Side Stories 6, 7 & 8


    <span style="font-weight:400">Lucus put the final line down on histest picture. Stepping back to look at it with fresh eyes, he noticed that one of the buildings in the distance was slightly misshapen. He sat down and started fixing his mistake.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Ever since the tournament, Lucus had stopped attending his lessons. As his sister would say, ‘What can they do to you?’ The only reason he had even been trying was to impress his father. For all the good it had done him. It still made his blood boil when he thought about how he had been dressed down for winning.


    <span style="font-weight:400">He’d thought people only cared about the young lords who were skilled with swords. And that still seemed to be true. Except for Lucus, even if he spent all his time practicing and trying to impress, he would still be considered less. So why would he try topete with the boys who were blessed to enjoy the things that gave a person worth? Instead, he would do what he enjoyed and draw. He would never have to bother with a sword again.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Lucus drew an angry, jagged line from one corner of the picture to the other. Then he ripped the picture in half and crumpled it up. Taking in a ragged breath, he tried to calm himself. He was fine. At least one person had been proud of him.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The thought brought him to his sister, the monster wearing the skin of a girl and, ironically, the only member of his family who had noticed his work. He just wished he knew what she was. The way she moved and smiled - it was close to the way a human would, but off just enough that he could tell it was wrong without knowing why. It reminded him of some of his earlier pictures of people.


    <span style="font-weight:400">And when she had snuck into his room - his locked room - covered in blood, he’d thought she was trying to murder him at first. But instead, she’d asked for his help. He didn’t believe for a second that the blood was the result of a dream, but she seemed so grateful for his help that he couldn’t force himself to push her. However, he had gotten her to promise to show him where she hid all the time. He was going to figure her out. And if she ate someone else, he would help her clean up the blood again. She was his sister, after all.


    <span style="font-weight:400">***


    <span style="font-weight:400">Sunrise red at the doors to the warehouse, cheeks puffed with air. Where was she? She hadn’te by in days! Had Rain forgotten about her? To make matters worse, she was at that shitstain''s ce. Sunrise was fine with him not admitting she was his daughter. She was also fine with him leaving her to the mercy of her mother. But trying to steal Rain was unforgivable.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Sunrise swore that the next time Rain came, she would be taking Sunrise with her. No matter what.


    <span style="font-weight:400">***


    <span style="font-weight:400">“The greatest lead we have is a ck-haired child visiting their headquarters two nights ago.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Henrik was d to see that this information caught Commander Thea’s attention.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“ck hair, you say? Did your men recognize the child?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“They did not. However, when they tried to follow the child after they met with Mirage, the child escaped them. ording to them, it was like the child disappeared.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Thea leaned back in her chair at that.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“That sounds like a stealth-type ss. Add that to the ck hair, and House Sonom sounds like our most likely suspect.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Indeed, though, we also have this,” Henrik said, passing a drawing to the Commander.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The drawing was a simple charcoal sketch of a crossed goblet and dagger.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“This is the symbol that their leaders have adopted. From what my men can tell, they seem to ce great importance on it.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Any idea what it''s about?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Our inside man said it had something to do with a Lady Tyix, but he isn’t high enough in the organization to know what that means. He ims that getting that name alone took effort and luck.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Do you believe this Tyix is the liaison between whoever is supporting the Grifters and their leaders?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Very likely.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I see, and what of the serial killer? Do you think they are connected?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“My men haven’t been able to find any connection between the Merchant Killer and the Ash Grifters.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Well, that''s something at least.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Before Henrik could give the next part of his report, the door to the office burst open.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“How ya doin boss!”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Henrik groaned. She was back and as uncontroble as ever. But when you were a powerful, unique sser, you could do whatever you wanted.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Wee back Sonja.” Commander Thea easily replied to the disrespectful Right Hand. “we’ll be needing your skills shortly.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah, ya do! I had someone try to cast a skill on me through this guy on my way here.” Sonja said, holding up a dead uffter.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Wait, someone is using animals to perform skills?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“That''s what I said, boss.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Then there’s a fifth ck sser in the city.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Five ck ssers? Now, this could actually be fun.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Henrik doubted that.