I didn’t catch wind of Ryan as we left the town, presumably as he was still searching for his missing person. Tahar and Cali were easy to convince that we were going on a pleasant family walk together, all the way down the road and towards the city of Dalston. It was now the biggest settlement on the frontline between the Federation and Sull – though you could be forgiven for forgetting that. For the people who lived there the fighting and bloodshed felt a lifetime away.

I found a watchman's post on the road and handed Greene over to them. I explained that we’d found dozens of dead bodies at her home. The guards seemed credulous of the accusation, but took her from me regardless and promised they’d search the place as soon as possible. Unlike Ryan I was glad to see the back of her, and didn’t much care to see the outcome. She’d probably swing for it in the end.

Once we arrived in the city proper, the first thing I did was find a good, secure hotel to put ourselves up in for a while. We had the money to pay for it, which was a change from our usual lives out in the wild.

Dalston was an interesting and colourful place. It was a very green city, with tall, lush trees and public parks wherever there was spare room. It combined the rustic charm of Exarch’s Bend with the big townhouse style of Blackwake. I didn’t hate the place – which was a change from the usual shit-stained slums people flocked into to find stable work and living.

I looked down onto the street from the room’s window and watched the people go by. I had ‘explained’ to Cali and Tahar that we were taking a surprise holiday trip to the city. Cali and Tahar stashed their weapons and sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for my next command like a pair of hapless puppies.

“It’s a shame that Miss Greene had to leave so soon,” Cali muttered. I was growing increasingly frustrated with how strange her personality had gotten. She was playing out a deeply rooted housewife fantasy that made me miss her cold, sociopathic shtick; and that was a thought I never anticipated to pass through my head.

Tahar’s changes were less extreme – she had already taken on a homemaker role within the party, cooking food and making sure the camp was in good condition. I doubted her ability to protect herself at that moment though.

“Stigma, get out here.”

The ghostly woman appeared in a burst of black smoke, “Master, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

I reached into my bag and pulled out the small wooden box, the one that contained the cursed dagger that Adelbern had delivered to the man in the tunnels. He’d died before passing it off to the intended recipient. Their loss was my gain, now I didn’t need to go looking for it.

“I have some questions for you.”

Stigma sighed, “I cannot promise all the answers, but you may ask me what you please.”

“I want to ask you about the curse. You want me to consume this dagger, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Because it’ll give you your memories back?”

“Yes.”

I peeled open the lid and inspected the dagger again. With the benefit of daylight and all the time in the world – I noticed that it was a very high-quality item. The blade was perfect, and so reflective that I could see my own gaunt face in it. The leather handle was in pristine condition, and the gold inlay was a detailed mural of flowers and vines. A great craftsman must have made it, and a very vicious person must have cursed it.

“Do you know what’ll happen to me if we gather all eight of them? Or however many there really are?” My body had already undergone worrying changes. My skin was pale, the veins were black and easily visible through my skin, it had been spreading up through my shoulder and onto my torso.

“I do not. None of my previous wielders have consumed a cursed item, nor have they lived long enough for the ‘infection’ to spread to this extent.”

I held up my diseased-looking arm, “It could easily kill me.”

Stigma tittered, “Or, it could make you stronger. That Adelbern said it himself – you’re turning into a monster with stats that no human could ever hope to achieve.”

I suppose that was an accurate description of events. “Turning into a monster?”

She walked it back, “Perhaps nothing so drastic; you still have your reason. But you’ve certainly become something more than human. I have a vague recollection that this particular effect was present in Stigma before I took up residence within.”

“Oh, you remember that far back, do you?”

Stigma shook her head, the swaying mop of black hair momentarily revealing her bare breasts and nipples. “No. As I said, it’s a vague recollection. It could well be false. The only way to know for sure is to return more of my memories.”

“Oh, so we’re back to this again?”

Stigma crossed her arms, “I cannot force you to consume the dagger.”

“Why not? You froze up my body to force me to pick it up in the first place.”

She paced around me like a stalking tiger, “Consume is like a spell; if I somehow manage to manipulate your vocal chords to emit the word – the intent will not be delivered. My integration with your body is deep and complex, but my skill is not so great to perform a feat like that. The only person who can consume these items is you.”

That was the first honest thing she’d said the entire time. I inspected the dagger.

That sounded… really useful. For a thief like me, being able to break and enter a building without needing to see would make me almost undetectable. I could also use it to ambush people at night without giving away my position. It was almost enough to make me consume it then and there. But I thought better of it, I closed the box, latched it shut and hid it atop the room’s wardrobe out of sight.

“I’ll consider it. But having them without consuming them gives me leverage over Adel and the Great Absolver.”

Stigma said nothing. There was no more she could say to try and convince me. I already overpowered most people I came across through sheer strength, any prospect of getting stronger by furthering the infection wouldn’t be attractive unless something really bad happened.

Cali spoke, “Ren, I feel strange.”

She didn’t look too great. Her forehead was covered with sweat and her face was flushed. I walked over and placed my palm against her skin – she was burning up too. Was she having an adverse reaction to being outside the reach of the plants? Tahar was suffering in silence next to her too.

