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Gaza sat in a chair outside the office, the Speaker occupying a seat next to him, since he was to be in public, the mage chose a robe of the same white of his fur in favor of the revealing loincloth he had worn before. The wooden door of the office had a plaque on it that identified it as the bounty agency, one small room out of many in the building. The hallway outside it was fairly plain, bearing nothing of note beyond the doors along its length and seats outside of them.

It had only been earlier that day that the trio had sat in the room on Gaza's flyer to explain to Mordak, the third member of their ranks, the purpose of their mission, and it had only been the night before that Gaza and the Speaker had saved the orc from those who would end his life. After their meal, Mordak had said that he wanted to go to collect his latest bounty, and they had agreed that there was no reason not to do this, so they came here, and now, they waited for him to finish.

Soon enough, the door opened, and Gaza looked to see Mordak exit, his own robe quite similar to the one that the mage wore. The two who sat in the chairs stood up to greet the orc "So, how did it go?" the white one asked.

"They paid me the expected sum." The new companion answered "They would have paid me more if I could bring him in alive, but... well, that didn't work out."

"It's unfortunate that you couldn't get the full amount, friend, still, all things considered, I'd say things went pretty well, now, shall we go?"

"Yes," the Speaker said "I think we can leave this place, unless Mordak has something else he must do here, of course."

"No," the orc said with a shake of his head "I have no further business here."

"Good, then let us return to the flyer and prepare for our next move."

They left the building, and traveled to the flyer port by means of the underground tram way that ran throughout the city. They had already agreed not to discuss their mission when in public, so they limited the conversation to small talk as they sat in the gray metal seats within the tram car.

"I can't help but notice," Mordak said, sitting next to Gaza, the Speaker taking a seat across from him "Gaza, that you're really not what I'd usually expect from demons, if you don't mind me saying so, you seem..." he fell silent suddenly, the white one's eyes had narrowed somewhat, and he looked a little uncomfortable with what he just heard "Oh... sorry, I guess I shouldn't have said that, should I?"

Gaza shook his head "First of all, you shouldn't call us demons, not in front of us, anyway, that name is considered offensive by many of us, I'm not as sensitive as some, but I'd appreciate if you say Tylanim in the future, it's what we call ourselves."

"Alright, Tylanim it will be, Ty-La-Nim, right?" he pronounced it slowly and clearly, making sure he got it right.

"Yes, now, secondly, not all Tylanim are the same, just as not all orcs are the same. How would you feel if I expected all orcs to act the same way?"

"Well..." he trailed off for a moment, lowering his head in thought "I guess I'd be offended too."

"Exactly, friend, I don't want to be judged for my race either, no one should be. Though, it is true that many of my people don't act the way I do. In fact, I've been called 'soft' by other Tylanim before, though I don't pay them much heed, I'm quite content with how I am, even if not everyone necessarily admires that. But make no mistake, I can be dangerous if it's called for, I've just not had a reason to show you that side of myself."

The orc nodded "I think I'm fine with you as you are too... anyway, I'm sorry if I offended you, I'll be more careful of what I say in the future."

"You did not offend me, friend." The Tylanim answered, resting one hand gently on his shoulder "I just thought that I should warn you so you wouldn't say the wrong thing in the future." Even though it seemed that Mordak was not always polite, the Tylanim felt he might grow to like him. He noted what the orc had said as well and thought that perhaps he too was beginning to like Gaza.

They said nothing more of note for the rest of the tram ride, and soon enough, the vehicle came to a stop in the station, and the metal doors opened, allowing the passengers to file out of the cars, the three companions among them. The station itself was well lit, but lacked much in the way of decoration. White tiles covered the walls, and there was a certain cold sterility to the place. The small group left the tram along with the other people who were getting off, passing strangers who got on. Soon, they were climbing the staircase that led out of the underground station, and into the light of the world above.

The particular flyer port they had chosen was located on the outskirts of the city, the large complex was within walking distance from the tram station, and it did not take long to get there. At its center was a large building which held a reception area and passages to the various landing pads, which were walled off to prevent unwanted access from the outside. They went to the front desk, and Gaza produced a small coin-like object, marked with the name of the flyer port. He presented this to the man at the desk, and paid the fee for using the port, in return he received a ticket and was directed to the proper passage, which the group followed, soon reaching the access to their pad.

