The group charged with following and aiding Vulcan had remained outside of the enclave as per his instructions. When the room began caving in, the mages rushed inside, using magic to hold parts of the roof over Vulcan from caving in. A guard scanned the room and pointed to the oddest sight he had ever seen in his life. In one corner of the room, just in front of an exit further into the sewers, lay several dozen children. Above them were several rocks, held up by a single figure in rags. The fact that a person, any person, could hold that much weight was astounding.

"Save the children!" Vulcan shouted, the mages nodded, extending their magic. Several knights and guards ran through the rubble, reaching and grabbing the children and taking them out of the sewers, concentrating, the mage's held the stones up for just a second. With just enough leeway, the figure rolled forward. A guard thought he noticed a bit of glossiness within the rags, but he had more pressing matters. The room eventually caved in as they were all lifted out.

Vulcan took count of the guards, then checked on the children. Despite the shaking and jostling, they were all still fast asleep. "Vakna" (awaken). The children began to rouse, and the guards turned to the hooded figure.

"You saved those children stranger, thank you." The figure ignored them, rushing towards the rubble, and tossing away bits and pieces of rubble.

The guards stood in confusion until the rubble cleared enough to reveal a bloody, mangled, discolored arm. A few rushed over to help, that's when the jostling of the figures revealed the hooded being as a Ra'zac.

Vulcan, who had been busy healing the minor wounds on the children turned to the sound of agitated guards and drawn weapons and saw them surround the Ra'zac as it continued to dig into the pile of rubble, slowly revealing Faris.

"Foul beast! How dare you sully our lands!" One cried out.

"Who sent you?! Are you another of Galbatorix's remnants?!" Another guard screamed.

"Lord Vulcan? Permission to attack?!" A third turned towards Vulcan, who nodded, sighing and picking up his hammer. Immediately, a grey-haired boy pounced him, attempting to knock away the hammer, even as he was shaking the boy off, several other children streamed past him and the guards, standing between them and the Ra'zac.

"You can't hurt Rags!" One shouted.

The guards stood in confusion, watching as the Ra'zac finally cleared all the rubble burying Faris, revealing his face to Vulcan.

Vulcan frowned, "Barzhul…" he had thought he had maybe been imagining things. Turning to his men, he spoke. "Stand down." Before they could give protest he spoke louder, "STAND, DOWN…" His men backed away, sheathing their weapons. Volund spread his wings, using them as a tarp that covered the men, children, and Ra'zac.

"Vulcan, look." Volund lifted his wings slightly, revealing that a crowd had begun to gather. "We cannot allow them to panic."

Vulcan sighed, causing the children and guards to tense up. He turned to look at Faris, who opened his ghostly pale blue eyes, scanning the area and then turning to Vulcan. Vulcan felt chills as he looked into the child's eyes, but the child's expression seemed to soften almost instantaneously. Vulcan's mind flashed to the image of a red-eyed Faris seared in his eyes, but his memory also flashed to watching that same red-eyed boy standing in the way of a searing flame launched by those enhanced children.

"Children, the… ra'zac."

"Rags!" One corrected. Vulcan turned to see a blue-eyed, blond youth with a fierce but frightened look on his face.

"Young master Wilkons?" A guard asked in astonishment.

Turning to one of the guards, Vulcan began barking orders. "Head to the castle, I need an approved teleport from our location into the castle, have it be done as discreetly as possible, then send an order for a crew to clear the rubble, we need to identify the bodies of the guards, see if any had families." He turned to his men, then to the children, then to Faris. "This is bigger than simply missing children…"

…

The air was cool enough in the room that breathing out would generate fog, giving the appearance of someone shooting out smoke, like a dragon preparing to breathe fire. The guards and interrogator in the room, despite being bundled in thick clothing, couldn't help but shiver slightly if they stayed in one position for too long. Their subject, however, despite still being in the thin cloth jerkin and leggings she was taken away with, did not shiver. Seya knew of these rooms, her father had told her that they had learned that humans acted more sluggishly in the cold, and more energetically in warmth, thus, depending on who they were interrogating, and depending on their countenance, they'd put them in either the hot room, or the cold room, and play on the person's irritation or desperation. To the average person, the stone table and chair she had been made to sit in would be nearly ice-cold, but to her, it simply helped cool her temper. They had brought her first to the hot room but had not been able to get a word out of her. The mages attempted to worm into her mind, but without written, witnessed permission from a royal judge she had a right to defend her mind, and did so with both ease and ferocity.

