After all the banter and commotion, things finally settled between Razek and Helaine.
"Oh, oh! I almost forgot—Cy wanted us to meet up soon," Razek suddenly announced.
"Where?" Helaine asked, curious.
"At the archery range. He said to meet him there soon."
Helaine's expression darkened. "And you're just telling us this now?"
"Aah!" Razek flinched at her glare.
Evryn placed a hand on Helaine's shoulder, drawing her attention to him.
"Let's go now," he said. "No point in keeping him waiting."
She sighed, then gave a small nod. "Okay."
Razek clapped his hands together and bowed dramatically. "You have saved me once again!"
***
They arrived at the archery range to find Cyrus leaning against the wall near the entrance, a cigarette resting between his index and middle finger.
"Took you all long enough," he muttered.
"Well, you can blame Razek for causing problems," Helaine said, pouting as she looked away.
Cyrus exhaled a slow puff of smoke, unfazed. "As you know, the village was attacked by the Black Suns. We managed to hold them off, but that doesn't mean they won't be back before long."
At the mention of the Black Suns, Helaine's expression hardened.
"Garran is planning to relocate the village, move everyone somewhere safer before they come looking again. As for us…" Cyrus took another drag from his cigarette before continuing, "we've got two choices: stay with them—which will probably cause trouble—or find another place to go. But considering we've still got a bounty on our heads from that shipyard on Sythar, we can't exactly move around freely."
He let out a deep sigh. "Most of the Outer Region is crawling with criminals. The biggest threat? The Black Suns."
Evryn frowned. "What exactly are the Black Suns?"
Helaine shot him a confused look, her brows furrowed. "How do you not—"
Cyrus cut her off. "No, Helaine. Let me explain." He flicked the ashes off his cigarette before meeting Evryn's gaze.
"The Black Suns are one of the largest criminal empires in the Outer Region. They control entire planets, and the ones they don't? They influence. Smuggling, arms dealing, underground trade—if there's something illegal going on, they've got their hands in it."
Evryn remained silent, processing the weight of those words.
And people just let this happen? I don't get it…
Cyrus let out a slow exhale, watching the smoke drift into the air. "They'll be back, no doubt. Especially after screwing up this attempt to take over."
Evryn went quiet for a moment, turning the words over in his head. If they're just going to come back and attack these people again… why don't we take action?
"Then why don't we fight back?"
Cyrus paused mid-drag, his sharp blue eyes lifting toward Evryn.
"Are you insane, Evryn?! Do you even know—" Helaine started, but once again, Cyrus cut her off.
A smirk tugged at his lips. "What exactly are you suggesting, kid?"
"I'm saying we take the fight to them." Evryn's voice was firm, resolute. "Sure, it's partly revenge… but it's also a chance to make a name for ourselves. Maybe even clear that bounty off our heads."
Cyrus let out a short chuckle. "Not a bad idea. Not bad at all…"
Helaine looked between them in disbelief. She wanted to argue—she should argue—but something deep inside held her back. The Black Suns… she had her own reasons to hate them.
Meanwhile, Razek stood off to the side, completely zoned out, probably thinking about something ridiculous and completely unrelated.
This wasn't just about making a name for themselves or clearing their bounty. It was a way to repay the village—and maybe, just maybe, find Mira's little sister. Protecting her would be the least he could do. It was the one thing Mira had asked of him.
"Well, that settles it. We're taking on the Black Suns." A wide grin spread across Cyrus' face, clearly enjoying the idea.
"And how exactly are we supposed to take them down?" Evryn asked.
"By killing their boss," Cyrus said without hesitation. "He's the one holding everything together. Take his head, and the whole empire crumbles."
That sounded too easy.
"What's the catch?"
Cyrus flicked the ash off his cigarette. "He's what they call a Harbinger. Tough bastard. Oh, and he's got four arms. Twice the size of Garran, too."
Evryn raised a brow. "Four arms…?"
"Yeah. He's a Tetraxian. Their numbers have really thinned out over the years, but the ones left? They're built different."
Helaine, arms crossed, looked down, clearly annoyed just talking about him. "His name is Ravak. Or, as most call him… the 'Dreadhand.' "
Cyrus nodded. "Yeah, what she said. He runs the Black Suns with an iron grip. If you cross him, you die. Simple as that."
"Well, that settles it. You guys head back to the ship. I'll talk things over with Garran."
Everyone nodded in agreement and went their separate ways.
***
As they stepped into the ship, the atmosphere felt… different. The air smelled fresh, clean—a stark contrast to how it had been before.
Standing in the storage area, Evryn took in the sight. The place had been completely organized—crates neatly stacked, the broken or spilled ones gone. The rusted chains and harnesses had been dealt with, and even the dim lighting cast a softer, more maintained glow over the space.
"Who cleaned all this up?" Evryn asked.
"Cyrus and Razek," Helaine answered, glancing back at him over her shoulder. "Though Razek got in the way more than he helped. Still, he did most of the work."
"Aww, Helly, how sweet of you to appreciate—"
Before he could finish, Razek let out a sharp, pained squeal, clutching his lower half as he crumpled to the ground.
Helaine had kicked him right in the golden jewels.
Now lying on the floor, Razek whimpered softly, his face contorted in agony.
Helaine didn't even spare him a glance as she stepped over him.
"Ugh…" Razek groaned as her boot pressed down on his side.
Evryn shook his head and reached a hand down.
"Can you get up?"
"No… Just leave me here…" Razek murmured weakly, still curled up on the ground.
She really needs to stop hitting people…
Evryn carefully stepped over him and moved into the hallway.
Even here, everything was spotless. The floors were now a smooth, dark gray, matching the lower half of the walls, while the upper half was black. The lighting was bright but not harsh, giving the corridor a sleek, modern feel.
As he made his way into the living space, he couldn't help but blink in surprise.
It looked brand new.
The booth had been repaired, though it still kept its dull, grayish-blue color.
I guess he really likes things gray…
Even the damaged storage lockers were either fixed or replaced entirely.
The walls had been repaired as well, keeping the sleek black panels that gave everything a clean, organized feel.
Helaine sat at the edge of the booth, one leg crossed over the other, her gaze lowered.
Evryn watched her for a moment.
She's been different—more ofn edge, aggressive—ever since the Black Suns were brought up…
He finally spoke. "Is something wrong?"
"Why?"
"You've just been acting differently since we started talking about the Black Suns. You don't have to tell me what's wrong, but… you can, if you want to."
Helaine hesitated, her fingers tightening slightly around her arm.
"…Thank you. I just… I'd rather not talk about it."
Evryn nodded. "I understand."