The dense jungle was replaced with a beautiful scene of rich greenery and stone. Leibysos was huddled in the cliffside of a large mountain range close to the ocean. As we rode up the wide, dirt path, the large city slowly come into view.
"Almost there." Narray remarked and hurried her dark chestnut horse to gallop faster towards the city gates. Malreus and I followed close behind.
We left Olympus at dawn; saddened by the fact that we'd miss out on some of the festivities, but more than happy to do our duty towards the kingdom. It wasn't often that there was so much mystery surrounding our missions and perhaps today we'd be able to shed some light on this murky situation.
Malreus' black stallion pulled to a slow trot and Narray and I steadied our pace too- the gates were right up ahead and we didn't want to draw any unnecessary attention to ourselves by rushing in like hell-hounds. I stroked the mane of my horse; his long black hair neatly trimmed and combed. These horses were large and fast, but weren't used to such a mountainous terrain.
We trotted in slowly, nodding to the guards at the entrance of the gates. They paid us no mind.
I'd been here only once before, to do a scouting mission for my father, but that had been nearly five years ago. The city had expanded greatly since then- the market was vast and the amount of people walking in the streets shocked me. Leibysos was densely populated now, where before, it had been one of the smaller cities in the region.
There were children running around, dogs in the street and people of all shapes and sized- some walking briskly towards their desired stall or shop and their wandering along, chatting. It was very busy here in the mornings.
"Ugh... Mortal smells." Narray pulled her face up in disgust, but kept her voice down.
Malreus and I shared an amused look. His eyes caught something behind me; "Oh, look."
I turned my head to where his gaze was fixed to find a large, Greek styled temple. Its borders were gold and blue and the structure was made from marble, but it didn't look very old. It must've been a new temple.
"A temple for Poseidon." I smirked; "Do you think if we prayed there, uncle Don would come down to have a drink with us?"
"We could try..." Malreus chuckled, but Narray's expression soured; "I do not want to be drinking anything here. These people are filthy."
"That's a bit harsh." I laughed at Narray's lack of interest at the bustling culture around her. She was part mortal herself, but in some ways, I think she wanted to erase that part.
"So do any of you two know where the Baron's estate is?" Malreus asked and directed us towards the nearest stable.
I pulled at a piece of paper from inside my black coat. "It's close to the cliff on the north of the city. I have the details here."
We stopped at the stables and jumped off our steeds. Malreus called a young hand closer and instructed him to watch our horses while we were away. He tipped the boy generously, nearly causing the young man to gasp out loud. "Y-yes, sir! Right away!"
He bowed deeply and grabbed the halters to lead the three, large animals to a bale of hay. By the looks of it, they were leading him more than he was trying to lead them.
"Alright." I opened the note that Narray's father had given me before we'd departed. The other two leaned over my shoulder with interest. "So like I said- it's north from here and close to the cliffs- over there." I pointed to a general area where the ocean would be.
Malreus nodded and removed his black gloves from his hands and tucked them into his coat. It was slowly getting warmer; the morning mist fading, but the air was still crisp. "Right. Let's get going."
"We should ask around about the fire too." I walked up beside him and scanned the market. "The general public might be a bit more talkative than the Baron."
"Theia has a point." Narray kept her gloves on and scrunched up her nose; "But I'd rather leave that to you two..."
I smiled at her and shook my head; "How about we meet up here again, after two hours. Malreus and I'll investigate around here and at the Baron's, while you go look at the site of the fire and ask around there?"
"Sounds good." Narray nodded and pointed towards the area more to the east of the city, where a great tower was half-burned and black with the aftermath of the fire. "I'm going to take an educated guess and say it's that way."
"Not too shabby, Ray." Malreus smirked slyly and waved goodbye. She shot him a middle-finger with her classic fed-up smile.
"Do you think it's the wisest idea to let Narray speak to the mourners?"
I chuckled and slapped Malreus' arm with amusement. I knew he was only playing. "Probably not, but at least she'll scare some information out of the suspects."