"Ms. Seya, we need answers." The interrogator, a tall man covered in thick cloth sighed. "If only because of your father, we are treating you with respect, so please, trust the adults to help and protect you."

"Of course, you want me to give incriminating evidence, whether true or not right? The next thing you'll say is you can keep a secret, and we're best friends right?" Seya chuckled, "I hold by my words until you get real permission, and it's looking pretty slow, you'll be hard-pressed to get any answers out of me."

The interrogator gave Seya a steely glare, which she met with equal levels of mirth and derision. Suddenly, she snapped right. Looking at the door, quickly getting up before they could intervene, Seya rushed to the entrance, looking through the small portal in the door. The interrogation room was close to a medical bay. Her father had stated that ironically that despite attempting to being above Galbatorix's rule, sometimes torture was a feasible demonstration of power. As the guards reached to try and apprehend her, she looked out, heart pounding, for some reason she felt, foreboding, while she could feel people's distinct signatures if she spread her mind out, she could still glean their presence. The signature she felt was faint, but she could recognize it, she could recognize him.

"Faris…"

"Young Lady, return to your seat, lest we be compelled to take drastic measures."

Seya turned to the Interrogator, then, without breaking her gaze, ripped the iron door from the stone wall, and set it to the side. The guards froze, confused and slightly frightened, watching as Seya stepped out and rushed towards the entourage of guards, knights, and mages.

"Halt! Civilians can come to no f-" the guard was interrupted as Seya barreled past him, squeezing through and seeing two figures bound in chains and stretched on medical gurneys. The first, larger being was a Ra'zac, as unorthodox and strange as it was, the appearance of the creature barely registered in her mind, her attention was almost completely focused on Faris, who was battered and bruised beyond belief. Arms and legs crushed and mangled and bent like a tree branch not fully snapped on each edge, forming a grotesque, twisted pattern. His head bore a horrible gash, still red and raw, and the skin at the edges curled up like some awful rake had burrowed through his skull and dragged itself through.

The guards tensed up as they saw Seya's face. She turned to a guard, who flinched, Seya's normally unemotional face was twisted in rage as she prepared a spell. Stepping forward, Vulcan rose his hands.

"Calm yourself, he's under my protection."

"Protection, hahaha, some protection, is arresting and beating up children the kingdom's new policy?" She eyed the various dirty orphans.

"Lord Vulcan!" The interrogator rushed out of the room, "I apologize for this miserable brat's behavior I'll!..." he was interrupted by Vulcan's raised hand.

"What was feared regarding Faris may have resurfaced." The Dwarven rider said simply. The interrogator cocked his head in confusion, but Seya blanched, looking distraught. Vulcan continued, "At the moment, we need to get him to a healer, but this is for his protection as much as ours, whatever you are doing here, you'll have to finish it before you can even think about entering the medical bay. I know of you Seya, daughter of Jaya, and I know you are this boy's friend, but I can not let personal feelings trump the kingdom's fate."

"Didn't you promise us to save Faris?!" Seya retorted with irritation, "Some words those were!"

The guards stained daggers at her, Vulcan nearly chuckled, "Yes, I'm a disgrace, I have no choice but to be as cautious as possible, as this is all new territory, but know this, I owe the boy, it is a debt not easily repaid, I will make sure he lives." He twisted a ring on his right pinky, making it so that the jewel faced his palm.

The group continued, Seya attempted to walk after them but was interrupted by a group of mages, holding a document. "By order of Royal Judge Silor, truth stones are to be used at 100% liberty for the duration of any and all investigations today. Lady Seya, daughter of former Council of Thirteen leader Jaya, I ask that you return to your interrogation room and begin complying, lest we hold you with contempt of the crown."

