by Skyler Grant
'Does that mean you're going to let us get close now?' Alex asked.
'The keep is off-limits, but get back to my magical library. I'll have things prepared for you.'
"Sabrina says she’s going to leave the rest of the way clear for us," Alex said.
"You actually believe her?" Ryn asked, doubtfully.
"Destination is the same whether I believe her or not. We keep going and stay focused," Alex said. "Have you spent much time in sewers?"
"Sewers and rooftops are paths for thieves, but they're more your turf than mine. Dark places where people dump all their secrets, and the corpses cause no end of badness," Ryn said.
"Glitch Hunters let that happen?" Alex asked.
"Not much they can do except clean house every so often, which only makes way for the next residents. But it keeps the monsters from getting old and strong," Ryn said.
The tunnel ended in a juncture of three others and Ryn took the one to the right. Grates overhead let in wisps of fog, swirling tendrils that stirred in the air.
"You need to become a better class of thief. Not so much sneaking around in sewers and more dinner parties and dancing," Jess said.
"Get me the invitation and I'll dance my feet sore before robbing the place blind," Ryn said.
"If I become a famous musician I can totally do that," Jess said. "You want to come along, Alex?"
"Are there going to be monsters at the party?" Alex asked.
"If it’s the rich and powerful they're almost all going to be monsters, but not the kind you're interested in," Ryn said.
"Good food, fancy clothes. Just the kind of thing when you need a break from all of this," Jess said.
"I thought you had all that back home? Aren't you here getting away from that?" Ryn asked.
" I'm sick of my palace and my clothes, and all those fancy people," Jess said.
"You have to be a little homesick," Alex said.
"I didn't think I would be. I was bored—I was so incredibly bored. But sometimes ... you don't even know what you've gotten used to until it’s gone," Jess said.
"Do you miss things you don't even remember?" Ryn asked Alex, looking over her shoulder.
It was a difficult question for Alex to answer.
"It’s a bit like as if I were buried in the sand and dug out. That hole left behind may have no part of me in it, but still it lets me get a sense of who I was. But I don't really miss it," Alex said.
The section of tunnel was starting to look familiar. They were drawing near to being beneath the keep and close to the library.
"I don't want to go home, but I wouldn't want to forget it," Jess said.
"I wouldn't mind a chance to start over and be someone new. I've got some good memories, but I've got a lot of pain too," Ryn said.
"If we somehow pull this off are you going to take the house they're offering?" Alex asked.
"It might be nice to have a place to store my stuff. The whole merchant house thing is all Cass though."
"I still can't figure out if she is more merchant than crime lord, or the other way around," Alex said.
"They aren't all that different in most merchant houses. There is always something to sell legally in one place that isn't allowed in another. Whatever property you have, someone always thinks it ought to be theirs instead," Ryn said.
"You're really not a law and order type," Alex said.
"A king murdered my family and burned my city. More recently soldiers of that same king very nearly raped me to death, and now the lawful ruler of this city is trying to murder her own people," Ryn said.
"Rulers should watch out for their people, help them to be better than they are," Jess said.
'I am not free of regret for the way things have gone. I tried other ways,' Sabrina said.
Alex didn't doubt that was true, he had seen firsthand her research. It didn't change how things were.
49
“Blue lips, red skies, then the green flames come to burn it all away.” Onyx Rainier, House of Songs
Someone else had been in the library recently. Books were spread out on one of the tables, left open. Sabrina had been researching something.
Alex studied the tomes that were left out.
Titles of 'Dead and the Renamination Of', 'Necromantic Rituals of the Aseri', 'Parting the Veil' caught his eye. There seemed to be a common theme.
'Sabrina, what did you do?' Alex thought.
'Necromancy allows one to raise the dead. You know who I wanted to raise,' Sabrina thought back.
There was only one answer—her parents.
Some handwritten notes didn't make much sense to Alex. Alongside them were two communication crystals and a stone engraved with a rune. When his attention focused on each of these his vision flickered and information scrolled.
Malia Kass
House of Towers
Black Tower
House of Bats Reputation (Ally)
Kationa Vess
House of Towers
Grey Tower
House of Bats Reputation (Neutral)
Privacy Stone
Utilized by mages privacy stones can render areas immune from scrying or perception from a specific party for a short time.
'What is all of this?' Alex thought.
'I need you to fix my problem and you are likely to think this is all some sort of trap if I am in your head. This will block me, for a time. You can confirm with the others if needed,' Sabrina thought.
"The stone will supposedly block Sabrina for a time," Alex told them.
Jess picked one up, turning it in her hands. "They are partly illusion magic. This one is keyed specifically to this room and to Sabrina. Want me to activate it?"
There seemed no harm in doing so. Alex nodded and Jess traced the rune with a fingertip. A golden glow echoed outward.
Alex felt a certain weight leave his mind—it was a strange sensation. Whatever had just been done really had shut down his communication with Sabrina for the moment, he was sure of it.
