Lori’s eyes flickered opened. She quickly sat up and saw to her dismay that the sun had come up. Faint light filtered through the office window and poked through the gaps in the lumber of the barn walls. She saw that Selene still slept on the blanket draped over the straw bale, but Bing was no longer there.

  A gathering had formed in the office. Lori could hear low conversation from the men. She sat up slowly so as not to wake Jangles, let the blanket drop from her shoulders and tucked her shirt in before quietly making her way to the office door. She knew her hair was a mess, and she tied it back and put her hat on before she made it to the office.

  She leaned on the doorframe and waited, listening in on their conversation at the partially open door. The others sat around the table nursing coffee mugs; her father with his pegleg straight and away from the table, Redhand, and Ebeneezer. She could see Bing, sitting in an office chair by the pot belly stove, emphasizing the points he made with an enthusiastic poke of his finger. Lori couldn’t believe how much he had recovered from his near-death experience. He looked healthier than he had last night, and every bit of clothing cleaned from dust and debris.

  Bing Blackwebb was a striking figure, a man whose presence tended to command attention and respect. He stood only five feet tall, markedly shorter than his daughter, who stood taller than Lori. Despite his height, Bing’s dignified air and deliberate movements made him an unforgettable presence.

  His skin, as pale as moonlight, contrasted with his dark, meticulously groomed and slicked back hair. Bing was very round, with a middle-aged physique that spoke of a life of comfort. Dark circles under his piercing dark eyes hinted at countless late nights spent in sorcery or business dealings. His nose thrust from his face long and sharp, giving him a distinct, hawk-like appearance.

  Bing's attire spoke volumes about his wealth and refined taste. He always impeccably dressed in suits of the finest material, favoring rich shades of purple that highlighted his distinguished appearance. His suits were crafted from the finest fabrics, each stitch a testament to his exquisite sense of style. A deep violet waistcoat and matching cravat completed his ensemble, adding a touch of sophistication and elegance.

  He usually wore a silk top hat, which now sat upside down on the desk behind him, further enhancing his distinguished look.

  His umbrella leaned against the same desk, a dark purple accessory of distinction rather than a mere tool against the elements, the polished handle carved into the head of a vulture.

  Bing’s eyes, although often shadowed by the dark circles beneath them, were sharp and perceptive. He had a habit of narrowing them slightly when deep in thought, giving him an air of constant contemplation. His thin lips often curled into a knowing smile, one that hinted at the depth of his intellect and the wealth of experiences he had accumulated over the years.

  Like his daughter, Bing had a predilection for purple. From his amethyst cufflinks to the lilac silk handkerchief tucked into his breast pocket, every detail of his appearance carefully chosen to convey his unique identity. Despite his affluence and refined exterior, there was a warmth to Bing’s demeanor, an underlying kindness that endeared him to those fortunate enough to earn his trust.

  Something Lori had never been able to do.

  Lori gently opened the door, her arms folded as she listened. Bing had taken command, as he was wont to do, but as she watched him close, she could see he had not yet completely recovered from his ordeal in the balloon. Beads of sweat gathered on his forehead, and his hand kept dropping to cover his stomach as though he still felt ill. He sat back in his chair as if he had collapsed there, and his usual energy had lessened noticeably, at least in Lori’s eyes.

  Her father noticed her and gave her a thin smile. He looked calm and collected, differing from Bing’s energetic personality and fashion in his simple red and black checkered shirt and blue jeans. Lori mouthed “I need to tell you something” and her father nodded. Lori gave Redhand a smile and a nod, which he stoically returned.

  Bing laid out a plan of action for them all, and he wanted to start with a search of the town here atop the hill. He saw Lori out of the corner of his eye and smiled.

  “Lori, I want you to take the north side. Start with the hotel at the end of the square where we landed last night and work your way through the saloons.”

  Lori’s eyes narrowed. The remnants of her dream still lingered in her mind, and a hot fury flushed through her body. Not so much as a thank you for pulling him out of a sinking balloon.

  “You can do whatever you want,” she replied coolly. “I’ll be searching the mines.”

  “I’m afraid I’ll have to insist. We need to search the-”

  “Did Devin ever come back?” Lori reached over Bing for the coffee pot and poured herself a cup. She liked a lot of sugar in her coffee, but it was packed away in the saddlebags and she couldn’t recall exactly where.

  Ford tried to hide a smirk. “He did. He’s burrowed under the straw in one of the stalls.”

  Lori nodded and walked out of the office.

  Bing stood quickly and started to follow her. Lori did not turn around.

  “Now, you listen-”

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  “Shut it, Bing,” her father interrupted, his voice steady. “Let her be.”

  The room fell silent. Lori walked away, coffee in hand, and she bent down to rifle through the saddle. She grabbed anything she thought she might need. She stuffed the supplies into her flight duster which hung on a peg in Jangles stall.

  A flicker of movement revealed that Jangles was awake. His eyes opened by a hair. He didn’t want to get up, and Lori left him alone, hoping he would go back to sleep. He deserved it after she pushed him farther than ever before last night.

  An argument boiled over in the office. Bing and Ebeneezer both telling her father that Lori was young and inexperienced, and that they had a duty to figure out what had happened in this town. Her father calmly explained that no one had put Bing in charge here, and as far as he was concerned, they were all independent operators.

  Lori watched out of the corner of her eye as she sipped her coffee. Her father was part of the Ravenhood Society, a group which consisted of most of the Hunters in the world. Ravenhoods were known to be independent types, usually working with others only out of necessity. They were not opposed to cooperating with other orders, they just tended to avoid the opportunity.