"Hmm... Or get us driven out by an angry mob." He muttered, while his eyes scanned the lively marketplace. "Come; I spot a meddlesome man. He'll know something." Malreus grabbed my hand and led me deeper into the organised chaos that was this mortal bazaar.
I pressed closer to my friend when I noticed all the stares. Malreus paid no mind to them, but I did feel him tighten his grip on my hand; he laced our fingers together.
The man in question was a merchant- a feather merchant, apparently. I gave Malreus an funny look, but he just nodded with reassurance. I trusted that he knew what he was doing.
"Come one and all! Come see what your favourite Kukeeto has today!" The merchant bellowed loudly over the already noisy market. He extended his hands up and gestured to his stall. It was lined with brightly coloured feathers, ostentatious hats and feather coats. The closer we came to him, the more items I saw- it was packed full.
Malreus let go of my hand and fixed his eyes on a thinly brimmed hat. His fingers traced the black feather; "Kukeeto, is it?"
The man might have been a worldly merchant, but he certainly didn't look extremely wealthy. His tunic was ragged and a pale brown, but he'd adorned it with- you guessed it- feathers.
"Ey, and what can I help you with, pretty boy?" Kukeeto the merchant pointed to the hat; "A man of your stature can surely afford more than that old thing. Here; try this..." He turned around with a charming smile and picked up a larger hat from the side. This one had four feathers- all shades of blue.
Malreus tried not to show his dislike and instead, turned to me with false interest on his face; "Too much?"
"Not at all." I contained my giggle and took the hat from him; placing it on his head. "Wow, look at you..." I hid my laughter, but I couldn't for the life of me hide my pleased smile. Malreus looked ridiculous.
"Magnificent!" Kukeeto shouted happily and clasped his hand together. Oh, he was sure he'd make a sale now, but just in case we weren't butter-up enough... "You, pretty boy, have got the jaw line of a god! You should definitely think about investing in a new coat!" He turned around to rummage through his stick.
A small laugh escaped; "And how will that highlight his jaw line?" I asked smilingly. Malreus bit his lip to hide his laughter and decided to keep the hat on to amuse me.
Kukeeto turned to me with a disappointed smile; "Madam, the right coat can do everything..." His eyes lit up and he pushed a bright white coat with silver and gold feathers into Malreus' arms; "And luckily for you, I have it!"
"I'm not sure-"
"Nonsense!" Kukeeto silenced my best friend with a smile; "Try it on! Try it on!"
Malreus shot me a look and sighed under his breath. I didn't bother to 'help' him out of this little situation he'd gotten himself into. "Alright." He took off his own black coat- it was clearly extremely expensive- and handed it to me. Malreus threw on Kukeeto's 'prize' coat and his face scrunched up a bit when he realised how tight it was around his chest.
Kukeeto noticed it as well. "Hmp. You have bigger muscles than I thought." Always the salesman. I chuckled as the merchant tried a new tactic. "But it definitely defines them! I love it!"
"I can hardly breathe." Malreus complained and pulled at the sleeves. They were short on him. "This is far too tight."
"Nonsense! Nonsense... Ask your beautiful wife if she agrees, ey?"
Our eyes widened a bit. I stammered; "Uh, no, I'm not his-"
"She's my fiancée." Malreus quickly interjected and shot me a charming smile. I nodded and did the same, my attention now on Kukeeto. "Yes. And honestly, I think it's gorgeous!" I tucked my arms around Malreus' bicep and smiled lovingly up at him.
For a moment, I thought perhaps he'd be annoyed with me for siding with the merchant about the coat- when in reality we both knew he looked like he should be running a whore house- but instead, Malreus' eyes slanted with an unfamiliar expression.
"See!" Kukeeto winked at me and clapped with joy; "I knew it! I knew it! Kukeeto always knows a match when he sees it!"
"That you do." I smiled broadly, enjoying Malreus' embarrassment at being dressed like a tacky artiste.
