”

Good. Venim nodded, and Zevara went on.

“Second—give me a [Guardsman]. One of the Antinium, but let me continue working the Antinium case.”

“Oh come now, Watch Captain! I’m compromising here! Can’t you do the same?”

Venim snapped at her. She flushed.

“This is a bigger case than I think I anticipated, Watch Commander. Now we know what the Antinium are selling—I was told that Cecille Reinhart, the Five Families, and major gangs are all buying the healing scrolls! This is huge. If it really does heal as well as potions—and it healed broken ribs—then this is thousands upon thousands of gold pieces in a black market. It’s only going to get bigger.”

He drummed his claws on the table, frowning hard.

“I can’t believe there’s just some magical ‘healing’ that can replace healing potions, Zevara. There has to be a catch.”

“Maybe it’s more limited than we think, which is why everyone’s fighting over it. The north…but not the south.”

Right, hadn’t Robb said that? Venim raised his brows.

“If there is a healing item of any kind, then the Walled Cities will want it, Zevara. They’re not blind.”

“No. And it’s odd. The north never had strong ties to Liscor…why is no one in the south buying this, even on the sly?”

“Well, they’re made by Antinium. I wouldn’t trust an Antinium healing potion, would you?”

Venim gave her a supercilious look until he realized that she probably would, and her best Senior Guardsman had been an Antinium. He coughed.

“—I see your point, Zevara. Even so, this hunt has nearly gotten you killed once. Put it in your people’s claws.”

She didn’t want to. She trusted a lot of her [Guards], but the Antinium were an unknown quantity. They were hard to talk to, thought differently, and it made work with them difficult—even for other Antinium, she was realizing.

“With respect, Commander, I’d prefer to be kept on the case.”

He exhaled hard.

“So noted, Watch Captain. But I am your Watch Commander, and I’ve heard you on Ronss, the Brothers, and the rest of your duties. I’m ordering you to focus on the big picture. Appoint some investigators in the Watch, oversee them. Drop your involvement in the case.”

He tapped the desk, and she shot him a surprised expression and saw his face was set. And that he thought he was doing this for her own good. Much like when she told Jeiss or Beilmark they were needed on another hunt and they kicked up shit.

‘Yes, sir,’ would be an appropriate thing to say here. She’d gotten him to move on a lot—a lot more than she thought she’d do if she had a Senior Guardsman telling her how to do her job. But…

She thought of Carpenter Laikos and the strange Miss Noiraid. Would another Antinium even be able to interact with her and know how much more—streetwise she was? Would another member of the Watch?

Humans didn’t know Antinium well enough. Most of the [Guards] weren’t Liscorian natives from decades ago. Beilmark was, and Relc knew Antinium, but they were in leadership positions. Moreover, they were dealing with [Merchants] and Lady Cecille, and there were still those two agents mucking about. They needed authority. Did she have a Senior Guardsman pair who could do that…?

“Watch Captain, your word?”

He was getting impatient. Zevara cleared her throat.

“I, uh, if I could lead a training group on the—”

“No, Watch Captain. You’re off the case. Understood?”

He snapped at her, and she almost saluted. He was pressuring her. Some kind of authority Skill? Or just their classes—[Watch Commander] over [Watch Captain]. Her mind said ‘say yes’. But her treacherous mouth said:

“No, sir. This is a critical issue to the city in my opinion. I need to pursue it.”

Uh oh. She saw his face harden when she said that, and she realized that with all his affection and respect for her position and attempts at being reasonable, he was still a Watch Captain from Pallass.

“I’m the Watch Commander of Liscor, Captain Zevara. I gave you a direct order. You don’t have to like it, but it’s done.”

“I…feel the need to disagree, Commander Venim. I think you’re not considering the Antinium angle due to bias.”

His eyes narrowed. She stared over his shoulder. Then he just sat back and exhaled.

“I think this has been a hard day for the both of us, Watch Captain.”

“Probably, sir.”

Her head still felt like it remembered pain, even if she’d been healed. She was exhausted—healing scrolls or not, healing still took a toll. Venim nodded a few times, staring over her shoulder, and they both realized they had the same expression when they were in uncomfortable moments like these. Venim smiled briefly, then nodded.

“Clock out of your work. And take the rest of the week off. Paid leave. Sick leave, rather, since you were hurt.”

She blinked at him. Venim added as he glanced at her claw, still holding the truth stone.

“And turn in your truth stone and your armor to Sergeant Relc.”

“My truth stone—?”

She realized what he was doing, and Venim gave her a level, cool stare.

“We’ll revisit this conversation once we’re level-headed, Watch Captain.”

He was putting her on leave. She couldn’t believe it! It was deft, framing it like sick leave, but she’d pushed the limit, and he was taking her off-duty for a week!

Part of Zevara, the Watch Captain, had to admire the way Venim had defused their argument. The rest of her was hopping mad.

“But I—”

“If whomever Sergeant Relc assigns to the case can’t find answers, then we’ll talk. In a week. We’re doing it my way, Watch Captain. Truth stone, please.”

He didn’t trust her. She hesitated, then placed the truth stone on the desk with a soft click. Zevara stood back and nodded to him.

“Watch Commander, thank you for your time.”

He gave her a pained gaze.

“I am exceptionally glad you weren’t injured in the fighting, Watch Captain.”

She hesitated on the way to the door.

“Thank you, Commander. It was hairy.”

“Yes—I had twenty squads ready to grab you while we released the Brothers. Then you were missing, and we didn’t know where you were and only had their word you were alive. Sergeant Relc was ready to go in himself. The Council almost called Strategos Olesm for some of his people.”

He’d done all that for her? She flushed. Now, she felt like a callous idiot.

“Venim, I only meant—”

Venim waved a claw at her.

“Let’s not be hatchlings about it, Zevara. We’re heated. Next week. Please, get some rest. You look like you’ve been run over—twice.”

And that was that. She left his office, and the [Receptionist] tried to pretend she hadn’t been listening in to the entire thing. Zevara walked back heavily to the Watch House, where everyone began applauding and cheering when she came in.

“Watch Captain, you made—”

When they saw her face, the cheers died down. Zevara glanced at Relc, who hesitated. Clearly a speaking stone had already informed him—

“I’m on sick leave for a week due to my injuries. Sergeant Relc, you’re acting Watch Captain. Take over the Antinium case for me, would you? I’ll have a report for you.”

Zevara took off her armor as the [Guards] murmured. She put it in her locker, then wrote up a report. Handed it to Relc. He gave her an odd gaze.

“Ancestors, Captain. You got punched in the head by Brothers, got run over by a [Lady]…did Venim finish the job?”

“He put me on break, Relc. That’s all.”

She offered him a weary smile, and he looked her over, then patted her on the shoulder.

“Yep, that’d probably kill you. Sorry, Captain Z. I mean, Zevara.”

She wished he wasn’t so right. Zevara mingled in the Watch House for a while, checking on Jerci—who was okay save for some bad bruising on her stomach—discussing the raid and trying not to let them dwell on Ronss’ mistake—and then she saw them all staring at her awkwardly.

In plain clothes. Right. She was…on break.

Zevara put her hands in her pockets and walked home in the rain. She hadn’t been put on break since she was a Senior Guardswoman.

Damn.

She really hated it.

 

——

 

The next day, Zevara woke up feeling stiff, but way too vigorous given all she’d gone through recently.

“Ancestors, the scroll does work.”

She’d half thought it’d wear off in the night, but she almost leapt out of bed and had so much energy she went shopping and filled her pantry. The bicycle helped; she pedaled through the rain and thought about Merchant Yerham.

“He’s part of the thefts. He knows about the scrolls. That’s clear. Cecille Reinhart, Yerham, both approached Crusader Lehrne, who was selling them. And the two Drakes, Moass and Hissl, know too!”

Wait…they knew. Were the Walled Cities catching onto the issue? That explained a lot. Agents paying attention to the inn, and they’d definitely know about the healing scrolls. Venim was sure to file a priority report.

That suggested they’d known earlier…but Robb had insisted the Drakes didn’t buy any scrolls.

Hmm. And Merchant Yerham…she hadn’t gotten enough out of him. There had been that bicycle theft. Did Relc have people looking into Yerham?

Zevara was halfway through making breakfast when she decided that she should check. Not that she was going back to work. She was, uh, just…

 

——

 

…Bringing her patented ‘bread and meat fry’ to the Watch! Zevara strolled into the Watch House, and the Desk Sergeant stared at her.

“Captain, is something wrong?”

“Er, no, no…just bringing some food around. Want some of the old fryup?”

She offered some bread tangled with a bit of ham, which became a new fusion with some oil and eggs scrambled into it. The Gnoll grabbed a piece and took a bite.

“Err, greasy as always, Watch Captain. Thank you.”

“Sergeant Relc around? I mean, acting Watch Captain?”

The Gnoll grinned at her.

“He’s in your office. He keeps coming out because he says he feels like he’s being scolded by your chair.”

Zevara laughed at that. She headed around and surprised guards who were coming off duty or clocking in—they took some food, made small talk with her—and Jerci came out of the kitchens.

“Hey, I’ve got the pot pies finished. Did someone burn some—Watch Captain?”

She had made over six dozen small pot pies and filled them with a Gnollish meat filling. The first one was as good as anything you could get at a restaurant; Zevara tried to hide her scraps behind her as Jerci took a bite.

“Yum. Tastes like my dad used to make, Watch Captain.”

“Er—you cook well, Guardswoman Jerci. They’re putting you on kitchen patrols often, it seems?”

The [Guardswoman] rolled her eyes.

“Yep. Just because no one wants the Antinium to cook. But I swear, Bootstrap can cook better than Sergeant Wodriff.”

The Desk Sergeant barked at Jerci as the others laughed.

“Watch it, Guardswoman Jerci! I can make a mean stew!”

“Yeah, so can Bootstrap. And his is better because he follows the recipe exactly, sergeant!”

Having tasted Wodriff’s cooking, Zevara would take Bootstrap’s offering over that. She might not cook as well as Jerci, but no one avoided her food. Though it did sting when she heard a younger [Guard] lean over and whisper.

“Jerci, I thought your dad was still alive?”

“He is. We just made him stop cooking.”

Gnolls sometimes forgot other people could hear whispers. Zevara cleared her throat as she addressed the room.

“So…any trouble from the Brothers? What about Ronss?”

She asked, and Jerci glanced at the others.

“Ronss is in office. He looks pretty bad, but everyone says he’s checking on those who got busted up. He walked with my squad last night.”

“Good of him. Are you sure you should be on your feet, Jerci?”

“It’s just a bruise, Watch Captain! You saved me from getting stomped by that half-Giant of a Human.”

She saluted Zevara, and the Watch Captain smiled. Another Senior Guard put in.

“The Brothers are quiet. Annoyingly quiet; some came over to ask if everyone was well. Polite bastards. I hear there’s trouble on the streets, though. Someone wants to know who tipped us that bad intel. Watch Captain, I heard half the Corused Steer mysteriously burned last night.”

She winced.

“Knowing Bobble, he’ll have it up and running in a few days. I want a bit of payback for that bad information as well, but I’ll be content to just ruin their business. The other gangs will be more active when we’re recovering. So I want eyes on them—”

She remembered she was on break.

“Er—is what I’d advise. I’m sure Sergeant Relc is taking care of everything.”

They nodded, and as if she’d summoned him, Relc came crashing down the stairs.

“Wodriff, where the hell do you stamp equipment forms—hey, Captain Zevara! What’s going on? Aren’t you on break? Venim’s going to spit fire if he hears you’re here.”

She jumped.

“I’m not doing anything, Relc.”

He gave her an unfamiliar, amused look as he folded his arms.

“Sure, suuure. I’ve got this, Zevara. Don’t you worry—I put people on the Antinium case. They’ve already got results.”

“Th-they have?”

She was dismayed as Relc nodded and turned.

“Jerci, you and Bugeater Squad took a walk around, right? Tell Zevara.”

He’d put Jerci on the case? The [Guardswoman] brightened up.

“Right, that was after Ronss checked on us. We went around and talked to lots of the Antinium who were stolen from, Watch Captain. Bugeater Squad did most of the talking, and then they told the Painted Antinium. Got us a meeting with Prognugator Pawn and everything.”

“You—you told Pawn?”

Zevara shot Relc a worried eye, but she realized Relc hadn’t had her conversation with Noiraid. The [Watch Sergeant] nodded happily.

“The Painted Antinium didn’t even know it was a big problem. They’d heard of a few thefts, but not among their own that much. Pawn said he’d re-issue all of them with whatever they lost, then taught the Antinium to call the Watch, not leave it till later. And guess what I found?”

He brandished something at her. It was a stack of reports.

“Senior Guardsman Lens’ reports. Seems like he really did get all the stuff back for the poor Antinium. Over sixty missing items cases—fixed.”

“He did? Then the ones I interviewed…”

“Probably the ones who aren’t gonna get their stuff back, but I reckon we sorted a lot of that, Captain Zevara. I think that covers the problem—we still don’t know much about the thieves, but I hear there’s a bit of a buzz about the scrolls.”

Relc tapped one earhole meaningfully. Zevara focused on that.

“Wait, news is spreading?”

“Sure is. Well, Valley told me that. She can, uh, read high-level [Messages] apparently. Seems like Pawn realized how valuable his scroll-things were, so he decided to offer them for sale. But the Walled Cities told him to eat his tail. Well, they told Venim that—you know how they are with Antinium.”

He grimaced, and Zevara shook her head. The anti-Antinium bias was way too strong.

“Those’re healing items! We need some for the Watch, Relc!”

He grinned at her.

“Don’t worry, I sent a note to Pawn with Jerci asking if he’d sell some to us. See? Black market dies down, Antinium get most of their stuff back, problem solved. We couldn’t have done it without you!”

Relc was trying to be congratulatory, and she knew this was, in fact, fine work from him. From [Watch Sergeant] Relc? She’d have given the old Relc a medal for this much forward thinking and tact. And yet…

“So you didn’t get more about the thieves, Jerci?”

She turned to the Gnoll, who scratched one ear and called someone over.

“Not really. Bootstrap, it was mostly the same as in your report, right?”

“Yes, Off-Duty Captain Zevara. The stolen-from Antinium reported a man in [Merchant] clothing matching the description of Merchant Yerham or a woman with a patterned red-and-black scarf much like rosewood. The Antinium are very embarrassed—they did not know that their items were being recovered, and they were ashamed to tell Pawn.”

Zevara’s heart sank. Nothing more than what she’d gotten. She thanked Bootstrap, who saluted her, and turned away.

“Well, uh, I guess that’s that. There was no problem on your patrols, then? Good work, you two.”

Jerci beamed, and Bootstrap saluted again.

“No trouble, aside from one attack by an Aberration, Watch Captain. However, the Painted Antinium took custody of him.”

She paused. Zevara’s head swivelled.

“An Aberration?”

The Watch muttered, and Relc lost his smile. Jerci nodded, puffing out her chest.

“Oh, yeah, he just came at us while Bootstrap and the others were questioning him. He was screaming about a doll or something—we got him down, and then the Painted Antinium took him away.”

“They didn’t kill him?”

Relc had a troubled expression on his face, and Jerci shook her head.

“Nah, they said that Pawn was going to pray for him. I didn’t know you could do that. I guess the Painted Antinium really are different. Poor Worker, really. A lot of the others seemed super upset too. All the ones on our report didn’t get their stuff back.”

The Watch concurred, murmuring amongst themselves.

“It happens. Who steals from Workers?”

“Well, they didn’t have anything to steal…guess they’re now going to be reporting crimes. Hey, Captain, are you going to hang around here all day? You’re looking peaky, even if you did get healed.”

Zevara was? She looked around for a mirror, then remembered there was one in the bathrooms for the Watch. When she walked in, Zevara halted and just stood there.

An off-kilter, blue-scaled Drake blinked back at Zevara inside the bathroom, one without armor, purpose, or the strength of law on her side. Zevara saw her reflection in a mirror, and she realized Relc was right. She was pale. Off. Bad. Suddenly, she smelled something rank, despite Jerci’s fresh pot pies.

That stink in the air. Grime under her claws. She glanced at Relc and saw he was trudging back upstairs, getting back to work. He didn’t see it. He hadn’t talked to Laikos or Noiraid—or maybe he was just too busy seeing the big picture.

But she didn’t think this case was closed all of a sudden. Zevara clenched her fist. Laikos! Noiraid—!

I need to get back on this. Now. She could just hear Venim telling her that the matter was resolved gracefully with Relc’s presence, but she needed to know more. Pawn. Yerham—wait a second, Bootstrap had just confirmed that Lady Cecille and Yerham were subjects of interest again! Thieves? But she’d passed the truth stone—

Damn the truth stone. It wasn’t useful in this case. Zevara used it all the time now, but she remembered a time when she hadn’t had one. Back before every Senior Guard was issued one—you had to trust other Skills or just your gut and evidence.

[Guardswoman]. [Watch Captain]. Her classes were writhing at her, now. Both of them said injustice was being done, that there was something missing. That someone was laughing at them while the wool was being pulled over their eyes.

She hated that. But the [Watch Captain] had been put on break! Her claws were tied. She had orders, and the Watch had to have orders. Venim was her superior…

Zevara wanted to punch one of the armor lockers. She stared at her own locker on the far end with her gear in it. Without it, she was nothing.

“With it, you’re still nothing. A failure of a [Watch Captain].”

A Drake stared back through the mirror at Zevara. Not the tired, uncertain, off-duty Drake woman, but someone who was even filthier. Footsore and tired, up against impossible odds.

The [Guardswoman] spoke, her voice growling.

“Attacking the Brothers was always a mistake. The Watch doesn’t pick stupid fights. No matter how hard it gets, it only takes one bad scrap and there’s blood on the streets. You almost got them all killed.”

Zevara blinked. Without even a change, she found herself gazing at a coughing Drake wiping smoke from her mouth. She stood taller than the [Guardswoman]’s slouch, but she was weighed down by duties. Responsibilities. Red tape.

“They broke the law. The Watch Commander gave me orders.”

The Senior Guardswoman sneered back.

“Orders. You ignore those when you have to and pretend you did your best. Nothing on the street fits the box you want the law to go into. Orders didn’t get us out of the Brothers’ den. It was a mistake to go after them.”

The Watch Captain hung her head for a moment before meeting her counterpart’s eyes.

“Yes. It was. I should have pulled Ronss back, rank or not. But that doesn’t mean I’ve been doing it right in the investigation, either. Look at you! You’re just running around, reacting to problems. No plan, just harassing a list of suspects. Lady Cecille is completely innocent, and so is Merchant Yerham. We don’t have anything on them, and Venim can see that!”

She jabbed a claw at the mirror, and the [Guardswoman] recoiled. Zevara growled back, defensive.

“I’m working with almost no evidence and only a single partner, if that! You know how the job is! I’m not some Level 50 [Investigator] who can pull the answer out of a Skill! I have to pressure them!”

The Watch Captain folded her arms, disgusted.

“You are a Senior Guardswoman. How is twisting Merchant Yerham’s arm in the guild in any way acceptable? I’ll have your badge.”

“Hah! Venim has your badge! You and I both saw Yerham’s face. He’s guilty.”

“You can’t run your investigation off that.”

“It’s called instincts. I know you have them.”

“We represent the law in this city, and part of that is being trusted!”

“Then why didn’t Relc stop us? He saw the same thing we did!”

The sounds of the Watch House were muffled as the two argued, nose-to-nose against the mirror. Someone rapped on the stall door.

“Occupied!”

Both shouted, and the surprised [Guard] retreated. The Senior Guardswoman lowered her voice, mindful of the noise they were making. She snorted a spark out of one nostril and cursed.

“Damn, that smarts. Look at us. We’re nothing without the armor and the badge. My way isn’t wrong.”

The [Watch Captain] opened her mouth, and Senior Guardswoman Zevara lifted a claw.

“I am not wrong. Remember the kid who stole the bike? Did you see me haul him off to the Watch House for a night behind bars? I didn’t. I could have, and I didn’t.”

“He was a [Thief]. He stole, and he’ll do it again. Liscor has a program for children like him. You should have hauled him in.”

That made the Senior Guardswoman uncomfortable, so she turned away from the mirror.

“We…grew up like that. We turned out okay. He was small fry, anyways. Look, I know the difference between a big crime and a small one! I ran down that damn [Thief] who went after the bike in the Merchant’s Guild because it was different. Adjust to the crime. Merchant Yerham knew something, and he has the weight of the Merchant’s Guild behind him. I had to push. Same with Lady Cecille.”

This time, the Senior Guardswoman waved a finger before her counterpart could get a word in edgewise.

“Don’t say a word. You saw it. She did ‘nothing’ wrong. But remember how we found her? She was barging into Honored Deskie’s workshop. Let’s say we weren’t there. Do you think her bullyboys and that [Driver] wouldn’t have harassed the Gnolls there? Maybe they make a few threats. Maybe Deskie calls for the Watch, but I bet she’s smart enough not to make an issue about it. The [Lady] gets her way, and no one’s ever filed a complaint with the Watch. Nothing for you to dirty your tail over, Watch Captain. This is what I think of that.”

