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The next morning, after patrol, she was called to Captain Osmwoe’s office. The other members of the patrol gave her dirty looks as the message arrived. The captain was a Bahku.  Maned cat people. Several beads were braided in his mane. His golden eyes bored into her as he brought her into his orderly little office with it’s cot, desk, chairs and locked chest and locked cabinet. He tapped his claws lightly on the table top as he stood beside the desk.

“Roughing up citizens and asking questions about a brawl?  Not our business Dracna.”

“Two bugbear dead. Boarders missing. Capture. Or Hide. Something happen.”

Osmwoe pulled back the cuff of his linen shirt and picked up a paper from the desk, holding it out to her.  “You ask superiors. You talk to ME.  You don’t send notes to other watch stations and officers on the other side of the city.” It was her note sent to O*Hwee.  

“Maybe ransom. Bugbear captives take.”

“Not our business unless someone files a request. But I did get a complaint about a Ghenid pretending to be a constable and assaulting people.”

“One man. He at me sword wave. Defense.”

“You drop it. You leave the good people of the city alone.  We have rules. I expect you to follow them. If there is a complaint or request, we will investigate - but until then, it is not important. Understood?”

She slumped, head and ears down, looking at the floor.  “Yes captain.”

“Yes Captain, what?”

“Me, good people alone leave be.”

Instead of the barracks, she went out onto the street. Going to a Goblin’s market stall in Monster Town that served outsiders, creatures like her, and bought spiced goat dumplings she was fond of. She considered her choices as she ate them. The strange roiling of her stomach and confused feelings. She was hunting. Had been warned to drop it. Just trouble with a Bugbear gang, and their Boss.  Because it was a mystery.  Because the Bugbears were upto something with someone no one missed or cared about. Because she needed to prove something to this new tribe of the Watch. There was something like someone twisting the Chains on her soul to make her investigate. Veborin and O”Hwee expected things of her, and she found herself wanting to have their praise. They would want her to investigate. Them, not even her own kind.  Allies of a sort. But no Chain enforcing obedience and connection. The strange, “they want to agree”  thing called “Friends”.

Lieuenantt Senic might be drawn in, but he’d want money, of which, she had only a little. Not finding the missing. No one in the watch would back her. Almost no one. She had her Shadow. Ghosts. She might pull some Chained clan members, if M’he, the matriarch would permit it. If M’he saw profit or influence in it.  Those scents were absent. No, if she persisted, she was on her own.

She watched the buskers performing songs and music, jugglers and a puppet play about the Centaur hero, Ramul, and his honor bound quest to find the Ruler’s child who ran away to seek glory in the war against the wizard Bihigan and his demon armies. Armies her own people had been part of. 

She made a plan. She would not bother the good people, only focusing on the monsters, creatures and criminals.  She would hunt in the way of the tribes. The things pushing and pulling on her demanded action and quieted when she settled that she would continue the hunt in her own way. 

After the sun set, but before patrol, she found a secluded quiet closet. She lit a wad of wood shavings and cloth. Chanting the rituals. “By Negheru’s will and our chains I call you forth Uncle Krarue, T’aedoteerua ahna V’angrhu, ikhi esueh cra maupda!” and pulling the Chains, she summoned her ghosts. 

Her Shadow, Krarue, with whom the Chains worked both ways, but hers dominated, out weighing his in number. Her Eldest daughter Ngokhu. Her Brother, T’hae, who she had made Ngokhu’s Shadow, cheating her mother or grandmothers of their favored as Shadow. And they had revenge in Ngokhu being killed by the head-takers in her first raid. Ambushed by bounty hunters. Sent to the Underworld in poverty. With nothing sent ahead to fill her tomb.  And now little more than T’hae’s slave in the underworld, where the Shadow’s, both way Chains put him in control against her poverty and lack of chains on others. Dracna had burnt everything in offering to her before leaving the tribes. Something for her daughter in the Underworld.  Her own ambitions, her future in the afterlife cut short- no wealth and power built on her daughter and granddaughters. She had walked away from the tribe and tradition, and had enough Chains she held and distance to resist mother and sister trying to pull her back.

