Night had fallen over the Golden Quarter, and the warm, deserted streets were eerily quiet save for two or three stray dogs. Averkane took the lead, urging his companions to follow. They walked in silence, shivering in the odd, unusual wind sweeping the cobblestones.
Suddenly, Kentaro called out to their guide:
"Averkane?"
The man barely turned his head, answering with an unfriendly grunt.
"Is it true, what they say about you? I mean, the rumors…"
Averkane stopped abruptly and turned to face him, hands on hips, eyeing him suspiciously.
"What rumors?" he growled. "What are they saying about me?"
Kentaro tilted his head and closed his eyes, a sly smile playing on his lips.
"They say – or so I've heard – that you were imprisoned in the queen's dungeons before disappearing without a trace…"
