Len walked into the soon to be completed guild hall. “What a hassle.” He said through a sigh, pulling out a chair from his pouch and sitting down. He just got finished arguing with the gnome crafter in charge over some more of what they liked to call design flaws. Len didn’t think it was that complicated. “Add some hidden storage areas in the main office, the kitchen, and the gathering room. Not hard.” After arguing for a good 20 minutes with the head crafter, the gnome relented and said they would work on them in the upcoming week, when they can get more materials. He explained there was a bit of a slow down after the raid.

Len was annoyed because he had drafted the hidden rooms in the original plans of the guild hall. But for some reason the copy given to the crafter didn’t have them. He claimed Len hadn’t given them to him. Len was pretty sure they were stolen. Such things happened quite frequently with projects this large. Only thing Len didn’t know was whether it was scavs who stole them or one of the council’s pawns. Not that Len was truly worried about it.

Of course those weren’t the actual secret compartments Len was going to have in the guild. It would be absurd to keep records like that, and give them to untrusted parties like the crafter. No, they were made as decoys for spies and thieves alike. Give them a bone to chew on and all that. If they were significant, he would have had one of Jaren’s people put a tracking sigil on the plans.

Silence filled the guild hall. Darkness had just fallen upon the city. Len closed his eyes and relaxed in the chair. He heard the occasional footsteps of one of the crafter’s guards patrolling around but they stayed away. Their footsteps told Len this batch was both clumsy and poorly trained, but that was usually enough to keep the scavs away.

Len leaned back into the chair, and catching the slight mumbling of a passersby. Someone walking by on the road outside of the guild hall. Len chose to put the guild hall in the Academy District because it got the least amount of foot traffic during the day. And he could poach recruits from the Academies. Which probably pissed off most of the council members.

He sighed when he thought about them. It was never his intention to make enemies out of the council members. None of them were terrible people, they loved all Laurel and only wanted what was best for it. Even Lirae. They were just so stuck in their traditions. And Len’s goals were in stark opposition to them.

Another uncontrolled sigh left his mouth. He couldn’t stop the memories of his last months in Tiamantis from flooding in. The butchering he and his team was subjected to. The one he lost her in. It made the last raid in Laurel look like a joke. He raised his head and looked through the unfinished section of the ceiling. He looked at the night sky, the stars glittering. But before those thoughts took any more ground in his head, he stood up and looked at the stairs leading to the second floor.

There was some work he wanted to do in the guild house. Liam escaped this morning with the aid of Daila. He knew he made the right choice, having her handle that situation. Len had plans to see Liam tomorrow. He had time today, but truthfully he didn’t want to have to answer all the boy’s questions. Len remembered the boy’s tendency to ramble and figured Daila was a good choice. She was one of the best professors in Laurel.

How the woman managed being a fulltime instructor and Jaren’s right hand was a mystery to Len.

Len stretched his body for a moment. His mind raced as he formulated a new prank for Liam. Just as he made his first steps towards the stairs, he felt a prickle on the back of his head. Then a slight creak came from the second floor.

Ooh. What do we have here? Spy or Thief? Len walked away from the stairs and to the front door. He looked out and saw the two guards posted. One looked like he had been dozing, but the other was attentive.

“Any signs of intruders?” Len asked the guard.

“Nothing Sir.” The guard saluted Len.

“Carry on.”

Len asked the guards in the back as well, but their response was much the same. These crafters really need to spend more on protection. Not a single one of them is aware of the interloper that broke in. Idiots. And not a single scout in the detail. Cheapskates.

The intruder was meddling around the rooms on the second floor. Len placed aura flames all throughout the guild hall. While he could not see who was rummaging, he knew where they were the whole time. He was impressed though. Whoever they were, they had great training in suppressing their presence. He wasn’t sure he would have noticed if he hadn’t been in the building.

Probably a spy then. Well in that case, let’s have some fun first. Flames danced around his wrists.

 

——

 

“Please sit Mr. Foster. We have much to discuss.” Following the woman’s instructions, I sat down in the chair placed in front of the table, slipping my tail through the open space in the back. I looked between her and the dog-eared teen. I took a deep breath, then emptied my lungs on them.

“Who are you? How do you know Len? Where is he? Why did that crazy plant lady lock me up? Why didn’t Len stop her? What’s up with that huge tree? Why did they keep calling me feral? Where is this freaking sigil everyone keeps going on about? What was that terrifying feeling you shot out at the guard? Why are we in the basement of that nice old lady’s shop? Who are we hiding from? Are you a dwarf? Why won’t you let me play in the trees and rooftops?”

I ran out of breath and swallowed another gulp, readying for another barrage. But the woman raised her hand. I paused my onslaught, letting her speak.

“My name is Daila, Daila Underbrush. My companion here is Fennel Blines. I believe you two met in the raid.”

I nodded my head and turned to the guy. “Yep, shorty here attacked me when all I was trying to do was help.” My tail swiped at the ground. The boy flinched at my words.

“Sorry about that.” The boy said sheepishly.

“Don’t blame Fennel too harshly. He had no knowledge of who or what you were during the battle.”

