That night, while Sam was lying in bed reading up on different classes Fiona might like, a light, a light, hesitant knock came from the other side of the door.
"Sam? Are you still up?" Fiona's voice was barely a whisper.
"Come on in," Sam called out, immediately closing her copy of The Comprehensive Guide To Classes And Their Skills.
Fiona opened the door and walked in. Dressed in her cotton pajamas, she stood awkwardly in the doorway, her hands clasped tightly together. She looked exhausted, the shadows beneath her eyes standing out sharply against her pale skin. She flinched slightly when Syn, asleep in the hallway, let out a soft snort.
"What's wrong? Come sit," Sam said, patting the top of the bed. Her voice was soft and careful.
Fiona came over and sat down. Nox, stirring from his spot at the foot of the bed, took advantage and crawled into her lap. The young girl smiled, but it was strained as she pet the panther cub. They had grown so big in the last few weeks, about the same size as Iggy now, but Fiona still held him tightly, as if afraid to let go of the small, familiar warmth.
"You haven't slept much since we got you back. I know it's still rough." Sam observed gently.
"It's not that. I just… I couldn't keep it in anymore," Fiona whispered, stroking Nox's fur rapidly. "I wanted to talk to you about something… something I overheard while… well, you know. I keep hearing it in my head."
Sam nodded, knowing she meant the warehouse. She stayed silent, giving the girl the space she needed.
"It was strange and a little confusing, but I heard one of the men ask if…" she paused, visibly struggling to bring herself to repeat the words. "...if she'd be brought to "you-know-where" like the others. I assume they were talking about me. I'll uh, leave the less constructive comments out, but they mentioned taking me somewhere. But I think they assumed that since I hadn't integrated… they didn't think I'd be going there."
Fiona looked up, her eyes wide with lingering fear. "But I heard them arguing later. One of them was really worried about the delivery schedule. He said they had to be extra careful now that they were dealing directly with the local Noble. He said it was too big to mess up, especially since they were coordinating the transfers to Solaris City. I heard them mention Lord Solaris and the Purple Tier stock being sent to his facility."
Sam froze. The motherly concern vanished, replaced by a cold, immediate intensity. Solaris City. Lord Solaris. Transfers.
"Fiona, say that again," Sam said, her voice low and tight, commanding. "They mentioned a local Noble coordinating transfers directly to Lord Solaris and his facility in Solaris City?"
Fiona nodded quickly, a tear beginning to trace a path down her cheek. "Yes. The Nobles and the Purple Tier stock."
Sam's hand dropped from Fiona's. She stood up, pacing the small space by the door. Local Nobles. The same powerful families who supposedly submitted to Commander Taldek's authority, the same ones the Red Tier Commander of the AHA constantly restricted. Yet they were operating behind his back, brazenly coordinating the transfer of victims two days east.
It meant the entire local power structure was compromised, finding the loopholes in Taldek's system. The betrayal ran deeper than anyone had realized.
"Fiona, thank you. Thank you for telling me this," Sam said, turning back, her expression fierce. "You've just given me a piece of information that changes everything. It means the people we caught were just messengers. They were taking orders from the highest local levels, and they were feeding people directly into Lord Solaris's hands."
"But what does it mean?" Fiona asked, scared by Sam's sudden change and her urgency.
"It means the Consortium plot wasn't resolved when we arrested the kidnappers. It means our local Nobles are Solaris's partners. They're selling off people, our neighbors, to be part of his awful Purple Tier operation."
Sam knelt beside the bed. "Listen to me. What you heard is dangerous information. Do not tell anyone else. I can't trust the official channels with this, because if I pass this to the City Watch, the Nobles will hear about it instantly and shut everything down before Taldek even gets a chance to act."
Fiona nodded quickly, clutching Nox like a lifeline.
Fiona's fingers twisted in Nox's fur. Sam felt her heart drop. Slowly—carefully—she reached out and rested her hand on the girl's knee.
"Fiona… thank you. That must've been awful to hear."
The girl swallowed and nodded, eyes glossy.
"You did the right thing telling me," Sam said softly. "You're home. You're safe. That's what matters right now."
She pulled Fiona into a gentle hug. The girl clung to her, small and shaking.
When she finally stood to leave, Sam guided her to the door.
"Try to sleep, sweetie. I've got this. Oh, and here." she said handing her the book she was reading. "It might give you some ideas of what you want to do."
The door closed with the faintest click.
Sam stayed still for several seconds, breathing through the sudden tightness in her chest.
Solaris City. Purple Tier stock.
Lord Solaris.
Local Noble involvement.
It wasn't just Consortium thugs—it was something organized.
Something powerful.
Something intentional.
She sat down on the side of the bed, rubbing her palms over her face.
"Jarvis," she whispered into the stillness of her thoughts, "I need you."
The AI's familiar presence bloomed like warm static at the edge of her mind.
{"Always. What's wrong?"}
"Fiona heard references to transfers—people being sent east. To Solaris City. Linked to Purple Tier… operations."
Her voice cracked on the last word.
