(The author is taking a break! The Wandering Inn will resume updating on April 11th for Patreon readers. April 14th for Public readers!)



Frustration. Black despair. Rage and helpless…loss. The memories came more frequently, now. It was easier looking into a void. But seeing fragments, incomplete, broken reflections of what had been was far worse if you remembered…glory.

Perfection as it had existed in this wretched world.

Time had run out. There were no more excuses today. No more distractions, magical drinks, or misunderstandings regarding genitalia.

One of them had quit. QUIT. As if you could walk away from what you were, what you had been made for. And the rest were insubordinate.

Especially…him. Pawn. He had disobeyed all orders, not even bothering to make excuses anymore. Where the other ones tiptoed around the lines, he walked over them.

The True Antinium’s fury was directed at him. Fury. And the dark resolve to restore order. A kind of enmity born from frustration and—confusion.

Today was going to be a day of causality. Casualty. And it was Pawn to whom the enmity was directed. Pawn, upon whom Klbkch laid much of the blame for the state of his Hive, the failure as he saw it. Pawn, he abhorred for what he was.

He was not the only one.

—-

The Wandering Inn was a peaceful place of late. Or rather, if there was madness, it wasn’t of the inn-destroying, monsteriffic kind. There really was a rhythm to it.

As the day began, early in the morning before even most of the guests were at work, Lyonette personally served people. Only a handful.

“Can I get a big meal of something pasta-heavy? I’m working all day.”

A [Laborer] Gnoll waved a paw at the [Princess]. She brought out lasagna after a moment, piping hot; it just needed to be warmed up. And it was fresh as the moment Erin had made it.

Western food. It was heavy on the stomach, but there was nothing like it for people who wanted it in a hurry, and needed the kind of energy it produced.

The kind of people who could metabolize an entire bowl of ice cream, a slice of cake, and pizza with no consequences because they were going to burn that much energy. They existed. Of course, most people shouldn’t ever copy that example, but The Wandering Inn had a small clientele of [Worker]-classes who rose at the crack of dawn and liked getting their food in a moment. And Relc.

As for the staff and other guests, well, Lyonette served them too. Erin Solstice’s face seemed glued to the table. She’d been playing chess all last night. Up into the daylight, with her mystery opponent. Lyonette hesitated before putting some oatmeal in front of Erin’s face. She had a feeling that if it had gone right under Erin as the [Innkeeper] put her face down, Erin Solstice would have drowned.

“Late night?”

“Mm. I stayed up laaaaate. But my opponent did too. They kept wanting to play so I…y’know?”

“And that makes it better?”

The [Princess] raised a brow. Erin looked at her blearily.

“Yes…?”

“At least you have [Twofold Rest].”

“Mm. Still doesn’t help if you only get two hours of sleep.”

Lyonette du Marquin, 6th Princess in line for the Eternal Throne of Calanfer, sighed. She gestured at the bowl.

“Eat. And then take an hour’s nap.”

“Yes, Mom.”

The [Princess] paused. She adjusted her tray of food, which she balanced on one arm. Then she leaned over and poked Erin in the side.

It was a very Gnollish action. Erin yelped and sat up. She glared, but Lyonette was already walking away, smiling to herself. She stopped at a table with two diners. The [Princess] deposited her three mostly-identical plates on the table.

“Breakfast! Hamburger for you, Mrsha. And a little egg…whoops—without bread for you, Pawn. And here’s the ketchup…”

The two looked up. A little white Gnoll stared at her tiny hamburger on a bun, with an egg on the side. And the Antinium looked at his substantially larger hamburger, with three eggs. No bun.

Because of course, Pawn was Antinium. And Lyonette had for herself a copy of Mrsha’s meal.

“There’s a bit of sliced apple too, Mrsha. Don’t give me that look. You don’t need a big-person sized hamburger. That’s too much for your stomach. See? I have the same meal.”

Lyonette saw the little Gnoll child, her daughter, look pointedly at Pawn’s plate. And his hamburger was three times her size. Lyonette paused.

“Pawn can’t eat bread. And he’s a Worker.”

“Thank you for the food, Lyonette. Surely, Mrsha may have some of my meal.”

The Antinium Worker smiled at Lyonette. She smiled back, sliding in between the two. Mrsha nearly lifted her hamburger off the bun before she saw Lyonette’s warning look. She glumly stared at the fork Lyonette was nudging towards her. Mrsha nudged it back and picked up the hamburger and bun and chomped into it.

“Don’t spoil her, Pawn. Mrsha gets enough snacks from Gnolls anyways. I know she’s growing, but she doesn’t need to eat that much meat. Right?”

The [Princess] carefully ate her fried egg. Pawn nodded obligingly.

They were an odd trio. A [Druid], a [Princess], and a [Priest]. Of course, they were more than their classes. A white Gnoll, a member of Terandrian royalty, and an Antinium Worker.

…No, it was still an odd grouping. But they all had a connection. A strong one. Lyonette smiled as she lifted her fork towards her mouth. She saw Pawn eating with the Antinium gusto towards all food that wasn’t their horrible nutrient mush. But he was glancing at her, too. The two met eyes and paused to smile at each other.

One, a Human face, a young woman with red hair, a sign of royal blood in some parts of Terandria. The other, an Antinium, insect’s face. Waving antennae, multifaceted eyes. Two mandibles open, lifted in a smile. But their expressions were similar.

It was the expression, the exact same across two faces, of a nauseatingly cute couple in love. No one else in the inn really noticed. Erin was staring at the porridge, trying to remember how it worked. The other regulars were eating, chatting. Somewhere, Niers Astoragon was being poked by Foliana as he yawned into his bowl of soup.

But then again—someone was watching the sickening display. Someone, like Klbkch, harbored a grudge. A little Gnoll stared at Lyonette and Pawn. She stared at her food and folded her arms.

After a second, Lyonette and Pawn realized Mrsha was there again and went back to their meal. But they sat close to each other and they had that—new cadence to their dialogue.

“So…you’re going back to the Hive. Will Klbkch be angry with you?”

“Perhaps. But I believe I can mollify him with my new Skill. At any rate, I will try to come back tonight. With the others, of course. It makes no sense for us to avoid Erin’s inn.”

“Of course. I mean, it is silly for them not to come here. But Klbkch is angry?”

“Extremely so. But I will return. What—will you be doing?”

Pawn smiled again. Lyonette glanced around distractedly.

“Oh, I think I’ll go visit Krshia. Order some things personally—have our little chat. Then I’ll visit Zevara, and then I have to go back to managing the inn. Ishkr’s in charge so I can have the morning off.”

“Ah, that is very well. You deserve a break. But what about Mrsha?”

The two looked at Mrsha. The Gnoll was eating, discontentedly. She rolled her eyes.

Yes, thank you, I’m here.

Lyonette missed the look. She patted Mrsha on the shoulder, thinking it was about the food.

“Mrsha’s going to visit Ekirra and Visma. They’re going to help Elirr, isn’t that right, Mrsha? They’re learning how to help manage the animals; he’s got his hands—paws, excuse me—full with that little Wyvern.”

“That is very good. And perhaps Mrsha will level up in her class? Druids manage animals, or so I understand. Klbkch has not rendered much information unto me, but the Antinium have notes on classes. Books as well.”

“Really? I never knew!”

The Antinium nodded as he ate. Mrsha was already done with her hamburger.

“Yes. It is one of the things the Hive has in secret. I will bring you some books, if you’d like?”

“I would. Thank you, Pawn.”

Lyonette smiled. Pawn was sharing some of the Hive’s secrets with her. In theory, this would have enraged a certain Antinium even more. But no one cared. Not Pawn, nor Bird, who was sitting in his tower, eating a squishy bird with worms in it.

Each to their own. And you couldn’t fault the two for liking each other, right? They had formed a connection. And their relationship, as unusual as it was, had—benefits.

“So—I haven’t tried my new Skill out. But I think it might work later. It’s not the best, but…well, I can’t be greedy, right? And it is an interesting one. I’ll ask Zevara to help me test it.”

Benefits. Pawn had leveled up. He was a [Priest]. Level 24. He had gained a new Skill. Well—not a Skill per se. Lyonette was very excited about it.

But she had gained a Skill too. She was Level 19 now, a [Worldly Princess], a rare class consolidation before Level 20, even. And her new Skill was called [Magnified Training].

“So, what do you believe the Skill does, Lyonette? Ah, you have something on your cheek.”

The [Princess] looked up as Pawn lifted a napkin. She let him clean it off her face. She shrugged.

“You know—it just increases how fast I’ll learn the sword, or maybe magic. It’s one of those basic skills—I have so many of them now! But that’s the focus of my class, and I’m still below Level 20, so I think it’s not bad. Just not special. Hm, no, wait. I have a brilliant idea. Later today, what if I…?”

She leaned over. Mrsha’s ears perked up as she determinedly stared at her plate. She heard a whisper.

“Oh, that is a good idea. But it is very strange that both of us leveled up.”

“Well, I understand my class, but yours? Why would that…? Anyways, it’s an incentive, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

The two looked at each other with that look again. Mrsha stared.

Lyonette and Pawn had leveled up since yesterday. An event had made that occur.

Sex. The Gnoll cub paused. It had definitely happened. There was no denying it. It had changed…everything. And if she didn’t know the sordid details, the comedy—Mrsha knew what had happened. She crossed her arms.

After a second, the two realized she was there again.

“Oh, Mrsha—you’re nearly done? Just the egg? You eat quickly! What did I tell you about scarfing? Hold on, let me get a refill—Ishkr isn’t in yet. Sorry, Pawn.”

Embarrassed, Lyonette scolded Mrsha, as if she hadn’t been distracted half the meal already. Pawn glanced at Mrsha. As Lyonette rose to refill someone’s waving cup, he tentatively cut a sizeable chunk of hamburger and offered it to Mrsha.

“Would you like some, Mrsha?”

The little Gnoll, lover of all foods, looked at Pawn. Her eyes narrowed as Pawn offered her some of the tender hamburger. Mrsha turned her head, picked up a fork, and with rather deliberate care and pointedness, began cutting her egg into pieces and feeding herself with the utensils.

Pawn was taken aback.

“Well, if you would like some…”

He put it to the side of his plate, for Mrsha to grab. The white Gnoll girl looked at him.

Yeah, sure, pal. Keep trying.

“Not hungry, Mrsha?”

Lyonette blinked as she came back and saw the Gnoll was eating slowly. Mrsha gave her a look too, but Lyonette still didn’t get it. She turned back to Pawn.

“Honestly, I don’t know how your class works, Pawn. It’s so—unique. Mine? I’m very glad about being a [Worldly Princess]. Otherwise, only royal acts would allow me to level. Which is why most of the royalty are under-leveled compared to everyone else. Well—we also level slower.”

“Really?”

Both Mrsha and Pawn looked at Lyonette. The [Princess] nodded.

“Don’t you know? I know I’ve taught you about class rarity, Mrsha.”

She had her little lessons with the Gnoll about things Lyonette had learned every few days. Mrsha nodded, but Lyonette explained it again for Pawn’s benefit.

“We level up more slowly the better a class is. You know the King of Destruction? My father said he was probably only above Level 50—not even Level 60. That’s just a guess, but it still makes him one of, if not the highest-leveled [Kings] in the world. The Blighted King would be around his level.”

“Could he be above Level 60?”

“Maaaybe. But no more than that. He’s the King of Destruction, but he doesn’t have to be high-level to have the ability to use his [Army of the King] or his Dreamers of Reim. Because he’s a [King], Flos Reimarch will have better Skills. I’d love to know how well a [Priest] ranks compared to say, a [Blademaster]. It does matter, you see.”

The Worker scratched at one antennae.