Zevara spat into the porcelain basin and wiped her mouth. The [Guardswoman] exhaled.

“The law must be nuanced. It has to hold power to account—more than those without. Everyone tries to dodge the law, but some can dance with money and Skills. And they’re doing it now. You have to put me back on the case.”

The Watch Captain knew she was right and hung her head.

“I don’t know how. Venim—damn him, he’s in his rights to take me off duty. This is too personal. I’m going crazy.”

The Senior Guardswoman barked back.

“Nonsense! No one cares about the Antinium enough. No one sees the picture, even other Antinium. That’s why it matters. It has to be us. This isn’t some great, big crime sweeping Liscor. It involves powerful people, but it’s always been about those without a voice. Antinium Workers. If the Watch isn’t there for them, then who should it be there for? The Jeweler’s Guild?”

She injected all the scorn into the world in her voice. Watch Captain Zevara stood there, shaking her head.

“The Watch is there for everyone, Guardswoman Sunderscale. It’s just…”

She paused, and the other Drake waited, eyes bright. The Watch Captain slowly tightened her claws on the sink basin. She tried to articulate what was boiling at her, and then she had it.

“It’s not about who has more power, who’s richer, or needs more protection, Guardswoman. This isn’t just a theft. It’s killing Antinium. Carpenter Laikos has been declared an Aberration. The Brothers pulled a non-violent heist. This is a homicide. A slow one, but if you take away Oldbreath Cough tonics from someone with excessive Dragonbreath buildup in their lungs, they die. And Laikos won’t be the last one.”

It clicked, and both Drakes stared at each other. The Watch Captain straightened and felt at her clothing.

“You need a badge.”

“And armor. At least, I need help.”

They nodded at each other, suddenly resolved. Zevara exhaled. It had been a while since she’d had a heart-to-heart with herself. She nodded, reached out, and shook hands.

“Ow.”

She’d punched the mirror by mistake.

 

——

 

A few [Guards] were eying one of the bathroom stalls when the door finally opened. One of the Gnolls was whispering.

“I swear, there are two women in there. They keep shouting at each—huh?”

When the door opened, they saw Zevara in plain clothes coming out, flicking water from her claws. The other [Guards] eyed the Gnoll [Guardsman]. He hesitated.

“I swear, I heard two voices shouting at me! Uh—”

Zevara gave him a friendly nod, oblivious, and strolled into the Watch House. There she stood and folded her arms, observing. Thinking.

The course was clear, but the path was still shrouded in darkness. Time for solutions.

This break Venim had put on her wasn’t the worst punishment ever, in hindsight. Zevara could go out and make inquiries on her own. Why not? She was off-duty…but she wanted to talk to Yerham and other people. She might get to Pawn, but never Yerham as a private individual…!

Her frustration was her lack of rank. If she could only go out there as an officer, not some random Drake! However, the odds of snatching her gear out of her locker, with everyone here, were zero. Even Gireulashia, that giant Gnoll who could move like a breeze, couldn’t evade that many eyes. Venim would have to discipline her for that.

Hm. Zevara’s head tilted as she heard Relc shouting from the 2nd Floor, asking if anyone knew where they kept seals for Street Runners. She thought of the Drake who also had two classes from his time as a [Soldier] and as a [Guardsman]…

An idea pinged Zevara’s mind. Slowly, she uncrossed her arms and looked around the Watch House, carefully. Several [Guards] were eying her, gossiping about how she’d been put on leave. But they were sympathetic, not watching her. So, Zevara sauntered over to the desk and called up at Relc.

“Hey, Relc. I’m heading out. You’ve got this well in hand; I shouldn’t have nosed about. Good…job. Ancestors, why does that feel wrong to say?”

He grinned at her, trying not to seem proud.

“It’s weird for me too, Captain. If Klbkch could see me now…I miss that bugger. You know, I have a Watch report for his arrest? For kidnapping a [Prostitute].”

Sergeant Wodriff spat his coffee onto his desk, and every [Guard] in sight focused on him with a thousand questions. Zevara just grinned at Relc and suppressed her own mad questions. Focus.

“I’ll, uh, ask about that later or Venim will kill me. Question—all our old stuff’s in the storerooms here, right? The new Watch Houses have all the new gear.”

“Yep. Snazzy new armor, the latest stuff, some of it from Dwarfhalls Rest or Pelt’s smithies—why?”

“I think I left some of my stuff in the back. I never claimed it because I’m always working—mind if I grab it?”

“Sure. Who’s got a key to the storerooms?”

Relc cast around, and Wodriff tossed a key at Zevara. She caught it, thanked him, and unlocked the musty back rooms where old gear, broken items in need of refurbishment, and so on were kept. She came out less than ten minutes later, flipped the keys to Wodriff, and waved.

Ordinary Citizen Zevara walked onto the streets, adjusting her bag of holding on her belt. She inhaled, exhaled, then coughed.

“Damn dust.”

She decided she’d go to the bath house next.

 

——

 

The bath houses of Liscor were big, had private bathing areas, hot and cold areas—and offered more than just bathing. You could get laundry done here for a small fee; with all this hot water and soap, it just made sense.

Zevara paid a few coppers for her own stall and a bit of soap and stepped into it. She cleaned up a bit—then dumped some absolutely grey water into a sluice. She did that a few more times, then walked over to where heating runes would dry you off. After standing there a few minutes, she smoothed her neck spines and checked her face.

She was rather…familiar bare-headed. But if you put on a Drake’s helmet, the cap of leather with a gap on the back so your neck spines nestled amidst the leather hood—why, then she looked like any other [Guardswoman] Drake with blue scales.

Assuming, of course, she had armor on. But that would be ridiculous! Her Watch Captain’s gear was right in the locker in the Watch House where she’d left it. And it would be a crime to steal Watch armor. She didn’t commit crimes.

On the other hand, if you went in the back of the Watch House, you might well find some old, battered armor that hadn’t been repaired and re-issued to new [Guards]. More importantly, a Watch badge. One that belonged to her, so she could take it.

Senior Guardswoman Zevara was written on the gold-plated badge that she polished on her worn armor. It still fit, and even if she was slightly damp, the [Guardswoman] looked the part.

The bathing house attendants barely glanced twice at her except to nod at a [Guard] on patrol as Zevara stepped out of the bath house, adjusting her uniform. She told herself that it wasn’t going behind Venim’s back.

He’d just…not realized that she had two classes. He could bench the [Watch Captain], but the [Senior Guardswoman] had a case.

“This time, we’re going to do it like the old days.”

Zevara didn’t have her sword; she swung a worn baton around on a leather strap as she strolled down the street. Following her instincts.

Something was wrong in Liscor, and she wanted answers. However, a good [Guardswoman] needed backup. In lieu of official support, she went searching for the next best thing.

 

——

 

“Zevara, are you alright?”

Lyonette du Marquin eyed Zevara in her scruffier armor when the Drake came to call at the inn. It was chaotic as ever; there were a lot of undead around, and Zevara really wanted to know why a pale-faced man was being bandaged up by Colfa.

“Never better, Lyonette. I’m actually on a…private investigation. Hence the armor.”

“You, a private investigation? Does the Watch Commander know you’re doing this?”

“He’s aware of my status.”

Zevara avoided Lyonette’s eyes, and the [Princess] narrowed them. Zevara coughed a few times.

“I, uh—is everything well with that fellow? I was wondering if you had time to go for a walk with me.”

Lyonette was one of her only friends. The [Princess]’ eyes lit up, but then her face clouded.

“I wish I could, but the, ah, situation is a bit fraught right now, Zevara. You see, Vaulont there, had a run-in with, um—remember Tessa?”

“Shriekblade?”

Zevara saw Vaulont pulling at a big gash on his cheek. Lyonette’s nod said a lot. Zevara wilted.

“Oh. Well, if you’re busy…is there anyone else free?”

She cast about, and Lyonette’s head snapped around.

“Not Mrsha. Absolutely not her!”

“Mrsha? Why would I take a child on an investigation?”

Lyonette was half on her feet before she relaxed, put a hand over her heart, and breathed.

“What—of course you wouldn’t. Not you, Zevara. I’m sorry. Mrsha’s at school anyways. I just—had an image of Senior Guard Mrsha arresting Lism for some reason.”

Zevara almost laughed at that. Someone else raised her hand.

“Well, if she needs a sharp mind, I can—”

Ser Dalimont grabbed Nanette and jogged out of the room with her under one arm as she kicked and shouted. Children weren’t exactly on Zevara’s Top 10 list…or any list, actually. She frowned, then had a thought.

“I know. Is Bird here?”

“Bird?”

 

——

 

Bird was in her tower, shooting at fish with Elia Arcsinger. Both stopped and turned when Zevara knocked on the door—because it said to, and also not to come in unless Bird was present.

“Watch Captain? I did not do it!”

“I…didn’t say you did anything.”

“Oh. Well, what am I doing if not the thing I did not do?”

The [Queen] relaxed. Zevara glanced around.

“I was actually wondering if you knew where, uh, Noiraid was?”

“Noiraid? Oh…no.”

The Drake waited for more, but Bird just strung an arrow.

“You don’t have a way to contact her?”

Her? Elia’s ears perked up, but Bird just shrugged.

“I am not like Pawn, Watch Captain. I let Noiraid do whatever Noiraid does. Which I am not very clear on, but she says she is happy, and that is that.”

“You have no idea what she does?”

Zevara was utterly skeptical of this, but Bird shot her a look out of one emerald eye.

“It seems to me that knowing what she does means I get in trouble with people like you, Watch Captain. Noiraid comes by on the weekends to watch movies in the theatre. She likes the smoky-ones. Kevin’s laptop has better taste than Erin’s brain. Now, if you will excuse me, I am pretending I am busy so you leave me alone.”

“Er…you wouldn’t happen to want to join my investigation?”

“No.”

“You don’t even know what—”

“Lalala, I am shooting fish. For a cooking dish. If I sing loudly enough, maybe Zevara will leave me alone. She and I are not buds, because I think she is a…hm. That’s too harsh, actually.”

Zevara sighed. It occurred to her now she had missed out on possible backup by not cultivating strong ties to The Wandering Inn. She was trooping downstairs and wondering if she could get someone else she sort of liked. Who was she on good terms with?

…Liska? Zevara was walking down the second floor when the door opened and someone stepped out.

“Dude, soccer isn’t that fun.”

“Football. And that’s my entire job, man. Don’t make me kick you. I don’t want to kick a guy I cried over.”

Joseph and that familiar young man…Randy emerged from a room. Randy froze when he saw Zevara, and she blinked at him.

That’s Kevin’s old room—

He leapt inside so fast Joseph was left standing there. He saw her and started.

“Oh—Watch Captain! Hey! Hey—how’s it going?”

“Joseph. Who’s your friend?”

“Who, K—Randy? He’s shy. Unless this is a really good time to say hi?”

Joseph glanced at the door, but Zevara put up a hand.

“I’m actually in a bit of a hurry, Joseph, apologies. I’ll meet your friend later. Randy?”

“Uh, yes. Hi, Watch Captain! Great to meet you.”

A wobbly voice came from inside the room, and Zevara raised her brows. She leaned over to Joseph as the [Football Coach] hesitated, then trotted with her.

“He’s really shy—”

“Tell me if it matters, Joseph. I’m used to secrets. Just—please tell me this is one of those Human names that doesn’t mean what I think it does and not a nickname? Like Noass for Drakes?”

Joseph stared at Zevara open-mouthed and then peeked back at the room. It took him longer than she liked to realize that she was joking. Then she heard a strangled noise from inside the rooms. It sounded like someone trying to stifle laughter. Then a brief sob—and a gale of amusement.

Familiar, infectious laughter. Zevara’s steps slowed, and she felt her scales prickling. She turned her head.

It was like a memory coming to life. An impossible sound—a familiar voice. And the head of sandy hair…no, black…?

Like a friend you had said goodbye to forever that appeared in your head when you least expected them. A memory, fading with years, that every now and then grew vibrant and cut you again.

Only it wasn’t…a memory. There were tears in his eyes, and he was sagging against the doorknob. He wore a shirt with Solar Cycles emblazoned on it, and his eyes were filled with pain and guilt, and he appeared older.

The Watch Captain halted. She forgot her case. She forgot her weariness, for a moment, and forgot that the ashen wheel turned and there were no miracles.

No.

Perhaps.

In this inn…? Her heart began to constrict, and she remembered why she avoided this place. Feared it. Even her.

“Kevin…?”

He raised his head and regarded her, and the [Mechanic] closed his eyes, then opened the door.

“Hey, Captain Z. I didn’t run over your tail this time. Do you like my bicycle after all? I’m…back.”

He spread his arms guiltily.

“Sorry I didn’t say anything earlier. I’m supposed to be dead to the world.”

She just stood there as Joseph caught his breath. The Watch Captain turned back around and looked Kevin up and down. She hesitated—then her voice croaked as smoke trailed from between her teeth.

“Did we bury a fake? Was it so Roshal didn’t—?”

Her head swung to a window, where a hill sat in the rains. Kevin shook his head, wordless, and he was beginning to tear up again.

“Damn [Onion Ninjas]. All I do is fucking cry…no, it was real. It’s just—the same reason you had Goblin Kings running around. This inn. Just this inn, Zevara. And a miracle.”

He spread his arms, almost as if he wanted her to be angry. The Watch Captain said nothing at first, but her mind wondered what an [Onion Ninja] was. Then…she raised her hand and saluted him.

“Welcome back, Kevin Hall. Watch my tail this time, will you?”

She averted her gaze and brushed at her eyes with her free hand. She got no further, because he rushed her in a hug. Zevara gasped as she felt real arms throw themselves around her.

I’m supposed to be at work. I can’t cry. Just—just—

She patted him on the back and almost broke. Almost—but Joseph’s muffled sob made her and Kevin glance over. The [Football Coach] blew his nose on his shirt.

“Fuck me, Kevin!”

“Dude, privacy.”

Zevara began laughing. Despite herself, she couldn’t help it. On her darkest days, when her city seemed the grittiest—she would never admit it to the [Innkeeper], but she was glad to have that inn there.

Proof of miracles.

 

——

 

It took Zevara a while to process this unexpected moment. But she had time; Kevin walked with her back to Liscor, and Joseph tagged along. He bounced a ball on one foot, and she and Kevin talked.

“So you’re hiding your identity because you’re worried Roshal will finish the job?”

Kevin was dry-eyed, but sniffing.

“Mostly, yeah. I’ve been telling everyone I know. Listen, you can’t report this or anything, okay?”

He gave her a serious look, and she frowned, slightly hurt.

“I wouldn’t put you in danger.”

“Right, but I just mean, you’re sort of the law and…”

“I know when to bend it.”

Joseph and Kevin exchanged a skeptical gaze, and Zevara frowned.

“I do! I’m not even supposed to be on duty, but I’m doing it.”

Kevin blinked.

“Wait, wait? You’re…what’s going on?”

Nothing would do but for her to explain what she was doing. Zevara grew embarrassed as she told him she’d snuck her uniform out, but Kevin wore an expression of increasing delight.

“Dude! You’re doing the undercover cop schtick? You’re going rogue? Where was this Zevara last year?”

“I’m not going rogue. I’m just…”

Too late. Joseph and Kevin wore such looks of delight that she knew she was playing into some kind of Earther-notion of theirs. Zevara stomped on, grumbling.

“This is why I can’t talk with you people. I’m getting back to work. I’ll check on you later, but I have a job to do.”

“Nonono, you have to take us as backup! Joseph, dude, are you free?”

“I’m so free to bust some heads on the mean streets.”

The Watch Captain thought that the mean streets would chew these two young men up without even pausing to pick their teeth. However…you had to have backup.

“Tell me you have some combat classes?”

“Well, I’m building a weapon, and Joseph has his soccer ball. Ever been brained by one of those?”

“Football.”

The Spaniard corrected Kevin, and Zevara halted them.

“I’ll take you on my first errand. But not anywhere dangerous. I need people checking my work—that’s the only reason I’m willing to take you along. And the fact that you were dead.”

She poked Kevin lightly, still amazed he was real. Zevara glared at them.

“But if there’s trouble, you run and call the Watch, got it? I was run over yesterday as part of my investigation.”

“Dude, what? How are you alive? Healing potion?”

“Magic scroll, actually. Which is what I’m looking into now. There are these scrolls—”

She led them to the Antinium Hive entrance as she explained this incredible discovery and realized that her unlikely backup was, in fact, useful. Because all Kevin said was—

“Oh shit, they’ve got healing scrolls now? Faith classes are so fucking broken, Joseph.”

“Kevin, I saw the Prophet. I know.”

She squinted at them.

“Wait, so you know what this stuff is?”

“Different world. Wait, do you know that?”

She grunted as part of her head exploded and tried to act natural.

“Well, who doesn’t? I saw the, uh, Grand Rapids place where Erin was, too.”

I just didn’t think it was—could she talk to someone about this? Was there an inn support group? There had to be. Kevin nodded casually and nudged Joseph.

“Right. Told you she was as smart as Grimalkin, Joseph. Anyways, it’s a trope in video games. [Priests] are great healers. So there’s a black market for healing items, and the Antinium are, like, the poor guys getting stolen from, and you’re the undercover cop going rogue to solve the case?”

She eyed him.

“I feel like you’re making fun of me.”

“No, no, this is really cool! Please take us with you. I’ve been bored between crying my eyes out, and this is big. Where are we going?”

“For a meeting with Prognugator Pawn. The Watch talked to him, but I need more details. And…there’s an Antinium I need to interview again. A [Carpenter] who went Aberration.”

“Oh shit. Well, let’s go.”

 

——

 

Entering the Free Hive scared the hell out of Zevara, actually. She didn’t know how Lyonette did it so casually, but she was able to ask an Antinium entering the Hive to relay a message for her. Then she and Kevin waited as the rain poured down.

Joseph vanished for a bit; he kicked a ball, and a dozen children wanted to show him their moves. She had to admit, watching him scrimmage in the street, that he was pretty good with his feet.

Kevin seemed to be thinking hard, muttering under his breath as they waited. She hoped he was taking this seriously. When a Painted Worker came to lead them to a meeting with Pawn, they descended into the dark, claustrophobic tunnels.

It made Zevara shiver, and when they ran into the huge thoroughfare with countless Antinium moving in sync, she froze in terror.

She couldn’t help it. She had survived the 1st Antinium Wars. She might have panicked except that at that moment, Kevin decided to speak. His voice filled the huge cavernous space despite the rhythmic footsteps, the hypnotic identical patterns of sound—or perhaps that was because every Antinium froze when they heard a voice.

“We descended into the Hive searching for answers, the three of us. It was pitch dark down there, darker than the bottom of a toilet bowl at midnight when you’re trying to piss and not miss the rim. The Antinium, now, we needed answers from them. The easy way or the hard way. The only question is whether we’d understand the answers we got.”

“…Kevin, what are you doing?”

Zevara hissed at him, and Joseph punched his shoulders.

“Dude, is that the thing?”

“Yep. C’mon, Zevara, I have to do this. The Watch Captain gave me a look like she wanted to peel the skin off my bones, but then, I heard she’d killed a monster who did that. She was breathing smoke as she stomped past the Antinium. All of them, moving identically, in their Hive, and here we were, sticking out like ticks on a Unicorn’s ass.”

She tried to ignore him. Remember he had just died, Zevara, remember he had just died and don’t smack the back of his head. The worst part was that it was probably helping; the Antinium moved away from them, and she distinctly got the impression they were listening to Kevin.

Everyone liked Kevin. That was part of why she hadn’t turned him down; someone had to be charming. She didn’t do charming. And he certainly threw people off.

Even Pawn.

 

——

 

“You wouldn’t know it to look at him in his meek white robes, always smiling and carrying around that censer smelling like cinnamon and goodness, but this [Priest] was the most dangerous guy in the Hive. Maybe even he didn’t know it yet—but trust me, I’ve seen hard customers, and this guy could hold a door open to hell itself. Right now, he was playing nice, but once the Watch Captain put the questions to him, who knows how bad it could get?”

“Um. Hello, Kevin. Watch Captain, this is unexpected. Why is he talking like that?”

Pawn eyed Kevin, who it seemed had already re-introduced himself to the Antinium, and Zevara pushed Kevin aside.

“I’m following up on the Watch investigation, er, on my own time, Pawn. Can I ask you a few questions about those scrolls? And there was a Worker turned Aberration. Carpenter Laikos, I think? I’d like to talk to him.”

Pawn’s expression cleared, then he drooped.

“Ah, yes. Laikos. I have prayed for him, but my [Benediction of Hope] did not work. It does not always…I hope he will come around in the next few days. If not…”

Zevara’s stomach twisted up, and Kevin stopped his weird monologue to eye her. She nodded to Pawn.

“First things first. You’ve been told about the scrolls?”

He smiled at her.

“I was aware of the scrolls for a while, Watch Captain. Who do you think gave them to Workers and Crusaders? I did not know they were being stolen, though. It is most distressing.”

“So you know…can I ask how you discovered them?”

For answer, Pawn beckoned the Antinium over that Zevara had met at the inn. Holytext.

“It began when we were transcribing the Book of the Sky. Some pages, especially when written with…fervor, would transform. Become magical. When anyone read them, they would activate. Sometimes healing, but other times other effects. It depends on the intention.”

