Salah slept comfortably for the first time in… hundred years? The motel as inns were called now, was cheap —which was about what he could afford with the change he found in Strange Coat's pockets— and the floorboards creaked under his every step but it was still better than an alley with drunks and homeless thugs. 

Not to mention the common room. He'd picked up a few things worth of great interest. The Antiquen had been under a bidding war ever since Salah and his kin were away and a certain family Dodvran something had finally won it.  He wasn't surprised it took that long, considering the fortune they hid in the bowels of the mansion. Most parts were inaccessible to outsiders.

The Dodvrans were hosting a party in it to celebrate. He thanked Virtue for the right timing even though he had no idea what to do when he got there or how to even get in?

I guess we'll find out when I get there.

Salah hurriedly used the wooden wash bath before peeking through the window. It was straight up noon. Oversleeping was nothing new to him and he'd been recently exhausted so it didn't really surprise him. 

Might as well wait for nightfall to crash this party. But first… his stomach rumbled like a bear roaring in its cave. 

Salah had enough money to eat what he was familiar with. Meat. It was far better than lettuce.

************

Tellese tapped her foot impatiently. Her eyes flickered to the door once more. No one came out of the exit. 

A 'tsk' escaped her lips. Hope surely wasn't doing anything to help her mood. She was biting her nails rather loudly. That sort of thing was supposed to be silent!

Where is he?! 

"I dunno. You think he's been caught?" 

She had spoken out loud. Tellese really was on the edge. "Virtue, I hope not. Don't want this poor guy to lose his livelihood because of us or whatever trouble Balat gets himself into." 

Hope shrugged and they both glanced at the unconscious guard —who was stationed at the small gate— they had ambushed. Balat had morphed himself after him and took his rifle. 

The plan had been simple. Get maiden's uniforms from House Dodvran's Steward, play pretend servers and infiltrate, spy or whatever the word was for what they intended. 

At last the gate creaked open. Tellese almost collapsed with relief when she saw Balat, his hand holding a heavy looking sack. 

He had the nerve to grin when he reached them. "Sorry if I had scared you all." 

Hope scoffed in a manner you'd think she had been unperturbed. Tel knew better. "You didn't scare me. Where are the clothes?" 

His hand went into the sack and he presented red and white liveries with small cover shoes. 

A short time later they were stepping inside their own home like strangers, no thieves. It felt saddening to Tel. Be strong, now's not the time to get emotional!

Balat guardsman colors gave them a sort of immunity. "Alright, listen carefully," he said in a whisper, "all the girls are in the main hall serving. You've both seen it done a thousand times so you should be able to emulate when necessary. More importantly, if you fill the need to get out, do it without me. We'll meet at Master Joeden's house." 

"Understood." 

************

Salah watched the mansion as he resisted being overwhelmed with nostalgia. It was majestic and beautiful as ever. He sighed, turning his gaze away from the breathtaking architectural work to the lords and ladies climbing off their carriages. Pressed suits and white cuffed sleeves. The ladies, well, he didn't have enough time to gawk. 

Time to get to work. 

The roof was his target. There was a trap door there. How to get there? He smiled despite himself. Guards were stationed all over the entrances. Not to mention the ones that patrol the fence. Oh well.

He skirted the fence, keeping to the lanes opposite, passing a few drums of tar that looked forgotten. The streets would have been empty except for the carriages packed by the curb. A few had the driver slumbering inside. Some played stones with other drivers as they waited for their patrons. 

Eventually, he found himself staring at the back of the railed fence. 

A small gate was there and it was unmanned. Smiling to himself, he went through the gate cautiously so as not to make the gate creak under his hold. If he had hesitated for even a breath, two guards would have walked right into him. 

Crouching under the mansion's shadow, he watched as the guards frantically gestured and whispered to one another. Then, he noticed what he'd missed earlier. A guard was tied and unconscious by the flowers. One of them began to wave to others. 

I don't have time for this.  The backdoor was just a few steps across from him but he knew in his heart the way he knew farts stink that if he took a step toward the door, those guards would see him. 

Salah abandoned the door and crawled close to the fence, until he was facing another side of the house. He could climb the wall. There were enough handholds for that. 

He had just barely made it to the first floor when his eyes caught movement below him to his right. They were searching for intruders. For Virtue's sake! 

No time to think much. He reached for the closest window and threw up the panes, crawling inside. Risking a peek, just as the bright light of a torch went by. 

He sighed and saw approaching shadows down the lobby. Can't these idiots stay in one place? 

Two quick steps and he opened a door to a room. He remembered the room used to be empty. 

It wasn't. The rustling of bed sheets furrowed his eyebrows as a lordling and a girl scrambled off the bed. The lordling stared at him for a moment, hair ruffled with makeup stain on his cream-colored coat. 