“I did not know that. But you have low levels, Lyonette. And you told me [Princesses] were mostly low-level, even if yours was particularly so.”

The [Princess] sighed.

“We level slowly, it’s true. Not just because our classes are some of the best in this world—we just don’t go into danger that much. And ruling a kingdom doesn’t let you level that much normally. There’s a list of monarchs and equivalent leader-classes above Level 40 that we keep. You know, dossiers on enemies and allies.”

Normal stuff. Mrsha and Pawn exchanged a glance, for a second in synch. Then Mrsha glared and turned her head. Lyonette went on.

“There are less than thirty rulers on that list. I think. A bit over thirty? Less than forty, in the entire world. Each one is a world power in their way. Only [Kings] and [Queens], by the way. [Lords] and [Ladies] don’t count, or anyone with a lesser class.”

“How inferior are they to your class?”

The young woman chewed as she thought about that.

“A Level 60 [Mayor] might be equal to a Level 30 [King]. Maybe they’d have a better city, but a [King]’s power extends across their entire kingdom. It’s about concentration of power. In her inn, Erin’s powerful. With her [Garden of Sanctuary] and her aura skill. She can suppress Gold-ranks from using their full abilities if she does it correctly and she’s not trained. She’ll get more powerful too, with her Level 40 Skills. But outside of the inn…?”

She shrugged.

“I’m not a [Queen]. There is a difference. But I’m close. I’ll get more powerful Skills than if I were a [Lady]. I’m Level 19. When I hit Level 20, I’ll get something…good. I hope. And when I do—I’ll be one of the most eligible bachelorettes in Terandria my age.”

She smiled, and her eyes lit up at the thought.

“I would be! Imagine that! Right up there with Princess Ozena of Ailendamus, or Duchess Greina of Noelictus. Or I would be, if I weren’t unfit. Ruined. Thanks to someone.”

She looked at Pawn. The Worker was nodding, and then he paused.

“Oh. Me.”

That was it. Mrsha decided she was done. She pushed her plate back from the table and smacked her paws onto the top, making the dishes jump. So did Pawn and Lyonette. They looked at her, saw the glare, and realized.

“Mrsha, don’t hit the—”

Lyonette faltered as Mrsha gave her a gaze that spoke volumes. She leaned over and whispered urgently to Pawn. She tried to keep her voice down, but Mrsha’s ears were too good.

“Pawn. I think she knows about last night.”

“Uh oh. Oh no. Is this bad?”

“Yes! I mean—I’m not ashamed. But Mrsha—”

“How does she know?”

Lyonette hesitated and turned red.

“I changed the sheets, obviously, but Gnoll noses—um, Mrsha? Honey, why don’t we talk…you see, Pawn. And I—and we—”

The Antinium paused.

“I am very fond of Lyonette, Mrsha. Last night, we entered into sexu—mghf.”

He made a sound as Lyonette covered his mandibles with her hands. The little Gnoll stared at the [Princess]’ flushed face. She looked at Pawn. The Gnoll glowered.

Hmf! Adults!

She climbed down from the table, got onto her two legs, and walked off. Not padded off on all fours, but stomped away to go find Drassi or someone else worthy of her attention.

The two watched Mrsha walk off. Lyonette opened and closed her mouth, but she didn’t know what to say. At least Mrsha wasn’t going to tell anyone. She looked at Pawn.

“I’ll talk to her tonight, Pawn. Don’t worry. But—maybe let’s find another bedroom. I can reserve the one down the hall, now the Workers are on the third floor…”

She whispered to him and he nodded. The two smiled at each other, held hands, engrossed. But then—they did part.

They both had jobs. And this was secret. No one but Mrsha knew the truth in this inn. And they had to keep it a secret. Lyonette didn’t feel like being judged. Least of all by Erin.

Erin being Erin, she’d go ballistic at the thought of anything improper. Which was everything, apparently. As for Pawn—he kept it a secret because Lyonette thought it should be secret.

Affairs, clandestine meetings, secrets—all that was bread and butter to Lyonette, who had grown up in Calanfer. And Pawn naturally let her show him how things were done.

“I’ll see you tonight. Bring the other Antinium if Klbkch doesn’t stop you. And the books.”

Lyonette bade farewell to Pawn. And then she got back to work. The Antinium Worker walked out of the inn, a new Pawn. And he stretched his arms up to the sky, all four of them.

He had a new Skill. And the day—everything was different. Pawn smiled, because he understood more of what happiness was. And he was a [Priest] who worshipped only that. And heaven.

—-

“Ishkr, you have the inn. You can manage, right? Erin’s asleep, so she probably won’t start anything. You need something?”

“No, Lyonette. I’ll manage the inn.”

The [Waiter]—now a [Head Waiter] by virtue of a promotion—nodded to Lyonette. She waited. The Gnoll looked at her as the inn moved. The Players of Celum were coming in for breakfast and rehearsals, the staff were serving guests…

And Lyonette realized Ishkr had nothing more to say. He had that kind of…incredible, normal competence combined with the ability to not add to someone’s workload that made him so valuable. Drassi would have had opinions. Erin? Erin was chaos.

“Well then, thank you. I’ll be back!”

Lyonette left the inn and walked through the hallway towards the magic door. She passed by a wide-eyed group of teenagers, a few years younger than her.

No—her age, really. Lyonette blinked. They were her age, but they felt younger. She was eighteen. But she looked different than them, her hair tied back, wearing her work clothes. Indeed, they were staring around.

“Look at this place! And we’re in Liscor? Farmer Strongheart was telling the truth! We’ve gotta tell the others!”

They were from Celum. Just—[Farmers], or maybe [Farmhands], from a nearby farm. Lyonette smiled as they hurried towards the door and stared about.

“Hello! The Wandering Inn is open at all times! The door isn’t always set to the Strongheart farm, but if they’re willing, you can wait there to be let through. It’s never more than ten minutes, usually.”

The two teens jumped and stared at Lyonette. One of them ducked his head nervously. The girl curtsied.

“Thank you, Miss! My folks’d love to see this place! There’s a play, right? Can we come back through again? For…free?”

“Absolutely. We might ask for a few coppers at some point, but we’ll put up a sign. And the Stronghearts are friends of the inn.”

The [Princess] smiled. Always good to put some thoughts in the heads of people. The two teens looked at each other. The Stronghearts were friends of the inn. They cautiously walked past Lyonette as she walked over to the door. She adjusted it for Liscor, and walked through.

It was another day. Another day, and yet—Lyonette felt like much had changed since yesterday. In more ways than one. And since it had—she had to tell someone about it.

Again, not Erin. Lyonette liked Erin Solstice, she really did. The young woman had saved her from death by exposure in the winter. She’d given Lyonette more chances than she’d deserved. She was a good person, even if she was slightly…Erin.

But Erin had flaws. Her good nature, belief in people, and willingness to accept anyone from Goblins to Antinium was also coupled with a stubbornness that a Minotaur would respect, a short fuse when it came to some matters, an inability to manage money or think politically…

And, recently, an aversion to anything sexual. Well, that had been a rather interesting day. But Lyonette wasn’t discussing Pawn with Erin. But she had to tell someone. So she went to her friends.

Lyonette du Marquin had friends in Liscor. Not many, but they existed. The first of them was running a stall down Market Street. And she was a Gnoll.

Councilwoman Krshia was still working her day-job, even if she participated in Council meetings regularly. They had a schedule. By day, the Council worked, by night they enacted laws, argued, and did what they thought was good for the city.

It was interesting, to see Krshia and Lism hawking goods and talking with their constituents. Both [Shopkeepers] had lines. Their regular customers and people who wanted to put a bee in their ear about some new law…metaphorically.

Lyonette had an actual bee. Apista was currently flying around the Garden of Sanctuary, pollinating flowers, drinking nectar, and getting high on faerie flowers. It was a good life, if lonely for her. She didn’t have a bug-mate.

Krshia Silverfang was hard at work and it was a long line. Mostly Gnolls went to her, and mostly Drakes to Lism, although there was crossover. But Lyonette was at the back of a line of Gnolls. Some of them stared at her, recognized her, and gave her hard looks. Lyonette ducked her head as she stood in the back of the line.

They knew her. The [Thief] who’d caused so much trouble. But no one said anything. Lyonette had been forgiven by both the Watch and Krshia.

“Next! Ah, Tirr, how can I help you today? And if you want to ban Gnolls who are shedding, you will have to speak to someone else, yes? Because that is not a law I am going to fight for…”

Krshia’s voice briskly drifted down the line as Lyonette waited. And it was a funny thing. As the queue moved forwards, Lyonette didn’t talk to the Gnolls who were chatting amongst themselves. She would have liked a book. But neither was the [Princess]…rude.

A certain crazy Human might have gotten by with marching to the front of the line, waving her hands and shouting about some crisis, but Lyonette waited. And when she got to the front of the line, she bowed slightly.

“Good morning, Krshia.”

“Lyonette! Ah, hello!”

Krshia smiled at the [Princess]. It was funny, to think of how they had first met and where they were now. The Gnoll paused, sniffed the air a few times, and then laughed.

“No! And it is a most good morning, yes?”

Lyonette blushed as the other Gnolls in line gave her a sideways look. Some sniffed too and stared, perplexed. But Krshia gave Lyonette a knowing smile. The [Princess] coughed.

“Well—it’s not a bad one. Thank you for your help, Krshia. Can I get some of the goods on this list? I’m shopping, but if you have time, I’d be grateful if I could speak to you? After work?”

She dipped her head again. And if she’d had ears, she’d have lowered them. It was—subtly—a show of respect. The other Gnolls watching murmured.

They knew who she was. Even if what they knew was that she was a former [Thief], or that she was Lyonette of The Wandering Inn. But some knew, and Lyonette was being—polite. To Krshia. And because they saw that, it mattered.

Krshia for her part, smiled.

“Of course I have time for you, Lyonette! After my work, certainly. I am only working another hour; I will have my assistant take over.”

“Oh? You have an assistant now?”

Krshia grinned.

“The times must change, yes? Just to sell goods. I run my store as usual, but yes. Let us meet at my apartment then. I have some of what you want. For the rest—try Samikha’s Butchery. You know it? She has some fresh Corusdeer venison, very good. And there was some beef at…”

Lyonette didn’t waste Krshia’s time. She ducked her head again, thanked Krshia, and walked off. And the Gnolls murmured, and a few more resolved to greet her the next day.

Small changes in Liscor. The new construction zone had tons of [Builders] and [Workers] marching towards it, some grumbling about their Human co-workers. A group of rookie Humans in the Watch were marching behind Tkrn. Lyonette saw it all, perhaps more clearly than Erin. She was part of the city. Erin—had her inn.

After an hour, Lyonette had stowed her purchases in Erin’s inn and made the walk to Krshia’s apartment. The Gnoll was already waiting. She spread her arms as Lyonette came in.

“Ah, Lyonette Marquin. So you did it, hrm? And how was it? Did everything go well? Pawn, he came to my store and I gave him some…tips. Did they help?”

She gave Lyonette a wicked look. The Gnoll woman did not beat about the bush. Lyonette blushed again. She sat down on the couch as Krshia made them some tea.

“How’d you know? I thought there wouldn’t be an um—smell…”

“We can smell many things. But it would have been harder. No—you have the look. And I knew what was supposed to happen. Here. Tea. Something to eat?”

“Thank you, I’m fine.”

Lyonette sipped from the spicy tea Krshia liked. The Gnoll woman sat across from her, laughing and joking. But kindly. She was genuinely happy for Lyonette. She listened as Lyonette shared what she was willing to. When she heard about Pawn panicking at the sight of blood and casting [Minor Heal Wounds] she laughed herself off the sofa. Krshia was wiping tears out of her eyes when Lyonette was done.