Gaza inserted the ticket into a small device next to the door, there was a click, signaling that the door had unlocked. He then opened the door, revealing the flyer resting upon the center of the pad. Gaza's flyer was not extremely impressive to behold, it looked to be an older model, having a somewhat boxy appearance. Its metal hull was undecorated except for mystical glyphs that were an essential part of its flight enchantments. The small wings on its side were more for maneuvering than for generating lift. Since no one was inside, the portals in the side and the glass panels of the cockpit were dark.

In truth, Gaza had paid a low price to buy the flyer second hand. It had not been in good condition when he purchased it, but renewing the spells on it and getting a friend to help with maintenance on the mechanical parts soon got it to be in working condition again, and it was fully adequate for his needs.

They walked up to it, and Gaza opened the hatch in its side, just behind the cockpit, allowing entry. It opened easily to his touch, but in reality, the spells placed on it would lock it to anyone who tried to open it without having been given consent.

Mordak and the Speaker entered first, Gaza soon following behind and closing the hatch. This placed them in the central passage that ran through the craft, to their left was the door that led to the cockpit, following the passage in the opposite direction would lead them to the other rooms of the flying craft.

"So, what do we do next?" Mordak asked, glancing to his companions.

"Well, I believe that our business here is finished, perhaps our Speaker friend knows where we should go next?"

The raven nodded "Yes, why don't we all head into the cockpit, and begin our journey?"

They did so, and Gaza sat down in pilot's chair. The cockpit was by no means large, but there was enough space for all three of them to fit in, with perhaps room to spare for a fourth person if they did not mind things being rather cramped. The other two stood behind the Tylanum, who soon began manipulating the switches and levers that controlled the flyer, causing energy to course through the metal hull. A light humming noise could be heard as the craft began to rise off the ground.

"Alright, now, where should our next destination be?" Gaza did not think he needed to specify that the question was intended for the Speaker, as he was really the only one who could know.

"To Sylen, I think." The Speaker answered after a moment's thought "I have had visions which indicate that we may meet our next companion there.

Gaza nodded. Sylen was a city to the east of Del Matezra, about two hours of flight time. He allowed the craft to rise to a good height above the ground, to the point that it was above all the surrounding buildings, and banked to the side, soon, they were flying eastward.

"So, what sort of person are we looking for here?" Mordak asked, leaning against the walls to the side, his eyes focused on the Speaker.

"My prophecies have granted me few details." The raven answered "I know however that she is an assassin, and a skilled one, she could prove quite helpful to our mission, if we can convince her to join."

Gaza shivered a bit at the mention of their next companion being an assassin, he did not like their kind at all. He did not say so, however, preferring to focus on the task of piloting the flyer.

"An assassin? Hmm, sounds like you're gathering quite an interesting band here." Mordak commented.

"You think so?" the Speaker asked, a faint hint of amusement seeming to show in his tone "We will certainly have people of varied talents, and I'm sure we'll have use of all their skills in time."

"Yes, you've sort of given me that impression." The orc answered "In any case, do you know where we'll meet this assassin? I'm sure your visions at least told you that, since they seemed to tell you where to find me."

"That time, my vision told me pretty clearly where to find you, but things are not always so convenient, in this case, though, I think I know where we should start looking for her. When she is in town, she often frequents the Howling Harpy, a tavern in the west side of town."

"The Howling Harpy? Sounds like a nice place." Mordak remarked, a sarcastic tone in his voice.

"That depends on what you're looking for, regardless, the Howling Harpy is frequented by a lot of less than reputable customers, it hardly seems a surprise that it would be frequented by someone like her."

Gaza stood up from his chair. The flyer was now outside the city limits, and cruising above the countryside safely, beneath it, farms could be seen stretching into the distance, and slender gray bands stretching off in different directions, he knew, must have been roads. At this point, he felt comfortable leaving the controls until they reached Sylen.

"What of our enemies?" the Tylanim asked "Is there any chance they will know where to find this assassin too?"

The Speaker hesitated for a moment, and even when he spoke, he seemed a little unsure "Unfortunately, I don't know. My visions have not given me any details on the matter. However, we cannot rule out the possibility, all I can say is we should be on our guard, maybe it will go smoothly, but we could also encounter trouble, and if we do, I don't know what to expect."

Gaza nodded "Well, we'll just have to do our best and see what happens, I suppose. Won't we, my friends?"

"I suppose so," Mordak agreed "I see you've stood up, I guess that means it's safe for you to leave the controls?"

"That would be correct, friend, I've set it into auto-pilot, so it will handle the rest of the flight until we reach Sylen."