He pulled me closer, his arm around my waist, and pressed me into his chest. I blushed deeply at the sudden change of events. Malreus, however, sounded utterly composed when he replied; "I'll take the hat."
"Nonsense, petty boy! The coat and the hat."
Malreus narrowed his eyes with a glare and Kukeeto smiled nervously. The merchant lifted up his hands with defeat; "You are the customer- and the customer is always right, ey?"
"Ey." Malreus responded with a stiff smile.
I tried to pull back, but Malreus kept me close. So I turned my head to Kukeeto for an escape; "Where do we pay?"
"Come, come." The merchant led us towards the back of his stall. We had to duck multiple times to avoid feathers from getting into our mouths, but through all the weird turns and low-hanging hats, Malreus kept me close. He was really selling this whole 'engaged' bit.
"That'll be 50 quanti." Quanti was the new world's currency- and Kukeeto clearly had a very high expectation if he thought we'd pay fifty quanti for... a hat with feathers.
"50?" I scoffed; "What do we get with the hat? A horse?"
Kukeeto crossed his arms; "My merchandise reigns all the way from Nemmini. It's the best in the land!"
"Nemmini is a snowy tundra. Where on earth did you get ostrich feathers in Nemmini?" Malreus put his hands on his hips.
The merchant wasn't having our insults; "You can't put a price on quality! 50, or nothing."
Malreus and I shared a look. Kukeeto noticed our lack of enthusiasm and quickly added; "Fine. Just for you, because you're such a cute couple, I'll make it 45."
"20 or I walk." Malreus grumbled.
Kukeeto burst out laughing- even going so far as to wipe away an imaginary tear from his eye. "Bah! Fat joke, ey? 45. That's it."
I sighed and pulled out my leather pouch and handed Malreus his coat back. Luckily, I'd brought more than enough quanti to buy twenty hats. "I'll give you your 50, but then we want something extra- information."
Kukeeto's eyes narrowed and he snapped his fingers together. "I knew it. Kukeeto always knows a spy when he sees one."
"We're not spies." Malreus said in a hushed tone; "We're mercenaries and we've been contracted to find out what caused that fire two nights ago."
Kukeeto stilled. His deep brown eyes watched us for any uncertainty, but then, with his dark finger, he beckoned us closer; "Who paid you?"
"A wealthy landowner who's daughter died in the fire." I lied quickly and pressed the next question towards him. "So do you have any knowledge on what happened?"
The scrawny merchant sighed and rubbed his messy head of hair. A feather fell out. "I don't know about this... Leibysos isn't what it used to be. I mean, I go from town to town, selling my goods, but when I arrived here a few days ago, a friend told me to pack up again and vamoose. Listen," He leaned in and we did the same. "If you ask me, something fishy is going on in the city, but it's like everyone ignores it. It's creepy- makes my skin tingle a bit, you know?"
"Like this hat." Malreus muttered and threw a pouch full of quanti towards Kukeeto. The merchant caught it with eager eyes.
"Screw the hat." Kukeeto said bluntly; "You two need to worry about the security here- the guards. They don't like outsiders moseying around. Ask anyone about the fire and they'll clam up like a virgin. Trust me. I tried. Ended up with this as a reminder." He lifted his curly head of hair from the one side of his face to reveal deep, blue bruise. It was big and fresh.
I frowned; "I'm so sorry to hear that, Kukeeto."
"You're nice for a merc." He nodded, surprised.
Malreus replied for me; "Don't take her kindness for weakness; she's the devil with a sword."
Kukeeto laughed and smiled broadly at us; "I don't doubt that, pretty boy." The weird merchant leaned against his table full of feather boas and asked; "So if that's all... I have customers waiting."
"One more thing." I said as my hand reached into my left breast pocket of my coat. The gold of the token was cold. I lifted it up for him to see. "Do you know who this belongs to?"
Kukeeto hummed and crossed his feet. "Hmm. Maybe."
"Maybe?" Malreus eyed the man with a glower.