She cut her arm, dripping blood into the flame, making offerings, reciting the ritual and pulling the chains. Her eldest son, Amkee. The male of her war band who had seeded him, Nihee. Enil, the male who had placed her second cubs, the ones lost to cough and mucus so they could not breathe. The mothers and grandmother had tsked and clicked tongues at the Nothing Ghosts, Whaerso who did not even have words. Waste of skin. Weak cubs died they had said. That was the way of things. Weak with her foolishness. Her other arm cut to summon the handfull of slaves taken in raids. Ghosts of humans. One of a Bahku - old, blind and broken. The first ones sacrificed in her drive to learn the secrets of steel. Simple human miners, hunters and farmers who had known nothing and neither could speak to the other in a language either understood. They were angry that she had taken their lives. Resentful of the gift of eternity. But obedient to the Chains she had placed. Obedience forged by the ritual of chains day after day after day. The later ones, who cooked what she hunted and caught, or she had traded with aunts and mother. They tended the coals, the goats, gathered roots and berries and mended the Whyetoot, the skin cave (tent). Wove and twisted hair and grasses. They groomed her. Lay with her in the fur hides and woven blankets. Dracna defended them and all her goods from use by others. Tomorrow she would summon Ikheerha, the human slave who had taught her the common Atan language. Had given her knowledge of letters and reading and talked of healing that would have saved her sick ones. Who had comforted and pleased her, laying with her in her sorrow and rage at Ngokhu’s death. Had been there when Amkee and then Ngokhu were born. Had played with them as cubs. Who had shed tears and brought back the headless body to return her flesh to the tribe. Ghenu do not shed tears. They live or die, and fight onward always.  That slave had come with her to the city of Incaras and now lived as a free old man in the city. She cut slashes on her legs and gave her ghosts her blood. Even the resentful. All were eager for that taste of life. Cold ghostly mouths and tongues, licking and sucking greedily at her wounds, sparking memories. Leaving the ache and weight in the stomach that they called “eating rocks”, her people’s term for sorrow.  This was her kin. Her family.  She repeated the Aedoteerua, the Soul Chain binding them to her, marking each with her blood, then sent the ghosts of her elder cubs, her sacrificed slaves, the dead males of her war band (when she had had a war band), every chain she could pull, and sent them to find the Bugbear clubhouses. It left her tired and weak.  Then she bound up the wounds and went with her patrol, planning on watching for round pumpkinheaded shadows along with all the usual Watch duty of guarding against crime, unlicensed violence, drunks and fire.

“You’re quiet tonight Stinky.” sneared Svarta the dark elf in a near whisper. “Got yer tail handed to you by the chief?”

Dracna only grunted.

“Stupid beast doesn’t know to follow orders unless someone is right in front of it.”  added the human Han. 

Dracna had heard it all. These insignificant ghostless were not real people to her kind. Unless she gave them the Chain. The sharp words would slide off her like rain off her coat. Except this was her new chosen tribe. They were people, even without ghosts. Without Chains to bind the ghosts to the people. She tasted acid and bile in her throat. Ghenu were strong. Tough. Immortal ghosts, while most of these would die and vanish from the world. What were words?  Her hunt was now hers, and her family’s  alone

“Shut yer noise. The dog is trained and does as told.  Don’t ya Dracna?” said Blenum.

“Not dog, sir” she growled.

The others laughed. 

Wage, the dwarf chuckled.  “Oh gods! Big nasty thing with a voice that squeeks like that!  Yer hilarious when yer angry.”

Svarta punched her in the shoulder. “You good for the job puppy?”

