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Towen spent the evening that day resting and pondering tomorrow's busy schedule. He'd have to get up early and immediately focus on the investigation. The longer he waited, the harder it would be to pick up on any clues. The list of suspects was enormous, there were easily dozens, if not over a hundred people who would benefit from the princess's disappearance. From political rivals, and other nations, to lesser nobles who wanted to marry their daughter to the prince who, if the princess was not found, would be named heir in her place. Perhaps even the family of sons whom the princess rejected when offered a marriage proposal.

He went to bed early that night and was early to rise. He had a small breakfast, instead of his usual one. Just so he could get to work figuring this out as soon as possible. He gathered up his things and put them all into his pack. He then headed to Commander Fenian's office. The elf was sitting behind his desk as usual.

Towen came inside and saluted. The man saluted back. “Captain Towen reporting for duty."

Commander Fenian spoke up. “First class." He said to the lionman. “Not just captain. Captain first class. You are a rank above captain, don't forget it. Use it, if you have to to get people to cooperate. Other captains will be difficult, but don't let that stop you. Doing your duty is more important than preserving their feelings."

Towen nodded his head softly. “Yes sir. So I was thinking of starting in her room and retracing her steps as best I could the day of the disappearance, it was only yesterday, so there might be some clues. I'll also question her guards, there's no way they were unaware of her sneaking out to go to the academy."

The commander nodded his head slightly. “Here, before you go." He takes out a pouch from a drawer and sets it on the tabletop. “This is a lightbag. It can carry many times the weight of a wagon's worth of stuff in it and never get heavier. No matter how much you put in it, it's always light."

Towen looks at it, then at the commander. “Sir, are you sure this is acceptable to give to someone like me?"

The commander nods his head. “They're pretty common for royals and nobles to possess. It's a perk of being a captain first class." He grins.

Towen takes the bag and puts his whole backpack into it. Then cinches it to his hip, and it feels like he wasn't carrying anything at all. He stretched out his arms and felt significantly better without that extra weight on his shoulders. “Thank you, commander."

Fenian nodded. “After this mess is cleaned up. We can discuss your sigil, and, perhaps a surname."

Towen knew about the sigil, but, he didn't expect to get a surname as well. He saluted Fenian however and started out the door. The first step was to go to the palace and begin his investigation.

Towen immediately headed to the palace and then to the princess's room. There weren't likely to be any clues there, but, he wanted to check it out, in the slim chance that there were.

On her tables were various things. Brushes, jewelry, and a mirror. The guards in the palace didn't take their eyes off of him while he was in the room, likely afraid a 'peasant' would steal something, but he didn't let it bother him. They were doing their job, no less than he was.

After checking the room and finding nothing that stood out, he asked the guards themselves. “So, you were guarding Princess Elizabeth, yes?"

The two men nodded their heads, one was a human, the other a dwarf. “She often snuck out, to go to the academy. Do you know what path she took?" The pair looked at each other, the dwarf stayed silent, but the human man spoke up.

“She often took the back alleys, the exact route I couldn't tell you. But she left through the kitchens. We knew she was sneaking out, she paid us in gold to keep silent about it. She said if she was going to rule the country, she needed to be a part of it. To live as the commoners do, to learn to fight and survive like they do. The only way she'd be a good leader is if she understood life from your perspective."

Towen tried not to let that jab at him sting too long. He nodded his head and replied. “I appreciate the honesty. I know it must be hard being in charge of someone and them going missing. I can't imagine the future the two of you are going to endure when word gets out. You may well end up in the dungeons." Towen said nonchalantly. Causing both men to get a panicked expression on their faces. “Especially if I find out either of you had anything to do with her disappearance."

The human didn't seem worried, but the dwarf's actions suddenly became aggressive.

Almost as soon as he said it, the dwarf brought down his spear and swung it at Towen. Towen sidestepped it, disarmed the guard, and with a well-placed strike, sent a jolt of electricity through the dwarf's armor, incapacitating him.

The human stood there, in shock as he watched the whole thing.

Towen looked up and sighed. “Go get some guards. This man intended to harm me, meaning he didn't want me to investigate the disappearance of the princess."

The man nods, then salutes, turns, and runs into the door frame before he heads outside the room to get help. Towen sighed, how either of these men was granted such prestigious positions was beyond him. Probably sons of a duke, or something.

Towen waited for the other guards to arrive before he let the dwarf up. The man was still paralyzed from the electricity magic used on him. Paralysis wouldn't last too long. Maybe a few hours would give Towen time to talk to the captain of the palace guards, as well as look into the routes the princess could have taken from the castle to the academy. The others picked him up and carried him to be interrogated.

Towen went to find and speak to the captain. It was an older man, with white hair in his beard and mustache. Towen bowed out of respect and the man grumbled. “I hear you detained one of my guards." The man said.

Towen nodded. “Only because he tried to kill me."

The captain sighed softly. “Maybe he just dropped his spear and you misinterpreted it."

Towen stood up carefully and looked the man in the eye. “Maybe you have been lax in your training, and discipline of your men. They've already admitted to taking money from the princess to let her sneak out to attend the academy."

The man glowered as he looked at Towen. “Watch your tone."

Towen stood up fully now, looking the man in the eye. “Watch yours." His eyes focused intently on the man's own. “I may have only been just appointed. But I hold the rank of Captain first class, which means I outrank even you. I answer only to the royalty, and Commander Fenian himself. Not to you, and not to your men."

The captain grumbles and slumps. “Damnable Fenian." He sighs and looks at Towen. “Look, kid. I can investigate this without you. We are more than capable of rooting out the culprit."

Towen shook his head. “If that were true, you would have done so over a year ago, when Elizabeth started sneaking out. Assign me a partner, if you must, you would be a good choice. Seeing you would instill fear in everyone and surely wouldn't make them panic and keep silent."

Towen made sure to point that out. The captain was the last person anyone wanted to admit something to.

“I'm an outsider here. I hold no allegiance except to the truth and saving the princess. The longer you get in my way, and interrupt my investigation, the further away she is being stolen away to. She could already be in another city by this point."

The captain grumbled louder and sighed. “Fine, you upstart. But I will be telling the king about this."

Towen grins and nods. “Good. I look forward to telling him how you impeded my investigation, and when I eventually find Elizabeth, who she can blame for her being found outside the city walls, if not on another continent by the time you stopped wasting my time."

The man grunted loudly at that. “Ugh, I'll keep Kosas in custody. He'll be in the barracks with Fenian. Check on him later." The man waves his hand dismissively.