"Maybe." Kukeeto nodded; "Buy the coat and I'll tell you."
Malreus scoffed; "You're joking right?"
"Ey..." Kukeeto lifted his hands up in the air and shrugged; "My information doesn't come cheap. You could ask around of course, but aren't you trying to be sneaky and all? It would be dumb to just wave that around town.
"So the token is from here?" I smiled at his slip. Kukeeto's eyes widened. "Uh... Okay, yeah. So what."
"It must represent someone important then?" I pressed, but he'd learned his lesson and shrugged again with indifference.
Malreus flicked his tongue. "How much for the coat?"
"Two-hundred."
"Two-hundred!" Malreus yelled and a few customers stopped to stare at us. Kukeeto shushed him; "You two are packed with quanti; don't act like it's too much!"
"For this-" Malreus lifted the cheap coat and scoffed. "It's a tad outrageous, pretty boy."
"Your man's got sass, I'll give him that." Kukeeto looked at me with a wry look and I nodded with a smirk. "That's for sure." I changed my smile to one of persuasion and leaned in to Kukeeto. "Look, I know you know who this belongs to. I'll give you another fifty for the coat and the name of the owner. Deal?"
The man wiggled his mouth from side to side- thinking, but eventually, after much deliberation, he sighed and said; "Owners. They're a group. Or rather, a regiment."
Malreus crossed his arms over his chest with interest, while I placed another fifty quanti in Kukeeto's hands. "How do you know this?"
"They're my generous fellow city-goers." He pointed to his bruise and grumbled; "They belong to the Baron. They're his specialised team of guardsmen and they handle the more important affairs in the city- or so they say. I don't know for sure, but after my run in with them, I do know that they're people I prefer not to cross."
"I see." I tucked the leather pouch back into my coat. "And where can we find these men?"
"Beats me. Probably close to the Baron's estate. It's a big-ass fort- can't miss it. Just head north."
Malreus nodded and thanked Kukeeto quickly. I grabbed the coat and placed in a woven bag the merchant offered to me. We turned to leave the stall, but Kukeeto stopped us, calling us back for a moment; "Just some piece of advice- don't go snooping around where the fire happened. Guards everywhere."
"We won't." Malreus nodded and shifted is eyes to give me a reassuring look. Narray could handle a stealthy mission- we didn't need to worry about her. She'd only find it offensive anyway...
"Oh, and one more thing..." Kukeeto said again and we rolled our eyes but walked back to hear his low whisper. His eyes dated around like he was scared someone might swing a sword through the feathers if he said one more word. "I don't know if this is really related, but... People have been disappearing lately."
"Disappearing?" I frowned and Malreus met my eyes with confusion.
"Yes, yes! Disappearing." Kukeeto said the word with an aura of overdramatized eeriness. "See, I had this merchant friend. He used to sell exotic animal goods, but when I passed through here on my way to the south lands, he was nowhere to be seen. Some of my regulars said they hadn't seen him for weeks. I thought the man was living it up with a whore or two down in the dirty district, but..." Kukeeto shrugged; "I came back into town a few days back and still no sign. His wife says he just up and vanished."
"No offence to your friend, Kukeeto," Malreus commented; "But he doesn't sound like the most trustworthy man. Perhaps he found a better life somewhere else and decided to skedaddle."
"Yeah, yeah, I thought that too, but nah. Something's wrong. It's happened to a couple of my regulars too- and some of their family even. I don't know, like I said. Maybe it's bullocks, but keep it in mind."
I nodded and bid him farewell. "Will do. Thank again."
Kukeeto called us back again and Malreus and I shared an irritated look. He turned around with a snap. "What now?"
"Enjoy the new outfit, pretty boy."
For the rest of the hour, Malreus and I walked the streets of the market, slyly eavesdropping on conversations, initiating gossip with the elder, wealthy madams and pretending to buy things while trying to subtly question the merchants. Overall, it didn't go too well...
