"Is anyone there?" Fen asked from outside the shabby house.

  The building looked more like a shed than a house, the windows were boarded up and the wood was showing early stages of rot.

  "Anyone?" Fen called out.

  No answer.

  "Only a few more places to check, and that's that. Need a lead soon," Fen said.

  After Maeve gave her testimony of the attack on Kronkswell, Fen led their party to the outskirts of Modonia to the residences of the missing individuals. Len had made a fuss about being stuck inside on 'the boring mission,' but Fen ignored his partner's complaints and left him to do his own job. The city center was bustling with life as novelty shops, restaurants, and markets all came together to make Taka feel like he was back in his old world. Besides the fact that almost all of the creatures wandering the streets were fae, some dwarves, and the occasional otherkin -- or maybe beast people -- Taka wasn't exactly sure what the difference was. Are all beast people otherkin, but not all otherkin are beast people? He had wanted to stop and explore a bit, but Fen didn't give him the chance. It was still early afternoon, but Taka wasn't sure how much digging Zirko wanted to do that day, as the lizard man was calling the shots for their party. Taka could tell Maeve was exhausted, despite how much she tried to hide it. She didn't go into much detail about the questioning, but having to think about her deceased fiancé... Taka didn't envy his companion.

  The door of the house rattled and swung open, revealing a young dwarf woman standing in the doorframe. Her hair was long and ginger, her skin as pale as a ghost's. She looked thin compared to the other dwarves he had seen and looked like she was in her late teens or early twenties.

  "Can I help you?" She asked in a raspy, tired voice.

  "We're looking for the residence of Gilda Bowan," Fen said in a more professional tone than Taka realized he was capable of. "Is this the right place?"

  The dwarf's brow furrowed as she bit her lip. Zirko leaned in slightly closer, Maeve and Syla looking around the flanks of the lizard man to see what was happening.

  "Why?" The dwarf girl asked.

  "No one is in trouble," Fen said gently. "We're looking into her disappearance."

  The dwarf girl's eyes lit up for a moment, "do you know where she is?"

  Fen paused for a moment, then, "No. I'm sorry, but we are here to help."

  The dwarf girl poked her head just out the door and examined their whole group, the light in her eyes replaced with a cold, sharp gaze. She took her time glancing over them, her eyes moving from Fen to Zirko, then Maeve and Syla, and finally, to Taka's golem. Her watchful gaze lingered on Taka's golem for longer than the rest, and he wondered if she could see through Syla's illusion, but before he was able to ask Zirko, she stepped to the side and gestured for their party to come in.

  The house was small. It was one room, with a kitchen on one side, a table with four chairs in the middle, and sleeping quarters -- one larger bed, and a bunk bed, on the other. There was a smaller door that led to a sectioned-off corner, which Taka assumed was the bathroom. Fen sat at the table, joined by Maeve and Syla as Taka and Zirko stood behind them, leaving an open space for the dwarf girl to sit.

  "So," she began, "who are you?"

  "I am Fen Elicaz, I'm an investigator, and these are my, my--"

  "Hello," Maeve said with an added layer of elegance. "You may call me Xesha, my friends and I are here to assist Mr. Elicaz with the investigation."

  "Fen is fine, no need for the formality" the beaver man tacked on.

  The dwarf girl seemed to relax a bit. She continued to stand, but Taka could see some of the tension release.

  "I'm Hyark Bowan," the dwarf girl said. "Gilda was, is," Hyark corrected, her voice cracking, "my mother."

  Fen nodded at the dwarf girl, "I'll get right into it then, where were you the night she disappeared?"

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  "I was here," Hyark said. "Asleep."

  "And your mother was here when you went to sleep?" Fen asked.

  "Yes."

  "Just you and your mother?" Fen questioned.

  "Yes."

  There was an extra bit of conviction in Hyark's reply that made Taka raise an eyebrow, but Fen kept going.

  "And she was gone when you woke up?" Fen clarified.

  "Yes."

  "Disappeared?" Fen asked.

  "She was there when I went to sleep and gone when the sun came up, I don't know where--"

  "So she could've gone off on her own?" Fen pressed.

  "I don't know?" Hyark answered, the unsteadiness in her voice growing.

  "In the report, which I assume you filed, it stated that Gilda Bowan was taken and is now missing," Fen said.

