Coyote stood still for a moment. Silent.
He had no reason to trust Flin. No reason to believe this man who called himself "Viscount" wasn't just another madman playing hero.
But then again — what else did he have left?
"...Fine," Coyote said, voice dry. "I'll join."
Flin gave a crooked smile. "Smart choice. Now listen closely."
He stepped forward, his shadow stretching long across the cobbled floor.
"The Hollow Cast has nine members. All Tier 3 or above. Dangerous, clever, coordinated."
"They have four meds — three of them women. And three elite soldiers, including Arthur."
"And then there was Stephanie. A Trickster like you. I already took her out."
"We can't take them all at once. It would be suicide. We'll need more hands. A team."
He turned, walking toward the palace's east wing.
"Let me introduce you to someone."
---
Lunefall Palace – East Wing, Room 42
Stacks of ancient books towered over a desk, drowning in dust and faint candlelight.
Catherine Harper sat cross-legged on the floor, nose buried in a worn tome, flipping through pages with both obsession and disgust.
When Flin knocked on the doorframe, she didn't even glance up.
"If this is about food again, I'm still not cooking," she muttered.
"It's not," Flin said. "I brought someone. His name's Coyote."
She raised an eyebrow but still didn't look up. "Coyote? What, you adopting strays now?"
Flin stepped aside, letting Coyote into view.
Catherine finally looked up, eyes sharp, annoyed, and... curious.
"That name real?" she asked.
---
Flin clapped his hands once, as if to cut the tension.
"Now that introductions are happening anyway... let's make it official."
He gestured for the two to stand. The room grew quiet as each took their place — three souls with nothing in common, bound by one purpose.
---
Team Introduction
Name: Coyote Heraclides
Age: 18
Tier: 1
Type: Trickster
Role: Catalyst
Occupation: Unemployed
---
Name: Viscount Flin
Age: 28
Tier: 3
Type: Trickster
Role: Catalyst
Former Occupation: Royal Guard
---
Name: Catherine Harper
Age: 17
Tier: 1
Type: Nurse
Role: Catalyst
Occupation: History Student
---
Catherine crossed her arms. "I didn't join for your little rebellion. I just want that ancient tome — the one they stole."
Flin nodded. "And you'll get it. But first, we cut off the Cast, one limb at a time."
Coyote looked at them both. A nurse obsessed with knowledge. A former royal guard who likes young boys.
And himself — a jobless nobody with a cracked soul and a trickster's smirk.
This wasn't a team. Not yet.
But it was something. And that was more than he'd had in a long time.
---