A small crowd waited for the Greywing on the docks. While on the floating island, one of the crew had evolved their familiar into a razor hawk. She had sent it ahead with a message the night before, informing Nox’s staff of his return and the expected arrival time. Nox expected Ingrid and April to wait for them with a few carriages. Instead, a large group gathered at the dock’s entrance as the Greywing descended. A swig of his cocktail confirmed all suspicions. It was his staff.
Nox knew something was wrong as soon as he spotted Mou and Allen Tanner among them. The pair rarely left Market Ring, and waiting for the vessel to finish its descent and safely dock was agonizing. Both looked tired, unhappy and desperate to talk. The crew needed to tie off the ship before lowering the gangplank, but Nil lacked the necessary patience. He leaped over the side, conjuring Slow fields under himself as he fell. They ensured his knees didn’t suffer when he landed.
All but Aria and Alexander followed. Brianna and Caitlin had enough passive body reinforcement to jump off the vessel without using a spell. The former’s tattoos flared, and the latter’s skin cracked, resembling bark for a moment before returning to normal. Meanwhile, Joey used his Feather Fall cantrip. It proved useful even after he quit his old career as a thief. After a couple of minutes of crowd-weaving and dodging vehicles, Nox made it to his destination.
“What’s wrong?” He asked, dispelling Haste. Brianna had beaten him to the group while the rest followed close behind. Her aether-warrior techniques and tattoo magic continued to fascinate Nox.
“It’s my daughter, Sir Ratra,” Allen Tanner answered. “She’s gone missing. Leanna went to the market two days ago and hasn’t been home since.”
“It’s not just her,” Ingrid added. “April and one of my girls are missing, too.”
“April?” Joey’s mouth fell open and a visible lump formed in his throat. “How the hell did that happen? I told her not to get into anything alone. Did she say what she was investigating?”
“I tried to keep the girls safe and ensure they didn’t get into anything while you were away,” Mou said. The bags under her eyes betrayed, “I’m sorry, Nox. I went to the guards, but they’re too busy to look into this, and your privileges don’t extend to me. A few apprentices are on it, and I went looking too, but—”
“It’s okay.” Nox placed a hand on his aunt’s shoulder. “We’re back now and will figure this out together.” He turned to Allen Tanner. “I’ll find your daughter. Personally.”
“We all will,” Alexander said, conjuring a small army of hand-sized charcoal squirrels. They stood still for a handful of seconds, eyes glowing. Even though Alexander spoke no words, Nox was sure he was communicating with them. Then they scattered, running off in different directions.
“Brianna, can I trust you to escort Aria home?” Nox asked, turning to the tattooed, giant Northerner.
Brianna nodded. “I know the outer rings well. Are you sure you don’t want me helping?”
“I am. I’d rather you keep my people safe.”
“Tell me everything you know,” Joey told Mou and Allen Tanner. He had a notebook out straight away. The matter-of-fact tone and probing demeanor reminded Nox of Krys. He found it strange how Joey and she had only known each other for six months, but he had absorbed so much of her. Nox guessed the endless hours spent pouring over her journals had left a lasting impression.
“Last place and time seen, what they were doing, where they were going.” Joey’s voice carried a hint of desperation. He had been friends with April long before he became a warlock and came to Woodson University. They had lived and survived on the streets together. Nox couldn’t start to imagine what was going through his head. He left the man to it and started towards the city. “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to find Highwater and Elgin Thorpe,” Nox replied.
“What good will those useless bastards do?” Caitlin asked. She stood next to Joey with a hand awkwardly placed on his shoulder. Her attempts at providing comfort and reassurance appeared ineffective. “We need to go to the gangs.”
“That’s what Joey and Ingrid will be doing. But if we want to ensure that trafficked individuals don’t get moved within the rings or out of the city and do this quickly and cleanly, we need them on our side and cooperating.” Nox looked to Allen Tanner. “My friends and I will take to the streets personally. We’ll find your daughter and everyone else who has been taken. I promise you that.”
Nox refused to let any of his people end up like Mrs Tailor's shop hand. He took off walking at a brisk pace. Even though it was daytime and Otis would have a difficult time blending in, he summoned the familiar and had him follow along the rooftops. The gremlin wasn’t as effective as Alexander’s squirrels but had significantly higher intellect. It was likely just the gangs and human traffickers, but three of his people disappearing during the one week he was away made him worry that it was a Cabal plot. Nox wanted to know if anyone was watching or pursuing him. It was likely paranoia. Aria and his friends claimed he quickly rushed to mistrust and was often delusional. Nox considered the quality a positive and essential for his people and the growing empire’s security.
Woodson University’s campus hadn’t changed over the past week. However, things in Market Ring were far from ordinary. The city guard’s presence had multiplied. Even though it was early in the day, several businesses’ had their doors closed, lights out, and windows shuttered. In some cases, they were boarded up. Nil passed Knightly Brews on his way to the Noble’s Quarter, and it seemed like business as usual. The chaos likely had people purchasing healing and stamina restoration brews in bulk. Given the dire times, even the common folk wanted the tools to defend themselves and their loved ones.