"Hmm, amazing the things you can do with magic these days." The orc said.

"That it is. Now, I might suggest we get out of this cockpit and go somewhere more comfortable."

As the flyer neared the city, the group returned to the cockpit. Sylen was a newer city than Del Matezra, and it showed. One could see none of the ancient charm of that city as they passed over it, nor was there the contrast between old and new that characterized its architecture. Instead, it bore all the marks of modern designs, shaped by their time. The buildings were built to make the most efficient use of space possible. They were not necessarily the largest buildings outside, but inside, they held much more space than more traditional buildings of comparative size. When Gaza landed the craft, the group quickly exited, going off to find the Howling Harpy.

The district the group had to go through to reach the tavern was not a pleasant one, the streets were dirty and littered, the poor crowded in the district, and some of them had a rather shady look to them. Most were humans or some variation of beast men, though Gaza noted a few Tylanim as well, most of them fitting the more traditional "demon" look than the mage. Gaza felt some sympathy to his kin here, as he realized their lives were difficult, even more so than the members of other races they called neighbors.

He sighed, looking to Mordak and the Speaker "Ever since the War of the Spheres, my people have lived like this." He said "I was born into such a life too."

"I've heard of the War of the Spheres," the orc answered "But I'm afraid I don't know the history of it that well, would you care to explain it?"

Gaza nodded "Well, as a Tylanim, I know that part of history. It happened over five centuries ago, at the time, it was possible for my kin to travel between this world, and our own, although only in small numbers, most often, we only entered this world when summoned with magic, but sometimes, we found points where the boundaries between this world and the other were weaker and traveled here of our own accord."

"So it's true? You're kind came from another world? I mean, that's what they say, but I wasn't sure if it was truth, or just a fairy tale."

"No, it is the truth. Though I don't know much about our world, as I was born in this one." Gaza answered, a brief pause in his words as he thought of what to say next "Originally, there was no way for us to enter your world in large numbers, making a full scale invasion impossible."

"So, I suppose something changed that?" Mordak asked, to which the Tylanim nodded.

"We found a means to create permanent gates crossing the fabric of creation and allowing free passage between our worlds, how this was done has long since been forgotten, but it makes no difference. The point is that my kin used this to stage a full scale invasion upon this world, aiming to conquer it. At first, it looked like we would win too, but the mages of this world found a means to change the tide of the war. Through powerful magic, they were able to permanently seal the boundaries between the two worlds, it was a difficult process, and it is said that many used so much energy that the process killed them, but it was successful. This prevented further travel between the two worlds and ended the war. However, the Tylanim who were still in this world at the time were trapped here as a result, and with no way to return, they could only live in this world. My ancestors were among them.

"The natives haven't made it easy for us, unfortunately, but there is not much one can do about that. We were the aggressors in the war, after all, and while it is irrational to hold grudges with an entire people over things that happened centuries ago, it seems to be the nature of people to do so, one who studies history will see that often, racial hatreds can be traced back to such things."

"Hmm, I'm afraid I haven't really paid that much attention to history." Mordak said thoughtfully "So I can't say that's something I'd know very well."

"Perhaps you should try to learn a bit more of it, I could tell you many things if you ever want to learn more in the future. Past experiences can teach us many useful things, and it is not only our own experiences we can learn from, the ones of those who came before us can also be very valuable."

"Perhaps I'll take you up on the offer at some point, Gaza, but let's keep our minds focused on the matter at hand for now, shall we?"

"Yes, let's do that, friend." The Tylanim agreed.

"It would seem that we've found it." The Speaker said, he had been silent up until that point, leaving the two to their own discussions. Now, he pointed to a small two story building of brick and wood, one of several in a tight cluster on the side of the street, a sign depicting a harpy in a somewhat compromising position with her mouth open in what was perhaps a howl hung by the door, the place looked less than reputable.

"Looks like quite a place." Mordak said.

"Well, how about we go inside and see if we can find this assassin?" Gaza said.

The other two nodded, and together, they entered.

The place was certainly not more attractive on the inside than the outside, it was neither clean nor tastefully decorated. The patrons were a mixed bunch, and were noisy. Gaza also spotted some women who seemed to be the sort of ill repute. The bartender was a massive bull, his sleeveless shirt exposing his muscled arms, and Gaza suspected that his presence was the only thing keeping the place from the descending into chaos, it certainly helped, at least.

"So, you see the person we're looking for?" Mordak asked, glancing around the dimly lit interior.

