As we approached the city wall, I could see guards patrolling the top. They were mixed race as far as I could tell.

Two guards at the entrance stopped us.

"Halt and state your business."

"Bounty hunter, we are tracking the group that burned down Arman."

"Any ID to prove you are what you claim?"

I fished out the deputy badge that the Marshall had given me when we started working for him. The guard took it, inspecting the item, then looking at me.

"It's just a hunk of metal, where is the enchantment?"

"Look, I'm from Earth, there isn't exactly a thriving enchantment community. This is what I was given. If you need to verify its authenticity, send a message to a Marshall Sumner in Houston Texas."

"Come with me," the guard ordered.

I rolled my eyes when he turned away but followed along, using Identify as I did.

Chipawik | Sentinel | Level 24

I stumbled when I read the information. That might help explain why the Black Dragon had been driven off. I used Identify a few more times, glad I now had an upgrade to the skill that made detection harder. All of the guards were in the low twenties.

"Strong," Ska growled softly.

I nodded.

Chipawik led us to a new building. It looked like a palace.

We were ushered inside. "Wait here. Lord Vik't will call you when he is ready."

I nodded, sitting down in one of the chairs.

***

I checked my watch, it had been three fucking hours. Ska was starting to pace, being cooped up for so long. Finally, the large double doors opened.

"Lord Vik't will see you now."

"Asshole," I muttered quietly.

We were led down another opulent hallway, richly decorated by paintings and expensive artwork. All the trappings of nobility and wealth.

The butler, a level fourteen, opened the doors for us.

"So these are the bounty hunters... hmm. Please, have a seat."

Lord Vik't looked like a cross between an elf and those tall grey aliens from alien shows. He had large black eyes, grey skin, pointy ears, and a black mane of hair that started from a widow's peak and ended below his shoulders. He was tall, perhaps seven feet with a slim build. That was hidden under a robe that probably cost more than the entire fortress.

The rich red and gold robe had intricate silver spirals and designs woven through it. I realized that those silver threads were probably mithril thread. I had heard of it but never expected to see it in person. The thread was extremely hard to produce.

Beyond that, the man was festooned with jewelry. So much magic radiated off him that I felt a palpable weight settle on me as I got closer.

Before I sat down, I used Identify to see what I was dealing with.

Lord Vik't | High Mage/Enchanter | 25/12

I suppressed a shudder. The man had waited to gain his second class at twenty and had gotten the second one to twelve. That was the only reason to see the split level. Otherwise, it would have been combined like others I had seen.

"Mantra Enchanter... curious class... do you perchance make enchanted items?"

"Uh... no. I create spells through words."

What the hell, why did I tell him that!

"Pity... we have found so few new recruits in your world."

I waited for him to continue for a full minute. As I was about to speak up he continued as nothing had happened.

"I apologize for the wait... we sent a courier to confirm your identity," he stated, waving his hand across the desk and depositing my badge.

"We have brokered a deal with this Marshall... and have enchanted the badges of him and his men... any offworlders should recognize them as legitimate."

The man's halting form of speech was a bit annoying. So I tried to speed things along.

"I-"

"Yes... you are here about the group that attacked Arman... and attacked my holding. Follow me... I will take you to the one we captured."

"You-"

"Yes... he was the sole survivor in a group of five... we have already questioned him... he is no longer of any use to us."

The Lord led us down a flight of stairs and into a prison wing. An unconscious man hung limply from a set of shackles on the wall. With a wave of his hand, the door opened.

"You may take him if you wish... or simply kill him here," the lord said without a hint of emotion.

I turned toward the captive and used Identify on him.

Michael | Investigator | Level 17

Dammit, if even the lackeys were high level, that didn't bode well for us.

"Can I-"

"You may question him if you wish... I will have a servant show you out when you are done."

Lord Vik't turned and strode away.

I was thankful for that, the man was creepy with his ability to intuit what I was about to say. I didn’t think he was reading my mind. If he was, I would probably have been locked in here just from those thoughts alone.

I was about to enter the cell when I heard someone clear their throat behind me. When I turned around to see who it was I spotted one of the servants.

"The lord would prefer if you take your barbaric means of extracting information... elsewhere," the man replied in a formal tone.

"Ok... do you have a way for me to keep this man from using his skills?"

"We can supply you with a set of null cuffs."

"Alright,"

"Excellent, that will be a thousand credits," the man replied.

I ground my teeth in frustration. "Fine, here."

I transferred over the payment, glad I had cashed in a few extra weapons so we wouldn't be without funds after the house was complete.

The man handed me a set of silver gold bracelets. "Put one on each wrist, and it will prevent him from using any abilities."

The man then proceeded to press a button on the wall and the manacles holding the unconscious man up released. He collapsed to the floor, unmoving.

I walked over and slapped the enchanted items on him.

"Ska, I'll carry him, you keep an eye out for trouble."

"I will be vigilant," the grimalkin replied.

I tossed the man over my shoulder after tying his arms and legs together. Then we headed out of the palace.

The guards watched us as we left and other than a few curious stares from locals we left the town in peace. It was a far cry from the previous time I had been here less than two months ago.

Fiona had been hovering above the outskirts of the city, making sure nobody followed us. Once she determined we were clear, she joined us.

"I couldn't tell if anyone was following but you should know the city is protected by an invisible dome of energy."

"Yeah, I got the feeling that they didn't want us to stick around. Too barbaric in our ways. They probably only relinquished the prisoner to earn some goodwill with the native population," I snorted.