Towen shook his head and looked the man in the eye. “No. You are dismissed, captain." The human's eyes got wide and full of anger, but he swallowed his pride and walked away.

Towen waited till the man was out of sight before he deflated and took in a hard breath. “By the gods that was scary."

From his side, a young male voice was heard. “You must be very brave or very stupid."

Towen turned to look, seeing a young man, maybe….ten, perhaps twelve years of age. Short platinum blonde hair, and incredibly regal attire on his person.

Towen immediately turned and took a knee, head bowed. The young man laughed and watched him. “You may rise. At least you know where you stand."

Towen stood slowly and kept his gaze lowered. Daring not to look the heir-prince in the eye.

“Come now, don't be shy. You were full of fire just moments ago, talking to Captain Idrain."

Towen nods his head softly. “Yes, my lord. He was being difficult while I was trying to investigate the disappearance of your dear sister."

The young man sighs softly. “Ugh, I know. She always has to be the center of attention, doesn't she? Even when she disappears, she's all anyone talks about." The young man turns. “But, if you ever need help, please, come seek me out. I can give you royal authority to do anything since my father will be too busy."

Towen bows. “Thank you, my lord. I will do so if the need arises." He raised his gaze just enough to see the young prince round a corner and disappear out of sight. Towen turned and slumped against a wall, his heart was pounding out of his chest, it was throbbing so hard. That was terrifying. The prince wasn't well known to be friendly, rumors of the young man's cruelty were common, even in the academy.

Well, he had a lead, but he had to wait for the man to come out of paralysis. So his next step was to leave the palace via the kitchens. He went through the palace till he found the kitchen and then the entrance used by the servants and those who brought in the food.

Leaving through that door, directly ahead was a wall, and then heading left, or right led to the front of the palace, or the dungeons where criminals were held. It didn't seem like a wise idea to walk in front of the dungeons on the way to school. So that meant he had to go the other way. About halfway down there were a bunch of cracks in the wall. If one were careful and skilled enough they could very likely have climbed here.

Towen carefully put his hands in what looked like handholds and carefully climbed the wall. Once he was atop it, hopping down the other side was a simple matter. There was a well-walked path from this point forward. There was something of a garden in the area, food being grown, but the damaged wall was near some grass, making the walked path obvious, at least until they got to the dirt path that the servants used to go into town.

Towen followed this and was again presented with a few options. Left towards the fields, which didn't make sense. Forward which was more fields, and then right, which led to the city, down a hill. It seemed the most logical path. He kept this up going till the path branched and considered which provided the most cover when trying to get to the academy, both in the evening and in the mornings.

He was at one such branch. To his left led to the lower districts, to the right was the center of town, and straight ahead was the academy, not directly, of course, but, it seemed the quickest route. Which would she take though? Going straight there seemed too obvious. Especially if she was trying to not be noticed. Going to the center of town didn't sound like it was viable either. Lots of people were often there, even in the mornings and evenings. The odds of being spotted were higher, so the only option remaining was the lower district, which circled back around to the academy, in a roundabout way. There was also the possibility of sewer access from the lower district to get into the academy.

Towen was about to start down that path when he noticed there was a metal pipe along one of the houses at this intersection. He touched it lightly and it moved ever so slightly, pulling outward. As if it'd been pulled outward a few times before.

He looked up and noticed there was some scuffing on the side of the wall, spaced apart like footprints. This immediately made the lion think that perhaps she went to the rooftops from this point. It would allow her to get to the academy relatively unseen and quickly.

He carefully gripped the pipe and climbed up it following the path he believed she'd taken.

Once atop the roof, the city looked much differently, he looked out over the houses and saw so much he hadn't from the perspective of being on the ground earlier. The city looked like a small labyrinth, which he already considered previously, but from above, it looked even more so than before.

He looked out over the rooftops and he could see the academy from here now. So he followed the quickest route there, seeing a broken roof tile here and there, nothing too uncommon.

Once he got near the academy though, he noticed the rooftops further apart, and there was a big gap between the roof and the wall around the academy grounds. Either she jumped from here into the academy, or she went in the front gate. He didn't notice any particular place she'd jumped to on the other side of the wall from the rooftop, meaning, she climbed down somewhere.

Towen looked around the area, using the rooftops to look down over everything, looking for a viable and safe means to get to the ground. It was a few houses north, but there was a stack of boxes, rather large that had been there for some time, that made a makeshift climbable surface to the roofs. If you wanted to come down off the roofs, that was like the safest path. He took them down, and as he rounded the corner, noticed signs of a fight.

There were blade strikes in the side of the house, stone chipped around the ground, and a discarded dagger kicked into the bushes beside the house. This was just outside the academy grounds, and quite some distance from the front gate. Assuming she didn't climb the wall, which was unlikely, it was most certainly the path she often took to the academy.

Not only that but from the looks of the environs, this was where she was most likely attacked. The stone itself wasn't a sign of such. Stones were damaged all over the road, but these were recent, the dagger was of poor quality and this was far too close to the academy for something so cheaply made to likely be lost.

The odds of it being someone from the school were slim at best. It must have belonged to an attacker. Towen collected it and put it into a pouch. He couldn't exactly use magic to track who owned it. He pondered a moment, but...he could take it to the smithing guild. They kept pretty good records, and if he was just a citizen returning what he considered a lost weapon, they'd contact the owner, if they had any record of them and he could deliver it to them.

He headed to the smithing guild and set the blade on the counter. The man behind the counter smiled. “Good morning sir, is this a donation?"

Towen shook his head. “I found this in town, I figure someone must have lost it. Do you think that you could check it over and see if it belongs to anyone in your records?"

The man smiles and nods. “Of course. One moment." He picked up the item and went into the back. He was back there a good while before he returned and smiled. “Good news sir. It seems we do have a record of this weapon. It belongs to one of our members. He registered it a few months ago. You can tell it's his by the notches he puts into the base of the hilt here." The man lifts the weapon and shows the pommel, where initials were carefully carved into the metal there, despite the poor workmanship of the overall weapon, the initials were unmistakably well etched.

Towen nods. “Can I have his address so that I might return it personally? I'm sure he must be missing it." Towen then makes sure the man behind the counter sees the pin on his shirt, showing that he's a graduate of the academy. “I can't get into the details, but, it's important that I speak to him."

The man had noticed the badge on the lion's shirt already but understood what the extra effort that Towen put into it likely meant, this was an investigation and it was important that the information be kept under wraps till Towen had what he needed.