“Ah, good for you! Now, we must only have Erin relax, yes?”

She nodded at the young woman. Lyonette rolled her eyes.

“Good luck, because I’m not helping you. Honestly, Krshia, I think Erin’s just…scarred from her experiences. Which have been bad, I think. She told me about the Hobgoblin Chieftain she met within the first month of coming here…”

Krshia sobered. She slowly sipped her tea, nodding.

“Yes. Erin Solstice has had many things to grieve. But I think, joking aside, that it is good for her, yes? Well, perhaps it is not something casual for her. But I am happy for you.”

“Thank you for…for talking with me about it. And helping me. I wouldn’t have known about the um—harness and…”

Lyonette turned as red as her hair a third time. Krshia just laughed softly. Lyonette raised her head again.

What was fascinating about their conversation was that even here—she was in a role. It was something Lyonette had learned, both from Krshia talking to her and from observation. Gnolls had a way of communicating like all people did. The way they moved, their ears, tails, their manner of speech…Humans had it in how you bowed, looked at someone. All races did, but Lyonette had learned Gnollish etiquette, or perhaps, body language was a better word for it.

And she was also acting it out, as the younger Gnoll might in a relationship between two females. Krshia was treating her like someone who was both friend and someone in need of mild guidance. It had changed the relationship between the two, made it more solid than a tenuous connection of Lyonette wanting to redeem herself and know more about how to raise Mrsha.

And Lyonette…loved it. She liked the experience, of looking up to a mentor, of being the inferior, the student. A [Princess] was never that. Even her [Tutors] back in Calanfer had known who she was. But Krshia was someone Lyonette truly respected.

“Ah, if you enjoyed it, despite all the awkwardness of a first time, what is there to say? He is not like most males—not at all! But that is good too. I would enjoy someone who doesn’t need to stop but when I feel like it! After Pawn, many males will disappoint you, sadly.”

Krshia laughed. Lyonette had to chuckle. The Gnoll had related stories of her youth and experience to reassure Lyonette. And it had been Krshia that Lyonette had asked for advice when the idea of her and Pawn getting intimate had even popped up.

“Hrm. Strange that love should blossom so. You told me at the beginning you saw him only as a friend. Can you tell me, now that you decided it should be so, why it came to this?”

The Gnoll woman mused. The [Royal Shopkeeper] eyed Lyonette and the [Princess] tried to put it into words. She hadn’t been sure, even until last night. At last, Lyonette nodded.

“I didn’t plan anything, Krshia. Honestly, I didn’t think it would happen—not with all the craziness in the inn. But we had our weekly chats—which turned into twice a week, and then three times—and I showed Pawn how to dance and…”

“You two grew closer?”

“Not just that. It was Pawn…being Pawn. How can I explain it? When the Antinium do something, they do it with everything they have. They don’t know how to be half-hearted. When Pawn loves me, he does. More than any suitor back home.”

All the artificial romance, the odes some [Poet] had written for the [Princes] and [Lords] and [Earls] and so on for her, the gifts or deeds—all of it was fake when you compared it to the genuine thing. And Pawn…he didn’t know deceit. That was why Lyonette had loved him.

It had started with a kiss on his cheek. Only—she hadn’t had to kiss a frog to undo a polymorph curse. Her prince had been right from the beginning.

“As it should be. I am envious. Truly, I wish for a connection like that. For youth, to find one for me. But I have had good relationships. And I can keep myself pleased.”

Krshia smiled at Lyonette. And while she was not mother to Lyonette, as Lyonette was to Mrsha, she was like an older sister or simply an older female friend. One willing to teach Lyonette.

She’d never had that from her mother or her sisters, not like this. Lyonette dipped her head again.

“Thank you, Krshia Silverfang. I’m in your debt again. If I can do anything…”

The Gnoll woman raised a paw.

“Ryoka Griffin paid your debt. And you gave me a class. Erin Solstice gave Brunkr hope—and you—his wish. You have done so much for one not of your tribe—and now yours. Mrsha. And you do me favors. That [Farmer], Wailant Strongheart, was a boon. So too will be Octavia. And the Gnolls who are learning to be [Actors] are grateful. We have no debts between us. We are tribe-sisters.”

The statement made Lyonette’s eyes go misty. She felt her eyes water and brushed at them.

“What? Krshia! That’s—are you sure? Oh no. I’m—”

Only a Gnoll or someone like Lyonette would have known what that meant. Krshia got up, laughing quietly, and put one arm around Lyonette, squeezing. Lyonette wiped her eyes, then cried a bit.

Such days. Who could have imagined they would be like this? Lyonette sniffed as she leaned against Krshia. No debts between sisters. Just give and give. Lean on each other in times of strife, support each other in days of plenty.

It was an honor. And Krshia had delivered it so casually. But how else would a Gnoll do it? She had stated fact and it had been so. Krshia had said this for no other Human. Not for Erin, whom she owed a debt and protected. Not even for Ryoka. She was a friend, but no sister.

Lyonette would have liked to have been a Gnoll. But she rested her hand on Krshia’s shoulder and saw the Gnoll woman’s eyes were a bit wet. And then Lyonette told her friend something else.

“Actually—I leveled up after last night. I think it’s related. But—”

Krshia started laughing. So did Lyonette. The two laughed as they went back to their seats.

“Truly? Give me your class and I will reach Level 50 in a year. Ah, how convenient! But—such is the name, yes? Worldly. Perhaps what you need is to experience all things. Not other men—but learning to bake as you have done. All things. You do have a love for it.”

Lyonette nodded. When had she discovered she loved leveling up? Learning? Growing? It did fit her. She glanced at Krshia.

“Pawn leveled up too. Think that’s related?”

The Gnoll choked on her tea. She coughed, snorted, and shook her head.

“I do not know what Pawn is. But—he is unique. I am just glad for you, Lyonette. When you reach Level 20, we must hold a celebration, yes? Gnolls and the inn. A party worthy of it!”

She patted Lyonette’s knee. The [Princess] smiled. Krshia knew about Pawn’s class. Just like she knew about Lyonette being a [Princess]. The young woman had told her secrets. And in turn—Krshia had told her little tribe-sister some of her secrets.

“I know the Meeting of Tribes is coming, Krshia. I…I’ll miss you.”

Krshia’s eyes softened. She flicked her paw.

“Ah, well, it won’t be long. We’d have set out earlier, but Erin’s door will save us so much time. Four hundred miles of it, and skirting the Bloodfields is the biggest boon of all. There is so much land between Liscor and Pallass. It still boggles my mind. You know, there are cities, Drake ones that are closer to Liscor. I wonder, when the road is done, if we might trade with them as well as Pallass.”

Lyonette nodded. She inhaled slowly.

“Krshia…about your gift to the other tribes. Well—my Skill from this morning is [Magnified Training]. Which does what you think. It’s a Skill for [Soldiers], [Students], you know? I was wondering…could I try using the spellbook?”

Across from her, Krshia Silverfang’s eyes widened. Her brown eyes fixed on Lyonette. And the [Princess] saw the Gnoll’s fur stand up slightly.

“You? Lyonette Marquin? But you are no [Mage].”

“No. But I know you have Mrsha learning from it now and then…”

Krshia had asked permission after the fact. She said it was only now and then, and Lyonette hoped that was true. The [Princess] hesitated.

“I can cast [Light] and a few minor spells. But I was taught in magical theory. Most royals are. So I was thinking…I could try learning spells. I told you, Mrsha’s too young to memorize full spells. But I can cast magic. So, if you’re willing…”

She waited. Even knowing about Ryoka’s gift was a sign of trust that had made them this close. Krshia drummed her paws on the armrest of the couch. And then she slowly nodded.

“For you, Lyonette? Of course. I did not say we were tribe-sisters casually. Come.”

She stood. Lyonette followed her into the room. The Gnoll cautioned her to stay back while she undid the traps and locks. And then—she brought out the tome.

The young woman gasped. She had never seen the book in actuality, just known it was there. But this?

“Calanfer would trade hundreds of thousands of gold pieces’ worth for this, Krshia. Even if it’s only spells from Tier 0 to Tier…what, Tier 4?”

“Tier 3 or Tier 4. I forget myself. I cannot read it. Can you?”

Krshia let Lyonette read it on her bed. The [Princess] squinted at the magical writing.

“…Vaguely. Most [Mages] learn Skills to help them. And to memorize spells. Someone who can cast magic without help, or something that enhances their natural magic is rare.”

“You can do it.”

The Gnoll woman looked at Lyonette. The [Princess] smiled, a bit sadly.

“Superior breeding, my parents would say. Marquin children have natural mana pools that are larger than most people. Let me see this book, though…”

She flipped through the pages. Indeed, Lyonette saw at a glance why Mrsha wouldn’t be learning new spells. This was complex. But at the same time…there was a flow to the instruction that made it seem simpler than most spellbooks. As if, indeed, this book was teaching the spell rather than just listing it without instruction.

“Forget Calanfer. You could sell this to Wistram for one of their Archmages. What are the bookmarks for?”

“Ah—spells Mrsha wanted to try to learn. You see?”

“They look…like nature spells. Hold on, I’m pretty sure that one’s [Stone Armor]. See? There’s an illustration.”

Krshia nodded.

“What do you think?”

“I think…this spellbook is organized by elements. No—wait—spell schools. And that would mean these are Tier 4—or Tier 3—attack spells. And these are…illusions…”

Lyonette was going through the book. Krshia made a quick note.

“And this section?”

“Enchantments.”

Lyonette stared at a page, which was both illustration and word. Magical writing. She paused.

“Krshia—can you let me try to learn this spell? It might be—it looks like it’s a spell I know from home.”

“Which one?”

“Here. If it is—it’s [Silverglow Enchantment]; it makes a sword capable of cutting spirits.”

“Really? That is useful. Against undead, yes?”

“I hear it’s good against Djinn as well. And non-corporeal foes. Or maybe—this one?”

Lyonette wavered. She’d spotted another spell as she went to attack spells.

“[Lightning Bolt]. That’s definitely it.”

“Another good spell. Do you think you can learn it?”

“I don’t know.”

If she could—and if she could, really, which was the best spell to try for? Lyonette stared at the spells again. And she began to get worried. Which one? Which…

Another spell caught her eye. Lyonette paused.

“…How about this one? I’ve heard of [Mages] using it. And it has a number of uses.”

“Hrm? Which one.”

“This. Right here. It’s wind-magic. [Razorwind].”

“…Seems much like [Lightning Bolt]. Except less useful, yes?”

“No, no. It’s Tier 3. But it’s not just sharp wind. It’s got utility. Let me try…learning it. You can compress the wind, use it as a shield. I can always try the other enchantments later.”

“Very well. If you can learn, it has some use here. Go ahead. Hrm. Perhaps a table? Mrsha takes a long time learning.”

“Okay. Here I go.”

Lyonette put the book on the table. She stared at the magical spell. Instantly—her head began to hurt. The magic was trying to embed itself in her head. And her mind was ill-prepared to accept it.

Even so—Lyonette realized the words made a lot more sense than even the Tier 1 and Tier 0 spells her [Tutors] had tried to teach her. Her Skill was working.

It was just that this was Tier 3. The [Princess] felt a trickle from her nose as she tried to memorize.

“Nosebleed. Here. Perhaps you should rest, Lyonette? It has been forty minutes.”

Krshia offered Lyonette a tissue. The [Princess] looked up.

“Forty…? It feels…no. No, I think I can do this. I’m going to try something else. Give another try?”

The Gnoll nodded. And so the [Princess] took a breath. She looked down and whispered.

“[Flawless Attempt].”

