Kyero stole through the night, moving in the shadows as if part of their world. Not a sound was heard. No footsteps. No equipment jostling. Nothing. Just a dark mass moving through the night.
Kyero perched atop the inn, glancing down into the street for even the faintest sign of Okumi's passing. And his sharp eyes spied the faint glint of a lock of silver/white hair in the cobblestone streets illuminated by the moon. In a matter of seconds Kyero was on the ground and picked it up. He glanced at the inn, and then to this spot.
She came this way. But for what reason?
He looked down the street ahead, scanning the buildings and signs to see if anything would have caught the shrine maiden's interest, but he couldn't see anything.
She wouldn't have come here for shopping or food. She must have had another motive for leaving the safety of the inn. But what?
Kyero returned to the rooftops and continued to check the streets, finding another strand of her hair about a block and a half down. But this time, it was not the only thing he found. There were a few small bits of fabric too. Worn out fabric, but when Kyero smelled the fabric he took in a familiar scent and had to clear his nose. He felt the tiniest bit light-headed when he took in that scent. And he knew exactly what it meant.
Khilthruum Powder. A potent powdered sedative. Must have been inside the bag the fabric came from. So she was knocked out here... Where did they take her? He thought.
Kyero looked up towards the street and examined the ground very, very carefully. He knelt down in a near full squat, slowly inching along taking in every individual bit of cobblestone checking for any signs of a struggle or of dragging a victim, etc. But for the moment, he couldn't find anything. But there was one small clue as to the direction the men who took her had gone... A matching boot print from the dirt near where Okumi was taken leading into the shadier part of town.
Kyero's eyes flashed, and he followed the bootprint's direction into the darkness.
The hunt was on... And before long he would find his prey.
-- Meanwhile --
Back at the inn, Linde nodded as Lonan left. Once he was out the door, she jogged over to Aetrius and clasped her hand before she could make it to the bath room. She lifted it to her mouth to kiss it once more, blushing and smiling all the while.
"I didn't smell anything when you held me earlier, just so you know. And I'm glad you're going to stay and rest. Thank you."
She leaned up and kissed Aetrius' cheek before backing away bashfully and going to the kitchen area to wash her hands and start cleaning dishes from their meal.
-- Back in the City --
... Time ticked by, and Kyero stalked through the city like a ghost in the night.
Finally, after following several clues and hints as to where they might have gone, the trail went cold. Kyero looked around and saw what part of town he was in, and he knew there were more than enough people here who would have seen something. He just needed to find the right people to talk to.
He descended to the streets, and began to slink through the shadows until he found several people gathered around a crude fire pit beneath a bridge which crossed over the canal. They were talking about slaves. Where to buy them. Who the best traders were to buy them from. What to look for in the best slaves. And how to spot the most experienced slaves for their pleasure.
Jackpot.
Kyero snuck in close and waited for just the right moment... Three of them turned their heads one way, leaving the fourth vulnerable. Kyero grabbed his shirt, covered his mouth, and pulled him into the shadows before the others returned their gaze. Kyero dragged him quickly and quietly deeper and deeper into the darkness of the alleyways nearby before throwing him against the wall and squatting down over him letting the light in his eyes flash and churn right in front of the man. His voice was caught in his throat, and he couldn't scream for help. All he could do was stare.
In a lower, more ominous voice than usual...
"You speak of slaves. Tell me what you've seen today."
"I-I-I don't know wh-what you're t-t-talking about!"
Kyero's dagger flew through the air and slammed into the wall next to his head.
"... What have you seen today?"
The man stammered a few more times, and Kyero had had enough. He removed the dagger from the wall and slammed it through the meat of the man's thigh. Due to the blade's length, it cut straight through from one side to the other and into the cobblestone ground beneath them. The man screamed in agony, his cries echoing through the alleyways. But there would be no way to pinpoint or find him now.
"Last chance."
Kyero twisted the dagger a little, and the man finally seemed to find his voice.
"O-okay! We saw... GAAGH!!!... We saw several slaves today. Fine ones at that! Th-... They were... Being transported via horse carriage to a local Trademaster."
"Tell me what you saw of them."
"They were fine. Fine! Some of the most beautiful I've seen! Fresh. Unsoiled, even!"
"I am losing my patience..."
The dagger was twisted once again.
"Th-there- AAGHH!!!... There was a local girl. A commoner! Probably taken just today! Older and hand-me-down clothing! But beautiful in the face and body. Another was a noblewoman. Not from here. Taken from somewhere else! Maybe Triveila or something like that!"
"What else?"
"S-some kind of exotic beauty. Not from here. She had short white hair and had been wearing some kind of face mask. Another girl was the daughter of a Tailor who works here in the city. I know the man as a business associate. And then there was-"
Kyero's dagger was pulled free of his leg, but his hand shot out and choked the man to cut him off mid-sentence.
"Where is this Trademaster?"
He loosened his grip just enough for the man to speak.
"H-he's just... Ack... He's... A little ways North of here. Further into the city. Red roof. Gray sign that says 'Passion's Paradise.' Can't miss it."
"If you're lying to me..."
Kyero's dagger came up to the man's throat, slicing through a single layer of skin.
"I will end your miserable life faster than your mind can even recognize your body has died... Am I clear?"
The man nodded furiously, and Kyero let him go and was gone.
Now hot on Okumi's trail, and headed for this Trademaster, Kyero would soon have her back!