Tension in which my mind was working at full speed, pondering the fact that the people I came here with were so much more, was broken when Travis entered the room with a knock. Holding the hen to his body, he saluted with his free hand. “Sir, ma’am.” 

“Is that a chicken?” Baron Egerton asked right away, still pale as a sheet from his blunder.

“Yes, Lord. I thought it would be good to test the different animals. There are guards waiting outside the door with a pig, a dog, and a goat.”

Rage in the Baron’s eyes flared up again, and some color returned to his cheeks. ‘You’re not here to think!’ Those were the words I expected to hear from him, instead the one who spoke was Captain Rayden. “Good thinking.”

It really was. I was the one with the ability to talk to beasts, and I hadn’t thought of that. It was stupid of me. However, my curiosity about my own abilities was quickly replaced by anxiety with the realization that I would have to do this testing in front of everyone. Worse, the first beast, or rather an animal, was a bloody chicken.

[Hen: lvl 2]

Seriously, the hen was too bloody dumb to understand what I was saying or for her clucking to make sense to me. The pig and the goat were slightly more intelligent. But most of their thoughts were on the food. I was able to command them to some extent. The dog, Pond, I know a strange name, was quite something else.

One growl from me, and he started calling me Lady. Despite the odd commands I had to give him to perform, I tried to be polite to him. Even the handler was surprised at how obedient his four-legged partner was. The intentions behind his barking were easy to read, and now and then, actual words reached my ears. Somewhat awkwardly, his frustrated growls between my questions and commands were directed at some bitch. He was pretty blunt about his desire.

All in all, I wouldn’t say my performance was very impressive. I would go so far as to call it mere circus tricks. Yet it was good enough to Agent Sah, and even the City Lord seemed convinced. I have to say that it was pretty satisfying to watch him as the implications of it all were sinking in.

“It would be rash to make any decision now before Lord Wigram arrives,” Rayden told Baron Egerton in particular, hinting at his earlier orders and intention to kick me out of Castiana, being foolish. Baron didn’t miss her mocking, but this time, he had to agree with her. After all, even an Agent Sah had brought the Imperial Chief Healer’s interests to his attention earlier.

“That freak may stay in the city, but she won’t leave the barracks,” he said resolutely, while completely disregarding his previous blunders and insulting me in one breath. “I don’t want to see her wandering the streets. She’s a danger to others.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Janina objected. So far, the master guard healer had only sat silently and listened, which made her reproach all the more striking. She immediately further elaborated on her argument. “Medically, she is not a danger to anyone and has sufficient self-control.” 

As far as I knew, I was not a carrier of any disease, although I might not be looking my best right now. I definitely needed a shower. I wasn’t so sure about the self-control thing, but I kept my mouth shut.

“Rather, she is in danger from guys like Ward.” Blaine filled in, and Captain Rayden finished the thought and point. “They’re the ones who shouldn’t be roaming the city but rotting behind bars.”

“That’s your fucking job,” Baron Egerton fumed, pointing at her. “If such a vermin is in my city. That just says you’re doing it wrong.”

Rayden smiled as if she had been waiting for him to say something like that. “Should I remind you of what you promised us last time? I’ve yet to see that extra gold in our budget. Is anyone fixing the enchantments on the walls?”

“I have received no such reports, ma’am,” her assistant stated helpfully, without Rayden even asking. 

“Tss...” hissed the Baron in anger. As I understood it, nothing has changed since the attack, despite what the City Lord promised them. I assumed Rayden was already running the Junior Guards. Turns out I was wrong. At least that’s what it looked like. 

Sadly, Imperial Agent Sah didn’t let their dispute go any further as he slammed his palm down on the desk. “This is not fucking budget meeting. We’re here to assess the threat of Esu. I would have thought at least you would have taken it seriously, Captain.”

She looked at him with a knowing smile. “I’ve been taking the Esulmor threat seriously since I got this position. As far as I know, Castina has stood in the shadow of his burrow for hundreds of years, and Esu never once attacked the city. Now, tell me if I’m wrong, but Grey didn’t lie, did she?”

“What’s your point?” he asked. After all, he already confirmed that everything I said was true. To be honest, I was a little proud of it, if only because I wasn’t good at lying.

“Okay, let’s face it. At this point, we are no longer discussing Esu,” Rayden said, glancing at me and then at the City Lord. “The question is what to do with Grey.”

Her bitter tone made me a little uncomfortable, given her past, which was on my mind ever since I found out about her old position in the Army. Then, for some reason, Deckard’s words came to mind. When he was telling me not to let myself be tortured by my revenge, he also mentioned a woman who let herself be bound by her past, her... grief, and... I couldn’t remember the last one. 

Anyway, now I was pretty sure he was talking about Captain Rayden, who, unlike him, couldn’t put her service in the Army behind her. It made a lot of sense to me. What was her grief then? Lord Egerton? Not this one, though. His father? He was the one they once served under, wasn’t he? I don’t remember who mentioned it, but the old lord used to be a general too.