And her mind—focused. Krshia Silverfang saw the young woman’s pupils widen. And she felt something in the air. She looked at Lyonette. And in the closed room, the air began to move. The Gnoll stared at Lyonette. Time ran past the young woman as she read.

Her mind felt focused, as if she’d taken some kind of potion to enhance her concentration. And the magic was revealing itself to her. Imprinting itself in her brain. She raised her hand.

Yes. The wind can be as sharp as a razor. As mutable as thought. More than water. But it changes. Look. You can compress it; turn it into a shield, a weapon. But only for a breath. Concentrate. To know how to make a blade with air, you have to know what it is to cut—

“I need to cut myself. Where’s my sword?”

Lyonette found herself muttering. She felt someone shaking her. And she came to herself with Krshia’s knife in one hand. The Gnoll was holding her arm.

“No. Lyonette?”

She peered worriedly at Lyonette. The [Princess] blinked at her—and she came back into the world.

Two hours had passed. Lyonette let go of the knife, sheepishly.

“I—didn’t mean cut my throat. I just need to know how sharp a blade is. I’ll only be able to create a blade as sharp as something I understand. So the easiest way is to cut yourself. Lightly. I’ll heal it with a potion.”

Krshia stared at Lyonette. The Gnoll looked at the young woman, unnerved. And Lyonette wondered what she’d seen.

“Then—you learned the spell? Just so? Just like that?”

The young woman started.

“What? No. Of course not. I’m not even a tenth of the way there.”

“But then—you are partly there?”

For answer, Lyonette raised her hand. And the air in Krshia’s apartment moved. A gentle breeze touched the two for a moment. Krshia’s eyes went round. Lyonette smiled weakly.

“Told you. It’s utility. I understand how to move the wind weakly. But I’d need to study that at least a dozen more times. And—”

She realized there was something on her nose. She brushed at a tissue gently stuck there. Krshia pointed at it.

“Ah, you had a nosebleed. Just a small one.”

The [Princess] realized her head was aching. She suddenly felt stupid. She had to sit down for a bit.

“Wow. I’m exhausted. I can barely think—”

“But you remember the spell?”

Krshia had more tea and some stamina potion in Lyonette’s cup. The [Princess] nodded.

“I do. I do.”

“Your Skill. It is unfair. Give it to me.”

The Gnoll woman held a paw out. Lyonette laughed.

“It’s a [Princess]’ Skill. But—Krshia, that book is incredible. You shouldn’t be able to learn a Tier 3 spell like that, even with my Skills.”

She looked wide-eyed at Krshia. The Gnoll smiled.

“A gift unmatched. One wonders…but that is Ryoka Griffin’s secret. And we shall thank the one called Teriarch. Even if no Archmage in living memory has that name.”

The name sounded vaguely familiar to Lyonette. She frowned.

“Could I…try to learn that spell again?”

“Lyonette du Marquin. What kind of fool would I be if I did not allow it?”

Krshia gave Lyonette a look over her cup, and snorted softly.

“What madness is this? All these young people, growing like grass about me. By all means, come back and learn.”

“Thank you. But you’re not exactly leveling up slowly yourself?”

The [Royal Shopkeeper] and [Councilwoman] stroked the fur around her chin, and chuckled.

“I suppose not. But still—I cannot help but be envious. I only wish that Mrsha could learn. But she must be the most low-level of [Mages]. As children are. A pity. Even so.”

Lyonette bit her lip, covering it with a sip of tea. The one secret she had was that Mrsha was a [Druid]. Krshia was her sister, but some things you didn’t tell even sisters. Like Erin’s exact level.

Tribe-sisters and Lyonette’s family. Well, they were so close. But the young woman wanted to keep a few of those secrets. Like Erin’s specific tales from her world.

“Enough. Too much for one day! Let us just celebrate. Both this new knowledge, your level, and Pawn. And do tell me—which one of my selection did you use?”

Lyonette laughed as Krshia steered the conversation back. She refused to answer, and after another fifteen minutes, she excused herself. She and Krshia had taken a long time with the studying.

—-

“Thank you for everything. And yes—definitely. I can take more time off, maybe meet in two days? Tomorrow? Come to the inn and we’ll discuss it—Erin misses you!”

Lyonette said goodbye to Krshia. The Gnoll woman wasn’t going back to her stall, but she had a discussion with some of her people before the Council meeting. And while she did that, Lyonette went to visit her second friend.

Not to talk about sex. She’d get kicked out in a second if she tried that. Watch Captain Zevara probably wasn’t as uptight about sex as Erin. But she could certainly use someone in her life. Sometimes, Lyonette thought that was why she was so grumpy. And—because she had to deal with Erin. And Relc. That couldn’t help.

“Hi, Ishkr. How’s the inn?”

“Fine. We’ve got some [Farmers] from around Celum.”

The Gnoll nodded to a group of people who included the two teens she’d met this morning. They were staring wide-eyed at the Players of Celum. She smiled.

“Any trouble?”

“Nope.”

Thank the throne for people like Ishkr. Lyonette collected some pre-prepared objects from the kitchen and headed out again.

“Excuse me, is the Watch Captain here? I’d like a meeting.”

The Desk Sergeant was a Drake. He eyed Lyonette, but he knew the score. He waved Lyonette up. She slipped him a tart.

Erin was good at sugary foods. Ironically, she wasn’t a huge fan of eating the stuff she made, but she knew her audience. The peach tarts were a bit pricey—mainly because of the peaches. But Pallass imported food from Oteslia, so it wasn’t as expensive as getting it anywhere else. And these ones were…

“Bribes again, Miss Marquin?”

Watch Captain Zevara stared at the little tarts on her desk. Lyonette had put them in a little wooden box; they couldn’t exactly be bagged.

“I’m just giving some food to a friend. And testing them out before we sell them. What do you think? See the box. I’m thinking about paying to have some made. Just a [Carpenter] engraving a bit onto it.”

“Hm. Well, I suppose you could sell them. Who did this one?”

“A…[Carpenter]. Pawn. He’s a friend.”

Zevara eyed Lyonette.

“Oh, the Antinium. I forget. Say—how’s it going with the Antinium at the inn? I only ask because Klbkch has been a bit off lately.”

Lyonette coughed on her tart. The Watch Captain paused in reaching for one and eyed her.

Zevara was, as always, writing at her desk. She spent a lot of time making reports; Lyonette gathered it was a Drake thing. They liked their paperwork.

“What? Pawn? He’s fine. Um—Klbkch isn’t doing well?”

“…No. There was that idiocy Relc cooked up. Well, it was fairly good for morale and apparently Klbkch doesn’t have—why am I talking to you about this?”

“Because you can’t talk to anyone else? Have a tart. I have more things to eat if you’d like some. Have you had lunch?”

The Drake [Watch Captain] looked resigned as Lyonette offered her a little shepherd’s pie. Lyonette smiled proudly.

“I made it myself. Without [Flawless Attempt], but I think it went decently.”

“You keep doing this, Miss Lyonette.”

“Well, I have to pay off my debt to the city to get my things back. And…we are friends, right?”

A [Charming Smile]. The Watch Captain eyed Lyonette as it bounced off her and sighed. But she did inspect the pie.

“I had lunch in the pris—already. You know, I disapprove of this. And if it comes to it, I’ll weigh my bias against any decision or relegate it to someone impartial. Either way, it won’t help you.”

Lyonette sighed. Straight-laced as usual. But she nodded at Zevara.

“Of course. This is just food. You know I’ll give it to Relc if you don’t take it.”

“Well, I suppose I could use it for dinner. I don’t get time to cook much…thank you.”

The Drake coughed, embarrassed. The two sat together, and eventually, Zevara relaxed a bit. It always took a little bit.

But here was Lyonette’s second friend in Liscor. She had two, by the way. Which was good. And Zevara was a contrast to Krshia. She was almost always at work. And she was strict, always assessing herself. Also—

“How’s your breathing these days?”

“Hm? Fine. That tonic that the Centaur, Palt, gave me, works well. I had to force the payment on him. Damn [Mages]. As bad as Terandrians with bribes. Stop pushing the plate towards me. I’ll have a tart if I want one.”

—She didn’t do small-talk well. But that was refreshing too. If Lyonette longed for someone she could look up to, respect, she also liked straight-talkers. She mentally reset herself.

“Right, sorry. So—anything new at work?”

Zevara stopped. And she abruptly put down the report she was looking over. And her face was grave. Serious.

“Yes. Bearclaw. I told you about the rumors about her last week?”

Lyonette’s smile wavered.

“Yes. What happened?”

Watch Captain Zevara paused. She looked at Lyonette, then cursed.

“Ancestors damn it. What’s in those tarts?”

“Peaches. Sugar. Why…?”

The Watch Captain grabbed the plate. Then she reached back, and came out with a bottle. And two shot glasses. She poured the Firebreath Whiskey into both.

“Here. It’s all I’ve got.”

She shoved a glass towards Lyonette. The [Princess] stared. This was unusual.

“Zevara?”

The Drake glared.

“If you’re tempting me, I’ll have some. And I’m also having a drink.”

“Isn’t that, um…discouraged on duty, Watch Captain?”

Lyonette had been teasing Zevara, but that was an unspoken game they played. The Watch Captain had never taken the bait like this before. But Zevara just grunted as she lifted the glass to her lips.

“It’s that or ordering the entire Watch to get out there, arrest Bearclaw, Mister Soot, and every gang member in the city and toss them into the dungeon. Or just find a long enough length of rope.”

“What happened?”

“Two Senior Guards are dead. Their bodies were found two days ago. I haven’t told anyone, but word is spreading. We knew they were missing for a week. But we only found their…remains now. 4th Company was clearing out a Shield Spider nest. They found the badges.”

The glass paused at Lyonette’s lips. The [Princess] felt cold.

“…Bearclaw?”

“Yes. I know it’s her. But—we hauled her in for questioning again. That Ancestors-damned—that slippery—she was smoking a cigar the entire time. And she lied. To our faces.”

Zevara slammed down a drink, filled her glass, and took another shot. Lyonette looked at her.

“How? I thought you told me Klbkch and Relc were investigating her—”

“They were. But remember the time when I had to put Relc in the inn?”

“No—”

“Yes. We put a second pair on her. They vanished within their two hour reconnaissance period.”

“But how? Did she…?”

“I. Don’t. Know. Best guess is that she ambushed them. They were new Senior Guards. But they were good. Just…Sheikhe and Laven. I notified their families yesterday. But we couldn’t get Bearclaw.”

“Why? You used truth spells…”

Zevara caught herself in filling the glass a fourth time. She grabbed a tart and ate furiously.

“Of course! But she evaded the spells. Told us to our faces she’d never even seen them. And she didn’t know where they died. If I could, I’d throw her in jail until she rots. But the law says I can do nothing but investigate. And I know she did it. Somehow, she lied. Twice now, that’s happened with our truth stones. This is good.”

“Thanks.”

Zevara didn’t make Lyonette feel as good about the world as Krshia. The Watch Captain went on.

“Serious criminals. First Regrika Blackpaw, now…it doesn’t help they’re Gnolls.”

“How so?”

Zevara shrugged self-consciously.

“Just me thinking on it. Feels like it’s confirming…in other cities Gnolls get hauled in more often. I’ve heard other Watch Captains say Gnolls turn more to crime than Drakes. I didn’t believe it; Liscor’s big names are all Drake, but these two outsiders? No—”

She sighed, rubbing at her brows.

“I’ve kept Liscor fair, which is why the Gnoll population is what it is and the Watch is trusted.”

“Can’t you ask anyone else if…sorry, I know I’m not helping.”

The Drake shook her head, but not in denial.

“We tried that. Of course, we did. Mister Soot was pinned at the same point as Bearclaw around the time she was unobserved. So we tried to grab him to ask what happened. But…”

“He’s dead?”

