Page 1

"Rebecca."

"What is it, Hamlin?" Rebecca asked, laying back in the booth, eyes closed.

"There is nobody else in the basement, besides us." Hamlin responded, looking around.

"That's impossible," she began, opening her eyes, only to see he was correct. "Marv, Jack, Heather, on your toes."

The five of them looked around, confirming nobody else appeared to have beenbe in the basementbasement. thatOnly day.dirty dishes yet to be picked up, and discarded ale mugs littered the basement. It was as if patrons were being guided away from the basement.

"Boss, I don't like the feel of this." Marv said, shifting uneasily on his feet.

"Calm down, this is still the Hissing Lobster. Nobody's going to ambush us here. Something's up, though." Jack said, pacing around. "But it still feels like a setup."

As they debated about the eeriness of the empty basement, they suddenly heard two pairs of footsteps descending, one light, one heavy. The five of them quickly retreated back to their table, and Rebecca was starting to grab something from inside her shirt when the source of the two pairs of footsteps came into view.

"Sirene Ignitis." Rebecca hissed, putting away whatever she was holding. She motioned for everyone else to remain seated while she practically flew to her. "I told you to leave me alone. What do you want?" Rebecca already had her dagger ready, and was prepared for a fight. "I don't care if this is neutral ground, I'll still kick your ass!"

"As welcoming as ever. Simmer down for a moment, you'll want to hear this." Sirene replied, smirking for a moment before motioning to Yurn. "You can introduce yourself now."