“Intention. So you can make more?”

“Oh, yes. Only a couple per day for most Antinium. Even Holytext does not have the ability to make more than three on a good day, and most are not as powerful as a strong healing potion. But I can make texts of appropriate strength to my Miracle.”

She wrote fast, taking notes.

“Which one would that be?”

“[Cure Mundane Wounds]. I rather think it was used on you recently, Watch Captain. You have traces of faith about you. I apologize. It is not like magic, but I can see things I had not before.”

“Dude, Pawn, you can make healing items, and you’re just giving them away to Workers?”

Joseph was aghast as he broke in. Pawn blinked at him.

“Why should I not, Joseph? Those are the ones who need healing the most. They could never afford healing potions—and with the shortage, it makes sense to give ordinary Workers and Soldiers what we make, does it not?”

“Well, yeah, but it’s worth a ton. Healing potions are so insanely expensive I can’t even get them for my football teams. Do you know what they’d pay for this?”

Pawn shook his head.

“I had not thought of it, Joseph, until I was told by Guardswoman Jerci of the issue. Now I see I have put Workers in trouble. These thefts…they were afraid to tell me of them, Watch Captain. Do you know how many thefts were reported?”

“I have several dozen cases I investigated personally.”

Pawn’s mandibles closed, and Zevara looked up.

“Not accurate?”

“After being informed of Guardswoman Jerci’s case, I asked my people to investigate the matter ourselves. We have counted 471 cases already.”

Her eyes widened.

“Impossible. I had numbers that were high, but—”

“It seems Antinium do not speak when they suffer. I had hoped the Watch was looking into the matter.”

“We have—and are. I know over sixty cases were solved by Guardsman Lens. He returned items back to the Workers who were stolen from.”

At this, Prognugator Pawn tilted his head.

“He…did? I have not heard of any items being returned. In fact, all the Antinium who were stolen from report a mixture of items being taken, not just healing scrolls.”

That wasn’t right. Here, Zevara floundered.

“No, I saw the report—”

“Perhaps there are even more Antinium who did not come forwards because the matter was resolved.”

Pawn’s voice was doubtful, and Zevara nodded. Kevin stopped doing his annoying monologue and jumped in.

“Question, guys. Why steal stuff that isn’t the scroll?”

That was easy. Zevara nodded at him.

“No one understands what the Antinium are doing, Kevin. Apparently, other objects can manifest this faith effect? A [Thief] would steal anything Antinium carried, assuming or hoping it was…infused with faith?”

The Prognugator nodded, clasping his hands together.

“This is so, though it is rather obvious. An object imbued with faith glows, is warmer than normal, or has other properties that make it easy to tell apart. I suppose those not used to us could be mistaken.”

Zevara thought back to Lady Cecille and nodded slowly. She seemed to be able to tell what the faith items were on sight. So unfamiliar [Thieves]…

“Do you have any objects I can see for reference, Pawn? Ones that aren’t one-use scrolls?”

He blinked.

“Of course. In fact, I have the strongest items with me. Master Pelt furnished me with this, but it is, um…slightly inconvenient. I had asked him to reforge items of religious value, you see, and he managed the task, but not as I had anticipated.”

He brought something out and handed it to Zevara—but opened his hand in the air. She reached out to catch it, but instead, stopped.

“Whoa. Dude.”

A beautiful, brass censer, little holes trailing incense lit by a glowing ember inside, was floating in the air. Pawn took hold of it, and it drifted after him, utterly weightless. He poked at it.

“He took the objects and rendered them into raw material which he used to smith these objects. He claims it is not very ‘pure’ metal and wished to destroy it, but I objected. This censer is the most holy object in the Hive.”

“I see. Wait…did you just say holy or…?”

Pawn smiled at Zevara. He flicked the censer through the air, and it left a trail of smoke which traced over Antinium, who gazed up and raised their hands as if the trail of incense was a blessing.

Which it turned out to be. Zevara felt an odd tingling, and Pawn explained.

“Those who breathe in the holy incense move faster, work harder, and so on. Depending on the incense. Cinnamon is strength. Mint is speed. It is a very confusing item, but one I think Erin would approve of. Faith takes many forms.”

“So you believe so hard in things that they become powerful? That’s not fair.”

Joseph muttered wistfully, and Pawn quirked an antenna at him.

“Coach Joseph, you are the world’s most famous [Football Coach] because people believe in you. Wealth and fame because of belief. Is what we do so different?”

“I can’t put my hands on someone and heal them, so yeah.”

“Hmm. A fair point. But [Mages] can blow things up with a word.”

“Also fair. Got me there.”

Pawn put out his hand, and Joseph shook it. They focused back on Zevara, and she exhaled.

“Well, no regular Worker has something that powerful, Pawn. This is clearly the work of individuals who want your items. Now that the Antinium have something of value, a black market has sprung up. May I ask what you intend to do?”

He nodded.

“Naturally, I consulted with the Free Queen on the matter, and she agreed: we shall sell the items, of course. At reasonable—very high—market values. It will allow us to give our Antinium more money. That will cut down on this…illicit selling. I will still give the healing items to Antinium, to Liscor’s army, and even the Watch. And the inn. Yes, Lyonette will like that. But I will not sell them to our enemies like damned Hectval or anyone else.”

She blinked.

“That’s generous of you.”

“All those who are our friends should be healed.”

“And your enemies, Pawn?”

Kevin asked, and the Worker smiled, but not in a nice way.

“They may eat cake laced with laxatives. Or burn.”

For some reason, Kevin and Joseph shuddered at what Zevara took to be a mild threat. And she nodded at Pawn, but bit her tongue.

“I think Watch Commander Venim will be delighted by your proposal, Pawn, as will the Council. May I speak to Carpenter Laikos?”

“Of course—he is in a holding area for his and our safety. One moment while I find out where.”

Pawn walked away, and Kevin leaned over with Joseph.

“What’s with the grimace, Captain Z?”

“Don’t call me that. It’s nothing. Pawn’s doing the right, sensible thing. I was just thinking…it’s not going to cut down on the black market.”

“Why not? He sells it to our allies, everyone lines up to buy it, problem solved.”

Joseph didn’t get it, but Zevara shook her head, and so did Kevin. She eyed him, and he explained.

“Think on it, Joseph. It’s like decriminalizing weed. People still go to their local dealers instead of a dispensary. Why’s that?”

“Kevin…I lived in Spain. We don’t have legal weed, only seeds and stuff. I don’t know why your stupid American stuff happens.”

“Oh. Right. If Pawn has super high prices on the scrolls, sure, people will buy them. But a lot will want to get them cheaper. And who’s got scrolls?”

Joseph cast around.

“His Workers. But they won’t sell them, right? They’re Antinium.”

Zevara thought of Noiraid.

“Some will. Antinium are developing vices and wants. If one sells a scroll for a fraction of its value, they get a lot of gold in their pockets. Less than it’s worth, but far more than, what, a few coppers a week?”

“Ah.”

Joseph let out a breath of pure understanding, and the two Humans and Drake regarded each other, each one creatures of vice. But Pawn was a largely incorruptible Antinium of faith. Joseph bounced his ball on one foot.

“Should we tell him?”

“…I think it wouldn’t help. He’s doing what I’d do. There will always be lawbreakers. Just fewer. My main concern is the thefts themselves. He said hundreds of Antinium—and not one remembers Senior Guardsman Lens?”

“I smell a rat. Think your Senior Guardsman’s corrupt?”

Zevara gave Kevin an outraged eye, and he raised his hand defensively.

“You’ve gotta consider it, Captain Zevara. It’s the first thing that happens in cases like this. Police on the take, corrupt officials, dark nights, smoking hot dames coming into your office…”

“This isn’t whatever you’re referencing.”

“Aw, so no hot women?”

Zevara tightened her lips into a grim smile.

“I’ll introduce you to Noiraid. She’s smoking.”

“Sweet. Wait, fuck, she’s an Antinium, isn’t she? Does she look like Bird?”

“Dude, didn’t you date Ceria? Because I’ll hit you with my football no matter what you say.”

 

——

 

Zevara was spared from watching Joseph bouncing his football off the back of Kevin’s head when Pawn returned and led her to Laikos. The Antinium was chained up in a dirt room with a door on it, barely more than a hole in the ground. But it had a door—which was rare in the Hive.

He didn’t move as Zevara halted and saw him curled up, wrapped in chains. She felt bad, and the two Earthers stopped fighting.

“He will not eat. We have prayed for him, and there is a way back from being Aberration—but he must find it. I do not understand what is wrong.”

Pawn confessed to Zevara, antennae drooping.

“Someone stole his doll.”

“What? I’ll buy him a new one.”

Joseph laughed incredulously and stopped when Zevara gazed at him with Pawn.

“It was all he had. I think—he’s upset. No, outraged.”

That was the right word for it. It wasn’t just anger. It was that feeling of someone who had been robbed. Who saw an injustice done…and had no faith in fairness being rendered for them.

She hoped she could restore some of it.

“Carpenter Laikos, do you remember me?”

“Yes, Watch Captain. This one remembers.”

His voice was dull. Not fluttering with fury. Zevara knelt down in the open doorway.

“I’m still investigating your case.”

“The Watch officers said this one’s doll was lost.”

“…Maybe it is, Laikos. I can’t work miracles—”

Zevara glanced at Kevin.

“—but I’ll try. Don’t you want another doll?”

The Worker didn’t move.

“No. I do not want hers. I want mine. It is not fair. It is…nOT fAIr.”

Kevin stepped back as Laikos’ voice changed, and he surged against the chains. Pawn stepped forwards.

“Laikos, Laikos, be calm. You must be calm. Who bought you a doll? Bird? Zimrah? Chesacre, Thaina?”

Pawn turned to Zevara, and she realized he didn’t know who Noiraid was. She doubted the Worker was keen on introducing herself. Zevara cleared her throat.

“Laikos, I need to know anything more you remember. I know the Human woman stole from you. The one with the beautiful scarf.”

Under Pawn’s touch, Laikos calmed down a bit. His voice was dull.

“The scarf of rosewood patterning. Black. Red. Yes. Not beautiful. This Worker has seen beauty. Not beauty.”

She frowned. She supposed it was a matter of opinion; Cecille’s scarf was beautiful to her, and she didn’t go in for fabrics.

“Did anyone else approach you that day, Laikos? Or stare at you? Did, perhaps, a [Merchant] stop you?”

He hadn’t mentioned it, but the [Carpenter] went still.

“Merchant Yerham inquired as to the carpentry techniques employed by this one. Correct. He inspected my…possession…”

“He didn’t try to buy it?”

“No.”

“Who else spoke to you, Laikos? Most people don’t.”

“…A Drake [Carpenter] who spat and borrowed nails. Guildmaster Eitgret addressed us to inform us of our disassembly job. Two Drakes who inquired about this one’s occupation.”

Two Drakes? Zevara nodded at Kevin.

“Moass and Hissl?”

“This one does not know their names.”

“Uh, green scales and blue?”

“Yes. Then the thief came back. And my…my…it was stolen.”

Again, the three suspects were there. Pawn regarded Zevara as Laikos grew agitated again.

“Do you have what you need, Watch Captain?”

She closed up her notepad.

“I think so. I think I need to investigate these two agents of Pallass. I know Yerham…but they’ve beaten my truth stones, and without one of them, we can’t get them on anything!”

That was her major concern. She pounded one knee, and Kevin raised a hand.

“Kevin, I swear, if this is some stupid idea…”

“No, c’mon, Zevara. Well, it’s sort of from movies—but mysteries. Joseph, back me up. If we can’t get these guys in a lie, can we trap them somehow? That’s how it always works in a mystery.”

Joseph scratched his head.

“I haven’t read Sherlock Holmes, sorry.”

Kevin scoffed.

“Sherlock Holmes. There are plenty of other mysteries!”

“Like Clue?”

“No, what about Detective Conan? You know that one? It’s this manga—”

“More Japanese stuff? C’mon…you and Leon are terrible. And we got rid of him.”

“Dude, don’t compare me to Leon.”

“You’re right, I’m sorry.”

It was hard to ignore the banter in the background—she just had to pretend she had a less combat-effective Relc and Klbkch backing her up. Zevara swung back to Pawn.

“Sorry about this.”

He gave her a rather severe glare.

“If you would mind not chatting so casually around one of my Workers having a crisis?”

Kevin and Joseph shut up, and Zevara rose.

“I’m still investigating things, Laikos. I promise you. In fact…”

She hated to admit it, but Kevin had given her an idea. A rather underhanded idea, but the [Streetwise Guardswoman] thought it was her only chance. Pawn tilted his antennae upwards as she took him aside.

“Pawn. Would you agree to making a slight change to how you’re handling this matter?”

“Of course, Watch Captain. Anything to help with an official Watch investigation.”

“I, er, uh, yes.”

She stumbled over her words so much that Kevin grinned and began to monologue.

“It took a crooked mind to solve a crooked case. No more staying on the straight and narrow. The law was only as good as the baton in my hand, and I was going to crack my way straight into the heart of this case like an unboiled egg…”

“I’ll be praying for you, Watch Captain.”

Pawn muttered as he clasped two of his four hands together. Zevara just sighed.

 

——

 

Two monologues later, Kevin, Joseph, and Zevara were at the inn again. They’d taken Zevara’s bicycle—Kevin wanted to show her all the features and get her to admit she liked it.

“I’m returning it to Solar Cycles now you’re alive. It’s a bribe, and it’s too big to fit in the safe.”

“Aw, come on, it’s great. Check on how well enchanted it is!”

“If it’s so enchanted, why did you keep running over my tail? Three for Pallass.”

She nodded to Liska, and the Gnoll obligingly let them through. She waved away Zevara’s coins.

“Joseph and Kevin can take whoever they want with them free of charge. And just so you know, Watch Captain…”

She stopped Zevara, and the Drake turned to her, recalling the other day. She expected an apology. Instead, Liska glowered at her.

“It’s not my job to stop thieves at the door! So a little less attitude next time, huh? And if you don’t like that, you can talk to the [Forcewall]. The only thing The Wandering Inn needs to guard is itself.”

Indeed, she’d moved her couch and working space so that people would come into the waiting chamber and exit the door after filing into lines for their destination—but the door to the inn itself and Liska were blocked off. By glowing walls of shimmering air of all things.

[Forcewalls]? Zevara was astonished anyone was paying for the spells until she realized it was just Liska’s powers. The Gnoll put her feet up on the couch.

“All aboard for Pallass? Remember your papers!”

Zevara was in the checkpoint on Pallass’ side, watching people file into three different rooms for processing, when she felt at her sides.

“Oh, shit on my tail—I forgot! Er—hello. Watch Captain—Senior Guardswoman Zevara, on investigation?”

She did her best, but the bored Garuda who opened a sliding panel gave her a long, long look.

“Liscor’s Watch?”

“Yes, I have a matter I’m looking into.”

“If you don’t have a Grade 5 Passport or higher, or special clearance papers, and you’re not on the list, I can’t let you through. We didn’t get anything from Watch Commander Venim about an investigation.”

Shit. Zevara began sweating and cursing. Any papers to go to Pallass would go through Venim for a cursory inspection!

“I—ah, forgot to file them. We’d like to ask questions of the Watch House or possibly High Command in Pallass?”

“You want to talk to High Command?”

The [Guard] looked her up and down, and she muttered.

“Rather—about the Eyes of Pallass?”

The Garuda’s brows rose higher, and she guessed how stupid a question that was. If only Chaldion were here—! Well, she’d seen him around the inn, but he wasn’t in any condition to do anything. The [Guard] sighed.

“Look, Senior Guardswoman, I can’t let you in. But tell you what, I’ll query the Watch Commander right now. It’ll take a few minutes.”

No! Nonono! Venim would flip his desk. But how did she refuse without appearing more suspicious? Zevara was sweating bullets when someone came to her rescue.

“Hey, wassup? Can you make an exception for us, Guardsman? Me and my friends are just visiting Pallass.”

The Garuda nearly left his seat as someone walked in behind her.

“No crossing the yellow line before we say t—oh, Coach Joseph!”

He recognized the young man instantly and relaxed. Joseph threw up a casual peace sign.

“This is Senior Guardswoman Zevara. She’s with me. C’mon, can’t you let her through?”

“I don’t know…you’re on the list, Joseph, of course, but—”

“Just write us in. This is Randy. He’s also sort of a football expert. The Senior Guardswoman is actually helping me out on some stuff.”

Joseph lied with a smile, and the Garuda shot Zevara a more impressed eye. Zevara couldn’t believe it! He relaxed, clacked his beak, then sighed.

“Oh—fine. Let me get this down. Zevara and ‘Randy’? Dead gods, what a name.”

“Dude, you’re telling me.”

Kevin flashed him a grin. The Garuda chuckled and then nodded.

“Alright, go on through. And, uh, Joseph. Any idea who’s winning the big game between Liscor and Pallass? We have to win this time, right?”

He sounded wistful, and Joseph flashed him the thumbs up.

“Don’t tell any Liscorians, but I think this might be the one.”

The Garuda grinned, and Zevara gave Joseph a look of mild awe. He put his hands in his pockets, embarrassed.

“What? They love their football here. I respect that. Actually, I need to disguise myself. Kevin’s got a Skill, but—”

He touched a ring on his finger, and she jumped as he transformed into a Dullahan in armor.

“You have a disguise?”

Joseph winked at her.

“Yep. Too many people want autographs or to try out for me. But I can probably get you talking with anyone who’s not actually a [Senator]. C’mon, I know most of the city.”

Kevin nudged Zevara.

“Our man on the inside was Joseph. Not just a pretty face and a good right foot. You needed someone who could grease the wheels of a city like this and not come away stained black. So far, he was on the up and up, but I had my eye on him. Still, if he could get us one step closer to finding the truth, we’d do what it took…”

 

——

 

It turned out the power of Joseph’s fame was a door-opener in ways Zevara’s badge was not. The Watch House on the 8th Floor barely paid attention to the badge when they realized she was Liscor’s Watch.

“Listen, Senior Guardswoman, it’s usually a matter for the Watch Captains to handle between cities. You can’t just come in and demand—Joseph?”

Cue him speeding past the Desk Sergeant, all the way into the office of a Watch Captain Qissa. She was made of sterner stuff than her people and gave Zevara a familiar look.

“Watch Captain. I wondered why a ‘Senior Guardswoman’ was here. Why didn’t Venim send a message? Unless…it’s urgent. Joseph, is this something I need to consult Watch Captain Kel over?”

She had a wary expression on her face, as one did around Earthers or the inn, but Joseph just gave her a relaxed smile.

“We’re just asking about a Watch matter, Qissa. Zevara’s doing it privately.”

“Uh huh. Privately.”

Qissa’s tone was laced with suspicions until Zevara stepped forward to the table.

“It’s a sensitive matter, Watch Captain. I’d like to speak to and know the particulars of two of your agents who came into Liscor. They’re not on any of our lists…or yours. I believe they’re entangled in a crime occurring in Liscor.”

Qissa’s skepticism turned into a huge grimace. She sat back, steeping her claws.

“Ah, them. That changes things. I don’t know anything.”

Zevara exchanged a glance with Kevin and Joseph.

“Nothing? No lists or…?”

“We don’t write it down, and the paperwork around them tends to vanish. Highly annoying. It’s the kind of thing that happens with that kind of agent. I imagine Venim thought he’d seen the last of them in Pallass…listen, I can’t help you. I can tell you who to contact. They have…well, not a headquarters, but a place where outsiders can ask questions. But I warn you—they don’t give out answers.”

She scribbled on a piece of paper and handed them an address. Then asked Joseph about the game. Her note took them to the 7th Floor and what seemed to be a rather corporate office. There was a Drake [Receptionist] at the desk, cool air blowing from enchantment spells inside, and big, glass windows and outdoor seats on a balcony.

If Zevara needed more clues to guess this is where the Eyes of Pallass hung out and operated from, the too-sharp way the Drakes, Gnolls, Dullahans, and Garuda checked her over was another.

There was a bit too much magic in here, a bit too much opulence for the dreary lives of office workers. Kevin seemed delighted by all the ‘spy stuff’; Joseph just kept frowning around.

“I swear I know half these guys. Some of them hang out with Troydel. Actually, he swears he’s slept with that Drake.”

A female Drake glanced up from a water fountain and blinked at him. She must have had very good hearing, because she called out.

“Coach Joseph and…Watch Captain Zevara. Whatever Probationary Engineer Troydel has told you, I hope you disregard it.”

She frowned at Kevin, which impressed Zevara, because it meant Kevin’s Skill was still working. She approached as the male [Receptionist] slipped from behind the counter.

“How can I help you today, Watch Captain?”

Well, it felt like an interview already. Zevara got the same vibes from this as her meeting with Robb, but she folded her arms.

“I’m just here to follow-up on a case of mine. It involves two of your people. They’re not prime suspects, but I need to talk to them and ask some questions.”

“Pointed questions?”

The Gnoll raised his brows, and Zevara glanced at him.

“Only if I thought they were necessary. Is there a problem?”

“There are individuals who are above your jurisdiction, Watch Captain. This isn’t your city.”