"Kukeeto was right." Malreus sighed and handed me a hot brew of coffee he'd bought from a vendor nearby. It was in a small, wooden cup and it was even more bitter than I'd expected. "Half of the people don't want to talk about the fire and the other half didn't even know that so many people had died in the incident in the first place."
"And there are a group of guards watching us." I said, but looked the other way. Malreus' eyes darted to the side and glanced back. There were three of them, not heavily armoured, but their swords were hanging loosely on their belts. They watched us as they spoke amongst themselves.
"Great." Malreus' forehead creased and he turned to me with a dry tone; "Let's just head to the Baron's fort. This is a waste of time."
I was ready to agree with him, but my eyes caught something close by.
A young man, around our age, was busy talking to a trader, but they both looked severely annoyed with the other. But it wasn't their hushed tones and irritated glares that had peaked my interest- the young man was holding the same gold coin in his hand.
"Hang on." I gestured for Malreus to follow me. I led us towards the stall. He said nothing as we moved.
I subtly squeezed myself beside the young man and pretended to be deeply interested in the trader's scented candles. They all smelt the same to me- like grass. Malreus stood a bit off to the side, admiring a wooden statue of a wolf, but his attention was fixed on our subject.
"I know you've had issues with the shipment. I'll get it done."
"You best." The trader hissed silently, afraid he might scare off his customers. "I need it."
"Oh, relax, Otto. I always come through."
The trader dismissed the young man with a scoff and a wave of his hand. He turned to a waiting client- his charming grin reattached and ready to make a sale.
The young man tucked the gold coin back into his pocket and adjusted his long, grey cloak. He was handsome. He turned his face to the front and in his peripheral vision, caught sight of me.
He stared a bit and moved closer, running his fingers over the merchandise like he owned it. The trader was too busy to notice. I stayed put, admiring the 'lemon' scented candle and waited for the inevitable.
A few seconds passed and the young man smirked as he stood next to me, a candle in his hand too. "Who on earth wants to buy something that smells like 'a Leibysos summer night'." He read off the label. "This city smells like manure eighty percent of the time."
I chuckled softly, but didn't take the bait. So he tried again, but this time, he turned his body towards me. "I definitely haven't seen you here before."
"Oh?"
He smiled, happy at my response. "Hmm." He turned back to the front and smirked to himself as he replied; "You're far too beautiful to be from around here. Don't tell me you're a nymph?"
"Oh, no." I chuckled and shot him a look; my one eyebrow raised. "Why? Do you like nymphs?"
"I like many things." He replied and his smile was contagious. I replicated it. He certainly was handsome and he had a childlike quality about him. He was mischievous.
"Interesting... Uh-" I pressed for a name.
He gladly obliged. "Simos." He bowed, his smirk widening. "Simos of Parllay. And you are?"
I thought about telling him my full name, but as a goddess, that wasn't always too wise. "Tea."
"Tea? As in the hot beverage?" He laughed softly, his blue eyes twinkling. They weren't as dark or saturated as Malreus', but they had a grey quality to them that added to his anonymity.
"Exactly like the hot beverage. Do you like tea?" I asked flirtatiously and put the candle down. I knew a thing or two about being persuasive.
"I love tea. It's very... hot." Simos said suggestively and leaned in with impish eyes. "So who's the creeper then? Coffee?" He gestured with his head to Malreus watching us from the back. Even though my friend was a few feet away, I could feel the burn of his glare very intensely.
"That's my friend; Mal." I smiled and Simos nodded; "Friend or fiancé?"
I titled my head in question.
He smirked; "I know Kukeeto, and if you know Kukeeto, you know he likes to talk. He said the two of you were engaged."
"Oh, no. That was just to blend in." I laughed. Suddenly, Malreus was behind me and his gaze was even colder than before.
"Do you live in Leibysos?"
"Am I being interrogated?" Simos replied quickly and with little interest.
I shot Malreus a look and tried to lightened the conversation; "What my friend is trying to ask is do you know about the fires that happened a few days ago?"
