An incident in the city

Venus looked out at the canals that crisscrossed Regis. Clear blue channels of water spiralled and intersected around the capital like roads, dividing the city into a sprawling archipelago of miniature islands. A handful of tall but narrow buildings rose from each island but in some cases, such as the one Venus was standing on, the island housed a single complex.

This was part of the main trading center, the wing that handled the shipping of bulk goods flowing into and out of the city. The details and negotiations of merchandise logistics bored her, so she had left the noise of the interior to stand outside.

Standing on the steps leading up to the building, Venus leaned against one of the marble pillars, lost in thought. Staring at the water, she thought she had seen shadowy movement underneath the waves, but it vanished before she could be certain. A polite cough brought her attention around, and the young woman turned her head to see the caravan master, whose name she never actually got, approach her.

"Have you ever been to Regis before?" He asked, smoothing out his moustache.

"Once, when I was a little girl." Venus replied. " I was brought here to see the Master of the Shadow Hunters. Although, I didn't notice any details at that time."

Probably because my parents had just died, she thought bleakly.

Taking her silence as a cue to speak again, he continued on. "Then perhaps you'll be able to fully appreciate the city this time. A city built atop a lake is something one does not see in her everyday life. And more importantly, you will have the funds to afford it. Here, your payment." He produced a small purse that jingled as he offered it to her.

Venus looked down at the buldging sack of coins in his outstretched hand and shook her head politely, "I can't accept this, I thought we agreed that you taking us to Regis was payment enough."

"And now I am modifying the terms of our agreement. Take it."

She sighed and looked around helplessly. Venus spotted Ace some distance away. He was chatting to one of the shipping clerks, a tall, dark woman with a serious face. The clerk was wearing a long velvet dress, dyed a dark violet hue, that clung to her body tightly and had a sharp, v-shaped neckline that showed off a bountiful valley of cleavage. Venus snorted in mild disgust as she followed Ace's eyes, but looking at him gave her an idea.

"My companion has more obligations that require money than I do, such as his sick mother." Venus suggested to the caravan master, pointing to him. "He will gladly take the payment."

After briefly contemplating her offer, he nodded his head. "This is acceptable." He said as he extended his hand. "It was a pleasure to work with you, Venus."

Suddenly a high-pitched shriek pierced through the noise when Venus was about to take his hand.

Venus whirled towards the direction of the scream, her hand on the hilt of her sword. A quick glance showed her an older woman was clutching her belly as fresh blood poured from a gaping wound. As the life quickly fled her body, the woman went still. Standing above her was man-shaped lizard with sandy-green scales covering every inch of its body and a three-foot-long prehensile tail. The lizardman wielded a crudely made spear and wore a scrap of fabric around its waist.

With a long tongue flicking in and out of his protruding mouth, the creature smiled evilly as six more of its companions emerged from the water, climbing out of the canals and onto the stones, and spread out into a formation, advancing towards Venus.