"Please sit," Ulyian directed SJ to a threadbare sofa. His home was narrow, a front and back room with a set of steps leading to a bedroom and bathroom upstairs. A stone fireplace and chimney, the only sign of stone inside the property. SJ could hear shouting from the building it adjoined to, and Ulyian walked to the wall, banging on it heavily. "Keep the noise down," he shouted.
The thin walls reminded SJ of cheap hotel rooms on Earth, where you could easily hear what was going on in the next room.
"Are they always that loud?" SJ asked.
"No. Marissa discovered that Raul has been cheating on her."
SJ frowned. "I assume you can hear everything?"
"Yes," Ulyian shrugged. "What did you need?"
SJ wasn't going to beat around the bush and got straight to the point. "Were you involved in the recent protest against the church's food suppliers?"
Ulyian smiled. "Yes. It went very well. They scuttled off back to the inner city not long after we arrived."
"So you admit being there?"
"Yes. Why? There is no law against protesting."
"There is if it leads to murder."
Ulyian's expression hadn't even changed from the grin he had greeted her with.
"Murder? No one was murdered. It was a peaceful protest, and then they left."
"Not long after they returned to the Astaria, one of the group was murdered."
"Oh. That's unfortunate. Who did it?"
SJ sighed internally. "That is what I am trying to find out. Did you witness anything at the protest that looked suspicious?"
"No. One of the clerics came over and spoke to old Mervin, but they left not long after."
"Did you hear what was said?"
"Oh, yes. I stood next to him. She said that they were there to support the entire district and those who needed food. I was tempted to get some myself, but Mervin wouldn't let me. He said that her kind was not welcome in the district and that she should leave before things got worse."
"So he threatened her?"
"Not directly. It was just words."
"Saying that things would get worse if they didn't leave is a threat," SJ sighed audibly this time.
"Not really, is it? It's just a comment. There was no meaning behind it."
SJ nearly face-palmed with his response. Dave was busy giggling.
"Why were you there?"
"I was asked to go. It was a gang request, nothing more; they just wanted a few of us to be there, that was all."
"Who asked you?"
"Merv did. He is the local contact. It was only down by the chapel. You know, the one we visited when you stuck me."
SJ still felt terrible about the damage she had done to Ulyian, although she had paid for his healing. He was such an unusual elf, one with a gambling addiction and tied to the local gangs.
"Do you know where Merv lives?"
"Yeah. He lives over on Russet. Nice place. I have been there a few times."
"So he is the controller for this area?"
"Pretty much. If he needs something done, he will come and see us and ask."
"Could you take me there?"
"I could, but I was due at the den. There is a new croupier, and she is beautiful. I promised I would be back today."
Closing her eyes, SJ took a deep breath.
"I'm sure she will still be there after you show me."
"I suppose. I could pop down there and let her know I am going to be late."
This time, SJ couldn't help but hold her head in her hand. "That defeats the object of going to Merv's now."
"Okay then. If we hurry, we can get to Merv's in a few minutes."
"Great. Let's go then," SJ said, standing.
Dave hadn't stopped laughing, his giggle turning into a full-blown fit as Ulyian continued talking.
'Dave, please,' SJ thought.
"Sorry, but I really have never met such a stupid elf."
'You and me both,' SJ thought.
SJ watched as Ulyian collected his things before grabbing his jacket and pulling it on. Once he was ready, he ushered SJ out of the house, and she walked with him towards Russet Street. The street looked no different to so many others in the district, with wooden buildings of varying styles and designs crammed together. It had only taken them about ten minutes to arrive. The building that Ulyian led SJ towards was nicer looking than Ulyian's own. The frontage was almost twice as wide, and it was three storeys. From its appearance, this gang member must have done much better than Ulyian did. Not that she knew anything about how much gangs made.
Ulyian walked straight to the front door and knocked. The knock reminded SJ of how she and her sister had secret knocks when playing games as a child. One knock followed by four sharper knocks, then two slower knocks. SJ had changed her dress before returning to the district, and she didn't stand out any more than any other being.
'I can't believe he has brought me straight to see a gang member?' SJ thought.