“Of course sir. I'll get a slip of paper and write down the relevant information for you." The man turns and heads back into the room. Returning a few moments later with something scribbled on a piece of paper. As he handed it over to Towen he leaned in. “Be careful sir. I do not mean to speak out of turn, however, the people associated with Tooli tend to be….dangerous. Please use the utmost caution."

Towen raised an eyebrow but nodded, he accepted the paper and stepped away from the counter so the next person could get the help they needed. Towen took the dagger as well and read the paper carefully. On the slip of paper was the name Tooli, the guild he was associated with, his adventurer rank, which was still copper, and that he often hung out around the lower districts, but no address was listed.

Towen left the Smiths guild and went to talk to Commander Fenian. Sharing all the info he'd gained so far.

He knocked on the door gently and waited for permission, before entering.

He sat down in one of the chairs and offered over the slip of paper and the dagger. “One of the princess's guards attacked me. The captain identified him as Kosas. After speaking to him, I followed the path I believe Elizabeth took from the palace to the academy. I found what seemed to be signs of a struggle. And this dagger is hidden in some bushes. I took it to the smiths guild and it was made by a man named Tooli. I believe this man is associated with whoever took Lady Elizabeth."

Fenian nods his head a touch. “That's good work on your first day." He laughs. “Kosas is still in custody, however, he has not recovered from the paralytic magic you used. I heard a complaint from Captain Idrain as well. You used your authority to put him in his place and he did not take it kindly." The elf laughed though, grinning. “His face was so red. I can't imagine what you said but it made my day."

Towen's ears flattened to his head and he chuckles. “Sorry sir, I didn't mean to cause any trouble. But also, thank you, commander. I was meaning to ask, would it be acceptable to have someone work with me? I have a friend I think would be suited to assisting me, but I wanted to make sure it was okay before even broaching the topic with them."

Commander Fenian nods. “Well, as long as you keep the details a secret, I don't see why not. They can't know whom you are looking for. At the very least, you can't directly say who. They must also understand the risks involved. Don't put lives at risk carelessly."

Towen nods his head. “This man is rather skilled in combat, or at least, that's the impression I get. So I think he'd be a good counter to my way of doing things."

Commander Fenian nods again. “Very well. As long as you understand the risks of bringing someone else to help, and they accept them, I see nothing wrong with this." He pushes the paper and dagger back towards Towen. “Tooli is a fairly well-known name. We've arrested him for a few petty crimes in the past. Stealing, assault, trespassing." He waves his hand. “Nothing too terrible. He's spent a few weeks in lock up over the years."

Towen nods his head. “Is he a runner?"

Fenian nods. “Yeah. Tends to be.So having a second person to box in might be a good idea."

Towen nods and gathers the things he showed Fenian and salutes him, the elf salutes him back, then he leaves the room.

As he was leaving the barracks he saw the three that traveled with him, back when he first arrived to Macta from Vrose, waving to them, they waved back and went about their business before he went to his favorite restaurant for lunch. It'd been a few hours now and he needed something to tide him over till dinner. Breakfast was light so he could get to the investigation as soon as possible.

As he walked into the restaurant he recognized a familiar face. Wukin was sitting at a table, he turned and saw Towen, smiling and waving to him. Towen joined him at the table he was at since the monkey was sitting alone. “I was hoping I'd run into you," Towen said as he sat down.

Wukin perks his eyebrows. “Oh? Does that mean that you passed your exam?"

Towen nods his head. He was about to speak when the waiter came over and smiled. “Good afternoon Towen. Would you like your usual?"

The lionman nods and smiles. “Yes, please. Extra cheese today."

The waiter nods and smiles. “And you sir?" He asks Wukin.

The monkey smiles. “Oh, the same as Towen I suppose."

The man nods and disappears into the kitchen to deliver the order.

Towen looks to Wukin. “I thought you went back to Halfsea. It was only a few days ago that I saw you."

Wukin blinks and nods. “Oh, yeah, I just like to come here for lunch. Ever since you brought us here I've kind of fallen in love with the food here."

Towen blinks and scratches his head. “You….travel from Halfsea to here just to eat?"

Wukin nods. “Yes, is that….odd?"

Towen nods. “It's over a day's travel."

Wukin laughs. “Oh, haha, no, not for me."

Towen squints. “Hmmm."

Wukin waves his hand. “Don't worry about it. For now, let's just enjoy each other's company."

Towen sighs but nods. “Alright, I won't push." He smiles though and looks to the monkey. “But, I was sincerely hoping to run into you. I graduated, as you likely surmised. Not just graduated, but I'm head of the class, and given a...promotion. I was promoted to Captain First Class, think of it as a rank higher than captain. There are only a handful on the continent. We're like...special investigators, we report only to the royal family and Commander Fenian directly. As I understand it, only the top of each class is given the special distinction."

Wukin perks his eyebrows, he'd heard of the rank before. “That's impressive."

Towen nods. “Yeah. Anyway, I've been charged with an investigation, immediately. I can't tell you the specifics, but it's dangerous and we're trying to find someone who was kidnapped."

Wukin nods his head softly. “No worries. I'm sure I'd figure it out in no time if I tried hard enough." He looks to Towen. “What do you need me for?" He asks the lion.

“Well, I don't have any backup. It's just me. I can't induct you into the guard or anything. And it'll be dangerous, there's a good chance we might die trying to unravel this case."

Wukin didn't seem phased at all, he just nodded. “Yeah, yeah. I could die just by leaving this restaurant. A carriage could come careening through the streets and catch me off guard." He waves his hand dismissively. “Threat of death isn't a real deterrent. I traveled with Gurak. Arguably the most dangerous man on the continent."

Towen nods his head softly and chuckles. “Fair point. Well, I'm investigating a kidnapping. A classmate. Just before graduation." None of that said anything about her true origins, so it should be safe to disclose.

Wukin nods. “And you wanted me to help you out? Because of my unique skill set?"

Towen shook his head softly. “I don't know your skill set." He points out to the monkey, who realized, that despite all the time they'd spent together, he'd never told the lion about what he was capable of.

Towen continues. “I wanted your help because you are one of the only people I trust."

Wukin's ears darkened and his cheeks turned slightly red under his white fur. He smiles though. “Oh….I….thank you. Towen." He smiles at the lionman. “I've never had someone….say that to me before."

Towen can't his head. “Why not? You seem a trustworthy fellow."