{"…Understood. How can I help?"}
"I don't know if you can dig into anything locked or private," Sam said firmly. "But if you can just scan what's already public. Caravan logs, guild board complaints, merchant travel routes, missing-person notices. See if anything lines up with what she heard."
{"Unfortunately there are privacy limitations to how I can proceed, but I'll look for what I can. Searching. Cross-referencing only publicly accessible data sources."}
Silence stretched, but only for a moment.
Then:
{"…Sam."}
Jarvis's voice was quiet—too quiet.
{"There's a pattern. Several."}
Sam's pulse stuttered.
{"Multiple caravans registered under Noble House permits have been making trips east at irregular intervals. Their manifests are vague or identical copy-pastes. At the same time, missing-person notices in the surrounding districts have spiked."}
He paused, tone somber.
{"I can't see what's inside those caravans. I can't access their private ledgers. But the timing matches too closely to be accidental."}
Sam shut her eyes, dread and anger swirling deep in her gut.
"…They're doing this under Taldek's nose," she whispered. "They've found a loophole."
{"It appears so. I'm sorry."}
She let out a shaky breath and stood, moving toward the window. The Noble district sat in the distance—quiet, wealthy, untouchable.
"Can you map the public routes between here and Solaris City?" she asked, voice low. "I want to know how people are being moved."
{"Of course. I can trace the open-road networks and unmonitored byways, based on traveler reports and standard caravan paths. No intrusion needed."}
Another pause.
{"…Sam, this could be dangerous."}
"I know." Her jaw tightened. "But if Nobles are sending people away to—"
She cut herself off, the words too sour to finish.
"Just give me the routes. And save copies of everything you found."
{"Already done."}
Sam closed her eyes, drawing in one steady breath after another.
This wasn't just about Fiona anymore.
This wasn't about one kidnapping ring.
This was part of something vast—and she couldn't look away.
"Thank you, Jarvis," she whispered. "I needed to know the truth."
{"I'm with you. Always."}
~~~~~
After a few days of working at the store, one afternoon Sam sat at her workbench.
Jarvis was quiet in her mind, settling back into his usual soft background hum. Sam leaned against the counter, arms folded, staring at the half-finished dagger on her workbench.
No leads. No trail. Just the weight of what happened.
And the clock ticking.
A breath escaped her, long and tired. "I hate waiting."
{"You are not waiting,"}
Jarvis corrected gently.
{"You are avoiding spiraling. That is different."}
Sam snorted. "Thanks for the psychological eval."
{"You're welcome."}
She pushed off the counter and glanced around her workshop. Tools put away. Gear repaired. Orders finished. There was nothing left to distract her — which meant the stress was starting to push inward, coiling tight.
"Maybe," she muttered, equipping her armor, "I should go do something productive before I lose my mind. Mountains should have some interesting things. I need ore, nature crystals. And if I sit still, I'm just gonna chew holes in the floor."
{"I support resource gathering, Jarvis said. And you currently have no pending district obligations. A change of environment may benefit your cognition."}
"Wow," she murmured, locking the door behind her. "Telling me to touch grass?"
{"Stone,"} he corrected. {"Primarily granite."}
That drew a real laugh.
"There's just one last thing I need to stop putting off." She summoned her eagles. They had all grown large enough to have their own beast space, but they mostly stayed in the realm. They've been doing well, practicing their hunting.
"Well hello my prettiest." Sam laughed at herself. Shame flying monkeys aren't a thing here… wait. Jarvis?"
{"I am sad to report that we do not have flying monkeys Sam."}
"Damn, anyway." Sam reached forward to the closest bird. She cupped her hand and stroked the birds back. Her hand skated across velvety feathers. She felt a very subtle breeze coming from their feathers. It's wind ability active even now.
{Ding! You have reached an emotional bond level of 100% with a Peakwing Eagle, 100% perfect imprinting detected, +10 to all stats.}
{Would you like to add it to your tame list?}
{(Yes)/(No)}
Obviously hitting yes, the profile notification on her little eagle, now all grown, appeared.
{Name: Oriin (M)
Age: Adult
Species: Peakwing Eagle
Level: 1
Rarity: Rare
Tier: Purple
Experience Level: 100
Health Points: 60/60
Mana Pool: 70/70
Mana Control: 10
Mana Regen: 7MP/s
Stats:
Vitality: 6
Strength: 5
Wisdom: 7
Instinct: 10
Skills:
Active Skills:
Sky Cry
Emits a shrill screech that boosts ally perception and disorients foes.
Effect: +25% Perception to all nearby allies for 5 seconds; minor enemy disorientation.
Passive Skill:
Feather Sense
Subtle shifts in air pressure warn of incoming movement.
Effect: +10% dodge chance vs projectiles; +5% stealth detection radius.}
She continued with Aurora, Sirae, and Thalen. They all had pretty much the same stats and skills. Though she laughed at seeing Aurora and Sirae's wisdom stat. They both had much better control than the boys.
Sending a message to Fiona, that she'd be away for a few days, and Fiona was always welcome to stay with Mary and Red if she was concerned about being alone in the house. She sent two of her newly tamed eagles to keep watch. Sunblaze perked up as she entered the stable, stamping and flicking her mane. Sam saddled her quickly, the familiar motions easing the tension in her shoulders.
