Keagan made it to the steps outside before stopping. “Now where will all the trainers be?”

  “If I had to guess, the stronger ones will be waiting somewhere centralized.” I nodded to the arena stands. “If the tritons do attack, they need to be able to go there from anywhere. The younger and weaker monsters can handle the patrols easily enough.”

  “Is there an inn that’s more centralized?” Nieve asked.

  Keagan shrugged as he headed for the stands. “Couldn’t tell you. But maybe I’ll be able to see more higher up.”

  We climbed up the steps to the top row, but in the fog, we couldn’t see anything.

  Keagan sat in a seat, his shoulders slumped. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”

  Nieve tapped her helmet. “Maybe you could make an announcement right here. It’s the closest to yelling from a mountain top we’ve got.”

  “The kid’s voice doesn’t travel well.” I pulled my ears back. “And it’s worse with all this fog. I can tell my hearing is dampened in this weather.”

  Nieve crossed her arms. They made a hollow tink sound. She jumped at the sound. “I’ve got it!”

  She took a gauntleted hand, pulled it away, and tucked it into a side pouch of her pack. Keagan shot to his feet.

  Before the boy could say anything, she removed the bracer and handed it to him. “Use this. It will help.”

  Keagan started at it. “You want me to yell into your arm?”

  I sighed. “Put it over your mouth and then yell. It will amplify your voice.” He started to bring the wider end to his face. “Other way, kid.”

  He chuckled nervously. “Right. Okay.” He flipped it around, took a deep breath, and screamed, “Any trainers and monsters capable and willing to…”

  I flattened my ears to the painful screeching. “Stop!” I slapped his hands down with my tail. “Yell, don’t scream.”

  He looked at me then to the bracer. “But I was yelling.”

  I shook my head. “No. No you weren’t. You’re not supposed to be raising your voice as high as you can. You need to project your voice.”

  He pointed to the bracer. “Isn’t that what this thing is for?”

  I groaned. “Ugh, kid, no. That will amplify only. Push with your diaphragm. Be forceful with your voice.”

  The boy tilted his head. “My what?”

  I pressed my nose to his stomach. “Here. You know how to flex these muscles right?” He nodded. “Flex them as you talk. You’ll feel the air pushed out differently. That’s how you find your diaphragm. Once you find out, push down hard on it, that’s how you project your voice and keep it understandable.”

  He held out the bracer. “Then you do it.”

  I turned my head. “It won’t work with my muzzle. Maybe if I stuck my head in Nieve’s curass.”

  The dullahan waved her remaining hand. “Nope. You can do that. I’m using it. I can spare a hand, maybe a leg. But not my chest.”

  Keagan tightened his grip and took another deep breath. “Any trainers and monsters able and willing to fight the tritons, please come to the arena in the center of town.”

  I nodded. “Better.”

  We waited for a moment, but there were no replies.

  “I can’t hear anything,” I said.

  Keagan handed the armor back to Nieve. “Just howl as long and loud as you can, Lucia.”

  My tail flicked. “If nobody comes, then we’re on our own.”

  The boy lowered his head and nodded.

  I took a deep breath, tilted my head back, and howled. It rattled the bones in my chest as I held it as long as I could. Once I was done, I heard footsteps.

  “What in the godless hells is going on?” some guy shouted from beyond the fog.

  “Ha ha!” a familiar voice laughed along with the scraping of claws.

  Yaz burst into view first—well, more like skidded. The little feathered lizard slipped on the damp step, chirped in surprise, and grabbed the wooden railing with both claws before he could tumble down the row.

  “Loud!” He pointed a claw at me. “And I knew you wanted to fight. You lied.”

  Dillon emerged behind him, still wearing the exact same unimpressed expression he greeted us with earlier. “That you making all that racket?” he asked, jerking a thumb at me. “Figured it had to be. No other monster in town can howl like that.”

  Ferndella isn’t with them. She’s probably watching the coast.

  I bared a fang. “It worked; it got your attention.”

  He shrugged and pulled a wrapped sandwich out of his pocket. “Fair point.”

