Jimmy followed the waitress as she ducked behind a corner, then down an alley, and then slipped past some crates. He wasn't sure if he trusted her or not, and judging by Chloe's expressions, his companion certainly didn't. She did help them out at the bar, but that might have been simply a ploy to gain his confidence. It wouldn't have surprised him if she was simply leading them into a more elaborate trap. Regardless of the danger, he was curious. There was something about this woman that evoked mystery.

"Ugh, I think I prefer the sewers in Lower Lueders than Grom City, the cold doesn't let the sewage…umm ferment…," said Chloe as they slid down an old drainage slough into the edge of an abandoned reservoir. Their guide then began to crisscross the water, by hopping onto some barely hidden stones, and beckoned them to do the same. "If it weren't for the sludge and the grime, this would almost be fun. "

"So I'm guessing you're not a full time waitress or maid for that matter, what is exactly your line of work," asked Jimmy as they splashed across the water to some rubble on the other side. Their guide then threw off a tarp, revealing a small canoe, before the three climbed in. Jimmy made sure he sat behind her.

"I'm a judge," said their guide matter-of-factly as she rowed through the reservoir.

Chloe recoiled immediately as if someone had threw fire at her. "A ..a judge?"

"Aye, more specifically an Arbiter for the Great Orders."

Chloe was still puzzled but Jimmy breathed a sigh of relief. Though an Arbiter was technically a judge for the northern barbarians and knights, they weren't exactly the legal dispensers of justice like their counterparts in Grom. In fact, they weren't even legal representation in Grom, and their presence was only tolerated by the authorities because they rarely knew the extent of their operations. To them they were simply armed ambassadors from the Northern Kingdoms that kept the peace amongst the northmen.

"What business does an Arbiter have with us?" asked Jimmy as they paddled down a stretch of sewer maze. While Jimmy could see better than a normal man in the dark, even he had trouble following where they were going in the pitch blackness. Fortunately he trusted Chloe's sight over his own if things got tense, and he had lightstones ready if they were lead into an ambush.

"Not with her, but with you specifically," corrected their guide. "Before you jump to any conclusions, let me explain after we reach my safehouse."

It didn't take long till their canoe reached an unremarkable stretch of the sewer. The waitress moored the vessel before she climbed on a narrow ledge, and revealed a hidden passage along the brick wall with a push then a slide.

"Ohh… a secret door. A classic," commented Chloe as the trio entered a dark chamber.

"One second," said their guide as the door behind them closed and small light globes lit up, revealing a small room filled with chests, weapon racks, and armor stands.

"Now this is a safehouse," admired Chloe. "Not that dusty demon prison in the mountains of yours."

Jimmy ignored her as he turned to their guide. "So what's this about? You intervened in a brawl which we had under control and want us to follow you. Well, we're here. Now what?"

The waitress ignored him as she began to shamelessly strip off her clothing. Besides revealing several hidden blades which Jimmy already guessed she had, she also revealed a very toned and athletic figure to go along with her narrow angular face. Altogether she was quite stunning and Jimmy marveled at her flawless skin and form. "I've brought you here for our mutual benefit. Or more precisely our mutual need," said the undressing woman.

"I'm going to go on record that I don't trust her, "said Chloe as the woman began suiting up in black leathers.

"Yesterday a dear friend of mine was taken by demons. Their captors left a cryptic message addressed to James the Blade, a mercenary brigand known to operate from Lower Lueders. Today, said James the Blade arrives at my bar. Surely this is more than coincidence."

Jimmy wasn't sure if she meant that Stonefishes belonged to her, or she was just referring to it as her place of work. Judging by her safehouse and her admission that she was an Arbiter, Jimmy thought it was the former.

"Why should I care what happens to your friend?" said Jimmy. He thought that came off more cold than he wanted, but he wanted some answers.

"Sharliss, or the Baroness Stille. You know her do you not? She often mentioned you often, but I find it hard to believe she would associate with someone with so little compassion such as yourself."

"Wait, the Baroness? She's the one that's been abducted by demons?" asked Jimmy. He considered Stille to be more than simply a mentor, she was a parent to him. Even more than his aunt or uncle, or even his real parents whom he barely knew. He wasn't sure if there was a connection between his arrival to Grom City but he needed to find out.