Seya ignored the man at first, but after watching Vulcan and his entourage enter the medical bay, she turned to her room. Stepping through the gaping entrance, she gave the dislodged door a well-practiced kick, denting it. She sat down, annoyed and angry, but kept the emotions from registering on her face. "Fine…" she answered mechanically, "I'll answer your blasted questions, it is not like I have any choice, do I?"

…

The ra'zac was strapped to a metal chair with iron chains tightly wound around him. The room was windowless, the only light being several dozen candles over the walls and table before him. On the other side of the table sat Vulcan, wrapping and unwrapping his fingers around his hammer. He glared at the Ra'zac, who glanced around the room, panicking as he awoke.

"The! The children?!" He began calling out several names, eventually, turning to Vulcan, he began to speak rapidly, mandibles clacking in agitation. "Are they safe!? Are the children safe!?"

Vulcan raised an eyebrow in surprise. The Ra'zac's breath had an ability that would put humans into a dull stupor. Elves were immune to it and would be the best bet to interrogating this creature. Unfortunately, very few elves were in the city, the few here were attending the great games. As a Dwarf, Vulcan would have better resistance than humans to the Ra'zac's breath, yet the Ra'zac's first words shook him far more than any such paralyzing breath would have.

"You, you ask of the children?" Vulcan asked after a moment of thought.

"Yes…?" The creature asked in slight confusion. "Are… are they safe?"

"They are," Vulcan answered, he narrowed his eyes as he saw the Ra'zac's shoulders slump in relief. It was an almost human reaction. "I have questions for you, creature. You best answer them."

"I… I, as long as the children are safe!" The ra'zac responded.

Vulcan frowned, "Well, first question, where did the children come from, did you kidnap them?"

"No… I did not, I, I protect them."

"You?!" Vulcan snorted, "You are a Ra'zac, you and your kin eat humans."

"No! I would never hurt the children! I do not eat them! I eat rats, cats, bats, mice, chicken, beef, but never children! Not humans!"

"You don't eat humans?" Vulcan asked incredulously, he placed a crystal in front of the ra'zac and nearly had a double-take as it gleamed blue.

"No, I do not, I could not, the children are human, eating...would hurt them, they are already hurt when I caught the cats to eat… so...I stop around them."

"Alright, on the assumption you are telling the truth, how do the children enter your… care?"

"Ronny brings them…"

…

"Where do you get these children from, Ronny? Do you kidnap them?" A man dressed in the Kingdom's Investigator regalia stood as they interrogated a child of about 10 years of age. The youth, a wispy boy with grey hair and eyes glared at the adults around him. "Answer us!" A guard growled, smacking the child in the face. He glared at them, then looked down, whispering.

"What?" Another guard asked, lowering his head. The child looked up and spat on his face. This elicited a punch from the guard.

"Olsten!" Multiple guards grabbed the offending guard, holding him forcing him out of the room. The investigator glared at them, then turned to the boy, who was bleeding from the blow.

The investigator took out a sheet of paper and began reciting a list of names out loud. He went through nearly 50 of them before stopping at the last of them. "Linus Wilkons…." The boy narrowed his eyes and turned away. "Well, Ronny, that is your name correct? That's what all the children called you. Anyway, Ronny, I'm impressed, 2 months, in two months 46 children disappeared from eastern slums. Of course, no one makes it a point to get a decent census of the rabble that slosh those streets, but still, 46 children, yet you were capable of organizing them, feeding them, clothing them, educating them, and entertaining them. This required resources. Ironically, Lord Wilkon's estate reported similar enough losses and minor thefts, enough to feed about 30 adult workers, but perhaps 50 or more children as well. Linus Wilkons was quite reluctant to speak when we interrogated him; but after a bit of coercion.."

"You wouldn't dare harm the brat of a noble, you'd lose your head." The boy spat.

"Just a month ago, an organization comprised of splinters of Galbatorix's old regime attempted to destroy this city, this act lost nearly 2,000 lives, 500 lives belonging to normal citizens outside the military or mage society. Before that, we discovered several nobles were in league with this same organization and had been giving them information on our defenses. Worse yet, one of the mage guilds were under the thrall of this group." The interrogator chuckled and adjusted his spectacles. "Lord Wilkons is a minor noble. I have convicted a Baron from the results of this investigation." He leaned down, "I do not fear whatever retribution he'd think to bring against me, not when the kingdom is at stake. And unless you wish to be one of the bodies cast to the side, you'd best speak."