“But Pallass would have to be cooperative, right? Because everyone’s interested in the law being upheld.”

Joseph jumped in, and the two agents hesitated, clearly made uncomfortable by him. Zevara suspected he was a very important person in their books, and the female Drake coughed.

“…Of course. I’m Agent Zemize. Part of the organization that Watch Captain Zevara appears to be interested in. Who, exactly, got into trouble in Liscor? We just got some very…interesting reports from there.”

So they didn’t know? Actually, that suggested she’d just heard about the scrolls. Zevara knew that secretive groups might not share information with each other, but she couldn’t resist tweaking the Drake’s tail.

“Only today? Your people have been there for weeks or a month, I’d guess.”

Zemize colored slightly, and the [Receptionist] jumped in with a smile.

“Some things get passed up the chain of command too fast, Watch Captain.”

“Even the biggest news.”

Zemize muttered, and Zevara was aware the agents loitering around their lobby having drinks or chatting had doubled in number. Well, well, well. It appeared a lot of them were interested in the scrolls.

Kevin was smiling broadly, and he interjected in what he probably thought as a hard-bitten tone of a serious fellow. In reality, it had all the seriousness of a duck.

“Seems to me the right hand doesn’t know who the left hand is yanking off in Liscor. Shame. This would have never happened with Chaldion.”

Everyone turned to eye him with expressions of such disgust that Kevin hesitated. However, Zemize jerked her head in a grudging nod after a moment.

“It’s…more chaotic, certainly. Different focuses with all the crises of late. So the Antinium are selling healing items? That’ll make High Command happy. No one wants to hop in bed with the Antinium.”

She grimaced, and Zevara folded her arms.

“It seems to me that the Walled City’s position on Antinium is shooting themselves in the tail. But I’m just a lowly Watch Captain; it’s not like you’re months behind the north.”

That soured everyone’s drinks—until she added the second line.

“—Of course, it might be you were always on top of things. Two of your people have been involved in Liscorian affairs, and I’m sure you could ask them about all they know and failed to share.”

That seemed to work. Zemize glanced at the [Receptionist], who raised his brows politely.

“I can’t guarantee you’ll get a meeting, but I can, at least, search up these agents. Who would be…?”

They only had one card to play, which were their names, so Zevara nodded.

“Agents Hissl and Moass. I’d like to know exactly what they’re doing and their ranks and purpose as well as a meeting, if I may.”

Zemize laughed out loud, then covered it with a clawed hand.

“Moass?”

“I know, right? Is that, like, a naming convention in Pallass? Noass’ cousin?”

Joseph grinned at her, and she was about to respond when she hesitated and closed her mouth. Zevara saw the [Receptionist]’s eyes flicker, and he frowned. Ever so slightly. But then he was nodding to her.

“Ah, those two. I’m afraid they’re definitely not available at this moment, Watch Captain. If they’ve compromised your time, I apologize. I’ll put in a note that you wish to speak to them, but revealing details of any members of our group is highly prohibited.”

“Of course I knew that.”

She tried to keep her face straight, but then changed her mind and added a grimace. Zevara cast around, as if lost.

“But if I could just speak to your superior or—someone? They have too many clearances for me to stop them, and I can’t trace their passage—”

The [Receptionist] trotted over to the counter and jotted down a few lines.

“We’ll try to make arrangements, but as I said, they’re not here. I trust they didn’t interfere with your job in any way?”

“Of course not. They only talked to Venim. I happened to get their names, that’s all.”

“I see.”

Zemize put in mildly.

“We have to do this kind of thing, Watch Captain. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can, but as you observed, there’s all kinds of news. No hand knows what the other’s doing.”

Her lips quirked, but her eyes lingered on the Watch Captain.

“Out of curiosity, I suppose that outside of The Wandering Inn, the foremost Antinium expert in the city would be Guardsman Relc, wouldn’t it? But he’s seeing the Archmage of Izril…”

She grimaced, and Zevara smiled at her, making a show of folding up her own notepad.

“That’s him, and he’s filling time as acting Watch Captain. If you were interested in Antinium knowledge, you might want to talk to them yourself. Although you might want to be careful. The wrong questions turn some into Aberrations.”

Zemize shifted slightly.

“I’d heard that. Well—I suppose we’ll have to let our people handle things. Is there anything else, Watch Captain?”

“No, thank you. You know where to find me if Hissl or Moass have time…thank you.”

Zevara spun on her heels and walked out the door. She was hoping like hell neither Joseph nor Kevin said anything or gave it away, but Joseph just waved at Zemize.

“Don’t let Troydel drive you crazy, Zemize! Or take you to dinner, because he definitely thinks that’s how he’s going to score a goal.”

She shuddered faintly as the doors swung shut behind them.

 

——

 

Only after they were in The Wandering Inn did Zevara let Joseph speak. He’d tried to, twice, but she’d been almost positive someone was following them.

Liska turned out to be as good as a full Pallassian checkpoint though. She refused to let her [Forcewalls] open for anyone but Kevin, Zevara, and Joseph.

“No entry today! Inn’s off-limits unless I know you, and I have a really bad memory.”

Once they were inside, Zevara stepped into Kevin’s room upstairs, and then Joseph hissed at her.

“Okay, what was that about? Even I could tell something was off!”

Kevin gave Zevara a significant gaze.

“I think they were bluffing, don’t you, Zevara? I’m pretty good at telling when people are using a poker face—I have to sell tons of stuff to monarchs, and not all of them like the price tag. They do that ‘too-casual’ thing.”

She nodded, heart beating fast.

“Agents Moass and Hissl aren’t Eyes of Pallass. Zemize didn’t recognize their names. You’d think that even if they were pseudonyms, she’d know better than to laugh at them, right?”

“It could have been a bluff.”

Joseph countered, but Zevara shook her head.

“No, they were caught off-guard by the scrolls. You heard them fishing about Relc. I bet that it’s a sloppy oversight without Chaldion; Walled Cities are peculiar, you two. They have flaws.”

“No kidding?”

Neither Human seemed surprised, and she glowered defensively.

“They can be efficient! But when it comes to the Antinium, they’ve always stayed away. I think they treated the Free Antinium like the other Hives, who can’t be negotiated with or infiltrated outside of the Queens. The fact that the Eyes didn’t know about the scrolls suggests they had no real agents looking into the Free Antinium. Probably the inn, but Lyonette didn’t know about the scrolls either until Holytext came by the other day.”

Kevin snapped his fingers.

“And they can’t get into the inn because of Vaulont and the Thronebearers. But wait—then who are those two Drakes?”

He threw up his hands, and Zevara murmured.

“Whomever they are, they have top-level security clearances. But they were never the main suspects in our investigation. Merchant Yerham and Lady Cecille are. Hmm. We’re getting so close, I can feel it, you two. I think it’s time to shake the nest.”

She had almost all the pieces, she could tell. She just had to rattle them around into one cohesive whole and it’d make sense. She knew the crime, she knew the victims, she knew the motivations; this wasn’t some impossible crime.

The motivations were simple and straightforward…at least, she thought. The oddity was in the act of the theft itself and, in some cases, the suspects.

“Okay, so we have that Lady Reinhart and the [Merchant]. How do we rattle them? Are they connected?”

Zevara put her head in her hands. She was thinking hard. It felt like every event that had happened to her these last few days was connected. She narrowed her eyes.

“Think. Think…we can get Pawn to announce his part of the plan. But unless we know who they are and what they want, we’re only going to get lies. I think—”

Her head rose, and she stared at Kevin. He fidgeted.

“What, Captain Z? Too much noir commentary? I can shut up.”

It wasn’t that…something about him was throwing her brain into disarray, and not just that he was alive again. Kevin.

Wait a second…her eyes narrowed, and she put another piece together. Then she sat bolt upright.

“I think I know who Merchant Yerham is. All I need is to confirm something at the Merchant’s Guild! I can’t do it myself—”

“Why not me? I had an account there. Damn. Now I’m Randy, I have to get my helper to do it.”

Kevin raised a hand and cursed, and Joseph lifted his.

“I have an account with them. I can ask.”

“You do that. I don’t have his name, but…you know what, there’s an even better thing we can do. Kevin, you’re going to help me lay some bait. Pawn will announce his change today. We have to spring a trap.”

His eyes widened as Zevara jumped up. Then they narrowed.

“Wait, me? Are they Roshal?”

“No—but they’re also very interested in you, Kevin. For different reasons, I think. It won’t put you in danger.”

She assured him, and he grinned when she told him what she needed.

“Oh man, that? That’s easy. I can make it even better. Give me thirty minutes to get to my shop in Esthelm. Actually, I might have the parts in my room. But wait, Zevara—”

He stopped her seriously, and she turned.

“What?”

“If this is the final act, you’d better have Relc or someone backing you up. And don’t forget—”

Kevin gave her a serious gaze.

“You’ve got to be ready to explain the entire crime afterwards. We could knock Venim out and put a speaking stone in his mouth if we want to pretend he was the one who figured everything out.”

She pointed a finger at him.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m glad you’re back, you idiot.”

Then she dashed out of the room as Kevin smiled.

“Yeah.”

He slapped his cheeks, then, and regarded Joseph.

“Ow. Dude, this is going to be so awesome. We’re having an Erin adventure!”

“I hope no one shoots me.”

“Hm. Good point. Let me get a chestplate on. It’s happened twice to Earthers so far.”

 

——

 

Forty minutes later, a rather bulky young man wearing a chainmail vest came riding into the Merchant’s Guild at the same time as Football Coach Joseph walked in to withdraw some money from his account.

“Coach Joseph! How can we help you today?”

He was a big shot, so someone was on him like Apista on dreamleaf. Joseph bantered with the receptionist about the game and made small talk as the other Human man shouted loudly.

“Hey, is there a, uh, ‘Kevin Hall’ of Solar Cycles here?”

The Merchant’s Guild went quiet. [Merchants] turned, annoyed by the voice, and then recognized the name and sombered. One of the [Receptionists] hurried over.

“Young man, lower your voice! What are you wearing? This is a respectable establishment!”

He scolded the unrepentant fellow, who swept his black hair back.

“Sorry, guv’nor. I’m a City Runner with a priority delivery for Kevin of Solar Cycles. Name’s Randy the Roadmaster. I heard he was about here? It’s urgent. Would have been a Courier job, but I know Kev, and he likes me.”

The [Receptionist] hesitated. He was a Gnoll who’d worked in Liscor before the Crazy Human had gotten here, and he was well familiar with the notables in the city. Including Solar Cycles.

“I, uh—I don’t know what to tell you, Runner Randy, but if you’re talking about the owner of Solar Cycles, he passed away last winter.”

“What? No? Kevin? I loved him! And this is specially for him—he ordered it, and as soon as we made it…what am I gonna do? Kevin! My man!”

Randy clutched at his chest. He staggered and nearly knocked over the object he’d put down. The [Receptionist] eyed it.

“What is…that?”

The City Runner yanked the cloth covering a huge metallic contraption full of gears and cylindrical rods. He pointed at it as the [Merchants] turned.

“This? It’s a Ford W4-G50 Engine. ‘Least, that’s what I think it’s called. Made of carbon-alloy steel and engineered to hell and back. Fraerling-tech, straight from…well, I can’t say. It’s for his shop! His shop is around at least, right?”

The [Receptionist] gave the strange object a wide-eyed stare.

“An engine…?”

“Yeah. He says it’ll make bicycles look like pushcarts. Said. Fuck, man. He built my bike for me! Look!”

Kevin pointed at his bicycle, which was highly-customized.

“It’s one of the new ones. Folds up, full shock suspension, triple gear system—how’d it happen? Who did this?”

He pounded one fist into his hand, and the [Receptionist] held out a placating hand.

“I’m, ah, not sure. It was rather shocking. The entire Solstice—”

“Is there someone I can talk to? I need to talk to someone. Wait—the inn. Is the inn okay? You’ve got to tell me what’s going on!”

Randy grabbed the [Receptionist]’s arm, and the man was both sympathetic and realized there was an opportunity here. The Gnoll patted the Runner’s arm and eyed the [Guildmaster], who’d come out himself; he got the nod and gestured.

“I have some refreshments. Please, sit, Runner Randy, and I’ll get you all the information we can. You appear exhausted.”

Wet, certainly. Randy wobbled after him, then turned.

“My bike—”

“We’ll put it away for you, sir!”

Someone jumped up, and Randy nodded. He followed the [Receptionist] into a side-room, and all the [Merchants] crowded around the engine at once. They waited until the door was closed before breaking into a babble.

“Someone get me a Magic Picture on this, now. I need a [Message] as well!”

“Kevin, he said? That inventor in Esthelm? Damn shame, I liked him…”

“What is this contraption? Do you think we could buy it, or—? Hey, hands off! You don’t know what it does!”

Someone slapped the hands of a [Trader] reaching for it, and there was an argument. Behind them, some of the hired help, mostly [Bodyguards] or regular [Guards] who assisted [Merchants] with their work, had a discussion of their own. Gold was gold, and knowledge was also gold—

A pair of men grabbed the Runner’s bicycle and wheeled it towards the back doors, not the front. Presumably to park it somewhere discreetly in the back rooms, or outside where it could be watched but not interfere with the august…augustness of the Merchant’s Guild.

That was the last anyone in the Merchant’s Guild thought about the bicycle, including Randy, but when the two men had exited the Merchant’s Guild, they kept going. Casually, they walked it down the street, checking to see if anyone had noticed them—and then halted in the first alleyway they came to. They did not have to wait long.

Three more men came striding out the Merchant’s Guild back entrance. One of them wore more impressive clothes than his bodyguards.

Merchant Yerham. He halted as his eyes fell on the bicycle.

“There’s no hope of getting at the engine. But this is almost as good. I want two, two of you to take it to Invrisil this moment. Then come back with everyone you can get. I don’t care how, just get them. Hire [Mercenaries] if you have to.”

“You sure, sir? The Watch was asking about you yesterday—”

Yerham ignored the question from one of the men.

“If it’s half of what that City Runner said, we need it! We—”

There was a noise at the end of the alleyway. The men froze and moved to block the bicycle. Yerham spun as someone came strolling out from where they’d been loitering, spinning a baton.

“Merchant Yerham. What excellent timing! I was just searching for you. I had a few more questions, if you don’t mind.”

Watch Captain Zevara was smiling. Smiling in that not-so-nice way that made Yerham start sweating. The men behind him tensed—then froze up as someone else stepped forwards.

“Oh, hey, it’s Yerham! Nice to see you again! And Captain Zevara, I thought you were on break! I guess that’s your off-duty uniform?”

Sergeant Relc and a squad of [Guards] sauntered into view from the other side of the alleyway. Relc was beaming way too hard with all his teeth, and Guardswoman Jerci was trying not to grin too.

Merchant Yerham breathed faintly.

“Watch Captain, this is rather inopportune—”

“Oh, I imagine it would be, Merchant Yerham. Being caught in the middle of a theft is never pleasant. But then—you have experience with that, don’t you?”

His face went paler, and sweat began to bead on his upper lip, but he blustered as the rain wet his hair.

“I do beg your pardon! That is an outrageous thing to say to me, a respected [Merchant]! If you’re referring to this bicycle, I was simply admiring the craftsmanship of it! I hardly intended to steal it.”

He stood aside with the men as if there were nothing wrong with him having someone else’s bicycle in the middle of an alleyway. Zevara just smirked.

“I have no doubt you’d never lay a finger on it, Master Yerham. But somehow, magically, I do think it would have vanished from poor Runner Randy’s ownership. Then moved quite far from Liscor. All the way to, perhaps, the House of El?”

One of Yerham’s men bit back a curse, and Zevara folded her arms. The [Merchant] was still trying to bluster.

“Th-that’s preposterous! What evidence do you have to—oh.”

The ‘oh’ was because two young men stepped out from the alleyway. Joseph and Kevin were grinning. Kevin, who’d been playing Runner Randy, had a rather appalled [Guildmaster] in tow, and Zevara’s eyes gleamed.

“Merchant Yerham. What is this?”

“Yeah, what is this, Captain Zevara? I knew he was guilty of something, but when you said he was going to commit a crime, I had to see this.”

This was the thing Kevin had warned Zevara about. She couldn’t help but smile as she laid out her reasoning for all present.

“I’m aware I need evidence. Well, I have two pieces, Sergeant Relc. The first is that if we search Yerham and his men’s belongings, we should find a signet ring of the House of El. Something that any [Lord], like Xitegen Terland, would recognize. You see, all these men are working for the El Family under Merchant Yerham. He’s an agent of the family; it was one of his people we were chasing two days ago.”

Relc’s eyes brightened.

“Wait, it was? But he stole a piece of a bicycle…oh.”

He glanced at Yerham, and Zevara nodded.

“Straight outside the Merchant’s Guild, where anyone who’s not known to the guild would have been recognized. I thought that was odd. In hindsight, perhaps the [Guildmaster] might have realized that too, but I doubt Yerham did more than send one of his bodyguard out to perform the theft. If we hadn’t been there, it would have gone unreported except as a random theft.”

She gave the [Guildmaster] a pointed gaze, and the Drake flushed.

“But that’s not proof, Watch Captain! I do admit, when Coach Joseph inquired, there was one less man in Yerham’s company after the—incident. But it’s not illegal to work for one of the Five Families.”

Zevara shook her head.

“No, but I think we’d have Yerham dead to rights—if we asked the right truth spells. Remember, Relc? Yerham was so nervous, but when we asked about the Antinium, he relaxed. He thought we’d caught onto his theft that was going on that instant!”

Relc made an ‘oh’ as he smacked one fist into his palm.

“That bastard! He got us! Well, now I’ve got a truth stone I’ll shove right up his…”

“There’s no need for that, Guardsman!”

Yerham raised his hands, sighing. He scrubbed at his face.

“I’m happy to pay any fine for my indiscretions you may find via truth stone. I presume it comes with some jail time?”

“And penalties in the Merchant’s Guild!”

The [Guildmaster] barked, red-faced. However, Zevara noticed Jerci’s frown and nodded. The Watch had picked up on things too.

“You’re too keen to give up, Master Yerham. My guess is that you were sent to Liscor to steal the latest technologies for the House of El. Steal or buy—you’re probably actually fairly upstanding about it. I know you went to Spinner Deskie to see if you could get that technology or more from the Gnolls.”

He gave her a rueful look.

“It’s usually easier to be honest, Watch Captain. Yes, aside from Solar Cycles, who can’t be reached, we’ve been completely above-board! I imagine an, ah, advocate from the House of El will reach out shortly, if I can be allowed to send a [Message] through the Mage’s Guild?”

Just like his man, the El Family had powerful connections, and what did Zevara have on him? Organizing a few thefts? In Celum, Xitegen might let him off with no more than a slap on the wrist; the Five Families protected their own.

Ordinarily, Zevara would be hopping mad despite figuring out his game, but she still wore that sardonic smile. Yerham’s own faltered as she stepped closer.

“I’ll let Sergeant Relc handle your charges, Merchant Yerham. I imagine it might only be a fine without even being banned from Liscor. There’s just one little wrinkle that might make Lord Deilan El less than happy with you.”

His eyes flickered.

“Confiscation of our goods? Anything stolen, we of course will return, but I didn’t realize we lost our possessions. That seems inappropriate, Watch Captain.”

She prowled around him.

“Now, why would you jump to that, Merchant Yerham? Unless there was something you had—legally—that was even more valuable than stolen bicycle parts? Like, say, scrolls purchased from Antinium and the Brothers?”

The man stiffened, but then forced himself to relax as the [Guildmaster] regarded Kevin and Joseph, utterly confused.

“What scrolls?”

“Purely legal purchases, Watch Captain.”

She yanked his bag of holding off his belt and pulled out a scroll. Zevara smiled evilly.

“Yes, I thought you’d argue that. And you are correct! Under the law, the Watch does not confiscate items unless they were used in the pursuit of a crime or could be used to harm others.”

“Or they’re contraband or we’re exiling you or something real serious. Article 4, code…uh, well damn, I forget.”

Relc chipped in happily. Zevara nodded. She fished out more scrolls and found the man had dozens. He stared at her, frowning. Zevara counted, then smiled.

“We’ll see if you have more in your chests or on your people. But…this should do it.”

She fished in her bag of holding and pulled out gold coins. One for each scroll—she tossed them into Yerham’s bag of holding.

“W-what are you doing, Watch Captain? Are you buying those off me? I regret to say, you couldn’t afford the cost of them.”

He tried to laugh, and she gave him an innocent gaze.

“Me? Oh, no. I’m simply fulfilling my duties. You see, there’s been a recall issued.”

“A what?”

The last of his confidence drained away as Zevara chuckled.

“Prognugator Pawn of the Free Antinium has put healing scrolls up for sale through the Hive. In addition to this, he’s been made aware that illicit versions of his people’s goods have been sold—purely accidentally, I’m sure. Accordingly, he requested the Watch find and return any such items to the Free Hive. He fears they might be defective and has offered fair compensation for the scrolls. I think that must cover what you spent. That was how much he said the inferior copies were worth.”

One gold piece per scroll. She stepped back, stuffing them in her bag of holding, and now Yerham was pale-faced.

