Chapter 17 - Clash of Realities

788 I.C, February 15, Dracwyn: Underground, Morning

"Seriously?" I asked.

Talwin looked over at me with a raised brow, "What?"

I motioned to the tidy offices and desks that lined the underground tunnel, "This is supposed to be the underground? The mighty organization that deals in forbidden goods and knowledge?"

Talwin grew an amused smile and nodded, "The underground is an important part of Agron itself. They're orderly, strict, and this is just a small service avenue for them."

It made me frown and sigh, "It's a bureaucracy of criminals."

Talwin leaned in and whispered, "Don't call them that, they don't like it."

"What? Criminals? Or bureaucrats?" I asked.

Talwin stifled a snicker, "Both."

"I see. So what do we do next?"

Talwin motioned to the nearest desk, "There, I can do the talking. Do you have the money?"

I fetched the pouch and glimpsed inside, "Not a lot of coin left, but there's plenty of gems."

Talwin hummed, "They'll accept gems, but we won't get a good price though."

I shut the pouch and nudged Talwin along, "Little we can do about that at this point, come on."

The service desk was occupied by a canine with graying fur by the edge of his muzzle. He looked up, smiled at Talwin, and spoke with a rather cheery voice, "Welcome, how may I be of service this morning?"

Talwin made a courteous smile, and nodded, "We've lost our papers in an unfortunate accident."

The canine grew a sly smile that made his teeth glint, "Oh? Your papers you say? That's quite serious."

Talwin nodded, "Yes, and we were hoping to get new ones."

The canine made a wide and open gesture with his furred hands, "Our services are expedited, that incurs certain costs. You understand, right?"

"Indeed, we're in quite a hurry so we're more than willing to pay for it," Talwin answered.

The canine leaned forward, "Citizenship papers, I take it?"

"Yes."

The canine made an eager nod, "I do need to know a few things before we proceed, and I want the two of you to answer honestly. The authenticity of the papers depend on it, do you understand?"

"Yes," Talwin answered.

The canine clasped his hands, "Do not worry, your 'personal' details will not be written down or stored by us. Discretion is part of our nature."

Talwin nodded, "I understand."

"Are the two of you mages?" The canine asked.

Talwin glanced back, "We have magic potential, but we've never been to the academy."

The canine nodded, "I see, and what are you?"

Talwin's ears perked in surprise, "Excuse me?"

"What are you? Species? From where do you hail?" The canine repeated.

Talwin blinked and hesitated, "I'm a coyote."

The canine was silent for a moment and then looked over at me, "And you? Sir?"

"I'm from another continent, canine species of some sort, more than that I don't know." I answered.

"Another continent you say?" The canine hummed in wonder.

I nodded, "Yes? Something wrong?"

The canine leaned back in his chair, "You speak good common for a foreigner."

I motioned to myself and smiled, "I have lived here all my life, it's my bloodline that's from another continent."

The canine lit up, "I see, that makes sense. Though it is problematic."

"Problematic?" I asked.

The canine shook his head, "I'm afraid that we won't be able to offer you citizenship papers."

I frowned and set my hands on the desk, "What do you mean?"

The canine gesticulated with his hands, "Our methods rely on painstaking forms of reverse engineering. We cannot create authentic documents for an unknown species."

I stared at him, "You mean to say we traveled here for naught?"

The canine shook his head in haste, "Not at all, we can come to an arrangement, but the process will be different."

"How so?" I asked.

The canine leaned back and let his hands rest on his abdomen, "We'll do it the same way the government deals with foreigners. We scan you, manipulate the data, arrange a mercenary contract for you, and a visa."

So this is what George meant...

"Anything else I need to know?" I asked.

The canine nodded, "As a mercenary you have to register with one of the guilds. I do hope that you're a good fighter? Or at least a skilled tradesman?"

"What happens otherwise?" I asked.

The canine sighed, "The guild will cast you out, your visa will be repealed, and you will either be shipped off or spend the rest of your life behind bars."

Guess there's only one choice...

"Fine, how much?" I asked.

The canine tapped his muzzle and looked us over, "80 Gold for the two of you."

My ears perked in surprise, "80!?"