“You’re sick. You should stay in bed and get some rest.”

“But our holiday…”

“No. You’re not going out there when you’re like this. You should sleep.” Tahar and Cali did as I asked and laid down on the beds. Hopefully the headache and fever meant they’d be free of the spell’s influence soon. Having to juggle looking after them was starting to get on my nerves. “I’m heading out for a moment, are you going to be okay?”

“Yes. Just lock the door behind you.”

With one last glance, I headed back out through the tight corridors of the hotel and down into the main lobby. While I felt the need to stay with them and make sure everything was okay, I wanted to put out feelers for what was going on in the city. There was nowhere you could find better information than a rogue's tavern.

It had been a very, very long time since I last visited Dalston. Even though the city was so populous, it was located off the beaten path versus the main roads through the Federation. People attract people – so the city grew and grew in time even when it was nothing remarkable versus most others.

I did know where the rogue's tavern was located, and what a sight it was. A tiny gap in the alley kind of place with a single door and people spilling out into the streets because there wasn’t enough space inside. The rogues were a vibrant bunch, all wearing different war wounds and donning a variety of plundering gear. I got a few strange looks for my armoured attire and big sword, but most knew better than to ask pointless questions or pick fights.

I adjusted Stigma on my back so I didn’t get trapped in the doorframe or clatter someone with the back of her hilt. A dozen people were crowded around the bar, all demanding attention from the poor bartender who looked totally overwhelmed. Every booth was occupied, though one table caught my attention at the back corner. Positioned under a single swaying brazier, with three empty seats available and no takers.

The real surprise was the woman sitting there.

“Cass!”

The elder rogue glanced up, her light alight with fresh joy upon the sight of me walking over to greet her. I hadn’t seen Cass since we fled Exarch’s Bend months ago. I always knew in my heart that she’d be okay – she was a wily old fox and knew her away around enemy soldiers. She smirked, “I don’t believe my eyes, it’s the one and only Ren!”

I gratefully took one of the wooden chairs and sat down with her, “I am very happy to see you.”

“The feeling’s mutual. It’s nice to see that most of the young ones got away unharmed.”

I drummed my fingers against the varnished wood, “But Fitch…”

“I heard. I knew that you two were close – as close as a fence and a thief could be.”

“He’d be mad at me if I moped around about it though.”

“Indeed. He’d probably grumble about ‘living a full life’ to protect your feelings. Anyway, what the hell are you wearing?”

“Armour.”

“I can see that, but why? Where did you get it from?”

“I had a stroke of luck in Pascen; pretty rare for me – a local smith named Medalie made it for me because I found her the materials. It’s great. Barely feels like I’m wearing anything at all, can deflect a well-made sword with no problems.”

“I see.”

“I haven’t done much… thieving recently. Got pulled into all kinds of messy business, some legit jobs, met a few companions. Armour seemed like the best call.”

Cass smiled, “You were always one of the bright ones, some of the lads in this city are way too inflexible. Being a rouge’s an ideology, a way of life, but it’s also a necessity. If you aren’t adapting to the conditions or making the best of what you have, you’re letting the side down.”

“The long and short of it is that I ended up on Versia somehow.”

“…Versia?”

“Yeah, some scholar named Benadora hired me and Cali to be security for the trip.”

“Look at you – climbing the social ladder.”

“Pft. Not even remotely. I’ll burn through what she paid us in time. What about you, keeping busy?”

Cass swallowed another gulp of her beer and tried to gather her thoughts in a concise manner. “Simply put, I’ve been doing what I’ve always done. Hanging out in bars, making connections and organising crews. You know me, I’ve taken my licks as an active rogue already, but getting away from those knights was a reminder of the past. Do you remember Darrin?”

Only vaguely, but I remembered because it was one of the last times that I spoke to her before everything went to shit. “The new guy you introduced me to? He looked a bit lost to me.”

“He’s been proving his worth, bit by bit – and now he’s working a major robbery angle here in the city. Looking for people to give him a hand. I’m sure he wouldn’t turn down help from a veteran like you.”

I shook my head, “Sorry Cass, I’m going to pass. I’m taking a few days; the last ‘job’ we did wiped us out pretty bad.”

She persisted, “He isn’t doing it until he has the people, so the offer’s open until I say otherwise. Rejecting a job isn’t like you – don’t tell me that the Ashmorn girl’s wormed her way into that cold, black heart of yours.”

Cali had earned my trust, and perhaps even a little bit of my friendship – but I had never once considered her as a romantic partner since I learned about the way she behaved. She was the prettiest damn woman I’d ever seen, but that didn’t mean I was going to leap at the chance to take her as a partner.

“No way. Even if I was interested, I don’t think Cali’s emotionally sound enough.”

“Stubborn as always. If you aren’t interested in any thieving work, all of the guys are spreading rumours about an underground tournament coming up.”

“Bare-knuckle boxing?”

“Yeah, you know how excited they get about that kind of crap. There’s a lot of money in it these days if you can keep up.”

That did sound interesting. Especially now that I had incredibly high stats…

I chuckled and leaned in, “You know what? Fill me in. Where’s it happening?”