Erend smiled faintly at the threatening looks surrounding him.
The group had gradually led him away from the busy harbor streets, deeper into a narrow alley between tall warehouses.
The noise of the port faded behind the thick wooden walls, leaving the passage quiet and empty.
No wandering dockworkers. No curious merchants. No witnesses from what was about to happen.
In truth, that suited Erend perfectly.
This made things easier for him.
The thugs probably believed they had successfully isolated their prey. But from Erend's perspective, the situation was reversed.
Now no one would see what he was about to do.
One of the rough-looking men stepped forward and crossed his arms.
"So," the thug said with a smirk, "you new to this island?"
"Yes," Erend answered calmly. "And I wanted to ask something… discreet."
Several of the men raised their eyebrows.
"It would be helpful if you could provide some information for me," Erend added.
