The Land of Flames

Orvox glanced down at the scrambling thugs, a slow grin spreading across his face. His vertical eyes gleamed with amusement as he stood tall, unaffected by the chaos underfoot. He casually bent down and picked up the knife that had slipped from the leader’s grasp, examining it with mild curiosity before tossing it aside like a useless toy.

I stepped out from the shadows, brushing my hands off and taking a few steps closer. Orvox’s eyes flicked toward me, his grin widening as he recognized me.

“Well, well, look who’s here. Saturn, right?” His tone was light, but there was an underlying tension in his posture, like a coiled spring waiting to snap. “Fancy meeting you in a place like this.”

“Orvox,” I replied, keeping my distance as I eyed the struggling thugs. They were still trying to get their bearings, slipping and sliding in the alleyway. “Looked like you could use a hand.”

“Ah, these clowns?” He waved a massive hand dismissively. “Just a bit of local trouble. Nothing I can’t handle.” His eyes narrowed slightly as he studied me. “But I appreciate the assist, neighbor.”

There was a moment of silence but after a few seconds I talked. "So, if you don't mind I have a few questions I want to ask these gentlemen?"

Orvox chuckled, the sound low and rumbling. "Questions, huh? Be my guest. They’re not much for conversation, though. You’ll be lucky if they know how to count past ten."

He stepped aside, giving me a clear path to the thugs who were now groaning and clutching at various bruises. One of them, the leader I assumed, was trying to drag himself upright, his eyes darting between Orvox and me like a trapped animal. I crouched down in front of him, keeping my tone calm.

"Relax," I said. "I’m not here to hurt you any more than you’ve already been. I just need information. You talk, and you walk out of here. Simple as that."

The leader swallowed hard, sweat dripping down his brow. "What...what do you want to know?"

I glanced over my shoulder at Orvox, who was now leaning against the wall, arms crossed, watching with casual interest. "I want to know how to talk with your boss? And if you know anyone known as CC?"

The leader hesitated, glancing nervously at his companions. One of them muttered something under his breath, but the leader silenced him with a glare. He looked back at me, his voice low and shaky.

"Uh, we could take you to our boss but I don't think she would like that. And we don't know anything about CC."

"Open" I muttered as immediately my vision changed a bit as instead of the physical body of the thug I saw a more white outline of his body that had many different colours inside of the man.

This was called Soul sight. It revealed the thug's essence—bright, swirling colors marking his emotions and truthfulness. Most of his body was tainted with fear, a pulsating red that clouded his form. Yet deeper within, faint traces of green, barely noticeable, suggested hesitation. Lies, maybe? Or half-truths.

Maybe this idiot didn't want me to meet his boss? Or he didn't have one. The CC part for obvious this idiot didn't know of CC so I shouldn't waste my time but this guy was my only lead to the underworld of this world.

I stood up slowly, letting my Soul Sight fade as the colors and shapes melted back into the normal view of the grimy alley. The leader’s eyes followed my movements nervously, but I could tell he was trying to mask his fear with bravado.

“You don’t think your boss would like that, huh?” I echoed his words as I paced in a slow circle around him. “That tells me something interesting. Either your boss is not as in control as they want people to think, or you’re not as loyal as you should be.”

The thug shifted uncomfortably, his hands clenching into fists. He glanced at his companions, but none of them met his gaze. It was clear they were just as scared as he was.

“Look,” he started, his voice hoarse, “it’s not like that. We’re just small-time, alright? Our boss—she.... She won't have Information about what you want. And CC? I swear I don’t know anything about that.”

I paused, considering his words. My gut told me he was telling some form of truth. Small-time operations rarely had access to the real players in the underworld, but they were still useful. Foot soldiers always had scraps of information, and scraps could be pieced together.

Orvox let out a low chuckle, interrupting my thoughts. “They won't tell you anything about their boss. So give up man."

I shot Orvox a look but didn’t respond. Instead, I crouched down again, meeting the leader’s eyes with a piercing stare. “Here’s the deal. You take me to your boss. Or, I leave you here with the priest and he will probably send you to jail or something."