  Bing belonged to the Watchtower Prime, a group of very powerful, and very intelligent, sorcerers and wizards who tended to see the big picture, the grand scheme, and expected others to act accordingly. They, like Bing, had a belief that they knew best, and therefore should oversee any operation. Lori had to agree that, most of the time, the members of the Watchtower Prime were ignored at great peril. They were masters of knowledge, but they just rubbed Lori and many of the other societies the wrong way, coming across as arrogant pricks out to show the rest of the plebes how things ought to be done.

  And Lori had a personal ax to grind with Bing, and she couldn’t help but let that stubborn streak get its jollies by completely ignoring him. He bugged her, him and others like him. Like Ebeneezer. Look how they dressed! Fancy educated busybodies that more often than not had no idea how things worked in the real world, while men like her father and Redhand made a real difference in people’s lives and got little for it.

  She smiled to herself with no little satisfaction at hearing her father take command in the office. Like it or not, her father was always in command, even if he let others think they were for a while.

  Her father told them how the search was going to proceed, using Ebeneezer and Bing primarily, to check out the surrounding buildings while Lori, Jangles, and whoever else she chose to take, checked out the mines.

  It was comforting to hear Ebeneezer and Bing meekly agree, and they left by the office door that emptied onto the street.

  “Lori, come in here. Bring Devin. Selene too, if she’s awake.”

  Lori moved toward Devin and gave him a gentle shake. He woke, sitting up covered with straw that slid off of him one by one as he looked around and realized he was awake and in a barn.

  “Aww,” he groaned.

  Lori laughed. “Come into the office.”

  “Ugh,” he groaned again, and struggled to his feet.

  Lori started toward Selene, but she was in a deep sleep, so she left her alone. She entered the office and sat down in Bing’s chair.

  “Yes, sir?”

  “What did you need to tell me?”

  “Oh, yeah. I had a dream last night.”

  She related everything that happened, including the bargain she tried to make with the Ma’at-jer. Her father stared at her, intently listening to every word. Redhand leaned forward on his chair, listening, watching her with interest.

  Devin entered the office halfway through the story, yawning and struggling to pour himself a cup of coffee. As he caught on to what Lori was talking about, he listened with wide eyes and a pale face.

  “What do you think it all means?” Ford asked.

  Lori shrugged as she swallowed a gulp of coffee. “I’m not completely sure, but I’m getting an idea.” She finished her cup and reached for the pot. “Something about Aegyptian magic. There’s something there, but I can’t put my finger on it.” She picked up the pot, but it found it empty. She set it back, disappointed.

  “Be careful, Little Raven,” Redhand said. “You walked in the dream, and what happens there can be as real as what happens here.”

  “Sometimes, what is done there can be more real than what’s done here. Watch yourself,” her father warned.

  “Yes, sir.” Lori stared curiously at her father and wondered if he knew more about the dream walk than he had ever told her.

  “Devin, what did you find last night?”

  Devin jolted at the sound of his name.

  “Me?” He whined. “Why, nothing, Mr. Drake.”

  Ford stared at him blankly. “Nothing. You were gone half the night, and you found nothing.”

  “Well, that’s just it, Mr. Drake, there’s nothing here to find! There’s nobody here. Like the whole town just up and left!” He threw his hands up, spilling a bit of his coffee in the gesture.

  Ford considered him. “What did you smell?”

  Devin looked down at his coffee and swirled it around. “Death,” he said. “Death like,” he hesitated and looked at Lori for help. He felt uncomfortable when asked directly about his transformation problem, as he called it, and the abilities connected to it.

  “Devin, we need to know what your impression is. It’s okay if it sounds odd.” Lori said.

  Devin sighed and looked at his swirling coffee again. “Like salted pork. Not quite, but, that’s the best I can describe it.” He kept his head down, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes.

  Ford nodded patiently. “Was there anything else?”

  Devin shook his head. “Wait, yes there was something.” He scratched his head. “I think it all happened at once, whatever happened to the people in this town. Probably after suppertime.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Some of the houses I went into, it looked like they had finished eating, but hadn’t gone to bed. And there wasn’t too much disturbed in the saloons, so I’m guessing business hadn’t picked up yet.”

  Ford chuckled. “Good job, Devin. You’re probably right about that.” He swallowed the last of his coffee and gently shook the cup at Lori.

  She rose from her seat and took the coffee into the barn where she filled it with coffee grounds from her supplies and water from the canteen. Jangles stirred, his long neck stretched as he yawned with vigor. He blinked his eyes at her and smacked his jaws.

  “You better get up, lazy,” Lori told him. “We’re going to the mines today.”

  Jangles nodded, bleary eyed, and stood, stretching like a cat, then shook the straw from his hide.

  Lori returned to the office with the coffee pot and set it down on the stove. She stoked the flames and added a few sticks from the small barrel nearby. Redhand and Ford talked amongst themselves in low voices.

  “Devin, would you excuse us?” Ford said.

  “Yes, sir, Mr. Drake,” Devin said with a forlorn look at the coffee pot as he set his empty cup on the desk behind him and closed the door.

  “Lori, I want you to saddle Jangles, never mind the top pack, just put your riding saddle on him, and walk the town. Jangles has a better sense of smell than even Devin does, but I want your opinion on the matter.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “And Lori?”

  “Yes, sir?”

  “Stop goading Bing and Ebeneezer. Show them a little respect.”

  “But-”

  “They are not your enemy. You can disagree with them and not be disrespectful.”

  Anger boiled in Lori, and her mouth twisted with fury and the urge to speak her mind.

  “Yes, sir.”