Gossipers
Tarek rented a house on the edge of Riviera. It was not the most prestigious, but spacious and expensive place—though he acted like it was the cheapest one in the city.
"You won't believe how greedy all the officials are in this city! I spent fortunes on bribes, fortunes! Although, chief Sceerk has compensated me well for it," he added. "He's not here himself, for obvious reasons, but we keep in contact via mail and magic. I can almost speak merfolk tongue now!"
"I'm surprised you still haven't given up on them," Niko said. "You aren't the paragon of persistence."
"That's not true," Myrna argued. "Tarek would never abandon a person in trouble!"
Tarek sighed. "I will admit, my friends, old and new ones," he winked at Ginevra and Mimi, "that I thought about abandoning all this. Endless hours in the courtroom, obstinacy of nobles and officials—it took its toll. But I knew in my heart that I'm fighting for the wellbeing of good people—"