Lexandros sat in the back of a tavern, munching on the meal they had provided. His eyes roved around the sparse room with its small staff and few patrons. It hadn’t been hard for him to claim a room in the upper floors, there were few travelers coming through the small seaport town of Gloamsreach. He heard snippets of the locals’ conversations.

  “Did you hear what happened in the fields the other day?”

  “Yeah, they were the latest victims of the spirits.”

  “Word is that the elders have reached out to bring some outsiders in to bring the spirits back under control.”

  The doors to the tavern swung open, letting in a trio of people. In the lead was a woman with curly red hair and light skin. Her clothes were simple in form, but looked expensive in material. However, what stood out of place was a black collar with a blood-red, tear drop-shaped. He watched her gaze around, lingering on a few of the young women.

  To her left walked another woman, this one with long black hair and violet skin. Two horns curled out from the back of her head above ears which were split into forked points. She also wore simple robes, which clearly cost less than her companion’s. What was strange was the way any darkness seemed to be drawn to her. Any shadow near her seemed to bend towards her own. Lexandros’s eyes flicked to his own shadow, which appeared to be trying to physically resist the pull.

  The third member of the group was… off. That was the best way that Lexandros could describe it. He was clearly masculine but there were some parts of him that didn’t seem right; a leg was a little too big, a hand slightly too small. He was dressed more like a warrior than the other 2, with leather armor and a collection of blades resting in sheaths.

  {Well they seem like an interesting bunch.} The soft voice whispered in Lexandros’s mind. {Maybe we should keep some eyes on them.} Lexandros’s eyes flicked up, where spectral birds, bats, and giant butterflies sat in the rafters, known only to him. And whatever that voice in his head was.

  Ginerva’s crimson eyes roamed around the tavern, spotting a few lovely ladies that she would be happy to offer an amazing experience. She adjusted her robes to try to show herself off a bit, grudgingly grateful the way her cursed jewel might draw attention to certain parts of herself.

  “Do you think you can keep it in your pants until after the work is done this time Ginny?” Thorne requested. Ginerva hissed at her, her fangs dropping down.

  “Don't call me that!” She snapped. Thorne said nothing, waving a dismissive, violet hand at her companion.

  “Calm down you two.” Rebis said in his gravelly voice. He rocked back and forth from one foot to another, trying to find balance in his body. “We were told by the Sister to keep a low profile while she sorts things out with the local powers.” Thorne and Ginerva rolled their eyes but didn't say anything. Rebis's eyes traveled around the room. They landed on a cloaked figure in the corner, a long pack leaning against the wall beside him.

  Lexandros saw the man looking at him for an extra beat before moving past him.

  {That one might be trouble.} The voice said. {Best keep your guard up around him.}

  “Are you ever going to shut up?” He muttered.

  {Not as long as you need to complete your mission.} The voice answered.

  “And I assume you're not going to tell me what that mission is.”

  {My memory is lacking in what the mission is, only that there is a mission.}

  “Helpful.” Lexandros said sarcastically.

  The doors opened again and a very strange pair walked in. One was a woman with azure colored skin and curling, ram like horns. A thin tail slithered behind her. She wore faded traveling clothes and had a pouch hanging from her hip.

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  Beside her was a sickly looking man with a head of stringy black hair and skin that looked like it might have never seen the sun. He seemed unsteady on his feet and his clothes were baggy on him. As Lexandros focused on them, he started to hear it. Different from the voice whispering in his mind or the sounds his flying watchers would sometimes make. It was like a dull buzzing of many bugs flying around in his brain. Lexandros grit his teeth in annoyance.

  “How are you doing Bal?” Calliope asked, rubbing her friend’s back with her sky colored hand.

  “I'm ok Calli.” Balthazar tried to assure her. “There's something about this town that is really agitating them.” Calli guided him to a table and helped him into a seat. She flagged down one of the serving girls.

  “Excuse me, can my friend and I get something to eat and drink please?” She requested.

  “We don’t have much ma’am, but I’ll talk to our cook and see what we can get.” the maid said.

  “Thank you,” Bal said. He leaned down on the table. The ghosts that filled his soul were typically subtle in their influences on him, but since he and Calliope entered Gloamsreach, they had been extra aggressive.

  “It's not just your ghosts.” Calli assured him. "I can feel the spirits around here aggravated. I don't like it.” Balthazar licked his lips as he scanned the room. There were 3 people that were just sitting at their table talking amongst themselves and another figure was sitting in a corner of the tavern and Bal saw his eyes linger in him and Calliope.

  Lexandros put the pair that caused the buzzing out of his mind and returned to his plate.

  {You know completing your mission would go easier with a team.} The voice pointed out.

  “So would knowing what the mission is.” Lexandros countered. The voice went silent at that and Lexandros was ready to count that as a win. That is until he got hit by a strange vision of people somewhere different, with people that he couldn’t quite make out and hear things that weren’t registering. After about a minute, the sensation passed. “Somehow, I know you did that on purpose.” The voice was silent. Smugly silent in Lexandros’s opinion. He was just pulling himself back together when another pair entered the tavern.

  The first was a tall, broad man dressed in scaled armor with a hammer and shield. He had wild black hair that stuck out in several directions with dark blue eyes. Lexandros noticed however that on his armor was the rainbow ringed eye of Aurora, the Goddess of Light and Truth. Next to him was an even taller, wild looking woman with dark hair and skin. Her eyes held a slight amber color to them. She wore simple clothes that granted her just enough modesty to be socially acceptable and a large polearm strapped to her back.

  Looking the pair up and down, Lexandros decided that this pair was the most interesting group to walk in recently.

  Kiva gave a low growl as she felt all of the eyes on her. She hated the attention and knew that none of them would be worth any attention from her. Not that they could survive very long with her. The red haired woman that had a faint smell of death about her might have been worth her time though.

  “I wish you’d cover up with a robe or something.” Kalkarel said, eyeing his tall companion.

  “Find me enough cloth to make it comfortable, and I might consider it.” Kiva shot back with a smirk. Kalkarel rolled his eyes as he glanced around the tavern. He saw the table that had the woman Kiva was eyeing and took note of the eclectic bunch. Then there was the pair that was being served. One of them - a sickly looking man - was trying to take a bite of the meager food he’d received. He was tempted to try and see what he could do for the man, but decided to wait.

  “Back corner.” Kiva growled low enough for just him to hear. “The man back there, everything about him feels strange.”

  “Feels how?”

  “The way he looks. He smells. Even the sounds made by him and the way the air feels around him.”

  “And by strange? Remind me what normal is.”

  “You know what I mean.” She snapped. “Just try and keep an eye on him, Investigator.” Kalkarel sighed but nodded, finding a seat where he could keep the strange man in his periphery.

  Judging by the way those two were looking at him now, Lexandros figured he had gained their attention somehow. Now what was left was to see how they would react to him. Taking another drink, he noticed the small frost that was forming on top of the mug. His watchers began to stir, the buzzing in his head sharpened to a piercing ring, and his shadow twisted around looking for the source of the disturbance.

  He jumped to his feet, his eyes looking around. He wasn’t the only one to notice the shift in atmosphere. The others that had recently come in were also slowly rising to their feet and preparing for something that was coming.

  “Oh no!” the barman cried. Furniture started vibrating. Silverware started to jump and spin in the air on their own. Liquids began to slosh around their containers untouched. “Not again!” That was all Lexandros needed to hear. He drew his sword and held it at the ready.