Chapter 143: Basilia

Zach walked to the city with Dukiel and Julius, chatting and planning on the way. They were a little curious about where Alzara was but dropped it when Zach said she was busy. They wanted to know but didn't feel entitled. If Zach wanted to tell them, he would.Zach didn't tell them because he wasn't sure what to say. He felt like he would need to explain a lot. He would also have to say that it was to try and help Rierdan. But it would suck if Alzara couldn't make something to help Rierdan or his familiar.

So, he kept her activities under wraps for now. And when they arrived in the city, he bought three sandwiches wrapped in salad in the evening market for dinner.

Since the city was still bustling with activity, they decided to do things they couldn't do during the night. They started looking for the few witnesses that Rabst had found. Rabst's notes were clear and detailed. He had even marked the addresses on a map.

It only took the trio twenty minutes to arrive at the doorstep of the first possible witness. They knocked. No answer.

Zach glanced at Yanael and Dukiel looked at the Sentinel. Both familiars indicated that the house was empty.

"They're probably busy."

"Yeah. They could be working."

"Or shopping."

They flipped through the notes and map until they found the next address. It was another small house in a calm part of the city. Another no-show.

But twice could be a coincidence, so they moved on to the third witness. The mood had already soured, but when they arrived at another empty house, it got even worse. At this point, the three boys could no longer call it a coincidence.

The witnesses were gone. And if the primary source of the disappearances the possible witnesses had possibly witnessed was as crooked as the three had reason to believe, it was obvious what had happened to the witnesses.

The only problem was that the witnesses were supposed to lead Zach and the others to the kidnappers in the city. So, now that the witnesses were gone, they were back at square two since they still had some information.

A little hopeless, Zach looked at Dukiel and Julius for a moment.

"Do you think we will find any evidence inside?"

The third witness had lived in a house that was a step or two above a shack at the border to the slummier part of the city. It wasn't quite a slum, but it was where merchants who failed their businesses, mercenaries who couldn't find jobs, and various societal dropouts and misfits lived.

The neighbors were too busy working, sleeping, or hiding to care about if they broke into the house. If someone did care, they still wouldn't get in too much trouble if the city's guards came.

Dukiel was hesitant. He glanced at Julius.

"It's worth a try." Julius shrugged. He said as much, but that didn't mean he would do it personally, so he gestured for Zach to take the lead.

When he was put on the spot like that, Zach also realized that he was about to commit a real crime.

It was a little scary since his parents and siblings had raised him to be a good boy.

But it was also a little exciting.

Zach tried the door's handle. The other two shook their heads. Even if the owner of the house had been kidnapped and the house wasn't the prettiest, there was no way it would be unlocked.

Zach pushed down on the handle and opened the door. He turned around with a cocky grin to boast to the others since he could tell they judged his break-in technique. But before he could see their reactions, someone grabbed him and dragged him inside.

Yanael reacted instantly and unsheathed her weapon to follow.

Dukiel and Julius were a step behind, but they also reacted and ordered their familiars to move.

Yanael's sword was about to tear into the door when it swung open again and revealed Zach and a familiar face.

"Senior?" Julius was the first to recognize the face and asked with a tilted head.

"...Sorry." Rabst apologized and handed Zach back to Yanael, who had already sheathed her weapon again. But she looked at Rabst with a wary expression. She hadn't sensed him inside the house that was supposed to be empty.

Rabst took half a step out the door and glanced around and up at the sky before gesturing for the three to come inside.

Surprised, curious, and worried, the three and their familiars entered their house. For safety's sake and because it seemed like Rabst wanted to hide, Zach put up as tight a barrier as he could. It didn't completely block out sounds, and it didn't hide them. But it was the best thing he could do to hide their presences. It was better than nothing.

It would also protect them if someone attacked the house and took them by surprise. Though, for some reason, Zach had trouble imagining someone successfully surprising Rabst.

The house was barely more than a kitchen and a bedroom, and since the bedroom was the only room without a window, that's where they were. They were careful not to touch anything or sit down on the bed to ruffle the already disordered and dirty sheets.

Zach, Dukiel, and Julius looked at Rabst, waiting for an explanation.

"...I did not take anyone." It seemed he was worried they thought he was responsible for the disappearance of the house's owner. Read new chapters at m_v-l'e|-NovelFire.net

"Except me."

"This isn't the time for jokes, Zach. What's going on, Rabst?"

"I was almost in time to see who took the owner of this house, so I hid. I wanted to check if there were any traces inside the house. But when I hide, I have trouble differentiating other presences. That's why I grabbed you, Zach."

"I don't mind." Searᴄh the nôvel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"So, did you find anything?" Julius asked.

Rabst shook his head.

"No evidence. But my familiars are looking, too."

Right then, a hawk's cry pierced the barrier.