"Got it all up here" D'maak said tapping his head. "Been workin this hunt for a week, but I'm not much for investigating so the long and short is this-" D'maak leaned back and looked up, his trunk curling to rub his chin in thought. "All kids except for the parents of one of the kids, why them I haven't been able to figure out. But everyone of the parents, and multiple eyewitnesses say they've seen the kids about since their 'disappearance', even G'mit who was the first to go missing has been seen recently."

  "Together?" Toni asked, mentally noting every little thing she could.

  "Hmmm, never asked but I don't think so. I'm guessing they're alive and whoever's doin this is holding the others hostage to keep the ones they let out in line." D'maak replied.

  "What about [Power]s? Mate can control people, could somebody be doing something like that?" Toni inquired.

  "Possibly, but unlikely. I'm pretty strong not to-" D'maak made a slight trumpeting noise with his trunk. "-my own song but someone who can do something this extreme would probably register as a threat to me."

  "But it's not a no?" Toni pressed.

  "No, but here's the thing." D'maak leaned forward conspiratorially, adjusting his position in the seat. "The parent's see them most often, and usually like glimpses in the crowd."

  "Grief hallucinations, it's not uncommon." Toni pointed out.

  "But it is uncommon to have it corroborated by others, or to have them talk about how they sometimes catch up to them and talk to them." D'maak said. "How they seem so happy without them. One parent even said their kid told her 'she was holding them back'." D'maak finished

  "That's..." Toni leaned back herself and rubbed her head. "Why would anyone do that?" Toni asked no one in particur.

  "I think it's a sick fuck tryin' to mess with people. A shapeshifting [Power] would make more sense, or an illusory one. Especially if they can keep the target alive somewhere it can be incredibly potent even with little actual [Power] or threat to it."

  "Which is why they wouldn't seem a threat to you." Temate agreed with a nod. "But that still beggars the question, why? Chei any idea-" Temate looked over to where he thought Chei had been standing.

  "She left a bit ago." Karje said from her standing spot at the end of the table. "Just waited till you guys were in it and poof she and her guard gone with the wind."

  Toni frowned a bit at that. "She coulda said bye..." She muttered.

  "Chei, as in Tra Goudi?" D'maak asked and ughed at Toni's soft nod. "She does that, known her since she got here from the isles. Flighty girl, doesn't like staying in one pce. All that wind inside her needs to flow, y'know?"

  "I suppose..." Toni wasn't sure why she was so bummed not to get a goodbye, but courtesy was important damn it!

  "You'll see her again." D'maak told her. "Now back on task. I know every site where disappearances were reported, st sightings. I'm here to help you, hopin new eyes and ideas will break this open. So what's the pn?"

  At that Toni perked up and immediately focused in. "Last victims family. Have they seen the kid?" She asked.

  "I haven't checked back since I first interviewed them. Been going around the sightings of the kids previously hoping for a clue to their location based on movements." D'maak said.

  "Then we'll start there, with the st family. We should talk to them anyway." Toni announced as she stood up.

  "Did you not want to eat?" D'maak asked as one of the short, stocky grey skinned and bearded workers came over. "Rockin Stohn isn't just famous for it's night shows, the duergar who work here make some of the most authentic deep meals on the continent." D'maak said as he gestured to the server.

  "It's truhoooo!" The duergar server almost seemed to sing the words in a rhythmic warbling pattern. "We're quite experienced, Granite Drumseat actually complimented us!"

  "I heard about that, congratutions!" D'maak replied cheerfully.

  "Why thank you kindly, nooowhooow is there anythin we can do for youhoo?" The duergar asked.

  "No, we have a mystery to s-" A loud groaning noise filled the space. Toni slowly slid back into her seat as her stomach growled. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until that moment.

  "We did skip breakfast." Temate pointed out. "Something quick, transportable if you can, like a sandwich?"

  "I gotch yoooouuuu dear! Three deep wraps comin raiiight up!" The duergar held out her hand. "That will be 90 pieces!"

  "90?! For a wrap?!" Toni excimed.

  "It's woooorth it, trust me we wouldn't get awayayyy with chargin this much if it were not, would weheee?" The duergar replied as Temate dug into the magical pouch of coin Voel had tethered to him and Toni. Before he could pay though, D'maak pced a single silver chip in the duergar's palm.

  "Keep the change, it's more than worth it." D'maak said with a smile.

  "Thank you, I appreciate the kindness." Temate told him.

  "We're gonna be workin together, and as my father always says 'food is a bond stronger than steel, especially when given as a gift'" D'maak ughed to himself.

  "Who is your father?" Toni asked. "I mean, we heard some from Are of course but tell us about your family while we wait. We're new to..." Toni gestured around the room randomly.

  "This city?" D'maak asked for crity.

  "This world." Temate answered. "We come from another realm, it's complicated."

  "Ahhhh, well it does seem important you know the big names then. You know the Council?" D'maak asked.