"It doesn't surprise me at all, considering how he is," Dave chuckled.
SJ listened as a bolt on the door was slid across, and the door opened. The being standing in the doorway was a broad-shouldered human. His bulk was surprising, and he looked intimidating. A scar ran down the right side of his cheek. He wore standard brown leather armour, and a short sword hung at his belt.
"Is Merv in?" Ulyian asked in his usual happy voice.
"What do you want him for?" the man asked, his voice deep and gravelly.
"I have brought a friend of mine to meet him. Please let him know that I am here to see him."
The large man shrugged, closing the door again and replacing the bolt.
Ulyian turned and smiled at SJ. "It won't take long. Merv is very accommodating."
Several moments passed before SJ heard the bolt being moved again, and the door reopened. The large man stood again in front of them.
"Come in," he said, stepping back and allowing them both inside.
Ulyian stepped inside, followed by SJ, and once they were there, the man closed the door again and replaced the bolt.
"He is in the study," the man said.
"Thanks," Ulyain said as he walked down the corridor leading towards the rear of the building.
The interior of the building was plain. The wooden walls were bare of anything homely. Lanterns hung along the walls, providing bright light inside. Ulyian reached the end of the corridor and stopped at a door, knocking gently.
"Come in," a voice replied.
"That's Merv," Ulyian said as he opened the door.
The study must have taken up the rear portion of the ground floor of the building. It was much larger than SJ expected. As she entered the door, they turned to the right to see what SJ thought was a half-orc sitting behind a desk at the far end.
"Ulyian. What brings you here and with a guest?" Merv said.
"Oh, nothing important. My friend here just had some questions she would like to ask. Is that okay?"
Merv frowned. "What questions?"
SJ stepped forward and introduced herself. "I am SJ, and I am enquiring about the protests that took place at the food run earlier today."
"What about them?" Merv's frown deepened.
Ulyian had moved around SJ and sat on a chair to the side of the study.
"I just wished to know why you were protesting. The church is only trying to help those in need, and we were surprised at the protests."
Ulyian now sat, picking at his teeth with a toothpick he had taken from his pocket, not paying any attention to SJ's interaction with Merv.
"You work for the church? You don't look like a cleric."
"I'm not, I am an affiliate."
Merv looked at Ulyian, who met his gaze and just shrugged.
"Please, take a seat," Merv said, pointing to a chair in front of the desk.
SJ stepped forward, and as she did, a sudden flash of light filled her vision. Her senses were suddenly dulled and the 360-degree vision she had been so used to vanished. At the sudden loss of sight, nausea swam through her body. Her body stiffened, and she froze in place.
"Holy orcs pox. A freeze trap," Dave said.
SJ's thoughts were going crazy. She was indeed frozen to the spot. No matter how much she tried to will her body to move, nothing would.
"Well, that was much easier than expected," Ulyian said, standing from the chair.
"What do you want to do with her boss?" Merv asked.
'What?' SJ thought, shock pulsing through her. Had Ulyian played her?
"We need to tie her up well; she has some nasty claws that she can equip, so make sure that you place stoppers before the freeze runs out. Also use the bar so that if she tries to shrink she will rip her arms off. The boss wants to speak to her, so we can drop her in the cellar for now until he is available," Ulyian said. His whole demeanour had changed. He no longer carried the silly grin or the behaviour of someone stupid or inept. He now stood oozing a level of competence that SJ hadn't witnessed.
Merv stood and walked past her, opening the door before calling.
Ulyian moved to stand in front of SJ, now casually picking at his nails with the toothpick. He looked at her with a wry smile. "I am surprised you were that naive to fall for this. I expected more from you after what we have heard about you."
SJ couldn't reply, her mouth frozen in place. The only thing she could do was breathe.
Ulyian chuckled. "Sorry, you can't reply, can you? Well, so that you know, your acts haven't gone unnoticed. Your disposal of Olivia was very efficient, after all. I recognised the claw marks as soon as I saw them on her frail corpse. The boss is very interested in meeting you after killing his mistress."