The canine's sly grin returned while he crossed his arms, "We are willing to loan you, if you prove your strength."

I glared at him, "A loan, you mean to make us your slaves?"

The canine recoiled, "Slaves? No! Agron does not make use of slaves. You'll simply be placed under a contract that you'll have to work off."

Indentured servitude... Slimeball...

I fetched the pouch, looked it through, and picked out three gems that should have been of equal worth to the one I sold in Bellkeep. The canine watched in wonder when I reached out and placed the glinting gems in front of him. His eyes widened in shock and his muzzle dropped open.

"What do you say about that?" I asked.

The canine shut his muzzle and looked up, "Where did you get these from?"

I bared my teeth, "I'm surprised someone from the underground would ask that?"

For a moment the canine frowned but then replaced it with a professional and rather blank expression, "Of course, right you are. One moment, I have to verify that these are genuine."

I nodded before the canine turned to focus on some kind of microscope and got to work.

Within a minute the canine looked up once more, "The optical properties are all right, we'll do further tests on them but we're willing to give you the benefit of the doubt."

"How generous," I said with a dry hint.

Once more the canine frowned, "Or do you want to wait here for a few hours?"

I backed off and sweetened my tone, "I'm sorry, we're grateful that you're willing to trust us. What's next?"

The canine pointed toward a nearby corridor, "Down there, stay in the waiting room until you're called, the mages will perform a scan on you and ask some more questions. A few days from now you'll have your papers."

"A few days?" I asked.

The canine nodded, "These things take time you know."

"I see and how will they call on us?" I asked.

"Huh?" The canine asked in surprise.

"You don't even have our names," I remarked.

The canine cocked his head in confusion and held up a small device fitted with a crystal at the top, "We tend to avoid names around here, I'll just talk to them and describe you."

What kind of machine is that?

"I see, of course," I said in wonder.

Talwin nudged me along and leaned in to whisper by my ear, "It's called a messenger stone. Have you never seen one before?"

I shook my head while we walked down the corridor, "No, how does it work?"

Talwin shrugged, "I don't know, but they're common among rich and important people."

Talking with people from afar... The potential of it...

"Do you know where we can get our hands on a few 'messenger stones'?" I asked.

Talwin shook his head, "I may not how it works exactly, but I know it doesn't work like that."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"The messenger stones are linked to a mage, as long as the mage lives and maintains a link, the stones will keep working. You can't just steal or buy one, they need to be crafted and linked to one another."

Stones linked to a mage... Across large distances... I've never heard of this...

"We'll have to investigate that, it would certainly come in handy," I said.

Talwin and I found ourselves in a waiting room seated by a handful. A few were asleep by the corners while others just stared at a large door on the other end of the room.

"Do you think we're being tricked?" I whispered.

Talwin shook his head, "No, I don't thi-"

The main door opened without warning and a stocky human guard stepped out. Everyone in the waiting room sat up in a moment's notice and stared with eager.

"Seems we'll be here for a while," I whispered.

The stocky guard looked around, raised his hand, and pointed at Talwin, "You, the coyote, you're next."

Talwin's maw dropped open in surprise, "What?"

The guard made a jabbing motion to the toward the door, "You want your papers or not?"

An invasion by wulfkins... Strange behavior... Skipping the line... What the hell is going on?

I pointed at Talwin, "I'm with him."

The guard threw me a dismissive glance, "One at a time, hurry up or lose your spot."

Something is wrong...

"We're leaving," I whispered.

Talwin turned to look at me in an instant, "This is the only place."

"We'll find another way," I said.

Talwin gave me one of his stubborn stares, "There is no other way."

The guard started looking around, raised his hand, and was about to point at someone else when Talwin raised his voice, "I'm coming!"

I wanted to reach out and stop him, but the stare he'd given me was the same as in our encounter with the Watchman. Instead I clenched my hands and stayed put while Talwin walked through the door.

A minute passed and I felt my emotions start to boil. My claws dug into my pads, my teeth were clenched, my hackles had risen.

What is this emotion? Fear? Anger? Pack instinct? Love?

My mind urged action, but so far the Underground had a good reputation, and any action on my part risked messing things up.

But what if he's in danger right now? Screaming for help? Begging me to save him?