For a moment Dracna envisioned them as she erupted and tore them limb from limb, cutting each down and sending them to their nothingness. Nothingness that would not help her goal of citizenship. Of making a place for her people here. Clan Matriarch, the S’Oang, M’he’s words in her ears “Do not give them more cause to hate or fear us. We are good citizens now.”  She swallowed it down and made a feinting bite, snapping her jaws inches from Svarta’s face. It was amusing to see the pale lavender of the elf’s skin go white. “Me job do.”  

“Down Dracna!” Barked Blenum. “You lot knock it off and leave our monster be. She’s trained and tamed and one of us, like it or no.  Ain’t ya pet?’

Dracna looked down at them, all a good head and a half or more shorter than she was, and nodded. These were no allies. No kin. 

Blum nodded also. “Good. Glad we understand each other.  Now look sharp, eyes and ears people. We do lesser streets patrol tonight.”

The other human, Darji, patted Dracna on the back. “Don’t pay them no heed. You’re one of the good ones.” she said.

Dracna gave the human a look from the corner of her eye, and nodded again. She would endure them, as always. 

They walked the dark street passing people going too and fro about their business. Servants or hired children with flickering torches lighting the way for some, a few carrying their own lanterns along the dark streets under tall apartments or past narrow houses. Dodging the occasional Centaur rickshaw, horse or Centaur drawn carriage or ox pulled wagon. Shifting to the less traveled side streets and alleys meant they need to stay alert to the need to dodge someone dumping a chamber pot. Few buildings in this district had adopted the squat closet with lead pipes to collect urine and feces. Still it wasn’t unusual for the landlord to have piss barrels and nightsoil barrels for tenants to dispose of waste, the landlord selling the urine to the leather works or cleaners, and feces to farmers in the outlying districts. Even if other trash got tossed in. 

They made their patrol, checking the pubs,  taverns, and the few inns. Stopping those with visible weapons, checking the weapon license ribbons set with seals. Dueling permits.  Later there would be drunken brawls. Dracna usually ended up carrying them to the lock up. Then they would meet back at an appointed stop.

She periodically reached out, feeling each ghost bound to her and the chains. She mentally gave them a twist and command to watch and listen for plans of abduction.  The ghosts drifted through the streets, spreading across the districts around them, unseen, silent, passing through buildings. Investigating. Her sense of the gold chain Bugbear pointed east to the old Fort, maybe not moved from their tenement.

An adventurer flagged them down in the 4th hour with a dead creature- a child sized rubbery thing with long arms, short bandy legs with large prehensile feet, short naked tail, greasy lank hair on the head, large eyes and large rounded ears, broad flat nose and sharp teeth covered by blubbery lips. 

“Cheechhee” Dracna said, named for the noises they made. The others turned to her. “You’ve seen these before?” asked Blenum.  She had seen them in the sewers of the Fountains district when she started in the Watch. Taking things in the night, attacking people and children. “Them attacks, things take. Watch sewers go. Nest kill. Here now? Spread.”  Blenum listened and turned to the adventurer. “Take that to the Watch station. Tell the Desk officer that Blenum sent you and you should get a reward for info.”  As they watched the adventurer head off he added  “Or sell it to the scholars of the University. Bet they never seen something like that either.”

They had a quiet night with this and a screaming fighting couple that came to blows and caused the neighbors to step in and call the Watch in the 6th hour.

Over the night Dracnas’s ghosts told her of Bugbear dens and clubhouses in The Old Fort, Monstertown, Arena district, her own University East district, and Fountain District, where she had started with the Watch. Finally they spoke in quiet sighing voices of a massive cavern below the city accessed via set of carved stairs at a garbage dump hole in Monster Town very near the Old Fort. More bugbears, and ghenuo. She knew nothing about this. She asked Blenum. “ Me hear big cave under city.  True is?”  

“Don’t know, but I’ve heard talk that there is something. One of the places with special Guard units watching tunnels.  You lot know anything about a big cave under the city?” 