Ronny remained silent, looking away tight-lipped.

The investigator smirked. "Alright then, if you still think to remain silent." He dropped a bloody ring in front of the boy, engraved on the ring was a feather with tree-like roots. "I'm sure you recognize the crest of the Wilkons' name."

Ronny stared at the man with a look of pure hatred and disgust.

The investigator continued, smile widening, "Linus was almost as stubborn as you're proving to be, but after a quick beating, probably the first one he ever received, well…"

"Bastard!" Ronny shouted angrily.

"Oh? Wasn't Linus just a 'brat' according to you? I mean, now that I think about it, he went missing just when Lord Wilkons increased the patrols around his storage and began setting traps for thieves. I have a very fun theory." He chuckled, "You, you are acquainted with Lord Wilkon's estate, I couldn't find your name on any registries, but on the list of deceased under that estate, included a young peasant woman with remarkably silver hair and eyes."

"Shut up!" Ronny shouted, eyes welling up.

"Ah well, regardless, it's truly a shame, whether he meant to or not, Linus stepping in between that guard and the Ra'Zac is a class 1 breach of conduct. In attempting to protect such a monster, he and his entire noble house will be put to death." Ronny paled. The investigator continued, "Unless of course, Ronny had been coerced…"

"...Fine! Yes! I did, I made Linus help us!" Ronny burst into tears.

"Oh?" The Interrogator turned, hiding a smile.

"Sir! Linus is innocent! He doesn't deserve this, let him come back home!"

"I'll try, but the evidence is hard stacked against him, perhaps if you explain everything, I'll be able to fight for his freedom."

The boy looked conflicted, then sighed.

"Okay… alright…" He looked to the side, "I… my parents worked under Linus's dad. My dad got sick and died, and, my mom couldn't take care of me with just what she was earning, but the Lord wouldn't pay her any more than she already made."

"So she had no choice but to 'entrust' you to the Lord for a sizeable amount of gold." The investigator frowned.

Ronny's face twisted in anger "Shut up!"

"Unfortunately, she ended up, dying of mysterious circumstances, and since she had 'entrusted' you to the Lord, those funds would go to your guardian before you come of age. Who also happened to be the Lord." He leaned down and put his hand on Ronny, "Ronny, look at me, those 'mysterious circumstances', you don't think they were so mysterious, do you?"

Ronny nodded. "He killed my mom…" he whispered, venom dripping from his voice.

The investigator placed his hand on Ronny's shoulder, the boy looked up at the man, his eyes, a clear blue even behind the spectacles, were unwavering, yet at the same time they betrayed a slight warmth and empathy. "I believe you, but I cannot act without proof. Now, if you can, please, answer some of my questions, how did you come across the Ra'zac?" He handed the boy a napkin to clean the blood from his lip.

As Ronny dabbed his mouth, he looked up at the investigator and began to finally speak, voice shaking. "I stole his egg…"

The investigator narrowed his eyes. "Stole… from, from the Noble?"

"After the lord... I was sent to work in the stables. The young lord, erm… Linus wasn't able to ride a horse yet, so other than regular brushing and monthly horseshoe changes, I was the only one who saw them."

"Saw who?"

"Two men speaking with the Lord, they handed him a bag of gold, and some other things. He handed it to a servant, and I followed the servant to a secret room."

"Is that where you found the Ra'zac egg?"

Ronny nodded, "I didn't know what it was, I just thought it was valuable since the Lord paid so much for it, so I took it, and the gold. Maybe the Lord saw me because men chased me and I ran into the sewers. I cut myself, and a bit of my blood hit the egg, and it hatched. At first, it, rags, tried to attack me, but he was so small and weak. I, I knew I should have probably killed him. But I couldn't, he began to starve, and so…. I decided to feed him rats. Even when he was as big as me, he wouldn't eat anything but rats and insects, then, after a month, he started understanding what I said, then he would talk back."

"He didn't attempt to attack you after the first incident?"