The thug’s face paled. He looked at Orvox, then back at me, and I could see the gears turning in his head. He was weighing his options, and neither of them looked good. Finally, he let out a shaky breath.

"Okay," he muttered with every bit of courage he had. "I will take you to our boss. But she won't be happy."

Jumping to my feet I immediately let go of my spell and smiled. "Thank you my good friend."

The thugs slowly stood up in a manor that they still didn't believe that the ground was solid once more and would hold them this time.

"Lead the way," I said to the thug. His shoulders slumped, and with a resigned sigh, he motioned for us to follow. The other thugs were still too shaken to do anything but watch as we made our way out of the alley.

The thug walked a few paces ahead, his steps heavy with reluctance, but he was leading us—he hadn’t tried to run, which was a good sign. Orvox walked beside me, his hands casually resting in his coat pockets, though I could feel the energy in him, like a storm waiting to break.

It was still hard to get used to a person that long and with this much mass but then again Formorians were the main race of musspell.

I was still curious if this man knew that I was a magician? Since if he was like the priest I knew then this man wasn't normal and would have easily figured out about me. But at the moment I had no proof.

Even at night the planet was considerably hotter then what I was used.

The walk itself was quiet with some glances being thrown at our direction from the passerby. I made sure to keep my head down as I was too embarrassed at attracting such attention towards me.

Walking through the streets I kept my eyes on the thug ahead, his body language betraying his discomfort. He wasn’t leading us to the center of operations—that much was obvious. This was likely just an outpost, a place where the small-time players gathered to avoid the larger, more dangerous parts of the underworld.

Orvox, still towering beside me, seemed at ease. His vertical eyes scanned the surroundings with an almost lazy curiosity, but I figured that he was ready at all times since while he was bigger than most humans his posture betrayed that he was trained in combat at least since his walking betrayed it.

The thug led us to a narrow door hidden between two derelict buildings. He hesitated before knocking twice, then paused, knocking three more times in a specific rhythm. The door creaked open, and a pair of suspicious eyes peeked out from the shadows before the door swung open fully.

“Inside,” the thug muttered, stepping aside to let us through. I glanced at Orvox, who shrugged and ducked through the doorway, his massive frame barely fitting through the entrance. I followed, my senses on high alert.

The room we entered was dimly lit, a small, claustrophobic space filled with mismatched furniture and the stench of stale smoke.

I immediately used my sight to confirm that none of these people were Magicians. My hunch was correct although a few did seem to have sickness in their lungs or liver.

One of them was a woman who had a gruesome scar that marred her face, stood up, crossing her arms over her chest.

"And who is this you bought here Rai?" she said,Her voice is low and dangerous. “an escort?"

Rai, the thug who had led us here, shifted uncomfortably, clearly unsure how to explain. “They… uh, they wanted to talk to the boss.”

Her eyes flickered to me, then to Orvox, before she let out a snort. "You bought a priest here Rai, do you have any idea what you're doing?"

I stepped forward, trying to diffuse the tension. “We’re not here to cause trouble. I just need to speak with your boss. It’s important. and I ain't with him." I continued with pointing to Orvox.

The woman studied me for a moment before nodding toward a door at the back of the room. “Boss is in there. But don’t expect a warm welcome. but that guy stays here."

I nodded showing that I accepted the terms and conditions. I didn't really care if Orvox was allowed in or not.

The woman with the scar narrowed her eyes at me but said nothing more as I walked toward the door at the back.

Pushing it open, I stepped inside. The room was even darker, lit only by a single dim lamp on a cluttered desk. Behind the desk sat was a humanoid owl like being, it's features being hard to see in the dim light. Feathers covered its form, sleek and dark, giving it an aura of eerie grace. Its beak clicked softly as it regarded me with a mixture of curiosity and disdain.

"So," the owl-like being said in a voice that was surprisingly smooth, almost melodic, "you’re the one causing all this fuss."

Those words confused me, since I hadn't been on this planet long enough to cause trouble and this was the first time I was interacting with someone.

"Sorry but I haven't really done anything I haven't even been on this planet for a day." I spoke in a respectful tone not wanting to offend someone who was my only lead.