Not like I was going to go spreading tales of their generosity around.

"Come on, let's hoof it back to the fortress, I'm sure Martin is anxious for us to return."

I concentrated power into one of my tattoos. It gave me a direction. Another safeguard, in case someone ever did manage to steal the thing, I would always know where to go looking for it.

We trekked into the desert. The landing spot had been deliberate. I hoped the sandworms were deterrent enough to keep anyone far away. After a half-hour, we came upon the cloaked structure. Ska opened the door and the four of us went inside. We didn't have a cell but there were two spare rooms. We moved the stored items out from inside the room and tossed the man inside. The door locked as it shut and without a tattoo, the man wouldn't be able to exit.

I would question him later, first I wanted to move the fortress. It was probably best that the stuffy Lord had kicked us out. He didn't need to know the information I was going to drag out of this man.

***

We set down in the burnt remains of Arman a final time. I thought it a fitting place to question the man. Martin not so much. He had been angry and withdrawn ever since we buried his sister. Now that one of the killers was onboard, he was irate.

My refusal to let him question the man didn't help. To blow off steam, Ska and him went to take on that dungeon in the area. Fiona stuck around to make sure the man didn't overpower me. I was a bit miffed that she thought that the man could best me without the use of skills but I shrugged it off, crazier things had happened.

As I opened the door the man rushed at me, swinging for my face. I let the blow land as my shield flickered absorbing the attack with ease. Then I kicked him in the balls. The man let out a high-pitched scream and went down in a heap.

"Good, you're awake," I said, acting as if nothing had happened.

He had managed to undo his rope bindings, oh well. I produced my staff and before he could react, smashed one of his ankles.

The man screamed again.

"Now, Michael... do you know who I am?"

The man looked at me, rage in his eyes but also understanding.

"Good, then I won't need to explain to you why I am doing this. See, you people think you know how to terrorize someone to get them to do what you want," I said, walking around the man as I leisurely spun my staff.

"Torture me all you want, you won't get anything from me," the man ground out.

I laughed. "I bet you don't even know the meaning of torture," I added, stopping in front of him. "Oh... but I do. Did you know Sharla tortured me for four months straight? You can’t even begin to imagine the pain and suffering."

The man shrunk back at my manic grin.

"See, I learned a thing or two from her about pain. Oh and rest assured, you won't die or maybe you will," I added, casting Second Chance on the man right before my staff bashed his face in.

***

"Stop! Please, I'll tell you what you want to know... just ask," Michael plead.

I simply whistled as I walked around the man, healing his newest round of injuries. He wasn't there yet but he was getting close. Once he was ready, I wouldn't need to ask him any questions, he would simply spill his guts just to make the pain end. I had already garnered a fair bit of useful information from the man.

He was an ex-cop from New York, corrupt as they could get. He had worked for the Cotton's for five years now. Specifically the older brother, Randy.

Randy's operation was smaller than his dead brother's. But the men he employed were all ex-military, private contractors.

I activated Flurry, turning the man's leg into paste. He screamed, tears streaming down his face as I cast Rejuvenate on him. I knew the pain of regrowing a broken limb was almost as bad as the initial break. The man tried to pass out but I slapped him hard across the face, keeping him awake.

I didn't feel an ounce of remorse for torturing this man. The shit that spewed out of his mouth, about the things he had done, warranted much more. He finally cracked five hours later after his second death experience. He wanted it to end so he told me every sick detail. How his men had defiled the woman, what they did to Martin's sister after she tried to fight them off... everything.

I left the man with four broken limbs and closed the door. I had the information I wanted, I now knew the number of men Randy Cotton employed along with a general idea of their levels. I also learned that they had no other trackers and they did follow that damn ring down here. Randy might send another group looking but if he did he was only going to find a few burned-out villages.

From Michael's information, I could begin to start formulating a plan. Honestly, I would have just liked to drop a nuke on Chicago and be done with the whole thing. But I had no way of escaping from a blast of that size. Not that I knew where to start looking for a nuke. It wasn't like the old government made those locations public knowledge. I decided that wasn’t a path I wanted to even begin to go down. 'There was always the nerve gas route,’ I thought as I wiped the blood from my hands. I dismissed that notion as well, deciding to never utilize that stuff again.

Martin and Ska returned a few hours later. They had managed to get a first clear bonus for The Grove, earning a free skill point and a title that gave them a 10% movement speed buff in forests. Ska was ecstatic about both. The movement because it was his preferred habitat and the skill point since he only got one every five levels. I asked him what skill he chose. He said it was called Double Strike. Essentially it allowed one attack to be counted as two.

"Hey, that's great. You might actually beat me now," I added with a grin.

He growled appreciatively and headed off into the kitchen. I stopped Martin.

"I finished questioning our guest."

"And?" he asked, shaking.

I looked at him. "He did help, would you like to be the one to deal the final blow?"

Martin stood there shaking for a good minute before he whispered hoarsely, "no."

I nodded. "You are a far better man than I am Martin... never lose that."

"Are you going to-," he started to ask before I held up my hand.

"No, but he will get what is coming to him."

***

"You can't do this to me," Michael said, struggling to get free.

"Sure I can. Don't worry, you should survive the fall," I added, kicking him out the open door.

He screamed as he tumbled through the air and down into the dark recess of the Abyss. I heard a scream and a crunch echo up from below and I smiled. The creatures below could take care of the rest. I closed the door and we floated away silently while the terrible things in the darkness feasted on fresh meat.