Wukin looks down at the table for a moment and shakes his head. “After our meal, I'll….show you. It's my past. Just so we are clear." He states as he looks at Towen. “But I won't want to keep it a secret any longer. After we eat, I'll take you to the place I check every time I return to Macta, well, besides here." He smiles. “The food is delightful. That orc, he said he was trying to create some sort of baked tart, with tomatoes and cheese, sounds like an odd combination."

Towen nods his head softly. “That does sound odd. But, he's never led us astray thus far. Whatever foods they had in his home world, must have been beyond understanding."

The pair chatted politely about his exam, how the teacher had used a mana zone spell, something he'd never seen before. It was supposedly a higher tier of magic, it flooded an area with mana and some of the laws of reality could be overwritten by doing so.

Wukin had heard of something like that, but he'd never seen it. Zamdor never talked about it either. It'd be something he could ask about later.

Towen continued and told him about talking to the three in charge, the headmistress, commander Fenian, and, Yehudiah. After the graduation ceremony, he left out the parts of the inquisition, simply telling Wukin that the first thing they'd done after graduating him, was giving him the case to investigate. He didn't want to worry Wukin with his future plans of taking on the elven church.

Just as Wukin was about to ask for details, the waiter returned with the two burgers and fried spuds that came with it. It even had some 'catch-up' in a small bowl on the side.

The pair ate, Towen was especially hungry after having such a small breakfast today, they finished their meal and Towen paid for both, leaving 6 silver on the table, as he often did when eating at this establishment. He always paid an extra silver for the service and food. With his increased pay, now that he was a Captain first class, he would be able to eat there every day, if he wanted to.

They left the restaurant and Wukin led him through the streets. Through the markets, down some other streets, he had only seen a handful of times, and into the lower district. However, they took a side path and stopped at a building that looked rather nice for the lower district. But it was dilapidated, however, like it'd been abandoned for some time. Wukin opened the door and went inside, Towen followed.

Inside the place was a mess. Papers were thrown everywhere, dust thick enough that you could push it with your finger. No signs of life inside the building for many months, perhaps a few years.

“This is where I worked," Wukin said as he moved to gesture to the building. “I was an Umbral Blade." He says finally.

Towen watched the monkey and knew he'd heard the term, but couldn't place it. “What does that mean, exactly?"

Wukin spoke softly. “It means, I killed for money."

Towen frowned softly. “You were an assassin."

The monkey nods his head softly. “Yes. Gurak bested me in combat, and instead of taking my life, he spared it. In doing so, incurred the wrath of the entire arm of the umbral blades here in Macta." He gestures to the room again. “You can surmise how it ended for them. I owe my life to Gurak. I never told him, but, I was going to end my life if he hadn't accepted me as part of his group. I had nothing to live for."

Towen nods his head softly. “But, you are no longer." He says just to be certain. The monkey nods.

“I am no longer. This arm of the blades is shut down. The last living member has been in hiding for months, somewhere in Macta, an elf with only one arm."

Towen nods his head. “And you have no intent to return?"

Wukin shook his head softly. “No. I only want to spend my days with Gurak." He rumbles out softly, smiling. “Though, there is a lion whose company I enjoy as well."

Towen's ears turned a little red and he chuckles. “Well, I don't mind a monkey, sometimes." He looks around the room, taking it in. “So you came back here, every time you visited Macta, to see if he'd returned."

Wukin nods. “Yes. I know he came back to Macta. But, he never returned here, at least, not but once. He was looking for something. I don't know what. Then he went into hiding. I look for him, from time to time when I visit. But he's eluded me, thus far."

Towen nods. “Well, I don't think he has anything to do with my investigation. This was a kidnapping, after all. A student with a bright future. She would have been top of the class if she hadn't disappeared."

Wukin nods his head. “Then, it's fortunate that she was. I can't think of anyone more qualified to be top of the class, than you."

Towen huffs softly. “Even so. We need to find her. Thank you, for telling me."

Wukin nods. “Well there's more, but, it can wait. Let's get to work."

Towen nods, and the pair leave the building and head into the lower district. “We're looking for a dwarven man named Tooli. He doesn't have an address listed, but, he does live in Macta."

Wukin shook his head. “I know Tooli." The monkey states simply. “He frequents the liquored lady, a tavern down here. Long black beard, and little beady brown eyes. Bald head. If he's anywhere, it's probably there."

Towen blinks and looks at Wukin. The monkey shrugs. “I lived in Macta for nearly ten years, before meeting Gurak. I probably know most of the scum in town, worked with some of them too."

Towen nods his head. “Well then, I chose the perfect person to help me out." Wukin smiles and nods.

“Oh, you have no idea." He winks at the lion and they continue down the street. Most folks seeing Wukin would shy back, or seeing the badge on Towen's chest, shied away from being possibly recognized. Seeing an assassin few recalled, but some knew, and a guard captain together was unheard of. Wukin didn't have a 'reputation', so much as he had a presence that just exuded danger, especially so when he was walking in the lower district.

The pair reached the Liquored Lady and went inside. It was rather quiet for a tavern in the middle of the day. There were only a few patrons inside, fortunately, one of them happened to be a dwarven man with, a long black beard, and a bald head, sitting in the corner, talking to a rather well-endowed elven lady, who made no move to scoot away when the dwarven hands got a little exploratory. Towen moved to sit beside the dwarf, and Wukin stood nearby.

The lionman slid over a silver to the woman. “Give us a moment, if you don't mind."

The dwarf grumbles. “Look, I don't swing that way anymore buddy."

Towen raises an eyebrow and shakes his head. He pulls out the dagger and puts it on the table. Looking at the dwarf. “I wanted to talk to you about a lady that went missing."

The dwarf made to stand up, but Towen grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him back to sitting. “You'll be free to go when I say."

The dwarf grunts. “I got nothing to say. Don't know nothing about no lady."

The lion grumbles. “I found this, where Azile was attacked. Identified it as yours."

The man shook his head. “I just lost it, is all. Stupid belt's always breaking and I lose my stuff all the time."

The lion growls. “I'm not playing around here. Where is she?"

The dwarf shook his head and pushed away from the lion. The dwarf gets up and the lion lets him. Wukin pats the dwarf on the back, as he whispers something. Tooli, seeing the monkey, recognized him, his eyes got huge and he quickly left the tavern. Towen went to follow and Wukin stopped him. Shaking his head.