Simos continued to stare at Malreus with a strange look. They looked like they were about to smack each other around. "Yeah, heard about it. Sad business."
"You don't sound too heartbroken about it." Malreus asked with a bite in his tone.
Simos smiled with his teeth; "Well, I don't live in the city, so I frankly don't care much, but my employer does."
"Employer?" I asked with interest.
The young man looked down at me with a charming smile. "Yes, I'm a mercenary- much like yourself. Although," He chuckled, "To be honest, I reckon that was another little lie you told Kukeeto."
"How so?" I asked and Simos shrugged and leaned casually against the table. "No offence- I'm sure you can wield that sword pretty well, Tea, but I've never seen mercenaries with such expensive clothing before. This field of work isn't exactly glamorous."
"And we exude glamour?" I laughed cheerfully. Simos smiled when he heard it. Malreus, however, looked angrier.
The mercenary chuckled along with me; "Oh, you do have a certain... lush appeal." Simos said seductively, but before I could respond, Malreus interjected with annoyance; "You say you're a mercenary, yet why do you have the Baron's token? A side job?" I wanted to scold Malreus for his obvious lack in manner. He wasn't normally like this?
Simos gritted his teeth at Malreus. "It's part of my current job, actually. My employer wants to know a few things about the Baron. That's all."
"Who's your employer?" I asked and he chuckled sweetly. "I can't say. Client confidentiality and all... You know."
"How honourable." Malreus remarked sarcastically and Simos smiled falsely.
I sensed a thick tension in the air and decided that it was best if we left. "Well," I smiled politely, "Perhaps we'll see each other again."
I turned to leave and Malreus happily joined me. He led me towards the stables, where our horses were waiting for our return. The Baron's fort was quite a distance away.
Simos called me back; "Tea!" I turned around, much to Malreus' annoyance. Simos walked up to me and leaned in, grinning in my face. "I might have some information on what you're looking for. Meet me at Poseidon's temple- tonight at midnight."
I scoffed with a smile; "And why would I trust you?"
"That is the question, isn't it?" Simos shrugged charmingly and smiled. "I'll bring some tea." He turned with a smile and walked off, leaving us to stare after him.
"Interesting guy." I laughed and looked up at Malreus, but he was glaring at Simos' back.
His reply was curt; "We're not going."
"But he might be able to help?"
"Please," Malreus scoffed and let go of my hand. He walked back to the entrance of the market. "He's no good."
"Did he rub you the wrong way?" I said jokingly, but I had the feeling I was very right. Malreus said nothing as he walked and instead, changed the conversation; "To the Baron?"
I sighed and rolled my eyes. Whenever he was in a gloomy mood, it was very evident. "To the Baron."
"Thank you for seeing us, Baron." I smiled and held up my hand to turn down the drink he was offering.
It had taken us nearly twenty minutes to convince the guards to let us enter the big fort, but after they spoke with the Baron himself, we were allowed entry- with a very large escort. I had the feeling they didn't like us very much.
The Baron had directed us to one of his private studies. He was a tall man, with a furry and thick moustache. His eyes were slightly curved and his nose was long; he had a certain foreign quality to him. I noticed immediately how deep his voice was and how commandingly he spoke to the guards stationed beside the door. He was clearly used to being in charge.
"So," The Baron sighed and leaned back in his seat. Hs study was decorated with expensive, dark wood and skin carpets. This was a man of the hunt, no doubt. His trophies hung on the wood panelled walls. "What is this about then?"
"We've come to ask you a few questions." Malreus said courteously. "Do you recognise this?" I asked as I reached inside my pocket to retrieve the small token. I lifted it up for the Baron to see.
His eyes flashed with recognition and I handed it to him when he held out his hand. "It's mine." He said curtly and eyed me suspiciously; "And why do you have what is mine? I don't even know who you two are really? You said you're investigating a murder?"
"Yes." Malreus replied; "There was an explosion a few days prior- in the Valley, near the path to the Necropolis."