"No, he doesn't attack anyone unless he gets attacked first, except for rats and any animals close in size and similar, those he attacks and eats."

"Thank you, do you remember what the men looked like?"

"No, I'm sorry."

"It is alright, now, how does the Lord's son, Linus, fit into all of this…"

…

Vulcan eyed Faris as the latter wolfed down the meal before him. A hunk of beef, hearty stew packed with vegetables and brimming with enough spice to make the dwarven rider tear up even from a distance, and two hard biscuits that he softened by dipping into the stew. In what seemed like seconds, the boy managed to tear through a meal that men thrice his size would find extremely filling. In that same breath, The boy grabbed the nearby wooden cup full of freshly boiled then cooled water and drank it in three heavy gulps. Releasing a deep sigh, he turned to Vulcan.

"Alright, what do you want from me? Though, if I can answer a few of the assumed questions early, I was in the sewers because I was told there was a Ra'zac, I had gone to the guardhouse to warn them when they ignored me I took it upon myself to enter the sewers myself. We met each other due to them looking for missing children, so we accompanied each other. We were attacked by an unknown assailant who was revealed to be a Ra'zac, and after his defeat we had him lead us to all the children, safe and sound. Then we were attacked by the enhanced children, who restrained the Ra'zac, killed the guards, tried to kill me, then you arrived."

"How were you able to put up a fight?"

Vulcan watched the boy smile as he answered. "Well," he began, "I had a few tricks, a miniature version of that ballistics weapon I used against the mage team I defeated a long time ago. Throwing weapons at them, evidently, I didn't win, did I?" Faris smiled bitterly, "Anyways, is there something you need?" Vulcan looked at Faris hard. Faris slowly stopped smiling, "If you have a question for me, why don't you just ask me in the ancient language? We live in dangerous times after all."

Vulcan turned around, "You helped me foster peace between clan Vrenshrrgn and the Catch-Tooth Urgal tribe. I, I'll trust you."

Faris's smile dropped, "...Thank you." After a few seconds, he pushed away from the empty plate and stretched, "Okay, I have a full stomach, what do you actually need?"

"Did you find anything of note, relating to the attacks on the dwarves?"

"Yes actually," Faris stood up straight, "The Ra'zac was using a bow with black-feathered arrows."

Vulcan narrows his eyes, "Do you think?"

"The Ra'zac killed them? Perhaps, Ra'zacs can't be detected by humans via even magic normally, so perhaps, but a human did buy those arrows, that's what the investigation leads me to believe, so even if the Ra'zac killed them…"

"There are others involved." Vulcan looked in deep thought.

"I just have one suggestion." Faris offered, "If it turns out that the Ra'zac wasn't responsible for their deaths, don't kill it."

"Why?" Vulcan asked quizzically.

"I'm curious, it didn't attempt to eat us, so, perhaps there's a way Ra'zac can be born without a desire for preying on humans consistently, like this one."

"I'll… consider your words, if the creature did not kill humans, or kill the three members of Vrenshrrgn, then I will consider interceding on its behalf. What about you?"

Faris smirked, "When's the race?"

"The two races between the human disciples of your mage and warrior factions have already occurred, I'm sorry."

"I know, I didn't enter that, I entered the race for all contenders."

"Really? Why? While there is a larger number of accepted victors due to the larger swell of candidates, humans on average do worse than even the dwarves that are chosen for their sprinting speed, and while a few humans are swift enough to keep up with the Urgals, the consistent victors of the race are the Kulls and Elves, why would you enter?"

Faris smiled, "I had little desire racing against fellow students, and I had an inkling that I wouldn't be able to enter either race, as my knight squad already asked that I not attend the first race with them."

Vulcan narrows his eyes, "Is there a conflict between you and your team?"

"A little." Faris replied honestly, "But it's adolescent hormones." He laughed, getting up, "Ooh, I see the mages healed me, thank you. When is the race for all peoples?"

"You have an hour."

Faris's smile faltered, and leaping off his bed, he sprinted out. Vulcan smiled ruefully as he watched the boy leave, but did not notice how Faris's eyes flickered from their pale blue to a deep crimson…