Dragon Realm Cypress

The investigators scoured the Vile Goat from the ceiling to the floorboards, searching every nook and mouse hole for evidence pointing to more revelations on the creation of the coup. Wiccer leaned against a wall, overseeing the hunt. Whoever supplied their funding remained a mystery but their motive was now uncovered and it deeply troubled Wiccer. Nechles’s words echoed within his mind. With his own deteriorating state, the coup’s cause struck close to home.

They were one step away from becoming the next Black Rabbits and any one of us may have joined them.

“What have we found?” Elucard appeared within the destroyed entrance of the tavern. The elf propped up an overturned chair to sit down in and lowered his mask and hood, revealing his tired face. Like Wiccer, the prospects of a coup besieging the city left the Watchers many sleepless nights.

Wiccer gestured his sergeant to follow him down the cellar.

“Tell me something interesting, Wiccer,” said Elucard, lowering his head to avoid a crossbeam.

“I’ve been here all morning with the investigators. Down in the cellar behind several barrels of vegetables, we found a false wall.”

“That is interesting.”

“You don’t know the half of it.” Wiccer could barely contain his excitement.

The two stepped forth on the cool floor of the basement to the sight of several soldiers organizing and reading through a jungle of paper stacks.

A stout man with a large sideburns looked up from the pile of scattered papers only to shrug, “There's something here, cap'n. We're just not sure what.”

Wiccer smiled back to Elucard before bending over the soldier’s shoulder. “Perhaps I can shine some light on it, O'Meric.”

O'Meric motioned to a neat pile of documents. “The terrorists had made a habit of recording their businesses with some yikahti. At first we thought the yikahti was some High or First Blade from a local assassin clan.”

Wiccer scanned the papers mentioning the yikahti. No name, only descriptions of him carrying several swords and always with a masked figure at his side. He let O'Meric continue.

“Long Whisper has seen its share of clans pop up after the downfall of the Rabbits, but never does it seem to mention a clan here.”

“There were twenty-three arrests last night, all were accounted for as former soldiers enlisted during the Varis War,” pipped up Elucard, “None had ties with assassin clans. I doubt these men would sink to accepting funds from murderers, especially after risking their lives to fend off the Black Rabbits during the war.”

“Right, that's why we don't think the yikahti is involved with any one particular clan...” Wiccer peeked above the brim of the paper, his face transfixed with curiosity and a dab of

concern. “But you still think there is a clan at work here?”

“Sir, the papers imply something.” O'Meric snatched a paper from a steadily teetering tower of files. “Listen to this one,

Year 1457, the 10th Moon, the 3rd sun

Tomorrow night will be the third meeting with the panther yikahti. I have decided that we should accept his offer to fund our project. None of us own land and none of us could afford our operation without his help. The yikahti which was to ask no questions from him or where his funds came from. I believe our cause is too delicate to become involved with a shadow organization, but I have always been known to be easily enticed.

- Bremscott

Wiccer shuffled through more papers from the pile that the journal entry was pulled from. “Bremscott has already been caught and interrogated. It's how we learned about the Vile Goat, but he made no mention of secret meetings with a cat. I need to learn about this third meeti-” Wiccer stopped abruptly as he came across the entry he sought out.

Year 1457, the 10th Moon, the 4th sun

I returned pale as a ghost. I saw Alanna and she was the entertainer. I told the yikahti we would accept the funding with the accompanying answers to our questions. Who were they? Who did they work for? What was their cause? I know we were instructed to not ask questions, but how could I not.

The yikathi humored my wishes to an extent. He explained he was a ‘collector’ and his associate was an ‘entertainer’. They were part of an organization that had an interest in public affairs such as our plight. The answers would suffice my men, but not myself.

I told him we planned to overthrow the Dawnedge crown and to install a new government. If the yikahti had ties to a neighboring nation, I would need to know.

The cat did not look pleased, but it was the ‘entertainer’ I feared the most. He was faster than any warrior I’ve trained with. He pulled an elven assassin blade from his cloak…I am a large fellow, but even I cowered within the clown’s shadow.

Needless to say I was given the ultimative of dying or taking their funds.

Since I am here to recount the tale, we have a sponsor for our movement now. I hope I have made my bed with an ally.

-Bremscott

Wiccer’s grip nearly tore the document.

“Faster than any warrior I’ve trained with.’ ‘Elven assassin blade…” Elucard’s thoughts trailed out loud.

“…Within the clown’s shadow…” Wiccer finished Elucard’s train of thought. “Inle has returned.”