"Oh, I see." He chuckled, but he wasn't amused. The Baron took the token and tucked it into his shirt pocket. "You're reapers. Look, I don't know anything about any explosion. You're barking up the wrong tree."
"And yet we found your gold coin at the scene of the crime." I narrowed my eyes and he matched it. "Why is that?"
"Listen here little lady; my men go everywhere around these lands. They're always busy. Perhaps one of the passed by there a day before the explosion and dropped his coin. We'll never know- all I know is that I don't know about any bomb."
Malreus paused; "Who said anything about a bomb?"
The Baron's eyes met his and the room died down with silence. We watched each other like hawks- he was lying. We knew it. We could taste it. He knew we knew it too.
"What else causes explosions?" He said with a snarky tone.
"And what of the fires that happened a few days ago?" I posed the question and his reaction was exactly what I'd expected.
He stood up with a authoritative presence and gestured to the door; "We're done here. Escort them out of the city."
Malreus and I shared a look. This man was hiding something alright.
We did as he commanded. We didn't want a fight- at least not yet. The time would come when we'd find out the truth and then we'd clash.
"Thank you for your time, Baron." I smiled falsely and my tone had a bite to it. He sneered at me and left the room, a hoard of his elite trailing after him. A guard pressed for us to head towards the door and we obeyed.
Mortals were so pushy.
Malreus and I stood waiting at the stables. Eventually, after ten minutes of debating our next move, Narray walked up with a scowl.
I was the first to enquire; "No luck?"
Narray crossed her arms over her chest and spat on the ground with annoyance. Malreus pulled a face. "It took me nearly an hour to even get close to the burn site. There are guards everywhere."
"Please don't tell me you killed some of them?" Malreus asked with worry and Narray loudly responded; "How else am I supposed to get to where I need to be?"
"Narray!" He scolded her and she rolled her eyes. I chuckled lamely; "Did you at least hide the bodies?"
"Yes. I'm not an amateur." She sighed and continued her story. "Anyway, when I eventually got there, it was spotless. The entire mess was cleaned up. The only thing that remotely showed any incident had even occurred were the burnt buildings surrounding the grounds." Narray quickly added; "Although, it still smelt like rotting meat; even after the thorough clean up."
I pulled a face and shared a look with Malreus. "Disgusting."
"I did manage to find something though." She continued; "There were a couple of barrels of oil nearby- in an alleyway. They looked empty. And the ground from the site had streaks of dried oil patches."
"So it wasn't an accident?" Malreus asked and nodded, as if responding to his own question; "No, from what we've seen today it couldn't have been."
"I agree. These people are all either so scared or clueless about this entre situation." Narray nodded at my words. I added; "And the Baron is of no use."
"We need to head home and report these findings."
Malreus quickly agreed with Narray, but I hesitated; "Hang on. We've only been here two hours. My father said we could take our time and return tomorrow. Let's stay the night. Perhaps we'll find something."
"I disagree." Malreus said curtly.
Narray furrowed her brows with confusion and looked between the two of us; "Since when do you two argue?"
"We're not arguing, I'm just stating my opinion." He said casually, but I could see on his face that he wasn't very pleased with my suggestion.
I knew why. I turned my head to Narray and explained; "We met a mercenary who might be able to help us, but he wants to meet tonight; at midnight."
Narray nodded slowly; "I see..."
I pressed for an answer; "So? What do you think? I think it's a lead and we need the insight?"
"He probably doesn't know a thing." Malreus muttered lamely and crossed his arms over his chest. He looked to the side. "I guarantee you he's a crook."
"Interesting." Narray responded with a small smile and bit her lip. I smiled when she nodded in agreement with my enthusiasm. "Alright, Theia. Let's see what this 'crook' has to say."
I grabbed her arm and led her off towards our horses. Malreus rolled his eyes with annoyance, but followed us without hesitation. We had a tavern to choose for the night.
Interesting turn of events...
Simos, the mysterious mercenary-