A silence fell over the group as the enormity of the words just read washed over them. “Your friend, he was an Imperial Sentinel,” Alvec said.

The Gold Banner wasn’t compromised... or at least not the lower elements of it. It was performing just as intended. Which meant that any corruption of the Gold came right from the head of the snake. Marshall Gholl himself... the right hand of the Emperor. A man regarded as a father figure to him and a living legend himself. If that fact wasn’t bad enough, that damned name had come up again. Kavaas, meaning Foul Light in Old Imperial. If Gholl and Kavaas were connected... then the only choice was to find a way to contact the Emperor.

Even with the aid of the individuals they had contact with, it would be tough for them to get an audience with the Emperor. Even plying his last name might not be enough to carry him into the inner palace... and even then... if Gholl was even tangentially aware of what they knew, then he’d be an immediate target.

“This is really bad, isn’t it?” Naya asked.

“Yeah, but what's even more worrying is that we still don’t know what Kavass even is,” Mavec replied.

“We know he be returning, but it's not anything we’re familiar with. Is there a chance it had a different name?” Illaria asked.

“Look, anything is possible till we can rule it out? What do you guys make of two that died after meeting with Gholl?” Mavec asked.

“Foten Fal was an enchanter, had a fairly frail constitution if I remember... and Iskala... wasn’t she a famous Paladin?” Alvec asked as he mulled something over.

“What are you getting at?” LuCol asked.

“Mavec, Tyir... How confident are we that Ozole Gelten could have detected that his connection had been dropped in on?” The trio exchanged looks for a moment. “That's what I thought,” Alvec said. “If Gelten had a moderate background in the arcane, then he would have been able to spot it.”

“He did; while you were off getting food for the animals, he said hello to me at the spell tent. Gave off the impression he knew at least basic magic.” Mavec confirmed.

“Which means we need to operate under the assumption that those monsters and the Gold Banner are directly linked. The attacks we encountered on the road near Celocht's and on the High Arrow were not a coincidence. Gelten likely orchestrated it. He must have intended to collect any possible evidence that the Sentinel had. Which is why he made a separate attack on us on the river.”

“So why not after that?” Illaria asked.

“Bait know, Bait too good with boom boom, kill all dumb abominations.”

“Ornral intervened. The presence of whatever those things were enraged it, and it attacked them.”

“Do you mean that serpent of water?” Mavec asked.

“It's a water spirit who enjoys floods. I’m pretty sure they saved us on the High Arrow.” Naya insisted.

“Not to mention in the Valley of Steam. The second time, a water snake emerged and washed away these ‘intruders’,” Illaria reminded them.

“Every time we’ve encountered these intruders near water, something has shown up to help us deal with them. I think it's safe to say the spirits don’t like them,” Alvec said.

“You know what this means, right?” Mavec said as he cast glances around the room. “We’ve got to talk to a spirit, and I don’t mean any spirit, something older than the children of Akrixi. Someone with more knowledge of these things. Have any ideas of who we could try to talk to?”

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“Aye, I've an idea, and I hate it,” Illaria said as she glanced at the sea.

“No, no, no, Shoalsotta is as likely to claim us as to talk with us,” Naya said. “We’d need a great deal of sacrifices to make sure she’ll treat in good faith. She’s very possessive.”

“We could offer a boat; I’m sure we’ve got some that are damaged enough that repairing them would be almost more effort than it's worth. Gold coins, the devil's sword. All of those things would be attractive offers.” Illaria said.

“Would Crowely’s hand be a good bargaining chip?” Alvec asked.

“The hand of a man who tried to steal from her, I’m sure she’d take great pleasure in that. Did we not sweep it off into the sea already?” Illaria asked.

“No, actually. I retrieved it and preserved it... an exercise in my skills as an alchemist; it's in a jar on the boat.”

“What were you going to do with it?” Mavec asked.

“I mean, I figured if we got more famous, maybe a museum would want it as a curiosity piece,” Alvec replied with a shrug.

“Gross, but... I see what you mean,” Mavec said.

“Alright, LuCol, can you secure us a boat we may offer up?” Illaria asked. “As well as gather a few bards to join us on another boat nearby?” Illaria asked. “If we’re to do this properly, we’ll want to prepare the boat first and then dance upon the waves.”

“You do realize how insane this sounds?” Tyir asked the group as he glanced at LuCol, expecting to see disagreement or bewilderment on his face. Instead, LuCol met Tyir’s gaze with an icy, stern demeanor.

“If everything they say is, in fact, true... if Gholl is compromised, if something murdered a sentinel on his orders... then I don’t see much else choice but to speak to the spirits to uncover what Kavaas is,” Mavec replied.

“Wait just one moment. Tyir, can you be reading us the names at the end again?” Illaria asked.

“TaeCol,”

“We know him, of course,” Sarbie said, crossing her arm over her chest and gently cradling her other arm. “He sent me here to assist you.”

“Vato,”

“Bait know dat one, he dead guy who seeee da future.”

“His prophecy was the first time we heard about Kavaas and his return,” Alvec supplied.

“Alusai,”

“The master of clocksmithing, who revolutionized the field,” Mavec stated.

“TaeYen,”

“Wasn’t that the name of the noble house our maid Sorali worked for?” Naya asked.

“Huh, I think your right.” Alvec mused.

“Nanjo,”

The room was silent.

“Guess you don’t have any connections with them,” Tyir said. “Quectar.”

“Don’t know him, but I know of him. He was the Archwizard of Transmutation. Some halfling who was on the wrong side of the war. Disappeared shortly after it.”

“So what's the common thread?” LuCol asked.

“Was that rhetorical?” Mavec asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I see one thing, but I want to make sure it's not the only connection,” LuCol said.

“Nothing beyond them all being rich or powerful,” Alvec confirmed. “That's the connection you saw, right?” LuCol nodded.

“Just like the Sentinel said.”

“Alright, do we have a boat to sink for Shoalsata?” Naya asked as she turned her gaze to LuCol. The man straightened himself up, polishing the brass buttons on his coat.

“I have the authority to get us one, yes.”

“Then make it happen,” Mavec said, giving him a solemn nod. “It's a black day when we depend on answers from the spirits.”

“I'll call for you soon,” he said as he exited the tent and walked briskly to the docks.

“What else can we do to prepare?” Alvec asked.

“We need to get a band together. It's taboo in the Blue Banner to sing or dance on the seas. So it might be best for Tyir to go find us some members of the red who play instruments.” Illaria said.

“Consider it done; I’ll message my men and have them assemble a group,” Tyir said as he leaned back into the bed and raised a finger to point at his own horned head. Alvec smirked; they even had similar mannerisms. He did the same thing when casting that spell. It wasn’t hard to imagine him as a brother. Thankfully, his father was too good of a man to cheat. How many more were out there, though? Could any others meet the conditions, whatever they were, to be considered good specimens? It was a daunting question that was nearly impossible for Alvec to answer.

“Let's be heading to the docks, I’m ready to get this started as soon as we can,” Illaria said.