“I don’t trust that damned dwarf.” Euphronios stared towards the door painted in bright hues against the veneered rich red walls of the Brilliant Belle. The sole brothel and tavern of the old town of Moenum.

  “Pure breeds are the worst.” Vakodr opined sourly. Seemingly he gazed into Euphronios’s mismatching eyes. The right, a mundane, the left a blooming lotus, both the purple of lavenders. Though in truth, outwardly his pupilless eyes could see no more, just stared emptily since his thirties, twenty years before Euphronios showed up in the city.

  At first the rumors spread about a battered vagrant, a lanky man of the heartlands. Hair greasy, unkempt, lengthened beyond his shoulders and beard lush and chaotic. Though he walked still with the grace of erudite magusos, spoke like the nobilos when he began inquiring around the town, regarding the murder of Dhaekenia’s recent disciple. At the time, he kept his right arm hidden, under the ragged folds of his once rich purple overcoat. Now he flaunted its gazed form, leaking a foul smell occasionally. One that made Vakodr think, he may have drew the ire of some pixie, who made him emit the bodily gases through his arm, instead of the intended orifice.

  Vakodr himself seen better days though. Long ago, one could have mistaken the now withered husk of a skaeze for a stalwart, foolhardy huscarl of the fallen kingdom. His muscles withered; his height concealed by his meager hunch. Once he prided himself for his lush, voluminous golden blonde mane, but no more. His head a barren vista of scars and rugged skin. His eyes once blue as azure, an emblem of his arkhaine heritage, now his pupils faded. A price he paid without questions. He owed that much to his master, and Vakodr trusted Him, knew the gift would make up for the loss of two azure pearls.

  It did allow him to see within the Unseen Realms, notice things passing others. Whilst the people of Moenum assumed not much about Euphronious, Vakodr seen the sulfurous darkness enveloping the eclectic magus.

  “There are some good ones.” Euphronious said with a hideous smile. Then turned, cast his gaze on the gathering of scanty maidens, the most beautiful courtesans one could found in the province. Including a pureblooded dwarf, whose skin undulated like disturbed surfaces of peaceful ponds. Like his master’s, like Haddeag’s–the source of Euphronios’s frequent visits to the tavern. And brothel.

  And for Vakodr too, who got assigned to the pompous dwarf, remained in the two for twenty years, instead of scurrying off like the rest of them. The bitterness festered silently in the old assassin. He knew well if they left with the others, they could have just ignored the young sylvan-kin convening with the remnants of the dead. There would have been no need for him to slit his throat hastily, let some poor farmer’s boy to find it in the dilapidated old granary. And offer Euphronios a thread to follow.

  Then again, the old men seemed fond of his son. Vakodr recognized the strength, durability of familial bonds.

  Deep in his thought, he let a meager grunt pass his dry, scar adorned lips. “Regardless, do you know anything about Haddeag, the young merchant?” Euphronious turned away from gazing at the asses forming a near-perfect phalanx, leaned close and whispered. Vakodr nearly pulled back at the suddenness, but kept his cool.

  He started stroking his chin, pondering whether to deny knowing anything specific, repeat what the others’ told already or use this opportunity to get rid of his master’s son. “Arrived with a few others, associates I believe. But they stayed short, left one by one.” He moistened his throat. Too many words. The price and assurance of His gift.

  Euphronious sighed, narrowed his eyes staring at his own reflection in the cup. Cheeks reddened, yet intelligence burned still in each well after his tenth cup of the potent wine and liquor. “Heard so. Heard where they left?”

  Vakodr shook his head. They had their own servants, though a few volunteered to accompany the Great One. Vakodr wanted too, but his master wished not too. An old sentimental master he wished to be with rather than with his bratty, idiotic son. The urge became too strong to resist. “Heard though he frequently ventured north.” Few words, but his gamble proved right. Euphronios knew of the old ruins erected in worship of the Nightscale, by the teneavhei. Though no more they occupy the ruins, live with Black Serpent, deep in Dhaugruz.

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  “When?” Vakodr pondered if Euphornious intentionally mimicked him, or he had his own curse, gift.

  “Years ago. Once or twice.” He answered. Though this time, Euphronious faltered in his beliefs a little. “Before the anathema in the north.” Felt a little foolish, thinking he may have given more. But instead, Euphronious excused him and left. As he remained alone, he scraped his sprawling bald spot, pondering whether it would be better to just kill Euphronios. “He has other children.” He murmured to himself, shrugged his shoulders whilst watching the counter.

