Marcus entered the bakery. "Best cakes in Feldon!" the half burnt sign read. He approached the counter and greeted the baker warmly.
"My usual order, please." He said.
"I'm terribly sorry, Marcus." The baker said, "but we are out of stock for today."
"How come?" the former warden checked the display case. It was indeed empty of morsels.
"Skorch is tightening our rations." The baker explained. "Something about a shadow organization. If you come an hour earlier tomorrow, I might be able to save you a cake."
"Thanks." Marcus headed out of the bakery. "Now, where can I find food at this hour?" He soothed his growling stomach with one hand.
"You can take a slice of mine." The scent of freshly baked cake wafted to him.
"There's only one person I know who could steal a cake at a time like this." He turned to see his favorite detainee sitting at one of the bakery's tables with a pretty Felina girl. A cake rested before them, giving off the delicious smell. "I didn't expect to find you still alive, Lucan."
"Everyone keeps telling me that." Lucan replied. "Well, street rats are tough to kill. This cake is for you, by the way." He pushed the morsel in front of Marcus.
"That's not the Lucan I knew." Marcus took the cake and started wolfing it down. "What are they having you do in Felora?" He asked through a mouthful of crumbs.
"I'm currently in the business of rooting out the weak wither skeletons." Lucan winked. "Nikka here is my trusty assistant. OW!"
"I see, and how can I help?" Marcus had already finished the cake.
"Lucan, what you are asking will get me executed in public!" Marcus hissed. They took the conversation to the bakery's back alley after the meal and Lucan explained their situation.
"Marcus, listen to me." Lucan took him by his shoulders. "We heard the Nether is putting you to work melting down our tools and weapons."
"We need them." Added Nikka.
"But to smuggle them out of the forge is near suicide!" Marcus said. "They are very strict about counting each and every single one!"
"Do you have access to the new armory?" Lucan asked.
"As a matter of fact, I do." Marcus smiled. "The skellies grew so tired of me asking them to open the doors every time I make a new one they just gave me a set of spare keys." His smile became a grimace. "But they keep track of the metal that goes in and the number of weapons that come out."
"Well, that makes things easier." Lucan said. The other two stared at him. "Back in the days, before I became Marcus's honored guest, I needed to submit iron ingots to our boss as payment every month. So, one of my brothers…"
"Brothers?" Nikka interrupted, "I didn't know you have any family."
"That's what we called each other in the same gang." Lucan explained. "Anyway, his idea was that we make fake ingots with hollow centers, and for every nine hollow ingots, we can piece together a full one to keep for ourselves."
"So you are suggesting that I make hollow weapons for the Nether while making real ones for you?" Marcus asked. "That might actually work." He saluted them. "I don't exactly trust you, Lucan, but I'll do it for Felden. Just give me the location to deliver them."
They parted ways at the entrance to the main street. Lucan and Nikka proceeded to the next place. It was a small inn on the outskirts of the city.
"Funny how all your old friends are enforcers of the law." Nikka teased. Lucan scratched his head.
As they passed a walkway hanging over a street below, a tall and solid Netheran, accompanied by several Wither skeletons, came down the street opposite them. He eyed them as they approached each other.
"Keep walking." Nikka whispered. "Keep your eyes to the groun…Ah!" The Netheran had grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and held her over the railings.
"Is it true that a kitten like yourself will always land on her feet?" Skorch tossed Nikka up and grabbed her by the ankles.
"It's not true! Put her down!" Lucan tried to stop him, but Skorch picked him up by the neck and held him high.
"I said," Lucan choked through Skorch's grip, "Put her down."
"I haven't seen you two before, you must be new." Skorch jerked his head from left to right. "So allow me to introduce myself. My name is Skorch, and the only reason either of you are alive is because I willed it." He let Nikka slip in his grasp.
"Ah!" She shrieked.
"If I catch you with your… pet again," Skorch tightened his hand around Lucan's neck, "I'll make sure you never see tomorrow's light. Got it?" He threw Lucan on the ground and dropped Nikka on top of him. He waved to his skellies and they continued across the bridge.
"Are you alright?" Lucan raised Nikka off his chest. It was the first time they have been this close, like this, in this position. He could feel her chest pressing against his.
"I'm not the one getting choked." Nikka replied. She helped Lucan up. He was still taking deep breaths.
"I'm…" Lucan coughed, "I'm fine. That's the guy that we fought before. Do you think…he knows?"
"From the looks of it, he must think we were just civilians." Nikka's heart still thumped. Partly because she was dangled by her ankles in midair, and partly because…
"Do you think we should split up?" Lucan asked. "It will be safer.
Nikka took his arm. "If Skorch wants to separate us, he can try." She said firmly. Lucan felt her warmth emanating next to him.
"Come on, let's go to the next place on the Shadow list." Nikka said.
"Nice name."
Skorch entered the bakery. The bell on the door smashed into pieces as he slammed it against the wall. The skeletons leapt over the counter and pinned the baker to the wall behind the counter.
"I'd like to know everything." He grabbed the loaf from the dinner table inside the kitchen and took a large bite.
"But I don't know anything!" The baker struggled. "They just call him the Shadow. He's been recruiting people ever since the attack."
"Hmm." Skorch sat down on the counter and put one foot on the stool. He placed his elbow on his knee as he chewed thoughtfully. "So, who is this fellow? The one that regularly comes to buy cakes?"
"He's a former warden." The baker writhed in the skeletons' grip. "Now working with weapons. I don't know the other guy, but they seem to know each other."
Skorch motioned to his skeletons. They picked up the baker by the throat and raised him into the air.
"Anything else?" Skorch took another bite from the bread.
"I think," the baker choked, "They were both… recruited… by the Shadow.'
"Interesting…" Skorch pulled out his sword. "Thank you. I will now spare you…" He drove the weapon through the baker's chest. It stopped against the wall. "The pain of a slow death." Skortch tossed the half-eaten bread into the bin and left with his cronies.