Has my gut instinct ever be __en wrong before?

My determination flipped like a switch, and I knew I had to act, even if Talwin would scold me for it.

I walked up to the door, grabbed the handle, and turned it. To my surprise it wouldn't open.

Locked from the inside...

I closed my eyes, and focused on the aether. The others in the room were ordinary folk, some magic potential, but no threat to someone well versed in the arcane arts. Threads reached out from my body, and slipped between the cracks of the door. The threads felt the passage beyond, and flowed along the ground until they stumbled upon something.

It was an aetheric presence that hummed with power like the distant roar of a waterfall.

There's a lot of aetheric energy at work here...

One of the threads grabbed the door's locking mechanism, and forced it open with a click. I then opened the door, stepped inside, and shut the door behind me.

The corridor itself was messy, and there were piles of tools, construction material, and small crystals.

Recent construction? For what? Why?

Magic lights had been bolted to the walls and lined the corridor to the very end where a metallic door waited. I began to walk and my ears perked with the discovery of muffled voices.

If they've touched a strand of fur on him... I'll rip them to pieces...

The thought simmered in my mind, and made my hackles rise. I welcomed the sensation and let it fuel the power in my blood. Part of me only sought to protect those I considered my own, but there was something else as well. A primal part that longed for a chance to let loose my frustrations and tear someone apart.

I shaped the aether around me and created an isolated bubble, it would help me stay hidden long enough to get the drop on them, while allowing me to build my defenses.

The voices grew louder and peaked with a shout that I could pick up, "... are you from!?"

Talwin's yelled back, "I've told you! I'm from Karashak!"

"Is your name Talwin!?" A human voice screamed from within the sealed room.

I picked up the pace, my heart pounded, the energy surged, and my mind grew livid.

RIP AND TEAR TIME!

"A human, with red eyes, have you seen him?" The human asked.

"Hush! Keep quiet!" A female snapped from within the room.

Threads of aetheric energy swarmed on the door and began to infest the walls. It pierced every gap and began to seep into the room beyond.

"What is it now?" An irritated voice asked.

"There's... something wrong," The female voice murmured.

They're looking for a human in red? Let's give them a monster in blue!

I began to run and a malicious grin grew on my muzzle while I bent the aether to my will. It surged from my body, trickled through every strand of fur, and lit up the hallway with a blue glow.

Aetheric armor began to form on my body, it enclosed my hands in the form of massive gauntlets. It formed plates along my back and chest. My steps grew heavier and I felt the layers of armor harden while my appearance grew in size. A helmet formed on my head and warped into the jagged appearance of a demon.

"There's someone coming!" The female screamed.

No shit!

"What are you talking about!?" One of the males yelled.

I sprinted forward, raised my gauntlet, shunted energy into it, and fueled a massive charge.

" Get behind me!" The female screamed in panic.

I pulled my gauntlet back, snarled, and slammed my fist into the door with all I had!

788 I.C, February 15, Dracwyn: Underground, Morning

Amari raised her hands and held them wide while her mind and muzzle repeated the mantra: Shield!

A wall of glittering white formed in front of her, expanded, and sealed half the room just in time. A tremendous roar shook the room, and a blast tore the metal door from its hinges. The walls cracked, the metal door splintered into jagged pieces of molten slag, and a burst of light enveloped it in chaos.

The debris of the explosion slammed into the shield and a writhing mass of tendrils followed in its wake. A loud crackle was heard from the shield and Amari stumbled back from the sudden attack and the aetheric backlash on her mind.

A creature cloaked in a haze of blue and a swirling maelstrom of dripping tendrils marched out from the entrance with a monstrous roar. For a moment Amari felt nothing but fear and the shield began to splinter in response. Instinct was quick to kick into gear and she latched onto the lessons drilled into her since the academy.

Secure a foothold and your objective, figure things out after that...

She closed her eyes, focused on her mantra, and repeated the word, "Shield! Shield! Shield!"

Her chest flooded with warmth when energy rushed through her arms, burst into the shield, and enforced it once more. The beast kept up its attack, but for the moment she could endure and focused to calm her mind.

