Katerin, Fykes, and Kindra's return to Hearth-Home was rather smooth, and although Katerin dreaded keeping up her illusory appearance, she had no trouble with the guards. Fykes took the horses and put them back in his strange, and still innately magical cloak, and the three made their way into the city on foot. As they walked the streets, Kindra kept pointing out the various places she had gotten in trouble.

Her expression turned serious. "Did you go to the Tower?"

"I did. I went to ask after you."

"Was it still just as... snobby?"

Katerin sighed. Kindra's conception of the Tower had always been the same, despite the fact that it was one reason Kindra was so unique. When she had come to the tower, she could not read or write, and did not understand the magic she could harness. She had strange arcane abilities, and with a little honing, she had turned them into useful tools. Tools that she never used, but tools nonetheless. And the Tower had done more than teach her. It had also housed her and given her food and clothing until she was old enough to buy her own.

"What? I had to ask." Kindra grinned.

As the trio walked through the ornate and clean streets, they passed several groups of guards. And with each one, Katerin did her best to resist the urge of pulling her hood over her face. A block or two before they reached the tavern, they walked on a quiet side road, and Katerin tugged Fykes' sleeve. Guards approached from the road, down an alley. The sound of their boots echoed off the tanned stone and bounced off the masonry.

"Halt," the guard at the front said. There were four people, one well ahead of the rest.

Katerin's heart skipped three beats as she turned to face them. Kindra stayed where she was, and Fykes straightened, standing steadfast by Katerin's side.

"Can we help you?" Fykes asked.

"You three just came in the city, right?"

"Yes, is there a problem?" Katerin fought her voice to keep it from cracking. Damned guards, she thought.

"No, but there's another step, see, we've been looking for a woman who has a very honed skill in magic. If you could just look into this pendant for me, this'll be over in just a second."

Fykes stepped forward with a stray glance at Kindra. "I'll go first." He stepped before the guard, and the pendant flashed a brilliant orange.

Shit. Katerin's heart sank as she saw what the trinkets purpose was. Anti-magic. It would remove her illusion in a second. Should she run? She would not make it very far, and then her disguise would be ruined, too. Fight? She was certain they could handle these guards, but that would only cause more trouble, and this close to the center of the city meant there would only be more of them to contend with.

As Katerin's thoughts spun, Kindra stepped forward, giving her a panicked gaze.

The guard nodded to Fykes and gestured to Kindra.

Magic flashed again, and Katerin felt nauseous as the pendant and the light of the sun seemed to grow brighter. All of their weapons were in her bag. She would never have enough time to attempt a fight.

"Miss?" The guard asked. "It won't hurt you, it's just a flash of light."

Anger sparked in Katerin, and she could feel the marks on her arms begin glowing. She stepped forward, glancing to the guards behind the man she faced.

The man held up the pendant, and Fykes posture stiffened. Both he and Kindra were waiting for her to move. She wanted to scream, but she held it in, and heard Fykes breathe in, readying himself for a fight.

The man held the pendant up and gave her the most annoying reassuring smile she had ever seen.

Use cunning, Katerin, this need not be a fight. Violence is not always your answer.

Lodyne's voice startled her so that she jumped as the light flashed. Her appearance shifted, but she grasped the guards armor and spoke the words to a spell, she felt the spell wrap around the guards mind, and grimaced at what she had done.

"See," she said, in her own voice, shifting so that the guards behind him could not see her face without its magical mask. "I'm just another traveler."

"Just another traveler," the man said, the green of his eyes growing a shade darker.

She shook his arm, her heart thundering. "Go, and tell your compatriots that there's nothing to worry about, and go on with your day."

"I will, miss."

"Good luck on your search," she called, her voice a screeching pitch, waving behind her as she turned.

Fykes was paler than normal, and Kindra had tears in her wide blue eyes.

"Are you insane?" Fykes hissed as they walked down the street.

Katerin ducked inside the first alleyway she found and sunk to the mucky cobblestones. "I panicked... I..." Her breath caught, and her heart beat so heard she could have thought it would beat right out of her chest.

"What did you do?" Kindra asked. "He went from friendly to a complete dolt, when you touched him."

"Magic has its uses," Katerin said, gasping for her breath. "Mind controlling magic, especially."

Kindra cast a sly smile over her. "I thought you weren't a fan?"

"I'm not."

"How do we get to the tavern, now?" Fykes stood over her protectivelyprotectively watched the nearby street with tense shoulders.

Katerin groaned. "I only need a second to put the disguise back."

"Yeah, but now you can't rely on it."

"Well, I don't have any better ideas." Katerin stood, pulled her cowl down low over her head, tucking all her hair back within it.

Fykes brushed a kiss across her forehead. "I'll walk in front of you, Kindra can guard your back."

Katerin looked to the tall, imposing woman with a question.

Kindra held up a hand. "It's probably all you're paying me for, anyway."

"I never said I was paying you," Katerin began, as they got to the end of the alleyway.

"We can talk about it later, when you don't need any more help."

Katerin rolled her eyes, but walked down the street with no magic to hide her, keeping her head low and trying her hardest to stoop.