  *****

  Otherworldly, musical chords chirped forth a little flamboyant bird’s black peppered yellow beak. It stood peacefully on the embrasure, basking in the Illius’s warm glow, parting the simple ‘Yes’ of Vakodr to Haddeag. The lithe dwarf stood by his desk, clad in his thick brownish-black cloak with the voluminous neck turned over the flared shoulders, exposing the wrapped tunic beneath with a high neck. His fair skin remained peaceful, mundane in his stiffness, his long and luxuriant dark hair billowed like a dark mist, absorbed the light of early noon.

  “Told you, we have nothing to worry about him. Now, with the weapon of the Night, he shall to fall before unveiling our presence.” He kept his back towards the bird, silently watching whilst its dominator cursed under his breath afar.

  His eyes, black as onyxes, and mind still in development–as far as Vakodr guessed–focused on the small cradle resting atop his grand desk. Through the link binding the small bird to him, Vakodr could sense the primordial materia of Dusk within the obsidian, one so profound he wondered how the disciples of the Dawnfather haven’t sensed it yet. Or how Euphronios detected not the potent darkness of the night, captured within the contemptuous thing.

  The bird opened its beak, the eldritch notes poured forth, strengthening the shadows crawling on the old wooden walls. ‘Still believe, the correct path, is his elimination. Leave it not to chance.” Not even a day after he imparted the knowledge of Haddeag’s outings to the ruins, Vakodr felt regretful letting his feelings loosen his tongue. Though he hoped the cult would spot the snooping magus, it seems he evaded their eyes in some manner.

  Haddeag suddenly arose, stood erect. He inhaled the warm air of Selvinia’s month seeping through the wide-open windows. The stout bones within his deceptively frail hands moaned as he furled them, calming his temper.

  “Do you doubt the Night’s Will?” He asked with cold pride, head held high and pompous. A short chord carried the meaning of ‘No’ into Haddeag’s mind. “He shall perish, with all of them blinded by Dawn. And shall serve under the yoke of Night. It is their decree, and a single meddler of a magus can do naught about it.”

  The bird remained silent, looked over the promontory, where he watched Euphronios hiding amongst the shadows of the alley. The petals of his left pupil swirled, through the eyes of the bird, saw mana channel into it, peer into the Unseen Realm. No doubt, he sensed a shard of his essence within the bird, but he kept it in place. He waited for Haddeag’s command.

  Whilst he hated him for the foolishness borne of his youth and social standing, Vakodr recognized his partial results in revising the old spell of Anathema Carriers. He was the first to realize the need of a mixture of body parts to contain His essence. But when it came to hiding their presence, carry out their business without needless ears hearing, eyes seeing it, he lacked profoundly. His father, imparted little of these small but necessary things after they inducted him amongst their ranks.

  Deep down, Vakodr knew the doting nature of his master birthed these faults, but he could not blame him for them. Through blood and sweat, they grew to be brothers.

  “If that is all, you can leave. Keep an eye on him though.” The bird stopped pecking the colorful feather clad region beneath its wings, nodded its small head then took off, circled high beyond ken, watching the vagrant magus settle down amongst the downtrodden, waiting for the cover of the night.

  Watching from afar, unease gripped him when Euphronios started conversing with the homeless folk. Once one reached towards his gauzed arm, he slapped suddenly, and used a veiled spell, erasing something from the ruddy men’s mind. He let the bird fly free from his presence, stirred a shard of himself implanted in a small, grayish mice scurrying in the nearby shop’s cellar. From there, he kept his vigil on Euphronios until the Illius shifted into the Lunarius.

  Though betraying his expectations, Euphronios chosen not to confront Haddeag, instead departed to their favored tavern for rest. He mumbled a few words along the way, but nothing Vakodr could discern, heightening his unease.

  A new week, another story. A side story set a bit further from the capital.

  One negative I can say about writing the second volume, one thing that in hindsight would have not done so, is having only one setting. Though in the last two arcs, there will be minor divergences from the capital, but it felt too much. Especially after more than a year spent on it. Compared to that, it is already much more enjoyable to work on the third volume, where Sigi spends some time here and there before moving on to the next. Same with the other POV.

  Anyway, don't want to say much more about this side story, still there is the second part. A bit longer, but it was heavily segmented. A bit experimental in having a villain focused investigation story. Some nods to the third arc and third volume. In equal numbers.

  Won't ramble on this time, so thank you all for reading this chapter. Next one for tomorrow, then the third arc of the second volume begins. Till then, have a pleasant evening or day, folks!

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