The cheers from the Champion's announcement party echoed through the caves underneath the city of Falconspike as a lone kobold wearing a dark cloak ran along the stone corridor. He panted, running full speed until he approached an unassuming door set into the stone. He approached and knocked a specific rhythm that caused an eye slot to open up. The yellow eyes looked in both directions before looking down at the kobold.
"I thought you were keepin' watch at the ceremony? Did everything go accordin' to plan?" the figure on the other side of the door asked.
"Er well. Yes and no," the kobold said carefully. "There was a development that the boss is gonna be real interested in."
The figure groaned and the eye slot closed. The kobold stood waiting in the hallway tapping his feet to an off-beat rendition of the hit song *It's all Human to Me* by the Aarakocra bard Loohooke.
After some time passed by, the door unlocked and swung open, revealing a red-furred tabaxi wearing a similar robe.
"The boss said he'll see you," the tabaxi steps aside, but as the kobold goes to walk by, he puts a hand out and stops him.
"Listen, Wells... You better be sure of this. The last time somebody brought him something that wasn't worth it... He had them pulled apart."
"Don't worry, I know for sure that he'll love this," Wells said confidently before scurrying down the hallway.
The room eventually opened up to a warehouse with multiple people wearing the same dark cloaks. On the far end was a figure in regal clothing looking over a board with drawings of the Shadow Lord and sketches of Veldred, Sarqen, Bigsby, Rota, and Yirki. His clothes were bright and flamboyant, a hood and full face mask covering his head. There was no inch of him exposed except for his eyes behind the holes of the mask.
"Hey boss, I-" Wells started before the figure put up a hand to silence him.
"You're Wells, right?" he asked curtly.
"Yes sir," Wells responded, his snout tensing. "I promise you'll-"
"When I took over this band a month ago, I was pretty clear. I said follow my words exactly. The spirits have told me what is to come, and I won't abide any sort of insubordination. So when I give an order, I expect it to be followed."
"Sir, I promise you, I-"
The Boss turned to face him and closed the distance quickly, grabbing him by the neck and lifting him off the ground.
"SHUT UP, GODSDAMNED YOU. JUST DO AS YOU'RE FUCKING TOLD. I SAID GO TO THE GALA AND MAKE SURE THE PLAN SUCCEEDS AND YET HERE YOU ARE. WHY SHOULDN'T I KILL YOU NOW?" the Boss said while strangling Wells. "MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE YOU STRUNG UP LIKE YOUR FORMER BOSS, HUH?"
Wells struggled as he was being choked but pointed at the board.
"I saw... them there..." Wells gasped, pointing at the portraits. "They... Entered the festival..."
The Boss's hands loosened on Wells' throat.
"You saw them? Are you sure?" the Boss asked, staring at the portraits. "All of them?"
"No, not the first one, but the other four," Wells said, catching his breath. "They called themselves the Heroes of Stone, and there were some more of them too."
The Boss stood there for a few moments holding Wells as he took in the situation before he started to laugh. Wells, overcome by his social anxiety, began to laugh with him. As they laughed together, the Boss's hands tightened around Wells' throat again as his laughter faded and Wells began clawing at the Boss's arms. The Boss continued laughing with more and more intensity while strangling the life out of Wells until his limp body was dangling. The other followers in dark cloaks watched silently as laughter echoed in the chamber.