“You can’t do that! I acquired those for far, far more than—do you know how much that is? How exceedingly important—?”

He choked on his own words, and she raised her brows.

“A terrible accident occurred in which Workers sold what they were not allowed to, Merchant Yerham. If it transpires you spent more than what you were compensated, please have the Workers report the correct amounts and the Free Antinium will reimburse you. But there was no real crime committed. We’re just restoring order.”

Relc was grinning and nodding as the House of El’s men glanced at each other in clear dismay. This was the real value they’d been after in Liscor. Bicycle parts? Hah! The [Merchant]’s lips were tight, but he gave her a slight nod.

“I see. Well…done, Watch Captain. Will you be confiscating the Brother of Serendipitous Meeting’s stash as well?”

“I’ll leave that to Watch Commander Venim. I imagine their stocks will also plummet.”

She folded her arms, triumphant, as Kevin punched the air.

“And that’s a wrap! Case closed!”

“Not quite, K—Randy.”

Zevara held up a claw as Yerham’s men were put in cuffs. He was standing there, swaying, probably seeing weeks of hard work vanishing—and how he’d have to explain that to Lord Deilan El. She dropped her loud tone and spoke quietly.

“If you cooperate with the rest of my investigation, we may miss some of your possessions, Merchant Yerham. I need answers into the second part of my case, which is still unresolved.”

He blinked at her, then drew himself up.

“You have me dead to rights, Watch Captain. What can I answer? You did indeed shock me with your questions. If I can—assist in any way, I’ll be happy to.”

“Mm. Well then, in the interest of cooperation, talk to me about Carpenter Laikos.”

“Who, Watch Captain? Was that the Antinium you asked me about? I confess, I must have talked to a thousand this month alone. All but a few escape me.”

He shrugged, helpless. She frowned at him.

“Would you remember a Miss Noiraid? A female Antinium?”

He hesitated, then coughed into one hand.

“Yes…a good number of scrolls came from her, but the cheapest ones were bought directly. Several duds, but far less expense once you know what to search for.”

“And how many did you steal from?”

Yerham blinked, and her [Sense Intentions] got genuine puzzlement out of him along with the worry.

“Steal from? Watch Captain, I told you the truth in the Merchant’s Guild! I stole from none of the Antinium. I may be acting in the interest of House El, but I’m not insane. I’d rather not tangle with an Antinium Soldier!”

She frowned.

“You were seen in relation to several thefts.”

“I don’t know anything about that. I rather fear most Humans appear the same to Antinium—and vice versa, Watch Captain. I never recognized Miss Noiraid until she stepped out of the crowd and spoke. On truth stone, I assure you, I bought all my scrolls legally…though I can see why it’s a bad look. No one wants to publicly buy anything from the Hives.”

His lips twisted, and Zevara glanced at Relc and another [Guard]. Both of them shrugged; their own Skills hadn’t failed Yerham.

“Well, you’ll have some time in the Watch’s jails for us to confirm this story. But don’t worry—I’m sure House El will have you out right away.”

He sighed, and Zevara turned to Relc. He smiled at her.

“Got him, Watch Captain!”

“But not the thief. And I rather think that she’s the real flight risk. At least we know she can’t flee Liscor via the magic door. Lady Cecille Reinhart’s in a carriage.”

Zevara focused her attention on the only other suspect. The [Lady] who’d run her over. She was walking over to congratulate Kevin and Joseph on their parts of this operation. Rather to her surprise, Kevin seemed less-than-pleased, despite pulling off his ruse perfectly. He was trying a cigar and coughing.

“Fuck, Palt gave me one of these, but it’s not even that cool. I feel like a tool posing with this thing in my mouth.”

He handed it to Joseph, who handed it to Jerci. Kevin shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to Zevara.

“You know what’s fucked up about all this, Captain Z? Noir and cool investigation stuff aside…that was entrapment. Or something close, I dunno what you’d actually call it.”

“Enwhatment?”

She didn’t know the term, but Kevin’s mouth twisted, and he explained.

“It’s where the law puts bait out so they can see someone committing a crime. Where I come from, it’s illegal, and cops use it all the time to charge people. I never thought I’d be helping an officer do that. But I guess I like you.”

There was a woebegone look in his eyes, and the Watch Captain hesitated. She coughed into one claw.

“That isn’t a law in Liscor.”

“Yes, I bet.”

“If it is a problem, and I see some of the reasoning, you can explain it to me and I will bring it up with Watch Commander Venim. We did catch Yerham in the act.”

Kevin didn’t quite meet her eyes.

“Sure, that’s good. Just bitter, y’know? Especially because it turned out he wasn’t technically in the wrong, we just got him with Pawn recalling the scrolls. Which I bet isn’t kosher either.”

Zevara didn’t know what to say in the face of his failed expectations, and it hurt. Or rather, one part of her didn’t know what to say. The [Guardswoman] laid a hand on Kevin’s shoulder.

“It probably is breaking the law in some way, Kevin. But hindsight’s gotta count for something. Yerham’s man already tried to steal a bicycle, and it’s true he was acting within the confines of the law when he bought all the Antinium’s scrolls. Still, the Free Hive wasn’t aware they were being sold. If I were doing this the proper way, I’d have Yerham under surveillance. But we don’t have that.”

She’d had to ask Relc for help. Kevin nodded, a bit more reassured, then fixed Zevara with an odd, searching stare.

“Weird. You’re sort of flipping how you talk, Zevara. Weird double-personality thing. Coming from someone with practice in that—how’s the Antinium thing legal?”

He winked at her, and she faltered before giving him a coy smile.

“I can’t get Yerham on that. But if I wanted to make his life hard, I’d simply put it in the Free Hive’s hands. They can either demand them back or announce to the world they made them and put the House of El in a bind. But you know, Kevin—it’s not less messy that way. Say I did tell the Free Queen and she was upset, though it was legal. Maybe she punishes Pawn. Maybe she punishes the Workers. Maybe…she tells the Silent Queen to do a few assassinations with Silent Antinium.”

Yerham was near enough to hear that as he was being arrested, and he visibly blanched. Kevin sighed.

“Yeah, that checks out. But that’s breaking the law too.”

She nodded.

“Sometimes, the smaller crime is in service to the larger. And I hope your world’s laws can account for that. Not that I want that kind of loophole, but I’m bearing in mind that we have nations here, Kevin, and they break the law in big ways, with war and killings. This saved us from having to make it that incident. I can’t arrest Antinium Queens, Kevin. Yet.”

That made him grin. He saluted her with two fingers.

“If everyone were subject to the law, equally, then I’d have fewer problems with it, Zevara. Okay, that makes me feel better.”

She returned the grin, and the Watch Captain wiped it from their face. She folded her arms, eying the young man.

“So…what is entrapment, and tell me about anything I’ve missed in the course of my duties.”

“Aw, come on, you did it again! Okay, let me try.”

They were having a discussion, and Zevara was writing under the eaves of a building, when Relc’s speaking stone suddenly squawked. He yanked it out and put it to his ear.

“What’s that? She went over the north gate? Oh shit, Captain—”

Zevara spun.

“What? Impossible! It’s all water! The gates are sealed!”

The roads themselves were underwater at the highest point of the spring rains! Only bridges connected each hill, and they weren’t big enough to get more than a handcart over! Relc just shouted at her as Kevin’s eyes widened.

“She’s got an enchanted carriage! Apparently, it jumped the wall! Now it’s going straight over water! Zevara, she’s headed north, directly to Esthelm!”

Zevara felt her pulse accelerating. Despite herself, she grinned as she whirled.

“Then what are we waiting for? We’ll beat her through the door! Get me horses and all the [Guards] you can get. Go, go, go!”

“Holy shit, it’s a chase!”

Joseph shouted, and Kevin grabbed his bicycle.

“I’m coming with you!”

“Absolutely not—”

Zevara was already running down the streets, and Relc was even faster than she was. But she didn’t miss a loud, very upset voice coming from the speaking stone.

“Watch Commander Venim wants a word, Captain Z—”

“I’m busy!”

 

——

 

Now she was breaking laws. Of a sort. It was more like…the law just hadn’t caught up to her. Yes, she liked thinking of it that way.

“You can’t deploy the Watch in another city! This is—we’re not arresting a Reinhart! Not in Esthelm!”

A Watch Captain was shouting at her, a frantic Human man, as Zevara mounted a horse that Relc had secured from the stables. She shot back.

“We’re not arresting her! We just want to talk to Lady Cecille Reinhart. Her conduct in jumping Liscor’s walls seems suspicious. She’s a person of investigation—”

And she’s running because she has the Antinium’s scrolls. Yes, call it ‘entrapment’ like Kevin had said. Pawn recalling the scrolls might also not fit with the perfect definition of the law. But something wrong had been done, and both Zevara and Cecille knew it. Zevara added to the terrified Watch Captain.

“Plus, she ran me over with that damn carriage yesterday. It’s a menace on the roads. We’re pulling her over for a chat, Watch Captain.”

She turned her head to the skies ahead. It was clear around Esthelm, but she could see it sleeting down on the road just south of her.

Liscor’s rains ended at the Floodplain basin, and somewhere in the torrential deluge, a black carriage was riding over the waters.

Lady Cecille Reinhart was no idiot. She’d heard the Antinium announcement about the scrolls—and the recall—and she’d gone straight for the north gate. The [Guards] hadn’t expected her to be able to leave through the water.

Magic carriages. Damn things. It seemed the Reinharts loved them—but she had to pass by Esthelm on the road north. So Zevara and a dozen [Guards], including Relc, were ready to catch her.

He was on foot; everyone else had a horse. Kevin had a bike.

“Ke—Randy—get lost!”

Zevara was riding for the gates, but Kevin was on his personal bike, and he was adamant.

“Like heck I’m missing the final chase!”

All they had to do was get out the gates and they’d be on Cecille the moment she arrived, but the Watch Captain was freaking out. He barred her way.

“You have no right to enforce the law here, Captain Zevara!”

“A crime has been committed in Liscor, Watch Captain! Are you telling me you don’t acknowledge it? What if I was after a [Murderer]? You’re the Watch, and so am I!”

She drew the swarthy man up, and he hesitated.

“But that’s a Reinhart! Do you know what she’ll do to you if she holds a grudge?”

Zevara knew all too well, but she shot him a glare as smoke exited her mouth. It billowed up around the horse, who snorted, as if this was hyping her up.

“The law applies to everyone, Watch Captain! If I was afraid of the damn consequences, I would have quit long ago! Move aside!”

He still hesitated, but Kevin glanced at the man, then whistled.

“Pelt!”

The Dwarf had come to see what all the hollering was about. He shoved people aside, and when he saw Kevin, his face went pale. But he too had met Kevin—

“What nonsense are you up to this time, you fool? Get back before you get killed again!”

The Watch Captain stared at Kevin, seeing only Randy, but Kevin just pointed at Zevara.

“I’m helping Captain Zevara catch a criminal! C’mon, Pelt! She’s a Reinhart! Talk some sense into Watch Captain Merde over here!”

Pelt stared at Zevara, and then at the Watch Captain. He blinked at Zevara, then exhaled.

“A Reinhart, you said? Magnolia?”

“No.”

“Shame.”

Pelt stumped over and picked up the burly Watch Captain. He effortlessly lifted the man and shoved the rest of the Watch out of the way. Zevara blinked down at Pelt, who pointed at Kevin.

“If you die again, I’m not putting anything on your grave this time.”

Kevin just laughed. He rode his bicycle out the gates as the Watch galloped out—just in time.

“I see the carriage! She’s coming!”

[Guardswoman] Jerci pointed, and Zevara did indeed see the Reinhart carriage leaving a spray in the storm. It was moving fast, the team of four horses at a dead gallop.

“Dead gods, she’s going to run those animals into the ground. Go for the harness! Spread out—”

Zevara waved her hand, and the Watch complied. She took another look as the carriage hit the dry earth and saw water tearing off the carriage in a spray that left a rainbow, the least-befitting thing for Cecille Reinhart. Speaking of—Zevara’s mouth dropped open.

The [Lady] of House Reinhart wasn’t in her carriage. She had lost her [Driver], Sollux, and without him, she’d taken the reins. She was in the [Driver]’s seat, leaning over the reins, black dress billowing behind her.

She seemed like murder as she stared down the road and saw Zevara. She lashed the horses again, and they ran, tired or not, as her aura crackled with malice around her.

“Halt in the name of the Watch!”

Zevara roared, and someone shouted.

“Liscor’s Watch! Just Liscor’s—”

Cecille Reinhart shot past them, and Zevara didn’t even have the chance to say ‘after her’—she dug her heels into her horse’s sides, and the mare shot off. The Watch raced after the carriage, and Kevin swore.

“Wait, leg cramp, leg cramp—wait for me!”

Zevara wasn’t a great rider, but she could still gallop down the dry road as dirt clumps spat behind the carriage wheels. She gained swiftly on the carriage, shouting.

“Cecille Reinhart, you are under arrest! Halt the carriage or—”

“[Dangersense]! Captain, watch out!”

One of the Watch shouted, and she peeled back just in time. She’d been ready for Cecille to pull a wand on her, or one of her flunkies, but not for two long blades to click out of the carriage’s sides.

“Whoa! It’s got blades! Get back! Get back!”

Jerci galloped away in alarm as the carriage swerved right and left. The blades would have taken off the horses’ feet! Zevara urged her horse left and saw a window roll down.

“Crossbows!”

One of Cecille’s people fired the crossbow at the Watch, and Zevara ducked; something flew past her helmet, and she spat flames back—the window rolled up fast, and now the Drake was galloping next to the carriage.

“Cecille Reinhart! We’ll use deadly force!”

The woman shot her a glance and sneered—one of the Watch, Jerci, had managed to aim a bow while galloping. An arrow shot towards her coach and then snared itself in the air—a dozen black ribbons strangled it, and it dropped.

Dead gods, that’s a dangerous aura. The Watch was having trouble getting close! It was Sergeant Relc who closed the gap. The Gecko of Liscor was on foot and running hard.

“Argh, I hate horses! Slow down! I said slow—[Triple Thrust]!”

His spear struck three times with pinpoint accuracy, and one of the scythe-blades on the side of the carriage broke away. The Watch closed in, firing wands and striking the windows with their blades, keeping those from within from taking another shot at them.

“Cecille Reinhart!”

Zevara was going for the leads of the horses. She raised her sword to chop them and set the horses free when she saw Cecille press something in her driver’s seat.

“Watch o—”

The cloud of black smoke blasted everyone, and the Drakes’ horses screamed and slowed, rearing and unable to run while blinded. Zevara coughed as it got into her lungs. She broke out of the melee, wrestling her mare forwards—only Sergeant Relc had escaped the cloud. He charged after Cecille.

“Gotcha!”

His spear struck the carriage once, twice—he left huge gouges in the black paint. Then he took aim at a wheel. The entire carriage swerved as Cecille cursed. This time, it glowed and sped forwards.

“Oh come on—”

Zevara saw Relc accelerate, cursing. She shouted her own Skill.

“[Pursue the Quarry]!”

Her horse accelerated, not as fast as the carriage, but leaving the rest of the mounted Watch behind. Zevara clung to her mount, flat as she could. Minutes stretched out as the ground blurred beneath them; they dodged around slower-moving vehicles, and Zevara didn’t know whether her Skill would run out first or Cecille’s magic.

 

——

 

The enchantment ran out moments before Zevara’s Skill. She was almost on the carriage now, as it slowed, and she saw Relc panting just ahead of her. Now she saw the horses flagging!

She tried to urge her horse to move faster, but the mare was going full-out, and it wasn’t enough! She saw Relc nearing the carriage. He raised his spear—only for those black ribbons to snare his feet.

“Argh!”

He tripped and went tumbling! Relc slashed at the ribbons, cursing, and Zevara saw the carriage break out of the pass that led past Esthelm. Where were they? 

“Come on, just a bit further! Come on!”

The mare was trying, but she’d already been galloping full-tilt, and whatever Cecille Reinhart was doing, it was motivating her horses to gallop faster, exhausted or not.

Zevara saw green fields flash past her and cursed. Cecille was going to get away! She—

“Watch Captaaaain!”

Kevin pedaled past her, and Zevara nearly fell off her horse. Somehow—he’d caught up to them! No, now the Skills had ended, he was gaining on Cecille’s carriage!

Kevin’s enchanted bicycle was glittering in the sun as he stood up in the footrests and pumped his legs. He was an experienced biker from Earth, and he was on the max gear and Hedault’s enchanted pedals to outspeed the flagging carriage! But what was he going to do?

Zevara cried out a warning as she saw Cecille Reinhart glance over her shoulder. The [Lady] didn’t raise a hand, but one of the windows rolled down.

“Kevin! Watch out—”

The [Mechanic] was next to the rear wheels of the carriage, on the side without the scythe blade. He saw the window roll down and pedalled frantically a pace closer—then reached out and slapped the side of the carriage.

“[Rapid Disassembly]—oh shit!”

In slow motion, Zevara saw the back left wheel pop off the carriage. Beautifully, too. It was like it was pulled off and disassembled in each component part, axle, spokes, everything that could be removed spread out in a neat manner next to the carriage.

In motion. The pieces hit the ground and vanished instantly. And the carriage?

It lurched onto one side, skidded a hundred feet, and then the other wheels couldn’t keep it steady. Cecille’s carriage hit something—a rock—and overbalanced.

It rolled across the road as the horses tore free of their leads and galloped away, screaming. Zevara saw the [Lady] go flying—the carriage rolled eight times then came to a halt. The [Watch Captain] passed by Kevin; he’d wiped out to avoid the carriage wheel. Zevara’s eyes were on Cecille Reinhart, lying with her beautiful black scarf on the ground.

Was she alive? Zevara jumped from her saddle. She bent down and saw Lady Cecille’s eyes were open. She was lying on her front, panting for air—either an amulet or Skill had saved her or she was the luckiest woman alive.

“Lady Cecille? Are you hurt?”

The woman made no sound. She stared murder as her eyes locked onto Zevara—no, past her?

The boot nearly caved in Zevara’s head as she knelt by the [Lady]. It slammed into her shoulder instead as one of the three goons swore. They’d come out of the carriage dizzy and battered—but ready for a fight.

“Zevara!”

Kevin shouted as the Watch Captain lurched back. She reached for a sword she didn’t have—only her baton. When she grabbed it, one of the other men slashed at her with a shortsword. It buried itself in the baton, and she twisted, dragging it from his grip. She threw it aside, blade lodged in the baton and useless, and backed up.

They were unarmed, save for a man with a belt knife—they must have lost their weapons in the crash! She raised her fists as one came at her. He was bigger than she was and threw a gloved punch; she leaned back and threw a counter across his face.

It felt like she was hitting a rock. He tried to tackle her and made the same mistake as a lot of Humans: he forgot she had a tail. It had snaked through his feet, and he went over.

Zevara kicked him in the chest and got a blow to the side for her trouble—the second man came in swinging, and she backed up and opened her mouth.

Flames baked the screaming idiot until the third put her in a choke-hold. She gasped, throwing an elbow up and back, trying to get him to let go—until a fist punched the man off his feet.

“Hands off the Watch Captain!”

Relc followed up the punch with a kick to the ribs. He spun as Zevara gasped and blew another stream of flames at the man scrambling backwards.

She and Relc backed up into each other as the three of Cecille Reinhart’s servants came at them. Zevara spat a poof of smoke in one’s face and ducked a wild swing—Relc threw an uppercut that knocked the man off his feet, and the Human behind him tried to bring two fists on the back of his head. Zevara swept the Human’s leg and then jumped on his chest. She stomped with both her feet, bounced off him, and swung around.

The last man was flailing at Relc, who advanced, grinning as he caught a fist effortlessly. The [Spearmaster] pointed his free claw—the Human twisted just in time to see Zevara’s helmet approaching his nose.

They were down, and Relc was chortling as he dusted his claws off.

“Good fight, Captain Z! I knew you had them handled, but my punching fist got lonely.”

She grinned at him as she rubbed her knuckles.

“You came just in time, Senior Guardsman. I think that’s all of them. Wait, where’s Lady Cecille?”

They spun around—and found the [Lady] sitting cross-legged. Her arms were folded, and she gave them an icy gaze.

“I wish to issue a complaint to your commanding officers, Watch Captain. I am a [Lady] of the Five Families and you have impeded me on my travels and put my life in danger.”

She sneered at them, despite a bruise on one cheek and her rather wet, windblown self. Zevara just eyed Relc.

“Can I hit her?”

“Me? I have done nothing wrong, Watch Captain. Order your [Thug] away.”

“You’re under arrest for fleeing Liscor, Lady Cecille, and attacking the Watch!”

“Me?”

Cecille’s eyes widened in mock outrage. She brushed at her dress.

“I was merely departing the city. I committed no crimes—”

“You have Antinium healing scrolls in your possessions.”

“Bought legally.”

Relc was staring at her as he pointed at her broken carriage. Cecille sniffed.

“You shot at Watch officers! Your carriage had scythe blades!”

“My men protected me. They must not have heard you were Watch officers and acted overzealously in my defense. I did nothing. My carriage has self-defense mechanisms.”

