The door to the inn was left wide open. A confused Narrita stood down the path, staring into the open building with bewilderment. 

"What do you think happened there?" Horace asked. He stood over Narrita and squinted into the distance while placing his hand over his forehead. "This place doesn't usually keep its doors open like that."

"Who knows," Narrita said with a shrug of her shoulders. "Wystan's probably up to no good." She led Horace and the other Cutthroat along the cobbled path towards the building. She crossed her arms and flicked her hair away from her face with a quick shake of her head. 

"You excited, Narrita?" Horace asked.

"About telling the rest of the gang the news?" the leader replied.

"Yeah. I mean... you better be excited. After all the trouble we had to go through? I'm surprised you're not bouncing up and down with joy, frolicking along like that witch's daughter going through flowers."

"Pierce isn't back with us yet," the leader said sharply. "We still need a proper sacrifice."

"Oh, right. But that can't be too hard, right? Not like there's a shortage of murders here in this part of town."

"You heard what the witch said. The exchange must be of comparable value. We can't just go through an alley and use a dead beggar's blood to bring Pierce back."

"So... what did you have in mind then?"

Narrita paused. She turned around and clenched her fist. "We're Cutthroats!" she exclaimed. "That means we get even!"

"You talking about that Xiwaoan girl?" Horace asked.

"I’m not thinking about killing her," Narrita said after taking in a deep breath. "Besides, I don't know if anyone actually cares about her except for that pelt pusher friend of hers. No, I want her to experience what I felt!" she patted her chest with her fist. "And Tamma, too!"

Horace bobbed his head. "Oh. I think I get where you're going with this."

"That brillick of theirs is what I had in mind." Narrita faced the other way and resumed the procession. "Him and Tamma go everywhere together. A pet for a pet sounds like a fair trade, doesn't it?"

"Yeah."

"And I want to make sure that they both see all life leave that animal's eyes." She pulled out her knife and made a long and precise cut along an imaginary piece of flesh. "Then that'll be a start."

"Maybe you could feed him to them!" the other accompanying Cutthroat called out. Narrita turned around, contemplating the idea.

Narrita winked. "I like the way you think. I'll keep that in mind once we catch up with those girls." 

The group found themselves in front of the inn. Confusion returned as Narrita listened to the ambient sounds coming from the building. "Never heard this place so quite before," Narrita said. "I thought we told Wystan to meet us here?"

"You did. I remember you saying that to him," Horace said.

Narrita walked through the entrance first, freezing in place after only two steps. Horace and the other Cutthroat stood beside her as all three gazed at the destruction in shock. Tables were turned upright. Glass covered the floor like dust. The potent scent of Rhoda Rum filled the air. But what Narrita and the other two focused on were the round masses covered in tablecloths in front of the bar.

"W-what happened here?" Narrita muttered. The remaining members of her gang all sat around by the bar, near the two piles covered in soaked tablecloths. The leader ran towards them, pushing aside the rest of the men to inspect the scene. 

"Those girls..." one of the men muttered. He pressed his bit of cloth against his forehead. "They came in here..."

"You mean Tamma and that Xiwaoan girl?" Narrita asked. 

The other bandit nodded. "W-we managed to catch them. But they had help. A third one showed up."

"Now there's three?" Narrita walked to the Cutthroat and grabbed him by the collar. He looked back at her with fear in his eyes as the enraged leader shook him by the collar. "Why didn't you stop them?" Narrita struggled to stop tears from escaping her eyes.

"We... we..." The Cutthroat continued to stammer. He let out a painful groan as he pressed his hand harder against his injury. "We got drunk... too drunk to fight back."

Narrita released the man, letting him fall back on his stool. She then walked to the masses that lay motionless on the floor. Dark red spots covered the already stained tablecloths. Upon closer inspection, there were two distinct human-shaped figures that lay hidden underneath. She reached down and pulled back just a corner of the cloth. 

Wystan's body lay face up, his eyes closed as if he was peacefully sleeping. Narrita reached forward with her hand trembling. "W-Wystan..." she muttered. With her head down and fingers still shaking, she reached for the fabric that lay over the face of the other body. The man that Miwah stabbed stared back at her with lifeless eyes. She stood up straight and turned away from the rest of her gang to hide her crying.

"Who is in charge here?" Narrita shouted with her back to the rest of bandits. 