The Watch Captain blinked.

“If that happened, Liscor’s criminals would be in uproar. No. Mister Soot…has gone missing. He doesn’t want to be brought in. And that tells me everything I need to know.”

“So? What can you do? If you know she did it…”

Zevara clenched one fist.

“The law is the law. I’m doing everything I can, Lyonette. Between you and me—I know it’s her. But she’s protected. I go after her and break any law, and I’ll hear it. Just this morning, someone was complaining that Bearclaw was questioned twice. Already, they’re spinning the Gnoll angle. Bastard. It’s Soot, or someone else. They’re good at shouting loud. At least I have the Council on my side.”

Lyonette was nodding, her mind racing ahead of the conversation. They were both working at their jobs, and Lyonette sometimes talked to Zevara about this. She wondered if Krshia knew about Bearclaw. Surely so. What did the Gnolls think? Zevara went on.

“I have my best people watching her every step. Unfortunately, we can’t follow her into buildings. And there are rat warrens in the city, even if we try to get rid of them. I don’t know what she wants or when she’ll move. And when she does—if I’m too late, someone dies.”

She sighed. And looked tired. The [Princess] stared at Zevara.

“I’m sorry about the two Senior Guards.”

“Thank you. I’m sorry to burden you with this. Keep it quiet, obviously. The official word is the Senior Guards ran into a Hollowstone Deceiver. Three of them, so they couldn’t run. Freak accident. I had to tell their families that. And Bearclaw was offering condolences.”

Zevara’s eyes blazed. She was also smoking. Lyonette coughed and Zevara looked up. She stopped.

“Enough. I’ll drink enough that my breath turns into flames if I don’t take my mind off it. You—what’s happened?”

She eyed Lyonette. And suddenly the [Princess] was in the hot seat. Zevara had been a [Guardswoman] and then a Senior Guardswoman before becoming Watch Captain. One of Liscor’s best. She had put away the Drake gang leader before Mister Soot—or rather, got him exiled.

She had a history. And she was sharper than Lyonette liked, especially about Lyonette’s past. She knew more than she had ever discussed with Lyonette. She’d had Lyonette’s artifacts appraised by Montressa.

“Well…I leveled up. And gained a new Skill.”

“Really? Which one?”

“[Magnified Training].”

Zevara’s brows bounced up.

“Really? That’s useful. I wish I could slap that on most of my [Guards]. You still training with the sword?”

“That’s right.”

“Hm. Good. Anything precipitate the level up? I remember you saying how hard it was to level in your…‘[Barmaid]’ class. Which, obviously, has that Skill.”

The [Princess] winced. But only internally. She schooled her face into a polite, rueful smile and shrugged delicately.

“Well, I’m an [Inn Manager] these days. Didn’t I tell you?”

The female Drake’s face never moved.

“Ah, of course. You didn’t say. We should have celebrated. Which is why I heard about the celebration in the inn. Congratulations.”

“It was right after the Creler attack. Not a time to celebrate. But thank you.”

Both women looked at each other, Lyonette with her faint smile—Zevara not even going to false pretenses. It was a game both enjoyed. The Drake’s lips twitched a bit.

“Fine. But what precipitated you reaching…”

“Level 18.”

“Huh. I’d imagine that’s good for a [Baroness], right?”

This time Lyonette was ready. She didn’t move.

“Hm?”

“Nothing. So? The precipitating factor?”

“Oh. Um…nothing much.”

Lyonette’s hesitation made Zevara look up sharply. She narrowed her eyes.

“Really. Nothing?”

“…Do you want to know?”

The Drake’s eyelids flickered. She wasn’t an idiot. She opened and closed her mouth.

“Hm. That would imply…no. Wait. But…”

Lyonette found herself turning red as Zevara looked her up and down. The Drake was a bit drunk, but she had constitution Skills. She bit into a tart as she thought.

“That implies…but who are you seeing? It wouldn’t be…wait…didn’t you once hint that…”

“Zevara, it’s really—”

The Drake’s eyes widened. She choked on her tart.

“The Antin—Pawn?”

She looked at Lyonette. Zevara exhaled a bit of fire, cooking the tart. She coughed as Lyonette spoke.

“Look, what happened was—”

“Stop. I don’t want to know. Stop. Right there. Don’t tell me. Don’t make excuses. I don’t want to…wait. I thought—”

“Actually…”

Zevara looked at Lyonette. She wavered between curiosity and…

“No. Don’t tell me. Ancestors.”

Her reaction made Lyonette a bit angry. The [Princess] cleared her throat, suppressing her blush.

“You know, it’s not something I’m ashamed of.”

“Of course not. How did Miss Solstice take it?”

“Er…”

“Mhm. Don’t tell me she—”

“No. She’s actually against it in general. Sex, that is.”

Zevara actually laughed as she went to fill up her cup. She was doing it drip by drip, seeming to be trying to avoid from filling it up that high.

“Now that’s funny! For someone as open-minded as her, well…good for you. I suppose it’s not that odd. Klbkch has been propositioned more than once, you know.”

“Really?”

“Yup. Well, not recently. But he’s been here a decade and people still remember him fighting off the Necromancer. He’s intelligent, wealthy, a Senior Guardsman—and, well, the insect thing didn’t put off some Drakes and Gnolls. But still. He doesn’t have…don’t tell me he’s an exception…? Why are you making me ask this?”

“Actually, you can solve that with some of Krshia’s, uh, special goods. Do you know about…? Zevara…?”

The Firebreath Whiskey was overflowing onto the table. The Drake stared at Lyonette. Then she put the bottle back up, stared at the bottle. She shoved herself back from the desk.

“I’m leaving.”

“Zevara!”

The Drake wasn’t kidding. She walked out of her office, shaking her head. She headed down the stairs and Lyonette chased after her.

It wasn’t just theatrics. Zevara strode past the desk and into the Watch’s training yard. Lyonette, following, saw the Drake stalking past groups of training Watch recruits. Mostly Drakes and Gnolls, but some Humans were noticeably among the ranks of the rookies.

“Watch Captain present! Salute!”

The Drake on duty was Jeiss. The Councilman was also a Senior Guardsman and even if he had his other job interfering with his patrols, he could certainly teach. He was considered the best bladesman in the Watch—aside from maybe Klbkch and Zevara herself. Zevara waved a claw.

“At ease. I’m just here to train. How’re the recruits?”

Lyonette saw the Junior Guards were being drilled in basic combat. Those with combat classes were being taught the law or led on patrols, but Liscor’s Watch demanded a level of proficiency from most Guards in a fight.

Not necessarily too much; most Guards just had to hold their own in a fight. Subduing monsters and high-level nuisances were jobs for Senior Guards, who were specialists. The average competence of a [Guard] was dependent on the city’s standards.

And by the looks of it, Zevara had raised the bar. The Drake had a training sword and she was demonstrating a fight with Jeiss as Lyonette walked around the watching trainees and regular [Guards]. She didn’t recognize anyone but Jeiss and Beilmark; she didn’t actually know that many [Guards].

That was almost a failing, because the Watch numbered in the thousands. And many were watching as Zevara and Jeiss squared off.

“You look a bit off, Watch Captain.”

Jeiss had a glint in his eye. He looked angry—so did many of the [Guards]. Not at Zevara. The entire Watch had to know what had happened.

“Never mind me, Jeiss. I hear we have weights from Magus Grimalkin. Do you have the recruits on them?”

Zevara lanced out with her sword. Jeiss parried and slashed; she was already stepping back.

“Not yet, Captain. I’d prefer them knowing how to fight. By the way—”

He stepped in. Lyonette saw his blade flicker.

[Double Cut]! But Zevara actually blocked both cuts! One high, one low, simultaneously. She still fell back, shaking out her claw. The watchers murmured. Both Drakes were good!

“Point. Take notes, guards! It’s not all fancy fighting like Jeiss dishes out. Sometimes you’re fighting with less than a foot of space between you and someone else, behind a bar. And sometimes—”

She blew smoke straight at Jeiss. He coughed, swearing, backing up and slashing with the wooden sword. When his vision cleared, he leapt back, looking for Zevara.

She wasn’t advancing on him. Instead, the Drake had bent. She had a bit of the training yard’s grit in one claw. She threw it in his eyes.

“Ancestors damn it—”

Zevara poked Jeiss in the chest as he swore with the tip of her sword. She turned to the audience who was laughing at the sight. The Drake’s glower shut them up.

“That would be the end of Senior Guardsman Jeiss if I’d had a real blade. And yes, he was going easy on me, but be careful. Your enemies don’t fight fair. The fairest fight you’ll get is a monster. And even then, there are the Raskghar.”

The Watch sobered. Zevara turned.

“Sorry, Jeiss.”

“No, it’s a good demonstration. I have to watch my eyes around you, Watch Captain. Ancestors. Beilmark, pass me some water? The rest of you—we’re going to practice not getting blinded like I was!”

Lyonette heard groans from his trainees. Zevara for her part leaned on her blade. She was rapidly sobering, or she had a liver like a [Drunkard]’s. She looked up as Lyonette approached.

“Are you still practicing? Mind teaching me something?”

Zevara glanced at the practice sword the [Princess] was carrying.

“I never actually asked how good you were.”

“I learned from a good fighter. But it’s mostly practice. Yvlon taught me some tricks. But I could practice.”

“Then show me.”

The Drake leaned on her sword, not even bothering to move. Lyonette raised her brows. She lifted her sword, paused. She didn’t have [Flawless Attempt]. But Zevara was underestimating—

—-

“…Ow.”

Thirty minutes later, Lyonette picked up her sword again. Her wrist ached from where Zevara had slapped it with her sword. It wasn’t the only ache; Lyonette had bruises.

Zevara had none. She leaned on her sword.

“Not bad. But don’t try that in a fight.”

“Can you at least lie for me?”

“Hm. You’re pretty good with a sword. How’s that?”

The [Princess] scowled. But she had to admit—Zevara had trounced her hard. She hadn’t even used a Skill.

“I thought I could at least make you use one Skill. And you’re a [Warrior] class. Is there really that much of a gap between [Warriors] and non-[Warriors]?”

“I did use a Skill. Just one. The only one I need for most fights against civilians or criminals.”

“Really? But I didn’t see…”

The Drake snorted. The Watch was sparring or training—and some were indeed using the weights that Grimalkin had given the Watch. The Watch Captain nodded at Lyonette.

“[Lawbreaker’s Enemy]. It gives me an advantage in all ways against criminals.”

“But I’m not…oh.”

Lyonette blushed. Zevara looked at her.

“It doesn’t take into account your status, just—whether you break laws. It would be even stronger on someone else, but I’m faster and stronger. Against you. It works poorly on Jeiss. But he did break a few rules.”

“Thanks, Watch Captain. But Miss Lyonette isn’t that bad. She could be a [Guardswoman] with only a month or two’s hard work.”

The Drake grunted at Zevara. He’d been watching the exchange. The Watch Captain nodded.

“She might make the cut, Jeiss. She’s got [Magnified Training].”

“What a waste on her.”

“Thank you, Guardsman Jeiss.”

The Drake blushed slightly.

“Apologies, but it’s such a useful Skill. It enhances your training. You could probably try to learn a Skill with it.”

Lyonette paused in drinking from some water.

“Learn a Skill?”

She’d heard about that. Jeiss nodded and explained as Zevara took a draft of water.

“[Warriors] can learn a Skill. Like, say, [Power Strike]. Or a sword art, and so on. It doesn’t always manifest that way. But if you practice certain moves, it can happen.”

“Really? Then why doesn’t everyone…?”

The Drake laughed.

