Rarely was fear a factor, and rarely did Ty let it get to him.

Unlike Alexi, who'd go about drinking to forget, or Tobias, working his frustrations into his techs, Ty would rather not deal with it. It was how he had survived; avoidance of thought. Something that never failed thus far. He would push it down, force it into the darkest part of his mind. Like Pandora's box, only with the key long lost into the unknown.

But this was different. The circumstances were different.

And being the first of the few that knew of his involvement with what happened in the city – the summoner's interest in him, it tore open that box amongst a whirlwind of emotions, and suddenly he couldn't breathe. 

Suddenly, his hands shook and his knees trembled. The plushed hotel walls provided no comfort, closing in as if he was in a freaking box. It was how Ty wound up outside, side glancing the center of Riverstead with clammy palms and a stuttered breath.

In and out. Breathe in, and out.

It was the unseemly sight of men dressed in smouldering armours amongst the night crowd that finally drew his attention, stuttering him in his panic. Bronze panoply, with gears that clicked and ticked on the surface and shoulder openings that emitted fumes once every few seconds. Their chest plates donned what Ty would have presumed was the town crest; a winged faction.

They marched down the streets in twos like clockwork, and realisation hit him on their fifth time around. It was patrols. Ty had to wonder how important Riverstead was for security to be this tight.

Someone, a young dark-skinned boy dressed in dull attire, bumped into one of the guards whilst running through the crowd. He was stopped by a mechanical hand gripping onto his shoulder.

'Watch where you're going!' A voice threatened from behind the helm, but the boy only sneered. Surprisingly, that was the end of the exchange. The soldier released him with a dissatisfied grunt, and he was left to run off by himself. It was the sight of something shiny clutched between his fingers, something that wasn't his, that piqued his interest and got Ty's feet moving on their own.

Riverstead bustled with pride during the day; the town filled with trades and businesses going about. At night though, without the bright glaring buildings and merry glad men, it was a completely different settlement, and Ty cannot say it was any less interesting. Gone were the market stalls from the afternoon, replaced by dodgy little stands overflowed with items that – Ty had to admit – captured his attention. For while the town was bright and eccentric during the day, this was when the real town of techs came to life. 

There were gadgets paling even Tobias' inventions; a variety of hovering devices – clocks, stationeries, tuneboxes – which followed you around called Instechs, and large parcel boxes with delicate metal wings, 'No more unreliable pigeon post!'. There was even a brass gauntlet that breaks out protection shields upon command. Vendors beckoned for attention, though some minded their own business in a corner. Those were the fascinating ones, for their gaze held strange looks which offered under-the-counter-sales. How they managed to evade those mechanica soldiers were a wonder.

All the while Ty made sure he hadn't lost track of the kid, who seemed to know the area like the back of his hand. He manoeuvred around buildings, cargos and even moving cartels at a speed that had Ty struggling to keep up. He knew they were out of the centre when the bustles and incandescent lights were left behind. The boy turned a corner, and Ty followed a few seconds after in order to keep a safe — knife in his face!

He threw his hands up out of instincts. If only to prove that he meant no harm.

'Why are you following me?' The blade was jabbed closer, almost taking an eye out had Ty not stepped back.

That was the question of the day, wasn't it? Why? It was instinct, really. Though he couldn't very well say the boy reminded Ty of himself when he caught sight of him stealing from the mechanical guards. If anyone knew where or who Calum was, it had to be this kid.

'I need to know where Calum is,' he tried, his tone as calm as possible with the blade pointed at his neck now. 'It's... urgent.'

The boy, a young lad with unruly black hair that puffed up to his shoulders, glared up at him inquisitively. 'What makes you think I know her?' 

Ty glanced between the knife and its owner, caution rearing its head as he spoke. 'I never said Calum was a woman.' 

The kid realised his mistake and swore, his knife pressed even harder against Ty's neck. 'We don't do deals with Thom until he agrees to our terms.'

Ty did not understand half of what was said and he made it clear on his face.

'Thomas Flanagan. We saw you and your... friend leave his establishment today,' the boy said. His tone implied he was aware of Hennessey's race. 

So, they had been spying on them. That, or the commotion had attracted more attention than he'd thought. He hoped he wouldn't get turned away because of their hate for elves.

'Well then, you must have also seen our undignified exit, along with his goodbye message for us,' Ty countered shortly, and the boy's suspicion subsided just the slightest.

'It could have been an act.'

'I think you know that isn't very likely.'

They stared one another down for a few more seconds before the boy decided to ease off, albeit reluctantly. His knife remained unsheathed, in case Ty decided to do something unexpected. His expression was still biting, like that of an angry puppy. Now, without the threat of dying, Ty found himself wanting to give the boy a smack upside the head for stink-eying him down still.

'What's your name?' the boy asked.