The realisation hit SJ like a swooping wyvern. The man in Olivia's changing room when SJ had assassinated her must have been the boss they were referring to.
"Years the takeover had been in the planning, and then you came along and ruined it," Ulyian said, shaking his head. "He was outraged, and he isn't someone you should anger."
SJ hadn't paid any attention to the man who had walked out of the room, and she only had a very vague image of him as he left the corridor.
SJ heard a noise behind her and felt the firm grip of hands on her arms, unable to turn her head to see who it was. She then felt a rope being passed around her waist, and her hands gripped as metallic gloves were placed over them, and she felt the heavy weight of another metal object being attached to them. She then lost her vision as a sack was placed over her head, bringing darkness. Dave was screaming obscenities in her mind and threatening to do all sorts to Ulyian and his cronies. The problem was he could do absolutely nothing to assist her. She was roughly manhandled as she was removed from the trap location, her muscles relaxing, and she tried to move her arms. They had been secured tightly, she was then forced to her knees, and she felt another piece of rope being attached around her ankles. She had been trussed up.
"Take her to the cellar," Merv said.
SJ said nothing as she was half-carried and dragged from the room. The only thought in her mind was how easily and well Ulyian had captured her, his whole persona being an act. She couldn't see anything as she was moved, hearing a couple of doors being opened and closed before she felt the damp chill of air from the cellar as she was roughly dragged down the stairs. She let out a muffled grunt as her ankles banged on the steps as she was dragged down. Without care, they then threw her to the floor before leaving the cellar and closing the door again.
"Are you okay?" Dave eventually said after calming his tirade of abuse.
'Not really. How can I have been so gullible and what has happened to my vision?'
"I don't think you were gullible personally. Ulyian had never shown anything other than his stupidity up until now. I can only assume that the influx of mana from the spell has affected your vision. Looking at your neural network, the changes are still in place so it should return eventually. Nothing seems damaged or out of place."
'That's good to know at least,' SJ felt a sense of relief. 'I can't believe I thought I could trust him.'
"And don't try to shrink. That metal bar attached to your bindings has a blue glow; I am sure it's magically imbued."
'I can't even call anything from my inventory,' SJ thought as she tried to wriggle on the floor and get in a more comfortable position. The floor was damp, and she could feel the moisture seeping through her dress. The smell of dampness filled her nostrils through the makeshift hood. Eventually, she managed to get herself in a partially sitting position and slowly shuffled towards the wall of the cellar before managing to prop herself more upright.
'I need to get out of here,' SJ thought.
"But how, with no means of calling your claws, you can't escape your bindings. I think this situation is even worse than your spider cocoon visit."
That thought made SJ shudder. When the spider captured her and hung her from the ceiling in the caves outside Killic, she thought her life was over. Much had happened since then, and she was now skilled and equipped, but none of that meant anything under the current circumstances.
‘Carlito,’ she thought.
Opening her display, she looked at the map. Carlito's dot still wasn't visible.
"Damn," she cursed aloud. 'If he returns, I can speak to him; they didn't check my jewellery and probably have no idea of the ear clip. It's hidden under my hair, after all.'
"Good thinking. As long as you can let him know where you are, he should be able to help."
Time seemed to drag. Seconds felt like minutes, and minutes felt like hours as time passed. She had been in the cellar for nearly three hours before the door was opened, and she heard footsteps coming down.
"I hope you are comfortable," Ulyian's spritely voice said as she heard him near. She then felt a hand grabbing the sack covering her face. As the sack was lifted, SJ winced from the bright light that shone into her eyes from the lantern he carried. "Here, we need to keep you well." Ulyian held a cup forward towards SJ's lips.
SJ pulled away.
"It's water. Look, I promise," Ulyian said as he drank from the cup.
SJ cautiously allowed Ulyian to place the cup on her lips before he tilted it. She swallowed the cold liquid hungrily while some escaped, running down her cheeks. "Dear me," Ulyian said as he removed a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed her cheeks dry. "Merv?"
"Yes, boss?" the voice replied from the top of the stairs.
"Is the cart ready?"
"Yes."