As she swung up into the saddle, Jarvis chimed again — quieter this time.
{"Sam… whatever happens with the Consortium, we will address it logically. You are not alone in this."}
A lump formed in her throat. "I know."
She nudged Sunblaze toward the northern gate, letting the morning wind brush away the worst of the anxiety. Her tames trailed beside her. The mountains loomed ahead — rugged, quiet, and blessedly far from political headaches.
Exactly what she needed.
Maybe she'd get lucky. Maybe the universe would cut her a break for once.
She did not get lucky.
After a few days travel, they arrived at the northern mountain range. When they were halfway up the mountain path, her tames stiffened as one. Syn's tail bristled. Iggy's flames flared. Even Sunblaze snorted, head jerking toward the distant ridge.
"Jarvis," Sam whispered, already reaching for her sword. "What is that?"
{"Multiple combat signatures ahead, Jarvis said. Three human — two Tier Purple, one Red. One beast signature… Gold-tier. Mythical classification. Injured. Very badly."]
Sam's heart kicked. "A mythical? Out here?"
Syn huffed a low, uneasy growl.
{"Griffon,"}
Jarvis clarified.
{"And they are not supposed to be hunted, Sam. They are protected under the Ancient Beast Accord — the same treaty that prevents mass hunts on hydras, storm drakes, and sky whales."}
"Protected," Sam repeated. "As in illegal to engage?"
{"Highly illegal."}
A pause.
{"Hunters caught killing one face exile or execution depending on the kingdom."}
Sam slowed Sunblaze to a creeping crawl, inching toward the ridge. "So whoever's fighting it—?"
{"—is either suicidal,"}
Jarvis said,
{"or operating outside legal jurisdiction."}
Syn growled again, sharper this time, ears pinned. Sam caught the faintest spark of her Bond-telepathy — a single emotion sent clearly:
Wrong.
She swallowed. "Yeah. I feel it too."
Sam dismounted quietly and crept to the edge of the ridge.
And froze.
The griffon was enormous — easily the size of three wagons end to end — but its movements were sluggish, faltering. Blood soaked its tawny feathers, and one wing dragged uselessly. Three armored figures pressed in on it, their gear marked with the Consortium's stylized silver brand.
Chains crackled with sickly mana, digging into the beast's limbs. A curse sigil burned beneath its talons, smoking.
Sam's stomach turned. "That is not hunting," she whispered. "That's torture."
{"Correction: "}
Jarvis murmured.
{"That is poaching, Core extraction, and violation of three major accords."}
Sam stood, jaw setting.
"You're right," she said. "I'd be pissed if someone barged into a fair fight."
Iggy pawed the ground, flames flickering hot.
"But this?" Sam's grip tightened on her sword. "This isn't a fight. This is bullshit."
Syn's lips curled back in a snarl.
Sam nodded once. "Alright. We intervene."
Sam crouched low behind a jagged outcropping of granite, the wind carrying both the sharp tang of ozone and the distant crackle of magical chains. She could see the griffon now, pinned between the three armored figures, wings flailing and claws scraping desperately against stone. Its golden eyes met hers for a brief moment — intelligent, terrified, and defiant.
Her stomach churned. This wasn't a normal hunt. Whoever these people were, they knew exactly what they were doing.
From her hiding spot, she strained to hear the conversation between the humans. Their voices were low but carried on the wind.
"Once it's down, the necromancer takes over," one said, a cruel edge in their tone. "Lord Solaris wants it mounted. Said it has to be perfect. Head intact. Whole thing would be nice, but the head's mandatory."
Sam's stomach dropped.
Her mind raced, putting pieces together. Integrated beasts—any beast that died, they turned into mana particles. If someone wanted a mountable head, there was only one way to get it: a necromancer. The moment the griffon or monster died, a necromancer would need to reanimate it, stabilize the corpse, and preserve the desired part before deactivating the spell. Otherwise… nothing would remain.
A second voice, harsher, chimed in. "Don't worry. I've worked with temporary reanimations before. Head comes off clean, corpse goes back to… nothingness. Lord Solaris is very particular."
Sam's hands clenched. Her tames stirred, sensing her tension. Syn's growl was quiet but sharp. Tempy's fur crackled faintly with static. Even Iggy's tail twitched, the fire on her paws dimming as she sensed the danger.
"…commissioned directly by Lord Solaris," the first voice continued. "Purple Tier work. He's very clear: no mistakes. I don't want it returning in fragments. Only a perfect specimen."
Sam's teeth gritted. Solaris. That bastard. A Gold-tier mythical griffon… and they weren't just poaching it. He was deliberately trying to collect it. Mounted, preserved, a trophy for some twisted display.
She swallowed. Her pulse was sharp in her ears. This wasn't a rescue. This was an atrocity waiting to happen.
Syn nudged her leg with his snout, a silent warning. Sam gave him a small nod — she felt it, the unspoken communication between them. She wasn't going to charge in blindly. They were careful, prepared.
But she wasn't going to let Solaris—or his lackeys—get away with this. Not this time. Not this griffon.