To the ignorant and the naive, there was nothing extraordinary about the port of Nokos. Sailors, fishers, and those with more... colorful backgrounds scurried about the boarded walkways as Lykos' crew steered the ship in. The smell of fish and saltwater wafted through the open air. If Iliana tuned out the crew, she could hear the shouts, jokes, and curses that echoed between the people of Nokos.

She observed all of this from the very tip of the bow. She sat with her legs dangling over the edge of the railing, her hands settled uncomfortably in her lap. Her position put her the furthest from the crew as she could manage while still being offered a decent view of the port. Her curiosity about the town warred with her annoyance towards the ship's inhabitants.

Not a single one of them seemed surprised to see the iron cuffs that chafed her wrists. They pissed her off as much as the restraints themselves depressed her. After all, escaping like this would be that much harder. Of course, she was determined to manage it anyways. There had to be some method to remove the cuffs without Lykos--perhaps it was only rumor that they were spelled; she wouldn't put it past slavers to be operating with tools that were based on fear rather than actual fact.

She would slip away the first chance she got, Iliana decided. Lykos was intelligent, but confident as well, perhaps overconfident. Hopefully, his mindset that escaping him in Nokos was impossible would lead to mistakes. All of this flitted through her mind as Lykos called his crew over to where he stood on the middle deck--with the exception of Nuri who stayed to guide them through the crowded waters. Iliana glanced over her shoulder at the group, not wanting to miss out on any information that might be useful.

"Sophos, Heron, I want ya ta run ahead and let'em know we're 'ere, assumin' they dun know already," Lykos instructed, and the two mercenaries nodded their heads. "Ian, Abarron, get in touch with the merchants, see if they want any of the goods we got stowed away. It's been awhile since we've cracked those doors open, might have something of interest in all that junk." Once again, the persons in question simply nodded. "Nuri--"

"Aye, I'll keep an eye," the man interrupted, tone gruff. He glowered down at them from his position at the helm. "Till moon high, yeah?"

Lykos nodded, amusement playing across his face. It seemed he couldn't care less about any insubordination from his crew. Rather, he seemed to brush Nuri's attitude from his thoughts as he looked to Eumelia and Abiel.

"Your usual spot?" he questioned.

She nodded. "Same rules. Seek me out if needed, otherwise..."

"I understand," Lykos agreed.

He shooed the crew back to their duties. Then, he turned to face where she sat. The knowing edge to his greeting grin had her scowling and turning her back. No doubt he knew that she'd heard his entire conversation. After all, with all Eumelia seemed to know about Iliana's kind, it'd be strange if she wasn't aware that her senses had grown stronger as her appearance grew more enchanting. And if Eumelia knew it, odds were Lykos knew as well. Each day she'd spent on the ship, observing everyone, had made it incredibly clear to her exactly how close the witch doctor and mercenary captain were.

In all honesty, Iliana wouldn't have been surprised if Eumelia walked over and told her that she'd lied, and Abiel was Lykos' son by blood. The three of them seemed to hold some special bond that made little sense to Iliana. At the same time... if one looked at Lykos' personality, and then Eumelia's, they couldn't have been more opposite. Except, perhaps, their unshaking confidence in their own actions.

Lykos seemed to enjoy playing with others. Iliana wasn't alone in the list of people he enjoyed teasing while they'd sailed. In fact, such antics had Eumelia slapping the back of Lykos' head nearly every time Iliana'd come across the two of them without drawing Lykos' attention. This was a direct contrast to Eumelia, who seemed to be utterly concerned with treating every person aboard the ship with respect.

The two of them seemed to be bickering constantly when they weren't focusing on something about the crew and this mad kidnapping of theirs. Yet, they never actually seemed angry at one another. And there'd been several nights when Iliana'd stepped out on deck, planning to search for Callias, and come across Lykos and Eumelia standing at the bow, talking in quiet voices.

"That's quite a serious look you've got goin' on there, thinking about something special?" Lykos joked as he drew close. "Me, perhaps?"

"Of how peaceful it would be if someone removed your tongue," she answered, tone deadpan. "Or your head. Either works."

Lykos tsked. "But then I wouldn't be able to tell ya about how you and me are gonna stick together on our way to the inn."

Was he going to completely ignore her death threat? Most likely.

"I'd assumed."

Iliana kept her gaze pointedly focused on the docks as the ship slowly drifted towards an open space. She focused on how there wasn't a single person in the crowd that appeared to be wearing a slave collar. Although, she supposed there could've been a few men hiding markings beneath their clothing. Collars were easy to remove, tattoos or brands happened to be just a bit harder. Still, it was strange. Her home town in Aeolis was the only other place she'd seen such a scarcity of slavery--and perhaps that was why the sight seemed to set her nerves on edge.

