“I’ve been hiding out in Simeal’s tent. Would that be fine or do we need more privacy?” D’Argen said with a hand motioning to the large tent entrance behind him.

“It will be fine.” Vain nodded and then shifted his stance into the mortal custom of a bow, one arm extended to the tent as if waiting for D’Argen to go first.

The runner felt like he had to force a smile at the action. He turned on his heel and walked off, leading the other man inside and all the way to the back where the cots were empty. He sat down on the same cot he had occupied earlier and said, “Go first.”

Vain cleared his throat then pulled a wooden tablet out from the wide sleeves of his robes. There was a quill already attached to it, spelled so that it would never run dry. As the God of History, Vain had perfect memory. It was a terrifying thought, remembering every single moment of the almost 10,000 years the gods had already spent in the mortal realm. Even more terrifying was that he remembered nothing at all of their time before that, in the gods’ own realm. At least, he was not alone on that second one. Not one of them remembered the gods’ realm and what made them fall to live among the mortals.

Even though Vain never forgot anything, the tablet and quill were similar to his glasses; only there to make the others more comfortable.

“Acela noticed you come in,” Vain started speaking, looking down at his tablet. “She sent me to inform you that you will have to stay for the full conference and you are on night duty.”

“What?!” D’Argen immediately straightened up. He had not stayed for the full conference for longer than he had not been to it at all. And he hated night duty. Everybody knew that. Guarding the orgies that Cana and Kiri hosted some nights was not his idea of a fun time.

“Yes, well, it has been a while since you have been back. Consider it your… punishment.”

“Punishment for not being here? That’s ridiculous!”

“Be that as it may, it is still your queen’s orders.”

D’Argen let out a frustrated growl and silently cursed his friends for not seeing this coming. He would drag them each to accompany him during night duty. That is if they did not participate in the activities themselves.

The chuckle that Vain let out had D’Argen facing the man once more.

“There is an alternative.”

D’Argen was sitting so close to the edge of the cot that only his mahee kept him from tumbling over with the bedding right behind him.

“An alternative? Don’t do this to me. What is it?”

“There is a matter which I would like to request your assistance with. Are you willing?”

“What matter?”

“There’s this merchant going around telling stories about how the demons are back. We have sent him an invitation to come to the conference so we can talk to him and get him to stop, but he either did not receive it or is ignoring it. I want you to find him.”

“What a coincidence! We heard something about a merchant going around telling stories about creatures with magic. That’s what I was going to ask you about. You think it’s the same one?”

“Could be,” Vain replied with a shrug, sounding unconcerned even though the news alone would have made most of the Never Born stop.

“If you already know about him, why didn’t you send someone else?”

“We are a little too busy to go running around after some mortal.”

“But I’m not?”

“It is what you do anyway.”

“And when I find him? Bring him here.”

“No need. Just get him to stop. Maybe find out where these stories came from.”

“All this for a mortal telling stories?”

“At present, Acela cannot turn her attention that way as she is occupied with strengthening the alliances with the kings to the west. These alliances could come into jeopardy if the kings of those nations were to find out that the demons are back.”

“But they’re not.”

“According to the rumours and stories, they are. If you are willing to find this merchant, get him to stop talking, and then go to these villages to calm the mortals that the demons are gone, Acela would much appreciate it.”

D’Argen knew this was a gift from Acela. It was not a punishment and the threat of night duty was one that she would never enforce on him. Instead of keeping him in one place, she was letting him go off for an unknown length of time again with an excuse this time.