Cyrus and Fletcher were screaming but she ignored them and opened her eyes to see. The creature looked like something from a nightmare. Aetheric fog clouded it, flux emanated its body like toxic vapor, and an opaque massive armor obscured its bestial body.

Amari glimpsed to the side at the coyote who was still trapped inside the modified transporter. The coyote was staring at the beast yet it didn't seem scared.

Do they know each other?

Amari looked in front and saw the beast march toward the shield with one raised gauntlet. She pulled the sword from her side, drew a deep breath, and whispered, "Sharp as diamond, stronger than steel!"

The sword blazed to life in her hand, and runes formed on the blade. She then gripped it in both hands and let it become the conduit for her power.

The beast reached the shield, pulled back its gauntlet, and struck. Amari raised her sword in return, steadied herself, and swung to meet the strike.

Aetheric gauntlet met empowered sword, and a burst of light mixed with a rush of air followed. The clash reverberated through her body, and the burst of light made it difficult to see.

Flux rushed through the air like a malevolent maelstrom and Amari could feel it tickle her nerves like pinpricks. It seeped into her body, it burned against her skin, and she pushed with all she had. Yet try as she might, the massive beast with its radiant armor kept pushing like a bull.

Without warning she felt a surge of energy reinforce the shield, it provided some well needed relief and she glanced to the side. Cyrus, the feline mage, had joined the battle and was funneling energy to maintain the shield.

Amari looked back and focused on the beast in front of her. Its aetheric helmet was in the rough shape of a canine head. It had a long muzzle, big ears, yet its identity was well hidden in the reflective blue surface.

Seconds ticked by and the wild flurry of magic continued. It felt like a stalemate, yet Amari grew increasingly confident she'd win. After all, what hope did one beast have against two respected mages?

"Amari!" Cyrus yelled with a feline shriek.

Amari turned to look and saw the feline pointing at the walls with such horror that his tail had bristled like a cactus. She looked at the wall and saw dark tendrils creeping through every crevice. They dripped like oil and began to grow like an infestation.

Amari chanted in her mind and mouthed the words, "Shield! Enclose us! Burn the evil!"

The white shield began to grow and crept along the walls. It flowed over the growing infestation, and within moments it encased half the room in a bubble.

A ripple of unease danced down her spine when she heard something. It was a dark chuckle of amusement mixed with a bestial growl. She looked in front once more and focused on the blue beast in front of her.

There was a presence in the aether she hadn't noticed before, something familiar... something that made her lips tremble with memories of something awful. The aetheric of the beast shimmered for a moment and she caught a glimpse of something within.

Black fur, a wolfish grin, and two stark red eyes that stared into her soul with hunger.

Amari's concentration wavered, her claws scraped against the floor when she was pushed back. She recognized the presence in the aether, the horror it represented, the pure evil in woven into its very existence.

I'm going to lose... Unless...

Amari looked to the right and saw the coyote inside its prison. This time however she focused on the crystal assembly in the roof, it was connected to the city's magical grid.

"What was once a prison, become my conduit," Amari commanded.

The crystal assembly flickered for a moment and then brightened. An aetheric conduit formed, snaked it's way across the room, and surged into the sword.

Amari felt the energy of the city at her fingertips, it let her focus push harder than ever before. The sword burned, flared like a sun, and finally the beast began to buckle under its power.

788 I.C, February 15, Dracwyn: Underground, Morning

Talwin's heart pounded in his chest while his mind raced in panic.

I have to do something!

The room was a battlefield divided in two by a white shield, on one end was Cyrus the unpleasant feline mage; Amari the arctic vixen with a sword; and Fletcher the leader of the group. On the other side of the room was Avery, clad in an aetheric armor of shimmering blue.

It was difficult to breathe, the flux in room burned, and there were wisps of magic popping in and out of existence like fireworks. It was a battle between mages and it was as beautiful as it was messy.

Talwin reached out and felt the shield that surrounded him, it was hard like rock, and shimmered when he let his claws trail along the surface. The knife wouldn't dent it, and there was something holding his powers back.

Avery fought hard and for the moment he seemed to be winning. It filled Talwin with relief but he found his attention drawn to Fletcher who observed in silence while fidgeting with something in his pocket.

Moments later the human pulled something from his pocket, and looked into his hand. It was difficult to see but it looked like a blue marble.

