10 Bloodless.

"You're not from here, foreigners. State your intentions. What's the motive for your visit to Inanna?"

Questioned the guard in the middle, taking a step ahead. The two armed men behind him didn't put their eyes apart from William or Artur. The ones carrying the bloody bulge waited behind.

William felt just like when those pirates surrounded him on Sunia's coastal forests; cornered and outpowered like a jackal. But Artur didn't look concerned; he took a calm step ahead to face their apparent leader.

"Oh, I'm sorry, good men. We're just passing by. We don't want trouble with the local laws."

The guard traded looks with his subordinates before speaking. "Go back from where you came from if you don't want trouble, foreigners. By decree of the local governor of Inanna, the number of outsiders arriving at the town is currently limited. Unless you are willing to pay the extra-official fee of say… 200 stars, you are better off turning around and leaving before we make this official."

The Oksidi guards traded nods in agreement, a price that didn't sound cheap. William felt his coagulated blood heating. If there was something he didn't like, that was people abusing their authority power over others. Being stripped of his will and dignity inside those pirate ships only reaffirmed his belief.

But that horrible situation also taught him to carefully pick his fights. What if he had retreated instead of fighting those crustacean-armored men? that situation didn't matter anymore. What was done, done was, and one could always learn from the past, though he could not simply stand there quietly.

"We haven't done anything wrong," he interrupted. "you're asking for a bribe. Leave us alone."

"You're trespassing a critical crime scene," reaffirmed the leader. "We can put you inside the dungeon if we want. Your pale asses won't last there one day. We're being kind, pay the fee or leave."

The armed men behind him chuckled, shaking the dust off their vests and skirts before turning around in a condescending gesture to watch over the terrain.

"Trespassing a crime scene? What's this about?" asked Artur. " I didn't know there was some law covering that. Did you guys just beat to death some poor peasant for not paying his 'extra-official' taxes?"

He signaled with a head nod the mess of bloodstained sheets. The leader's grin disappeared, the rest of them turning around with defiant stares.

"Are you an idiot?" spoke one of them. "Ah, what am I saying, of course, you are. Chief, I have a better idea. Let's make them pay the fee and get in the town. I'm sure that psycho we've got on the loose is gonna target them next. No one could stand out more than them."

"I agree," mocked another. "Maybe we're being too fast about capturing him. His next victims would not be cried by anyone. Could be useful for setting him up a trap now that I think about it..."

The five guards chuckled again and glared arrogantly at both outsiders. Artur's green eyes glowed, a mild grin on his face about to shoot the ace under his sleeve. He took a step ahead and extended a document to the leader decorated with red ribbons.

The man plunged it apart from his hand, and his tanned face reddened as he read its content.

"Mauric diplomatic agents… A free-roaming license issued by Lord Samu Gozid himself, Oksidi Representant of the Reniramian Trinity… you…"

The rest of the men erased their condescending faces and looked at each other nervously. Their leader read again the document as if he was illiterate or didn't truly believe what was written on it.

Artur looked at William with a smug face. "I told you I'd deal with them. You wouldn't really believe our kind would just go around without being prepared to deal with idiots, right?"

"Chief?" asked one of the men. "What should we do? That sign looks legit…"

Their leader gulped his own saliva, saving any insults he could have had in embarrassment. It was as if he was now talking with two nobles. He rubbed his face of short beards.

"Alright, you can go on ahead freely. No fees given. Just remember that you still obey Inanna's local laws while you are here and you shall be treated as criminals if you break them. Let them cross, guards."

The men spread off the way, standing at its edges with their two-meter tall spears like royal guards. They moved the bloody bulge out too, but the tiny rocks on the road were already stained in red.

"Thank you, kind officer. C'mon, little swallow, we have many diplomatic matters to attend to," Artur spat condescending mockery, chuckled at the end, and continued walking.

William followed behind, the guards staring at both with frustration as they left. That was... easy. He just hoped that incident didn't bring them special attention once the voices ran in the town. He felt as if he carried the most expensive treasure with that glowing gem inside his chest.

