Bound By Beasts: The Tamer Who Defied Fate

The air in Guildmaster Tasia Merrith's office was thick with tension. Kaelron stood at the center of the room, his hands clenched into fists at his sides, while Nyx paced the floor behind him. Zerin leaned casually against the wall, his daggers visible beneath his cloak, and Eryk sat quietly in a chair, his sharp eyes darting between Tasia and the rest of the group.

Tasia's face was a mask of fury as she slammed a hand down on her desk. "Rohen betrayed us. My own second-in-command, feeding the Veilborn Order information under my nose. Do you have any idea what this means?"

"It means the Order's influence runs deeper than we thought," Nyx said coldly, crossing her arms. "And it means we have a bigger problem on our hands than just Rohen."

Tasia turned her sharp green eyes to Nyx. "And whose fault is that? You and your group waltzed in here, digging around in places you had no business being, and now my Guild is compromised."

Kaelron's voice was steady but firm. "With all due respect, Guildmaster, we didn't bring the cult here. They've been operating in your city for who knows how long. If we hadn't come, you'd still have a traitor working in your ranks."

Tasia's jaw tightened, but she didn't respond immediately. Instead, she walked to the large window behind her desk, staring out at the bustling streets of Eryndral.

After a moment, Tasia spoke, her tone measured. "I've been looking into some… irregularities within the Guild over the past few months. Missing supplies, false reports, strange funding sources. At first, I thought it was corruption among the lower ranks, but now I see it for what it really is—the cult's influence."

Nyx stepped forward, her expression sharp. "Do you have any leads?"

Tasia nodded. "One. There's a noble family here in Eryndral—the Alverines. They've been heavily involved in funding the Guild's operations in the city, but their recent activities have been… suspicious. Large sums of money are disappearing from their accounts, and there are rumors of secret meetings held late at night."

Zerin smirked. "Let me guess: you think they're tied to the Veilborn Order."

"It's a strong possibility," Tasia replied. "If Rohen was working with the Order, he may have been funneling information or resources to them through the Alverines."

Kaelron frowned. "Do you know where we can find them?"

Tasia hesitated. "The Alverine estate is heavily guarded. You won't get anywhere near it without a solid plan. But I have another lead—an associate of theirs, Lord Denrick. He's known to frequent a certain tavern in the lower district. If you can get to him, he might have information on Rohen's whereabouts."

Nyx nodded. "Then we'll start with Denrick."

As the group left Tasia's office, the tension between them was palpable. Nyx broke the silence as they walked down the corridor. "She's hiding something. I don't trust her."

"She's just trying to protect her reputation," Zerin said with a shrug. "If word gets out that the Guild has been compromised, it'll be chaos."

Eryk, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "It's not just her reputation she's protecting. If the Alverines really are funding the cult, then Tasia's been unwittingly helping them this whole time. That's a hard pill to swallow."

Kaelron sighed. "We don't have time to question her motives right now. If Lord Denrick knows anything about Rohen, we need to find him before the cult does."

---

The tavern in the lower district was exactly what Kaelron expected: dark, smoky, and filled with the clamor of drunken patrons. The group entered cautiously, keeping their hoods up to avoid drawing attention.

Zerin took the lead, his sharp eyes scanning the room. He spotted their target almost immediately—a portly man in fine but slightly disheveled clothes, sitting in a corner booth with a half-empty tankard in front of him.

"That's him," Zerin said, nodding toward Lord Denrick.

Nyx stepped forward. "Let me handle this. Nobles like him respond to authority."

"Or fear," Zerin muttered.

Nyx ignored him and approached the table, her presence commanding as she pulled back her hood. "Lord Denrick?"

The man looked up, startled. "Who's asking?"

"Someone who needs answers," Nyx said, sliding into the seat across from him. The rest of the group remained nearby, watching the exchange.

Denrick shifted uncomfortably under Nyx's piercing gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Nyx leaned forward, her voice low and dangerous. "Let me make this simple. We know you're connected to the Alverines, and we know they're tied to the Veilborn Order. Either you tell us what you know, or we'll make sure every noble in this city knows about your… extracurricular activities."

Denrick's face paled. "I don't know anything about a cult, I swear! I just… handle their accounts. They asked me to move some money around, that's all."

"Where?" Nyx demanded.

"There's a warehouse near the docks," Denrick stammered. "They've been moving supplies through there—artifacts, documents, crates of something I couldn't identify. Rohen was there last night. I overheard him talking about meeting someone important, but I don't know who."

Nyx narrowed her eyes. "Why should we believe you?"

Denrick's hands trembled as he reached into his coat and pulled out a folded piece of parchment. "Here. It's a manifest. It lists the shipments they've been moving. It's all I have, I swear!"

Nyx snatched the parchment and stood. "If you're lying, we'll be back."

Denrick didn't reply, sinking further into his seat as the group left the tavern.

Outside, Nyx unfolded the parchment and scanned its contents. "The warehouse is real. And if this manifest is accurate, they've been moving large quantities of enchanted items—things that could be used in rituals or to strengthen the Maw's influence."

Kaelron frowned. "Then we need to get to that warehouse. If Rohen's meeting someone there, we might have a chance to catch him."

"Or walk into a trap," Zerin said.

Nyx smirked. "When has that ever stopped us?"

Eryk, who had been quiet during the exchange, spoke up. "We should move quickly. If Rohen knows we're on his trail, he'll disappear again. And next time, we might not be so lucky."

Kaelron nodded. "Then let's go."

As the group made their way through the dark streets of Eryndral, the sense of urgency grew with every step. The Veilborn Order was always one step ahead, but this time, Kaelron was determined to catch up.

Unbeknownst to them, a shadowy figure watched from a rooftop, its glowing violet eyes narrowing as the group vanished into the night. The cult was ready.