"I'm afraid I'm not sure," the speaker answered "My visions were never very clear on her appearance, and she certainly is not likely to advertise her identity in public, she may be standing somewhere in plain sight, and we would not recognize her. I do know one thing, however, she goes by the name of Sharon Myrolla."

"If that's the case, then how will we find her?" Gaza asked.

"I don't know, but her clients must find her somehow, surely, we can find a way as well."

As the group spoke, one woman walked up to them. She wore a red blouse that showed a fair amount of cleavage, and copper colored curls fell about the side of here head. Gaza never had much interest in women, in truth, but even he had to confess that she was beautiful.

"What are you three gentlemen doing standing there?" she asked "Why don't you sit down and have a drink? Unless you're looking for... other services?" when she spoke of "other services", she did so with a hint of lust and a wink to the strangers.

"Other services?" Gaza asked, a slightly confused look on his face.

"Oh, don't be naïve, sir." She said "I know what sort of things people like you come here for!" she began to circle around the Tylanim, eying him intently "I've never served one of your kind before, I wonder how it feels?"

He was blushing intently beneath his fur now, realizing what she must have meant "Umm, I'm really not interested." He said.

"Oh? What a pity..." the woman said, and looked to Mordak "What about you, Mister Orc? I'd be very willing to give you a good time, for a reasonable price, of course."

"I'm afraid that's not what we're here for my lady." the orc answered, reacting much more calmly than the Tylanim "You see, we're here to find someone by the name of Sharon Myrolla, would you happen to know anyone by that name?"

The woman's eyes narrowed, and she glanced over to a table "Why don't you sit down and have a drink with me? I'll pay."

Gaza was a little baffled by this sudden change of behavior, and when he glanced to Mordak, the orc also looked confused, the Speaker, however, simply nodded.

"Very well, young lady, it would be nice to share a drink with you." The raven answered, and went over to the table with the woman. Deciding not to question him, Gaza followed, which Mordak also chose to do, it seemed.

They sat down, and their hostess motioned a barmaid over "A beer for each of us, please."

"If you don't mind, I'd prefer to have some kind of juice," the Speaker said "I don't drink alcohol, I'm afraid."

The woman nodded "Alright, how does apple juice sound for you? And ale for everyone else, I suppose?" since no one objected, she nodded to the barmaid.

"Very well, I'll bring your drinks soon." She said, and walked away, at which point, the strange woman turned her gaze back to the others.

"So, are you sure you don't want to reconsider my offer? I assure you I'll give you all a very good time."

"Excuse me, friend, but I believe we were going to discuss Shar..." he was interrupted by a "shhh" from the woman.

"Later, dear," she whispered "For now, just act like you want my services."

"I think we should play along, Gaza." The speaker whispered, and Gaza nodded, he did not like it, but if the Speaker thought it was the right move, he thought he would trust him.

"I don't mean to boast, but I've served discriminating clients from all over the city, and believe me, none of them have walked away unsatisfied." She said "So would you three like to spend the evening with me?"

"All three of us?" Mordak asked, sounding a little surprised by the offer.

"Hey, I don't mind serving groups, I can even give you a discount!" she looked to each of them, smiling broadly.

"Well... I suppose we could..." Gaza said with a nod, he did not mean it, of course, but it seemed like right now, they just had to go along with this "I warn you, though, it will be my first time."

"Well, you have to start somewhere, and what better way to start than with me?" as she spoke, the barmaid returned with their drinks on a platter, after serving them, she walked away, the group each taking a drink from their cups, the drinks tasted rather bland, and Gaza surmised that the ale may have been watered down.

"So, should we get a room here?" the Speaker asked, glancing over to the bull who ran the establishment.

The woman laughed at that "With the dirty, lice ridden beds here? I'd rather do it in a barn! Listen, I know of a perfect place, no one will disturb us there, how about you guys come with me once we're finished and I'll show you the way?"

"I suppose we could go along with that, where is it?" Mordak asked.

"It's an abandoned house, not too far away from here, don't worry, it's in good condition, it also has a nice bed, I don't know where the previous owners are, but at least they didn't take that away."

"It sounds good to me." Gaza answered, suddenly getting a suspicion about this woman, but he did not say it, whether it was true or not, he thought the answer would show if they followed through with whatever she did.

The three men and the woman finished their drinks, and soon left the bar, it was almost dark by the time they left, at that point, Gaza began to consider that maybe they should have eaten before leaving, but considering the way the drinks were, he doubted the food would be much more exciting. It was only after they were some distance away from the tavern and on a deserted street that their companion spoke up.