The creature tilted its head to one side, an oddly birdlike gesture that sent a shiver down my spine. "Hmm, your a bounty hunter? Interesting and what is that you want from me? You must have something specific in mind to come all this way and trouble my people."

"I need information," I said simply. "I am only here to find if people have gone missing recently in high amounts or if you have seen this person."

I immediately pulled out my data pad and showed the picture of CC.

The owl-like creature's eyes narrowed as it studied the image on my data pad. It leaned back slightly, feathers rustling as it considered my words. "Interesting," it murmured, voice still smooth and melodic. "I haven't seen this man personally. However, there are whispers, that I might have heard."

My pulse quickened at the possibility of a lead, but I kept my expression neutral. "And what would it take for you to share that information?"

The owl tilted its head again, its beak clicking softly. "Ah, straight to the point, are we? Good. I appreciate that in a visitor. You see I am a being that likes to collect items of value, I deal in favors, and I expect something in return for my... assistance."

My expression didn't change I was already expecting something like this but there was a limit to what I would do. "I see but sorry I don't go around killing for fun."

"Ah, but you haven't even heard of my offer yet. There's a certain item in the possession of a rival gang—an artifact, to be precise. They call it the "Silver tear". It’s said to have magical properties, though I doubt they understand its true value. I want it. Bring it to me, and I’ll tell you everything I know about CC."

"Silver Tear, huh?" I mused, filing the name away in my mind. "Where can I find this gang? And how long?"

The owl smiled, if such a thing was possible for a beaked creature. "Not far from here. The gang operates on the outskirts of Logi near the south end. And I give you a week since you see the festival is around the corner and I am a busy man."

I nodded slowly, already formulating a plan in my mind. "Consider it done. I'll get you the Silver Tear."

The owl made a soft, approving noise, leaning back into the shadows. "Good. I'll be waiting. And when you return with the artifact, we'll see just how much you're willing to pay for the information you seek."

I looked at the owl and asked. "And what should I call you?"

The owl like being looked at me with an almost expression less face. "Zeed."

This job was going to be dangerous, but I had no choice. If I was going to find CC and put an end to whatever he was involved in, I needed that information. Then again for someone like me it wouldn't be hard to get in and out of a simple building.

As I stepped back into the main room, I saw Orvox still standing there, his arms crossed as he watched the thugs warily. The woman with the scar narrowed her eyes at me but said nothing.

Without a word I left and Orvox followed behind me I was still on edge about him since I barely knew the guy.

Walking a good amount of distance from the location and near to our apartment I suddenly stopped and gave him a bow.

"Then this is our goodbye I go my way and you go yours."

As I straightened up from my bow, Orvox’s vertical eyes bore into mine with an unreadable expression. He let out a short chuckle, the kind that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

"Good night," he said with a low rumble. "May the flames bless you."

With that, he turned on his heel and disappeared into the night, his massive form melting into the shadows of the narrow streets. I watched him go, a strange mix of relief and unease settling in my chest. Something told me this wouldn’t be the last time our paths crossed.

I exhaled slowly and began walking again, my steps echoing off the cracked pavement. The streets were quieter now, the city’s noise fading into the background as I approached the apartment building where I was staying.

I walked through the apartment silently making my way to the third floor. As I passed by the half-open door of my landlord’s apartment-it peaked out with twitching antennae and shiny black eyes. It stared at me for a moment, its mandibles clicking softly, but it said nothing. I hurried past, feeling a shiver run down my spine.

As I reached my door, I could still feel his eyes on me. I fumbled with the keys for a moment, eager to get inside. Finally, the lock clicked, and I slipped into the apartment, closing the door behind me with a sigh of relief.

The small space was exactly how I’d left it—bare, functional, and impersonal. The bed was neatly made, the small kitchen untouched. I tossed my coat onto the back of a chair and made my way to the window, pulling back the thin curtain to peer outside. The city stretched out below me, a maze of lights and shadows. Somewhere out there was CC, and I was getting closer. But first, I had a job to do—a dangerous one that could easily go south if I wasn’t careful.

I closed the curtain and sank down onto the bed, exhaustion finally catching up to me. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, and I’d need every bit of rest I could get. But for now, I allowed myself a moment of peace, closing my eyes and letting the weight of the day fade away.