Chapter 82: Rumored Fool
Subject: Inis Location: Arlcada - Blightbane Guild - Restricted Archives
Beads of sweat had begun to form on Inis’s forehead. It wasn’t because she was afraid of getting caught, though she couldn’t deny that the thought made her body stiff. No, it was the strenuous task of keeping a close watch on her physical and mental stamina.
The potions weren't Shaden Artifacts, but they were miraculous nonetheless. But what would she have done without them? This was a lesson in proper preparation. Inis had been learning these lessons far too frequently. Her reckless streak was troubling.
She had depleted nearly all of her Clarity Shards. This break-in had been more costly then paying for the information outright. If she counted time expended and risk undertaken, it had become far more expensive to do things this way. But she believed she had found what the Guild had tried to secret away.
I just don’t know what it is, yet. I’ll look over it later with Keen Recall and see just what I’ve gathered. I should get out of here while I can.
Spell Grouping: Memory Recall Branch: Vitality Category: Utility Description: A spell from this grouping can be used to recall a user’s memories. It is prohibitively difficult to use unless the memories have been marked by a spell. Without marking memories, the distorted recall is highly limited in accuracy. That is why memory marking can be used to augment standard memory.
Spell: Keen Recall Difficulty: Advanced Cast Type: Full Sustain Cost: High Initial Cost, Minor Maintenance Cost Description: Search for memories more loosely encoded, or those "marked" by a spell.
Inis straightened a stack of papers and then retreated from the row of storage vaults, no longer magically locked. She asked the Defenders to take care of cleaning up further.
"Did you find what you needed?" Marcolle asked.
"I now know where to look."
Inis started to leave, and then thought twice.
"I could use an escort who can answer questions I don't yet have the answers to. Could I borrow your subordinate?"
"Absolutely," Kronilis answered.
Marcolle seemed happy to follow along. This was probably more interesting than patrolling the halls.
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Subject: Inis Location: Arlcada - Blightbane Guild - Restricted Section
The questions she asked were relatively mundane. Simple things, such as Guild politics, Marcolle's own thoughts about recent events, and more like that.
"Oh, did you hear that rumor about the metal mage?"
Marcolle thought for a moment before remembering exactly what she was talking about. Words flowed from his mouth like a rapid.
"The strange genius with the metal familiars? That guy was the talk of the barracks the other day. Turns out we have a transfer who met him! Is he involved in your work? Sorry! Never mind my stupid question."
"Relax, I was just making conversation. But this subject does interest me. Could you tell me what you know?"
Her concentration was fading as an aftereffect of all of those spells, but she held on to hear more. Also, she still needed to make it the rest of the way out of the Guild.
"Apparently this genius isn't so smart when it comes to simple things. He's some kind of sheltered prodigy, its the only way to explain it. He didn't know you'd need a lantern to go hunting at night. There's more. Things like... he looks at his food like he never knows what he's eating, he always walks to the side of city streets, never in the middle, and he's got the unofficial leader of the Maliscade Blightbane Branch looking out for him. She makes sure he stays out of trouble and seems to be concerned he'll die without her support."
"Unofficial leader? Why would such a strong mage die? Maliscade festerfonts are tame."
Careful with the questions, Inis, she had to remind herself. Act more like the role you're assuming.
"Yeah, that's what they call this clerk over there. She's faron, sure, but she's got a following. You might not have heard about it because it might be something only the lower ranks talk about or something. She might like this mage because, apparently, he treats her like a human. Unlike most people, who pretend, or attempt to... It apparently seems more natural with this guy. He comes from some remote village or something."
Perhaps the villager hasn't learned to look down on the other species yet?
"Fair enough, but why would this prodigy die?"
"He's a freshbane Seeker Initiate, so he doesn't know what's dangerous and what isn't. We both know those blightbeasts are never really tame."
They shared a solemn silence of agreement.
"He might be an illusionist. It's easier to summon fantastical fabrications than make those fantasies a reality."
"Apparently not. She says, the Defender who knew him, I mean... Anyway, she says he can't use all the spells mages are supposed to learn first. Breachbolt, Solflame's Embrace, and Virasight, and I forget the others. Things like that. I'm no mage. Not like you."