"You asked about Sharon Myrolla," she said "It's fortunate that I just happen to know her, and I can bring you to her."

"Then I suppose all that at the tavern was just an act, and your real intention was to lead us to her all along?" the Speaker said, nodding in understanding.

"Correct, given the nature of her career, Sharon tends to make some enemies, unfortunately," the woman sighed "it's all business, of course, but some people take it a little too personal when her business happens to involve people they care about, and they come after her, so for her safety, she meets with clients in secret, I just lead them to her. Of course, if you still want pleasure after you've discussed business with her, my offer is still open."

"No, no! We really don't need that!" Gaza said, taking a step away from the woman uncomfortably. He already resented needing to meet with an assassin, the fact that this woman was still trying to seduce him served only to make him even more uncomfortable.

She laughed at his response "Oh, fine, I get that you're not interested. You two are still welcome to take up on the offer, though." She looked to the other two.

Mordak shook his head "Maybe some other time. For now, I'd rather focus on the matter at hand. How much further will it be?"

"It's just up ahead," she said "We'll be able to see it after we turn the next corner."

When they rounded the corner they could actually see quite a few houses. There were homes on either side of the street continuing until its end, lights burned in the windows of most, but the windows of the one they were led to were dark, and the place had a decrepit look to it. It looked to be one of the older homes in the city, and probably had not been lived in for quite some time, what may have once been a beautiful garden was now overgrown with weeds. The woman led them up to the front door, and opened it, then looked to the others.

"So, do any of you have a light?" she asked.

Gaza stepped forward "I can take care of that." He said, raising a hand, a ball of green light formed in it, the sphere floated up into the air near the Tylanim's head, casting its light in the surroundings, elongated shadows extending away from the glow.

"Well, that's convenient, now, let's head inside." The woman said, and the others nodded, following her lead into the house. The interior was dark except for the space illuminated by Gaza's magic light, a layer of dust had accumulated on the ground and what little furniture remained in the building, the only indication that anyone had been inside recently was the footprints in the dust. The many cobwebs added further to the atmosphere of neglect that hung over the old building. Gaza saw Mordak glance over to their female companion.

"Are you sure Sharon is here?" he asked "This place looks pretty deserted."

"Yes, we'll meet her here, just follow my lead. We'll meet her upstairs, but first, I'd like you all to hand over your weapons. It's just a precaution, I'm sure you understand." When the others hesitated, she soon added: "Think of it as a sign of trust, if you hand any weapons you're carrying over, I'll take it as an indication that your intentions are friendly, and that it's safe to let you meet Sharon."

Mordak nodded, and somewhat reluctantly removed his mystic cannon from its holster to hand it to the woman, he then handed a dagger over as well, after taking the weapons, her eyes ran over each member of the group "Is that all you're carrying?" she asked.

"I just handed you all that I have," the orc said "And I doubt you'll find many on the others."

"I'm not much of a fighter, and I see no reason for me to carry weapons." The Speaker said.

"I don't really need weapons of the usual sort," Gaza said "Lighting dark places is not the only thing I can do with magic, you see, and I can't surrender my spells to you."

"I understand, dear, you've given me what you can, for the rest, I'll have to trust you, now, we will go to meet Sharon."

She led them further into the house, bringing them to a staircase that led up into the shadows, she ascended it, Gaza following close behind so that his mystic light would reveal the way. At the top of the stairs, the woman motioned to a door to their right, and opened it, the room within was dark.

She snapped her finger, and lights came on suddenly within the room, driving away the shadows that engulfed it. Seeing this, Gaza gestured with his hand, banishing his summoned light, and looked inside. The room was cleaner than most of the ones in the house, and looked to have been recently lived in, there were no windows, the only light in it coming from the glow spheres arranged around it, there was a large and comfortable looking bed against the far wall, to the right there was a wooden book shelf which was currently bare, and to the left was a square table surrounded by a number of chairs. While sparsely decorated, the room had a much more lived-in feel than the other parts of the house, which made it seem more welcoming.

"Looks like Sharon isn't home," Mordak observed "Are you sure we'll find her here?"

"Oh, of course I'm home." The woman said, the seductive tone suddenly gone from her voice, a smile was upon her face "I'm right here. Now, why don't you guys sit down and make yourselves at home?"

"So... you're Sharon Myrolla?" Mordak asked, his surprise evident in his voice "But you're nothing like I imagined you to be."