  Behind him, more trainers and monsters materialized from the fog—four silhouettes at first, then five when another pair stumbled in like they’d been arguing the entire way.

  The first pair was a hulking man with a walking statue of a kappa. His coat was patched with old water stains and damp moss clung to the hem. His beard was more stubble than not, and his dark hair was just as stubbly with a clear balding spot in the back.

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  “Ghrel doesn’t like loud noises,” the man said, patting the creature next to him.

  “There’s no danger,” it croaked. The ground depressed deeply with each of its steps. “Why are we here, Harrin?”

  Based on the other monsters I’ve seen, it’s a kappa mixed with golem.

  A wiry woman arrived next. Her hair was cropped short on the sides but long on top, gathered into a messy series of knots that trailed down her back. She wore a half-cloak over a leather jerkin with both tiny pockets bulging from contents I couldn’t see. Her green eyes were sharp despite the heavy bags under them.

  “We were sleeping,” the woman groaned. “The fog’s so thick I nearly walked into a chimney. You’re supposed to warn me about these things, Flit.”

  Perched on her shoulder with a cocky grin was a small pixie woman with avian features. She had sleek brown plumage with spots of black and white across much of her one-foot-tall body, a tiny hooked beak, and taloned feet kicking playfully. Her tail feathers and arm wings were tucked in tight to her body.

  “Ah, come on, Marella, you only almost walked into it.” Flit’s voice was came out as a song. “It’s not like I can magically see any better than you can. Fog is fog.”

  A pixie and with roc ancestry? Hmm.

  From the other side of the arena walk in a lanky man leading a metallic-scaled snake.

  The final one stumbled forward with a with a frantic look and heavy breathing like he’d ran over to us. His coat was oversized, buttoned crookedly, and jingled with little metal rings on the pockets. His thin moustache curled at the ends like he’d put effort into grooming as long as you didn’t look too close at his hair that looked more than a little tossed.

  “So, this was just a waste of time?” the trainer muttered. “False alarm, Velloc, let’s go.” He scratched the back of his head as he turned around. “What do I do now? Hanna isn’t going to be in the mood anymore.”

  The massive serpent sliding beside him made him look small. Velloc’s body was as thick as my hindleg and stretched the length of a the man’s height three time over. His scales shimmered in the metallic silver of steel. The flared cobra hood had a pair of eyes on the outside that matched his two glowing green on his face.

  His black tongue flicked out. “Bram, I’m hungry. You dragged me out here for nothing. You can appologize by feeding me.”

  Keagan threw his hands up and ran to the center of the fighting arena. “Wait, don’t go! Listen, I have to a plan to end everything.” Everyone watched him collect himself. “We need volunteers.”

  Dillon snorted. “Someone’s always in need of volunteers, kid. Is this important?”

  “Yes,” Keagan said. “This is very important.”

  Yaz tilted his head at him. “Explain. All fights are put on hold.”

  Keagan took a breath, but Nieve stepped forward and waved a gloved hand. “The tritons. We are going to deal with them.”

  Marella clicked her tongue. “Someone is already supposed to be coming. You’re not the one the Association sent for are you?” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Ugh, it’s too early for this.”

  Dillon wiped his mouth. “We already knew they were stirring. Nobody’s sticking a boat into that water until they’re gone.”

  “No, no.” Flit hopped off Marella’s shoulder and hovered above the kid. “I want to hear this. This sounds interesting.”

  Bram waved his hand. “Unless you’re paying, I’m out. I’ve got bills to pay. And thanks to you, I’ve got to feed Velloc. ”

  “What if we did pay you?” Nieve ran up and stood next to Keagan.

  Bram stopped mid step. “You’ve got my attention. How much?”

  Nieve placed her hand to her chest. “Experience and the satisfaction of defending your homes. And I will cook up a big feast. But if you wanted to eat some of the tritons, I guess that’s fine. I don’t know what a silverscale snake eats. There’ll be plenty to eat, you could gain some levels—what’s there not to take advantage of?”