A blue marble!

The mere sight of it made Talwin's heart skip a beat, Avery would have no chance against a weapon like that. Things only got worse when Fletcher pulled out a pistol and began to load the marble.

Without warning the prison that encased him flickered and the noise from crystal assembly above changed pitch. Talwin looked up and saw a conduit of energy extend across the room before enveloping the vixen.

In an instant the tables turned and Avery started being pushed back while Cyrus and Amari gained ground. Fletcher seemed to relax once more but kept the pistol ready.

Avery is about to lose! I need to do something!

In desperation Talwin gathered his willpower and tried another spell. This time something had changed, sparks of energy formed within his hand and a small fire burst to life.

The conduit? Is it draining energy from the shield?

Talwin turned around, touched the shield, and focused his mind. Sparks of fire danced against the shield and made it shimmer, but despite his best attempts, it didn't falter.

I need something sharper...

He reached for his belt, removed the knife, and held it against the shield. Like before it shimmered but wouldn't pierce the shield.

What if...

Talwin focused and let threads of aetheric energy emerge from his hand, it wrapped around the knife like a coil and focused on the edge. He then placed it against the shield once more, and forced energy through the coiled thread.

This time the shield sparked and a fine web of cracks began to form. He kept pushing, forced more energy into the coil, and within moments the knife began to glow.

It's going to melt...

Talwin shifted the tune of magic, pushed it higher, away from the effect of heat, and into something else. He felt like a novice blundering in the dark, but the effect seemed to work as the warm glow faded while the cracks in the shield grew larger.

More!

Talwin pushed with all he had, poured his energy into the coil, and it pierced the shield with a sudden snap. It lodged itself against the hilt and the shield burned around it with an angry glare.

He forced the threads to expand, and the shield split open like a ripped seam.

788 I.C, February 15, Dracwyn: Underground, Morning

Fletcher held his pistol close at hand. For the moment it seemed that Amari was winning, and he hoped she had the wits not to kill the intruder. Even if they were forced to kill him though, the coyote-

Where's the coyote!?

"Don't move," A voice whispered in Fletcher's ear.

"Wh-" Fletcher's voice was cut short when he felt a sharp edge against his throat.

Fletcher gulped and started to reach for his belt, in an instant the edge pushed harder and he felt a sharp sting.

"I said, don't move," The coyote snarled.

Fletcher stopped moving and whispered, "You won't make it out of the city alive, surrender and I promise you won't be harmed."

The coyote made a low growl and his whiskers brushed by Fletcher's cheek, "Call Amari off."

Fletcher glanced at the ongoing battle, and saw the intruder being pushed back, "Killing me won't change anything, the only way to help yourself is-"

"Quiet!" The coyote snapped.

Fletcher felt a hand brush by his midsection, a moment later it clasped his hand, and wrested the pistol from his grip.

"Don't!" Fletcher yelled.

To Fletcher's surprise the sharp knife eased up, and he was pushed aside. A sharp bang struck the room a moment later.

Fletcher stumbled to the side and his eyes grew wide with the expectation of seeing Amari sink to the ground with a hole in her back.

Instead something began to crackle like a thunderstorm. Fletcher looked to the right and was just in time to see the crystal assembly flare like the sun itself.

Blinded by light he could only hear a pained scream, a thunderous blast, and the sound of shattering crystal. The blast tore into him, every nerve felt as if it had been fried, and he was hurled through the air.

788 I.C, February 15, Dracwyn: Underground, Morning

Thunder shook the room and a burst of energy slammed into my armor. It made me stumble back and almost toppled me over. Moments later it dissipated and I squinted to see what had happened.

The white shield was gone, there was a large hole in the roof, and the crystal assembly was now little more than fragments scattered on the floor.

My opponent lay unconscious on the ground; the feline mage was slumped against the nearby wall; there was a human in the back of the room, and Talwin was nearby.

I made sure my camouflage was active and called out, "Coyote?"

To my relief Talwin stirred and glanced up with a dazed expression, "Oh... gods... My head..."

I sent threads to immobilize the others and approached, "Are you all right?"

Talwin nodded, tried to get up, but decided to stay down and settled on all four, "I'll be all right."