Zevara put her hands on her hips. Truly amazing. So that was why Lady Cecille hadn’t drawn a wand.

“We have you on resisting arrest and your people’s actions, Lady Reinhart.”

“I demand to see my [Advocate]. House Reinhart will not accept your allegations. Now, I believe I’ve hurt myself. I must have a [Healer], so you will escort me there right away or I will charge you with mistreatment of a [Lady] of the Five F—”

Cecille Reinhart was brushing at her dress and striding towards one of the horses, and Zevara believed she actually would have tried to get on it and ride away. However, at that moment, a young man ran over and hit her with a bicycle.

Kevin Hall raised his enchanted bicycle overhead and hit Lady Cecille with it again. And then again. Possibly, she’d tried to say, ‘how dare you’ or ‘what is this’?

But it turned out her ability to drive like a madwoman and poise under fire was not backed by a sterling constitution for actual harm. Kevin lowered the bicycle and checked it for damage as he panted. Zevara and Relc stared down at the comatose [Lady] who wore an expression of utter astonishment; her eyes were rolled up into her head.

“I saw her making a run for it!”

Kevin innocently lowered the bicycle, and Zevara tried not to smile. Instead, she put on her sternest face.

“Thank you for your help, civilian Randy. I’m afraid that was utterly inappropriate, though. You should make yourself scarce before the [Lady] wakes. We have her under arrest—wait, where the hell are we? Esthelm? We must have gone miles!”

She realized this was nowhere near the places around Esthelm she knew. Relc scratched at his head.

“I think if it’s not Esthelm…the nearest big city would be…aw, hells.”

He turned his head, and Zevara actually closed her eyes this time. Then she swung around and saw a Golem Horse riding her way and a bunch of familiar, giant figures. And wouldn’t you know it—running ahead of them with a commendable turn of speed was Lord Xitegen.

 

——

 

“Watch Captain, we do keep meeting in the most unfortunate of circumstances. Cousin Cecille, you look delightful. Kisses, but I’m afraid you’ve got something on your face.”

“Who struck me? I’ll have them hung!”

Cecille Reinhart was screaming fury when she woke up, and that mask of contempt had well and truly slipped. Fortunately, Kevin had ridden off and Lord Xitegen had taken over. The rest of the Watch had finally caught up, indicating how fast the chase had been—far enough to take them into Celum’s lands, it seemed.

Given it was the only city between her and the north proper, Zevara bet they were just past Esthelm’s grounds. But it meant Lord Xitegen was the final word here, and Lady Cecille knew it.

“Xitegen, these thugs from Liscor attacked my carriage! Arrest them and find out who struck me!”

The Lord of House Terland was giving Zevara one of those pre-emptive apologetic gazes, but she was gratified by his response. He turned, smiling, sweating a bit in his noble running outfit—and you had to admit, he did have thighs that wouldn’t quit. The twisting aura of black ribbons, like snakes, around Cecille deformed, and she went staggering backwards.

Did he just hit her with his aura? Xitegen boomed genially.

“Cecille, I’m delighted to see you’re as nasty as ever, but you forget yourself. This is my land, my city, and I don’t like you. So do shut up while I talk to the lovely Drakes. What, pray tell, is she charged with, Watch Captain Zevara?”

“Resisting questioning by the Watch, attack on Watch officers, and lack of suitable attire in public.”

Zevara added the last one with a straight face, and Xitegen glanced at Cecille’s disorganized state. He chuckled again, then sighed.

“Did she hurt anyone in your pursuit?”

“No, but the lives of my people were threatened.”

“A fine, then. Hefty enough given you had your bullyboys out, Cecille. And are those scythe-blades? I thought you didn’t have any more carriages with those, unless you just add them in. My, my. You must learn to stand and answer for your crimes. At least in places with proper law and order.”

The [Lady] folded her arms, lips compressed. The rest of her men were in various states of injury, being propped up by Xitegen’s Golems. She said nothing, and Xitegen focused on Zevara.

“She’s no fun when you actually have her beat. And if you think she’s the worst viper of the house…Cecille’s a big one, but they have worse. I can see she’s distressed the Watch and upset Liscor greatly, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you banned her and her people, but out of courtesy to her house, if not her, and for your safety, I am minded to let her go with a hefty fine.”

“You what?”

Relc was getting a glimpse of the north’s style of law enforcement first-hand, and the rest of the Watch were also incensed. However, Zevara was cool. She felt better now. She knew she was in trouble with Venim; he’d been cursing her before this chase. However, right now, she was Senior Guardswoman Zevara, and her job wasn’t done.

Plus…her eyes glinted as she nodded at Lord Xitegen.

“I suppose if it’s your land, your rules go, Lord Xitegen. I hope that someday you respect the law when it’s not convenient to ignore it.”

That needled him a bit. His chest inflated, and he sighed.

“Well said, Watch Captain. But I trust I won’t have issues with you over this?”

She saluted him crisply as Relc stared at her.

“No, sir! But may I entrust the second part of Liscor’s duties to you? Namely, the compensation for the recalled items in Lady Reinhart’s possession?”

He blinked at her.

“The what?”

 

——

 

Lady Cecille had nearly eighty scrolls in her possession. If you counted them as healing potions, that was a lot of money. Xitegen murmured.

“What’s the going rate on healing potions these days, Seconda?”

“It is eighty-eight gold pieces and seven silver where purchasable, Lord Xitegen. The Merchant’s Guild in First Landing has…zero in stock at the list price. Inquiries to be made with the [Guildmaster] directly.”

“My oh my. And the Free Antinium are refunding how much, Watch Captain?”

“One gold coin.”

Xitegen snapped his fingers. His eyes had lit on the scrolls, and Cecille was growing paler and paler by the second. She knew what he was going to do, and Zevara had a good inkling.

“Well, I am happy to compensate Cecille myself! Seconda, credit eighty-eight gold pieces to Cecille’s personal account at the Merchant’s Guild, would you? And I will confiscate these scrolls. You may assure the Prognugator that I will dispose of them properly.”

“Not return them to the Free Antinium, Lord Xitegen?”

Zevara was thinking of Robb’s comment. The Thigh Man himself bought scrolls from Liscor…Xitegen raised his brows at her, unashamedly direct.

“No, I rather don’t think I’ll stuff a gift horse back where it came from, Watch Captain. Call that more unscrupulous behavior, but I rather think your people would applaud you if you confiscated such items for them.”

She had to agree with that, but the Watch Captain was still too smiley. Too calm. Xitegen noticed.

“…Unless you have some claim?”

“Oh, no, Lord Xitegen. If Celum wishes to confiscate the scrolls, we of Liscor’s Watch can do nothing. I will simply go back and inform Pawn and Miss Lyonette of my inability to recover the scrolls, but I am sure they will trust your good word and hold you to account for any imbalances.”

Relc slowly smiled as Lord Xitegen’s face became frosty.

“Ah. Princess Lyonette and the Free Antinium. Groups of utmost restraint and sobriety.”

“And unwillingness to hold grudges. I speak from personal experience, Lord Xitegen.”

He rubbed at his chin.

“…And the only group that will sell these damn things in the future. I see, I see. Very well done, Watch Captain. Here I thought you couldn’t play northerner’s games. It would appear that Drake stubbornness is only skin-deep in some cases. Very well—take them. And do remind the Prognugator of my commitment to fairness.”

He flicked his fingers and turned. Cecille snapped.

“You’re letting her walk over you, Xitegen? You coward!”

“Cecille, the continent has changed since Magnolia put you to bed. If you want to play your old games with Liscor, go right ahead. But I think today would be a lesson, if I thought you were capable of learning.”

He shot back, and Cecille’s eyes focused on Zevara. There was a grudge there, oh yes. The Watch Captain just saluted the [Lady] as Relc gathered up the scrolls.

“I deeply regret the loss of your vehicle, Lady Reinhart. In the future, I hope you will cooperate with the Watch to the utmost extent of your disabilities.”

“Yeah, or bring more goons! I didn’t even get in a good punch!”

Relc grinned at her, and the [Lady]’s nostrils went so wide that Zevara was impressed. She didn’t know Humans did that. But the [Watch Captain] did step forwards.

“And in the future, try to just buy goods from the Antinium, Lady Cecille. Stealing from them is crass, even for a [Lady].”

The woman’s eyes narrowed, and Zevara felt her aura wrapping around her like dangerous, slithering vines. However, the Watch Captain didn’t move away. Cecille’s voice was low.

“You truly are a fool, Watch Captain. I will remember this—and if you think I needed to steal from those wretches, you are twice as delusional and ignorant of the north. House Reinhart’s coffers run deeper than you can even dream.”

Huh? Zevara met those simmering eyes, and again, she felt that disconnect. Was the [Lady] lying? If so, Zevara would never know, even with a Skill or truth stone, if she had one. And yet—she stood there until Relc coughed.

“Zevara, Venim wants you in his office the moment we go through a door.”

“I’ll take you to Celum. It’s almost as close.”

Xitegen offered Zevara, and she stepped back. But now…now…

 

——

 

She was thinking when Venim slammed his hands on the table and shouted at her. Thinking, her hands and feet locked in parade rest, as three other people stood behind her.

Watch Captain Ronss, Watch Captain Beilmark, and Sergeant Relc, acting as Watch Captain for her district, winced as Venim shouted.

“Arresting a Reinhart out of Liscor! Disregarding my orders! Stealing a Watch uniform—”

“As a matter of fact, Watch Commander, that was my property. I merely clocked in as Senior Guardswoman Zevara. Relc can show you the day log.”

“I do have it. I thought it was a joke.”

Relc had the booklet, and Venim spat at Zevara; she thought flames would be broiling her if he had her abilities.

“You do not have a Senior Guardswoman’s rank! You are a [Watch Captain]—”

“Actually, I have both classes.”

Her soft voice brought him up. He peered at her.

“What?”

“I’m a [Guardswoman] and a [Watch Captain], Commander. I have dual classes. Both over Level 30.”

She gazed over his shoulder, and the other members of the Watch stared at her—then Relc raised a hand.

“Hey, Captain Z! High five! I knew there was someone else like me!”

She high-fived him, which brought Venim straight back into rage mode.

“This is all technicalities, Zevara! You disobeyed my orders and pursued that investigation on your own!”

“And caught the [Merchant] and [Lady] stealing the scrolls, yes, Watch Commander? She was correct there was more going on.”

Beilmark interjected. Venim hesitated, because he was, again, mad but not stupid. He could tell his Watch Captains had Zevara’s back. He sat himself down, glaring.

“Am I the Watch Commander of Liscor, Watch Captain Zevara?”

“Of course, sir.”

“Well, I don’t feel like it. I rather feel like you’ve taken on the role of ultimate discretion in the city and I’m only acting in the job until you decide otherwise. We must have a hierarchy of command here, and if we do not, then there is no system behind our laws!”

He had a good point. Zevara shuffled her feet.

“I do acknowledge your authority, Watch Commander. I just…believe, strongly, that there are matters in which an officer needs to be able to overrule their commander. To be the one executor of the law who cannot be swayed. It happened in Esthelm and Celum as well; the law is measured differently in each city when I should have had jurisdiction in each, or at least, cooperation!”

He pulled at his neck spines.

“The law is subordinate to politics, Zevara; we’ve been over this! You know it!”

“It shouldn’t be.”

She met his eyes, and he opened his mouth to shout…then sat back.

“You’re right. It shouldn’t be. I’m not happy with it either, but I didn’t take this job because I was enamored with dreams or ideals. Every one of us has had to compromise in some way. So yes, I acknowledge that the full weight of the law wasn’t backing you up. The Merchant’s Guild is trying to get Master Yerham out, and the House of El has an [Advocate] waiting for me. It shouldn’t be this way, but it is. At the same time, I need you to follow orders.”

She was nodding and knew it was time for her punishment, but she was still…thinking.

“The case isn’t closed though, Commander. I have it from both Lady Cecille and Merchant Yerham they didn’t steal the Antinium’s items.”

He twitched.

“Watch Captain—I need you to follow orders.”

Someone else spoke up. Watch Captain Ronss had a black eye and a nasty scrape over one cheek, but he was still working. He gave Zevara a glance as he stepped forwards.

“Sometimes, it’s the wrong orders though, Watch Commander. If I’d listened to Zevara, we wouldn’t have gotten into the mess with the Brothers.”

“Watch Captain Ronss, thank you for your input, but this and that are different matters. Alright, let me focus on the things I can agree with.”

He crossed his arms, clearly trying to mediate.

“—The Antinium issue was bigger than I imagined. All those scrolls…over a hundred were recovered between the two Humans, and that’s a vast fortune in gold and healing. The Council is meeting to negotiate with the Free Antinium for the Watch and our army. I agree, it was worth prioritizing! At the same time…we had officers investigating!”

“But not experts, Watch Commander. I put Jerci and the Antinium on it, but they made things worse. One poor Antinium lost his mind—we don’t have good Senior Guard pairs. Me and Klbkch…well, we might not have done better since Klbkch is actually pretty bad with Antinium himself, but we need more specialists.”

Venim nodded as Relc put in that rather astute observation, and Beilmark shot him an astonished glance and nudged him approvingly. He grinned, and Venim gave him a brusque nod as he checked the report again.

“True. But the chase was far too risky. That [Lady] is a menace. Did you…did she really have blades on her carriage? I think that’s the one law she actually broke. Those are highly illegal.”

“Really?”

Even Zevara didn’t know that. Damn, she could have hit Cecille with something harder than Kevin’s bicycle. Well, that alone made her smile.

Ronss grinned too.

“C’mon, Commander Venim. You were cheering on Watch Captain Zevara, same as the rest of us! Dead gods, an old-fashioned chase? We haven’t had one of those for years!”

Venim made a slashing motion at Ronss, but the overexcitable Watch Captain turned to Zevara as she blushed.

“I wish I’d been there to go after her! Mind you, I can’t ride for anything, but Lens—you know Lens? He was moaning that you didn’t pick him! He’s got [Rider] Skills and the class, and he just got off leave!”

Zevara’s whirling thoughts solidified in a moment. She and Relc exchanged a glance, and then they swivelled around to face Ronss.

“What was that, Ronss?”

“Uh, what?”

“Lens. What did you just say about him?”

Senior Guardsman Lens, who was at the heart of her investigation without any leads…Zevara stared at him, and the Watch Captain stuttered.

“Well, I—I just said that he was upset you didn’t take him. But it’s no big problem. He was on paternity leave until yesterday, so…”

“He was what? That’s impossible.”

Relc interrupted urgently. Now the cards were falling in Zevara’s mind. Ronss eyed Relc.

“He had a kid. I’m sure of it.”

“But I read his reports! All this month! He was the one who dealt with the Antinium…thefts…”

“What’s this, Sergeant Relc?”

Venim had caught wind of the same thing as the others now. Beilmark was sniffing the air out of reflex, and Zevara spoke.

“That’s why no Antinium ever got their stolen items back. Senior Guardsman Lens never returned them.”

“Wait, he’s been stealing from Antinium? Lens?”

Watch Captain Ronss’ eyes went round in horror, and she shook her head. Now, Zevara was pacing, pacing around the office, ignoring Venim.

“Not Lens. But it makes sense. I just talked to Merchant Yerham and Lady Cecille. Both looked me in the eye and swore they weren’t the ones stealing from Antinium…but they were the ones the Antinium described. A [Merchant] in clothing and a [Lady] with a rosewood scarf.”

Beilmark rubbed at her badge with one finger.

“They could have lied to you, Zevara. Remember the Named-rank adventurer? Regrika Blackpaw?”

Zevara nodded, but she didn’t agree.

“Maybe…but it never added up. I didn’t know why until I met the two. Yerham is an agent of the House of El. He’s more interested in technology, and his man wasn’t violent; he just ran away when I chased him. He said it himself: why steal from Antinium? And Cecille Reinhart…she’d steal from them, but they always identified her as the one doing the crime. Carpenter Laikos said she shoved him and took his doll.”

“I’d believe she’d steal candy from Mrsha, or try. What’s off about that, Captain Z?”

Relc commented. Zevara regarded him.

“It doesn’t fit her character, Relc. The nastiness, yes, but being hands-on? The entire time she was in Liscor, I never even saw her step out of her carriage. When she told me she never set foot on our streets, I believed her! The idea she’d do the dirty work herself, let alone touch an Antinium…it doesn’t add up.”

“But…those are your suspects, Watch Captain.”

Venim interjected, trying to piece it together as well. Zevara looked at him, and an idea coalesced in her mind. Well, when you’d run through all the other options…

“There’s one last party, Commander. And a few more odd things. When I talked to Pawn, he showed me the articles of faith. It’s pretty obvious what they look like if you’ve bought a few. Cecille Reinhart could recognize them, but Antinium who were stolen from lost personal items without faith as well as valuables. The [Thieves] didn’t have nearly as much experience as people working with them.”

“Okay, that does seem odd. But if they saw a [Lady]…”

“They saw a [Lady]. But I don’t think it was Cecille. Not only would it be stupid of her to just walk up and snatch things…I think it was a fake. An illusion.”

Relc’s brows shot up, and Zevara murmured as the pieces fit.

“Carpenter Laikos. When I interviewed him the first and second times, he described the [Lady] as wearing a ‘rosewood scarf’. Red and black. So did other Antinium. But that doesn’t work. Because Cecille might wear a scarf, but it’s not that pattern. It’s more like a spiderweb. Relc, you saw it. Would you call that rosewood?”

“Uh, no. It was expensive as heck. Magical.”

Zevara nodded.

“It’s the kind of thing you could easily mistake, but Laikos told me himself—he knows beauty. Even if he didn’t appreciate it, I doubt a [Carpenter] would confuse wood patterns.”

Venim frowned.

“He’s an Antinium, Watch Captain. He might not have known the difference. But are you saying that wasn’t the [Lady]?”

Zevara nodded.

“It just looked like her. Just like Guardsman Cossl said he handed over items to Senior Guardsman Lens—who couldn’t have been there. It’s so clever. The paperwork’s in our system, and only the Antinium would realize that no one actually got their items back.”

“So someone was posing as Merchant Yerham and Lady Cecille to put the blame on them. And then they also hid items that the Watch recovered by posing as Lens!”

Beilmark murmured. Zevara nodded, and Ronss threw up his hands.

“But then—this is a disaster! It could be anyone! Wait, I bet it’s the Brothers. Rings of disguise aren’t cheap! I bet it’d hard to fake a magical scarf, which is why it appeared cheaper, but even that costs more gold than any random person could spend. But Zevara, you have no proof!”

Relc’s face fell, and Zevara let out a smoky breath. She swore she heard Kevin’s voice narrating in a deep monotone.

And in the room, the beleaguered Watch Captain with smoke-for-brains finally put two and two together. The crime was good, perfect, and she had no evidence, but the bastards had made one mistake by being too clever…

She turned to Venim and realized he’d gotten it. Zevara glanced at the others and shook her head.

“Oh, no. There was only ever one other group spotted around the Antinium, Ronss. And they overplayed their hand. It could have been anyone…except for one problem. Tell me, Relc, since you’ve been doing desk duty. Who has access to all the stamps and paperwork you’d need to file Lens’ report?”

He shrugged and counted on his claws.

“Hardly anyone. For a Senior Guard like him? You’ve gotta be at a desk in the Watch House, filing the damn stuff—you used to chew me out for not doing it after a patrol. Then you glance it over and add your stamp. So…it’d be a Watch Captain, really, if you were faking the entire thing. Or Venim. Or…”

He drew in a breath, and Zevara nodded. Venim finished the sentence.

“Or someone who has all the clearances. Who appears on no lists and can fake paperwork. Agents who…”

Who have all the best gear. Rings to disguise themselves, become invisible, and who could enter and leave a city and take all the paperwork they wanted…or put it back in its place. 

Zevara saw Hissl and Moass with the folders under their arms. She spoke softly.

“Hissl and Moass. The two most generic and silly names I’ve ever heard. Everyone I met laughed at the names because they’re so silly. So fake. And that’s it. That’s our motive.”

“How?”

Venim was watching her, and Zevara focused on him.

“Isn’t it obvious, Venim? They’re like you. They’re Drakes. They hate the Antinium! Buying something from the enemy—Robb, the Brothers’ leader, told me himself. No one in the cities is buying the scrolls. But that’s just stupid, isn’t it? This is a rare resource! You probably won’t get a High Command in any major city who’ll authorize giving the Antinium gold. But stealing from them…”

That made sense. It explained why they were unfamiliar, why Noiraid and the Brothers didn’t know them, and why they’d rushed to pin it on the north. That was just cream on top of the pie they were serving themselves.

“But which group?”

“I don’t know. But I’ll bet it’s a Walled City. Not Pallass’. They didn’t know the two. Watch Commander, I need you to put out a full alert for Hissl and Moass!”

Venim hesitated as Zevara spun, and his eyes flickered.

“But they had all the right papers. If they belong to a Walled City—”

She slammed her fists on his desk, and he jumped.

“Commander, they stole from Antinium! This isn’t the same as Yerham or Cecille! This is a crime!”

“Petty theft.”

“Is it a crime or not, Watch Commander? Or are the Antinium not good enough, huh?”

