50.

Dashing towards the house Castus and Shi noticed a well-groomed man emerge from the water and rear back to throw a dagger at them. Ducking and letting the dagger fly behind them one of the creatures got speared by it as they rushed up the steps and ripped the door open. Slamming it behind them, they both took a deep breath.

"Intrudersssss. Mmm, no, an old friend it sssseemssss." A familiar reptilian voice spoke out. Castus stood quickly to his feet. He hadn't had time to warn Shi. 'Shit, I hope he doesn't try to offer her something.'

Saldur moved towards Castus and Shi, he paid special attention to Shi. "Oh my, what a curioussss thing you are. A falssse human. I haven't sssseen one in ages." Saldur continued. "And you, welcome back. I don't sssssuposse Grant is with you?" Castus shook his head sadly.

"No, Grant passed away about a month ago." Castus somberly replied. Drudging up the memories of Grant brought a sad mood to him, but the warbling of mana in this hut made Castus push that aside. "Saldur would it be alright if we have some tea with you while we wait for the vetters to pass us by?" Castus asked in the politest tone he could muster. From what he could tell from last time, Saldur would never miss an opportunity to tempt someone with something and while he didn't want to spend any time here if he could help it, it was a better chance of survival than those things outside.

Saldur raised up and used a clawed hand to scratch his chin. "I sssssuposse you can." Saldur gestured to a simple wooden table that wasn't there before. He sat down and so did Shi and Castus. Saldur seemed to be in a different mood then last time. Maybe he just didn't like the church of Sol that much. Saldur's reptilian eyes seemed lost in thought as he poured some tea for Castus and Shi. They sat and drank for a moment.

"Sir Saldur. How did you know I was a false human?" Shi asked, perplexed by how he had seen through her so quickly.

"Sssssimple. Sssscent. I had an old friend who was a falsssse human. I missssss him dearly. He and I usssssed to travel together alot." Saldur looked downcast at the memory of that. He shook himself out of it quickly though. He looked to Shi and then to Castus. His eyes flashed for a moment before a curved reptilian smile crept up on his face. "I have an offer for you." His clawed hand pointed at Castus.

"For a drop of your blood, I will tell you what you need to know to sssave your ssssiblingssss." Saldur asked Castus bluntly. This set Castus in high alert. Were his sisters in trouble? Why was Saldur telling him the price up front this time. Castus ran through the scenario over and over trying to understand what Saldur really meant and wanted.

"Oh, sssstop worrying sssso much. I only do thosssse horrid dealsss with the church. Sssservessss them right for trying to kill me. I truely only want a drop of your blood. You have a faint ssssscent of sssomething ssstrange on you." Saldur's eyes focused and his nostils flared. Taking in whatever scent he was smelling. Castus was tempted. He didn't know anything about his sisters' circumstance. Taking the risk would be beneficial and he didn't see the downside. Saldur laid the final nail in the coffin though. "Think of it assss a favor for reminding me of my old friend."

Castus bit his lip and shook his head yes. Saldur, like lightning, was at Castus' side. He pricked his finger and dropped a bit of blood into a vial. Then he rushed over to the back of the room and placed it in a cabinet. Returning to the table Saldur spoke. "You sssissstersss are doing alright for now. But assss the lassst remaining blood of your family many lower ranked familiesss are making moves to sssssteal their title through forcsssed marriage. Beware the Prodome family." Saldur finished his words and took another sip of tea. He looked happily at Shi. "Would you two like to sssstay the night? My treat!" Saldur looked expectantly at Shi who agreed seeing nothing wrong with the offer. Castus ignored his words for now though and continued to contemplate Saldur's words.

His sisters were in trouble. He needed to get back soon and figure out what he could do fast. For now Shi and Castus stayed and chatted with Saldur. Contrary to Castus' first impression of him, Saldur was a reasonable person. It turned out that he held a blood feud with the church and they had a shakey peace between them where they would train in the swamp and buy off Saldur with rare monster parts as well as a contract that prevented them from attacking Saldur again. Saldur in turn would regulate the swamp as his home and prevent any creature over a certain level from entering. Granted he always managed to sneak in one or two powerful creatures by 'accident'.