I looked down on the floor and focused on the vixen. She had a been a formidable opponent and used magic I had never encountered before. The sword she used had acted as a conduit and the runes on it had flared like fire.

My eyes searched the ground and I noticed something beside her. It reminded of the sword but now it was little more than partially melted metal with jagged cracks.

"Who are they?" I asked out loud.

Talwin answered, "The human is Fletcher, the cat is named Cyrus, and the vixen is Amari."

I knelt down beside the vixen, reached down, wrapped my hand around throat, and lifted her for a closer look, "Time to wake up."

The vixen stirred, her eyes fluttered, and then shot open, "Ah!"

The threads kept her hands locked and my claws squeezed along her neck, "Why did you attack us?"

Her pulse raced and she made a useless struggle against the restraints, "Let go!"

"Wait," Fletcher wheezed in the distance.

I let go and the vixen fell to the ground before I stood up and looked toward Fletcher, "Speak up?"

Fletcher struggled to get onto all four and looked up, "Kill us, and you won't get out of the city alive."

I tipped my head and let my ears perk, "I am more than capable of transporting us out of here, and at the moment you're witnesses I don't need."

It's something of a lie... With all the flux in the air it'd be almost impossible to transport out of here...

Cyrus, the feline mage, made a sudden cough and clutched his chest, "Ow..."

I looked over at Cyrus and growled, "Don't move too much, cat. There's magic around your neck that's more than capable of severing your head."

Cyrus glanced up and wheezed, "I can feel that, please don't."

I glared back, "Why shouldn't I?"

Cyrus spoke, "We're looking for a human called the Red Eye and his coyote companion, we're-"

Fletcher interrupted Cyrus, "Cyrus, shut up!"

Cyrus coughed and looked over at Fletcher, "You're a stubborn idiot that may be willing to die for something like this. But I intend to make a deal with our opponent that has been gracious enough to let us speak."

Fletcher was about to protest but I interrupted him by letting a thread wrap around his head and keep his jaw shut.

Cyrus made an amused grin and chuckled, "Thanks, I've wanted to shut him up for a while."

"Talk," I ordered.

Cyrus looked at and nodded, "We suspect that Red Eye has information regarding the recent wulfkin invasion. He might even be in possession of something that the Master fears. We need him, Agron needs the information that Red Eye holds."

I motioned to myself, "Why the hell attack us then?"

Cyrus stifled a cough, "My sincerest apologies, the others aren't exactly the sharpest tools in the shed. But you have to understand, there are very few roaming coyotes, even fewer that would come here and look for papers."

"How so?" I asked.

Cyrus made a humble smile, "Same reason that you're here, it's very difficult to move around Agron without papers. Red Eye needs papers, but..."

"What?" I asked.

Cyrus looked over at Fletcher, "The coyote already has his papers, it would be stupid of him to come here looking for new ones."

Fletcher glared at Cyrus and huffed with anger.

Cyrus focused on me once more, "May I offer a deal?"

"Go on?" I said.

Cyrus made a trembling smile while his tail hid, "Spare us, and we'll give you whatever we can offer. Papers, money, contacts within the underground, safe passage. I swear it on my name and title."

I stepped closer and raised a brow, "And who are you supposed to be exactly?"

Cyrus lowered his head, "I am Cyrus Altmer, I invented the transportation techniques that are used these days, surely you've heard of me?"

"No," I answered.

Cyrus ears folded back, "Oh."

I crouched down and looked him in the eyes, "Answer me this. Why should I trust you?"

Cyrus met my eyes and made a pleading smile that made his whiskers perk, "Benefit of the doubt?"

I smirked in response, "Not likely."

Cyrus pondered it for a moment, "What if I could give you a weapon capable of killing any mage?"

Could he be speaking of the blue marbles?

"Go on, you have my attention?" I said.

Fletcher made a human snarl and fought against his restraints while Cyrus spoke, "It is uniquely powerful but quite rare, you can take it as insurance to make sure we keep our word."

"If you're not lying that is," I said.

Cyrus motioned to Fletcher, "Check his pockets, he has a pouch full of them, projectiles that can be fired using gunpowder or other non-magical means."