Relc gazed at him, and the Watch Commander met Zevara’s eyes. Then his features firmed, and he grabbed a speaking stone.

“Watch Commander Venim to all Watch Houses. I have two criminals I want apprehended on sight! They go by the names of Hissl and Moass and represent themselves as agents with all the proper papers—they are to be detained without release for any reason on my orders…”

Watch Captain Zevara spun. Her blood was pumping in her veins now, and she gazed at Relc.

“What’re the odds they’re still in the city, Captain Z?”

She shook her head.

“The moment Cecille Reinhart heard the announcement from Pawn, she ran. But she knew we were coming after her. They’ve been laughing at us, probably reading our reports and seeing us going after the Humans! They might be taking their time—but either way, there’s only one way to their city.”

“The inn.”

She was running out of Venim’s office a second later. Relc beat her to the doors and flung them open. Venim shouted.

“Watch Captain, if they make it to Pallass, they’ll be in the jurisdiction of the Walled City!”

She stopped in the doorway dramatically and met his eyes.

“They’re Liscor’s criminals. Our responsibility. First, I arrest them. Then someone can try to take them from me.”

Then she was running, running out of the office and down the street, and she knew there was only one thing between Hissl and Moass and their getaway.

Liska.

 

——

 

The [Doorgnoll] was bored as she sent people through the doors, so she was chatting. It meant she slowed down the [Door of Portals], but since she was doing her job and there were no lines forming, you got what you paid for. Which was her and only her, because she was awesome.

“So where are you headed?”

“Uh, Celum, Miss.”

“Ooh. What’s in Celum?”

“Er—an [Apothecary] I know. I’m getting a cream.”

“For what?”

Liska was harassing a woman at the door, who hesitated, then leaned in and whispered to Liska. The Gnoll’s mouth dropped open.

“Oh. Um. Good luck. Next!”

A group of rather impatient people were jostling in the queue as she switched the door to Invrisil. One stepped forwards.

“Excuse me, Miss?”

“Hey! [Form a Line], buddy!”

She pointed, and he snapped into line, seeming shocked she could do that to him. Liska was channeling her Erin, and she glared at him.

“No cutting, no exceptions! I mean, unless you’re part of the inn. But you’re not. I think.”

She squinted at the Drake. Nope, he looked like some generic loser she’d never see again. He protested.

“We’re in a hurry—and we’re agents of Pallass!”

He did appear rather antsy, and so did his partner, who brandished some documents at her. She whistled.

“Ooh, look at those fancy passports. Alright, well, I need you to put them in the right place.”

“Where?”

“Up my ass. But not seriously—I’m not making an exception for you! Back of the line! And if you complain, I’ll kick you out! Just say the word and make my day: I have a Named-rank adventurer I can call on.”

She rubbed her paws as the Drakes spluttered. They shuffled back—then she made them go to the back of the line where they grumbled. Just to spite them, Liska took extra long bringing everyone in from Invrisil.

When she finally opened the door to Pallass and let people through, she conjured a [Forcewall] at the door.

“So, Mister Agent Drakes, what brings you to Pallass?”

She purred at them, and the shorter one glowered.

“We’re returning to our cities. On urgent business.”

They had, she noticed, a Chest of Holding between them.

“Ooh. Did some shopping in Liscor, did you?”

The taller one smirked.

“Not much shopping. May we go, Miss?”

“Sure, sure. It’s Liska, by the way.”

“Thank you, Miss—”

He walked into the [Forcewall], and Liska beamed at him.

“Miss Liska.”

“Miss Liska. Thank. You.”

“What’s your name?”

A muscle twitched in his cheek, but the shorter Drake exhaled and offered her a patient smile.

“It’s Hissl. And I’m Moass, Miss.”

“Moass?”

She started guffawing on her couch and pointed at him. The shorter Drake shifted.

“Yep. Had it every day I was alive. Moass.”

“Moass. And I thought Noass was bad enough…oh, dead gods! Do you know Noass? Is that your family name? Is your dad like—Groass? Is your mom Fatass?”

The two agents were trying not to encourage her as people in line fidgeted. Liska wheezed and eventually waved a paw.

“Okay, okay. Go on through. Moass.”

She saw them huffily stride through the door into an open checkpoint and sighed. Well, that was fun.

A few minutes later, the door to Liscor burst open when she changed the dial to it, and someone leapt through.

“LISKA!”

“Aaah! What is it this time?”

Liska fell off her couch as Zevara stormed into the room, flashing her badge around. She was panting smoke.

“Lock down the door! No—did two Drakes come through here to Pallass? Hissl and Moass—open the door, I need to ask the guards—”

Liska got up, gawping, as Sergeant Relc appeared behind Zevara. He had his spear, and the clamor as she changed the door dial attracted people.

“What’s going on? Captain Z? What is it?”

Kevin and Joseph came skidding into the room ahead of Lyonette. They seemed to know what was going on. Zevara gasped.

“It’s the Drakes. Are they in Pallass?”

“Y-yeah. They must have left only a few minutes ahead of—”

“Move! Watch pursuing a suspect!”

Zevara charged into the door to Pallass followed by Relc, Kevin, and Joseph. She could hear them shouting at Pallass’ [Guards]. Liska sat on her couch as Lyonette whirled, demanding to know what was going on.

She hadn’t done anything! It wasn’t her fault! Then she heard a siren going off in Pallass, and someone shouted.

“It’s on the news!”

Liska lifted her scrying orb, and there was Watch Captain Zevara. She watched the orb. Then she sat back on her couch.

“Why do cool things never happen to me?”

Then she thought about the Goblin King.

“Actually, I’m fine. This is great.”

 

——

 

Then it was just the chase. The simplest part of the entire case, when the suspect was fleeing and you had nothing left to do but get them.

Of course, it was hard. They had a lead on her, and they were in a huge Walled City, but Zevara didn’t have to worry about the mystery any longer. She was devoting all of her mind and body towards one thing:

Get them. The image of Carpenter Laikos was in her mind, and Noiraid, asking if Antinium mattered. Well, she had only her actions as proof.

“Out of the way! We are after criminals, and you are obstructing the Watch!”

She was shouting at the barred gate, and the Garuda shouted back.

“We’re the Watch! I—hey, attack, attack!”

Sergeant Relc was stabbing the enchanted gates with his spear. He muscled it up before a mechanism locked it in place, but he refused to let it drop. Joseph bellowed.

“Open the gate! Some idiots are impersonating the Eyes of Pallass, and they’re escaping! Can’t you see it’s Watch Captain Zevara?”

Beyond them, people on the streets were turning at the clamor. The [Guardsman] hesitated—Kevin burst through the door behind them, lugging something.

“Oh come on—out of the way! [Rapid Disass—]”

Before he could try his Skill on Pallass’ gates, the mechanism abruptly released. Relc yanked his arm out, and Zevara heard a familiar voice speaking.

“Eyes of Pallass. Zemize. Apprise me, Watch Captain.”

Zevara charged through the door, and the female Drake was there with a group of other Eyes of Pallass. She barked.

“Hissl and Moass. They’re escaping with a fortune in Antinium healing items! They’ve been stealing from Antinium for at least a month and pinning the blame on the Humans!”

“And?”

One of the agents raised a brow and put out an arm. To stop them? Zevara snarled.

“They stole from citizens of Liscor, and if you don’t respect that, then know they were masquerading as Eyes of Pallass the entire time! They just came through the gates, and your security let them through!”

There was a round of curses from the agents, and Zemize instantly yanked out a speaking stone. She barked into a stone at her wrist.

“This is Zemize to Floor 1. Prepare to lock the gates!”

“It’s not going to do any good—they’ve got papers like yours!”

Joseph was shouting. Zevara could just imagine the two slipping away in the chaos, or worse, disguising themselves.

In a city this large…all they had to do was change their identities, not even with magic, and they’d slip out!

“We’ll never find them. Does anyone have a tracking Skill? I don’t have anything of theirs—”

She turned to Relc, and the Gecko was peering around at the crowds.

“Damn. If only we could get them to reveal themselves! They can’t get to the first floor that fast, Captain Z. We’ve got time.”

“But how?”

Then Zevara began to eye the ground. She walked forwards as Zemize snapped.

“Leave it to us. We have detection spells at every gate. I need a description of the Drakes, and then we’ll know exactly who they are and where they went. Even if they get on a trade road, we’ll have their vehicle. I need twenty Eyes on me!”

She grabbed Relc and towed him with her. He cast a glance at Zevara…she was walking down the street, following something. Like…footsteps? The [Spearmaster]’s eyes widened, then he cast around.

“Kevin, Kevin—”

He jerked his head at Zevara, and the young man nodded and followed her. Joseph didn’t notice. He was just thinking.

“Hm. How do you get these guys to show themselves?”

He looked up and glanced around.

“Wh—hey, where’d everyone go?”

The [Football Coach] spotted Zevara in the crowd and began to run after her. Then someone grabbed him.

“Joseph!”

A female Drake with bright yellow scales grinned at Joseph. Drassi Tewing and her Channel 2 camera crew had appeared as if by magic. He blinked.

“Wh—Drassi? What are you doing here?”

“[Reporter’s Intuition], Joseph! Plus, I have someone watching the inn at all times. What, do you think I’m stupid? I swear I just saw Zevara and Relc. What’s the scoop? And how much danger?”

He protested as he searched for Zevara, but she was gone.

“Drassi, we’re chasing some guys who stole a bunch of Antinium goods! They’re impersonating Eyes of Pallass! And we can’t find them…”

Her eyes were glittering as she signalled the [Cameraman] to begin recording, but not broadcasting—yet. Joseph’s rather famous face was already attracting attention.

“Wait, two disguised as Eyes of Pallass? Tell me everything—but how can I help? Can I help?”

“I don’t know…there are so many people here. I can’t tell how you’d spot them, even at the gates. One’s tall and green-scaled, the other’s got blue scales…wait. Wait—”

He was staring at the camera crew. The [Football Manager] was remembering games in packed stadiums and that damn camera that zoomed in on people. He seized Drassi’s shoulder.

“Drassi! I need you to broadcast something right now, across Pallass! Everyone watches emergency broadcasts, don’t they?”

“Well, yeah, but—”

“Do as I say!”

 

——

 

Channel 1 was hosting Noass and Sir Relz opining on the state of the economy with all these new coins in circulation when their broadcast was interrupted. The two [Commentators] broke off and glowered.

“What is it this time?”

“Channel 2 broadcast! It’s an emergency news story!”

Those overrode everything else, and Noass growled.

“It had better be important or she’ll be censured by Wistram!”

He saw the image of Drassi flash up onto a screen in front of him, replacing his and Sir Relz’s image so they could see how they looked. Someone turned up the volume, and Noass saw Drassi wasn’t alone. It seemed like she was on the 8th Floor? What was going on this time? The inn?

“Ancestors, it’s the 8th Floor again. What is it, a second Goblin King?”

There was a nervous titter in the room as Sir Relz leaned forward, and then Drassi spoke.

“This is Drassi with a live announcement for all of Pallass! I’m here with Coach Joseph with an urgent appeal to the citizens of Pallass!”

Interested civilians were turning behind her, and many more were checking scrying stones or new, cheap devices from Wistram that had lit up with the alert. Drassi turned to Joseph, who was scanning the crowds.

“We’re looking for a pair of Drakes on exceptionally urgent business! They may be about to leave the city—it’s a pair, apparently holding a Chest of Holding? One’s tall, the other shorter. The taller one has green scales, the shorter, blue. And they go by Hissl and Moass! That’s right—Noass’ long lost brother is in our city! Please, if you see them, shout and wave at us! We’re going to the balcony of the 8th Floor, and we’ll hopefully see them from there.”

“Er, what?”

Noass’ mouth had dropped open, and Sir Relz eyed him. They realized the cameras were rolling again.

“Noass, your brother’s in this city? You never introduced me! Never even mentioned him!”

“My—wh—I didn’t know I had a brother! I have a brother? I thought I was an only child! Moass?”

They stared at the screen, and Drassi was jogging along with Joseph, who was nodding.

“Uh, that’s right. His long lost brother! Moass! If you spot them, call it out! Don’t let them leave! Here, do you see them?”

The camera showed a dizzying view of the city with huge staircases leading down to the smallest, central floor, which was still massive. Tens of thousands of people were walking up and down the steps, but the movement had slowed; they were staring up at Drassi as she shouted.

“Moass! Your brother is searching for you! Does anyone see two Drakes with a Chest of Holding? Wave—don’t wave if you just want attention, you idiots!”

She and Joseph were scanning the crowd. There was just a sea of tiny people below; Noass was fanning at his face.

“I feel faint. My brother? Was it my mother? My father? Wh-what do I do, Sir Relz?”

“Steady, Noass. The odds of someone seeing them in this mess are low…”

But the entire city was now searching. Drassi was glancing down at people waving just for attention, cursing—but then she grabbed Joseph’s arm.

“Wait. There!”

She pointed, and they saw a pair of Drakes running down the stairs. Noass gasped. It was exactly like Joseph had described! Only, they were running, and the waving people were shouting and trying to get them to stop.

Noass was standing up.

“I—I have to go. Dear viewers, I must leave and, uh—”

He could get out of the studio and head down. Dead gods, what did—

And then Joseph shouted.

“Watch Captain Zevara! There! There they are! Don’t let them get away! They’re thieves!”

Noass froze. He saw the camera focus—and there was Watch Captain Zevara, who was moving along the 8th Floor. She’d been following something on the ground, but when she heard Joseph’s voice, her head snapped up. She turned—and the two Drakes began to run faster.

“Wait. Thieves? What?”

Drassi was joining in the shouting.

“They’re almost at 1st Floor! Stop them! They’ve stolen from the Free Antinium! Get me an elevator! The Watch Captain of Liscor is after them! But she’ll never make it!”

Zevara was six floors up. Joseph cursed as he wavered—but he was standing where he was, keeping an eye on the fleeing shapes. He shouted at the Watch below, but they were busy watching the television, which was on a five minute delay—only Zevara had seen. And she—turned—as Kevin grabbed her arm.

He had a bike.

 

——

 

Her bike. Zevara stared at it as Kevin pointed.

“They’re getting away, Zevara! Come on!”

She blinked at the gleaming contraption of metal and remembered him catching Cecille Reinhart’s carriage. Then Zevara looked around.

The two Drakes were running at full sprint for the gates. She was eight floors up—she swung herself onto the seat, and then she was peddling, shouting.

“Out of the way! Watch in pursuit of criminals!”

The people of Pallass had just caught up to the part of the broadcast where Drassi revealed that Hissl and Moass were criminals. Then they gazed up from their scrying orbs to see a Drake hurtling down the 8th Floor on a bicycle.

Zevara’s head was down, and her tail was up to avoid the wheel. She was cycling madly, smoke blowing out of her mouth as she glanced at Joseph’s pointing finger. Her Watch uniform was smudged with rain and grit. Her bike skidded, going diagonal as she swung right.

The staircase—! She gazed down tens of thousands of steps and cursed as she saw the pedestrians. Then her eyes fixed on the gap between stairs.

The huge bannisters of smooth stone that skateboarders had been zooming down since Kevin invented the device!

There was a newly-installed railing that had a sign. It said ‘no skateboarding’.

Zevara jumped it with her bicycle. She didn’t even know she could do that—then her wheels hit the huge gradient.

“Oh sh—”

She accelerated down the ramp, and her bicycle tore past staring faces. A Dullahan [Guardsman] dove out of the way as she shot off the 7th Floor and caught six seconds of air. She clung to the handles as her body lifted up—then landed in the seat.

It hurt like hell, but she was racing down the 6th Floor—then the 5th—above her, Kevin was screaming and shouting.

“Go, Zevara, go! Holy shit!”

He’d never seen any creation of his going half the speed she was. He hoped to hell the shocks and brakes were working! But where…

Where were the agents?

 

——

 

The Watch Captain was shooting down the 4th Floor like an arrow as Joseph caught his breath in dismay.

“They’re going out the gates! No! Stop them!”

He alone had eyes on the two from his vantage point. Hissl and Moass had grabbed the first carriage they’d spotted and commandeered it. They slowed at the gates, but whatever they did—they forced the [Guards] to let them through.

God damn papers! Drassi was in hot pursuit of Zevara, following the Watch Captain, but he could see that she had lost Hissl and Moass without eyes on them. Could she see them with her Skill if they were in a vehicle?

Joseph ran across the eighth floor, and Kevin found him.

“Joseph! They’re fucking getting away!”

“Quick! To the 9th Floor! They were headed out the western gate—we might be able to spot them from there! I know the carriage they were in!”

The two young men ran up the stairs. A [Soldier] guarding the entrance to 9th Floor was about to stop them, but he recognized Joseph.

“Coach? What’s going on—”

“Move! We need to find a carriage! Where is it? Where—?”

The two young men tore across the dizzying heights of Pallass. Four hundred feet down, tiny vehicles and people were moving across the vast trade road. Joseph tore at his hair.

“No! I can’t see shit! They’re getting away!”

Kevin had a scrying orb he’d gotten from somewhere. He showed Kevin a view of Zevara. The Watch Captain was cycling out of the first floor, following the trail—but Drassi had lost the two in their carriage as well. Zevara was looking around wildly, peddling hard—

“What are you searching for, Coach Joseph?”

A voice in his ear. He spun—and Zemize, the Eye of Pallass, was there with Relc. She was speaking into a stone.

“If you saw which carriage it was, we can locate it for you.”

“Uh—uh—it was bright red with silver trim and I think the logo of some kind of shipping group on it! The logo was white, and it had silver wheels too! Fancy!”

Instantly, Zemize and a group of her people scanned the ground. Her eyes seemed to dilate hugely, and Joseph remembered—

Eyes of Pallass. He and Kevin turned to her, and it was the Drake who pointed.

“There. [Mark Target]. Is that the vehicle?”

Kevin peered dangerously far out from over the balcony, and Joseph gasped.

“Yes, yes! Zevara! Zevara, that one!”

He swore he saw her too, a tiny silver shape moving out of the city, but she couldn’t hear him!

“Does she have a speaking stone?”

Zemize asked coolly as she spoke into her own speaking stone. Relc growled.

“What do you think we are, rich? I’m going after her—Joseph, Kevin, signal her somehow!”

“Dude, we can’t shout that loud! Can she see your [Mark Target], Zemize?”

“Sadly, no. We’ll get them. Unless they enter another city’s territory…they might try to get out of our aegis.”

The Eye of Pallass was tense, and Joseph realized she was as helpless as he was. A Garuda leapt from the walls, but the carriage was moving fast—only Zevara was right there. And…

He stared down at the carriage, then put one foot up on the battlements. Joseph got his other foot up, and Kevin grabbed for him.

“Dude, are you crazy? You’ll fall!”

“Don’t let me. Hey, Kevin, isn’t there some kind of detective story with a guy who plays football?”

Joseph’s eyes never left the tiny dot glowing below him. Kevin peered down as Joseph felt at his bag of holding. He always had a few footballs there, autographed, so he could kick them around and give them as gifts.

“What’re you…oh.”

Agent Zemize blinked at him. Joseph was doing calculations in his head, trying to account for height and drop and the wind—it was insane. But it was the only thing he could do. He bounced the ball up on one foot and then took a breath.

“[Mighty Kick]. [Pinpoint Shot]—go!”

He jumped, kicked the ball as hard as he could, and fell. Kevin, Zemize, and three [Soldiers] had to catch him before he dropped off the walls. Joseph felt them pulling him up, but his eyes were locked on the falling orb of black and white.

“Come on…come on…”

 

——

 

Zevara was panting for air. The bicycle was whirring beneath her, and the ground was flashing by. She saw people staring at her—there was a siren going off in Pallass, but she was just focused on the vehicles ahead of her. Looking for one that stood out. Something—anything—

It fell like a divine revelation from above. Perhaps it was the Antinium’s faith. Or some impartial force of justice. Or just Joseph’s incredible aim.

A soccer ball flew down and hit a red coach like a falling meteor. The ball exploded with a shockwave that made the other vehicles swerve away, and the carriage rocked; its roof was dented in, and it slowed—Zevara biked alongside it and shouted.

“In the name of the Watch, halt!”

She caught sight of a wide-eyed Drake staring at her. Moass. He raised something in one claw. A wand.

Zevara reacted on instinct. She hit the front brakes, and her bicycle flipped forwards. But she had already let go. It catapulted her against the door of the carriage, and she grabbed the latch as a spell blasted through the glass over her head. Then she pulled—and the door swung open.

“Halt in the name of the law!”

“Are you insane?”

Moass gaped at her, and Hissl snarled. He had the reins, and he swung the carriage left, trying to knock her free. She saw Moass aim at her again.

“[Freeze, Criminal]!”

His arm locked in place, and she swung herself around the open door and grabbed the opening. Moass unfroze and tried to aim at her—she slapped the wand out of his grip. Then she was punching and breathing fire as he tried to kick her out of the carriage.

Hissl let go of the reins to join in. It was two on one, and they were trained operatives. But she was a [Guardswoman] and a [Watch Captain]—and they were fighting in the confined carriage, not a place the two Drakes were used to.

Moass was trying to draw another wand from his belt as he kicked at her. She grabbed one leg and brought her elbow down on his groin. Her boot caught Hissl in the face as she breathed fire on the two of them.

