Chapter 22

Feeling solid ground under his feet was undoubtedly a relief, thought Gabriel as he stomped his feet on the harbor's soil. The crew disembarked from the ocean liner, pleased with the heavier purse of coins on their waists. Even Corvo was surprised by the fifty-coin payment—the tuna must have been worth a fortune. He had tasted a piece the day before and thought it just tasted like fish. Heitor passed by him, bidding farewell and heading toward what he said was his family home. Heitor entered a bar.

"Are you sure you're not planning to sail with us anymore, Gabriel?" Marcos asked, approaching with his luggage on his back.

"I've had my fill of fishing for a lifetime," he replied with a smile, feeling a twinge of pain where his tooth had fallen out—his face was still a bit swollen. "It was one of the most intense experiences I've ever had!"

After the fishing trip, all the rookies who had survived were no longer called "Rations," and this small show of respect from the fishermen made Corvo seriously consider fishing again.

"Yes," Marcos commented with a distant smile. "That storm was one of the strongest I've ever witnessed."

Gabriel ran a hand over his bald head, rubbing the spot where he had a bump. During the fishing trip, when a wave had struck him, he had banged various parts of his body, now blotched with greenish bruises.

"I won't keep you here any longer, kid," said the fisherman, patting him amicably on the shoulder. "Enjoy your pay and take your wife out for a meal!"

Gabriel was confused when he mentioned "wife." He didn't have one but just nodded as he bid the man farewell, walking off through the port. The place was extremely busy—not only because of the men and women disembarking from the ocean liner but also due to the merchants crowding in to purchase the delicacy.

Shouts and curses among the traders filled the streets, mingling with the sounds of seagulls and the laughter of fishermen heading to local bars. Gabriel wanted to join them but needed to tell Naomi what he had discovered. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, remembering Rosa. He hadn't seen her in hours and wished he could say goodbye to her. Just then, someone touched his shoulder, drawing his attention to the newcomer.

"Welcome," said Martha, standing before him.

"Hi!" Gabriel responded, surprised. He hadn't expected to meet anyone before reaching the "Spotted Cat."

"This isn't a coincidence," Martha quickly added, noticing his look. "One of the fishing boats was spotted, and I figured it might be yours."

"I see," Gabriel said. "Couldn't you have waited for me to call?"

"No," Martha replied, then quickly elaborated. "I could have, but I needed to know if you found anything."

"A few things, yes."

"Interesting," said the Raven with narrowed eyes. "Your partner got herself involved in some interesting events as well."

"Did she discover something?"

"Maybe," Martha replied seriously. "A group of captive people was found locked up beneath one of the brothels."

Gabriel was stunned by the news. He couldn't picture Naomi investigating such a place—she'd probably spend the entire time blushing to the tips of her ears. He thought about asking which brothel, as he had passed by Pleasure Alley earlier, but then remembered Andreir.

"What news do you have?" Martha asked suddenly.

"Just a few," Gabriel began reluctantly. He didn't want to share anything, knowing he'd have to repeat it later to others, but the Raven didn't seem inclined to accept rejection. "The so-called monster is a woman, the disappearances are only of people from the Pit, not the Trench, and this 'monster' has been sighted a few times near the city entrance."

Martha remained silent for a long time, absorbing the information. Her expression grew stern as she bit her lower lip and began walking down the bustling street, with the other Raven following her.

"They're just assumptions," Martha concluded.

"True," Gabriel felt compelled to agree, adding, "Then tell me one thing."

"What?"

"Was there any attempt to contact the Trench?"

"Not that I know of," Martha replied. "But we'll need to ask Cecília and Mateus. Their Nest handles communication with the Trench."

Gabriel nodded in silence, following the Raven down a street that cut through almost the entire city. People pushing carts or carrying baskets ran in all directions, trying to get the goods they wanted at the best prices. The young man noticed that the tension in the city had significantly lessened, with news spreading that a likely suspect in the disappearances had been identified. Martha stopped near an alley between two buildings, taking a deep breath before turning to him.

"We'll go this way—it'll be faster."

Gabriel agreed; the woman knew the city better than he did. Just as they were about to enter, a voice calling out to them from the crowd caught their attention. Turning around, he saw Gygy holding a wooden skewer with pieces of octopus. The Raven was a tall, strong woman—there was no mistaking her in the crowd. Slipping through the flow of people, she made her way toward the pair.

