The city was haunting. It almost made Deatt lose his careful approach when he saw the large squares, empty and lifeless. At moments, he felt like he was the sole person left in the world. The busy places, where trade flowed a river, were barren. Family houses abandoned, churches deserted probably even by the deities they were built for.

  Vael had said that most fell in the initial wave, but he forgot to mention just how few there were left.

  Deatt might have been walking through the medium district and not the inner, where the survivors were meant to reside, but he expected at least someone to live here. He had... acquaintances in this part of the city. It was not that he really wanted to meet them, but still he had hoped that they made their way inside the inner walls. He wished the cruel fate of the turned to no one.

  Passing through the familiar streets of the town, Deatt stopped in one house in particular.

  It was not anything special. There was only old stone and a wooden roof that had fallen onto the walls, a long time ago. The building had exactly three places of entry, with the main entrance door funnily not being one of them. It might have been an old decrepit home, but it used to be a home for Deatt nonetheless. Sighing, he continued on.

  He took his time as he approached the walls of the prison.

  The gate had been locked shut, a huge link chain wrapped around the steel. There was no one in the courtyard before him.

  So Deatt decided to simply climb over the fence.

  The irony of breaking into a prison was not lost on Deatt as he broke the lock on the metal doors leading into the building.

  The doors creaked as Deatt pushed them open, revealing the silent room behind them. It was clean of blood, though the rest was in shambles.

  There was a tunnel leading to the left, its sides made out of iron bars with narrows spaces, definitely not enough for a human to pull through. Probably the way they led the prisoners in. Then there were two other doors, this time wooden.

  As Deatt gazed into the long iron barred corridor, he felt he should head that way. A gnawing feeling of predestination, urging him to take that route. But his memory of similar tunnels back in Jirfort made him question the feeling.

  He was already doubting what Vael had told him, especially that he would find Gnenmo here, along with the rest of the guards.

  If it was just for a job, he would not delve deeper into the dark tunnel. But this has not been about the job from the very start.

  He needed Gnenmo too much to turn back from the obviously bad decision he was about to make.

  He slowly made his way through the tunnel, waiting for any noise to alert him. But so far it was quiet.

  He had already passed through a number of cross sections and had to choose his next move purely by instinct. That might have seemed inefficient, even idiotic, but for some unknown reason, Deatt was fairly sure that he was walking right where he should be. Whenever the tunnel opened to more sides, he knew which to take.

  The feeling increased. It was like warm-less heat, the more he got closer to it, the more it burned inside him. But he was in control at the moment.

  He questioned the feeling, trying to keep himself from falling into a similar trap as he did before. Slow and creeping feelings, especially so unknown to him, were better closely observed and rarely acted upon.

  Though he decided to act upon them every time.

  It slowly led him throughout the prison, moving through big open spaces, long halls, even guard posts.

  There was no one, but nor were they signs of a struggle. Jirfort had been practically destroyed in minutes when the turning began, Deatt was sure that something akin to that would happen even here. So he doubted there were any turned.

  The feeling only increased with every cell he passed. He was fairly certain where it would lead him. To Gnenmo, or at least his cell.

  A little longer and he arrived before a solitary confinement. The cell was very different than what he had before. Instead of a bleak empty cell, with a stone table for a bedding, this one was well-furnished. Maybe even better than it had been in most taverns Deatt visited.

  The bed was big and comfortable, feather-filled duvet and pillow tidily placed on it. There was a mirror, a table with a leather armchair and numerous papers thrown about the table.

  Even though Deatt could read, the letters seemed illegible to him. He could almost decipher the letter, but then it almost moved. Changing itself along with the text. He still took some of those, hoping that maybe Evelynn had the ability to read them.

  But the feeling still had not disappeared, instead it covered the whole room like a cloud. It was almost visible, as if Deatt could trace the movements the feeling led him through.

  He followed it, reaching a small drawer, he gently pulled it open.

  Revealing a dagger. Its hilt was dark brown wood, that seamlessly flowed into a black blade. This time, Deatt had no need for Nido's senses. He could tell the thing was magical just by looking at it.

  He reached for it by instinct, stopping himself just a hair-length before touching it.

  Maybe it was not really magical. Gnenmo was not a researcher in magic after all. His focus was on curses.

  He decided to leave it. He was already affected by one curse, that much should be enough.

  "But what if you need it?" a familiar voice talked to him.

  For some reason, the curse's voice did not surprise Deatt. As if he knew it would talk even before it did. He gritted his teeth in hate.

  "I don't." Deatt replied out loud.

  "Not now, but who knows?"

  "Why are you talking to me again anyway? It did not work last time. It won't now." Deatt asked.

  "Maybe I decided to help you, or I am simply growing bored."

  "You? So you are a thing, huh?"

  "We could have had so much fun together Deatt." The curse decided not to answer. "You know, I was disappointed in you at first. At how you swatted my offerings away."

  "Offerings..." Deatt replied in a mocking tone. "I have an offer for you. How about you fuck off from my body before I cleanse you out?"

  "You are welcome to try Deatt." the curse laughed. "But you felt how sweet it was, didn't you? Maybe you have not embraced me like the others, but you did reach out to me by yourself once."