"Reach out to Kationa," Alex said.
Jess tapped the crystal.
"Sabrina," Kationa's voice came.
"No, she left one of her crystals for us to call you. A privacy stone as well," Alex said.
"If that is true I should be able to join you. The stone will kick out her disruptive magics as well. Let me try," Kationa said.
A glowing fissure appeared in the air and Kationa stepped through.
"I guess that much is true," Alex said.
Kationa rapidly began to sketch runes in the air with a fingertip, leaving behind a purple glow. She said, “Enoritum Sanum Vex."
There was a ripple in the air.
"I added my own wards with quintessence reinforcement. If she tries to get past them I'll know. First, take this," Kationa said, offering a bound and sealed scroll.
Alex accepted the bundle and slid it into a pocket, "Am I delivering letters now?"
"Removing Sabrina from her position isn't official until she is handed that by a qualified authority of the Olean Commonwealth. You're now the Master of Road Maintenance for the village of Kinik, by the way," Kationa said.
"Thrilling," Alex said.
"I want a stupid job in a place I've never heard of," Jess said.
"I'll see what I can do. It may be a stupid job, but it does make you a member of the Olean government in a minor capacity. Enough to serve as their agent in this matter," Kationa said.
"So I just have to hand this to Sabrina?" Alex said.
Kationa gave a wry smile. "Well, yes and no. The vote hasn't happened yet, so right now it is just parchment, but at some point it will become effective. Hopefully before you get there—we're working on it."
"Nothing like being handed a sheath that might not have a sword in it. The reason why we came here is because Sabrina says she needs me to deal with something. She left all this out,” Alex gestured at the books. “It seems to deal with necromancy."
Kationa frowned. "Not my ar
ea of expertise. I see she left Malia's crystal as well. She’s who would know. It won't work with the shield in place, but I can slip us past that."
Kationa withdrew a crystal from a pouch at her waist. "Tower, connection to Malia Kass requested."
There was a chime.
"Kind of busy here, Kat," Malia's voice came.
"I'm with Alex, we've got necromancy questions."
"Oh, well if it is something fun, I'm your girl. Who are we raising from the dead?"
"Not us, the baroness. Most likely her parents," Kationa said, taking a seat at the table and flipping through Sabrina's notes.
"How long ago did they die?" Malia asked.
"Ten years," Kationa said.
"They're past the expiration date. You can expect a reasonable reanimation within a year or so of death, but it gets far harder and more likely to go wrong past that. Really, she shouldn't have even been able to get a spirit lock," Malia said.
"I hate this magic crap," Ryn said, leaning against a bookshelf.
"It looks like Sabrina figured that with all this black quintessence she was already harvesting it could be added it to the mix to boost the effect," Kationa said.
"Kat, that’s bad. I know you don't approve of what the Black Tower does, but for the most part we get obedient servants or pretty accurate representations of the dead. Add black quintessence to the rituals with someone who’s been dead that long and the corpses might be moving about—but it won't be her parents," Malia said. ‘Not as she knew them anyway.”
"Understood. Anything else we should know?" Kationa asked.
"They'll be powerful. To open that door she'll have used a lot of power. Tell Alex to be careful," Malia said.
"I'll make sure to go in well-armed," Alex said.
Kationa tapped the crystal and the communication cut off.
"Sounds like we're probably dealing with Glitch," Alex said.
"Nasty ones too. I told you how they died. They also weren't given proper burials, not for years. After their execution their corpses were dumped at the base of the keep so those that wanted to show their loyalty to Youlash could wander past and piss on them," Kationa said.
"King Devok didn't go in for half measures did he? No wonder Sabrina has no love for her people."
"It was a winless situation for everyone," Kationa said with a sigh, and read the notes again. "Let’s see. According to this she reanimated her mother first. It fully restored her flesh and youth, although her complexion took on a grayish cast and her eyes turned black."
"That sounds a lot like the Deep Maidens," Alex said.
"You better not sleep with her dead mom," Ryn said.
"Wasn't planning on it."
Kationa arched a brow and looked between them.
Ryn shrugged. "Just saying. Girls don't like that sort of thing."
"I don't think she'd be that into the idea anyways from looking at the notes. Upon reanimation she peeled the skin from one of Sabrina's guards and stitched together a dress from it," Kationa said.
Analyzing Clues
Known to have died from dismemberment
No burial rights
Flesh consumed after death
Grey skin and dark eyes
Attire made from human flesh
Likely match found
Fleshweaver
Alignment: Black
Fleshweavers are a manifestation of those who died under extreme circumstances and had their flesh used after death in some way, commonly either as a spectacle or as food. They are capable shape-shifters, an ability which they can use in combat. They make powerful tools and implements from their victims, using pain and suffering to magically enhance mundane materials.