  "Sir Hware expined it as the collective of elected officials and titled nobles who run the city during one of our training sessions." Temate said.

  "I thought your training was physical, not mental, you learned a lot doing that." Toni said as she prodded his side gently. "How and why?"

  Temate shrugged. "I just asked anything that seemed relevant. Power structures, notable histories, allies and enemies, technological progress. Any one could be a topic for breaktimes, but often he would hand wave it off or be very generic."

  "Really?" Toni replied.

  "Makes sense, you're not from here so you wouldn't know but outrealmers tend to be... problematic." D'maak said.

  "First, it's not an unknown phenomena? And second how?" Temate asked.

  "No of course not, hell Circle's around the world are studying why so many people and things end up here from other realms. There are whole cities in the Darknds who's architecture matches nothing of this realm. Most commonfolk even understand the pretense because of the Divines." D'maak pointed a finger over to a corner of the room.

  There a small shrine sat, a powerful, heavyset looking figure with a great hammer lifted above their head. The motion dispyed in the brass statuette suggested them bringing it down with devastating force. In their other hand they held a small child.

  "Drear. Duergar Divine who represents protection and family." D'maak told them. "Every species in this realm, from what we've discerned, are originally from another. Divine's like Drear or Endri, the Olifant Divine, are ancient. Often having come over with their species in the first pce, though none have told of those early days. What we know of them is this."

  D'maak gestured to himself. "I am weak compared to those of us who first came here. Something about the earliest generations made them more receptive to the power which floods these nds. After a few generations have passed it settles, but before that every new generation is usually significantly less powerful then the st." D'maak then motioned towards Temate and Toni.

  "You, however, are more rare. Usually normal people don't just wander into the realm. Divine's can, and they're always absurdly powerful. The earliest Divine's were said to have sheltered their people when they came otherwise only the Divine would have survived. There are other examples of beings entering our world, and in every case, no matter Divine and powerful from the start, or more mortal, they all have one commonality." D'maak's gaze darkened as he continued.

  "They want us to change. And even if you start mortal you grow stronger, and you do so faster, then anyone born here who isn't a direct descendant of a Divine." D'maak looked between them slowly. "I bet you already have felt it. A drive to change things to better represent where you came from?" D'maak said with a grimace.

  "Mostly just for people to stop treating other people as less just because of how they're born." Toni said firmly. "That is just shit behavior."

  D'maak nodded. "But it's also understandable when you realize that, by and rge, some groups are simply lesser. Whatever that reason may be, they are."

  "No one is l-"

  "Stop. We're not doing this again." Temate snapped at Toni who gred at him, but kept quiet. Despite Temate not actually using an Order that time. He turned back to D'maak. "Yes, we have. And we're going to do something, but we're not gonna blunder around and demand complete change without reason."

  D'maak nodded. "I appreciate that, but you see why people might be cautious? You've been here how long and you're already strong enough to register as threats to me. But as a show of good faith since I agree with you both that no one should be treated worse for being born different, you wanted to know about my family?"

  "Please." Temate said gesturing for D'maak to continue.

  "Well... For starters my father isn't my actual father. He took me in when I was abandoned for-" D'maak flicked his trunk at Toni and she frowned. "Exactly. He helped teach me to be proud of what I am. Of who I am. To temper it as a tool and a weapon exactly as he does. Our family is the rgest, and oldest, metalworking family in the city. All the armor you see on the guard and Avalons? Probably Lifante work."

  "And are you all olifant?" Toni asked.

  "Hahaha! No, no we're not. My father takes in all manner of apprentices with talent and potential, anyone who likes the fires of a forge and the shaping of metal, be it tool, bde or bauble. But the Lifante's ourselves are olifants." D'maak replied cheerfully.

  "Anyone?" Toni questioned as she leaned forward. "Say maybe someone who has been itching to get back into a forge properly to make some necessary adjustments to her weapon?!" Toni half squeaked with the barely veiled excitement she felt as she pced her gun on the table.

  D'maak blinked. "You're a smith miss Toni?" He asked.

  "Engineer, technically, but I've worked foundries and forges for... Well my entire adult life! I specialize in firearms, I don't know if you know what that even is but-" Toni hefted the gun up and began running through it's functions. She field stripped the gun right there on the table pointing to each little part and expining in detail how and why each little part was important. By the end of it both Temate and D'maak had a somewhat gssy look on their face.

  "A-ah... Sorry I just... I get so excited..." Toni stuttered as she, with face red as a beet, began putting her gun back together.

  Temate put his hand on her head and smiled. "No apologies. Your passion is adorable, I just wish I could understand half of what you said my clever little Ember." Temate told her.

  "Thank you..." Toni quietly finished reassembling her weapon as the duergar returned.

  "And here yooouuuu gohooo!" The duergar said, handing out four thick, bck wrapped what could only be called burritos.

  "Oh god it's so big!" Toni said, barely able to wrap her hands around it. "I'm not sure I can even fit my mouth around it!"

