"Hurry! Find it! Quickly!", Ravon ordered vehemently as he and his two subordinates continue to rummage through the store house for a few black scrolls that had been wrapped up and kept hidden underneath some pile of white scrolls as well as a missing map which contains all vital information about the location of each store house that were erected at different parts of the city.
"Ravon, I think it's gone, the Patrox might have stolen it!", Weymas exclaimed behind a heap of scattered scrolls from where he had removed a few scrolls as well as two stack of grains and some fruits seeds.
"I can't believe we lost it! The council members will be furious if they find out about this incident", Ravon said in utter frustration as he stopped searching and walked outside.
"Ravon, there's something fishy about this whole scenario", Makus said as he dashed outside through the front door with Weymas following behind.
"What do you mean something's fishy? Do you smell a secret ploy behind this?", Ravon asked with sudden seriousness.
"Yes I do perceive a strange plot behind this", Makus replied, "Think about it, the Patrox couldn't have stolen so much items all at once with only few minutes to spare before you caught him, and you said yourself that you saw him took nothing important, only a handful of fruit seeds he had with him when he ran away",
"So what's your point then?", Weymas asked with curiosity,
"What I mean is that the Patrox was only a decoy for an unknown intruder to break into to the store house in order to steal the map. This means that those items was their primary target which they had initially planned to steal", Makus keenly explained.
"Now it all makes total sense", Ravon said as he soliloquies his previous encounter with the thief. The thief had stealthily walked past them into the store house and had taken the goods without arousing any noise but had made himself entirely visible for them to see therefore, getting himself to be caught on purpose.
"But who would do such a thing?", Weymas asked him.
"We don't know who did this", Ravon replied and said, "But it is certain that someone is clearly behind this whole thing and he's pulling the string behind the curtain. It's imperative we find out who's behind this and I believe that this isn't their aim",
"What are we going to do now? The council won't be happy to hear about this and the thieves are long gone making it very hard to find their trail", Makus said and moved closer to Ravon.
"I have an idea what to do", Ravon said with a renewed spirit,"We all heard what that Motclux called Balista said about those Tarnites foraging behind the southgate, here's what we're going to do, Weymas you're going to inform the council members about this incident and Makus, you would seal the store house with a force field which will prevent any intruder from entering the store house. After that, you would guard this store house while I will try to investigate this issue at the south side of the city where those rumours initially began. I think those rumours about Tarnites being seen at the southgate and this theft is some how connected",
"All right, let's do that now before it creates a problem later", Weymas replied in agreement to Ravon's idea and immediately left together with Ravon while Makus sealed the perimeter with an invisible force field which enclosed the store house.
Meanwhile, the Patrox had long escaped to the north side of the city and had manoeuvred his way into the slums during the night, moving secretly around dirty corners of a pathway where several destitutes as well as law breakers inhabited. The night felt a bit chilly as he walked along two crossroads and then turned left into nearby Tavern. He entered and strode inside behind two drunk Hoglocks that were sitting at the corner beside the doorway and were laughing out noisily which surprisingly didn't bother the other guests in the tavern who were minding their own business. After making his way to the inner room, he passed through four rooms to the last room by the right where his cohorts were waiting for him. They were five in number and were all Patroxes except for one who was a young Motclux.
"Hey! Bamus, get over here with your crew. The boss had been waiting for you to show up", a slim Miccer said as he opened up the door which led to a dark underground passage with small stairs beneath.
"Okay, let's go boys", Bamus said as he led his crew towards door, indicating with his head as a gesture of superiority. Then together with his crew, he walked past Miccer who stood beside entrance. After descending down the stairs, they entered a small hallway which was lit up by flaming torches at both corners of the wall, illuminating coral inscriptions which were skillful designed and two bronze statue of dragon heads at each pillars which rested at opposite sides of the wall.
As they moved on quietly, they heard distant sounds of plea and an interrogating voice which seems send loud ripples of echoing tone in the hallway. They drew closer to the end of the hallway and were able hear clearly what is the cause of the disturbance.
"I didn't tell them!", One of the voice which was obviously in series of pleas said desperately, " Please believe me! I....am telling the truth!".
Then an authoritative spoke which Bamus recognized to be the voice of Akanon retorted sharply, "Don't deceive me Balista! Your task was simply to dissuade the masses with an hoax and you terribly failed to complete the task! My spies had seen you mention something to those storage guards before two of them left in different directions, while the other went to the council, the other went to the southgate to investigate".
"I didn't tell them about you I swear, all I did was told them that a female Patrox was the one spreading such rumours at the southgate!", Balista earnestly pleaded because he was afraid of being eaten alive by two ferocious Tarnites which were kept in chains beside Akanon. One of them was bigger than the other and looked more frightening with long canine teeth protruding upwards from its lower jaw.
At that instance, Bamus and his crew, led by himself, entered in through the wooden door walking straight to Akanon. The room was quite spacious enough to house hundred people at once without being overcrowded which was why Akanon chose this room to be his underground hideout inside the city until he has fulfill his plans.
"Greetings", Bamus said as he slightly bow his head.
"Welcome Bamus, I hope you completed your task", Akanon replied sneering at Balista.
"Yes, we have already completed the assignment", Bamus answered and gestured with his head towards his crew, that had been staring at the Tarnites in trepidation, to bring out the stolen items which they had taken from the storehouse. They gave him the map and went to their former position.
"You have done well Bamus, and you will be duely rewarded for your accomplishments" Akanon said as he handed to him two sacks filled with precious green stones which he had secretly mined during exile at Tarnish.
"Take this gem stones, share it amongst your crew and tell them to sell those stones in order to make profit".
"Thank you master, I am indeed very grateful for rewarding me and I would repay you with my services", Bamus said as he, together with his crew kowtowed before him.
"Yes my most worthy serf", Akanon replied and smirked at Balista who return his gaze with trepidation, "Now that we have the detailed map which contains the location of each storehouse in the city, we can now move forward with phase 2 which involves inciting the plebs against the council members by making them believe that the council is incapable of handling the city affairs and to do this, we will use this map as our guide to loot and destroy all the storehouse which contains food rations meant to replenish the low food supply in the city. This will thwart the council's effort in trying to control the city and stop the spread of hunger. Then I will come their aid and gain their favor before I fight the duel", Akanon said and turned his face towards Bamus,
"Take this map and with your crew, you will carry out this order after I am done watching Balista getting what he deserves".
"Absolutely master", Bamus replied immediately. Akanon motioned to a black Gandon, who stood behind him, to drag Balista away to the Tarnites which he promptly obeyed and quickly left him in order not to be devoured by ferocious beast who hastily pounce on Balista without mercy while Bamus and his crew stared in terror.