Ty hesitated, but answered quickly after a careful thought. Only his first name. He didn't want to raise questions if he chose Alexi's family name, and his own family name was one he'd never brought up since the war. The boy didn't seem to like that, frowning when Ty left his last name out, though he made no mention of it, to Ty's relief. 

'What do you want with Calum? She doesn't usually take to new visitors, no new techs for sale especially round this time of the year.'

That brought about a new light. Another detail was added to the belt for Calum; a tech manufacturer. Ty considered sharing his spiel with the kid, that Alexi and Calum were related and that Alexi intended for him to find her. He decided against it. The boy may not be someone he could trust, at least not yet. He went for a neutral response instead.

'She was recommended by someone very important to me.'

Fortunately, it seemed good enough of an answer for clienteles interested in techs. The boy regarded him for a moment, sharp eyes narrowed in contemplation before finally conceding. He then looked around to make sure they were alone and gestured for Ty to follow him down the street. It was amongst the quiet when curiosity led him to asking about the boy's name. 

His dark gaze locked on Ty's and he made an impatient clicking noise with his tongue. 

'Not that it's any of your business, but you can call me Dara.'

They fell into silence afterward. The boy didn't seem interested in small talks and Ty didn't feel like he could push for more answers anyway. They soon reached a dark and cluttered corner. The boy had to move some planks aside to reveal steel double doors, to which he opened with a large key produced from his pocket. There was the sudden snap of fingers and the sound echoed lightly into a large empty space. Lights flickered on to reveal a warehouse before them, with tinted windows that faced part of the town centre.

It was unlike anything Ty had seen nor experienced before. 

There must have been a hundred or more, hand-size spheres lighting up in the dark. A low hum filled his ears; the fluttering of little wings, and he was reminded of glowflies from the marsh. Except these weren't alive, they were gadgets, lightbulbs designed to fly. Instechs, he realised as a few of them drifted closer, their wings beating light air onto him. Similar to the ones he'd seen from the night market. One landed on his shoulder before flying off, and Ty caught the glint of a name at the base of the glass shell. Bumbee.

'State of the art, these ones,' Dara gloated and crossed his arms, as if he was the inventor. Of course, he could very well be. Ty couldn't say he did not see a bit of Tobias in him right then. For one, they were both pretty cocky. The smug look on the boy's face was uncanny to the one Tobias often donned as he continued his pitch on the gadgets flying above them. 'You can't find them anywhere else in Gilleran, probably the world! They're not for sale though, still considered prototypes. They'll need more testing and a proper license before the blueprints can go out into the world. But I have faith it will explode once it does.'

Dara waved a hand and a bulb flew to him, hovering over his shoulder like that of a pet bird. The others were returning to their shelves, the glow of their lights dimming as they settled down.

It was amongst the ethereal beauty that Ty caught sight of a hairless rump in the background. Round and large; a patchy-haired rear, with a short stumpy tail wagging excitedly. All from outsife the tinted glass that stood between the two of them. It was outside. He was there.

The moment was short and fleeting, and as soon as the mule appeared, it had disappeared once more. Turned down a street Ty couldn't see into from where he stood. Dara was pulling on a lever when Ty looked back, unaware of the sudden conflict arising within him. The building trembled and a low grinding sound reverberated from below them. Then, right before his eyes, a circular part of the ground started to level down, one by one until stone steps were formed. The boy stared back, dark eyes expectant and waiting for Ty to take the first step down.

But he couldn't. Despite the better part of his senses screaming at him to find Calum, despite the urgency of his mission to uncover his role with the summoners, Ty couldn't ignore the nagging feeling that came with not knowing the man's identity. It was an itch he needed to scratch, a risk he needed to take.

He was out of the doors before Dara's shouts of alarm reached his ears. Too late to turn back now. His heart hammered as he flew across the distance. His mind was frantic with thoughts of racing faster; the 'what if's. What if he catches up? What then?

His feet slap the concrete. The desire to see the man added strength.

Ty skidded around the corner to arrive at the mouth of the street; eyes wide and panting, only to meet something that had rendered him speechless.

The strip they were on was quiet, so much so that not a single soul was seen down the path for miles. Maybe it was because twilight was rolling around the corner. Or maybe it was intentional. What Ty saw before him had decided it was the latter.

Blood was everywhere. Dark streaks smeared the walls like some sort of sickened street art, crawled against the ground and mixed in with the mud. At the end of the trail, he saw the man from the bar; almost unconscious, pale and injured, leaning against a pile of empty crates. A large ugly gash ran down one leg. His trusty mule stayed next to him, and for the second time that night, Ty was eyed down with suspicion. The black ooze a few feet away was incomprehensible.

'Goddammit... Poncho,' the man muttered weakly. 'I gave you one job.'

The mule neighed irritably and Ty had to keep his jaw from dropping. What in the actual hell had happened here?