When they reached the Boars Backstrap, Katerin breathed a heavy sigh or relief. She sunk into a seat across from Brazen, leaving her hood up.

He eyed her with surprise. "Uh... isn't that an awful idea?"

"I'd just have to drop it again in a few minutes." Katerin glanced around. "Where's Arjiah?"

"At some library. She asked me to stay here and watch to see if I caught any resistance members." Brazen's face grew pensive. "A few looked the fighting type, but no one carried weapons, and..." He sighed. "They didn't seem all that threatening, but I didn't have time to speak with any of them."

"No weapons are good. If I have to run out of that meeting, I'll still have magic."

"A few of them likely do, too," Brazen said. "I'm glad you found Kindra, but why did she come back?"

Kindra slid into the seat across from Katerin, pushing a heavy mug her way. "I needed more work." She grasped Brazen's arm and grinned.

"You're paying her?" Brazen asked.

"We haven't discussed that."

Fykes sat next to Brazen, and looked toward the door, a smile lighting his face. "Here arrives our last compatriot."

Kindra looked between Katerin, Fykes and Brazen, and raised one eyebrow. "Did you two figure out how to make a baby after it was already born?"

Katerin groaned. They had explained Brazen's resurrection on the ride to the city, and Kindra had cracked plenty of jokes at the time.

"We're very talented wizards," Fykes said, with a smirk.

Kindra and Brazen began a strange conversation. They spoke of the tournament, and their fighting prowess, and Kindra challenged Brazen to half a dozen things with her only reason being that he would not have agreed, before.

Their enthusiasm ate away the time until Arjiah arrived, and as she pulled a stool from a nearby table, she smiled, though her features stayed wrinkled.

"You only wrinkle when you worry," Fykes told her.

Arjiah sighed. "I've been looking into the teleportation ban over the city, and into the story behind this dragonic cult."

"Anything interesting?" Katerin scooted forward, a desperate look on her face.

"Quite," Arjiah replied, "But I think we best talk about it later," She looked towards the bar, whence Gracie was approaching.

"My associates would like to talk to you, Katerin. I can lead you down when you're ready."

Katerin shook her head. "I will only go, if they go." She gestured around the table.

Gracie's eyes narrowed. "They won't like that. Every move is a power play with them."

"I'm not making any play. But, If I go, my friends come with me."

Gracie sighed. "Will you at least tell me why?"

Katerin smiled. "I value their input." Because I can't trust my own thoughts, she thought, bitterly.

Gracie sagged her shoulders. "Fine. Be stubborn as you want. Space it out, but make your way to the back room." She shook her head before she stepped away.

Over the next half hour, the five of them all made their way to the taverns storage room. Gracie came back a few minutes after that, and with only one disdainful look at them, she moved an empty cask aside, and pulled open a trapdoor with a ladder.

Into the bowels we go, Katerin thought, as she began her descent.

Once everyone was beneath the inn, in the gray and damp smelling tunnel, Gracie shuffled by them, and pulled one of the lit torches from the wall. "It's a walk, so you all best watch your step."

"Holy hells," Kindra said, as she dropped from the ladder. "Is this the old sewer?"

Gracie squinted. "Yes."

Without waiting, the stubborn older woman led them down the tunnel until it widened out enough that two people could walk side by side.

Katerin blinked as she realized where she was. It was a rumor the old sewer system of the city had been overtaken by the Syndicate, years ago, and that these tunnels connected into some of the largest catacombs in the world.

Sparse torches guided Gracie down the twisting corridors, and Katerin was thankful for Gracie act of guidance. For even with the torches signaling turns, she knew she would still likely find herself lost in this endless place, with no guide.

After nearly half an hour of walking at a rushed pace, the group of six found themselves in what appeared to be an actual hallway. A door stood before them, simple stone construction, with heavy metal hinges to hold it off the floor.

Gracie stopped, placed her torch in a small holder beside the door and knocked. "I'll be right back," she said.

A slit opened, and a pair of green eyes peered out, eyeing Gracie. The door opened just wide enough to admit her, and she disappeared into the room.

Brazen looked to Katerin, his hands clasped together. "Do you have a plan?"

Katerin gritted her teeth. "No, but I know what I want to ask."

"If it goes south?" Kindra asked, getting an excited look in her eye.

"I'm hoping so dearly that I'm nearly praying it doesn't go south," Katerin said.

"If it goes south we should run," Fykes whispered.

"I agree," Katerin said.

Kindra screwed up her nose. "Can I at least make a distraction before that happens?"

Gracie exited the room before Katerin could say anything more to Kindra, so she only shot her a look meant to advise caution.

Gracie grasped Katerin's hand after she had procured her torch. "Good luck."

A tall elven figure appeared beside the door and opened it for them all to enter. He had blonde hair, only barely visible from beneath a full helmet. On his back was an enormous sword, and as he closed the door, he crossed his arms across his chest.

Katerin did not miss the stare Brazen gave him, and the shift to his feet when he realized he was in a room with an armed man. But Katerin noticed the spacious room, and the large table, with a dozen faces seated at it.

The woman at the head of the table stood, with a plastered smile. "Katerin."