For others, the familiarity might have calmed them--but Aeolis held few good memories for Iliana. Rather, her thoughts were almost always consumed by the bad when she thought of her country. She recalled the year after her mother's death--when everyone had offered her and her sister their condolences, but seemed to disappear before they could be made to do something to help the siblings. She remembered how Mara would leave for days on end, dragged to one social event or another by her suitor. Then, how he'd appeared one day and introduced himself to Iliana. Then, when Mara'd left them alone, he'd warned her that he was only considering taking her in because of her sister. That he wasn't interested in gutter rats that lacked the shine Mara had.

She shook her head, casting the memories aside. It was stupid. No matter how many years past, the littlest things could send her mind back to those dark years. What did it matter that Nokos felt like her old home? It wasn't. There was a massive ocean separating the two. Iliana would never see that man again.

So why did a shiver still creep down her spine, and a lump form in her throat? Why did her heart clench as she remembered the way her brother-in-law had studied her, as if she were some sort of infesting pest? Why did the sight of the old buildings that lined the port, with their flaking paint and weathered owners remind her of that lonely year when Mara had begun to change, and Iliana lived like the orphan she was?

Lykos' small crew scrambled to secure the ship to the dock. They slipped ropes over the side, securing them to posts. They dropped the gangplank, then unloaded empty crates and barrels. As she watched them, she nearly missed how those around them seemed to glance at the crew from the corner of their eyes, their faces shining with curiosity or apprehension. No one approached the crew, but neither did they actively ignore them. Rather, it was as if they were obeying some unspoken rule that they could look, but not interact.

Strange, given that in nearly every port town she'd arrived in, especially ones as close knit as Nokos was rumored to be, her crew'd been instantly approached by some curious sailor or fisherman. They'd ask of the cargo, of other countries, or of how the weather had been at sea. There'd also been those who'd been eager to tell their own tales, be it the typical, exaggerated type of story, or of some important news that the crew might've missed due to their spending the last few months at sea.

So, why was this crew avoided?

"Time to go," Lykos announced, starting her from her thoughts.

While she'd been distracted, the crew'd finished and dispersed. Even Eumelia was nowhere to be seen. Reluctantly, Iliana dropped down from the railing, then trailed behind Lykos as he moved across the ship. It was quite notable how any gawkers seemed to scatter the moment he put a foot down on the gangplank. Yet, there was no tension in the way Lykos held himself. Rather, he seemed more relaxed than he'd been since she'd met him--which was saying something.

"Stay close," he instructed. "We should be safe enough, but there's no telling what ideas seein' ya might put in these bastards' heads. Eumelia's been telling me that they might just go outta their minds as is, so it's best ta just be careful. You get me, lass?"

She did. However, she was tempted to take the risk. This in mind, she ignored his instructions and hung as far back as she dared. As if reading her mind, Lykos scoffed and dropped back. Before she could protest, he'd slung his arm over her shoulder and used it to steer her away from the docks.

Within moments the two of them were walking through what appeared to be a marketplace. Stall after stall lined the streets, yet very few people actually walked the dirt path. She had to wonder if it was due to the pauper-like appearance sported by nearly half of the stall keepers. Many of them wore clothing that seemed to be barely better than rags. The fabric hung off their too-skinny frames, and did nothing to hide old scars. Lykos cleared his throat, and Iliana tore her eyes away from the people. Her cheeks burned as she realized she'd been caught staring.

"I thought Eol was a wealthy country," she murmured.

"It is," he said. "But, wealthy doesn't mean equal. Every society has those it treats like slaves without collars. It just so happens that the people who live here would rather live poor, than be lorded over by some pompous noble."

She glanced at him, curiosity battling her irritation. "And how does a place like this come to be? Why hasn't the king, or even some lord or baron attempted to take this place back? Poor folk on the brink of starvation couldn't possibly hold the city. Even if each of them was a cutthroat or former soldier, they wouldn't last a week if sieged."

Lykos' lips twitched, as if something about her words amused him. His gaze flicked to the empty streets, seeming to linger on the dark allies, and the vast number of questionable individuals mixed among the average civilians. Iliana knew she was right. It didn't matter how many of the people he stared at were trained criminals. Hunger and thirst were frightening things--they could turn the average person into a beast.