“Let him run." He smiles at Towen. “I put something on him so I can track him." Unbeknownst to Towen, Wukin had placed a wind barrier on the dwarf. Big enough to be spotted from just about anywhere, and since it was magical, the monkey's ability to see it was unparalleled. No matter where the dwarf fled, there would be an invisible wind barrier around him the whole time. All Wukin had to do was see it, and since it could persist indoors or outdoors, nothing was stopping him from tracking the dwarf this way.

“But, we should follow him, albeit, from a ways back. So he's unaware." The monkey said. Towen nods and the pair left the tavern a few minutes later. Wukin kept looking upward, and they followed some unseen path, or at least it was unseen to Towen. Wukin kept his eyes upward, and Towen finally asked.

“What are you looking at?" The lion's curiosity was eating him up.

The monkey replies. “Magic." That is all the monkey said.

“You can see magic?" The lion asks, surprised.

The monkey nods. “Yeah. It's something we're trained to do in the umbral blades." He said like it was nothing to him. As common as the rain. “We can detect variances in mana and depending on how powerful something is, even detect what spell was cast, if within a certain time."

The lion nods his head softly. “That's impressive. Can I learn to do that?"

The monkey shook his head softly. “It's something unique to having dark element blessing. It's why kids who are born at that time of year are usually sold into slavery and bought up by the umbral blades."

Towen's ears flattened to his head, that wasn't something he knew, and it hurt to think about. “K...kids sold into slavery, just because of when they were born?"

The monkey nods, never looking away from his target, the wind barrier around the dwarf, several feet in the air above the dwarve's head. “Yeah. You never noticed that there are no people around with the darkness element? No one in the academy? No one in your caravan? No guards, no one at all?"

Towen blinked and looked up into the sky. “I...never thought about it. I just figured it was luck that I hadn't."

The monkey shakes his head. “Umbral blades seek out children with the darkness blessing. The only exception to this is Demis, in general. They're all dark elements. So they aren't recruited, but, any other race, if a child is born with darkness, they're usually either kidnapped or sold into slavery, either way, they end up in the hands of the umbral blades."

Towen frowned softly. “I'm sorry." He says softly. He puts his hand on Wukin's shoulder and squeezes it gently.

The monkey shakes his head, never losing focus on his target. “Don't be. You aren't to blame. That's the way of the world."

The lion frowns softly. “Then let's change it."

The monkey stops and turns to look at Towen for the first time since they left the tavern. “What?"

The lion nods. “Then we change the world."

The monkey laughs and smiles. “How're you gonna do that?"

The lion smiles and looks into Wukin's eyes. “Together, with you, Rulu, Zamdor, and Gurak."

The monkey perks his eyebrows and nods. “As soon as he gets back then, we can figure out how to do that." Wukin turns and focuses back on the wind barrier. They had been walking for some time and it was the seediest part of the lower district. Where prostitutes and addicts walked around. Towen did his best to focus on his goal, he could come to help these people once Lady Elizabeth was safe.

After a a little double-checking they finally found the building that Tooli had run to. It was a run-down building, though, that was true of most of the buildings in this part of town. It was also near some old mine shafts that existed.

Wukin looked to Towen and pointed to the old mineshafts. “If they smuggled her out, it would've been through there. These old mines spiderweb throughout the land underneath of Macta. No idea why though."

Towen grumbled, if they had already gotten her out of the city, it would be incredibly difficult to track her down.

Towen looked to Wukin. “Well, let's go in there and see what we can find out." Wukin nodded his head and stayed outside, while Towen went in.

Before going in, Towen anticipated trouble and channeled a spell. “Blessing of Thuellor, spark of lightning and ruler of the skies, charge up a powerful bolt to incapacitate all foes I face. Chain Paralysis." He keeps the spell held tightly in his hand, mana pouring into it to hold it ready.

As Towen went inside, the people inside stopped what they were doing and shouted, most of them going for weapons. Towen opened his palm and unleashed the spell, it hit the first man, a dwarf, Tooli, in fact, and then jumped from person to person, hitting each one with a full charge of paralysis, incapacitating just about everyone in the room.

The only one unaffected was a dwarven man, who had a shield, and it somehow dissipated the lightning magic before it struck him.

The man had an oddly familiar look about him. “Ahh, you must be Towen."

The man says as he gets up. The room is full of people lying on the ground with just Towen and this mysterious man standing opposite of him.

“I am. Though I can't say I know you. Might you do me the pleasure?"

The dwarf laughs. “I would, but, I fear you wouldn't reciprocate if I did." He grins and sighs. “No chance you'd just leave, is there?"

The lion shook his head. “Not without Azile."

The dwarf sighs. “Ahh, well damn. Just missed her. She left with a group of my friends yesterday evening. Down into the mines."

Towen growls, damn it all, it was too late. “That's fine. You can just tell me where they all went when you wake up."

He put his hand out and focused. “Blessing of Thuellor, spark of lightning, encase my foe and keep him in place. Lightning Cage!" Lightning lept from Towen's hand and boxed in the dwarf. He raised his shield and the spell dispersed almost immediately.

“Please kid, just walk away." The dwarf says. Towen shook his head.

“I can't. She's a friend." The dwarf sighs. “Then I'll make sure she knows you died valiantly."

Just as he was about to raise his hand to speak. A loud crack came from behind the dwarf and he stumbled forward, touched the back of his head, blood on his hand, before he slumped forward and laid face first on the floor.

Behind the man was Wukin, who had somehow snuck past everyone and knocked the man unconscious with a metal club.

Towen looked around the room and sighed. “We don't have time to arrest them all and go down into the mines after my friend."

The monkey tilts his head. “Can I ask you something, Towen?"

The lion nods. “Sure."

“What elements does your friend possess? Three?"

The lion blinks and looks at Wukin. “Yeah, how do you know that?"

The monkey shakes his head. “I don't. Just making sure before I look." He disperses the magic on Tooli and speaks softly. “Blessing of Anemabe, interwoven with the blessing of Knephair" Towen watched, he'd never seen something like this.

The monkey continued. “Blessings of wind and darkness, lend your aid, find this missing person. Wind barrier, empowered by magical detection."

Towen had never heard of something like that. You couldn't combine two elements like that. Could you? Well obviously, it could be done, but he'd never seen it before. A barely visible wave of magic came out of Wukin's hands and spread out. He could see it when it was small, but as it got bigger the magical strands were lost and he didn't see anything at all.

Wukin looks around and points upward. “She's up there. Human, three blessings. Water, ice, and….light." He then looks at everyone lying down. “I can see everyone's blessings." He then disperses the magic and sits back a moment, panting softly.