Vulnerabilities
Like most variants of the undead Fleshweavers are vulnerable to fire. Other vulnerabilities are hard to ascertain, Fleshweavers are intelligent Glitch and capable of using their shape-shifting abilities to defend against specific threats as required. Corpsebane oil is especially effective.
If Sabrina was looking to bring her mother back, this obviously wasn't the best of results. Alex relayed what he'd found, resulting in grimaces around the room.
"Avery was a gentle woman in life, a fierce negotiator when it came to it, but mostly obsessed with painting seascapes. She deserved better than what happened to her, she deserved better than this," Kationa said.
"What about resurrecting her father?" Alex asked.
"After what happened with her mother Sabrina tried slowing down the introduction of quintessence with him. Flesh restored, normal coloration, but obese—which he never was in life. He promptly started to eat what was left of the guard his wife skinned," Kationa said.
Analyzing Clues
Known to have died from overeating
No burial rights
Normal human appearance
Obesity
Devours human flesh
Likely match found
Glutton
Alignment: Black
Gluttons are a manifestation of those who died from overeating. They are quite capable of eating anything, stone, poison, the weapons of those who attempt to murder them. Whatever they consume makes them stronger and they are able to quickly heal damage by the ingestion of new material.
Vulnerabilities
Technically a form of undead Gluttons are vulnerable to fire and Corpsebane oil as well as harmonized weapons. Mundane weapons work well against them but they are capable of consuming steel that is not harmonized or coated with Corpsebane.
Alex shared this latest finding.
Kationa said angrily, "Damn it, girl. I would have told you this was a bad idea. I would have told you this all was a terrible idea if you'd but confided in me."
"This isn't your fault," Alex said.
"Of course it is. I put the tools to do all this in the hands of a quintessence-tainted young woman and never saw what was really going on inside of her. Whatever my intentions might have been this is very much my fault," Kationa said.
Ryn said, "That ain't true. Man who taught me to pick locks isn't responsible for what I steal and you aren't responsible here."
"I mean no offense, but I don't take my morality lessons from thieves," Kationa said, as she pushed herself back up to her feet. "I handed you the scrolls. Killing Glitch is your business."
"Not going to stay to help?" Alex asked.
"You don't need me throwing spells here. You need me making sure that document actually does something when you hand it over," Kationa said, opening a fissure once again and stepping through.
"Poor Sabrina," Jess said.
"Not feeling too much sympathy for the bitch who is murdering the whole town," Ryn said.
"We're going to help though, right?"
"I don't think she'll have left us any choice. Sabrina doesn't want to put her own parents to the sword. I'm betting as we go forward she put them between us and her," Alex said. “She wants us to do it.”
"Then what was the point of all this?" Ryn asked.
"To give us a fighting chance. Get what you need ready, I have to check out the laboratory again," Alex said.
The laboratory had been well stocked, and while the supplies were old he hoped they'd still be good. Alex opened his Grimoire and flipped over to the Oils section.
Corpsebane Oil
3 Parts Grave Dust
1 Part Magical Essence
1 Part Flame Essence
Combine ingredients, boil for fifteen minutes and allow to thicken before bottling.
There were enough ingredients to make six bottles. That should be more than enough. Alex was glad that he'd have some to keep. Although he hadn't initially taken to potions, given how close many of his fights had been he needed every edge that he could get. Being prepared with the appropriate supplies would help.
Outside of the library Alex felt the presence of Sabrina return.
'You're going to help then?' Sabrina asked.
'Are you leaving me any choice? This we
nt bad for a reason, Sabrina. I know you're confident of your own transformation, but isn't this a sign that confidence may be misplaced?'
'I've thought about that, but I've gone too far to turn back. If I become something horrible—well, more horrible than I intend—you'll put me down.'
'Where are they?' Alex asked.
'You'll find them. They are in your way. I'm going to kill this connection for awhile, I don't want to see it.'
That was good. If Sabrina blinded herself that gave him the opportunity to get closer to her. Alex just needed to finish these next fights quickly.
50
“Elves can never become members of the House of Artifice. Without exception, in over one hundred attempts, connection to the Dream results in savage convulsions and ultimately death.” An Artificer’s Manual
Alex returned to the library and handed two vials of the oil to Ryn.
"Do I get presents too?" Jess asked.
"You don't wield a blade," Alex said.
"I still like gifts though."
"So I just apply this to my knives?" Ryn asked, holding one of the vials up to a light.
"Exactly. They'll allow them to do some harm to these things. Now, I don't know exactly what we're going to find going forward, but I want to play out a plan ahead of time," Alex said.
"Thinking ahead? This isn't like us," Ryn said, slipping the vials into a pocket.
"But it has to be. Sabrina has killed the connection with me for the moment and that’s an opportunity. You were right earlier, Ryn, we shouldn't get distracted. If we have to fight these Glitch, we do, but if it’s possible to get past them without engaging, we do it," Alex said.
Ryn nodded. "I agree. I've got an eye for hidden doors and passages, if I spot anything I'll let you know."