The streets of Blackridge were loud.
People moved everywhere.
Merchants shouted from their wooden stalls, children darted through the shifting crowds, and heavy iron-rimmed carts rolled across the frozen stone streets while town guards watched coldly from the shadows.
Justus looked around, adjusting his coat.
“So this is Blackridge?”
Daemon walked beside him, his heavy rifle slung across his back.
“Apparently.”
Justus smiled.
“I expected something worse.”
Daemon glanced at the massive, dark-stone walls surrounding the entire valley.
“You say that after fighting an Abyssal Beast?”
“That was different.”
“How?”
“I was prepared.”
Daemon stopped walking dead in his tracks.
Justus kept going.
After a few steps, he finally noticed the lack of heavy footsteps behind him.
He turned around.
“Why did you stop?”
Daemon stared at him.
“You were almost eaten.”
Justus shrugged.
“But I wasn’t.”
Daemon let out a long sigh, rubbing his temples.
“You’re impossible.”
Justus grinned.
“Come on.
I’m hungry.”
They eventually found a small tavern tucked between two towering stone buildings.
Justus pushed the heavy wooden door open without hesitation.
“Food!”
Several patrons turned to glare at him.
Daemon grabbed Justus’s shoulder, dragging him inward.
“Could you be any louder?”
“Probably.”
They found a quiet table near a frost-dusted window, and a waitress approached them a moment later.
“What can I get you?”
Justus scanned the board menu.
“Everything.”
Daemon looked sideways at him.
“You don’t have that much money.”
Justus froze mid-sentence.
“…Right.”
The waitress smiled politely.
“So?”
Justus looked at Daemon.
Daemon sighed, reached into his coat, and pulled out a pouch of coins, tossing a few onto the table.
“Two hot meals.”
Justus stared at the coins, then at Daemon.
“You have money?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You never asked.”
“I assumed you didn’t have any.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re always complaining.”
Daemon stared at him in utter disbelief.
“I’m starting to understand why your brothers call you a fool.”
Justus laughed.
“Don’t bring them into this.”
The waitress chuckled and walked away with their order.
Justus leaned back in his chair, looking out at the snow falling outside the window.
“You know…”
Daemon looked up.
“What?”
“I didn’t think I’d see them.”
“Your brothers?”
“Yeah.” Justus’s eyes drifted to the harbor in the distance.
“I thought I’d have to travel for years before seeing Kraven again.”
Daemon was quiet for a moment.
“You miss them already?”
Justus didn’t answer immediately.
“…A little.”
Daemon allowed a small smile.
“You’re allowed to.”
Justus glanced at him.
“What?”
“Miss them.”
Justus looked away, scratching his cheek.
“I know.”
Their steaming plates arrived, and Justus immediately dug in.
Daemon stared at the whirlwind of food disappearing from his plate.
“You could at least wait until I sit down.”
“No.”
“You really are a fool.”
Justus swallowed his bite. New chapters come out on g.com first.
“Don’t start.”
After finishing their meal, they stepped back out into the sharp Northern air.
Justus stretched his arms wide, letting out a satisfied breath.
“Much better.”
Daemon pointed down the busy cobblestone street.
“Where are we going?”
“Somewhere to get a new ship.”
Daemon raised an eyebrow.
“With what money?”
Justus stopped dead in his tracks.
“…We’ll figure that out.”
Daemon sighed.
“You destroyed our ship yesterday.”
“Technically, the beast destroyed it.”
“You were driving.”
“I was navigating.”
“Exactly.”
Justus glared at him.
“You sound like Kraven.”
“Maybe Kraven is right.”
“Don’t betray me.”
Daemon laughed.
As they walked, a large wooden notice board pinned to the side of a guard station caught Justus’s attention.
He stopped, stepping closer.
“What are those?”
“Requests,” Daemon answered.
“For what?”
“Jobs.”
Dozens of parchment papers were pinned to the corkboard.
Escort requests, monster hunts, missing person reports, and local bounties.
Justus’s face lit up with a grin.
“This could solve our money problem.”
Daemon immediately shook his head.
“No.”
“Why?”
“We just got here.”
“So?”
“So we’re not taking a dangerous job.”
Justus pointed at one of the top papers.
“This one says ‘easy.'”
Daemon leaned in and read the bold print.
“That’s exactly what someone writes right before people die.”
Justus laughed.
“You’re becoming paranoid.”
“You’re becoming predictable.”
Justus reached out and ripped the paper down.
“Too late.”
Daemon stared at him.
“You didn’t even read the details.”
“I’ll read them later.”
“Justus.”
“Daemon.”
“Put it back.”
“No.”
“Put it back.”
“No.”
Daemon reached for the parchment.
Justus immediately pulled it back out of reach.
“Stop!”
“Give me the paper!”
“No!”
Several passing merchants stopped to stare at the two grown men wrestling over a piece of parchment.
Daemon finally stopped, letting out a heavy breath.
Justus grinned triumphantly.
“See?
Problem solved.”
Daemon rubbed his forehead.
“One day, you’re going to kill me.”
Justus smiled bright.
“Then I’ll get a new hand.”
Daemon stared at him.
“…You really haven’t learned anything.”
Later that evening, the two sat atop the slate roof of an inn, looking out over Blackridge.
The town looked entirely different from above.
Warm golden light filled the valley, lanterns flickered along every street, and smoke curled up into the night sky toward the dark mountain peaks.
Justus pulled his knees up, looking toward the high Northern range.
“How far north do you think we have to go?”
Daemon shrugged, resting his rifle across his lap.
“Quite far.”
“Until we reach the next town?”
“Probably.”
Justus sighed softly.
“I hate traveling.”
Daemon laughed.
“Then why are you traveling?”
“Because there’s somewhere I want to go.”
“Where?”
Justus smiled, staring into the dark sky.
“I don’t know yet.”
Daemon frowned slightly.
“That makes no sense.”
“It doesn’t have to.”
Daemon shook his head with a quiet chuckle.
“You’re weird.”
“So are you.”
They sat in comfortable silence for a while, listening to the muffled noise of the market below.
“You know Voss is probably still looking for us,” Daemon said quietly.
Justus’s smile faded.
“Yeah.”
“You worried?”
“No.”
“You’re lying.”
Justus sighed.
“Maybe a little.”
Daemon looked at him sideways.
“He said he’d arrest you.”
“I remember.”
“What are you going to do if he finds us?”
Justus looked down at Gryphon resting against his thigh.
“Run.”
Daemon blinked.
“That’s it?”
Justus smiled.
“For now.”
A calm, crisp voice suddenly cut up from the dark alley below them.
“Looking for someone?”
Justus and Daemon instantly went rigid, looking down over the edge of the roof.
A man stood beneath the flickering streetlight.
He wore a dark wool coat with a small silver insignia pinned to his chest.
Daemon’s expression hardened.
“Justus…”
“I see him.”
The man looked up at them, his face hidden in the shadows of his hood.
“Enjoying Blackridge?”
Justus narrowed his crimson eyes.
“Who are you?”
The stranger smiled softly.
“Nobody important.”
Daemon stood up, his hand resting near his rifle stock.
“Then why are you watching us?”
The man’s smile vanished.
“Because some people become important without realizing it.”
Justus stood up slowly, his right hand easing toward Gryphon’s hilt.
The man took a single step backward into the darkness of the alley.
“Relax.”
“I don’t like people watching me,” Justus said coldly.
“My apologies.” The stranger turned his back to them.
“Tell Captain Voss…”
He paused, glancing back over his shoulder.
“…the Tempest boy has arrived.”
Justus’s eyes narrowed into slits.
Before either of them could jump down, the stranger melted into the shadows of the alley, vanishing into the night.
Daemon looked at Justus.
“Well.”
Justus stared at the empty alley where the man had been standing.
“Looks like Blackridge knows we’re here.”
Daemon let out a long sigh.
“I was hoping we’d get at least one peaceful day.”
Justus smiled faintly, drawing Gryphon a few inches from its scabbard.
“Me too.” He paused, looking at the blade.
“But I guess that’s not how our journey works.”
Daemon stared at him.
“Put that sword away.”
Justus blinked.
“Why?”
“Because you’re standing on an inn roof in the middle of a guarded town.”
“…Right.” Justus slid Gryphon back into place with a quiet click.
“Good point.”
Daemon shook his head, heading toward the roof hatch.
“Come on, fool.”
Justus followed close behind.
“Stop calling me that.”
“No.”
“Daemon.”
“No.”
“Daemon!”
“You’re definitely a fool.”
Justus sighed.
“Fine.”
The two slipped back down into the warmth of the inn.
High above them, on a neighboring rooftop across the street, the stranger watched in total silence as the hatch closed, before turning away into the wind.