"Err," interrupted Chloe. "Is that the same Baroness we're supposed to meet?"

Jimmy shot his companion a withering glare, as their hostess nodded. "So this is more than coincidence."

"What type of demons are we talking about? Vrocks, Hezrou? Nalfeshnee?"

"Witnesses say it was a huge beast, as big as a mammoth. It had a bestial face, four arms, could literally stop time, and wore heavy shiny armor."

"Four arms? Time stop? That sounds like a Golden Destroyer. A form of Asura, on par with a Balor, or even a pitfiend," muttered Jimmy. He had never fought one, but he had fought the other two, but that was with Martinez and his crew. He nervously recalled them being deadly fights.

"What did the demons want? What was their message?" asked Jimmy still not convinced if there was a connection. While there appeared to be a correlation, it wasn't as if the Baroness didn't have enemies as well.

"The demons along with one of their minions, a barbarian mage knight named Ulfgar…"

"Ulfgar! That weasel again?" shouted Chloe.

Jimmy rolled his eyes as their hostess nodded knowingly once again. "The message was… " 'James. I blame this on you. Your ability to elude me has cause me to resort to drastic measures. I have your precious Baroness, you have my precious blade. Meet me at the site and we'll swap and then we'll both be on our way. Ulfgar.' It was recovered by a foreign nobleman who was caught up in the battle, "recited their hostess who had finished dressing in her armour and had begun arming herself with several daggers, a pair of scimitars, a composite bow, as well as a quiver filled with black arrows.

Jimmy blinked before he gripped his fists together in anger. Ulfgar would dare involve the Baroness to recover the blade?

"Jokes on Ulfie," chuckled Chloe. "We ain't got the blade. Err at least not anymore."

Their hostess stopped in surprise. "Explain," she commanded.

Jimmy sighed and waved Chloe to continue. There was no point in keeping any information from her with Chloe's loose lips about. He noted to himself to later discuss with her the finer points of revealing information around strangers.

"Well we snagged a sword that Ulfie wanted back in Lower Lueders. It was ours to begin with since it was in our territory and Ulfie was operating without our say so. Anyways, after we snagged it, we were going to Grom City to get the Baroness to identify it. Trouble is that Ulfie wanted this blade really bad, bad enough that he tried to ambush us on our way here. Well we got away, but ole Jimmy here met up with his old drinking buddy or something, and sure enough the old geezer swipes it. Prolly thinks it's worth some coin and is trying to pawn it off for some booze money as we speak. Which is why we were at that dive earlier. We were trying to find that smelly thief and get that blade back."

The now leathered armoured woman consider her statement. "Could you not divine his location? It is more expensive than traditional means but we could recover the blade before the…"

"It's Martinez. Yes, that Martinez. You won't find him with magic, he kinda slips past it," interrupted Jimmy. "I'm not even sure if you can find him with the entire thieves guild after him, but we had to start somewhere which is why we were at Stonefishes. If he doesn't want to be found, you ain't finding him."

"I see…..Martinez the Demon hunter," frowned their hostess. "This certainly is a problem. "

"Not our problem, well not yet. We have a drunk and our sword to find first."

"That will take too long. We'll rescue the Baronnes first," stated Jimmy.

"Umm…think this through a second will you. They want the black blade, we don't have it. That's a slight problem don't you think, " protested Cloe but Jimmy shook his head and cracked a grin.

"Well, it might be a problem if they knew we didn't have the blade in question. However , since Ulfie thinks we have the blade, and I have a good idea where he wants to meet, well I think we should oblige him."

Chloe looked confused as their hostess smiled. "That certainly is a bold plan, but dangerous. It is definitely a trap, however might I suggest adding an archer to your side to even the odds."

"Wait a minute Jimmy. I'll follow your lead, but you can't simply accept her help. We don't even know who she is. And more importantly, she's not what she seems. You smell it don't you? She's not human, and by that I mean not a half elf either. She…she smells more like one of those iron golem than a person."

While Jimmy's nose was exceptional, it was tuned more to track and hunt demons than it was to differentiate people. He did not get a golem smell from their hostess, but Chloe was correct, she did smell odd.

