"How long have you been staying in this village?" asked Ileus. The man definitely spoke in a way that he was a treasure-trove of information. 

"Ever since I was a child, my lord," said Casux with a certain pride in his chest. 

On that note, Ileus dug out the picture of his sister from his pocket and spread it in front of him. "I have come to look for her," he said in a serious tone while his eyes were fixed on Casux' face. 

Curious, Casux frowned and then turned the portrait of a child towards him. While studying it he asked, "Is she your relative?" The similarity in features was striking. 

"Yes," came a strict, calculated answer. 

Casux stared at the painting for a long time. "I don't remember her. Can you share more details about her?" 

Ileus liked the way he asked. He didn't demand for the details but gave him a choice to divulge if he wanted. "She was kidnapped eight years back and we have been tracking her ever since. We came to know that she was taken to Zmjia by her kidnappers." 

"Eight years back…" Casux said as he tilted his head, trying hard to remember. Just then his wife, Ada entered the room wiping her hands on her apron. 

"We will need more flour—" she snapped her mouth shut when she saw Ileus there. Flustered, she bowed to him. "Oh! My lord, I am so sorry I interrupted your conversation." She started to leave but Casux stopped her. 

"Ada, come here love," he said with a voice laced with affection and admiration. She had given birth to his four children—two boys and two girls, who were now helping them around. 

With a pale blush, which Ileus found amusing, she came forward. 

Casux pointed at the picture and said, "My lord is here to find about this girl. The pure bloods abducted her eight years back. Do you have any idea about her?" 

Ada wiped her hands nicely and then turned the picture towards her as Ileus watched her. Her expressions changed from curiosity to deep thinking to sudden remembrance. And all the while her green eyes dilated or widened. "Eight years back I was pregnant with my youngest, my lord." She drew her brows together. "I don't remember exactly, but there was a rumor that time that a woman with bat-like wings was seen along with the pure bloods during one of the stormy nights. She was carrying a sack with her, which had blood marks." She peered at Ileus with a cautious look, scared that her customer may jump at the information. "But the rumors were rubbished when a group went to find the woman on the shores. The man who had spread the rumor, old Faris, was perhaps drunk that time." She chuckled. "There is no woman with wings in this part of the Lore, I assure you my lord. Though we have heard that in the far south they have a kingdom where this species lives." 

Ileus went completely still. His muscles became weak as he gulped saliva down his throat. He blinked his eyes to process what he had heard. Anastasia's information was right. He covered his mouth with his hands and rubbed it as his face flushed. In a shaky voice he asked, "Where does Faris live? Can I meet him?" 

"Oh yes!" Ada exclaimed. "You can meet him tomorrow. Right now the man must be drunk like a fish and rolling on the ground of his home." She guffawed. "Also we don't really go out of homes after the night falls," she added nervously. 

Ileus rolled the picture back. He thanked them and then walked back to his room. When he entered the room, he found Anastasia taking a bath. She whipped her head towards him and when she saw his ruddy complexion, she asked, "Is everything okay Ileus?" He looked very excited. Why were his hands trembling? 

Ileus grabbed his hair and leaned on the closed door. Then he began to pace the room. There was lightness in his chest and he was breathless. 

"You are scaring me husband," she said in order to draw back his attention. 

Ileus stopped. With a bounce in his step he went to sit right beside the bathtub. He leaned on it and said, "Eight years back they spotted Maple on the shores of this village. She was carrying a sack that had blood spots on it." 

"Holy fuck!" Anastasia said with a gleam in her eyes. Her skin was lined with goosebumps. "So we are on the right track!" 

Ileus leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. "We are! Tomorrow I will go to meet the man who saw her that night." 

"That's wonderful!" Anastasia almost squealed. "I will also come with you." 

"Yes, you have to!" he replied and kissed her again. Finally they were a step closer to his sister. "However, the main task begins now. The serpents are a nasty lot!" he said. 

She cupped his face with her hands. "We are going to find her, sweetheart." 

He leaned in her palm and smiled. "It is all because of you, princess." 

She laughed. It was a great beginning. Would it be too early to celebrate? 

Ileus took a bath after his wife. The group met in the dining area and all of them praised Ada's cooking skills. The cured fish and stew were divine. Ileus told them all about the information he got from Casux and there was palpable excitement in the group. It was as if they wanted to go now and find her. 

For most of the night, Ileus couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned and then had to focus on the soft breathing and gentle heartbeat of his wife that eventually lulled him to sleep. As soon as they woke up in the morning, they got dressed and went to the innkeeper to ask about Faris' address. Casux sent his son along with them to old Faris' home. 

When Ileus walked out of the inn, he saw that the skies were overcast with dense gray clouds. The village was calm. Very few people were out about doing their business. It struck odd that with a big contingent like theirs, there was no activity from the shores. He shoved the thought away and along with Anastasia and Kaizan, he went to Faris' home. They tread through the dirt roads that meandered around the village to reach an isolated shabby house. 

The young boy, who he had seen earlier, as a helping hand at stables had accompanied them. He walked to the front door that was falling over a broken hinge and knocked it. "Uncle Faris, someone is here to meet you." 

After what seemed like eternity, Faris came out, blinking his tiny eyes. His face was so wrinkled that Ileus wondered how old the man was. 

"What is it?" Faris grunted. 

Ten minutes later when the man was seated on the mattress with the bottle of brew as a gift from Casux' son, he opened his mouth. "That was one scary woman. Her wings were flared and her eyes were like that of a firefly. I was hiding behind a bush when I saw them. She gave the sack to a pure blood and said, "Keep her alive till I say. She is the key to our goal."

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