“You’re not wrong,” Agent Sah admitted with a slight nod. “The City Lord’s suggestion seems reasonable to me. At least she should stay in the barracks until the Imperial Chief Healer arrives.”

Returning with my thoughts back to the discussion of my well-being, I had to disagree. The barracks were probably the safest place in the city for me, with many people I knew here. However, it felt like they wanted to put me in a cage again, only this one was much bigger. More guarded.

“So we’re supposed to keep an eye on her here?” Rayden asked to be sure, making me worried that she was actually considering it. Okay, to be fair, it wasn’t the worst deal. I was in serious risk of ending up in an actual cell. It just didn’t sit well with me.

Seeing this as an opportunity, with Agent seconding his motion, Baron Egerton took a jab at her. “Do you have a problem with that?”

She breathed. “Well...”

“I do,” Deckard said in a gruff tone, but without elaborating further.

The Agent sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, suspecting complications, while City Lord bellowed. “Stay out of it. You’re only here because you were in those fucking woods with her.”

Deckard responded with pressure that made him seem bigger and more threatening. At least to me, but I was only level 96. The drop of sweat trickling down Baron’s face I saw was telling me I wasn’t the only one who saw him that way. On the other hand, I have to give it to him. He did not back down, choosing to attack instead. “Capitan, you should keep your dog on a leash.”

“And you should choose your words more carefully,” said Deckard in a warning. I didn’t feel it this time, but the pressure on Baron Egerton must have risen so that even the assistants behind him, who until then had been more like a backdrop, drew their weapons. Useless, if I may say so, but brave. I wish I had a weapon when I faced the mossbear, not that it would help me much.

Well, I was sure it wouldn’t help them either. They were too weak to fight someone like Deckard. Frankly, the first time I saw City Lord, I was stunned by how under-leveled he was and so were his assistants. And that hasn’t changed. It made this meeting kind of weird, as it didn’t feel right that he was giving orders to people like Rayden. It almost reminded me of Rutledge and Aspen. I have to admit that my perspective was most likely skewed by the levels of the people I’ve been in the presence of for the past few days. Humans and beasts alike.

“That’s enough, press any further, and I’ll treat it as an attack on the Lord of the Empire,” said the Agent strongly. After his warning, Deckard’s pressure disappeared, and he himself looked as if nothing had happened.

“It was an attack!” cried Baron Egerton as soon as he could breathe again.

Agent Sah rubbed the bridge of his nose again. “Was it, Lord? Why are you provoking a man like him?” After leaving City Lord gritting his teeth, he gazed at Deckard. “What do you have against Grey staying here?”

Oh, it was coming, the revelation of the relationship between him and me. So, bracing myself against any shouting that might follow and hurt my ears, I held my breath.

“I intend to take my apprentice to Fallens Cry for training today. The girl needs it badly,” he said as a matter of fact. ‘What?’ was the question that immediately formed in my mind.

A question someone asked out loud. “What?!” A question whose meaning was different from mine.

I was shocked because my ‘mentor’ didn’t mention his intention to train me today, let alone in the labyrinth. The agent and the Baron? Well...

“Her? Your apprentice, did I hear that right?” Sah asked to make sure while the City Lord turned red again. “What kind of nonsense are you talking about?”

Deckard simply nodded, ignoring Baron’s outburst. “That she is. Korra Grey is my apprentice.” 

My heart skipped a beat. This was the first time I heard him say my name out loud. It was strange, yet at the same time satisfying. It sounded like he finally acknowledged my presence, and I wasn’t just another random woman he met. Or a girl. I grinned as I couldn’t shake the feeling he won’t stop calling me that.

“Your official apprentice?” Agent Sah asked, with surprising calmness, and after Deckard nodded, he glanced at the Captain. “I assume you knew about this.”

“I witnessed the signing,” she replied bluntly.

Sah sighed. “I had a hunch.” 

I could almost see the gears turning in his head as he was trying to figure out how to resolve this situation to come up with some kind of plan to get me on his side. It made me a little wary. My position as an apprentice was not unshakable.

When he raised his eyes, I stiffened. “It’s not the era of the First Emperor.”

“And?” Deckard asked, wondering where he’s going with this.

“Just saying,” he said casually. I found his words ominous and flinched when he laid eyes on me. “I hope you’ve thought this through, Grey.”

Deckard raised an eyebrow. “Is that a threat?”

“Look, I didn’t come here to fight, and I’ve already got an idea of how things work here,” Agent Sah replied, casting a glance around the room before his eyes came back to me. “What I’m saying is that working for the Sahal Empire isn’t as bad as these people have portrayed to you.”

I wanted to believe his words, I really did. I wished I didn’t have to be afraid of the authorities of the country I was living in. That would be great. Although I wasn’t sure right now, I would have believed the words ‘Nothing to worry about.’ even if the Emperor himself had said them to me.