"Virasight isn't a spell, but I understand. I wish I had time to see for myself, but I've got work to do."
At that precise moment, a shrill noise filled the hallways. Formerly white strips on the wall illuminated vibrant blue, drawing their attention.
"It's an alarm! I have to go!" Marcolle shouted over the sound.
"Go!" Inis insisted.
They parted, just as Defenders burst through the doors ahead and jogged down the hallway. Marcolle fell in with them.
I have to get out of here!
He chest felt tight and her heart pounded anxiously. "
Ducking into a nearby room, she began to take off her clothes. The same clothes that had helped her blend in as an employee. She was still trespassing in an off-limits area. If someone caught her, especially half-naked, they were going to have some strong questions for her.
Inis tore the Guild insignia off her bag and stored the small piece of cloth, evidence of her deception, in her boot in the event she was searched. She hastily made alterations to her disguise, removing her wig, badge, and really anything that might help get her back to the restroom stall undetected.
My eyes are still brown... she remembered.
Catching a reflecting in the back of the metal badge, she suddenly realized that the color was fading. It shouldn't have been, but it was. It might have something to do with all of the spells she was casting.
She hid the expensive wig and the badge inside the lining of the bag. Peering out into the hallway, Inis confirmed no one was there. She walked silently-yet-briskly in the direction of the meeting rooms.
After crossing an intersecting hallway, she heard footsteps behind her. Someone was headed toward her from the other hallway. If they caught up to her here, she didn’t think she could talk her way out of her situation. With this in mind, she picked up the pace until the meeting rooms were in sight.
The footsteps were also trailing her at a fast pace, so they were about to round a corner in the distance that would give whoever it was a line of sight to her position. She turned toward one of the meeting room doors and tried to calm herself.
“Excuse me, miss?” an employee called out from down the hall.
The alarms were still blaring. The emergency lights cast a curtain of blue over the both of them.
Inis turned and pretended to look surprised.
“Yes?”
“Are you lost?” she asked in a sympathetic voice.
This was the best reaction Inis could have hoped for. It seemed her flustered look had been misinterpreted. Now was the time for her prided quick thinking.
“I think so. I just left a meeting to try and get a Guild partnership certificate for my small business, but I think I got a little turned around. I was sure that this door was the way out...”
Inis let her voice trail off and secretly rejoiced as the Guild employee ate her act up.
“Oh, not that door, but you were close.”
I’m not a child, Inis thought. Don’t you know that any adult will see through that sort of handling? Pulse, even a child wouldn’t fall for that over-the-top tone of encouragement.
Inis let the woman lead her back to the public hall. As she was entering the hall, she thought she was in the clear, but another employee held up her hand and pointed at the bag.
“I just need to take a look in there. We had an incident earlier with a sketchy woman and you can really never be too careful.”
The alarms were still going off. How could they act like everything was fine?
Inis projected a fake smile of understanding. She was just glad that this man didn’t seem to know what that “sketchy woman” actually looked like, or he'd know it was her. She watched the second employee ruffle through the mostly empty bag.
“This almost looks like one of our uniforms, at a glance. Better quality, though,” she remarked.
It was an obvious compliment, spoken so casually she would have been overjoyed had this been almost any other situation.
Inis grew nervous.
“Oh! Were you trying to secure a kind of deal with the Guild to sell new uniforms?”
Remembering the lie she had told to the first employee, who had chimed in behind her, Inis nodded.
“It’s in the past. Unfortunately, it looks like the Guild won’t be needing those particular services, but I’m hopeful that a general partnership is not off the table.”
“We all benefit from working together against the Blight,” the employee holding Inis’s bag agreed. “Well, you pass. Sorry for having to do this, but I hope you understand. Now, you might want to get out of here before the wounded get here. The fewer people there are in the hall, the better.”
“Absolutely,” Inis said, conveying genuine understanding.
After all, I’m one of the reasons you need to do things like this. Well… you should have just given me what I needed, but I suppose I got it in the end.