Give Me Your Dagger

Karyan and Nedeira walked side by side through the bustling streets of the town, heading towards the local bar where they were supposed to meet up with Reverie and Sin. 

The evening sunlight was casting long shadows on the ground, and the noise of the market nearby filled the air.

 Nedeira seemed unusually quiet, her face was down the whole time, as if she was embarrassed of yesterday's events. 

Wrapped around Karyan's right hand, Sera provided a calming presence, her body was gently pulsing with a soothing energy.

As they entered the bar, the familiar smell of ale and the sound of casual chatter greeted them. 

The place was dimly lit, with rays of sunlight sneaking in through the cracks in the wooden walls. 

Reverie was already there, sitting at a table near the window, an empty glass of beer was placed in front of her. 

Sin was beside her, having a light expression on his face, as he made a comment that made Reverie roll her eyes.

"Ah, there you are!" Sin shouted as he spotted Karyan and Nedeira walking in. "We were beginning to think you had decided to skip the fun."

Karyan shrugged his shoulders. "We wouldn't miss it for the world."

Nedeira, still feeling a bit shy, managed a small nod, avoiding eye contact with Reverie.

Reverie, picking up on Nedeira's discomfort, decided to break the ice. "Hey, no hard feelings about yesterday, okay? We all have our moments."

Nedeira offered a weak smile, "Yeah, thanks."

"Speaking of moments, Reverie here has been trying to set a new record for the fastest beer drinking in town." Sin joked. 

Reverie shot Sin a glare, "And you're one to talk? You're the one who turns into a cat to sneak into places you shouldn't be."

Sin laughed, "Hey, a cat's got to do what a cat's got to do."

Karyan, taking a seat alongside Nedeira, decided to change the subject. "So, why am I here? Any more unexpected surprises I should be aware of?"

Sin leaned back, adopting a more serious expression. "Actually, yes. We need to start thinking about our next move. With everything that's happened, it's clear we can't just sit back."

Reverie nodded in agreement. "He's right. We've had our fun and games yesterday, but now it's time to focus on the bigger picture."

Nedeira, feeling a bit more at ease, finally spoke up. "I want to help too. I may have messed up in the past, but I want to do better."

Karyan looked at her, "you will not change even if you want to. It's just how you are, a kind person with no opinion of her own." 

The group fell into a thoughtful silence, each person lost in their own thoughts about Karyan's bold statement. 

Sin broke the silence with a light-hearted comment, "Well, first order of business, I propose we get another round of drinks. On me, of course."

Reverie laughed, the tension in the room disappeared. "Sin, you're impossible."

"I'm a demon, it's my job to entertain a human I want to serve," Sin replied with a wink, signaling the bartender for another round.

Reverie laughed, Nedeira smiled too, trying to pretend she wasn't offended by Karyan's comment. 

But the laughter died down as Karyan leaned forward, "I need to talk about the sorcerer. It's time I take him down."

Reverie nodded, and her face hardened. "I agree. But how? We don't even know where to start."

'We…' Karyan laughed silently. 

Sin, looked uncomfortable, shifted in his seat. "I wish I could help more, but you know my limitations. Being a demon comes with certain... rules. I can't directly tell you how to kill a sorcerer."

Karyan nodded, understandingly. "I don't expect you to break your rules, Sin. But I need to figure out how to make the sorcerer show himself. He's been hiding for too long."

Nedeira interrupted, "What if we did something that he can't ignore? Something that threatens his power or his plans?"

Sin raised an eyebrow. "That's not a bad idea. Sorcerers are proud creatures. Hit them where it hurts their ego, and they're bound to react."

Reverie leaned in, "But what could possibly get his attention that fast?"

Karyan thought for a moment, then an idea struck him. "The sorcerer has been collecting bodies of element wielders and people in power, right? What if we threaten to destroy one of them? Or even better, we pretend we have something he doesn't know about, something powerful."

Sin's eyes lit up. "That could work. He'd want to come and see it for himself, or at least send someone to verify it. Either way, it brings him out into the open."

Nedeira looked excited. "We could spread rumors, make it known that we have something unique. Something he'd kill to get his hands on."

Reverie frowned, "But we need to be careful."

Karyan nodded. "I know. But it's a risk I will have to take. I can't let him keep hiding forever and grow his power without any interruption."

Sin leaned back, "I'll start spreading the word in the underworld. Rumors travel fast there."

The corner of Reverie's left lip lifted, "I'll talk to my contacts in the city. They'll help spread the rumors on the surface."

Nedeira added, "And I can help with creating a believable story. Maybe even make a fake one, just in case."

Karyan smiled, he actually thought of something better. Something more useful to the sorcerer."

"Why are you smiling, Karyan?" 

"Nothing; don't worry," he replied immediately. 

"Tell us," Nedeira pushed.

He didn't want to tell her anything, because the one and only special thing he had against the king now was Nedeira herself. 

"How does the demon react to the blood when you kill for him?" 

Nedeira paused and breathed in, looking at Reverie and Sin, her shoulders lowered, "it's…it's…I don't know," her eyes darted around. 

"But like I asked you before, he would notice if something would happen to his dagger, correct?" 

"Yes…" 

Sin looked at Karyan, immediately understanding what he was up to. 

"Great, so I will not waste any of my time anymore. Give me the dagger."