  Deatt wanted to retort, but he did remember. Even if he wanted to believe that night had been a blur and that he forgot what exactly happened, it was not the truth. He remembered tearing the turned huntsman, cutting them. He knew just how much he enjoyed it at that moment, just how sweet it was.

  He felt sick at the recollection, swaying a little at the latent chaos. The worst thing was, a bit of him still felt... satisfied when he recollected the moment.

  "As I have said. We could have so much fun together Deatt. And I wholeheartedly believe that you will decide not to purge me. Instead you will call upon me again. Soon."

  Then the voice disappeared.

  "I won't." Deatt continued speaking, but knew that the curses presence has recoiled back into him by that point. Maybe he was talking as much to himself as to the curse with these words. Hoping that he will manage to uphold them.

  When he aimed to leave, he suddenly stopped in the doorframe. With a sigh, he covered his hand in some cloth and grabbed the dagger, putting it deep inside his pack.

  Then, he finally managed to leave.

  "He wasn't there?" Nido asked.

  "No, nobody was. The whole prison was empty. No turned either."

  "Then its time for plan b." Morek said. He held out his hand to stop Deatt before he managed to ask what he meant. "Mister Vael had informed me of the possibility before hand. Do not worry, mister Gnenmo is safe. The problem is, it would be much harder to get him now."

  "Where is he?" asked Evelynn.

  "In the inner city. The last bastion."

  "Didn't it not occur to you to mention that before I went to fetch him?" Deatt's voice rose. Maybe he could have avoided the chilling interaction with the curse, if he did not walk there. Maybe he would not pick up the dagger that rested in the bottom of his pack.

  "I was strictly forbidden from doing so. Mister Vael had told me that it was necessary to check there first." Morek replied, his face stoic.

  "Fuck that! Have you got any other forbidden or secret shit we should know about?" Deatt came closer, looking up at the half-orc angrily.

  Dancer quickly jumped next to Morek, holding his blade against Deatt.

  "Not a step further fucker. You should be grateful Morek here did not rummage your insides already. You freak!"

  "Want to lose the rest of your teeth?" Nido asked from behind Deatt.

  Dancer visibly flinched, but remained with his blade pointed at Deatt.

  "I understand your frustration. But we still share the same goal. Let's go finish it. Then you can question mister Vael."

  Deatt felt the similar warmth rise up inside him. But he did not reach for it, instead, he quickly took a few steps back, trying to calm himself.

  "What's plan b?" he asked.

  "We have to get inside the inner city and convince the paladins of the Golden Order to release Gnenmo. He might not be in prison, but he is still jailed inside."

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  "That would be a problem." Evelynn interjected. "That is the same order that had excommunicated him before. The ones that branded him a heretic. They won't just release him."

  "We know that already, that is why I was told to relay a message. That Deatt and Nido are to search for their acquaintance."

  "For who?" asked Nido.

  But Deatt had a premonition of who that might be. It was the one person that Deatt did not miss back in prison. And if Vael's plans shared anything thus far, it was that they would always go against Deatt's wishes

  "One Bernard Ryad." Morek said. Deatt sighed in quiet frustration.

  "Berry?" Nido started laughing. "And what is he supposed to help us with? Picking flowers? You don't know him, but that guy wouldn't steal a bit of bread even if his life depended on it. Breaking someone out of prison? He would never do that."

  "We were told Deatt would have to convince him."

  "Deatt? Convince Berry? Ha!" Nido's laugh increased. "Good gods! We might as well go back then!"

  The inner city was mostly the castle itself, along with the cathedral and other lavish buildings, that the filthy rich of Kitva used to reside in. The streets used to be nearly empty, at least compared to the rest of the city. Now, they were filled with tents and runaway people from the lower districts. There was obvious tension in the air, as the poor and rich had to live in such proximity. But the calamity made it unusually easy for people of different casts to act as a unit. At least that is what it seemed like.

  The group got into the bastion with surprising ease. Though the guards gave them weird looks, as long as they were sure that no turned followed after the group, they lifted the huge gate and let them right in.

  Even as many people here as they were, it was obvious just how many had to fall outside of these walls.

  "So, this is where you grew up?" Evelynn asked, looking at the castle with sparkle in her eyes.

  "Not really. I was mostly back down there. I only went here to... you know?" he bent down and whispered with a smile. "Steal."

  "I don't think they would care too much now." Evelynn watched the number of people around with saddened eyes. "Think we might get them to Zenwall? Somehow?"

  "You think Zenwall isn't crowded enough already? It's worse there than here."

  "But it's safer. Look at all of them." She pointed with her hand. "You really feel no impulse to help them? You can just watch them struggle like this?"

  "The thing is Evelynn. Most of them did exactly that to me. It wasn't easy surviving the streets. They never handed me a branch to take me out of that. I don't see a reason for me to not act the same."

  "I understand that, but just because they weren't able to, doesn't mean you cannot either. The world doesn't have to be just about taking, you know?" she said.

  "I thought you said you don't see me as a hero anymore."