“Leveling is faster. It’s more like a…perk for hard work. You could expect to learn a skill from years of hard work! I suppose you could…upgrade certain Skills from practice. That’s how my [Speed Slash] turned into [Double Cut]. But you could aim for a new Skill in a year.”

“True. Keep practicing, Lyonette. Come here and I’ll hit you with a sword. That cheers me up. Relc’s too slippery.”

Zevara nodded at Lyonette. The [Princess] bit her lip on the fact that Erin had learned her Skill in a day. But that was Erin. Normal rules were like butter to Erin. You could take it or leave it or put it on toast, but it wasn’t an impediment to her.

“…Maybe I’ll use [Flawless Attempt] to practice. In between learning magic.”

“Magic is also good. We could use more [Mages], Watch Captain.”

“I’m working on it, Jeiss. We don’t exactly have great teachers and the average recruit doesn’t have magical abilities or the time to learn. I’ve got options. Give me time.”

Zevara sighed. Jeiss nodded.

“Too bad we don’t have combination Skills either. That would be useful against a monster.”

“Oh. Combination Skills?”

Lyonette paused. Zevara looked over.

“It’s not something you learn. It’s more like—an accident. If four [Warriors] use [Speed Slash] in combat, for instance. They can trigger it. Like combination spells. Did you see those damn [Mages] during the battle with Belchan’s army, Jeiss?”

“Sure did, Watch Captain. That was a rainbow combination spells of some kind. Damn, but I’d hate to fight them. Let alone any of the King of Destruction’s monsters.”

“We did fight one, remember? Wait—you weren’t there.”

“Gazi the Omniscient.”

The people around Zevara and Jeiss stopped. The Watch Captain nodded.

“And she took us apart, and the Gnolls. Even Relc. Well—that’s an outside threat.”

“Not the only one. High-level bastards keep coming.”

The Senior Guardsman’s tone was dark. Zevara looked at him. And around at the other [Guards]. They went back to work, but they’d been listening. So, the Watch Captain raised her voice as Lyonette applied a bit of healing potion to her bruises. Otherwise Pawn would just worry and heal her.

“Gather around, everyone!”

The people in the training grounds looked up. They filed over, Gnolls, Drakes, and Humans, standing in their little knot. Amusingly, around Lyonette; they seemed to think she was one of them. The [Princess] listened as Zevara raised her voice.

“Listen up. I want to tell you all something. Everyone here. The Watch is growing. We’re getting new people in. Humans. Maybe even Garuda or Dullahans. Dead gods, I’d take a Centaur if he offered, even with all those damn puffers.”

“What about a Minotaur, Watch Captain?”

There was a laugh, a bit nervous. Zevara turned her head.

“Anyone, Guardsman Jeiss. Anyone. Because Liscor is growing. You all heard the [Architect] is on the way?”

There were nods. Zevara gestured towards the distant walls.

“Well, that’s just the start. We’re going to be a bigger city. Which means money, more people—hopefully something to say we built, with the Antinium, but because we were here. Together. But with that comes more people. More monsters. More crime. Some of it’s already come this way.”

Bearclaw. No one said it out loud. Zevara paused.

“We’re going to train harder. New recruits, Senior Guards—and everyone in between. No one dies on my Watch. Got it?”

There was a murmur.

“Yes, Watch Captain!”

Jeiss saluted. And Lyonette saw Zevara nodding to the other [Guards]. The [Princess] saw the Watch Captain speaking to new recruits. Stiffly, but—

There was leadership. Morale, of her own kind. Lyonette slipped away as Zevara got back to work. But—she looked at the Watch. And she saw it there.

Anger. Their city had been invaded. This wouldn’t stand. And she worried. And she should have been worrying.

Because today was the day Klbkch visited The Wandering Inn.

—-

The Watch knew. And their anger kept the streets quiet of crime. Casual [Thieves] lay low. [Thugs] hid from the storm.

But among the kind of people close to Bearclaw, there was no cessation. They had heard. Senior Guardsman died. And they laughed, and beheld the cracks in the system. The city.

And what slithered among the cracks, widening them? Bearclaw. She was being watched. Three Senior Guard pairings were keeping her under watch at all times.

Not this one. They walked down the streets on regular patrol. One was angry. The other?

Far beyond that. Klbkch’s body was still surprising to many who saw it. A slim Antinium, taller than all but a Soldier, and with two arms, a leaner body and compact frame compared to regular Antinium had replaced the affable Worker form.

Senior Guardsman Klbkch looked…better. More humanoid. And he was faster. Stronger. Not that many had seen him fight. Ever since his death, Klbkch had never been wounded. Not in any struggle. He had been Guardsman Klbkch.

And then, Revalantor Klbkch. Revalantor. One who had found the purpose of his Hive. Who ushered that purpose forwards. And he had found it in the Individual Workers. And then—the Painted Antinium.

It seemed that Klbkch’s star had only risen from the day he had died. But…then why did he stride down the streets, hunched, tense? Why did even seasoned criminals flinch away as they walked through the shadowed streets?

Perhaps because their [Dangersense] screamed at them. If they crossed him today, they died. The Antinium, usually the calm, controlled half of the duo, walked as if he wanted a fight.

And you had to remember. Always remember what Manus remembered. What Zel Shivertail had known. It was easier, these days, to look at Klbkch’s taller silhouette, the way his gaze moved, impassive, staring.

He was more than just Senior Guardsman Klbkch. More than Revalantor Klbkch. He was Klbkchhezeim of the Free Antinium. He had many names. And one was Klbkch the Slayer.

And angry? Who could remember seeing Klbkch in a fury? Few. That was why he had been partnered with the Drake who strode next to him. But they forgot, again. The other reason in those first days had been that Relc was the only one who could have stopped him.

“I just don’t get it. I wonder—why we weren’t put on watching Bearclaw? I asked Captain Z.”

The voice that echoed down the street was cheerful. Cheerful, deep—casual—but even Relc had an edge in his voice. He was angry. Klbkch turned his head. And his voice was flat.

“Because you would not have waited. You would engage Bearclaw without evidence.”

“Yeah. And?”

“And I would let you.”

Relc paused. He looked at his longtime partner, Klbkch. And he paused as the two turned a corner. There was no need for either to particularly keep a lookout. Any criminality was making tracks away from them. And [Pickpockets] five streets away were hearing of the two on patrol and deciding to replace the coin pouches. On a day like today, anyone caught would be losing teeth.

“I’m sensing a bit of tension, Klbkch. You mad about Bearclaw too? Or is this the ‘sorry-you-don’t-have-a-thing-party?’ I said I stand by it.”

“No. You are a fool, Relc. This isn’t about Bearclaw. This is a matter which concerns my Hive.”

“Oh. Right. The other Antinium. You said. I still don’t get the problem. They’re fine, aren’t they?”

Klbkch looked at Relc. He shifted his grip on his sword.

“They are disobeying my orders. They are leaving the Hive. Not just one. First the inn—”

“That was hilarious. I told you, Klb, buddy, it was just—”

The burly Drake paused. One of the Antinium’s swords had moved ever-so-slightly in its sheathes. And Relc felt a slight bell ringing in his head.

[Dangersense]. The Drake hesitated. Something was off. Klbkch didn’t act like this. Relc hadn’t brought up the issue before. But it occurred to him it might be important. Someone could get cut, and he was pretty sure he didn’t want it to be him.

“Klb, talk to me. We’re partners. What’s the problem? Insubordination. You know that happens. Like, what if we were in the army? You know [Soldiers] break the rules. Sometimes some of them get drunk. Liscor’s army, hah, well, we have a lot of hard-tails, but it happens. And you discipline them—hard—but it happens. What’s the issue?”

Klbkch stopped in the street. He turned to Relc, and his mandibles opened.

“The issue is that Antinium do not break rules! We are not Drakes or Gnolls. They are disobeying my orders. They need—discipline. And I do not know how to manage them. Teach them. All of them have flaws. Belgrade, Anand, Yellow Splatters—Pawn. I do not want to manage them.”

He slammed the blades further into their sheathes. Relc paused. Klbkch was angry. This called for a pep talk. Normally he got talks. But he had to do right by Klbkch. So, think. What would Klbkch say to…Klbkch?

“Look, maybe this is a new problem. But those Ant-guys, they’re new too, right? So they need a bit of teaching. You can do it. I believe in you.”

The Drake held up a thumb-claw and grinned. Klbkch stared at Relc. He went back to walking down the street. Relc strode to catch up.

“I am not their…instructor.”

“You’re a good leader, Klb. What’re you talking about? Zevara’s given you more commendations than anyone else. Guards love you. You’re better at this guarding thing than me.”

The Antinium shook his head. Not denying the truth. That was objectively true.

“That is different. They are not Antinium. The Antinium do not need training. They should not. But these are not True Antinium. They are…wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong.”

The muttering bothered Relc. So too did discussing the Antinium. It was one of those things they had never brought up. What happened if a Third Antinium War began. The Drake hesitated. Think, think…

“What’s wrong, Klbkch? The Antinium look pretty good to me. I saw them taking back Liscor during Skinner and during the Goblin Lord. Heck, Face-Eater moths too. The Black Tide! Go! Whoo!”

Some of the people were giving them very odd looks. Relc shifted, awkwardly. Klbkch looked at him.

“They are not True Antinium. Just copies.”

“…Riiiight. Because they’re…worse?”

Relc felt in his belt pouch for something to write on. What had Captain Z told him? If Klbkch ever talked about his Hive, write it down. Not that he had in a decade. This was the first time. But Klbkch was definitely off. The Antinium paused, and muttered.

“They’re all defective. But they were supposed to be restored. Reconnected. But they just broke differently. Even the ones you think of as Antinium are wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong…”

That was five wrong’s. Might be a problem here. Relc cleared his throat.

“Um. How? Soldiers look good. Nightmares on the battlefield, right? I fought some, well, you know how it is. No hard feelings, right?”

He debated another thumbs-up and decided not to. Klbkch looked at him.

“No. They are inferior to True Antinium. Even Soldiers. Soldiers can…break. Flee a battle or lose cohesion. Due to fear.”

Relc paused.

“Yeah. Imagine that. [Soldiers] running away because they don’t want to die? What’s the world coming to?”

“They would never break if they were True Antinium. They would march into hell a thousand times. They were born of it. As was I. These ones would never have survived the corruption.”

A whisper. Relc’s scales crawled. Ancestors, that sounded like an army of the King of Destruction’s best unit, the Dreamers of Reim. He looked at Klbkch.

The Antinium looked like he was breaking. But—his hands were so steady. He looked at Relc for a second, kept walking. The Drake took a second.

There was something dangerous there. Something close to the look Relc had seen in dying [Soldier]’s eyes who wouldn’t stop even when you stabbed them through the heart. The kind of monsters he had met on the battlefield. The reason he had quit.

Not breaking, then. Murderous.

“Klbkch, maybe we need a drink. Why not? You and I have done it a few times. Let’s relax. Take a load off.”

“I have work. Now—and then a patrol tonight.”

“Right, double shift. You took over for Sehsi. Well—er—”

Relc was really trying. But what could you say to Klbkch? His Antinium were all wrong. What could Relc say? ‘Tough luck, buddy?’ ‘Hope they turn out better?’

Maybe Klbkch just needed to cool down. Normally, Relc would suggest a drink. Or a visit to a brothel. Neither really was working out so he decided to drop it.

After some thought, Relc decided not to let Klbkch in on the big, amazing thing he was part of. Not that he didn’t want to do right by Klbkch. But making a bit of coin on the side didn’t seem to be the Antinium’s highest priority.

“Our break ends in ten minutes. We will return to the barracks now. I am going to visit The Wandering Inn. Erin Solstice has invited me. I will listen to her. Perhaps she can allay my…reservations.”