Meanwhile, the business next door had planks nailed across its windows, and sacks of fabric sat outside the main door. Nox didn’t particularly like Karen Tailor. However, a good deal of the Galleria’s uniforms came from her business. She also repaired any damage her creations suffered. Karen Tailor also offered laundry services, but the Galleria had an excellent water supply, and Nox’s workshop had detergent that was far more potent than the markets sold.
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Nox felt marginally guilty for thinking about how the shop’s closing would affect his business when she or her staff were likely missing or hurt. But then, concern for his own people wiped such thoughts aside.
Images and poorly assembled sentences echoed at the back of his head. Otis’ communication abilities improved every day and experienced bursts whenever Nox grew his dedicated planet. Every passing day made him a more valuable companion. The adjacent and parallel streets seemed in a significantly worse state than the main Market Ring street. The gremlin spotted no threats. Once Nox ascended to expert rank, he planned on investing more in Otis’ planet. It wouldn’t just expand the connected spatial storage but also make him more intelligent and expand his current magical abilities. All literature involving familiars suggested the possibility of developing new skills. Given Otis’s connection to a star created using a dungeon-born's magic, there was no way to predict how he’d change once Nox ascended.
Crystalize Essence | Essence Animation
136/140 | 32/32
Essence Shaping | Arrow
60/57 | 16/16
Temporal Sphere | Spatial Manipulation
233/240 | 19/20
Spatial Familiar | Spatial Storage
36/36 | 20/21
Fighting Medusa, her sister, and destroying the dungeon had earned Nox significant pure mana. Much to his surprise, channeling it into his stars and planets proved significantly easier than the energy gained from Ygg or rifts. He had read that the mana born of dying dungeons and dungeon lords was especially potent, and the strength only grew with tiers, but he failed to grasp the magnitude. Energy stolen from the gorgon sisters continued churning in his core as his stars gradually absorbed them. His stars still had plenty of growing to do.
According to Professor Eugene Moyo’s calculations, Crystalize Essence needed one-hundred-and-fifty mana before he pushed the new start to ascension. The goal was close but yet felt so far. Nox had imagined his progress significantly slowing down after the contract with Lillin had ended. But now he knew that thanks to her final gift, his speed hadn’t suffered–much. Nox only needed to work harder now, and he was no stranger to doing so. The spatial star almost felt tamed.
When Lillin achieved her goal and moved on, Nox accepted the possibility of spending the rest of his life at adept rank and making it low-expert at most. Now, he could foresee himself making it to archmage–assuming he stuck to delving and didn’t focus his endeavors on the business. The latter felt like a more viable and sensible life path if he wanted to have a happy family and future.
The more time Nox spent focusing on his relationship with Aria and his growing business empire, the less he felt drawn to his old ambition involving Sundarshahar. There was more to life than an old vendetta. Devising the means to contain archon dungeons and prevent their expansion felt like a more achievable goal where life wasn’t in danger. He had spent a lot of time during the voyage thinking about his future. Alexander planned to focus on his druid studies, costing the party a valuable member. Joey’s desire to focus on detective work and hunting cults also meant losing an important member. Everyone was moving on with their lives and putting the past behind them. Nox felt encouraged to do the same and almost ready to give it up for Aria and the Galleria.
When the city and people needed him to step up and do more, he was happy to do so too. But then he thought about the Cabal and their machinations and didn’t know what to do with his life anymore.
“As much as I’d like to hear about your vacation, Sir Ratra, I’m afraid I don’t have the time for a social call,” Elgin Thorpe said. Nox didn’t have to go far to find the man. The guard's presence significantly increased as soon as he stepped into the Nobles Quarter. Elgin Thorpe didn’t have a seat on the council but, as the university’s head of military mages, he worked closely with Lord Highwater to manage the city guard and defenses. Nox and his spies were still unsure of their relationship and connection. “If you’d like, I can send a messenger with my availability later in the week. We can talk about whatever you need—”
“On the contrary, Mr Thorpe, I’m here to talk about what you need,” Nox replied, doing his best not to sound desperate and maintain the charming demeanor he used when interacting with the council. It proved harder than expected. He did his best not to get attached to people outside the party and his family but failed to maintain a distance from the Tanners. The couple was instrumental in Galleria’s smooth running, and their daughter was just as important to the household staff. “I imagine the recent disappearances and murders in Market Ring have kept you busy. My party and I want to help with the investigation and recovering the taken.”
“I assure you, Sir Ratra. Lord Highwater and I have everything under control. Leave it to me and the student guard—”
“With all due respect, my confidence has been shaken in the guard. Several of my people went missing the day after I left for my delve, and none of them have been found yet. I’m not here for answers or assistance, Dean Thorpe. This is a courtesy to let you know of my intentions. Your cooperation would be appreciated but isn’t necessary. I believe between my spy network of urchins and your genuine sources. We might be able to solve this issue before it gets much worse.”
Elgin Thorpe’s stone-faced stare intensified. He studied Nox for seemingly forever. It felt like a contest of wills that neither man wanted to lose. The senior officers of the city guard stood close, looking off in different directions. It was clear they heard every word. Unwilling to lose a valuable ally, Nox decided to throw the man a bone. He was one of Woodson University’s deans after all, and the man’s department purchased several recovery, enhancement, and trapping brews. After the city guard, they were one of Nox’s most prominent clients.
“I’m not asking for much. