Callen-

  Looking up ahead to the lord's castle, I can’t help but feel a bit nervous. My interactions with nobility had been a very mixed bag. On one hand the envoy of Baron Grammark had been a pleasant individual, but on the other hand his replacement, Baron Eldraine, had been a complete mess. One positive way to look at the matter was that the meeting would be a good dry run before we went to the capital, but the fact that we had bad news to deliver instead of good news made it a bit more imposing at the moment.

  I reach up to rub the back of my head out of nervousness and freeze for a moment as I remember that my arm is gone. I adjust to the reality of phantom limbs, the feeling like you still have a limb that you don’t and unconsciously use it. A heavy weight settles on my heart as I remember why we were at the gates to Meccas’s castle. Whatever Lexia is now is a danger to everyone, and I don’t think we have the means to stop her.

  “State your business with the lord of Meccas,” A guard steps forward, declaring while barring the path ahead. Out of everyone in our group, the only people with any kind of acknowledged standing outside Port Town are Callia with her honorary knighthood and Mayor Hew, to a lesser degree, as a former town leader. I wouldn’t hold any real status until I received an award similar to Callia’s or the royal family acknowledged my pledge and status as a new mayor.

  “Callia, common-knight of Portten, travelling with Mayor Hew and prospective Mayor Callen. An incident has occurred on the road, and we feel it is sufficiently concerning to alert higher authorities.” Feeling the bond between me and Callia, I realize she’s just as nervous as me. Instead of her usual chaotic self, she’s acting as formal as possible as a shield against her nerves. The guard seemed satisfied with the request, and not long later we were led into the large, ominous castle. The dark-colored stones and frequent use of red tapestries gave the feeling of entering the lair of an evil overlord. We were led to a lounge and instructed to wait while the lord was informed of our presence.

  As we waited, a maid came with several glasses of water. I nearly spat it back out when I noticed the maid’s unique features. On her head was an extra set of what appeared to be fox ears and a tail. Growing up, Grandpa had taught us all about the various ‘thinking’ species (earthkin, elves, nature spirits, and even dragons), but he never mentioned anything about humans with animal features. The maid, noticing our expressions, smiled and explained to us.

  “For many years in a dwarven enclave to the north, human children would be abducted or purchased and used for experimentation of advanced healing techniques. Lord Meccas discovered the operation and liberated the children. Many had lost their minds due to mutation, but some of us survived relatively intact. I was among the youngest and didn’t have a family to return to, so I have been raised among the Baron's household.” Using healing to change appearance was one thing, but changing someone into something else entirely was shocking. Vaguely I remembered back to one of Gam’s warnings when I asked about what a change in my human physique trait would mean. His warning against pursuing that kind of research made a lot more sense now.

  The maid seemed to hesitate briefly before adding on another snippet quietly. “When speaking with Lord Meccas, pay more attention to his actions than his words or appearance. He might sound rude and look like a villain seeking to lord his status over others, but his actions and intentions are honest.” With that, she gave a short bow before leaving us.

  Not long later a butler guided us towards the lord's study. The doors, like most in the castle, were massive, accommodating at least four people standing side by side and two people tall. The butler opened the door and beckoned us within and shut it behind us. The room was lavishly decorated. The walls were lined with bookshelves with several stands presenting various trophies or treasures. A large chandelier hung overhead, and behind the man was a large stained glass window that gave the perfect view into the bustling city below. Most notable, however, was the massive man sitting behind a desk in the center of the room. He was bald with sunken eyes that reminded me of some kind of mafia boss and a body that seemed like a sumo wrestler who had started to diet and lost just enough fat to be both physically imposing in size and muscular.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  “Children and an old man making demands of my time. You have my attention now; tell me what it is that brings you here.” The deep voice and the sound of barely restrained impatience bring a menace to the man unlike any I had ever seen. He doesn’t just look like a mob boss; he sounds like one. Callia and I share a glance, unsure where to start to properly frame the situation. When in doubt, start from the beginning. As Callia begins her narration, the large noble suddenly stands up, declaring.

  “Wait, it is poor etiquette to make guests stand for an extended time.” He moves from behind his desk and towards a set of large couches set off to the sides of the room. The butler and maid from before enter and adjust the furniture to have the couches brought up and a small table set before us. The maid brought back refreshments as we sat down.

  “There, now continue.” Callia and I each took turns describing the various events from meeting to the battle the previous night. Under the Baron’s intense stare I couldn’t help but sweat lightly. Eventually our story winds to an end, and the baron nods slowly.

  “So, you’ve brought a monster into my land. Go, wait in my lounge, and do not cause further trouble.” The baron stood up, moving over to the window and looking down on his city while the maid led us back down. I couldn’t help but feel apprehension as we waited. I personally thought we would be dismissed at the end of the meeting, but it sounded like he intended to hold us accountable. Then again, the lounge was an odd place to send someone you intend to scapegoat.

  While we waited to see what the lord wanted for us, the maid came and delivered pastries to us. It was a rare treat and a friendly gesture that made me even more confused about the baron’s intentions. Eventually the butler and a well-dressed elderly man entered the room. I could almost swear I’ve seen the old man somewhere before, but the memory just wouldn’t come to the surface.

  “The baron insists that before each of you leaves, you are to receive an in-depth inspection. He doesn’t want any hidden threat like the one in your prior companion to cause any other issues.” The butler explains the circumstances. Finally I’m feeling a bit relieved. Turns out the baron wasn’t keeping us maliciously. It made sense that whatever came over Lexia might be hidden in us as well. I was also curious how the man intended to inspect us, which differed from Callia’s and the gate team's usual inspections.

  Immediately I felt the man's spirit rapidly begin to harmonize with mine. He was using the first step of enchanting to get a feel for my spirit. In a way it reminded me of how Nightshade fought the Great Bear but without establishing a connection to transfer information. With enough practice he could probably decipher what kind of skills I had, and if he dug deep enough, maybe even my traits. At this moment I realized where I had seen the man before. He was the man who had inspected me and Callia as children before Mom took us to Port Town.

  I held myself back from hitting the man as resentment bubbled up. Callia and I were locked in a closet by a jerk of a maid because of his comment about ruining our potential! Immediately I shifted my spirit to deny the man any success in his inspection. I may not hit him because we are guests at a noble mansion, but that didn’t mean I would let the man look into our secrets.

  -Lord Meccas-

  The baron of the most isolated domain looked over his domain beyond his city and into the forest beyond. For generations his ancestors had pressed the frontline of humanity against the monsters of the Kal’Ren Mountains. They didn’t fight for prestige or power but instead to carve a domain for humanity. If he pursued authority, his level was a match for the duke, but the responsibilities that role entails are something his family never stood for. Most didn’t even look at his domain within the woodlands as anything more than a stronghold and boundary marker for humanity.

  Once long ago humanity held strongholds along the edge of the mountains themselves; now they struggled to expedition into the highlands before the mountain ranges. If the stories Lord Mecca’s father shared with him were true, even the mountains themselves once belonged to humanity. Sometimes Meccas felt he had failed his people. The population of all the towns in his domain had fallen significantly, and he had even failed to save his family when they needed him most.

  The murderers had been men sent by the duke, but they hadn’t come to kill his wife and daughter. No, they died because the agents had panicked when Meccas ran them down. The last words of the kidnappers blamed Meccas for caring too much about his children. If he hadn’t cared, then they would be safely in the duke's care, and all he would have to worry about is listening to a duke who rarely ever bothers him.

  The visit from a pair of extraordinary youngsters reminded him of his own daughter, who would likely have been their age. He would never again bring himself to show care for anyone, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t justify having a famous inspector check on those children before they left. With his reminiscence complete, he turned back to the notes he had written regarding the possessed girl, Lexia. Truly it was a strange case.