At last he found his voice and it was filled with indignance. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" 

Salah adopted a no-nonsense-you will-do-whatever-I-tell-you-to face, raising his index finger to his lips. The lordling cut off almost immediately. The girl, probably the daughter of some lord, was wide eyed and looked more than a tad frightened. 

Salah kept the silence just to unnerve the lordling. The fool swallowed a lump in his throat and the sinister hid a smile. 

"Who's the Seur of this house?" 

It took the lordling a while to answer. "My—my father," he tried to stand taller as he spoke, "Senator Lord Lanches Dodvran, t—" 

Salah stepped forward with the same look. "This house does not belong to your father, lordling. The masters of this house have returned and I suggest you and yours vacate it or accept whatever befalls you should you refuse to." 

The girl gasped and said in an almost whispery tone. "Sinister." 

Lordling looked like his eyes would fall off from their sockets. 

"Now, get out!" If the lordling could vanish he would have for legs did not do him good. He missed his step as he reached the door, the girl on his heels. "And," Salah continued, causing lordling to stop in his tracks, "don't get any ideas. I'll be watching you." He narrowed his eyes as if to punctuate his warning. 

After lordling had fled, Salah fell on the bed and burst out laughing. He even cleaned tears from his eyes. I forgot how much fun intimidation used to be.  How long has it been since me and Zan did that? 

************

Balat tried his best to be invincible but that was a bit hard you see. The other guards in the main hall were stationary. While party goers went about, dining, gossiping and plotting assassinations, all that sort of business. 

The thing is, his house abstained from those kind of business. Instead they were involved in a different kind of mess. Hammad did his best to keep them away from it yet they always found themselves in one cook pot or another. 

Lord Dodvran himself was making things easy either. Isn't the host of a party supposed to stand in one place? Or isn't he lord Dodvran? He matches the description Joeden gave.  Dyed dark hair —Balat assumed it was dyed, the man should have gray at his temples— an hawkish face and a tall fella he was. Taller than almost every guest present. 

He finally got close. As close as a guard would dare unless he had a message. Yes, I could pretend I have a message for him. I've seen the man walk, I just need to hear him talk! 

Stalking towards him, a ruffled looking lordling who shared Dodvran's hawkish features rushed past him. No, no, no. You're not taking him to a corner. 

Balat quickened his pace and before he could speak. The lordling was already sputtering. "Father, there—there's a man upstairs, claiming to be the master of the house." Father? That explains the resemblance. 

Dodvran gave his son a considerate look. Balat took note of that. "What do you mean? Who is this man?" He speaks! Dodvran had a deep voice, one accustomed to being authoritative. 

"I don't know. His coat looked half decent. Tousled curly hair and a Symphonian accent. But father, he didn't speak like a thug. He spoke like any powerful lord I've met and I— I think he's a Sinister." 

Either Balat was imagining things or he'd just heard a solid description of Salah. All the major points were ticked.

Dodvran frowned. Balat half-expected him to dismiss his son's claims. He didn't. Instead he waved a few guards over, Balat included. 

"Take them with you and flush out this nuisance." 

The lordling nodded with a smile and Dodvran patted his shoulder. 

Lordling practically gallivanted through the lobby. Maidens passed them with serving plates with care not to bump into him. 

Abruptly, he pointed ahead at a closing door. "There! That's him." The other three guards rushed forward with enthusiasm, rifle in hand. If the man lordling spoke of was indeed Salah, he had no intention of being lumped together with them. Lagging behind just in time to see men getting bashed in a familiar pattern. 

It was Salah, alright. The way he fought stood out. Hit fast in quick successions. Balat raised his rifle and knocked a guard out with the butt. Salah raised a rifle like a cudgel. Before he could pummel Balat, he raised his hands up defensively. 

"Sal it's me, Balat. It's me." His face morphed back to the one Salah knew. Salah lowered the rifle and exhaled. "Balat?" 

At the next heartbeat, they were laughing, and slapping each other's shoulders. As they did that, Balat reached for his gun belt and pulled a revolver at lordling. "Stay where you are." 

He turned to Salah. "We've gotta get out of here before someone sees this mess." 

"Excellent. We'll take him hostage." 

Balat looked at the lordling. Eyes narrowing at his trousers. Salah echoed his thoughts out loud. "I'll give the boy credit. He hasn't wet himself yet." 

Balat shook his head. "Taking him will cause too much noise." 

Salah simply smiled. 

"Tel has a plan, Sal. We get out quietly." 

Salah blinked. "Tel's here?" 

"And Hope too and I'll explain better after we leave." Balat was already dashing, then turned to see Salah patting lordling's cheek. "Be a good lad and stay here awhile. Even better if you pretend to be unconscious." He winked then left him. 

"Come on, we should get out through the back." 

----------Fun Fact----------

Sapient Trees are intelligent and often cunning plants that prey on humans, animals and other plants. They are capable of movements similar to humans and animals.