[Magus]

“I am Ambron, and I’m willing to let you interrogate this guy. But don’t go too far.”

“This doesn’t concern you,” Gilthanas stated coldly without a sideways glance. He stared steadily at the bound wizard in front of him, his eyes hard, unyielding. He held his blade naked at his side; should the man prove uncooperative, he knew what was coming. “I’ll ask one more time,” he said, the threat clear in his voice. “Who is Reglan? Why does he want my katana?”

“I-I don’t know!” the wizard stammered, flinching. “Erik was the one he dealt with. He just told us the jobs, and we did them. I swear!” The man eyed the blade the half-elf was holding, trembling, his eyes wide with terror, like a cornered rabbit with nowhere left to run.

Gilthanas eyed the man for a long moment. “Hmph. You’re useless,” he decided contemptuously. He sheathed his katana and picked up the short bow. “I see you again, and you’re dead.” He turned and walked out the door, ignoring the protests behind him.

As they watched the stranger leave, the others suddenly had the sinking feeling that they had beheld, no, helped thwart, something more than just a simple mugging. And, like it not, they were now witnesses…

* * * * *

“A quiver and a full load of arrows,” Gilthanas muttered. “And a backstrap,” he added.

“Very good.” The clerk went to the backroom and fetched the goods. Gilthanas took them and laid the money on the counter. Leaving the store, he spotted a large crow on a nearby tree. He drew his new short bow and fired. The bird let out a startled squawk and flew away, the arrow embedding itself in the tree a few inches away. Gilthanas stood there for a moment, something vaguely stirring in a darkened corner of his mind. As he went to grasp it, the spark sputtered and died, and he was cast into darkness once again.