"Yes I am," she said "And I'm pleased to meet the three of you."

Gaza glanced to each of his companions, the woman's words confirmed the Tylanim's suspicions, He wondered if the Speaker had been surprised, though, if he was, he hid it well.

"So, are you guys going to sit down, or not?" Sharon asked, her eyes running over each member of the group.

"Ah, oh... sorry, Miss Myrolla." Gaza said, his voice betraying slight unease, but he did as asked, taking a seat in one of the chairs, Mordak and the Speaker then sat down next to them, and Sharon took a seat opposite from them..

"Please, call me Sharon, dear." She said "And you seem uncomfortable, I hope it's not because of my profession, I assure you, I have no reason to hurt you."

"It has nothing to do with that, Mi... Sharon." He answered, knowing that he was lying.

"If you say so, Whitey." She said.

"Whitey?" Gaza responded, glaring in annoyance at the assassin.

"Well, I have to call you something, don't I?" she said, looking completely innocent "And you haven't given me your name, so I chose one for you."

"My name is Gaza," the Tylanim said "Now you can call me by my proper name."

"Oh, alright, but I still prefer Whitey..." she said, looking to the other two "And what about you two?"

"Call me Mordak." The orc said.

The Speaker just shook his head "My name is not important."

"Fine, be that way, then I guess you won't mind if I make up my own nickname for you. But enough of that, don't you think it's about time that you told me what you're here for? I'd assume you have some sort of job for me."

The raven nodded "We have a job for you, a very unusual sort of job, listen while I explain, first, you must know that I am a Speaker, a prophet."

"Right, now that's the first time someone comes to me saying that, still, if it's about a job, then I'll listen, by all means, go on."

"Then I must tell you about a prophecy that the Speakers had once delivered..." he said, going on to explain to her about said prophecy, telling her what he had already told Gaza and Mordak, informing her that she too was to play a role in stopping the power that threatened the world.

"Well, that's new," she said when the speaker had finished, sounding somewhat amused "Usually my clients are content just to say they feel my skills are perfect for the job, I can't recall ever being told I'm the chosen one before."

"One of the chosen ones." the Speaker corrected.

"Well, you know how to make a girl feel important, but how about you give me a clearer picture of what I'm supposed to do. Anyone in particular you want dead, maybe? That's what I do, after all."

"You need only follow us, young woman," The Speaker answered "And help in whatever way you can when it's needed, I'm certain that we will have need of your skills eventually, but right now, I can't name any particular targets we'll need dealt with."

Sharon was silent for a moment, looking thoughtful "Hmm... well, that sounds like it's going to be a long term contract, with no definite end, I can accept it, but it won't be cheap."

Gaza quickly rose to his feet, a look of disdain in his golden eyes "How can you talk about payment when the future of our world may be at stake?" he demanded, he felt Mordak's hand come to rest on his, perhaps in an effort to calm him, but he ignored this "What use will your money be, if the world is consumed in darkness? Surely, you have more important things to worry about than profit?"

The assassin shook her head "You know, our time together is going to be pretty difficult if you keep being like that. I'm a professional, people need a job done, they come to me, they pay me, I get it done. It's the same here too, you pay me, I help you. Now, maybe what I've heard is true, maybe the world is in danger, and I have to help save it, but I'm not doing it for free. It's a matter of business ethics, it wouldn't be fair to my paying customers if I started doing favors to complete strangers for free, now would it?"

Gaza let out a sigh of defeat, he did not like it, but he knew he could not change her mind "Fine, I guess it can't be helped if that's how it is, just don't expect me to pay."

She shrugged "I don't care where the money comes from as long as I get it."

"I believe I can take care of payment myself." The Speaker said "Money is not a problem for me, and if I must spend it to get you to help us, I will do so."

She smiled "I'm glad you understand me, and rest assured, you won't regret it, once I've accepted a contract from a client, you have my guarantee that it will be fulfilled."

"Business ethics again, I presume?" Mordak commented.

"Exactly, now I think a pri... did you hear that?"

Gaza had indeed heard it, a muffled voice, and not one belonging to anyone in the group, it sounded like it was coming from elsewhere in the house, another spoke in response, but Gaza could not tell what was said.

"You didn't invite anyone else here, I presume?" Sharon asked, speaking quietly to ensure that only those in the room could hear. The three others all shook their heads.

"Of course not," Mordak answered, also speaking quietly "Were we followed, perhaps?"

