"I know."
"You've had twelve."
Kai slowly lowered the food.
"Is that bad?"
The merchant pointed at a sign.
One Sample Per Customer.
Kai looked away.
The merchant sighed.
"Just buy something."
Fortunately, a small pouch of coins suddenly landed in Kai's hand.
He blinked.
Someone had bumped into him.
Several hooded figures were moving through the crowd.
One briefly looked back.
"Sorry."
Then continued walking.
Kai stared.
The coins felt real.
The interaction felt strange.
Still, free money was free money.
He used it to buy food.
The merchant looked satisfied.
Kai walked away while eating.
Then stopped.
The hooded figures.
Something about them felt familiar.
He replayed the moment in his head.
The hand.
For a brief second he had seen a tattoo.
A symbol.
A symbol similar to the one used by the cultists beneath Yggdrasil.
Kai's expression hardened.
He quietly slipped into an alley.
Then peeked around the corner.
The hooded group was still moving through the crowd.
He looked toward the city.
Find Eric.
Find Andre.
Or follow suspicious cult-looking people.
Kai sighed.
"Andre is probably fine."
Probably.
Maybe.
Hopefully.
He decided to investigate.
The hooded figures turned a corner.
Kai followed.
One street.
Two streets.
Three.