Towen came up to him and put his arm around him. “Are you okay?" The monkey nods his head softly.

“Yeah. Zamdor taught me. Rulu too. I can't do it very well, I don't have a void element, but, to a very small degree, I can weave two elements together. But it takes a lot out of me when I do. Big mana cost." The lion nods. “Well, we gotta get Azile to safety first. Then we can come back and put these folks in irons."

Wukin shook his head. “Give me just a moment." He walks over and touching one of the men disappears into the shadow on the floor with the man. Then Wukin was back, and did it again, and again, till every single one of them on the floor was gone. He stood up and stumbled a bit, leaning on Towen.

“What did you just do?" Towen asked.

Wukin smiled. “Shadow stepping….it's how I get around so fast. I can travel between shadows. I can also keep tabs on folks, to a degree."

Towen nods. “Where did you take them?"

Wukin smiles. “To the barracks, into cells."

Wukin stopped at the last man, the one with the odd shield. He had to remove the man's shield before he could slip into the shadows with him and return. When he did, he offered the metal thing to Towen.

Towen looked at it. "What's wrong?"

The monkey smirks. "Damacite. Inhibits mana."

Towen blinks and stares at the shield. The metal was well known for its ability to disperse mana. It was Damacite, the hell iron.

Towen nods. “Well then, let's get Azile, and then we can talk to Commander Fenian, get them in irons before they're able to get up and fight back."

Towen and Wukin went upstairs, shackled in damacite, around her neck, hands, and legs, inhibiting any mana from being used.

They unlocked the shackles and Towen put them into his bag. He was worried it might deactivate the bag itself since damacite was known to inhibit mana, but putting the damacite cuffs into his bag seemingly had no negative effects. Did it not affect magical items, only the flow of mana in people? He'd never interacted with the metal before, only heard about it.

After freeing her. Wukin took her to Commander Fenian, leaving Towen behind. Wukin was back within a few seconds and the pair were suddenly in Commander Fenian's office. The unconscious Azile is on the commander's desk.

Towen looked to Fenian who was surprised beyond words. Wukin slumped against his side, exhaustion catching up to the monkey from using so much mana. Towen put his arm around Wukin and saluted with the other. “Captain first class Towen, reporting. I have found the missing student from the Academy." He looks to Wukin. “Also, there are probably a dozen dwarves in your cells, you might want to go disarm them and arrest them for kidnapping. I didn't have enough cuffs with me."

Commander Fenian let the two sit while he rushed out of the room. First, getting a healer into the room to check on Azile, then the rest of the guards to go into the cells and disarm everyone in there, taking all their armor, weapons, and whatever magical trinkets they might have had.

The healer shooed Towen and Wukin out, so he could check over the woman. They rested on a bench outside of the commander's office.

Once Fenian returned he looked at the pair. “You did good Towen. Not just finding your classmate on your first day, but arresting nearly a dozen co-conspirators. Kosas told us about Tooli when he woke up. Saying he was taking orders from someone else, higher up. Fella named Hazmar, I know the name and it's not one I'm eager to broach."

Towen nodded, as Wukin slumped against him, napping quietly. “Thank you, sir. Is Azile going to be okay?" The commander nods his head. “Yeah, I think so. She didn't have any wounds. She's just in a sleep-like state. Probably something magically induced, maybe chemically. I'm not sure. The healer is looking her over."

Fenian looked the pair over and laughed softly. "She should be fine. I want to take a look at that shield." Fenian reached out and Towen gave it to him without question. Fenian looked it over, and smiled, then handed it back. "It's yours to keep."

Towen blinked. "But sir, this belongs to that dwarf." The elf nodded his head softly, he knew.

"I know, but...if we return it, it'll only be used for something else nefarious. So I'm using my authority as commander of Macta to take possession of a dangerous artifact and put it into your capable hands Towen. Keep it safe. If you....so happen to use it, while keeping it safe, well, as long as it's kept safe, you're following orders, correct?" The elf said carefully, choosing his words.

Towen nodded softly, letting the shield rest at his feet, he felt safe enough to leave it untended while he rested here in the barracks with Wukin.

Towen nods and smiles. “Well then, permission to take a rest, sir?"

The commander nods. “Granted. Take the rest of the day off. You and your friend there did a good thing. Come by in the morning, and we can talk."

Towen nod and salutes while seated. Though he stayed there for some time before Wukin woke up on his own.

The monkey blinks and looks around himself. “Oh, hey we made it."

The lion laughs softly and nods. “Yeah. Wanna go get dinner and then rest? You had a rough day."

The monkey nods. “Can we go by your favorite place?"

The lion nods and smiles. “Of course."

The pair got up and made their way through the barracks. Then outside to the city. There were rumors all over about the princess of Macta's sudden disappearance and being found in the lower district, captured a bunch of dwarven thugs, with ties to a foreign power.

Wukin looked at Towen and grunted at him. “A princess, huh?" That is all he said as they walked down the street together.

The lion shakes his head. “What? That's the first I heard of it." He smiles though. “Sorry….I was under direct orders, I couldn't say anything to anyone."

Wukin shook his head. “It's fine. It all worked out."

Towen nodded and the pair continued down the street, getting to their restaurant, and going inside. The pair sat together and the waiter came over, smiling. “Twice in one day? What's the special occasion?"

Towen laughs softly. “Well, I just cleared my first case as a captain, and my buddy here helped me out, so I wanted to treat him. Anything new?"

The man nods. “As a matter of fact. Our chef has come up with something new. It's dough, covered in a tomato puree, then layered in cheeses, and sliced into small slivers. He calls it a 'pizza'"

The pair looked at each other and nodded. “We'll have one apiece."

The man shook his head. “Oh, no no. It's larger than you think. I'll put in an order for one, and, if you want another after, I'll go ahead and do that after." The pair look at him but nod softly.

“Sure. You've never done wrong by us." Towen said with a smile. The man nodded and headed back into the kitchen, a very loud orcish cheer was heard, apparently the orc hadn't managed to get anyone to try it yet, so he was enthused by the opportunity.

After some time, a big wooden disk was brought out, with baked bread on it. The bread was covered in red, like the 'catch up' they'd had with their fried spuds, but the red was only visible on the outer edge, the rest of it was covered in cheese, melted and bubbly.

The pair looked at it curiously. “How do we eat it?"