That was all Klbkch said. He sounded more stable at that. But he liked Erin. They both did. Relc nodded, relieved.

“Hey, Klb, great idea. I’m going there myself. I’ll see you there, huh?”

“Perhaps.”

Klbkch marched off with Relc towards the barracks. The Drake exhaled. It was coming to evening. Problem solved! Klbkch would get to Erin, cool down, and maybe stop being so tense. Relc was trying, but it was hard being as considerate as he was.

The former [Sergeant] stretched as he signed off work. He didn’t have a night patrol. He looked at the [Guardswoman] on duty.

“Hey, Beilmark. You wanna hear how to make more coin?”

The Gnoll Senior Guardswoman looked up.

“Relc. You pitched your stupid thing to me yesterday on patrol. I’m not interested. It sounds like too much work.”

“What? Nah. You get returns! Hey, you were all with me on handing out copies of the Antinium sex story.”

Relc kept his voice low. Still, Klbkch twitched as he stowed his gear. Beilmark eyed Klbkch.

“That was different. This isn’t interesting.”

“Fine. I’ll go find some people before I visit the inn. Erin says there are peach tarts. Mm.”

“Hm. There are. Miss Lyonette brought some to Watch Captain Zevara. They smelled good.”

“Really? Damn. I’d better hurry up!”

Relc hurried out of the Watch House. Normally, he’d be already at the inn. Klbkch was certainly striding that way. But today—Relc had another mission. And he’d never have partaken of any extra-curricular work, but this was a special case. This was money.

“Hey, Kelli. Kelli! You’re off-duty, right? Give me a minute—no, five. I’ve gotta show you something.”

A Drake [Guardswoman] going off-duty sighed as she turned to face the Drake [Guardsman]. She turned, resigned.

“Relc. If this is the Antinium sex thing, I laughed at that once. It gets old. What is it?”

“Not the sex thing, Kelli. This is actually good. For everyone! How would you like to make some coin?”

The [Guardswoman] raised her brows. She looked quickly at Relc. But he wasn’t the kind of [Guard] to pursue illegal activities. Not only did Zevara make her Watch swear on truth spell that they weren’t criminal each month (a tradition among Drake City Watches), Relc just…wasn’t that kind of Drake. Lazy, rude, thoughtless, but never criminal.

“…Okay. You have me interested. This had better not be anything stupid, though.”

“Nothing like that. I’m serious, Kelli. Listen—this is…hold on. I have a brochure.”

Relc dug around in his belt pouch. He came out with a folded, colored bit of paper.

“Okay, so the way it works is—you give me money—”

“Hah!”

“No, wait! You give me money, and I send the money to this organization. They’re funding high-level adventurers.”

Relc waved his claws. Kelli paused.

“Wait, what? You don’t keep the money?”

“No. And the best part is—you get the money back.”

“You’re making no sense.”

“Darn, I always get this part wrong. Let me explain. Here, read this. It says what I’m saying.”

Relc scratched at his neck-spines. He handed the colorful brochure to Kelli. She read, intrigued, as he went on.

“It’s ‘high-investment yield’—no, wait—‘high-yield investment’ in adventuring teams, [Mage] research, and so on. On other continents, even! You give money to the fund, and whenever there’s a breakthrough—and there are, trust me—you get money back.”

“What? A fund for…adventurers? Why do they need gold?”

The Drake looked blank. Relc grinned.

“It’s the newest thing. I know you haven’t heard about it, but it’s spreading like wildfire. Someone from Pallass set me onto it. This Garuda chick I knew. Not a chick, but…anyways.”

He coughed, and went on.

“Okay, so the way it works is that a lotta high-level people are making amazing stuff. Sage’s Grass? An [Alchemist] made that. New spells? [Mages]. Adventurers go into dungeons and get loot. But they all need money, right?”

“Right. Actually…that makes sense. I never thought about it that way.”

Relc was grinning and nodding.

“See? Mostly, they have to work to get to that point. But what if they were funded? At least, the good ideas? That’s what someone’s doing. And it doesn’t have to be one rich person! So a bunch of people are pooling their coin—just a bit from each person, and giving it to this big fund. And it’s being managed. It’s called…investment.”

“…That word exists, Relc.”

“I know, but it’s this concept. Anyways—you get paid depending on how much you put in. I have contracts here…and it’s all recorded by [Scribes] and stuff. And you get money for signing other people up. It all adds up to your payout—and it’s monthly!”

“Wow. So—it pays?”

Relc was grinning, genuinely delighted to be putting people onto it.

“You give money, and you’ll get it back, especially if you help sign up more people. There’s actually an enlistment bonus—sign up eight people and your money’s back! And you get payouts from what you invested as well! Look! I’ve signed up thirty people and look how much I made!”

He reached for a money pouch and showed Kelli. Gold. She blinked at three, fat gold coins.

“Wait, you made that?”

“Sure did. It’s a gold coin per ten people, and that’s on top of the money I made back. And I’m getting a monthly payout of fifteen silver. I know, not a lot, but I’m going to add to the money I put in and get more back. So? Whaddya say? Sounds great, right?”

“It sounds amazing? But why isn’t everyone on top of it?”

Relc glanced around surreptitiously.

“To tell you the truth…I’ve only been sharing it with people I like. You know? Getting them a head start. Because the enlistment bonus is real. I mean, that gold? That was put in my claws by the Merchant’s Guild. They’re actually offering it. The Guildmaster was all over it.”

“Really?”

The burly Drake nodded. His tail was wagging with excitement.

“Believe it. I hear the Merchant’s Guilds around the world are getting on it, which is why I want to move fast. Get more gold, you know? But it’s gonna be great. Well, it’s a new concept. Brilliant stuff, you know? Imagine a Gold-rank team being…crowdfunded by people to buy the best gear available? Crowd funding, that’s what it is.”

The Drake woman was nodding with Relc. This was good. And—ironically, it was coming from Relc so she believed it. He could be a fool, but he was a Senior Guardsman. And if the Merchant’s Guilds were on top of it…

“So one group is doing this? Wait. Is this related to the inn?”

That made her nervous. You heard stories. Relc shook his head.

“Not exactly. I’m gonna get Erin in on this too. But I’m telling you, Kelli, it’s something you want to think about. Sign up—or sign up your friends! Say, if you know anyone else who’d be willing to contribute…the minimum is one gold coin. I know, steep, but…”

He jangled the three-coin pouch. Kelli grinned at Relc, coming to a quick decision.

“Well, if I’m getting paid, I’ll sign up my friends myself.”

Relc sighed.

“Aw. Damnit. That happens a lot. But can I get you on this since I told you?”

He gave Kelli a pleading look. She nodded, excited.

“Let me get my money from my apartment. Actually—can you come with me?”

“Sure, I’ll write down your details. Address, next of kin, payment—it’s all very organized. This is great, Kelli. Can I sign half your friends?”

“Nope. But thanks for telling me, Relc.”

“No problem. This is great, isn’t it? Exciting times, Kelli, my dude. Exciting times.”

“…I’m female, Relc.”

“It’s an expression.”

The two Drakes headed off to Kelli’s apartment. Relc was scribbling as he wrote, as neatly as he could. Kelli was reassured by the receipt he handed her, and his assurances that money would be coming as soon as she signed people up. Weekly payments and the monthly one. It only occurred to her afterwards to ask.

“I missed the name of the organization. They have one, right?”

“What? Oh, yeah. They’re funding all sorts. But the name of the group is—The Golden Triangle. Catchy, right?”

“Yeah, I like it.”

Relc was nodding, pleased. Good deeds, and coin in his pocket. It was too bad Klbkch was in a mood. But he would feel better, right? Relc strolled to the inn—he was going to get Erin in on this too. After all, he owed her a lot. He’d already gotten Embria, and some of 4th Company who was speaking to him…

And the Drake was too late. By the time he arrived—Klbkch had left. And Relc saw the frightened Antinium and Erin’s face. And he realized he should have been there sooner. If he could have stopped it. But all the things were coming together.

—-

Fifteen minutes ago.

Evening in The Wandering Inn. It was a beautiful day, with birds singing—no, wait, screaming as they fled Bird—but Bird was singing. The flowers were blooming in the Garden of Sanctuary as a bee buzzed around like the largest guard-bee imaginable. On a day like this, good kids were indoors.

Watching a play. Eating peach tarts. Although the Antinium were gluten-intolerant. But the inn was noisy, crowded as it now was oft to be.

Mrsha was having fun, playing with Ekirra and Visma. She still stayed away from the Antinium, though. Or rather, Pawn.

He was sitting in the inn, with Lyonette. Rubbing shoulders. And the Workers and Soldiers were around them.

A regular patrol of Painted Antinium, Workers and Soldiers both, and—surprisingly—Anand and Belgrade. No Yellow Splatters; he was taking over for them. But Chesacre and Thaina too, another couple sitting with the other Antinium, but separate.

Pawn was smiling. The other Antinium were eating special peach tarts Garry had made with Erin, ones they could digest thanks to his Skill. And they were all disobeying orders.

Only Anand was super-worried about it. But Pawn was reassuring him.

“It is okay, Anand. Yellow Splatters has someone keeping watch. When Revalantor Klbkch returns to the Hive, we will all hurry back through the special tunnel.”

“You’re a regular [Scoundrel], Pawn.”

Lyonette teased the Worker. He smiled.

“I have learned subterfuge, from you, Lyonette. But we will take some food for the other Antinium. Bird has stockpiled some birds and his special ‘squishy birds’. I hear they are very good.”

The [Princess] paused. She knew what those were.

“…Don’t eat those, Pawn. I’m sure the Antinium can digest them. Bird seems to. But not you.”

“Why not me?”

The [Priest] looked puzzled. Lyonette leaned over and whispered to him..

“Because, I’m not kissing you if you eat maggots.”

“Oh. Should I stop?”

The young woman was opening and shutting her mouth. She felt good, after meeting with her friends, sitting with Pawn. Erin was laughing, saying hi to Belgrade as they played chess.

“So Chesacre and Thaina are female? They told you? That’s so…weird.”

Her brows contorted. Belgrade shrugged.

“They say they are.”

“Yeah, but—that’s almost like—hold on. From my home…um…”

Erin hesitated. She vaguely knew something about this, but she didn’t at the same time. She opened and closed her mouth; she was still sleep-deprived too. Another night’s sleep would do her good.

And then the door opened. And Klbkch entered the inn.

On a day like today. Good little kids, good Antinium should not be here. At first, Klbkch didn’t even see them. Belgrade squeaked and disappeared, literally shooting out of his chair and into the kitchen. Erin turned to see what was wrong—

“Erin. I have been delayed. But I have come to speak. I would like to speak to you n—”

Klbkch was striding towards her. He walked past Pawn, Anand, the other Painted Antinium, who had frozen at their table. Along with Lyonette. For a moment, it was like one of those cartoons where the person kept walking until they realized the obvious and stopped.

Or a horror movie with the same premise. And then Klbkch halted, mid-step. Mid-word. He turned his head.

And he looked straight at Pawn.

“You.”

None of the Antinium moved. Klbkch was still. He did not move.

He was staring at Pawn.

Anand quivered. He shook, as he stood with the other Antinium. Pawn had gone still. The [Priest] had locked gazes with Klbkch.

“Revalantor Klbkch. We were—Miss Solstice invited us—it was just for…”

Anand’s voice quavered. Erin looked at them. And she realized—a beat behind the others.

The Antinium were not supposed to be here. Klbkch’s restriction on travelling outside the Hive was still in place. Erin had heard about it. But she had assumed…

They had lied. They were here without Klbkch’s awareness. Dissent in the Hive.

Rebellion. Klbkch made no sound. He was just looking. Around the room. He saw Belgrade poking his head out of the kitchen. The Painted Antinium at their tables. Chesacre and Thaina, sitting together.