"Forgive me for my deception. I normally keep my secrets to myself, but it would appear I would have to reveal them if I wish to rescue Sharliss," bowed their hostess. "I am Nymakku Khongorzul , steppe warrior of the Diamond Horde, the Emerald Arbiter, master archer, as well as a Bride of Boryis. More importantly, I am a friend of Sharliss and you can trust both my blade and bow to bring her back."

"Bride of Boryis? What the hell title is that Miss Fancy Pants?" asked Chloe.

"It's not a title, but more of who..or what she is," replied Jimmy. " I've met one before, a librarian in Heldann. They're unique to say the least. You've heard of Boryis the Sage right?"

"Creepy old codger wizard that use to stock his tower with hot young apprentices. Use to have his place at McDunnalds. Sure what of it? I thought he was dead."

"Reduced is a more apt term," corrected Nymakku.

"His mind was broken by the goddess Lolth before she in turn was captured by Emperor Alphonso, but that's another story. Given Boryis' lecherous ways he found it impossible to attract the caliber of apprentices that he ….enjoyed, and the ones that he could attract soon fled from his tower with utmost haste. He could have simply bought some pretty young slaves or even summon some succubi or some other like entity to entertain himself with, but that wouldn't do for the Grand Sage of Grom. He needed something special, something unique. As a master alchemist he….created his own apprentices, he literally made his own…"

"Wait? He made his own sex slaves? Like…sex golems? " asked Chloe as her eyes lit up in excitement."I thought I was weird, but a sex golem? That's….that's amazing!"

"Sex golem is a strong word, but aye he created his own artificial brides," admitted Nymakku displaying as much shame as she did when she undressed before them earlier. " Through a process of purloined hairs, a variation of simulacrum magic, and his own unmatched ability at transmutation he was able to create new life to slake his lusts. It might seem wasteful, but would you have rather he created a race of super soldiers like other small minded archmages, or create beings that personified intelligence, sensuality, and sexuality."

"Gimmie sex golems anyday!" declared Chloe.

"They're not sex golems…." said Jimmy as he attempted to calm his companion down with a jab to the ribs.

"Though in the beginning he simply attempted to create a perfect bride for himself, Boryis' natural curiosity and tinkering soon had him expand his original plans in attempting to create the perfect woman. He created dozens of Brides of Boryis of various races and cultures in his attempt at perfection. Halfling soldiers, Darokin courtesans, Elven mages, half celestials and even half fiends, and of course your humble horse warrior archer. He considered each a work of art, and he imbued us with the best traits that could he conjure. Some of us he even have planted in their natural surroundings, and retrieved us later when we 'absorbed' enough of our heritage and culture. Besides are comely forms, and a knack for magic, he gave us exceptional strength, intelligence, wisdom…"

"Dexterity, constitution, charisma, aye we get that," added Chloe. "Get to the sex part."

" Some of us stayed with our old master to care for him, but because he granted us free will, many more of us left to discover the world for ourselves. Though I was given the aptitude to learn magic, I was one of the later designs and had little chance to study underneath him.."

Chloe snickered at her choice of words.

"..so I made my own path. I made a name for myself in the north, and eventually impressed Champion Erland, eventually becoming the Arbiter of the Order of the Squirrel."

Chloe sniggered. "So did you use any of your magical sex techniques to sleep your way to the top."

Jimmy suppressed an eye roll at his companion's embarrassing prodding, but none of Chloe's barbs had any effect on Nymakku. Perhaps it was part of her part golem heritage, or maybe she was simply above petty insults hurled by his over curious companion.

"Our techniques are considered a secret, reserved only for our master," said Nymakku cryptically.

Chloe practically began to hop and jump at the admission.

"Okay enough," said Jimmy finally. "If Ulfie wants me to meet him where I think he does, we're going to being doing some more travelling, and the last thing I need is you two engrossed in sex golem talk. Chloe stop pestering Lady Nymakku…"

"Nymk, you can call me Nymk."

Chloe reluctantly bowed towards the woman, and the pair hugged for good measure. "I'm Chloe. I'm not a sex machine like you, but I certainly want to be, " she said with a wink.

Nymk wasn't sure how to take that, but chuckled when Chloe began to laugh.

"Okay, now that that's settled, let's get to business. We have the Baroness to save, a major demon to banish, and an old friend to kill, " said Jimmy grimly.