"Where's that old lady at?" one of the Cutthroats asked. They all looked around, most turning towards the bar counter. One hopped over the counter and darted into the backroom. In a few seconds he returned with the inn's manager following behind. "I found her!" the bandit said angrily.

Narrita turned around, her cheeks glistening from her tears and her eyes a bright crimson. She walked past the bodies and leaned forward over the counter. The manager took a step back until Narrita's underling pushed her closer. "What... happened here...?" Narrita asked with quaking lips.

The older woman looked around. "I-I don't know. I was hiding the entire time!"

Narrita slammed both of her fists on the table. Horace stood beside her with his club resting over his shoulder. "I don't believe you. This is your inn! This on your hands!" Horace raised his weapon and slammed it on the counter. The wood broke down the center, creating a deep rip the center. The woman jumped back, her hands shaking in front of her face. 

"A-all I know is that Aurrie is to blame!"

Narrita leaned forward over what remained of the counter and tilted her head while staring at the inn manager. "What? You mean... that Aurrie? The one that's always scrubbing vomit from the floor? The one whose dad owed us all that coin?"

The other woman nodded. "Yes. That one."

"You're telling me that she's with Tamma and that other girl now?"

"I... guess. I hid during most of the fight!" 

Narrita got off from the counter and looked down at the bodies again. She closed her eyes and wiped away a tear that escaped from her eyes. "Fine. Looks like we've got ourselves another target."

"Daego was with them too!" one of the injured Cutthroats barked. "He tricked us into drinking all that Rhoda Rum!"

"Daego!?" Narrita said with shock. "That bum is responsible for... this too?" she pointed at the deceased bandits with both hands. 

"I told you leaving those two around was a bad idea." Horace rested his club against the wall and stood with Narrita. "This is why you don't leave your enemies breathing!"

"I know, I know!" Narrita replied, annoyed. "I remember you telling me that. All the time. With everyone nobody that we rob."

"And now you know I'm right!" Horace said sternly as he crossed his arms. "If you took my advice, Wystan and Randal would still be with us! And probably Pierce too!"

Narrita took a slow yet deep breath. She pointed a single shaking finger at Horace. "We've had this conversation before. We're not... serial killers, Horace."

"I'm not saying we have to be. But your merciful brand of leadership has cost us!" Horace made his voice even louder. "You really think you can just go around town, throwing our numbers around to get what you want but never actually follow through with your threats?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Horace. We do follow through with our threats. Remember? We tossed that one desert merchant into the dock just yesterday morning!"

"That's not what I'm talking about, Narrita and you know it! A bit of roughing up here and there isn't enough! Once you start letting your enemies walk around, you make us look weak! People think they get away with whatever if they know they don't have to worry about their lives!"

Narrita turned her back to Horace. "I don't need this now."

"That's the kind of mindset that gets Cutthroats killed! If you need any more evidence, just look behind you!"

"Then what do you suggest, Horace?" Narrita spun around and stomped towards the massive man. She stood on the tips of her toes and tapped Horace in the forehead with her finger. "We just go around killing everyone who doesn't pay us back in a week? Start slaughtering our main source of income? Paint a target on us for the Farrowport Guard?"

"Of course not. But you know these girls have gone too far. Your idea of just killing their pet isn't enough!"

"And I agree. Taking out that stupid brillick is just going to be the beginning. If we catch the three of them..." Narrita rubbed her thumb against her neck.

"You don't get it, Narrita. It's not about dealing with them after they wronged us. It's about killing smarter. Taking out the threats before they become threats. Who knows which one of us could be next? Maybe that one Guard we bribed last week. Remember him?"

"Yes," Narrita said annoyed. 

"You really think he's going to keep his mouth shut about the place we looted?

Narrita remained silent. 

"Of course not. He's going to spill everything since his job is on the line."

"So, you're saying we should have just killed him? Right there on the spot?"

Wystan shrugged his shoulders. "Wouldn't have been a bad idea. But you know those owners are looking for their stuff right now. Now it's going to be another problem that we'll have to worry about in addition to all this!"

"I told you that just because we're Cutthroats doesn't mean we're bloodthirsty!"

Horace opened his mouth and spoke in silence, mimicking Narrita's last sentence. "Yeah, yeah. You tell me this all time. But I think it's time we—"

The light that poured in from the open front door stopped shining. Horace and Narrita slowly turned their heads along with the rest of the Cutthroats at the brawny man blocking the door.