“War rages on both coasts, with away forces continuing to hold down the shores of Songriveii, and our own armies making sure to defend our coasts as well. Spending has increased by tens of millions of sigil just to keep up with the cost of maintaining arial naval ships and sea ships. The economy is on the brink of collapse, as more small business in all twelve holds and in several surrounding towns close their doors. Yet, despite this, mega chains like Illie’s Supermart, Castora’s, and Golem – three of the biggest corporate chains in the country – raked in more than three-point-six trillion sigil in last year’s profits alone. More later when we return, I’m Helonica Mayim, channel seven news-”

  “Bloody bastards,” barked Thillan, a tall dark elf with short, braided hair and piercings lining his left ear. His voice was powerful, and his cockney accent was thick. His eyes were a deep ebony color, and his frame was cut and lean. He looked like he could outrun a fleet of military trucks – or punch his way through them. He wore a loose and baggy black tank top, harem pants held up by their in-built waist strings tied in a knot, and stylish sneakers to match. His right arm was covered in intricate tattoos that reached over his shoulder and onto his chest.

  Sitting beside him was Asher. About as tall as Thillan, and just as uniquely styled. He was well-kept. His black hair was slicked back, and his facial hair was trimmed neatly. He was as fit as his friend, but he wasn’t covered in ink – not that anyone would be able to tell. He wore a sage Henley with the top two buttons undone, which loosely draped down the waist of his black jeans. He wore dress shoes, and a nice watch on his wrist. He carried himself with beaming confidence, and presented an aura of mystery, allure and class.

  “That they are, Thillan,” Asher said, his voice smooth and velvet. “That’s why these recent developments are so important. Your girlfriend and the new one should be here tomorrow. In the meantime, there’s another job we have to take.”

  Thillan sighed. “Time to rough up a spook.” He stood, cracked his neck, and grabbed the pair of knuckles Asher held out for him.

  Their mission was simple, violent, and if all went right, everyone would walk home with no broken bones. There was someone who held information on one of the greatest vaults of imperial data, rumored to have been stored in D’Vnora since the dawn of the internet age, but they were only rumors… Until Asher had caught wind of an Enthedrillan official spotted walking out of an obscure, supposedly abandoned building. That same official was spending some R&R in Shamol, and it was perfect timing considering the massacres in the congregations across the country.

  “We’re only trying to extract information from him. If there’s any sign of military support – not that the empire would dare try to break one of their oldest statutes – we’re out,” Asher explained, handing him a facemask and a wraparound voice changer.

  “Don’t need to tell me twice. I’ve got the rendezvous. If I have to, I’ll call Kamille and have them meet us in Livvyton rather than here.”

  “Good. Let’s get a move on.”

  Only a few blocks away, they slipped behind apartment buildings and stuck to the alleyways where there wasn’t a soul in sight. It was one of the beauties of having someone like Thillan, who regularly frequented the small town with his girlfriend when they weren’t off with their independent darkling cells, ravaging the empire’s infrastructure with prejudice. They both slipped on black hoodies as per their plan, and Thillan couldn’t have been more grateful that the season was the brisk cool of autumn.

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  Pulling him from his thoughts, Asher stopped at the corner of the building across from their destination. Satisfied that the coast was clear, they scurried across towards a small bar frequented by the town’s locals. Many of the ones who came were sympathizers to the darklings, so when they saw someone new, there was a hesitation to make them feel welcome.

  That day, their target was anything but welcome.

  Asher slipped into the bar swiftly and gracefully, and Thillan wasn’t far behind. The smell of stale cigarettes and potent alcohol wafted across his nose, and his mouth began to water for a strong whiskey. Perhaps we can hit up one of the other bars near the apartment, he thought to himself. He and Asher were close friends, and they often went out for a drink before and after a big mission. Even though this seemed small, the reward for the information they could get out of this op was huge.

  His silver-tongued friend wasted no time between entering, spotting their target, and leading Thillan over to him. They slipped their arms through his and lifted him in such a way that any attempt to resist would hurt. Despite the protests, his grunts of pain and panicked begging were the only sounds that could be heard above the soft music and the clamoring of a knocked-over chair. Everyone turned their heads and let the two do what they were going to do. So they dragged him into the back while he shrieked like a frightened child.

  Thillan kicked the door open, and the one after that. When they entered the manager’s office, they sat him down in one of the metal folding chairs, and started hitting him over and over in the face until blood started to drip from his mouth and nose. One of his eyes was already swollen by the time they were done with him, and the tears readily streamed down his cheeks.

  “What did I do to you guys?! Why are you doing this?! Please let me go!!” He screamed. His blonde hair was already a sweaty mess, and his hyperventilating echoed in the small office.

  “You have access to the data-vaults in D’Vnora. We need that access,” Asher demanded. His voice was obscured by the changer he wore.

  “W-What?! You don’t understand! None of you do! I know exactly who you are, darklings! You think you’re just going to waltz into the vault like you own the place?!”

  “Good. You confirmed its existence. Now tell us how to get in.”

  The official smirked after he coughed up blood. “You think it’ll be that easy? Even if I tell you, you don’t think they’ve planned every possible break in for the most secure data vault in the entire country? What, you think you can just fabricate ID’s and walk through the front door? They have DNA analysis on every citizen of this country. They have facial recognition software, and they have… Officials… Operatives… Off-the-books types. There are no official records of their existence. You have absolutely no chance of breaking in-”

  Thillan didn’t let him get another word in before knocking him out. “Asher, this is shittin’ crazy,” he spat as he pulled off his voice changer and mask. “He confirmed the existence of one of the most secure vaults, and it’s got shit we haven’t even begun to imagine-”

  “I know…” Asher interrupted, pulling off his own mask and changer. “…This changes things a bit.” He stroked his chin as he contemplated his next course of action.

  “Not even Ruat can give you the right kind of clearance, if this joker is speakin’ the truth. At least, I don’t think they can.”

  “So, what if we enlisted? Or at least me… I could spend the next few years moving through the ranks, proving myself a valuable asset to them.”

  “Asher, military advancement would take decades to get you to the point where you could access them. Our friend here made it clear they have data on every citizen. That includes us. If you expressed interest in the vaults, it would immediately raise red flags. I mean, if he didn’t blunder around like a bloody sod, we wouldn’t even have confirmation that the vault exists. The mere fact we know it exists is a threat.”

  He was silent as he contemplated Thillans words. “Let’s get out of here before he wakes. We need to get ready for our guests tomorrow anyways. Maybe having them here will help us come up with a plan.”

  Thillan shrugged as they threw off their hoodies and emerged from the office. Asher flipped a sigil to the barkeep, enough to generously pay for his cooperation in their dealings and for the mess they left. His mind immediately drifted to D’Vnora and Asher’s wild plans, drowning out the sounds and smells around them as they made their way to the exit. He almost wanted to chuckle; Asher was a nutter…

  …But Thillan wouldn’t have it any other way.