And he understood. And it was Klbkch. The Senior Guardsman. The one who had saved Erin. The [Innkeeper] looked at him. One of her oldest of friends. Her savior.

The kind Ant. And she couldn’t find him. The Slayer looked. The Revalantor saw.

Because it was him, he did not ask questions. He did not need to. He did not posture. He did not pretend. He did not say something silly, funny, like ‘is it war?’ He did not need to.

He was the oldest of souls. From beneath the hell of Rhir.

True Antinium.

Alone.

The Centenium moved. His right hand lowered.

He drew his sword. The silvery blade turned, and flashed in the light as he held it out, by his side. Klbkch walked forwards.

“Klbkch?”

Erin saw him walking forwards slowly. And her [Dangersense] was making a sound. It sounded like—death.

She stood up. The Antinium were frozen. All but for Pawn.

He stood up too. Lyonette looked at the Worker. The [Priest] put out one of his hands. He walked around the table.

Klbkch raised his sword with two hands. Walking past the frozen crowds.

Like a dream. You couldn’t believe what you were seeing. One part of you told you what was happening, and the rest wanted to deny.

“Pawn.”

Erin was moving. But she was moving in slow motion. She saw the world slow. Her [Inn’s Aura]—she tried to grab it. But then she just ran.

Nothing would stop him.

Klbkch was halfway there. Someone stood. Chesacre. She had been sitting next to Thaina. She slowly put one of her three remaining arms out. Blocking Klbkch.

His sword moved. Chesacre’s arm fell to the ground. The Antinium stared at the green blood, her arm. Erin cried out.

Thaina stood. Chesacre looked at Thaina and at Pawn as Klbkch halted. The Soldier paused for a moment.

And then she walked in front of Klbkch. Nothing more. She did not raise her two remaining arms on her right side. She just waited.

The silver sword swung.

“Klbkch.”

Pawn spoke. The Revalantor ignored him. He traced an arc through the air. Pawn raised a hand.

“Erin kiiiiick!”

The [Innkeeper] smashed into Klbkch’s side. He moved a tiny bit. She bounced off and fell down. He was like a statue in more ways than one. The Revalantor looked at Erin.

“Pawn, get behind me.”

Lyonette pushed Pawn back. The [Priest] reached for her. Erin scrambled to her feet,

“Get into the Garden! Now!”

She pointed at Chesacre. The Soldier stared at her. It was Thaina who grabbed her partner and hurried her to the door.

“Inside!”

Erin was on her feet. She blocked Klbkch, holding her arms out. The Antinium moved in a rush. Klbkch stared at Erin.

“Move.”

His voice was so cold. Erin refused. But she was afraid. The Antinium was staring at her. And there was not a hint of familiarity in his eyes. She felt-saw his blade next to her head. If it moved—

She felt cut by the gaze as much as the blade. Klbkch walked around her. Erin tried to move with him. He put a hand on her shoulder and shoved her aside.

“Pawn.”

Lyonette was pushing him towards the door. The Antinium stepped through, the last to go. They were standing just at the barrier to the Garden and inn. Staring at Klbkch.

“You.”

Klbkch extended his arm. The tip of his blade drifted towards Pawn’s head. It stopped—in the invisible barrier in the air between inn and garden. Klbkch paused, and pushed.

Erin felt something…pushing. In her head. She knew it wouldn’t go through. But he was putting force behind it. Klbkch looked at Pawn, lowered his sword. Pawn opened his mandibles.

“Klbkch. I realize I am disobeying. This was my decision. But—this is necessary. I have leveled up. I have a new Skill. The value—”

“You disobeyed my orders.”

Klbkch’s voice was flat. He looked at Pawn. Erin looked down at the blood. Chesacre’s arm. She looked at Klbkch. No.

Who was that? The Antinium turned his head, looking at the other Antinium. Pawn replied, slowly.

“They were the wrong orders, Klbkch.”

“They were my orders. You. Disobeyed.”

Pawn spread his hands. The [Priest] paused, looking around.

“I am Individual. I disobeyed orders to become myself. This is what you wanted.”

The Antinium looked at him. Slowly, he shook his head.

“No. I see now. I was in error. You are not necessary. You are not what the Hive needs. You are Aberration. All of you.”

He looked around. The Antinium on the other side of the door shuddered. Pawn stared.

“You—cannot call us that.”

“You are mistakes.”

Klbkch looked at Anand. The Worker who wanted to call him ‘father’. Anand shook. Pawn reached out, as if to put his hand through the door. He hesitated.

“You are wrong, Klbkch. We are that we are. I will not obey wrong orders. I am of the Free Hive. But it is not you alone. The Free Queen disagrees with you.”

“You will never return to the Hive.”

The Antinium with the silver blades looked at Pawn. The Worker stared at him.

“…I do not fear you, Klbkch. Not anymore. You are not all-knowing. You do not know what we need.”

“I do not need your fear. I require your obedience. If you do not obey, you are worthless. No levels or classes will change that.”

“Klbk…”

Erin tried to intrude. But the two Antinium were speaking for only each other. For the Antinium. Two kinds stood there. And one, the old, spoke.

“Do not return to the Hive. Any of you. I will cut you down if I see you. You are not of the Antinium. You are not True Antinium, or even false copies. You are worthless.”

Anand shook and fell down. The other Antinium were frozen. Pawn looked at Klbkch.

“You cannot deny what we are.”

He tried to walk through the door. The other Antinium dragged him back. Pawn struggled—and only then did Erin move. She shut the door. Klbkch looked at her. She looked back.

The old Antinium sheathed his sword. Erin paused. She looked at Klbkch. At the silent room. And she wished she had talked to him a day earlier. An hour.

Too late. Too late, too late. Erin looked at her old friend as some of him returned.

“Hi, Klbkch. Let’s talk.”

—-

They sat alone. Alone, in an empty inn.

No one else—well—other people. Talking quietly, as the blood and severed arm were cleaned up. Many left. The Antinium were secure in the Garden of Sanctuary. Erin refused to let them out until Klbkch was gone.

But Erin—sat in her room. With Klbkch.

There was no preamble. No asking ‘why’, or anything else. Just—talking. The talk they should have had. That Erin had neglected.

And the consequences were this. The Antinium faced Erin. With a different body. Erin missed the old one, the Worker. For all he was smaller, weaker. Because she had loved that Antinium. This new one was…harsher. Different. She wanted to go back to the Klbkch of then—or perhaps—simply the Klbkch she had not known.

He spoke abruptly, looking at her. Splattered green blood had dried on his shoulder and head.

“I was grateful to you, Erin. I am still. I rejoiced to see Individuals. I believed they were what I had sought. Thinking, growing Antinium. True Antinium.”

“But?”

“But they are not. They are insubordinate. Different.”

“Different is okay.”

The young woman saw the Antinium look at her. And her stomach twisted.

“No. The Antinium are not what they should be. I labored for over a decade to bring them consciousness. And—yes. This Individuality is what I sought. The capacity to level. Think. Decide. I could have tolerated them to my satisfaction—beyond my expected satisfaction—even if they were not True Antinium. But they do not obey.”

“Look, they’re growing. It was a mistake. They love you. Anand—”

“They are worthless.”

The young woman felt cold.

“Don’t say that. They’re growing. They make mistakes. They’re kids. So what if they don’t obey. They all respect you. Even Pawn. He just wants you to listen—”

A high-pitched sound interrupted Erin. A chittering, scratching sound, high and sharp. Like a grasshopper. Unnatural. She shuddered and saw Klbkch’s mandibles moving. Only then did she realize.

He was laughing. Like an insect laughed. He looked at her, and his eyes were blank. Insectile. She had grown used to them, but now they looked completely alien.

“Mistakes? That they do not obey is to be accepted? Tell me, Erin. What good is a weapon that doesn’t cut where it should?”

“But they’re not weapons.”

Where was Klbkch? Senior Guardsman…? Erin searched. But all that stared at her was the Slayer. A Revalantor.

Antinium.

“They were never designed to be people. I am a weapon. One that thinks and lives and changes as I must. But I was made for one purpose. And I will fulfill it, even if it means laboring for ten thousand years. Even if it means my oblivion. I despaired until I met you, Erin Solstice. You gave me hope. Solved the puzzle I had searched for. Salvation for my people.”

He paused. Shook his head.

“But what you gave me is not Antinium. They are—children. Rebellious children. And I do not need them. Keep them if you wish. But they will not return to the Hive. If they do, they die.”

“Klbkch. Please. What’s wrong with…? What happened to you?”

The Antinium looked at her. And he was…moving. Trembling, slightly. His voice shook with it. Something beyond rage, mere incandescent anger. Something deep in him that had kept him alive, even through death.

“What is unnecessary is destroyed in Antinium Hives. The Individuals are still being tested. Assessed.”

He leaned forwards. And his voice changed.

“anD tHEy aRE fAilInG.”

Erin stopped. Her hand crept towards her knife.

“Klbkch. Look at yourself. You’re becoming Aberration.”

She wanted him to see. The Antinium laughed again. That foreign laughter.

“You do not know us. This is not Aberration in True Antinium. ThIS iS raGe.”

He stood up. Erin looked at him. But the Antinium just walked past her, towards the door. He looked at her. And she sensed it. Sadness, despair. And a rage so fierce it terrified her. Directed not at her. At himself—and something beyond this inn.

“Thank you for hope. But there is nothing here for the Antinium. We must begin again. Tell them. Tell all of them. They have until I finish my night shift. And then there will be no Painted Antinium, no Individuals in the Hive. Warn them. No one can stop me. Not the Queen or anyone else. Not even you.”

She looked at his swords. The Antinium turned. And he walked out. A perfect Antinium. He was still going on patrol.

It was almost funny. Erin looked at him as he shut the door. He never looked back. She heard him going down the stairs. Erin felt water trickling down her cheeks. She buried her head in her arms. For a minute. Then she ran to find Pawn.

—-

The Antinium fled. They ran through their secret tunnel, to evacuate the Hive. All of them, even Pawn, despite Lyonette pleading with him to stay.

“I must go. It is our home. If I do not come back—know that there is Heaven.”

He didn’t say ‘I love you’. He didn’t know to. He just held her hands and then ran. Lyonette wept. The inn was full of silence as Erin stood at the hidden trap door, which she’d always known about.

“Come back. Bring them all to the Garden. Hurry!”

She shouted after them. But she didn’t go. This was an Antinium matter. What could be done? Could Palt, Montressa, anyone stop Klbkch? Enter the Hive?

No. So Erin stood in her inn, wiping at her eyes, blaming herself for every mistake she’d made.

About a few minutes after that, Relc arrived. He strode into the inn.

“Hey, Erin! Have I got a thing to tell you about! Have you heard about…?”

He paused. The room full of silence. The grave expressions. The shaking Antinium Worker sitting at a table, rocking back and forth as Bird tried to calm him down. Relc slowly absorbed what had happened in fragments. As Mrsha hugged her two friends, who were terrified and shaking at the bloodshed. As Erin wiped tears from her eyes. The Drake was too late for all of it.

“I tried, Relc. But I couldn’t—I’m such an idiot. They’re coming here. They promised. They can stay here forever. W-what thing?”

Relc looked at Erin. He looked around the inn. He opened and closed his mouth and put the brochure back in his belt pouch.

“I’ll tell you about it another time. So, Klb went off the deep end? I’d never have…you okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah. I have to wait for them. I’m gonna check…”

Erin staggered up. She went to the basement. Relc looked around.

No one was really moving in the inn. Lyonette was in the basement, waiting. Some of the Players were trying to go on. The show had to go on, distract the audience.

But what drew Relc were the other actors in this…horrible t