Fire, fire—and mostly smoke, honestly. She was panting, exhausted, but she had a lot of smoke.

The carriage rolled to a stop as smoke billowed from it. Then a coughing Drake emerged, blinded, tears streaking from his eyes. The other leapt from the carriage as Drassi, hanging out of a vehicle of her own, slowed.

A Watch Captain leapt out of the carriage and put a flying elbow in Moass’ back. She drew a sword as Hissl whirled. He aimed a wand at her, and she snapped.

“Drop it!”

He hesitated, and his face screwed up when he saw Drassi aiming the camera at him. Zevara took hold of the sword with both hands.

The Drake agent hesitated—and then a blur halted at his back. Spearmaster Relc, the Gecko of Liscor, aimed his spear at Hissl, and the agent sighed. He raised his hands overhead and dropped the wand.

“You’re making a mistake, you idiots! We’re on the good guys’ side! Do you even know what you’ve done?”

He hissed at Watch Captain Zevara as she knelt on Moass’ back and began to cuff him. Relc leaned on his spear and grinned.

“Listen to this idiot, Watch Captain. ‘Good guys’? Who talks like that? What’re you, Manus? Or Fissival?”

Watch Captain Zevara stood, a pair of cuffs in her hand. She was breathing hard as she strode over to Hissl in full view of the road, the walls of the City of Inventions rising behind her. She snapped at Hissl as she cuffed him.

“The only side I’m on is the law’s. By the authority of Liscor, you are under arrest! Now…”

She glanced up, and seemed to spot Drassi and her camera only then. The Watch Captain stared into the camera, and that was how most of Izril got to know Watch Captain Zevara.

 

——

 

“The only side I’m on is the law’s!”

Watch Captain Zevara put her head in her clawed hands. Then she put her fingers in her earholes. Sadly—most modern scrying orbs had a rewind function.

Watch Commander Venim played the moment she arrested two agents of a Walled City again. Then he cleared his throat.

“I believe Wistram Academy stated that the broadcast broke a record for people watching.”

“What? Impossible. What about the Goblin King or the King of Destruction or—Erin?”

He shrugged.

“Something to do with the fact that when you sell more scrying devices, there are more people to watch. The political fallout from this is, of course, enormous.”

He eyed her, and she recalled their conversations about far smaller events. Zevara slumped in her chair. It was hours later; she’d taken nearly an hour to get the two into Pallass. People had been cheering and coming out to be on camera, and Kevin and Joseph had been dancing on the walls. But the ebullience…

Well, it hadn’t actually faded. She knew she was in a world of trouble, but still—we got them. She steeled herself as Venim read some reports.

“Let me have it.”

“Where shall I begin? Aside from the fact that you insisted—on live television—that Liscor had jurisdiction and shouted down six Watch Captains—and Watch Commander Linsetl—each Walled City is pressing us for answers. None harder than Fissival, who denies that these are their people.”

“Oh, so it was Fissival? I would have bet Manus.”

Exactly who the agents were hadn’t really mattered in hindsight. Venim nodded.

“Their extensive use of magical items is a clue, but mostly…one of them, Moass, had a piece of correspondence on his person that referenced one of Fissival’s Three.”

“Really? That’s…amazingly sloppy.”

Zevara was shocked, and Venim nodded.

“Well, there’s going to be a lot of heads rolling. Proverbially, I think. The Eyes of Pallass are just as embarrassed for not knowing that Fissival’s agents were bypassing them. They claim jurisdiction over Liscor.”

“Really? Well, everyone’s denying it.”

Venim’s lips quirked slightly. He wasn’t as incandescent as she expected, but perhaps he’d entered a place after anger. One could only hope. She wondered if she was going to keep her rank after this.

“Normally, I’d agree with you, but Drassi is, at this moment, going over the entire event on air. She has a lot of witnesses, including Coach Joseph.”

“Not K—Randy?”

“The other one? No, I think just Coach Joseph—and a lot of [Guards] and witnesses in Liscor. I think I saw her out my window.”

He turned to gaze out of the office window, and Zevara swallowed.

“Arresting agents of a Walled City…probably has consequences.”

“Oh, I have multiple messages calling for you to be punished. And one job offer from Oteslia…and a commendation from Zeres…and from House Terland. Actually, I have quite a lot more messages, but my [Receptionist] can’t keep them all organized. Those were the big ones.”

It figured some of the Walled Cities liked another failing, but this was a bad look. Zevara exhaled.

“And how much damage have I done to the Watch’s position?”

Venim steepled his claws and stared at the ceiling.

“Well…you pulled rank on Watch Commander Linsetl and all of Pallass’ Watch. But I hated Linsetl, that uptight bastard. So I’m going to ignore that. And Fissival can shout, but they’re all the way on the east coast, so what are they going to do? Fire spells at us? They’d probably miss and hit the Bloodfields instead.”

She opened one eye and stared at him.

“You’re not serious. I just caused the biggest incident in the Watch’s history.”

“True, true. I was thinking about what to do. Obviously, this entire situation exposed flaws in how we operate, Zevara. We got heated…”

Venim got up and stared out the window. He only turned when the scrying orb, still softly playing the recording of her chase and the aftermath, switched to a new perspective.

It was of Watch Captain Zevara, dirty, sweaty, but triumphant, arguing with several [Senators] and said Watch Commander. Exactly what Hissl and Moass were stealing had been revealed, and more importantly, from whom.

“Antinium? That’s what all this fuss is about? Who cares what happens to those things?”

An appalled Senator Errif barked, clearly on the verge of confiscating the invaluable healing scrolls for Pallass, but Zevara had one foot on the Chest of Holding, and she was trying to shove her badge up Watch Commander Linsetl’s nose.

Which one was barking at the crowd and cameras? [Watch Captain] or [Guardswoman]? Zevara didn’t remember, but the words were probably from both.

“They’re not Antinium, they are citizens of Liscor. The only reason these two got away with it was because they were pretending to be agents of a Walled City who could do what they pleased. The only reason they got this far was because no one cared what happened to a minority species in the city! There will be equal justice for Antinium, Garuda, Humans, Gnolls, Selphids, or any species in my city. This is Liscor’s property, and anyone who puts their claws on it will be arrested! Sergeant Relc, kneecap anyone who gets close!”

Zevara watched Sergeant Relc jabbing with the butt of his spear at everyone until Venim switched the scrying orb off. He stared at it in his hands, turning it over, before glancing back at Zevara.

“You know, I respect what you do. I didn’t see the Antinium angle, but you weren’t wrong. It’s just that the realities of the job were fighting with what I felt was your approach. This being such a big story has swung public opinion with us. That matters. The fact that a Walled City was framing the north and robbing the Antinium…it could have raised tensions, and I’m not blind to that. Nor is anyone else.”

He pulled up a piece of paper.

“The Free Queen has expressed her personal gratitude to you and wishes you to be given ‘suitable commendation for the act of a [Watch Captain]’. I don’t believe she knows what your class is, but it’s startling. Lord Xitegen has also expressed his support.”

“Well, he would. He likes anything that affects Drakes or Goblins.”

“True—but he’s not blind to the fact that you did the right thing.”

Zevara shook her head.

“The Walled Cities are angry, Venim. Don’t sugartail it.”

“They may be angry, but Liscor caught them in the open with their pants down. That reversed the problem, Zevara. Don’t you get it? If you’d caught those two privately, I’d get an order tomorrow to let them go and apologize while we’re at it.”

Venim smiled at her.

“Instead, Fissival might have to issue a public apology! At the very least, someone’s paying for those two and their crimes! Do you know what the funniest part of all this is?”

He sat down, and she eyed him.

“No.”

“You know how Joseph said that ‘Moass’ was Noass’ brother? It turns out that really is his name.”

Venim chuckled. Zevara’s jaw dropped.

“No.”

“Hissl is a fake—but Moass was so convincingly bad that he kept it. And they are related. Though it’s more of siblings twice removed.”

She couldn’t help it. She threw her head back and laughed at that. Venim chuckled along too, then he stared out the window again.

“You went past me on this one, Zevara. Rightly so, but I’m the Watch Commander. My head wasn’t on the swivel, but something has to be done. We can’t have this go down twice.”

She braced herself. Here it was. She sat up, and Venim exhaled as he seated himself once more.

“In light of recent events, Watch Captain Zevara, I’m moving Sergeant Relc up to full time Watch Captain for south district.”

“I see.”

He nodded and fiddled with a piece of paper.

“I have a change of positions for you, if you’d like to sign…”

She stared numbly at the papers. You had to file papers…then her eyes narrowed.

“What’s this? This has my class wrong.”

“Does it? I was under the impression you were [Watch Captain] Zevara and [Guardswoman] Zevara. You never filed your second class, but I did see you were on the books twice.”

Venim innocently peered at Zevara, and she read.

“This…is promoting Senior Guardswoman Zevara. To—Special Investigator Zevara? What kind of rank is that?”

She’d never heard of it before. Venim coughed into one hand.

“It’s what it sounds like. Investigations. Deep crimes. Walled Cities have the position. It’s higher than Senior Guardswoman. Given your aptitudes, I think it’s the best fit for you. And it also gives you more authority over other members of the Watch. Though not other Watches. But there’s a proposal about that…”

“Wait, I’m not being fired?”

Zevara burst out, and Venim laughed at her.

“Zevara, if I fired you tomorrow, I’d probably be gone the next day! Liscor loves you! This has only made it worse. No, my problem was figuring out a role you fit, and I had a—visitor—who made some excellent suggestions. Yes indeed…”

Visitor? Zevara narrowed her eyes. She had an image of a tall half-Giant stooping to enter Venim’s office, but he just gave her an innocent gaze.

“Special Investigator I’ll take, but I got a taste of what happens if I leave my city. There’s no fixing that.”

“Funny you should mention that. Lord Xitegen Terland was so taken with your work, he issued a proposal after the broadcast. He’s suggesting you be given broad investigatory powers in Celum, Liscor, and Esthelm. And he’s asked other local cities to join in. Pallass shot the idea down instantly, but more than one city seems intrigued by the idea. Or rather, you.”

“Me?”

She gaped at him, and he nodded.

“A Watch Captain willing to chase down two agents of a Walled City can’t be intimidated. More than one city’s privately asked if you’d look into a crime in their areas. How about it, Watch Captain? You can always go back to managing your Watch House…and I expect you to help Watch Captain Relc, but I fear what will happen when you get bored.”

He smiled at her, and Zevara peered down at the sheet in front of her. She dipped her quill in ink, then pushed the sheet back.

“I need to do one thing before I agree, Watch Commander.”

“Oh? What’s that?”

Zevara got up slowly. She polished her badge on her uniform and gave him a crooked smile.

“All of this is predicated upon my doing an excellent job. But there’s just one problem. This case isn’t finished. I have one last task to do. Excuse me.”

She saluted and strode out of the office. Venim blinked at her back, then reached for a speaking stone.

“Excuse me? If I have news about Watch Captain Zevara, can I get an interview with Reporter Drassi?”

 

——

 

There was one last piece of business to take care of. And it wasn’t glamorous, and it wouldn’t make the news…but it was why she’d tried so hard in this case.

Zevara had already opened the Chest of Holding that Hissl and Moass had been taking to their city. It was indeed filled with countless objects that the two Drakes had stolen from Antinium.

They’d been cleverer than she thought, actually…they’d known some of it wasn’t real faith-infused items, but they’d taken a full sample, probably to test what this effect was. Already, the items were going back to the Antinium who’d lost their goods.

But something was missing. She’d personally interrogated Moass about it, and he’d told her to her face that they hadn’t stolen everything. Antinium gave chase. Or they had to ditch the items when the Watch noticed…a lot of it had been reclaimed when the other posed as Senior Guardsman Lens, but she’d had one specific item in mind.

That thing? It wasn’t worth stealing. And the Worker put up such a fuss we ditched it. Not worth the trouble.

How ironic. Zevara tracked down the place where Moass had directed her and searched. She had no Skills for this. Nothing but her feet, her intuition, and time.

All you had to do was put pieces together. Moass had ditched the doll the most expedient way possible. Rather than toss it in a gutter, he’d handed it off.

It took time and a map to plot a few likely paths, but Zevara was looking for someone. She asked people walking by and eventually got some locals who knew of a Drake girl that would walk around this neighborhood at this time.

Specifically—one who wouldn’t mind a one-eyed, one-legged Gnoll doll. Zevara got an address and knocked—then was told her quarry was somewhere else. She asked if she could go there now, and the address made her thunk her head against a wall a few times.

 

——

 

It was always, always The Wandering Inn. Though to be fair, Zevara would have never looked twice at the little Drake girl chasing around Mrsha and Ekirra after school.

“Miss Visma?”

Visma peered up from the latest doll in her collection bouncing around on her arm. It had a new eye, new leg, and she seemed very worried when Zevara knelt down…but when she heard the Watch Captain’s rather long story, she only hesitated a moment before giving Zevara the doll.

Ekirra and Mrsha’s jaws dropped. Visma the Hoarder giving anything away? She glared at them.

“It’s not mine! I’m not a [Thief]! If someone’s missing their precious doll, they have to have it.”

That was how Watch Captain Zevara ended up making the trip into the Free Hive. When Pawn saw what she had, he smiled and told her his prayers had been answered. She said she was a rather funny answer to an Antinium’s prayer, but he just replied that that was how faith worked.

She supposed it was very convenient for him…but when she approached the cell and tapped on the door, she saw a curled up Worker raise his head.

Carpenter Laikos said nothing for a long time as he inspected the doll, and Zevara explained how Visma had fixed it up.

“She apologizes if she messed anything up, and there are ways to, uh, resize the doll and repair it. If you—”

“Thank you.”

Laikos hugged his doll to his chest and sat there. He folded all four arms around the doll and trembled. Then he peeked up.

“Am I going to die for being an Aberration now?”

Pawn interceded, promising Laikos that no one would kill a Worker while he was around. Zevara just nodded along, hands in her pockets, as Laikos sat there, playing with the doll’s arms. Thanking her now and then.

Over and over as Antinium regarded her, and more came over to thank her for recovering something they’d lost.

She thought about it that night—well, she couldn’t sleep. She tossed and turned in her apartment, then got up and re-watched the news on a scrying orb she’d bought. Put her fingers in her earholes at the right times…

Just sat there. Thinking of Laikos, thinking of the future. Trying not to smile too hard. Zevara lay down at last, head spinning, and she knew that her city was still filthy, deep down. It had things like the Brothers that you couldn’t eradicate. Concessions and bad things and petty crimes…but somewhere out there there was a Worker sleeping with his doll in his arms.

“Ah. No wonder I’d never have made Watch Commander.”

She just could finally articulate why. Zevara slept, and the voice said—

 

[Class Change: Streetwise Guardswoman → Smokebreath Detective!]

[Smokebreath Detective Level 36!]

[Skill – Lungs: Ash Dragonbreath Obtained!]

[Skill – Greater Immunity: Smoke Obtained!]

[Skill – Investigation: Five Senses Maximized Obtained!]

[Skill – Mark the Quarry Obtained!]

[Skill – Investigation: Eidetic Memory Obtained!]

 

[Watch Captain of Integrity Level 38!]

[Skill – I Outrank You Obtained!]

[Skill – Summon Patrol Obtained!]

 

——

 

The rain was falling in Liscor’s streets, which weren’t as mean as they could be, but it was still suitably dark without magical lights. A few flames glowed from behind shuttered windows, but the city was largely quiet in the night.

All the good little boys and girls were tucked in. And the bastards were out—but even they sometimes didn’t know who the biggest one was. A wise person glanced over their shoulder. Or put their back against the walls.

It was the kind of mood that Kevin had been trying to evoke with Zevara. The hard-bitten, run-down, gritty mood of problems and people who solved them. Imperfect people, the kind who took down a shot of whiskey and smoked a cigar while narrating the mystery.

And a dame. You had to have a dame.

Kevin wasn’t the only one who liked noir, actually. He had a bunch of movies on his laptop, all stolen, and Erin had seen a few appropriate films herself; the [World’s Eye Theatre] could show you so much. Even memories. So Bird and his Antinium, the few, the free, had more culture in their antennae than the rest of the Hives, even Pawn’s Painted Antinium.

One of them stood, smoking on a puffer stick, as rain trickled down onto her armored shell. She spoke.

“It was a dark night, like all the others. Wet. But the waters were washing away a few sins of the city. Just a few. Everyone was celebrating the Watch Captain with a spine like mithril and never stopping to think of the Antinium who were victims in all this. Poor bugs with souls. Swept around in Liscor’s changing currents like the helpless, wriggling things they were. True, there was Pawn. They had a man down there with eyes on the sky, but he missed the small things. Like the dame.”

Her cigarette glowed as she puffed out more smoke. Noiraid, who had chosen her name because she loved the genre so much, listened as footsteps stopped in the rain. She continued narrating.

“I was standing on my corner, waiting as always, when the dame came by again. She was tall, and some would have called her beautiful, but she had a glint in her eye that spoke trouble. Me, I don’t like trouble, but a lass has got to make money somehow, and I don’t quite fancy it in ways that involve me lying on my back, one way or th’other. Still. Something told me she’d be pleased by how things shook out, even if it didn’t go according to plan.”

She glanced up as a woman appeared between the raindrops without them seeming to touch her. She had on a maid’s outfit, and she bowed slightly.

“Miss Noiraid?”

“That’s me, sweetheart. Job’s done. The Watch Captain’s all over the news. Your doing?”

“I can’t comment on that, Miss. My employer was very pleased at how things turned out. Spontaneously, in some cases.”

Noiraid nodded.

“Tell the Pink Lady that I always accept bonuses.”

The [Maid] offered her a briefcase. She could have done a bag of holding, but Noiraid had insisted. The Antinium cracked it open, and the [Maid] coughed.

“This gratitude and bonus includes another offer, if you are so interested, Miss Noiraid. Employment takes many forms.”

The Antinium Worker turned and ate her cigarette.

“Thanks. But I’m a lone operator. Besides, a gal’s gotta have some secrets.”

She blew a smoke ring up, and the [Maid] sighed. Noiraid walked through Liscor’s streets. Yes, indeed. A good job done, and bread in the jar. Gold in the suitcase.

This was her kind of day. She just hoped when the rains stopped that she had enough dark corners to pose under. Everyone else hated the rain. But it was too damn thematic.

After a while, she coughed out the cigarette butt. It was pretty hot.

 

 

 

Author’s Note:

I hope I’ve packed everything. Hey, it’s me. I’m publishing this chapter early because I have to pack and be in the air in less than 24 hours to Iceland. I didn’t get all the time I wanted for this chapter, and it’s been a full month of writing…because I’m taking two weeks off and I won’t publish another chapter until the 23rd!

That’s also why I’ve been releasing longer chapters than usual. An apology! My backlog is mostly gone, but I hope that this trip is both invigorating and extremely fun.

I’ve never been to Iceland, but it looks amazing, and this is a trip I’ve always wanted to go on. Much like Puerto Rico last year, it’s an opportunity I couldn’t have without writing and the support of you all, so thank you.

And I also hope you enjoyed this Zevara arc! I have wanted to write it for ages, and this isn’t the last one I want to write. Sometimes we have inspirations for stories; the Beka Cooper series for the Nerry chapter was one last time, and for this?

Have you ever watched Sherlock Hound, an old animated series by Hayao Miyazaki? It’s about Sherlock Holmes if he were a fox. The entire thing is on Youtube for free, and I wish I’d watched it as a kid…I have a weird nostalgia for something I never grew up with.

Anyways, you may see some inspirations there. I just like detectives, but mysteries…

Mysteries are really hard. Setting this one up took ages of effort. I’ve been altering the mystery for at least a year, and I don’t know if it’s as good as I wanted it to be, but this won’t be her only adventure.

Just you wait. But wait a bit longer, okay? I hope to tell you how much fun I had on my trip, and how many new ideas I have when I get back. Thanks, and see you in three weeks,

—pirateaba

 

(PS. Two weeks are my break, but I need that third one to write the next chapter since I have 0 ones prepped. My Youtube page has a new chapter I’m working on, but I never finished it. It’s the Lyonette one. Might need to intersperse it with another chapter but we’ll see.)

(PPS. Did you see the Inndle Wandering Inn game? It’s great and a lot of fun to play! Although it’s hard even for me to get some characters—my win rate is 2/5. Check it out and show other people!)

 

 

Musume Charlay, Erin commissioned by Robin, Captain Colfa and more by Chalyon!

Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/chalyon

 

Mrsha the Great and Terrible, Durene vs Pebblesnatch, Ulvama, and more by Michael Cannon!

 

Ceria by Phosu!

 

Erin Comic by DeeDee!

 

Pawn by Carbon!

 

‘The Fool’ by Kazakh!

 

Ilphres by Yura, commissioned by Robin!

Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/yurariria

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/yuraria.bsky.social

 

Ulvama by AVI, commissioned by DanRyyu!

Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/0avi0

 

Erin by Relia!

Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/reliaofdreams

 

Wil, Talia, Vuliel Drae, and more, by Nanahou!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wanderer.nanahou/

Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/wanderer_nanahou/gallery

 

 

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