As they approached Bella's Place, a dimly lit establishment nestled between crumbling brick buildings, Dalia's senses heightened. The air in the narrow alleyway was thick with the pungent odor of stale refuse, but beneath it all, she detected a blend of familiar scents mingling with the metallic tang of blood that sent her instincts into overdrive.
"What do you think, Dalia? Was Lady Rya here?" Percy inquired, his voice low and tinged with urgency as they moved cautiously past a littered heap of garbage.
Dalia paused, eyes narrowing as she inhaled deeply, letting the scents wash over her. *Sniff! Sniff! Sniff!* She could pick apart the layers of the aroma, and her expression hardened, recalling the memory vividly. "Yes, Alpha was definitely here," she confirmed, her voice steady but laced with tension. "And I can also smell that coward who managed to escape the labyrinth—the one with the hammer... I recognize that stench anywhere," she added, her heart pounding at the thought of their nemesis.
At the mention of the escapee, Percy's features twisted with indignation, his jaw tightening as anger flared within him. He vividly remembered the man who had dared to threaten the lives of both Lady Rya and his Lord in a reckless display of defiance. "So, the fool didn't heed our warning," he growled, his fingers clenching into fists at his sides as adrenaline coursed through him.
Dalia watched her mate's reaction, a mixture of admiration and apprehension washing over her. His raw, fierce loyalty ignited something within her that felt thrilling and magnetic. She couldn't help but find his fury oddly captivating, hot and sexy even, but she quickly reminded herself that this wasn't the right moment for flirtation or distraction. The gravity of their situation demanded focus, so she kept her lips sealed, the tension of the moment hanging thick in the air between them.
"Miss Nieren, you said Rya came out of the brothel?" Percy asked, while looking at Nieren.
"Y-Yes, sir!" Nieren answered as she pointed to the building known as Bella's Place.
Dalia looked back at Percy and saw his eyes were filled with controlled fury.
"We shall ask this Bella what she knows about the Black Roses' involvement. I would hate it if we need to get unpleasant." Percy growled.
Dalia saw Percy's wolf side coming out, a side of him that she loves, and she was ready to do anything to protect her mate.
"Leave it to me, Gamma. Alpha is my friend, and I'll find out what we need to know." Dalia said as her cheeks flushed red.
"No, Lady Dalia. We'll do this together." Percy smiled.
Nieren was watching the two of them working together. And couldn't help but be a little jealous.
'Wow? I never knew how loyal a human could be. This wolfkin was lucky enough to find such a loyal mate. Could I find such a mate?' Nieren thought as she bit her lip.
"Miss Nieren. Thanks for telling us about Lady Rya. We'll take it from here." Percy said to the wood elf.
"Huh? But what if I want to stay and help you?" Nieren asked as she looked at Percy.
"You're an adventurer, correct? Then we have to post a request with the guild. We can't pay you if you join us now, Miss Nieren." Percy said.
"I don't care about getting paid for this. I've seen too many wood elves get collared in my life, and I'm tired of doing nothing about it. Even if Rya is a dark elf. If she's helping you two, then she must be good." Nieren said, staring down at Percy.
"She's more than a good person, Miss Nieren. She's saved our lives. I'd do anything to repay her. We all would." Percy said as he smiled at Dalia.
Nieren's heart fluttered as she felt a tingle run up her legs. She did like Percy and the way he treated Dalia.
"Plus, Beta would destroy half the world once he finds out about this," Dalia added.
"Haah... Yeah, he would. We'll need to see him after this." Percy nodded in agreement.
"Really? W-Who's Beta?" Nieren asked with a confused look on her face.
"Well, if you plan on joining us, you might as well know. He's Prince Quinus, next heir to the throne of Fiafyr."
'WHAT!? That's amazing!' Nieren thought as she remembered how cute the prince was when he carried Rya away to her room back at the inn.
"Yeah, he's my best friend and usually a calm guy, but he's in love with Lady Rya and will do anything to get her back. So, let's talk with Bella and see what we can get out of her before we can make our next move." Percy said as he looked at Dalia, who started wagging her tail.
"Okay, then. Let's go see her!" Nieren replied as she walked towards the back door.
***
Inside the brothel, Bella was trying to help her injured employees who were trapped in a room.
"Bella! You're alive!?" A female voice called out.
"Yes. I don't know how we didn't get murdered by Jeremiah. It was a miracle." Bella said as she walked over to see some of her guards dead on the ground with their necks slit open.
"Haah... Did any of our bouncers survive?" One of the escorts asked.
"I don't think any of them did. How are we going to run the brothel with no protection?" Another escort asked.
"Tck! Who would want to work here after knowing that they can be killed for no reason?" A third one asked.
"Enough! We will survive like we always do. But we might need to move out of Ironside." The owner said as she continued to clean up the bodies.
"Why?" One of the escorts asked.
"The Kings Slayer has a powerful dark elf collared. And they're talking about the Prince of Fiafyr being in the city. We need to leave before it becomes a war zone." Bella said with worry in her eyes.
"What should we do?" Another one asked.
