Nobody payed much attention when Vel rode into the city. He was just one more person among many. Arca was the capital of not just Kia's Court, but all of Serendipity. It was the seat of power and home of the Queen. The greatest Mage College in the land, perhaps even the world, was located within its walls. A great center of trade and commerce as well as tourism and even education, Arca was hailed, far and wide, as a grand metropolis. But as with many grand cities, for all of Arca's beauty and prestige, it had a dark side, a seedy underbelly. Vel knew of the Soot Wolves, as many across Leranna knew.
A criminal syndicate hidden in the shadows, the Soot Wolves seemed to have their fingers in everything. From the most innocuous philanthropic ventures to insidious backroom deals, it was not a far fetched idea to think the Soot Wolves might be pulling the strings. From raiding caravans, to running fencing operations, the Soot Wolves traded in everything criminal, except murder. There were rules against wantonly shedding blood.
The newest Red Wolf, or Cannis Rufus, had changed many things. He organized a chaotic group, and pointed it toward achieving goals, spreading influence. He'd used his secret identity to garner information to muscle out opponents. The Soot Wolves had grown by leaps and bounds, and had begun to work with a code. Arca had been ripe for the plucking, and Rufus knew not to take more than his fill. Excess would cause rot, and could damage the whole. There were only a few things that Rufus was greedy for, and one of those were the magic blades he was trying to collect.
Vel had one of the blades at his hip, Anima. Though he was at first unnoticed, it didn't take long for a Shadow to see the blade and recognize it. Rufus had a copy of any book or scroll that even mentioned the blades. Even rubbings of wall carvings were among the works he'd accumulated. The descriptions were clear, and the bounty he'd offered for finding the blades would set up anyone for retirement. So the Shadow that saw it, left his post. Reprimand was a risk worth taking for the payout. He went straight to Rufus, and delivered the news first hand. The Soot Wolves attention was quickly redirected.