"Politics are funny sometimes," he answered after a minute. "What seems simple, isn't. And what seems confusing and complicated can have the simplest reasoning."

"You make no sense," Iliana complained.

"There are many reasons the king doesn't attempt to take the city," Lykos continued. "Most of the reasons are rather simple, although not obvious. First, there isn't any value in the city. Sure, he'd show off the power of his military if he took Nokos, but that's it. Nokos isn't true port city--most merchants avoid it on principle. It isn't a particularly profitable fishing district, nor are there open mines. There are some farms on the outskirts of the town, but they barely manage to feed the people of Nokos, let alone make anything worth shipping around Eol. After all, the faerie and nymphs that are attracted to this area aren't the most charitable sort, and ground around here is more clay and rock than it is fertile soil.

"Second, Nokos has some benefit to being left alone. It attracts people who don't want to be bound by the laws of Eol, mainly the worst criminals the country has to offer. This means they aren't roaming the streets of the capital, or raising helpless villages. Rather, they gather here and, for the most part, seem to mind their own business. It makes no sense to those on the outside, as they can't comprehend what benefit there is in coming here, but it works. Eol has one of the lowest crime rates in all of the kingdoms.

"Well, as long as you ignore Nokos."

Iliana frowned, turning his reasons over in her mind. "If those are the simple reasons, what're the complicated one?"

Lykos' eyes met hers, something guarded playing out behind them. Then, he grinned.

"You'll see soon enough."

That said, he picked up his pace. Within a number of minutes the two of them had turned off the marketplace, and were cutting through allies that had Iliana's nerves on edge. They were dark, dirty, crowded, and left her with the need to glance over her shoulder, knowing that it would be far too easy for them to be cornered in such a narrow space. Lykos seemed unbothered, however, and within a short time came to a stop outside of a door.

"That's..." Iliana sputtered, taking a step back.

The symbol etched into the front shoved her heart into her throat. She tensed, half-tempted to put up a fight despite the severity of her current handicap. She knew, of course, that if she couldn't beat Lykos in hand-to-hand normally, there wasn't a chance in hell that she'd manage it while wearing heavy iron cuffs. At the same time, there wasn't a single part of her that was willing to voluntarily walk through that door.

Only idiots walked into a wolf den.

And etched into the grungy wood was the calling card of the Unseen Hand--a large wolf's head. Unlike the stories she'd heard of simple, almost crude drawings the crime ring usually left behind, this etch seemed to be almost meticulous in its detail. It left no doubt in her mind that behind that door would be a building full of thieves, cutthroats, and rebels. After all, Nokos was Wolfhaven.

Lykos pulled his hand from her shoulder. His rough fingers wrapped around the back of her neck, nearly stopping her retreat. He chuckled, as if finding something funny about the whole situation.

"I'm not going in there," Iliana informed him, rather proud of how steady her voice came out.

"Really?" he asked, brow raised. "And what makes you think that?"

"Fuck you."

"I mean, if that's your reason, I suppose I can give in for now. There's a nice i--"

She stomped her foot down on his, taking satisfaction in the grunt that escaped his lips. Without pause, she followed it with a sharp swing of her elbow, and was rewarded by the loosening of his grip on her neck. Wrenching herself free, she darted down the alley. A sharp swear hit the air behind her, but she'd already rounded the corner by the time he started running.

Iliana's heart pounded in her ears as she escaped onto what appeared to be a main street. Without hesitation, she shoved her way through the thin crowd. She lost track of Lykos' footsteps as she ducked into another alley. The next street she found was nearly empty, and she cursed her luck. Still, she didn't pause, instead running a block, then turning once again. There was no rhyme nor reason to the directions she chose. It was simply instinct.

And when she finally stopped running, her heaving chest holding her back from taking another step, Iliana sent her thanks to the gods. Her wrists might have been rubbed raw by the cuffs, and her ribs might have been screaming at her in protest, but there was nothing but relief coursing through her system.

After all, the street might have been unfamiliar, the people unsettling, and the sun dipping down in the sky...

But Lykos was nowhere to be seen. 

A/N:  Sorry for the late update! I've had a busy week, lol, and I barely managed to get this typed out tonight. I'm going to try and finish another update and give you guys an extra one before Saturday, but that's a big MAYBE going on there. 

Anyways, she managed it! Think she's really managed to throw Lykos off? 

What about the city itself? Any thoughts on what she's seen of it so far? Do you think she made the right choice ignoring Lykos' warnings? Or, should she have followed him through that door? 

See you soon! The next chapter is one I've been looking forward to writing for weeks. ;)