The night had settled over Drakoria, a nket of darkness pierced only by the soft glow of streemps and the asional flicker of candlelight from windows. In a sprawling mansion on the city''s outskirts, Mchi Vex reclined in a high-backed leather chair, his fingers absently tracing the rim of a crystal tumbler filled with amber liquid.


    The room exuded wealth and a whole lot of money spent on the rather unnecessary. From the plush carpets underfoot to the tasteful paintings adorning the walls. A fire crackled in the hearth, casting dancing shadows across Mchi''s sharp features. His eyes, a piercing blue that seemed to cut through the dim light, stared contemtively into the mes.


    A soft knock at the door broke the silence. Mchi''s gaze flicked towards the sound, his voice carrying a hint of irritation as he called out, "Enter."


    The door creaked open, revealing a nervous-looking aide. The man, thin and pale, seemed to shrink under Mchi''s gaze. "Apologies for the interruption, sir," he stammered, "but there''s a... guest here to see you. He says it''s urgent."


    Mchi''s eyebrow arched, curiosity piqued. "At this hour? Did this ''guest'' give a name?"


    The aide shook his head. "No, sir. He''s... cloaked. Wouldn''t show his face."


    A slow smile spread across Mchi''s face, intrigue recing irritation. "How mysterious. Very well, show him in."


    Could be a thief, an assassin and all kinds of bad he was letting in, right? Well, all the "coulds and couldn''t" didn''t seem to bother Mchi. He was an assured man in a secured mansion. What was the worst that could happen?


    Momentster, a figure shrouded in a dark cloak was ushered into the room. The hood was pulled low, obscuring the visitor''s features. As the door closed with a soft click, the figure reached up and pushed back the hood.


    Mchi''s eyes widened in recognition, then narrowed dangerously. "Gustavo," he said, his voice as cold as ice. "You have some nerve showing your face in Drakoria."


    Gustavo looked around the room, inspecting every inch with eyes that spoke of years of hard living, met Mchi''s gaze unflinchingly. "Desperate times call for desperate measures, Mchi."


    Mchi leaned forward, his posture rxed but his eyes alert. "Indeed. And what, pray tell, has driven you to such desperation? Last I heard, you and your merry band of cutthroats were persona non grata in every corner of the city."


    Gustavo''s jaw clenched, but he kept his voice level. "That''s why I''m here. We need... assistance."


    A bark ofughter escaped Mchi''s lips. "Assistance? From me? Oh, this should be good." He gestured to a chair across from him. "Sit. Let''s hear what''s so important that you''d risk your necking here."


    Gustavo sat, his eyes darting around the room before settling back on Mchi. "I need immunity. For me and my men. Fifty of us, to be exact."


    Mchi''s eyebrows shot up. "Immunity? For the entire Brotherhood? You must be joking."


    "I''m dead serious," Gustavo growled. "We have... business to attend to in Drakoria. But we can''t move freely with this bounty on our heads."


    Mchi leaned back, swirling the liquid in his ss. "And what, may I ask, is this ''business'' of yours?"


    Gustavo shook his head. "That''s not part of the deal. We need cover, nothing more. What we do is our concern."


    "Oh, I think it very much is my concern," Mchi countered, his voice sharp. "You''re asking me to stick my neck out for you, Gustavo. To use my influence with the Enforcers, to risk my standing in this city. I need to know what I''m getting into."


    The two men stared at each other, the tension in the room palpable. Finally, Gustavo spoke, his voice low. "We''re here for a job. A big one. But that''s all I can say."


    Mchi drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair, considering. "And what do I get out of this...arrangement?"


    "A cut of the profits," Gustavo offered. "Plus, the gratitude of the Brotherhood. That''s not something to be taken lightly."


    Mchi scoffed. "The gratitude of wanted criminals? How generous. No, Gustavo, I''m afraid you''ll have to do better than that."


    Gustavo''s face darkened. "What do you want, Mchi?"


    A slow, predatory smile spread across Mchi''s face. "Information. Yourwork spans the continent. I want ess to it."


    Gustavo shifted ufortably in his seat. "That''s... a big ask, Mchi. Our informationwork is our most valuable asset."


    "And immunity in Drakoria is yours," Mchi countered smoothly. "It seems a fair trade to me."


    The room fell silent save for the crackling of the fire. Gustavo''s mind raced, weighing his options. Finally, he spoke. "Limited ess. And only for the duration of our stay in Drakoria."


    Mchi considered this for a moment, then nodded. "eptable. But I want to know the nature of your ''business'' here."


    Gustavo hesitated, then sighed heavily. "We''re here for a bounty. A big one."


    Mchi''s eyes narrowed. "A bounty? On whom?"


    "I can''t say," Gustavo replied firmly. "That wasn''t part of the deal."


    Mchi leaned forward, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Let me make something clear, Gustavo. I don''t do blind deals. You want my help? I need to know who you''re after."


    Gustavo met Mchi''s gaze, his own eyes hardening. "And if I refuse?"


    Mchi shrugged, leaning back. "Then our business is concluded. I''m sure the Enforcers would be very interested to know of your presence in the city."


    The threat hung in the air between them. Gustavo''s fists clenched and unclenched as he weighed his options. Finally, he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "It''s a noble woman. That''s all I can say."


    Mchi''s eyebrow arched. "A noble woman? Now that is interesting. And potentially very messy. You understand my hesitation, I''m sure."


    Gustavo nodded grudgingly. "I do. But we''re professionals, Mchi. We''ll be in and out before anyone knows we were here."


    Mchi studied Gustavo for a long moment, his mind working furiously. Finally, he spoke. "Very well. I''ll arrange for you and your men to have free movement in the city. The Enforcers will turn a blind eye to your presence. But," he added, his voice hardening, "if I catch even a whisper of trouble, the deal is off.


    And trust me, Gustavo, you don''t want to know what happens then."


    Gustavo nodded, relief evident on his scarred face. "Understood. Thank you, Mchi. The Brotherhood won''t forget this."


    As Gustavo stood to leave, Mchi called out, "One more thing, Gustavo. This noble woman you''re after... she wouldn''t happen to have any particrly skilled protectors, would she?"


    Gustavo froze, his hand on the door handle. ''The boy she ran off with wouldn''t be considered as "skilled" if anything, he''s dead anyways,''  he thought for a brief moment.


    He turned slowly, his eyes narrowing. "Why do you ask?"


    Mchi smiled enigmatically. "Let''s just say I like to stay informed about theings and goings in my city. Good night, Gustavo. And do be careful. Drakoria can be... unforgiving to those who don''t know how to navigate its currents."


    "You forget...I once lived here," Gustavo said turning away.


    As the door closed behind Gustavo, Mchi turned back to the fire, his mind racing. A noble woman... A slow smile spread across his face as he reached for his drink.


    "Well, well," he murmured to the empty room, "it seems our little game just got a lot more interesting, my dear Matilda."


    Outside, Gustavo pulled his cloak tighter around him as he melted into the shadows of Drakoria''s streets. He couldn''t shake the feeling that he''d just made a deal with a devil. But for now, at least, they had the cover they needed.


    As both men settled into their respective ns for the nights ahead, the city of Drakoria slumbered on, Zafron and the two beautiful women in his arms did so as well, unaware of the ns being made against them.