act17mini

To the east side is the market. You can find all sorts of stuff there, but they close early, and it's practically a ghost town by the time the Furnace's shadow rises above the east wall.

Don't step on my writing practice, Nymph!

Oh, sorry, Cherie. Does your grandpa have you watching the fire by yourself again?

He said he was going to work at the construction site. He always comes back stinky and falls right asleep. Doesn't even tell me any stories.

Hey, Nymph, since you're here, how are these words?

You're practicing writing on the ash? But it's...

Fresh furnace ash is very clean!

Great work, Cherie! You got all the words I taught you last time right. I should give you a treat...

I've got a candy here.

Candy! But... I don't want candy. I'm afraid that...

Afraid of what?

That the monster in the alley might take it...

Over there, that haunted alley. They say ghosts come for you if you get close to the shacks.

They follow you and snatch your stuff when you're not looking!

You must be joking.

It's real! A lot of people have run into them. Some lost their candy, others lost the linens they put out to dry. They say the ghosts don't target you if you don't carry anything good.

They probably got robbed by some thugs and were too embarrassed to tell the truth.

Don't play with this guy, Nymph! He's bad, he won't believe me.

Alright, don't cry. You say a lot of people saw the, er, ghost?

Yeah! Ask Bean Sprout if you don't believe me. He just ran into one.

Yes, it was three stories tall, wrapped in bandages, and bleeding from its eyes.

Wait, didn't you say there were flames coming out from all over? Don't the bandages catch fire?

Yeah, ghostfire. It's cold, so it doesn't burn.

Er, alright, go on.

What else is there to say? What else could I do?

I did a backflip in midair and dodged the ghostfire, then aimed for its eyes with a handful of iron scrap. The monster never saw it coming.

A backflip? Just yesterday you said your back was hurting and asked me to carry your firewood to your door...

I must be a natural. It felt like energy just kept flowing out from inside me.

*sigh* We should ask someone else.

Don't! No one else could tell it half as good as me!

They all fainted when they saw the thing and ran for their lives without looking back when they came to their senses. They even left the carts they borrowed at the scene. What would they know?

You're not talking about yourself, are you?

What if I am...? You got a problem with me? I'm not afraid of you!

We really don't have time for this. Quit babbling and spit it out.

Pohl––Consultant, he just ran into something real scary, don't be too hard on him.

Wha-Consultant? You're the Consultant? Oh, I'm so sorry! I wouldn't have skipped anything if I knew the Consultant was here to interrogate me himself.

I wouldn't call it an interrogation...

It's those haunted shacks on the east side, I'm sure you know them. I ran into it there. It was crouched in a corner at first, so I didn't notice, but then I took a closer look—

It was draped in linen with blood-red eyes, twice as tall as me, and it was grinding its teeth as it was walking. I was so scared I fainted right there.

I was still in one piece when I woke up, so I thought I was dreaming at first, but then I reached behind my head and felt the bump where I hit it. See, it's right here—

That's fine, I don't need to see it.

You think that's the monster we're looking for, Nymph?

(Shakes head) We'd better go and see if the detector responds. It's not far.

Nymph, Consultant, that's the whole truth, whatever you lost, it really wasn't me. Life's hard enough as it is.

Don't worry, we're not here to give you trouble.

But you should get your cart back, or else I can't promise you that Big Head won't give you trouble.

The young Sarkaz's smile freezes. He pats his own head in chagrin, only to hit the fresh bump. He grimaces in pain.

Can I ask one more favor, Nymph...?

Here's the shack he was talking about. It's been abandoned for ages, though.

Is your detector reacting?

No... are we looking in the right place?

More likely the kid lied.

Does she know there are Sarkaz ashes in the pile she's writing in?

I'd guess no. You protect her well.

...Is that 'protecting'?

Of course it is. Anyway, it would be pretty embarrassing if we got tricked by a kid.

But we're here, and if it really is the work of some thug—

—We might as well take care of him.

Come in, there's no...

Oh.

Nymph is about to speak when she sees a blade pressing against the back of Pohl's neck.

The blade is blunt and chipped, but the hand is surprisingly steady, pressing against Pohl's neck three centimeters beneath his ear, without the slightest movement.

Nymph, don't.

The Djall has drawn her staff. The Arts wave emanating from it does not dissipate at Pohl's words and continues to intensify.

He won't kill me.

You wanna bet?

Put the blade down!

It's alright, trust me. No need for bets here. After all—

Argh—

I can handle one wounded warrior on my own.

Your hand is bleeding... but it's not Sarkaz blood. Who are you?

This is my home. You don't get to ask who I am.

No, this is Kazdel, home of the Sarkaz.

Let me see your face...

Haven't I seen you before? In the settlement outside the city. You were smuggling out food with... Mudrock was the name, I think.

Mudrock? I think I've heard... mentioned the name before. Are you with Rhodes Island?

If you know our boss, can you help me up? I can barely move my arm.

This is the third time I've said it. They're not smugglers. They went to work for food at the construction site.

Why didn't I go? I would have, if not for this arm.

If you're not smugglers, why did you come into the city while hiding in a haunted shack?

Where else can I stay? This is the only place where no one bangs down the door at night.

You can't sleep at night in the crowded areas, and you can't even go out during the day without someone tearing the door down for firewood.

There was a Caprinae thief who cut his horns short, stealing steel and bricks from the construction site... is he with you?

Definitely not. Why would I do something so stupid? Cutting my horns to pretend to be Sarkaz?

Not much better living in a haunted house and pretending to be a ghost.

We never pretended to be ghosts. Don't blame us when stupid people fool themselves.

Your friends weren't at the construction site to steal bricks and steel?

What a joke. I'm not even Sarkaz and I know that's impossible—

Are you seriously suspecting a Child of Soil and Stone of stealing bricks and tiles?

Child of Soil and Stone? That Mudrock's a Gargoyle? I never noticed...

It would make sense. Last time I saw Mudrock, she was working on houses outside the city, helping Infected from elsewhere start new farms.

Then again, why do you have to come into the city? Is there something you have to be here for, when you have a Child of Soil and Stone helping you?

Before we talk about the fact that it was Mudrock's decision to come into the city to begin with, what gives you the right to question us?

You think we're afraid of the Sarkaz in the city?

No... we're afraid of you.

(Sigh) When is your boss coming back? We can't wait all day.

She would normally be back by now, but without me, and with the colossi gone, it might take another hour or so.

Let's wait. I need to see their boss. They can't stay here in the city... it's too dangerous.

Ahem. You speak Sarkaz very well, sir. Is that a Leithanian accent? What's your name?

Save it.