"If we were, they did a pretty good job of hiding it, but they're not doing so well now, it seems."

"And what should we do now?" Gaza said, glancing around "Is there a way we could escape, perhaps?" he did not think that these strangers were friendly, and if it was possible, he would rather not test that theory.

"If they're here for the reason I think they are, then I think we can assume they won't let us get out without trouble." Gaza did not need to ask what she meant, it seemed that she shared the same suspicions with him, and he was sure everyone else did as well.

"In that case, I suppose we'll just have to go out and meet them." Mordak said "It doesn't look like there's much we can do but settle things with them personally."

Sharon nodded "Then take your weapons back, we can discuss payment once this is finished."

Mordak took the weapons back from her, and pushed the table over onto its side after everyone had stood up "I'll take cover here." He said 'I'd suggest the rest of you take up positions on either side of the door."

They nodded, and moved towards the walls beside the door, Gaza got next to the Speaker on the left, whereas Sharon was on the right, then they waited. The sounds outside grew closer, then suddenly fell silent, until the Tylanim heard footsteps drawing near to the door, then it opened.

The sound of a mystic cannon rapidly firing came from outside the door as the first man shot into the room at random, not taking the time to check his fire, when there was no response after a moment, he looked in to see if he had hit anyone, this proved a mistake, as it gave Mordak a chance to fire at him, the orc's bullet found it's mark, and he fell, seeing this, his comrades could be heard shouting outside the door.

When the voices fell silent, the enemies did not attack again, and Sharon raised a hand, motioning towards the door, she moved over to it slowly, drawing a concealed dagger, than quickly ducked back in just in time to avoid a shot fired by another attacker.

"Alright, I think we're going to need some kind of distraction." She said "They know there's no other way out except through the door, so they can wait there until we try to leave."

"Hmmm..." Gaza stepped forward, her words gave him an idea "I think I might be able to do something that will help us, if you'll all gather together, I don't want to speak too loudly..."

"Well, if you have a good plan, I'd be happy to hear it." Sharon said, the others nodded, and they all gathered around him.

Gaza spoke quietly so that there was no chance of their enemies hearing, glancing to the door periodically as he did so in case anyone tried to interrupt.

"My plan is simple," the Tylanim whispered "I'll use magic to create a bright flash of light, if this works, it should blind our enemies, giving us a chance to attack them, of course, you'll all need to cover your eyes on my signal so it doesn't affect you as well."

The others nodded, no one seemed to feel the need to object "Mordak, cover me." Gaza said, the orc nodded, and the Tylanim moved so he had a clear view of the doorway, his companion following.

Seeing no enemies, the white furred figure raised both hands, and reached out with them. Light coursed over his arms, forming into glowing glyphs, and within his hands, a brightly glowing sphere of energy began to form. The spell was similar in concept to the light he had used before, but its use was more complex, and much more powerful. Once he was satisfied with the sphere's size, he made a motion as though he were to throw it.

"Now!" he said, and quickly shut his eyes just after releasing it, the others doing so as well, it traveled until it was just outside the door, and burst into bright light, even beneath his eyelids, he still noticed a brief flash, though it was dim enough that it did not impact his vision when he opened his eyes after it was over.

"Sharon and I should go first." Mordak said, looking to the assassin, who nodded.

"Very well, but be careful." Gaza answered, and watched as the two of them went to the door, the orc looked out and quickly fired off several rounds, Sharon ran down the hall in the opposite direction, and Gaza heard a cry that was quickly silenced.

"Alright, it's clear." Mordak looked back in the doorway "Everyone outside the room is dead, still, there might be more of them about, so be careful."

Gaza and the Speaker both walked out, the Tylanim looking around at the surroundings, the bodies of their enemies lying on the ground, they all wore dark clothing, but nothing seemed to indicate them belonging to any specific organization.

"They don't look like they belong to the group that's attacked us before." The Tylanim observed "I wonder who they are?"

"And how exactly would you know if they're part of this group?" Sharon asked "Do they have a uniform or something?"

"Well, they do, actually." Mordak said "At least from what I've seen, they all wore fairly distinctive robes, they also used magic to protect themselves, something these people don't seem to be doing, it seems unlikely that they'd be from the same group."

"Hmm, sounds like an interesting bunch." The assassin commented "Still, even if they're not the same group, it might be that they were hired by them, maybe they figured they'd try... hold on, I hear more of them!"

