The Bckthorn gang were a group of criminals that controlled much of the illicit activity in the city of Newfort. They had previously been insignificant enough not to acquire the lord’s attention, and whilst the rgest gang, they were not at a size where they could not be handled by the guards.

  Recently however things began to change. There was a rumor of a new leader taking control of the group, and their influence had expanded rapidly. Their gambling operation had even lured in a noble lord.

  The count had attempted to subjugate the group and deployed a force of three trained knights, a group that should have been more than enough to handle any local gang. But all three knights had gone missing after invading the gang’s hideout, and were presumed to be dead. After that the gang's activity became increasingly brazen. To the point they had begun operating in the open and broad daylight even attempting to hold the daughters of noble lord’s hostage.

  The gang’s main base was an old hotel on the outskirts of the city. Before it had been used to give the gang the illusion of legitimacy to hide behind, but now any pretense had been abandoned and the venue had entirely transformed into an illegal casino.

  That was where Fiona now found herself. Standing before tables in the grand reception area of the former hotel. Above her two levels of indoor balconies wrapped around the lobby.

  Occasionally she spotted figures watching down from above, but for the most part they were empty and shrouded by darkness. The sun had since set, and any mana mps above the first floor had not been turned on.

  Fiona had since shed her bck armor, and was donning her much less conspicuous day clothes, under her brown leather jacket.

  Her job had been to scout the venue, but she had instead found herself drawn to the tables.

  “Another seven!” Was yelled in surprise by a man beside the table.

  Two cubed dice y down on the table. Facing towards the ceiling were the sides with two and five dots each.

  Most of the games at the venue were dice games. Card games were not as popur. Likely because they took more effort to rig. As well as the fact new pying cards were expensive, and the gang would likely not allow anyone to py with a well used deck, as it was easier to track the marks on the cards.

  The woman had won her 5th bet in a row. The table she was at was now crowded with spectators as people watched her roll a seven on the first roll every single bet.

  This is too easy.

  Fiona went to make another bet, but one of the men who sat at the edge of the table picked up the dice. He repced them with a new pair. Without words expressing his doubt in her.

  “Let's do a different bet.” Said Fiona. “Put all my winnings on three and four.”

  The dealer responded to her request and the dice were rolled in her direction.

  “Hahh.” She sighed.

  Knight’s often boasted enhanced senses, and while she was suitably average when it came to combat, in terms of perception she was quite remarkable.

  The previous dice had been weighted, but the new ones even more so. It was too the point that even without the enhanced senses of a knight, an observant individual could likely tell just by holding it in their hands.

  Not that it matters. Fools, your first mistake was letting me roll.

  One die was weighted to fall on the two side, the other onto the six. She pced the dice in her hand, rolled them around a few times before tossing them onto the table.

  The two dice tumbled in the air briefly before touching down on the table top. They turned and fell over themselves several times before coming to a rest. And once stopped they read out three, and four.

  “Haha!” She ughed. “How's that for lucky?”

  --

  Whilst Fiona was occupied on the Casino floor, Aubrey began her own infiltration.

  She looked down upon the dark street below her, while posts with mana mps lined the road, most were inoperative and in disrepair.

  Aubrey sat on a ledge outside the second floor of the building, having flown up its side. For as much grief as her new form had caused her, there was no denying that the power of flight was quite useful.

  She maneuvered over to one of the windows, which was partially opened. Gncing past it she spotted no inhabitants, and began to squeeze her small body through the gaps.

  The room was full of trash, mostly broken chairs and bed frames that seemed to have once furnished hotel rooms. Aubrey flew over the miscelny of junk, taking care to once more circute her mana in a way that muffled the sound of her wings.

  She made her nding on the knob of the door that led into the corridor. She held her face to the keyhole and peered beyond it. Utilizing the ability to recognize mana she began to search the floor with her senses.

  She had long since adjusted senses to her new body. No longer would she be caught off guard by something as benign as a spider. She had adjusted well enough that it was doubtful that there would be anyone in the gang who could evade her.

  Still she tried not to be too conceited. The fact remained that there was someone within the gang that was able to contend with three knights.

  Audrey focused on feeling the different signatures of mana contained within the building, trying to pin down the locations of her opponents.

  Three by the second floor balcony. Four in a room by the central stairwell. A couple more alone in rooms.

  The vast majority of people seemed to be on the game floor below, there were only a few people on the second floor. so she began to turn her attention to the third floor.

  What?

  There was a distinctly different form of mana on the third floor.

  I better take a look at this.

  Aubrey drew her sword from the makeshift string belt tied around her waist. The door knob was too cumbersome for her small hands to turn while operating stealthily. Instead she ran her bde through the space between the door and the frame.

  Creakk…

  The door opened slowly after she cut straight through the tch. It only moved slightly before coming to a rest, leaving just enough room for her to squeeze through.

  The hall was clear, letting Aubrey fly straight towards one of the building's three stairwells.

  While the second floor held only a few people, Aubrey felt no one besides the strange presence on the third. She flew through the empty corridor. Her golden wings acting as the only light in the darkness.

  Soon she arrived outside the room from which the strange presence emanated. The door was locked, and much like she did before she cut through the tch with a swing of her needle like sword.

  The rooms on the third floor were noticeably smaller, with a lower and snted ceiling leading to a small window that looked out into the city.

  It was there she saw it. Silhouetted against the moonlight were the figures of three men huddled closely together, hanging upside down from the ceiling.

  It had been awhile since Aubrey had felt it. All people held mana within them, but it would dissipate not long after death. However it was different for knights. Naturally as those who refined and condensed mana within themselves, it took longer for that mana to leave after death.

  However this particur signature was perverse. Though it was unmistakably that of a corpse, there was still something queer about it, and Audrey could see why.

  The men, hung by their feet, all had long slits running down their forearms, from which blood trickled down into their hands, which were positioned into buckets that filled up with blood. The feeling was strange, because they were no ordinary corpses, they were in the process of being drained of all blood.

  It was only then she felt the presence behind her.