An hour later, Stepan got to the River Odeo and followed it towards Radovan to get information on where he could find Mariko and Helda. He arrived at the trade city in the evening and saw multiple caravans, as Radovan has always been a center for trade between kingdoms. Town grew on a crossing point over the river in just a few decades, when trade caravans travelled between Sabella and Northern Kingdom. It made Radoviana a rich kingdom, as king's taxmen were ruthless on getting their share for king and themselves. Hungry coffers of Radioviana always demanded more coin to keep their king merrier.

Radovan was full of two-storey brick houses with cobblestone streets lingering between buildings. There were a few building that rose above all else. The Merchants' guild house, which was in the southern part of the city. The tax collectors, city Mayor and other administrative buildings governed the northern part of the city with the city guard. Only a few of the buildings were old, as different armies had burned the city down a few times in the past. Once, even by Radoviana's armies, as the city was a center of a rebellion 73 years ago. Only the Anair's Temple was standing tall above the city, untouched despite wars. 

Sun was setting, and street merchants were closing down their shops. People moved from the streets to taverns to spend their earned coins on ale and food. Stepan knew this city from the inside out as it had been his hometown during the years riding with the Black Souls. It wasn't a small city anymore, as the city area had been growing steadily through the years. He rode through the western bridge towards the center of the city and headed to the docks where an old tavern, The Rig, was located. Paddy followed him despite all the stray dogs growling and barking towards him.

Old Jarmon built The Rig long ago next to the river. It did not take long as other buildings popped next to it and a harbor for river boats was ready in the area. As the harbour grew, The Rig grew along with the harbour and gained a reputation among traders and travellers. Black Souls were quite common visitors at the tavern when Stepan was still part of the mercenary group. 

The Rig has a colorful sign outside that warns troubadours not to sing Linarian songs, or the staff will take away their instruments. Flute or tongue, no matter. Jarmon had his grudge against Linaria from his past. Scent of roasted pork mixed with the smell from the oil lamps on the tables welcomed Stepan at the door. Just a few people were sitting at the tables and they didn't care about Paddy coming into the tavern. Jarmon came from the kitchen carrying a few tankards and noticed Stepan at the door. Stepan lowered his hood and nodded to Jarmon. 

"Well, there's a ghost I haven't seen for a while," he said and came to hug Stepan after dropping tankards on the tables. "You look decades older than we last met. Let me get you a drink." 

"It's good to see you, old friend, but spare the drinks. I need to keep my head straight."

"Is that why you look like a Black Soul again? I thought you stopped working for them years ago?" 

"Yeah, I did. But they now have a contract on my head, and they attacked my home. They killed my boys while I was hunting. I had no chance to save them." 

Jarmon went all pale and showed Stepan to follow him to the kitchen. He pushed the doors open and waved his servants to leave the kitchen and asked them to give Paddy some water. After they left, he started pacing around the kitchen. "Shit, Shit Shit! I knew something like this would happen. Five Black Souls came here about a week ago. Asking questions from everybody about two women and you. They were a bunch of tools harassing my customers, and I threatened them with town guards and they left. I heard they kept asking around the town before they left. I should have tried to send you a message, but I had no idea how to get contact with you. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"

Stepan put his hand on Jarmon's shoulder. "Calm down and focus. Did you hear the women's names?"

"They were asking about some women called Mariko Alar and Helda something. Can't recall her full name. You know them?" 

"The other one is Helda Gail. They were Black Souls at the same time as I was. I was hoping you would know them and point in a direction where I could find them. Last time we met was here in this tavern, when we all split from the Dark Souls." 

"I'm sorry. I know you think I can remember all customers from the past, but I focus on those who have a tap open on the counter. I can't remember all the women you met in this tavern back then. And if I recall right, you didn't want to remember either."

Jarmon could see how Stepan's jaw tightened before he answered. "This is different. They were my friends back then. Haven't met them in years. I just read their names from a contract those Black Souls had in their saddlebags, and I need to find them before Black Souls go after them as well." 

Jarmon looked at him in disbelief. "I guess you killed the attackers then?" Stepan gave no answer, just kept looking into Jarmon's eyes. "How in the name of The Void can you be so calm with this? Your family killed, fighting against those bastards outnumbered, and here you are just asking about saving other people?"

Stepan straightened himself and let go of Jarmon's shoulder. "I'm not calm. Calmness is my disguise. My warm blanket in the night keeping the flames from burning everything I cross along the road. I am the wrath that will maim everything in its way. I will find answers and bring purgatory to the one who made that contract for my head. If it means sacrificing everything and bringing down nations, it will be done. There will be many souls to send to The Void when I'm done." Stepan's eyes were changing to black, which terrified Jarmon, as he had never seen him like this. Jarmon took a step back and sat down on a stool and put his head between his hands.

"I'm sorry Stepan, I should have done something. Anything... I..." Jarmon could not think of anything to say, so he stayed silent. His hands were shaking. Partly what had happened, but also from being terrified by how Stepan was acting and what he would do. 

"You're not to blame. How the fuck you would have known what will happen? You would just be dead if you had tried anything else." Stepan was quiet for a moment, took a chef's knife from the table and started looking at the blade. "But yeah, you know bloody well what Black Souls are. I'm just wondering, who gave out my location? Some might say I'm lucky that I didn't get killed in the attack. I say I'm cursed that I could not follow my family to the afterlife."

"Please, Stepan, can you put the knife down? It sure as hell wasn't me."

"I know, Jarmon, you aren't the type that rats out on old friends." He kept his eyes on Jarmon and put the knife on the table as he noticed Jarmon was clearly afraid of him. "Ah... I'm sorry, Jarmon... I... I need to find Mariko and Helda. They might have answers to this. Any idea who could know them here?"

"It's... It's okay, Stepan. But no, I have no clue, but try at the temple. There's an old woman, Paloma, who keeps gossiping about everything and everyone."  

"Paloma, is she an acolyte at the temple or is just a patron there?" 

"Just an old hag, if you ask me. She is just living there at the temple's mercy. She used to be a tavern maid in the town center, but she became too old and lost her job a few years ago. But she seems to be a hardy one, as she just keeps on living despite looking like a living corpse. She knows everything that happens in this city and more. I think you know her from the past when you see her." 

Paddie started growling in the main hall. Stepan moved behind the doors and waved Jarmon to check what was happening in the tavern. He got up from his chair and looked through the kitchen door windows. There were two Black Souls inside the tavern.