They were coming up the stairs now, three of them, one carried a sword, one an ax, and one, bringing up the rear, held a mystic cannon. The group quickly ascended, the two assassins with melee weapons taking up positions in the front, while the one armed with the mystic cannon followed behind, he fired at Sharon, but missed, the woman ducking, and rolling to the side, bringing up her dagger and sizing up each of the opponents.

The one with the ax came at Gaza, swinging the weapon with great force, the Tylanim barely managed to dodge the deadly strike, the heavy blade sailing dangerously near him.

"Gaza!" Mordak shouted, trying to find a place where he could get a good shot at the Tylanim's attacker, but soon found himself forced against the wall by two shots from the mystic cannon wielded by the assassin in the rear, forcing Gaza to deal with his assassin on his own.

Sharon, meanwhile, was engaged with the one armed with the sword, the way he fought with the weapon indicated an experienced combatant. Each strike was skillful, and yet though the blade seemed to come close to her, it repeatedly missed her.

Visibility in the hallway mostly came from the light shining through the window, and in this, Gaza could clearly make out the form of his opponent, a tan skinned, muscular man with a short beard on his scarred face, the Tylanim did not have time to pay much attention to his companions, as he was busy trying to stay out of the reach of his foe's ax swings, but from the corner of his eye, he did see that Mordak had taken cover in the room they had been in before, and was exchanging fire with his foe, while Sharon continued her dance around the sword user, the Speaker was nowhere to be seen.

The Tylanim quickly brought up his hand, a blast of fire lashing out to burn his enemy, it did not seriously wound him, but caused his face to contort into an expression of pain, which quickly shifted to anger.

The man brought his ax down, but this time, instead of dodging, Gaza put both hands together, and in his mind visualized the glyphs he needed, the same images appearing on his hand, glowing brightly, an inexperienced mage might have had to draw them out by hand, but for Gaza, it was enough to simply think them, and they would form themselves. The assassin's ax suddenly struck an invisible barrier, and then was pushed back with such force that it was knocked out of his hands, its blade embedding itself in the wall behind, the wielder uttering a cry of surprise.

Gaza was already working on a second spell, this one caused a bolt of lightning to strike the man, he fell almost instantly, his body convulsing under the powerful current that passed through him, when the movements stopped, he did not get up again, and Gaza knew for certain that he was dead.

Gaza let out a sigh of relief, and looked around at his other companions. He saw Mordak quickly roll out from cover, his foe firing at him, but the bullet's missed their target, striking the floor and kicking up a cloud of dust above the newly formed hole. The bounty hunter then brought up his mystic cannon, and fired one shot, which struck his foe in his chest, the man screamed, and fell, clutching at his wound.

Sharon, meanwhile, ducked to dodge another swing from her foe, then brought her dagger up, stabbing him in his sword hand, which caused him to let go of the weapon, it feel to the ground with a loud clang. The man screamed, clutching at the bleeding wound, the female assassin reacted quickly, stabbing her dagger into his throat.

"Looks like that's all of them." Mordak said, surveying the scene of the battle, and seeing no enemies that still stood.

The Speaker stepped out of the room shortly afterwards "It does seem that way." He agreed.

"Why didn't you help us there?" Sharon asked, turning her eyes to the prophet.

"I am a Speaker, a guide, not a fighter." He answered "I am not really suited for combat, though I do have ways to defend myself if necessary, I did not think it was necessary to use them in this circumstances."

"Well, we did handle the fight on our own well enough." Mordak commented "And I don't fault you for not wanting to join in, but no matter. I think we should search the bodies, there might be some clue that would lead us to the people who hired these assassins."

"Hmm, not a bad idea, I'd say," Sharon agreed "There's still the matter of my payment, but we can discuss that later, right now, I'd like to learn more about our attackers too."

Gaza did not like this idea, a slight look of disgust coming over his face, he would certainly prefer to just let these bodies lie, but he realized that it seemed like their best chance of learning anything about their enemies at this time, so he voiced no complaints and got to work searching through the bodies along with the others. Even the Speaker silently joined into the unpleasant task.

It took some time, but in the end, it seemed it was Mordak who found something.

"This looks interesting," the orc said, getting to his feet, the others all looking to him.

"What did you find, friend?" Gaza asked, and the bounty hunter smiled, holding out a small piece of paper that looked like it had been folded several times, judging from the lines that ran over it.

"This may well be what we need to find our enemies." They all came over to see what it was that the note said, and when they saw what it said, they understood.

"I think I have a good idea of what our next move should be." The orc said.