The boy nodded furiously in agreement, "Yeah that's," but before he could say any more, Daila shot him a glare that shut him right up. “Captain Blines here was also in the wrong. He broke protocol when he chased after you, leaving his squad behind. He knows the rules of engagement in a raid. The captain of a squad, a squad tasked with defending a medic station at that, must never leave his post.”

Fennel’s ears drooped down.

Daila continued, turning back to me. “Leonard Ainsworth is who I assume you are referring to, correct?” I nodded. “We work under a man named Jaren Holdsburn, a close friend and comrade of Mr. Ainsworth.”

I bet he hates being called that.

“He is currently taking care of some business. I will bring him to you tomorrow morning. But for tonight you must remain here.”

“Why? And what proof do you have that you are working with Len?” I asked, suspicion rising up inside me.

“Because by now Lirae Laurellen will have determined that you are no longer in the Capitol Building, that huge tree as you say. The streets are probably now filled with her personal legion, combing through it, looking for you. Leonard doesn’t want you locked up again. That is why we are hiding.”

“Okay but…” I tried to get out but she interrupted me.

“You will have the proof of our connection with Mr. Ainsworth tomorrow, when we meet with him. But know that you aren’t being held here against your will. You may leave whenever you want. Just realize that as soon as you walk out of Mrs. Warbler’s shop, you will be imprisoned once more. With thorny vines this time no doubt.”

I closed my eyes and folded my arms. I can’t really argue with that. Even if she is lying about Len, I’d prefer not to be constricted like that again.

My tail snapped the ground. It had been flicking back and forth while she was speaking, and I was trying to get it to calm down. Apis form abhorred long winded conversations, and it looked like this one wasn’t going to stop any time soon.

“Okay, I understand. I will stay here for now.” Daila nodded and she opened her mouth. But I stopped her before she spoke.

“Just give me one second before we continue.” I stood up from the table and shifted out of Apis form, returning to base form. Once completed, I rubbed my lower back, where my tail had been scrunched up by the tight pants. “Much better.”

I turned back to the pair. They both wore a look of pure astonishment. “What?”

Fennel got up from his seat and rushed behind me. He spoke up. “How are you doing that? Where did the tail go?” I slapped his hand away when he tried to lift up the armor. “HEY!”

Daila coughed, regaining her composure. Fennel rushed back to his chair.

“Let’s get back to answering your questions. I believe why you were locked up was next. It’s answer is also the same as why everyone refers to you as feral. Simply put, it is because you are, in fact, a Feral.”

“And what does that mean?” I asked.

“It means that you were not born in one of the Splice Capitals.”

“That’s it?”

“Yes.”

I couldn’t believe it. The venom and spite this Lirae threw at me was just because I wasn’t born here. How the hell does that make sense?

“Why does being born outside of a city warrant locking someone up?”

“In the past, most Feral’s have been hostile to city splicers. They attack our caravans to the other Capitals, climb the walls and steal from us, things of that nature. We can’t afford that. The raids come every month, making each shipment and resource vital to our very survival.”

“But I wasn’t even given a chance to prove I’m not one of them though. I was out in the forest living by myself for the past eight months. I never even ran into another person aside from Len that whole time. This Lirae saw me and then boom. Immediate hate.” I closed my fists. She must have seen my frustration. The next words she said came out softer.

“Look, I understand. You are very well mannered and from what Fennel has told me, your actions in the raid saved many lives. That is commendable. But I must ask. Why did you join the battle? You had no reason to assist.”

I thought back to when I stood in the tall tree and saw the battle for the first time. How I saw Len fighting, along with scores of others. And how those scores were dying. The pit I felt in my stomach when I tried to turn and run from it all. The screams of those dying. Tutors words about my past.

“I can’t completely articulate why. I saw Len fighting and wanted to help. But I almost turned back once I saw the monsters. I’d fought plenty in my time out there, but never on the scale.” I stopped myself before I talked about my thoughts on the past. About Earth.

“I couldn’t stand the screams, the people dying, and I wanted to do something about it.” I finished with a nod. Daila and Fennel just stared at me for a minute.

I started getting a little embarrassed. It might have sounded a bit cheesy.

“Why didn’t you join the front?” Daila asked.

“I don’t know how to fight in a group like that. I'd probably just have gotten in the way. I'm sure your tactics and strategies don't include shadow spheres and raging bears.” I said while shaking my head. She nodded. Fennel piped up this time, asking some questions. “How did you fight like that? What is your level? How much stamina do you have? Why does your trope change?”

The blonde’s ears perked up while he asked. It was a lot to take in. Is this what it feels like when I ask so many questions? Before I had a chance to answer, the elderly woman from before walked into the room. She was carrying some folded clothes in her arms.

“Now calm down, both of you. Our guest has been through a lot from the sound of it. Let him change out of that dreadful outfit and you can ask more questions during dinner.” She walked over to me and handed me the clothes.

“Here you go dear. You can change in that room over there.” She pointed to a door in the basement.

“It's also where you will be sleeping tonight. Go ahead and get changed. I will bring dinner in a few hours.”

After thanking Mrs. Warbler, I grabbed the clothes and walked over to the door. But something was nagging me. Maybe it was because the older woman reminded me of my own gran that I was feeling guilty about something. I turned back to the two at the table.

“Oh, I should have said it earlier. Thank you for helping me get out of there. I appreciate it.”