Fractured Worlds (Worlds Away #1)

Brela Chapter 7: Gathering Information

"So, why aren't we entering town and actually talking to people?" I asked. The three of us stood outside of the town wall, away from the gate. Mae had stopped us here after finding the body and hadn't moved since.

"On any mission, we want to minimise how much contact we have with the populace. We could use a slang word that isn't familiar or act abnormally. It wouldn't cause a major fracture, but it's still better to minimise the damage," Mae said.

"I have two individuals," Edoline said. She had been silent for a while, sitting on the ground and concentrating. With her eyes still closed, she spoke. "There are two sword wielders that saw the incident. They are thinking it over but have not told anyone. They are too shocked at what happened."

"That's good for us then," Mae muttered. She turned to me. "What's your next move?"

I was a little surprised to get this much say in the mission, considering that it was my first one. Regardless, I spoke surely with little thought needed. "We should probably get them alone first. I'm assuming that we will have to erase their memories to fix the fracture, so we should do that after we learn what they know. Depending on the information given to us and how much we can learn about the killer, we make a move for them next."

Mae's nod of approval gave me the reassurance I needed; I had made the right decisions, or at least, good ones for now. Still, it was nice to know I hadn't messed up.

"Edoline, where are they?" Mae asked, turning back to her friend.

"Seated in a tavern that is not far from the entrance of the town. It appears that they will not be leaving soon."

"That works for us," Mae said.

Pushing herself from the ground, Edoline opened her eyes and took the lead.

It didn't take long before we reached the entrance of the town, and with no talking or questions, the two guards let us in, bowing their heads as they did so.

"We do get a lot of respect," I said, leaning in to talk to Edoline.

"Women sword wielders are rare, but not unheard of. When anyone sees them, even other sword wielders, everyone knows to do as they are told. Women sword wielders have a fierce reputation and are sometimes known to have short tempers," Edoline explained.

"So, walking in the town is probably not the best thing?"

"It works to our advantage. Typically missions like this go as planned and no one mentions us again," Edoline said. "They are in here." Turning sharply, the three of us were now standing in front of an unsteady wooden door.

"Are you sure?" I asked. "This place is pretty run down." The door was weathered, flakes of paint barely clinging to it. The sign hung lopsided; the name of the tavern faded beyond the point of comprehension. The stone building was old, and if I was being honest, I was surprised the tavern was still standing, let alone in business. If you could call it that.

Mae paid no attention to my comment or the condition of the building. With a swift shove, the old door creaked open. The leader of MEPA entered the building with no hesitation.

The smell was the first thing that hit me. Inside, it reeked of alcohol and of a rancid smell I didn't want to identify. Inside was packed with people, despite how early in the day it was. Chatter, drunk laughter, and the clanging of glasses were just as prominent as the smell.

Unlike the outside, the inside was better taken care of. The floor looked new, though it was hard to tell with all the grime on it from the heavy boots that clomped all over. The ceiling didn't look like it was about to collapse, and the tables and stools stood strong. This was a perfect example of how looks could be misleading.