"I thought you were at sea, Gabriel!" the burly woman said cheerfully.

"I just got back. You seem happy!"

"Of course! It looks like the issue with the disappearances has been resolved. I even got a skewer as thanks for the Ravens solving it."

"The mood is much better," Gabriel agreed, adding, "Not to dampen the mood, but I discovered a few things during the fishing trip."

"Really?" asked the Raven, her mouth full. "What is it, Martha?"

"You're not supposed to be here," Martha muttered seriously.

"Oh, come on," the woman declared, putting another skewer into her mouth. "A little celebration never hurt anyone." Still chewing, Gygy glanced at both of them and nodded toward the alley with her chin. "Why are you standing here?"

"We're taking a shortcut," the young man replied indifferently.

"I don't think it'll make much of a difference going this way," Gygy said as she walked into the alley. "At least it's quieter. Tell me what you found out."

The trio followed the narrow path, which gradually widened like a fan. Gabriel recounted his discoveries to Gygy while Martha followed a bit behind. The Raven exaggerated the fishing story a little, but his tale about hugging a fish made the burly woman laugh uproariously. This lighthearted side of Gygy caught Gabriel off guard—he hadn't expected such behavior from someone who had seemed so stern during their two previous meetings.

Something glinting at her waist caught the young man's eye. Two iron gauntlets swung, tied by a knot. The metal completely shielded the hands like a shell, and alongside them, something resembling a pipe made of small plates extended down the forearm.

"Do you like them?" Gygy asked.

"Are those your weapons?"

"Yes," the pride in her voice was evident. "I'm an excellent Spearhead, so I decided to train with a weapon different from the standard ones to stand out a bit."

"You wanted a nickname!" Gabriel deduced.

"Maybe someday. There's only one Raven with a nickname here in the city."

"Really?"

"Yes, the leader of Cecília and Mateus's Nest. Her name is Kasca, but she's better known as Guillotine."

"Intimidating."

"They say she can dismember enemies with ease in battle. I've never seen it myself," Gygy admitted. "But the few times I've seen her, it felt like she really could."

"Naomi has a nickname too," Gabriel remarked, though he wasn't sure if it was real or just a joke.

"I didn't know that," Martha spoke for the first time in several minutes. "What is it?"

"Viper," Gabriel replied, forgetting the rest.

Gygy was sharing one of her skewers with Gabriel when they arrived at a clearing surrounded by several buildings—a lot large enough to hold a house. Dumpsters lined the walls, with black garbage bags piled inside. The place reeked of stale urine.

"Help," a voice murmured from the right.

The three stopped immediately. Gabriel turned and saw a beggar leaning against the space between two houses. One of the man's arms hung limply at his side, blood dripping from his shoulder and pooling on the ground. A figure moved behind the wounded man, partially obscured by his failing body. Before he could cry out for help again, two blades pierced through his chest, accompanied by a spray of blood. As if not understanding what was happening, the beggar looked down at the blades, blood bubbling up from his mouth. His body slowly slid off the blades and collapsed to the ground.

Gabriel, like the other two, was frozen in shock at the sight. Emerging from the narrow passage came a woman—iron protruded from various parts of her body. Her right hand had been amputated and replaced by two long spikes. Her right shin was a metal pipe, and small tubes carrying blood snaked randomly across her body, weaving back into her flesh like veins. Her jaw was a metallic maw, and where her mandible should have been, sinews interwoven with wires wrapped around the steel.

When she opened her mouth, the creature released a sound resembling a serpent's hiss. Her tongue had been severed. Gabriel recognized her instantly—Nahara, the Raven who had assisted in the S.L. incident, now stood before him, her body grotesquely altered.

In seconds, the creature lunged at the trio. Gabriel barely managed to throw himself to the side, crashing onto the hard ground. He turned just in time to see Nahara rush past them, disappearing into another alley. The area fell eerily silent. Gabriel and Martha had flung themselves out of the way, while Gygy remained standing, her breathing heavy.

Gabriel trembled, his heart pounding in his chest. He wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.

"So the monster is real," he managed to say, deciding not to reveal that he knew who it was.

"Yes," Martha murmured.

"If it bleeds," Gygy said, holding up a knife she had unsheathed and used to defend herself during the brief encounter, blood dripping from the steel, "it's real."