"We can't stay here—" Bella replied urgently, her voice trailing off as her gaze swept across the dimly lit room. Her heart raced as she spotted three unfamiliar figures lurking in the shadows. One was a wolf-kin with piercing eyes that seemed to hold an untold story, another was a wood elf whose ethereal presence hinted at ancient wisdom, and the last was a human ranger adorned in the royal insignia of the kingdom of Fiafyr, his posture exuding authority and tenacity.
"Are you Bella?" the ranger asked, his tone direct yet laced with a hint of urgency.
"Yes. Why?" Bella responded, her brow furrowing as she scrutinized the young man who stood before her, a mix of curiosity and apprehension etched on her face.
"I'm Percy, a retainer of the crown prince of Fiafyr," he declared, his expression shifting to one of resolve. "I know that Lady Rya has been kidnapped from this very place by a mercenary group called the Black Roses. I need to understand your involvement with them." His demeanor was intense, as if he were preparing for a confrontation at any moment.
A shadow passed over Bella's face as she shook her head in denial. "He killed my guards and held the rest of my employees and me hostage, forcing me to help them capture the Dark Elf... If I had known that aligning with them would lead to the destruction of my business, I would have turned her away without a second thought," she confessed, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, the weight of her predicament pressing heavily upon her.
Percy, alongside his companions, Dalia, the enigmatic wolf-kin with a keen sense for danger, and Nieren, a fierce and agile wood elf, exchanged glances, drawn to the grim sight of the lifeless bouncers sprawled across the floor. The air was thick with tension and sorrow.
"Do you have any idea where they might have gone? Or what the Black Roses are planning now?" Percy inquired, his voice firm yet respectful of the gravity of Bella's situation. He leaned slightly closer, hoping to catch a glimpse of any detail she might offer.
An escort, silently standing in the corner, finally spoke up, casting a glance toward the ground as if reluctant to reveal what little he knew. "I overheard one of them mention something about heading to one of the abandoned mines near Mount Galfrei," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, filled with unease at the thought of the impending danger.
"Mount Galfrei? Are you sure?" Percy asked.
The girl nodded her head, "Yeah, there are a few abandoned mines there. I heard it from the guy that had a war hammer."
"He mentioned that they were heading to one of the mine shafts?" Percy asked, looking for confirmation.
"I think so. But I'm not sure." The girl said, shaking her head.
While Percy was talking to Bella and the girls, Dalia was checking out a spot that was covered in broken wood and earth.
'There's a body down there.' Dalia thinks to herself as she sniffs around the area where Rya killed the Merc. 'But it looks like someone was buried.'
Dalia starts digging up the dirt to see who was down there.
It takes her a few minutes, but she finally discovers the body buried 5 feet in the ground.
She lifts the body out of the hole and looks at it. It was a human male who had a hole in his chest. There is nothing notable about him except that his attire was that of the Black Rose Mercenary Company.
Dalia looks up to Percy, "Gamma! I found a body! A human!" She says to Percy.
"Who is it? Is it one of those damn mercenaries?" Percy asks, looking back at Dalia.
"Yes, he is. But I don't know who he is."
"Let me see then," Percy said, walking over to the body that Dalia threw out of the hole and onto the hardwood floor.
'So Nieren was right about the Black Rose. I wonder if Lady Rya was attacked by him?' Percy thought to himself.
He quickly checks the body, making sure that he doesn't miss anything that might be dangerous before inspecting the body further.
"Yeah, he must have been killed by Lady Rya before getting captured," Percy said, looking at the body.
"They must have ordered Alpha to bury him," Dalia said, pointing to the broken pieces of wood and earth surrounding the body.
"Can you use his scent to find their hideout?" Percy asked Dalia.
"Of course, I can!" Dalia said, looking at the body of the merc, and cut his head off with her claws, then put it in a bag.
"Gah! Why did you cut his head off?" Nieren asked as she walked up to Percy and Dalia.
"So, I can keep a fresh scent on him as we go searching for their hideout," Dalia said, looking at Percy.
"Sure, but why the head of all the things?" Nieren asked, confused.
"I get a little bit of everything. Skin, hair, saliva, blood, and other things that give off scents. So, if the scent is over 24 hours old, I'll still be able to pick it up again and should be able to track them down." Dalia said as she looked at the headless corpse.
"You can do that? Well, should we go after them, then?" Nieren asked Dalia.
"We need to inform the prince before we can do anything. Do you still wish to join us, Nieren? Things are about to get dangerous. Maybe you should stay here and wait for my return." Percy says, looking at Nieren.
"No. I'm an adventurer. I am going with you even if this is unsanctioned work." She says, looking at Percy.
"Alright then. Let's go," Percy said firmly. The urgency in his voice underscored the danger that still lurked nearby. Once Dalia had regained her footing, he turned to Miss Bella, his expression softening. "Thank you for your cooperation," he continued, sincerity evident in his tone. "And I want to sincerely apologize for our earlier hostilities. I wasn't sure if you were working with the Black Roses."
Bella, along with the other survivors, nodded in understanding. Their faces, marked with remnants of fear and uncertainty, now reflected a fragile sense of trust budding in the wake of their escape.
Without wasting another moment, the trio dashed out of the brothel, the cool night air hitting their faces as they emerged into the streets. They sprinted towards the baron's palace, hearts pounding in their chests, knowing that every second counted in their race against time. The distant clamor of the city faded behind them as they focused on their goal, adrenaline fueling their resolve to save Rya.