  "My mother wouldn't leave me like this," Hyark said.

  "But the report said taken, si?"

  Hyark paused for a moment, then looked around the room as if asking someone to jump in and save her from Fen's questioning. Taka used his TELEPATHY skill and opened a connection to Zirko.

  This feels harsh, Taka sent to the lizard man.

  This is what Fen does, Zirko replied. He knows what he's doing, and she is hiding what happened.

  "I did," Hyark said to Fen. "But that's because she wouldn't--"

  "But why did you put it in the report?" Fen asked.

  "Because I know--"

  "Because you saw it?" Fen interjected.

  The dwarf girl scowled at the beaver man.

  "I. was. asleep."

  "It'd be easier for all of us if you'd stop lying," Fen said matter-of-factly.

  Sir Filo, Zirko said. Be ready to follow my lead.

  Alarm bells were going off in Taka's head. Did Zirko want to threaten the dwarf, or fight her?!

  "Fen," Zirko said. "No need to press so hard."

  Zirko turned to the dwarf girl whose lips were quivering, "Would you like us to step outside for a moment? Or do you want some fresh air?"

  Hyark bit her lip, then lowered her head and nodded as she opened the door and wandered outside.

  Follow me, Zirko sent Taka.

  "Stay here," Zirko said out loud to the rest of them as he followed the dwarf girl outside.

  Taka stayed still for a second, but began to quickly move the golem to catch up to the larger lizard man.

  "But," Syla began.

  "--It's alright," Maeve interjected. "We'll take a look around here."

  Fen got up from his chair along with Maeve, and the two began to take a full inventory of the room.

  Hyark stood against the side of the building, looking directly up at the sun. Zirko took up a similar position but a few feet away, Taka moving the golem to rest at his side.

  "I am sorry about Fen," Zirko said. "He just wants to help."

  "Didn't feel like it," Hyark spit back.

  Fen and I discussed this strategy earlier, Zirko sent. So fret not, this is going according to plan.

  What do you need me for? Taka asked.

  I need you to use your Divine Arts to charm her, Zirko said. Deon told me about your training sessions, and no, I did not tell Fen or anyone else about your abilities, but I know.

  Taka shifted uncomfortably within the golem. He didn't appreciate Deon talking to Zirko behind his back about his secrets, but Deon had only done right by him so far, so now wasn't time to doubt the older lizard man. But he also didn't like the idea of using that particular skill on a real, thinking, person that wasn't trying to harm him.

  Can't we try to get her to open up naturally? Taka pleaded.

  Deon said he already told you that your Divine Art isn't mind control. But I'll tell you again: it's not mind control. Charming a more intelligent creature, like this dwarf girl, will only make her more susceptible to your suggestions because the Divine Art makes the target more inclined to like you. It works incredibly well on unintelligent monsters, but on intelligent creatures? It is merely a helping hand, an extra light shining in the direction you, or we, choose.

  That didn't make Taka feel too much better about manipulating another creature, but he couldn't stop himself from feeling the curiosity-fueled excitement in anticipation of experimenting more with his skills. This is to help find Rhoz, Taka told himself as he steeled his resolve.

  Taka breathed in deeply and focused his mind, then concentrated on the dwarf girl as she stood staring into the sky and activated his CHARM skill. He felt the link established between himself and Hyark, but she didn't seem to notice. It was much more subtle than the links that his CHARM skill had created with the goblins he had fought with Deon to train, and he felt a sense of relief that he didn't have that kind of control over other intelligent creatures. All he infused into charm was a sense of trust towards Zirko, the comfort of home.

  Hyark shifted and turned to the lizard man, "thank you."

  "Of course," Zirko said. "You only need to say what you are comfortable sharing."

  Hyark's expression softened, "you really want to help me?"

  "Yes," Zirko replied.

  "Why?" Hyark asked.

  "Because someone very important to me was taken the same night as your mother, and I wasn't able to protect them," Zirko said.

  Taka felt a pang of guilt in his heart that echoed from Zirko's words.

  "So you want to find them now?" Hyark asked.

  "Yes," Zirko replied.

  Hyark smiled, "it's easier to trust someone when they admit to their own selfish reasons."

  Zirko smiled at the dwarf girl, and Taka felt like he was intruding on a private moment.

  Hyark took a deep breath in and smiled at the ground, "that day began just the same as any other..."