"Okay, let's move her then," Ulyain said as he replaced the sack. We are going on a short journey. Don't worry; you will soon meet the boss." Ulyian's voice was mirthful, as though he was thoroughly enjoying SJ's position.
Footsteps came down the stairs and again SJ was lifted and dragged back up them. The temperature difference from the cold damp of the cellar was pleasant and welcome. She had no idea where she was being taken and she asked as she felt the cool of fresh air as she was carried from the building and roughly cast into the back of a cart, before a tarp was pulled over her.
"I suggest you don't attempt to shout for help," the deep, gravelly voice of the guard from the door said. We wouldn't wish to silence you before the boss does." The guard laughed at his sick joke.
'That confirms that the boss is expected to kill me,' SJ thought in panic. 'Where are we heading?' SJ asked Dave as the cart began to move down the street.
"Deeper into the district by the looks of it," Dave said. "I am making notes as you go."
'Thanks, Dave.'
As the cart bounced over the rough, cobblestone streets, SJ saw what she had been waiting for: Carlito's dot suddenly reappeared on her display.
'Carlito is back,' SJ thought excitedly.
"Great. Let's get a message to him then."
SJ moved her head as she tried to trigger the small gem on the ear clip. It was so easy to reach and do, but because of its position on the clip, it wasn't so easy without hands. She pushed and moved her head against the floor of the cart, struggling to activate the gem. As she internally cursed, she managed to catch it, and it activated. Each ring seemed to last forever as SJ waited for Carlito to answer.
On the seventh ring, SJ was about to give up hope when his voice eventually came through.
"SJ," Carlito said.
'Dave, where are we?' SJ thought.
SJ whispered, the clatter of the cart on the stones hopefully covering her voice.
"I need your help. I have been captured and am currently in District 10."
"No, you're not. We have crossed into nine."
"Nine, sorry," SJ whispered.
"What did you just say? You are not clear?" Carlito said.
SJ attempted to talk louder, repeating what she had said and stating she was in District 9. A fist struck her without warning.
"No talking," the gravelly voice hissed.
SJ couldn't hold in the grunt that the wind being knocked from her caused.
"We are approaching a set of gates. They are being opened. It looks like we are entering a stable yard. The building features are very plain; I can't see any names or signs," Dave said, cursing.
"Who was that?" Carlito asked. SJ could hear the uncertainty in his voice. SJ didn't dare reply again, the fist that had struck her had felt like a sledgehammer hitting her and her health had taken damage just from a basic blow. The guard was obviously very strong.
The cart came to a stop, and SJ listened as it creaked as the beings climbed from it before she felt hands roughly grip her arms and drag her from the back.
"Where do you want her?" the gravelly voice asked.
"Boss said to place her in the stable for now. I will let him know you are here," a voice replied.
"Excellent," SJ heard Ulyian reply.
As SJ was manhandled across the yard, Carlito spoke in her ear.
"From what I can hear, you are in trouble. Who has you? Where are you?"
The sound of horses filled the stable, neighing and baying at the intrusion of beings into their home. SJ heard the screeching of metal hinges before she was cast forward, slamming onto the straw-covered stable floor. The hinges screeched again, and she listened as footsteps receded.
"I am in District 9," SJ whispered loudly. "I was captured by a gang when enquiring into something for the church. It seems that Olivia, whom I assassinated, was, in fact, the mistress of a gang leader. I was duped and captured by someone I thought I could trust."
"Whereabouts in District 9?" Carlito said, obvious concern in his voice.
"I am not exactly sure. I have been hooded the whole time since they moved me."
"Any sounds, smells? I heard horses, right?"
"Yes. I am in a stable stall or similar."
"That really doesn't narrow it down too much; many buildings have stables."
"I have an idea," Dave suddenly said.
'What?' SJ thought.
"Give me a couple of minutes."
"I will start heading to District 9. Try to find something that I can use to get a more accurate position of where they have you," Carlito said.
"They have me trussed up. I can't move my hands or feet, and they have placed gloves over my hands, preventing me from equipping my claws."
SJ noticed that Carlito's dot had started to move across the map.
