After learning all they could about Leudox, Holden and Sable made their way back to Caster Street. Holden had donned the face changing mask to alter his appearance, so he looked like a different human male. He also found a new set of casual clothes to wear beneath his coat rather than their usual bottom up and trousers he typically wore. Holden also changed the coat’s appearance to resemble a more casual jacket instead of a trench coat.


    It was nightfall by the time Holden and Sable left the sewers and arrived on Caster Street. Holden pulled out the wand of cleansing and said the trigger word ‘clean’ to rid themselves of the sewer’s odor. They then proceeded to the Middows.


    The club known as the Middows was two stories tall, and was the largest building on the street. There was a wooden sign that hung above the door with the club’s name written on it. There was a bouncer at the door: a burley human wearing a tight shirt which showed off his bulging muscles.


    Holden and Sable could hear music playing from inside the club. It was an upbeat, fast-paced tune perfect to dance to. The bouncer patted Holden down, confiscating the daggers and wands on his person before letting him into the building.


    Upon entering the building Holden and Sable noticed the place was packed full of people. The front room of the building itself was an open-air design with the dance floor taking up most of the space.


    There were a few balconies overlooking the dance floor from above. Each balcony was large enough to hold a table for six, and appeared to be reserved for wealthy clientele, given the fact that everyone currently on the balconies were well dressed in exquisite looking attire with expensive jewelry.


    There was a door in the back leading to another part of the building, along with a bar counter beside the door where a man was serving drinks to patrons.


    Humans, elves, dwarves, beastfolk, and a few other races made up the patrons on the dance floor. Most of which were dancing along to the music. The musicians themselves were located on stage raised a few feet above the floor. They had various different instruments on stage.


    Holden noticed one of the musicians take a sip out of a glass of water he kept on the stage beside him.


    That was when Sable asked, “So, what is this ingenious plan of yours?”


    “It’s simple,” Holden said. “You’re going to distract everyone while I sneak into the back.”


    “Just how am I going to distract all of these people?”


    Holden smirked and gestured for Sable to follow him. The duo made their way through the crowd of dancers toward the stage where Holden reached into his pocket and pulled out a pill. It was something he had used several times during his days as a spy. It was a pill that dissolved in water that would knock out whoever drank it.


    Holden looked around to make sure no one was watching him, then tossed the pill into the musician''s water glass. The pill instantly desolated, then Holden proceeded to the next stage of the plan.


    There were various pockets in Holden’s coat which allowed him to conceal small objects. Hence why he was able to slip a few things past the bouncer. Aside from the knock-out pill, Holden also managed to conceal some catnip.


    “Oh Sable,” Holden said, bringing out the catnip and holding it right in front of the cait-sith’s nose. “Go for the catnip little kitty.”


    Sable’s eyes widened. He then slinked back. “No. Not that. You’re trying to make me act like a fool like I did in the market. No way.”


    “Are you sure?” Holden then continued waving the catnip in front of him. “It’ll cause the perfect distraction.”


    Sable grumbled. “Catnip is like alcohol for cats.” He started drooling while looking at the catnip. “Oh alright. It’ll definitely cause a huge distraction.”


    Holden began petting Sable’s head while the cait-sith sniffed the catnip.


    “Sable, you’re a god among mortals.”


    Sable stood tall and proudly. “Well, of course I am. But go on.”


    “You’re a god of the arts and music with all the lyrics you write.”


    Sable nodded his head. “Of course. Of course.”


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    The musicians whose water Holden had spiked suddenly passed out in the middle of a song. The crowd booed as the rest of the band carried him off the stage. That was when Holden implemented the next stage of his plan.


    “Sable,” Holden said. “These people came to be entertained. Why don’t you entertain everyone with your angelic voice.”


    Sable’s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. It was something the cait-sith would never have had the courage to do, but under the sedative effects of catnip he had become more excitable. Sable teleported onto the stage, and raised his voice.


    “Lowly mortal. Bow your head before me.” Heads in the room turned toward the cait-sith’s boisterous voice. “Since the lowly musicians couldn’t daine to continue, I shall serenade you all. This is called ‘Life of a Fey Cat’


    “From alley to alley, I live on the streets.


    Searching so far for the sweetest of treats


    You cannot all fathom my story of woe.


    No matter the begging the answer is no


    They don’t understand just how hungry I am.


    I can’t make my food, so I’m stuck in a jam


    So, day to day I go


    From trash to trash


    It’s balderdash.


    All I want is some food.