  Velloc turned to Bram and nodded his head towards Nieve. “I’ve not tried triton before. Besides, you’ve been pestering me to upgrade Vile Venom to Debilitating Venom.”

  Bram pursed his lips. “Yeah, but tritons swarm. If you get surrounded by multiple, you could get seriously hurt. Count us out. It’s not worth the cost.”

  I rolled my eyes. But if money is involved, you’d risk it. Oh well; more for me.

  Keagan deflated as Bram and Velloc left. “He didn’t even hear the plan,” he whispered.

  A long silence followed as the fog swallowed the two into obscurity.

  Dillon walked up and placed a hand on Keagan’s shoulder. “Look, Keagan, I know you’re set on leaving on a boat as soon as possible, but you just have to be patient.”

  Yaz shook his head. “I want to hear. What is the plan?”

  Harrin scratched his chin. “Yes, just us what’s the plan. Because you clearly have one. Also, you could take this moment to tell us who are you?”

  “Oh, right.” Keagan nodded and cleared his throat. “My name is Keagan, a simple trainer. I want to lure a manageable number of tritons to shore—somewhere open with lots of room. We’re going to corral them using bait and pick them apart while they’re weakened.”

  He pointed to me. “Lucia here can handle the bulk of the fighting once they’re on land. All you have to do is make sure she’s not surrounded. If things get dangerous, we’ll retreat further inland and the tritons won’t chase because they’ll have to return to the ocean; since they can’t stay on land more than few dozen or so minutes.”

  The tiny bird pixie laughed. “You want to drag tritons out of the water on purpose, using food as bait; then fight them on land?”

  “Yes,” Keagan answered.

  Ghrel rubbed his forearm. “That’s reasonable.”

  That surprised everyone. They all snapped their heads toward the stone kappa.

  His trainer cleared his throat. “Look. I’m not saying it won’t work—it could. But I’ve got a family. Ghrel here—he’s a good boy, but he’s not fast enough to retreat if things go bad. And we don’t know exactly how strong they all are.”

  Ghrel lowered his head.

  “I’m out,” the man finished. “Your plan is for those who specialize in mobility. We are the wrong type for this.”

  Then Merella raised her hand. “Same. I’m not throwing my harpy into a blender. Good luck, though.”

  “Nope,” Flit chirped. “I want to help.”

  Merella wagged her finger. “You’re coming with me. This isn’t our fight.”

  The harpy spun upwards in the air in a flourish. “I’ve just reached D-rank. I need new attacks. Besides, I have the easiest time running away out of everyone here.” She landed next to Nieve and crossed her wings. “You don’t have to come. Go home, I’ll be back later.”

  The woman groaned and rubbed her temples. “Fine. I guess we’re helping. Might as well get some easy levels.”

  I narrowed my eyes on her. “Easy? When things are easy, something always goes wrong.”

  She waved her hand dismissively. “Okay, maybe not all easy. I guess we should just take the opportunity as it presents itself.”

  Yaz jumped up and down. “I fight! I fight!” He pointed to me. “I will kill more than you, my rivial.”

  “It’d be good experience,” Dillon said as he frowned. “But Yaz, you’re not doing this your way. You’re going to listen to me. Follow my orders as I give them, got it?”

  Yaz chirped a victorious trill and rubbed Dillon’s side with his shoulder.

  Keagan beamed. “Thank you. That’s three. That’s enough, it has to be.”

  Nieve clapped her hands together. “Oh good! Then we should all get breakfast before we begin, right? Who wants cupcakes?”

  I glared at her. “Again with the cupcakes?”

  Yaz’s tail perked up immediately. “Food?”

  Dillon groaned. “Do you ever think about anything else?”

  “Battle,” Yaz chirped. “Food then battle.”

  Keagan chuckled. “Okay… okay. Let’s meet at the docks in an hour. ”

  Everyone dispersed. I watched them go, my eyes landing on the kid. He turned his gaze towards the ocean. There was a light of pure determination sparkling in them.

  I will have to share my kills, but with more of us, the greater chance of success. A failure would delay my vengeance. Luther deserves no more delays. He deserves my fangs piercing his heart.

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