  "That's what she said." Temate said as he stood up, hefting the weighty burrito in one hand.

  Karje grumbled as she tore into her wrap. "Bout time, gettin antsy waitin."

  "Come." D'maak said as he stood up, easily holding the burrito in his own hand. "I will show you to the victims home."

  The four each gathered their meals, some much more easily than others, and headed back out to the main thoroughfare of Undermount. D'maak led them down the shaft of the T junction which began to bend and slope downward back toward South Occiden. Toward Undertown. This section of Undermount was much less hustle, and much more bustle.

  Where the main street of Undermount was clearly designed for travel between the two halves of Occiden, this seemed more like a main residential street. Several more homely spaces, small crystal parks with benches and tables where people were eating for example, were scattered about. People didn't rush to and fro but mostly stood around talking. Several times someone would lift their hand to D'maak in greeting.

  "Takin the new servants down to Undertown are we?" A satveak fel in brass armor said as they approached an open gate near the end of the street.

  "You know our family doesn't take in servants Tethme. These are new Lights of Are potentials. They're helping with the investigation." D'maak turned toward them gesturing to each in turn. "Mate, Toni and Karje." D'maak introduced them. "This is Tethme, ignore his idiocy, he's probably one of the most competent guards in Undertown. On his way to Kobolt correct?"

  "Soon, testings complete just gotta wait for the results but I passed." The satveak smirked and wiggled his eyebrows. "Anyway, go on in, be careful and stay close to D'maak. Undertowns not often safe for Surf's."

  "Serfs?!" Toni spluttered.

  "Yeah... ?" Tethme looked confused as he scratched a sail that fluttered from his neck.

  "Short for Surfacefolk Toni" D'maak said. "Sorry, she's new to the city and the area."

  "Oooooh" Tethme grinned. "Sorry, yeah local lingo can be confusing at first, you'll get the hang of it though!"

  Tethme waved goodbye to their group as they passed through the main gate of Undertown. Toni expected all manner of potential things, bright glowing crystals, fields of glimmering moss, anything strange like that. What she didn't expect was a city abze with low, warm lights atop mp posts. It looked like something she'd imagine seeing in an old victorian or industrial era movie.

  "Right, follow me and I'll take you to see Sira and her husband, though he's probably at work at this time of day." D'maak told them as he made his way out onto the street.

  It was strange to Toni. The space felt at once quiet, yet loud. Busy, yet rexed. She felt no rush to get where she was going, but at the same time she felt like everything was rushing past and around her. It was... Really quite soothing to her. She couldn't help wonder if it was a [Power] or just a natural result of the softness of the light amidst the surrounding dark.

  That sort of midnight calm that descends when you're just a bit away from a main street back home with all the fshing lights and cars honking. But here it felt everywhere as they wove through streets and buildings of stone. No gss windows here, but metal shutters covered window gaps. Hawkers didn't shout at you, instead they simply stood close to lights where your eye was drawn to them.

  After nearly an hour of walking, and eating an incredibly delicious burrito that Toni couldn't begin to pce the ingredients of, they arrived. A small squat house around a zen garden-esque area filled with sand. Children ran about in the sand pying while parents sat to the side on benches and chattered. D'maak knocked on a metal pted door.

  "Sira, I'm back and I brought some people who might be able to help but they have some questions for you." He announced.

  After a few minutes the door opened and a duergar woman stood in the doorway. Her gray face was darkened with tears and her hair and clothing were disheveled.

  "Go away." She snapped.

  "Ma'am we can help, prom-" Toni began.

  "I said go away, I don't want no softskins help anyway!" Sira snapped.

  "Sira, I know you're dealing with a lot but-" D'maak tried to comfort her.

  "GET GOIN OR-" Sira pointed away and choked on her shouted words.

  "Sira? What's wrong." D'maak said, and Toni's eyes widened as he physically shrunk to almost match her height. "It's me, you were so happy when I came by the first time, what changed?"

  Sira's lips quivered as she grasped onto D'maak and looked into his eyes. "He- he came back and I- He said if he saw you here again he'd- he'd..." Sira began crying, weeping heavy tears as D'maak wrapped his arms around her. D'maak's face was hard when he finally let her go.

  "Ma'am. If they don't want to see D'maak, surely a couple humans are safe right?" Temate asked.

  Sira looked at Temate, Toni and Karje, then to D'maak who nodded. "You can trust them, and I can hide and be nearby. No one will see me if I don't want them to I promise."

  "O-okay, but only you two-" Sira pointed to Toni and Karje. "You're scary big guy."

  Temate shrugged. "I can wait outside and keep a watch with D'maak nearby."

  "That's actually a great idea, keep a lookout for anything strange." Toni said and used her fingers to squeeze her eyes open.

  "Will do little Ember." Temate said and patted Toni on the head.

  With a big smile and a deep breath Toni followed Sira into her home. She'd done ride alongs with her dad in the past. She just hoped she remembered half of what he taught her in regards to questioning a victim.

  And now also apparently a witness.