The man points to where the large piece of bread was sliced into triangles. “You pick up the side here and eat it cheese first, well, that's how the chef prefers it, anyway. You can eat from the outer edge inward if you like."

The two nods and take a piece each, biting into it, and the sudden burst of flavor hitting their senses had them shutting their eyes and making quite a happy noise. Something in the 'catch up' was different, there were different herbs maybe? It looked similar but it tasted nothing alike. The melted cheese on top added a layer of sweetness that was beyond words as well. The crunch of the bred underneath also added to the overall enjoyment.

The meal was rather large and they had some left after they'd eaten their fill. The pair took their leftovers in a small wooden container, Towen paid for it and the meal, as the container wasn't free to take home. All in all, it was about 6 silver for the meal, but it was unlike anything the pair had ever encountered before in their life.

Once they'd left the restaurant and went back to the barracks. Wukin was left to rest on the bench outside the commander's room, while Towen went inside to speak to him.

Towen was glad to see Azile was on her feet now. A little disheveled but, no worse for wear. She bowed to him and spoke. “Forgive me for causing you such a burden. Thank you for rescuing me, however. I knew you had potential in you Towen, but, I never expected I'd call upon your help so soon. I thought it'd at least be a year or two after leaving before such a time came."

Towen waved his hand dismissively. “I didn't do it because of your family lineage. I did it because it was the right thing to do, and I consider you a friend." The woman, taken a little aback by this nods.

“Even so, I, princess of Macta, Elizabeth Macta owe you my life. Anything you want, name it and I'll see to it my father makes it so." The lion shook his head softly.

“I appreciate the offer, and I'll take you up on it. But, for now, I honestly don't know what I'd ask for. Give me a little time to consider your offer?"

The woman nods. She looks to Fenian and then Towen. “Commander, I know I'm safe now, but, this isn't the end of it." She states simply. “Hazmar wasn't the mastermind. He was answering to someone else." She leans against the wall and watches the man's expression. “I think you know who I'm referring to."

He looks at Towen and sighs. “Perhaps so. But, without evidence. There is nothing I can do."

Towen looked back and forth between them. “Care to fill me in?"

Azile turns to look at him. “One of my guards was likely in on it. I believe that he was working at the behest of someone in the academy."

Towen nods. "Yeah. Kosas, the dwarf. I arrested him for attacking me when I looked into your disappearance."

Elizabeth nods and sighs. "Well, he's her nephew. Headmistress Elmasli, specifically, is who I think was behind this." Towen looked surprised to hear such a claim. “Hazmar, the man who abducted me, is her brother, Kosas, is his son. It's how he got a position as the guard in the palace, his aunt is the headmistress of the academy." Towen nodded, the two guards did seem rather inept, but even so. He was surprised.

Towen sat in one of the chairs in the commander's office. But Azile wasn't done. “And you could be right in thinking that's where the conspiracy stops." She looks up at the ceiling. “My ancestors stole Macta from the dwarves. This whole nation was a dwarven one, till my ancestors came, ousted them, and took the throne from them. It's in the history books, in the palace. The lineage of the Marblerocks, the original heirs to Macta. Or, as it was known back then, Marrock. My ancestors changed the name of the capital to their name. Human hubris." She sighs softly.

“But that isn't the end. It's a good reason, makes for a good story even. But I overheard Hazmar speaking, while I was in and out of consciousness. Elmasli was working for someone else. A promise to her from this person, to elevate her family name back

to royalty, to become the first dwarven noble family in Otrad in nearly five centuries." She sighs softly.

“I never caught a name, but, only a small, small list of names could grant such a title. My father, myself…" She looks at the floor. “And, my brother. If I were to disappear. He'd become king instead of me becoming queen, and he could grant titles to anyone, including Elmasli or Hazmar. Perhaps even marry Elmasli's daughter and make her queen. Such a promise would certainly warrant such a risk. Elmasli could wait a decade or two, dwarves live two, or three times as long as humans do. She'd have no problem waiting it out and letting her family line retake the throne."

Towen looks at the table and ponders quietly. “But, there's no proof of any of this, outside of Hazmar being in custody?"

Azile shook her head. “I had suspected it. Kosas was always so supportive of me going to the academy. He even escorted me to the academy once, but he was almost recognized, so he couldn't do that again. But he knew my path to the academy, more or less"

Towen nods his head softly. “We'd need Hazmar to mention Elmasli then, or his son, to implicate them in the conspiracy before we could interrogate her. And there's no guarantee that we'd get them to confess or implicate your brother, the prince." Towen rubs the bridge of his nose and sighs. “No offense to you, lady Elizabeth, but this political stuff gives me a headache."

She shook her head softly. “No, no. You are correct. This is a massive waste of energy and time. Until we can prove anything, this is probably as far as any of it goes. This theory lives and dies in this room between us."

Commander Fenian sighed softly. “Well, if you need anything, lady Elizabeth. Please, do not hesitate to call upon me or Towen here."

She nods and bows to Towen as well as bowing to Fenian. “I won't. Thank you for your aid. I'm going to return to the castle and speak to father. I doubt he'll see the truth in my words, but I would be remiss not to try, at least."

She was about to leave when Fenian spoke up. “Towen, if you'd be so kind. Escort the lady back to the palace."

Towen saluted Fenian and nodded. Then the pair left the room. Wukin was trying to look nonchalant, sitting on the bench, but it was clear he'd been eavesdropping, from the look on his face. “Would you like to join us, it's just to the palace."

Wukin nodded his head and stood up, stretching out his arms and legs as he stood up. The trio walked out of the barracks and towards the palace, through the busiest parts of town.

Elizabeth spoke up as they walked. “I'm sorry for being so cold to you, while we were in the academy, Towen, it was never my intention to harm you."

Towen shook his head softly. “No harm was ever done. You spurred me to be a better fighter, a better caster, and a better person overall. I'm sorry you were denied the privilege of the rank of captain."

Elizabeth shook her head. “I knew I would never have been granted that. A princess can't serve in the guard. I was only coming to the academy that day to celebrate with you all after the exam. Elmasli knew who I was from the start. So it wasn't hard for her to orchestrate everything."

Towen nodded as they approached the palace gates. “You be careful. I might not be in Macta next time you need someone to bail you out."

Elizabeth laughs and smiles. “Then I'll just have to wait for you to be in town before I need help again."

Towen smiles. “Well, I'd prefer if you didn't need rescuing at all, but, if you must, at least let me be here to rescue you."