    Some fish like tuna


    That be the best fortuna


    I dream of a day, full of food and of play


    But mostly I lay in the sun’s golden ray.


    But I’m sad to say, that life just said nay.


    Bu that is okay, for I am a fay.


    When we die we don’t decay, we just poof away.


    Nobody knows how I feel.


    For I am just a wretched cat.


    Nobody knows how I feel.


    For I am just a pusy cat.


    A pusy cat, who just knows that.


    His life’s a tragic, story-act.


    In some crazy twisted world.”


    Holden chuckled while making his way to the back door which led further into the building. Some from among the crowd were pointing and laughing, saying they had seen a cait-sith acting like that in the market earlier that day. Others looked confused, because all they could hear was a cat meowing. Regardless, Sable was able to distract the entire room. Several of the guards even rushed through the crowd to grab Sable, leaving the door Holden was aiming for unguarded.


    Once Holden made his way through the door unnoticed, he found himself in front of three hallways: one going forward, one going left, and the third going toward the right. Down the left hallway were a set of stairs leading up to the second floor. Holden decided to avoid that direction, since there was a good chance he’d run into several people.


    The hallway going forward had various doors, while the hallway on the right led to a kitchen where food was being made, presumably for the guests on the balconies overlooking the dance floor.


    Holden was about to walk down the hallways going forward, when he suddenly heard a man’s voice right behind him.


    “Excuse me.”


    Holden went for his daggers, only to remember they had been confiscated at the front. Instead, he swung his fist while turning around. However, the man skillfully ducked below his punch.


    “Would you calm down?” The man said. “I’m not your enemy, Holden.”


    Holden kept up a defensive pose while examining the man’s face. He didn’t recognize the man, yet he had an idea who it might be. They were obviously wearing the same mask as him to alter their appearance, but Holden recognized the voice. “Alwin, infiltrating the Middows on your own time? What’s a man of the law doing here?”


    The man smirked. “Perceptive as ever. You’re lucky I was the one working the bar. If it were the man whose identity I stole, your cover would be blown.”


    “I doubt the real bartender would’ve noticed me.”


    “Fair point. What is it you’re looking for again? Some caged dragon? I can assure you it’s not here. I’ve been all over this building and found nothing.”


    “Yeah. Well, that fact that you’re here in disguise means there’s something fishy about this place. You usually wouldn’t infiltrate a place like this yourself unless you had a personal stake in the matter.” The two of them paused, then Holden continued. “So, do you have a personal stake in this?”


    The two of them suddenly heard people coming down the stairs, so Alwin gestured for Holden to follow him. They made their way down the hallway straight in front of them, and ducked into one of the many rooms. It was a bedroom that was unoccupied at the moment, giving them the privacy they needed to talk.


    “What’s going on?” Holden asked.


    “You know how I like to do things off the books?” Alwin replied. “Well, I did that after we found that guy who OD’d. Thought I’d sneak in here to see if I could get some info on where their Crystal Blaze is coming from. Turns out I came across something else.” Alwin then pulled a sealed vial of dark green gas and showed it to Holden. “It’s poisonous gas from a Nox-Dragon.”


    “You mean a marsh dragon?”


    “No. Nox-Dragon. They’re a rare and intelligent species who emit poison gas constantly. They have to live in secluded places, otherwise they kill everyone around them.”


    “So, the Leudox are using this for assassinations.”


    “Not quite. It’s used in a drug they just call Nox. It can induce rage, a massive adrenaline rush, and temporarily enhances strength.”


    “It’s a berserker drug,” Holden jeered. “Let me guess, they plan on distributing this stuff. This means the green dragon isn’t a marsh dragon. But one of these nox-dragon things.”


    “Yeah.” Alwin then slapped the vial of poisonous gas into Holden’s hand. “If you want to find this nox-dragon, you’ll have to take this. Now get out of here. I’m going to see what else I can dig up about their operations.”


    “Wait. Alwin,” Holden said before Alwin left. “Where’d you get this?”


    “They’re mixing the stuff in the basement. Rumor has it someone’s been going around hitting all their drug labs in the Undercity. So, they decided it’d be safer to mix it here after extracting it from the nox-dragon. Be careful. Seems like we’ve stumbled across something big.”


    Alwin the left the room to return to the bar. Holden stayed behind to look at the vial for a brief moment. “Something big indeed. Seems like our fairy traffickers just might be involved. Wonder if the pixie is the one destroying the drug labs.” Holden shrugged his shoulders, then left the room.