Inanna's multicolor architecture was a giant lake on the way down. The falling night made its lights turn on like an enormous festival of orange and pink lights, all disembarking at the heart of the town: the colossal magenta tree, taller than any visible building around, and surrounded by moving wisps William couldn't figure out.

"Seems like those dumb rookies made us miss the moment when most lights are turned on," said Artur. "Wait 'till you see this place on a festive day. It makes magic wanna become more magical…"

"What happened back there?" interrupted William. "Did you see that thing those guards carried?"

"Nasty, isn't it? I've heard lots of things in the last few days. The wife of some commoner was killed inside that hut three days ago, but she was found in quite an unusual way: her blood was missing. That bloody mess of blankets was different, though. Something's wrong."

"Missing blood?" William raised one eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Yeah. They say the woman was like the dried carcass of a cicada and had the horrible face of being brutally murdered. Thing is, she's the third person this month to be found in that same wicked state. Some serial killer is my guess. Someone or something, I got no clue about what kills people in that way... Very specific and clean."

"Must be that 'psycho on the loose' those guards mentioned in their 'critical crime scene'," guessed William. "How nice of them..."

"Maybe. Those guys are corrupt by the way, they don't like foreigners, and this supposed serial killer has everyone scared, so don't take it personally if you are treated worse than usual for being an outlander. Guess we'll have to wait until further notice or rumors to know more..."

"What a safe and happy town, isn't it?"

"Even if you are safe, always act as if you aren't. That's some old Oksidi saying."

They continued down the road, Inanna about to begin. Artur also explained that "free-roaming" license he gave to those guards. According to him, it was a legit document, though they were no diplomatic agents or even registered citizens.

Lord Samu Gozid. He was the maximum authority of all of Oksid. Along with the representatives of Uchim, and Katos, the three formed the Reniramian Trinity, which governed the island under the name of the maximum king.

"Heh, you wouldn't believe such an ancient order of mythical creatures like us wouldn't have our connections to move freely around, Will? Don't misunderstand me, this is all wet and if someone knows what we are, they'll try to kill us. We have some secret, extra-official… deals with Lord Samu Gozid personally, though the government rewards those who kill a lich and bring their phylactery as proof."

The entrance to the town was right down their way; a cobblestone arch covered by two guards in the same attire as the last ones.

"Outta the way!" yelled a raspy voice.

William and Artur stepped aside, missing a beast pulled out of a nightmare or a fantasy book: one giant of the giant crabs Artur mentioned, though it looked more like a lobster.

As tall as two meters, three pairs of articulated legs carried the crustacean's oblong-shaped body, making the dust fly as its massive weight crushed the ground. Two giant pincers resting on its frontal body, big enough to engulf a tree trunk each. Its head of black, spherical eyes had uncountable whiskers around its mouth.

It pulled a grey wooden car filled with yellow grass, driven by a stoic and grumpy man wearing sand-colored clothing, a conical straw hat, and a crimson scarf similar to that of Miris Ates.

"Hey, don't be afraid," Artur put his hand on William's shoulder. "It's not gonna hurt you. Giant Land Lobsters are docile creatures, just make sure to not make it angry or pinch its tail. Those pincers can cut a human in half, though I'm sure that getting your intestines mangled is nothing new for you, right?"

William ignored his mockery. Were those people crazy? that beast looked powerful enough to massacre an entire village if it went angry! Even in Sunia, bulls had to be treated with care because they were dangerous beasts, and they didn't have a thick exoskeleton or sharp, crushing super pincers.

Another reminder that he truly was in a foreign land... what other things would they see inside the town? For some reason, he couldn't take out of his mind those murders Artur mentioned.

"Cmon, Will. Let's get going, it's early at night when Onissa begins cooking her specialties, I'm dying to have some of her crab roe. Even Miris is jealous of her cooking. Just don't tell her I told you this because she's gonna kick us both in the crotch."

Both continued, William looking back just to make sure no giant crustacean would run them over.