Elizabeth bows, and both Wukin and Towen return the gesture. The guards at the front immediately recognized her and let her inside. Towen stays at the gates, till Elizabeth is out of sight, then he turns to Wukin.

“I hate that there's nothing I can do about the others who orchestrated this whole mess."

Wukin put his arm around Towen. “Don't worry about it. These things have a habit of working themselves out. You saved the princess, Macta didn't fall into anarchy, and you had your first pizza."

Towen nods and smiles. “This is all true, I also spent the day with one of my best friends."

Wukin's face turned redder at the words, but he smiled. “Oh, uh, yeah." His smile said it all though.

The pair walked back to the barracks and back into Commander Fenian's office. The man was finishing up some paperwork as they returned. “What's my next assignment commander?" The lion asked as he looked at the elf.

Commander Fenian shook his head. “Nothing that warrants your eye at the moment." Fenian took a slip of paper and wrote something on it. “Come in tomorrow morning, and we'll discuss your sigil and surname. Go to this address, in the city and they'll put you up for tonight. We haven't had time to get proper housing for all our captains yet."

Towen blinked. “Housing?"

Fenian nods. “Oh, uh, yeah. Captains are given a place to stay in Macta. Well, wherever they are stationed, typically, but, yes. You'll have your own house. A servant, we can recommend several, but they would be of your choosing. Barring that, we'd increase your monthly stipend to afford you the luxury of traveling Otrad while you work. Though, doing so would require a few more piles of paperwork."

Towen nods and smiles. “Well, I'll worry about that tomorrow. A hot bath and warm bed sound perfect for now."

Fenian nods and smiles. “Well go have a good rest. See me first thing in the morning."

Towen and Wukin depart the commander's office and head to the address. It was an inn, but it was far beyond what any inn he'd ever seen to look like. It looked like a summer home for a nobleman.

Once inside, he was greeted by several people, and led to a room that he and Wukin were told was their room for the night. There were two beds, though, there was likely only going to be one used that night. First things first was a bath, and the pair bathed together. Towen was a little shy since he'd only been intimate twice in his whole life. And the second time only a few days ago. He wasn't used to being naked around Wukin.

Wukin convinced him to relax and just enjoy the bath together. The room had a private bathroom, much like the ones back in Halfsea had had, albeit much nicer. Likely this was what life was like for the poorest of the upper echelon, and Towen was only getting a taste of it.

After the bath, both sprawled out in the bed together and relaxed. Cuddling up gently Wukin doused the candles around the room so that only one remained burning. Towen and Wukin cuddled in close and held each other as the weight of the day caught up to them. Towen especially, as Wukin had managed a short nap earlier. But that didn't keep him from falling asleep just as easily as the lion had.

Towen slept hard, the exhaustion and excitement of the day putting him into a deep sleep. He never heard, nor felt Wukin get up briefly, but, it wasn't too terribly long before the monkey was back in bed with him. Hugging the lion and holding him tightly. The pair slept on till morning.

Wukin and Towen awoke, nuzzling one another before getting up and dressed.

“I should head on back to Halfsea. Rulu's probably beside himself with worry, since I didn't come home last night."

Towen nods and smiles. “Okay. Travel safely Wukin, thank you for the help."

Wukin bows lightly in response. “Of course. Anything for my new captain, first class." He winks and slips into the closet, Towen expecting him to come out, peaked in to see that the closet was empty, and Wukin had already departed.

The lion got his things and headed downstairs. Thanked the people there for taking care of him, and told them his companion had already departed. He left and went straight to Commander Fenian's office. The elf was sitting behind his desk, as usual, though he looked gravely upset.

Fenian was sitting at the desk, unsure of what to do. “Oh, Towen. Something awful happened last night." The elf looked up at Towen.

Towen tilted his head. “What do mean?"

Commander Fenian put his hand on the wall and nodded at Towen, to close the door. The lion did so and the elf spoke softly. “Blessing of Kruos, frost of the north, expand my mana and block out any spying ears. Glacial Domain, Elven Citadel." Ice filled out the walls and blocked any who might listen in.

Towen went from feeling okay, to gravely concerned. He sat and looked to his commander. “What's going on?"

Commander Fenian spoke softly. “Last night, there were three murders. Headmistress Elmasli Marblerock was found dead in her room. Her nephew Kosas Marblerock was also found dead, in our custody. No idea how anyone slipped past us. No one was asleep, and we do head-checks every hour. Finally, and most regrettably. Prince Zeben Macta has also been murdered. Each had a dwarven dagger embedded in their chest. It was rather gruesome."

Fenian rubbed the sides of his head. “There were no witnesses, the weapons have no unique traits, they're run-of-the-mill copper daggers sold here in Macta. There's no way to trace who did this."

Towen looks at the floor and sighs. “Meaning….whoever was really behind the attempted kidnapping, wrapped up every loose end. Even a prince in the palace was killed without anyone noticing. Whoever did this was skilled, and dangerous."

Fenian nodded his head. “Very. Be careful Towen. Elizabeth and myself already have increased guards on us, but, if we were targets I don't think we'd still be alive today." He looks at the lion with a sigh. “Give me a few hours to sort all this out. We'll get to your stuff in a little while, I'm sorry to ask you to wait."

Towen looked to the commander. "Don't you want me to help with the investigation into the murders?" He asked.

Fenian shook his head lightly. "I appreciate that you want to help. But given your proximity to the last case, it wouldn't be wise for you to investigate this one. We're having some other FCs come in to do that. Thank you though."

Towen shook his head. “Okay, commander. I'll just be in town then. I'll patrol in the meantime, it'll give me something to focus on while I wait."

Fenian nods and sighs. “Thank you."

Towen bows and Fenian dispersed the mana field before Towen left the office.

Towen was walking through Macta when he felt someone grab his shoulder.

Towen turned, ready for a fight, but saw Wukin, looking disheveled, but with a massive grin on his face. He looked like he'd been running as fast as he could.

“Wukin, what's wrong? I thought you went back to…" Towen was confused.

“He's back! Rulu found him, he's back!! He just...showed up in Halfsea, like you said." The monkeys' eyes were wild with excitement.

Towen's eyes lit up, only one man would elicit such a response in Rulu and Wukin. Towen wanted to talk to Wukin about the sudden murders of the three co-conspirators in the princess's abduction, but that could wait. If Wukin did it, he was sure the monkey wouldn't lie to him.

“Gurak's back." Was the last whisper from the monkey before he slumped against the lion and hugged him tightly. Squeezing the feline and crying softly as he held the lion.