“I want to be free,” I said so he could hear me loud and clear. It was time for me to stop hiding behind the backs of others. “I’m willing to be examined by the Imperial Chief Healer, but can you guarantee they won’t ask for more later on? That I won’t end up locked in a cage in the end?”

He took a breath. “I see.”

“Do you?” I asked back, doubting he understood how I felt.

“What I meant was that I lost your trust and damaged Sahal’s reputation in your eyes when I ordered Captain Rayden to leave you in the lurch. After what you’ve been through, your distrust is understandable,” he said to explain himself and pause. “That was a huge mistake on my part, and I will bear the consequences.”

“What consequences is he talking about?” I asked Deckard quickly. I didn’t want to get myself in more trouble just for opening my mouth at the Agent. “His superiors won’t like his failure.” 

Oh, so it was just the consequences regarding him, his actions, not mine.

As Agent Sah came to a decision, he snapped his fingers, pointing at Deckard. “All right, she’s your apprentice, so she’s your responsibility. Off the record, I understand the full moon is in five days, but one day of training won’t change much.”

I couldn’t agree with him on that. At first, it was hell in Esulmor, and it seemed pointless to me. However, I learned and gained more in those few hours than I had in all my time in Castiana. Deckard’s decision may have caught me off guard, but I could see why he wanted to take me to Fallens Cry as soon as possible.

“As for the investigation I’m here for in the first place, we’ll postpone it until tomorrow. I think we all need to get it through our heads, cool off a bit. Do you agree?” Agent Sah asked everyone present, looking sternly at the City Lord in particular. It completely slipped my mind that he was here for me, Dungreen, and the attack on the barracks in the first place, not because of my kidnapping and Esu. I was supposed to be interrogated and examined. How could I forget that?

“Ha, finally, you’re talking sense,” Deckard said in agreement with unexpected joy, almost laughing.

I think it was his cheerful demeanor that put a smile on Rayden’s face, who nodded. “I don’t see a problem with that.”

“Fine!” Baron Egerton stammered, obviously trying to keep his emotions in check. The sharp look he gave me said it all. I was no longer a tool to raise his esteem, a means of getting on the good side of Lord Wigram. To him, I was a freak now, the source of his problems. The reason why the issues the city was suffering from started to come to light. The very realization made me smile weakly.

The meeting didn’t end there, of course. There were still a lot of things to discuss. Stuff I had nothing to say about but concerned me, like tomorrow’s arrival of the Imperial Chief Healer, the city lockdown, Shadowbreakers, Ward, and others who filled the barracks cells.

Then things took a quick turn. I took advantage of the offer to use the barracks facilities and wash off the dirt and blood. Most of it was mine. Clean, I stuffed my stomach with warm fresh food in the canteen, and I don’t even know how I found myself crying in Labyrinth Square. 

As I stepped onto the black rune-laced platform, the faded mark on the back of my hand lit up, and the loud cry of Traiana literally paralyzed my mind and made my tears flow. When Rutledge put the collar around my neck, it severed my connection to her, whatever it was. I was lost to her. So I thought I was hearing her cry for the last time back then. 

Perhaps it was just my feeling, but now her cry sounded kind of happy to me. Like she was glad to find me again. Weird, I know. Traiana was just a statue of a woman kneeling with her arrow-riddled body in the middle of the square, nothing more. Yet, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to her.

“Those are some tears,” Deckard remarked when he saw me stop and stand still at the edge of the platform. “You okay?”

I wiped my cheeks on my sleeves. “Her cry just hit me hard.”

“I shouldn’t be surprised.” He laughed to himself.

That gave me pause. Haven’t all the seekers heard her cries? “Why? Can’t you hear her?”

“Oh, I do. Just faintly.” Deckard allayed my fears. I don’t know if I could bear to be more different. “It’s seeker by seeker. Some people almost can’t hear it. Generally, women are more receptive to her cry, but I know dudes who react like you. Since it doesn’t help you in the labyrinth, it’s just annoying.”

“It means nothing then?” I couldn’t help wondering. There had to be more to it.

“I know what you’re asking.” He gave me a knowing smile. “Whether there’s any great meaning behind it, right? You’re not the first or the last to ask. After all, those who hear it as loud as you do say there is, and it may well be so hidden at the bottom of the labyrinth or in its endless depths. If you want to find out, get down there.”

“Has no one ever reached the bottom of it, of any labyrinth?” I asked.

“No one I’ve ever heard of,” he said, stomping on the platform beneath our feet. “Shall we, girl?”

“What do I do?” This was my second trip to the depths below the city and the first in the group.

“Just stand next to me,” he said, taking his hands out of his pockets and looking at the glowing white mark on the back of his hand and the symbol hovering above it. There was only one option.

[Floor 1]

“Now I feel like a rookie seeker. It brings back some memories.” He reminisced with a grin and confirmed the choice. The next moment, I was engulfed by a sharp light, and my mind filled with the echo of Traiana’s cry.