Since the fight between Mukasa and Aleifr, I've been fulfilling contracts for the Lobos rojos. Most of them consist of protecting people or resources. Now I find myself with the guy with the bandana covering his eyes and Lilu heading to the last contract of the day.
"I never thanked you for covering for me during the fight at the square," I tell Enlil.
"It's nothing, I should be the one to thank you for doing something about it.”
“I was just not able to just stand there and do nothing.”
Enlil smiles
“Yes, and that might be one of the reasons Aleifr decided to make you his heir. Maybe with your help, we might be able to stop the slaving of the Conejo clan.”
He must be talking about the people the Dorados put in chains.
"Are you from the Conejo clan?"
"My mother is a descendant of that clan, but I spent most of my life with the Dorados…," he says, scratching his head and laughing.
Suddenly we arrive at a building hidden deep within the city. I'm surprised at how Enlil was able to guide me considering he doesn't have his sight. I am convinced that it should be the work of some type of Herencia he has.
As we enter, we are welcomed by a scene of blood. Bodies lie on the floor, and survivors clean up. Lilu gets behind me.
At the back of the room, on a rock throne, sits a muscular man with black hair and a scar that cuts through his left lip, revealing his gums. Despite the situation, he sits comfortably, eating what looks like chicken and drinking wine.
"Who are these damned pests?" he asks.
"I think they're the Lobos Rojos, boss."
"Why are you so late? This wouldn't have happened if you had arrived earlier!" he shouts, spraying food from his mouth.
"What happened?" Enlil asks, looking disgusted.
"Can't you see the bodies around you? I need you to find the damn culprit and hunt them down! I thought I specified to bring the best tracker, not a blind beggar—"
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Before he can finish the sentence, Enlil shoots an arrow that pierces the piece of chicken he is about to eat.
The man sharpens his gaze and bursts into laughter.
"Well, well, it seems I rushed. Give him the damn money," he says, pointing to one of the guards. "I'll give you the other half when you locate the bastard who's been attacking us and prevent them from attacking again."
Enlil sighs, takes the money, and signals for us to leave.
"Are we going to do a job for someone like him?" I ask when we are outside.
"Unfortunately, we don't have a choice. Part of the struggle between us and the Dorados is to maintain control through contracts. If the city groups see us rejecting offers, they'll start siding with the Dorados. The city's inhabitants outnumber the clan members by far. You saw what the power imbalance can cause."
"Yeah…."
"But I agree with you. We shouldn’t trust the Cuervos and I don't intend on killing no one. I always look for ways to trick them when this type of job arises. Besides, it comes in handy that I might know who we're looking for, which might make it easy to understand the situation."
"How do you know?"
"I can smell it," he says, touching his nose with a smug smile.
We walk through the maze-like streets of the city. Eventually, we arrive at what looks like a huge crack in the ground.
"Yep, this crack is one of the Conejo clan's burrows. The ones that attacked them must have been the Conejo Clan warriors "
"So, what are we going to do?"
Before I can hear the answer, Enlil's face tenses, and he pushes me. Thanks to this I prevent the attack of an arrow.
The attackers are a man with fur vests. Checkered bands cover their heads.
"Wait! We're not here to fight,” says Enlil. “ Let me talk to the head of your caravan. Rio is an acquaintance of mine. You must recognize the bandana on my shoulder."
The men look at each other.
"Alright, but we'll cover your companion's eyes too."
As we venture deeper down the narrow passages, a strong smell reaches my nose, making it feel like it's burning.
"What's that smell?"
"Is to confuse the Dorados’ hounds. Hounds were once part of the Conejo clan, so they have the same Herencias."
"Those traitors are nothing but domesticated dogs," boasts one of the conejos.
After a while, we begin to hear some commotion. The air seems to expand, and the torchlight illuminates us. As I walk, I can hear whispers from the people. Eventually, they forced me to kneel and remove the blindfold.
The sight of a man on a pile of exotic pillows welcomes me inside a tent. He wears a leather vest and colorful tattoos all over his body. In addition to the bandana on his forehead, which has intricate ornaments, he wears a pair of bands on each arm.
"It seems the currents of the herald have brought an eagle and a wolf to our burrow," he says, directing a long and warm smile at us after smoking pink smoke from a cigar.