By the time the conversation had come to an end it was time to sleep. Shi and Castus went to bed on luxurious bedding that Saldur had prepared for them. Shi went to sleep immediately, but Castus tossed and turned. How would he help his sister. He wasn't strong enough to fight and he wasn't well versed in politics. He also couldn't emerge as Tyrus' son as that would draw the church to him. He needed a way to work from the shadows to help his sisters without being found out. He eventually settled on finding his sisters first and dealing with the rest after he talked with them.

The next morning. Shi and Castus awoke to Saldur cooking a wonderful breakfast. Eggs and some kind of pilaf awaited them. While they ate Saldur asked a question. "To where are you both headed?" Saldur could divine important information about a person's worries, but more general information like where they were travelling to, he would have to ask for directly.

"To the..." Shi stopped realizing that Castus had never mentioned exactly where his sisters were. Shi turned to Castus.

Castus swallowed a bite of eggs. "To Tuwaisa, then to Aljaziyah. I'm pretty sure I remember my sisters attending school in Aljaziyah." Castus responded.

Saldur seemed puzzled. "Why Tuwaissssa? Thats well out of the way of Aljaziyah."

"There is something in Tuwaisa I need to get first." Castus replied.

Saldur nodded his head. Clearly he had just seen what Castus was talking about. "I can help sssspeed up your journey to Tuwassssia, but the journey to Aljaziyah you will be on your own." Saldur stated.

They finished up their breakfast and stood to leave, thanking Saldur for his hospitality. As they turned to leave though Saldur opened up a portal. "Through here will bring you to the vicinity of Tuwasssia. Good luck. Visssit me again you both." Saldur held the portal open and they both stepped through.

Coming out the other side the portal popped closed, and they both looked at the swaying tall grass near the woods that surrounded Tuwasia. Castus looked to Shi and they began walking towards where this whole adventure began for Castus.

They found the burnt down home fairly easily. It had been sometime, but no one had attempted to do anything to the ashen remains of the home. It laid burnt to the ground with not much left of it. Nature had begun to try to reclaim what remained of the home. Vines and grass had started to poke through the ashes.

Castus took a deep breath. The area brough back vivid memories, happy memories. He had constantly been annoyed with being bored, but now those were his happies memories in this world right now. He remembered what side the kitchen was on and walked around to it. Stepping over blackened timbers he found the location where Reid died. A black skeleton, still clutching a monocle and metal box sat there. Castus reached down and took the box and monocle. Surprising the outdoors and fire had done nothing to the monocle or box, besides some soot that Castus wiped off. He was about to open the box when he looked at Reid's remains. "Shi, can you help me dig?" Castus asked.

"I would need a shovel Castus." Shi responded. Castus produced two shovels and they dug a grave for Reid. The two of them gingerly laid the skeleton to rest and buried the body. Castus paid his respects. Then the two of them searched the rest of the house for Tyrus and Veronica, but found no other remains. Even Yursa's body was missing. "Strange, Reid's body was still here, so the rest of them should be as well." Castus scratched the back of his head then shrugged. He assumed that someone must have buried the other bodies. Afterall Reid's body had been hard to find unless someone knew what they were looking for, not to mention it was in the far back of the house.

Shi looked to Castus once they had finished combing over the house. "Did you get what you needed?" Her eyes looked at the metal box Castus had in his hand. "I think so." Castus replied. "Let's get out of here before I open it though. Bad memories here." Castus moved to leave and Shi followed. Once they had made the distance they needed and set up camp Castus finally took out the box and looked at it seriously.

Once Castus and Shi had left, Saldur worked. Reaching into the cabinet he took out the vial of Castus blood. He swirled it in the vial and sniffed it. 'Just like I thought. He's one of them. I didn't think they interacted with the common world anymore.' Saldur then took the blood and carved a small enchantment onto a pendant. 'He doesn't realize what he is yet, but he may just be the key to escaping finally.' Once Saldur finished the enchantment he activated it. A small glowing arrow formed on the front and pointed in a direction. 'I will wait patiently for now boy. Grow and open the cage.' Saldur set the pendant in the same cabinet as before and shut it.