  "I don't. I can't really. But that doesn't mean you cannot be a good person. Instead of helping these poor people, we are only here to escort an ex-priest that did gods knows what. It just doesn't sit right with me."

  "And what if this single man really saves the world? Would it sit right with you then?"

  "I don't know." she said. Her gaze turned even darker, the sparkle in her blue eyes hidden behind clouds of worry.

  "We... we might try after? When we have a solution to all this?" Deatt said.

  She looked at him, the light returning, and nodded.

  Leaving Evelynn and Nido, Deatt moved towards a group of guards next to the castle, hoping to gather some information.

  "Hello gentleman."

  "A problem?" the guards asked. Their voices were sluggish, obviously tired from all the events around them.

  "I was just wanting to ask, I had an old friend in the prison in midtown. I was hoping to talk to him, but the prison was empty by the time I arrived. Were the prisoners moved?"

  "Yes, most were. Just yesterday in fact. There was a signal that the turned were rising again, so we made the decision to move them."

  "And can I ask where?"

  "Most are at the castle's cells. I can take a name and have someone check for you."

  "That would be wonderful, thank you." Deatt knew that he could not just ask for Gnenmo, the man was obviously well known and based on his cell, was no ordinary prisoner. So he had to improvise. "Gritski. Simon Gritski."

  "Alright, I will check for you." The guard disappeared into the keep. Before long he was back, nodding at Deatt to come inside.

  "You are really familiar." he said as they were moving down the stairs. "Do we know each-other?"

  "I doubt it. It has been a long time since I been to Kitva." Deatt replied, hoping that he would not look into the matter further.

  "Yeah, makes sense. You are kind of common looking." the guard said so matter-of-factly that it was hard to be offended by the comment. It did help him distance himself from his past though. Truth be told, he did recognize the guard. He was the one that caught him during the theft few years ago, sending him to Jirfort.

  But he harbored no bad feelings toward the guard. As much suffering and mainly boredom he had caused Deatt, he was also just doing his duty. Deatt knew well he was breaking the law before.

  As they moved through the cells, Deatt could see just how tight everyone was shoved inside.

  One cell, normally meant for more important prisoners, was meant for just that, one prisoner. Now each of them housed about eight, the people inside barely making do with sitting over the floors.

  "Why won't you try to recruit them? Competent people must be rare here as is."

  "That is just it. If all we needed were people who know how to swing an axe, we would. But we need to have order as much as strength. You have to trust your fellow soldier. These mongrels would run the moment they would face a turned."

  "True." Deatt had to agree. He would do just that in that position.

  "Simon Gritski! You have a... sorry, what is your name?"

  "Numel."

  "Numel is here to see you!"

  The man in the far back cell turned around. He still wore the prison's attire. The long grey rags weirdly fit the man. Not that they showed the muscle in any accentuating way, but it fit the person inside.

  Simon was a brutal man. The kind that looked for trouble long before it would find its own way to him. Deatt saw him beat many people mercilessly, not just once leading to a lasting injury.

  "Oh it's you... Numel, my dear." he said with a smile moving closer.

  The guard looked between the two of them with a disgusted expression.

  "Hello burly bear." Deatt answered back, then he turned to the guard, placing a hand on his shoulder with intentional awkwardness. "Would you mind giving us a little privacy?"

  "No I would not." he said, shaking the hand off of him, he quickly turned around to the stairs. "Fucking freaks."

  When he was far enough for them not to hear, Simon started laughing.

  "I can't believe this shit still works." he said, turning to Deatt. "Using your father's name, huh? Think they would get you here too?"

  "Better safe than sorry. You know me. What if he put me into the same cell as you?"

  "We'd finally make beautiful love, of course. You were always a cutie." Simon smiled. "I do know you though, so I know that you did not visit me for our friendship."

  "I got a favor to ask of you Simon. See it as you repaying me for stealing the contract on Henwel back in the day."

  "I hoped you wouldn't remember that. But alright." Simon nodded.

  "I need to know the location of one of the prisoners, along with everything you might know about him."

  "Oh? That sort of interest makes a man jealous you know?" Simon suggestively moved around the cell.

  "Gnenmo is his name."

  Suddenly, Simon's mood soured. Even though he knew that there were other prisoners right around him, he instinctively looked around.

  "Should have known you pick the one person I know next to nothing about. Let me see. He was in solitary, from the very start mind you. Never actually saw him in the prison, only heard bits and pieces. Mostly from the other inmates. The kind of shit you hear all the time though. Like that he was collecting the blood of lashed inmates, so he could use it in occult rituals and whatnot. Bunch of bullshit I think." Simon moved closer as he finished, then he continued in a whisper.

  "Did see him for just one moment though. As they were leading us toward the gate, they separated him from the rest of us. Two guards walked with him, then they met with a knight or something. A man in a steel plate armor from head to toe. Did not see much more, sorry love."

  "No worries Simon. You told me all I needed to hear. Just keep it for yourself, alright?"

  "Yeah, sure. For a kiss!"

  "You'd just grope me. We both know that."

  "Why are you so smart?" Simon laughed. "Just remember me alright? If you get in a position to give pardon to someone."

  "Sure. I will."