I glanced over at Fletcher and let a thread of magic reach into his pockets, it didn't take long before I felt the rather disturbing presence of the marbles.

"It seems that you speak the truth, Cyrus. My magic can't touch those... things."

Cyrus nodded, "They're quite fascinating but I have no idea what they are. Carved from the bones of dead wulfkins perhaps? Or artifacts from Aetherius himself?"

I threw Talwin a glance and motioned at Fletcher.

Talwin moved over to Fletcher, searched his pockets, and snatched the pouch, "I have it."

I looked back at Cyrus, "And what about your friends, will they agree to our deal?"

Cyrus looked over at the others, "Ask them, if they disagree, kill them."

I chuckled, "You're a cold one, aren't you?"

Cyrus shrugged, "I'm a realist, if these idiots can't accept a good deal, then that's their choice."

I stood up, walked over to Fletcher, and eased up on the threads that kept him from speaking.

Fletcher snarled like a wild beast and spittle flew from his mouth while he stared daggers at the feline mage, "Cyrus! You fucking! Rotten! Piece of-"

I set my paw down on his chest and pushed until Fletcher's voice gave out with a wheeze.

"Quiet," I ordered.

Fletcher wheezed for breath but seemed to calm down while his eyes looked up to meet my own. After a few moments I eased up and let Fletcher cough and gasp.

"What do you say, Fletcher? Do we have a deal or should I kill you here and now?" I asked.

Fletcher's lips twitched and he clenched his teeth, "Who are you?"

I cocked my head in wonder, "I'm not sure you understand your position."

Fletcher drew a deep breath and eased up on the anger, "Hear me out, will you?"

"Oh? You mean the sort of talk you didn't offer to my companion?" I asked.

Fletcher bit his lip and seemed to swallow his pride, "Yes. I am sorry for what we did to your companion, we only sought to do good."

"Go on then, talk?" I mused.

"I am a sworn agent of Agron, if my country requires my life, then I am more than willing to give it."

I nodded, "Yes, your nation is certainly a strange one, to inspire such loyalty."

Fletcher sought my eyes and looked deep, "Do not misunderstand. I am not a saint, nor am I a paladin. I peddle with the underground on a daily basis, and I have made deals that will forever stain my soul."

"Your point?" I asked.

"You've got the upper hand, and you've put the entire nation at risk thanks to Cyrus betrayal. But..."

"But?"

"I am willing to deal with you, as a representative of the royal crown and Lord Sigmund."

I couldn't help but smile and chuckle, "Oh, how fancy."

Fletcher frowned and snapped, "The crown is not a joke!"

"My apologies, go on?" I said.

Fletcher cleared his throat, "The threat that Agron faces is bigger than any of us. If I survive this and perhaps even manage to recruit a powerful mercenary. Then I'm more than willing to deal with you, even under circumstances like this."

"And why would I and my companion want this?" I asked.

Fletcher looked at Cyrus, "As Cyrus said, we can offer papers, money, and influence."

I pondered it for a moment, "Sounds good, but what's the catch?"

Fletcher met my eyes once more, "Who are you?"

I motioned to myself, "I'm Torus, my origins are a mystery but I've spent most of my life wandering Karashak. That's where I picked my companion, the coyote you decided to kidnap."

Fletcher looked over at Talwin, "And you are?"

Talwin sighed, "I'm Ma'yee, but your people tend to call me Markus."

Fletcher looked back at me, "Why did you come to Agron?"

I raised my brow, "Because we sought a better life."

Fletcher made an understanding nod, "I see."

"Is that it?" I asked.

Fletcher drew a deep breath, "I ask that you consider working for us, and that you consider returning what you just took."

"I will 'consider' it, all right?" I said.

Fletcher nodded, "That's good enough, since I doubt you'd return them."

I leaned in and lowered my voice, "I'm going to release your restraints, betray my trust and I will give you a death unlike any other. Do you understand, Fletcher?"

Fletcher nodded, "I understand, and I swear, you can trust my word."

With a flick of my hand the threads dissolved.

Fletcher sat up and drew a deep breath of relief, "Thank you."

I held out my hand and spoke, "Then we have a deal?"

Fletcher reached out, took a firm grip of my hand, and nodded, "Deal, Torus."