Svarta spoke up, her voice it’s usual near whisper. “The Undercity, It is a lawless area ruled by monsters and gangs but containing a fae fortress.”

“Aye, that’s what I heard tell. City Watch and Guard, and the Fae lords just keep an eye on it.  They say there is a market for all manner of things prohibited in the city- poisons, black magic goods, flesh of speaking races. Should just make an armed sweep and clean it out.”  added Wage.

In the upper city, nine places nearby with bugbears either in their own groups or in someone’s villa compound. Also three watch stations - Arena, Monster town and the Old Fort/ Thieves districts. She might have avoided trouble by skipping the Watch station there. Plus this Undercity. Who were her suspects? Undercity with Guards and Watch at the gates with a mob of Bugbears moving in or out? Secret tunnels? Probably. A small group with others who are not Bugbears. So, not Bugbrear tribes. Working for and with a not Bugbear, night blind boss. A gang. Or someone’s servants. Bahku see in the dark, Goblins, Dwarves, other fae. The lizard Octnon? She didn’t know. Who is night blind? Humans, Centaurs. Humans wouldn’t stay in the big cave, in the dark. 

The Captives? The smoothskins curse her as a cannibal,and the fourlegged centaurs have honor, as she had heard the Bahku did - so they wouldn’t likely be helping Bugbears taking captives as food.  Ransoms?  Sacrifices? Slaves? Something else?  How many and how long? Not Gazakral with his Bugbears and human servants, clear across the city in the Livestock district by the Great market and city gates. He sold slaves in the city, buying bond labor criminals, as she had been falsely accused and convicted, when she first came to the city. Buying captives from the tribes. Selling the tribal captives back to their towns and families. Taking people in the city is blatantly against the law. Gazakral would bend the law and cheat if he thought he could get away with it.  But the reward against the risk of what he has in the city? Not worth it.  Though working at the opposite side of the city from his territory….  She would need to spend several nights sending her ghosts out to explore the whole city.

The Watch officers may know what is going on, or the Bugbears in the Watch. Many looked the other way for gold. Maybe they were like her. She needed a safe way to make an inquiry.  With eight possible groups, plus the three Watch who may or may not know anything.

As dawn broke they returned to the station. Blenum would write his report. The others were released to go eat, clean up and go to their barracks bunks. Dracna chose to eat first, then head to her bunk.  As she entered the barracks she was met by Darji, with another human female.  

“This is Elka. She wanted to meet our pet monster.“

Dracna looked from one to the other. This Elka was shorter than Darji,  Green eyed with straw colored hair. A solid stocky build. Wearing the white leather and cloak of the Watch.  Her scent was herbal and just a touch of human stink.  “Dracna, me be.”

Elka thrust a hand up at Dracna. “ Wow, pleased to meet ya. I never met a Ghenid before. You’re so tall! I asked Darji to introduce us ya see.”

“Yes, Darji say.” Dracna carefully touched her hand to the smaller human one. Elka grasped it and added her other hand on top, then examining the ghenid’s paw. “Wow, your claws. I thought they’d be sharper!”

“Need make sharp.  I now go?”

Elka paused and let go of the paw she was holding.  “Oh, yeah, you guys were out all night, probably tired.  Maybe we can get a drink sometime?  You do drink ale, beer and stuff right?”

Dracna nodded. What a strange human she thought. So excited to face the monster cannibal.

“Good, um, yeah….one of these days. Afternoon before your patrols? Or a rest day?”

“Yes” Dracna agreed, turning to head to the monster bunks.

“Bye!”

Dracna was unbuckling and taking off the last of her equipment as she vanished into her dark corner of the barracks. Most of the humans were on the second floor, with other kinds on the ground level barracks, with monsters in the back. Officers had their offices with cots on the ground level as well. Excepting Sergeants who were on both levels.  She set her weapons in their places, her leathers on the stand and cleaned them up.  Then crawled into her bunk and slept.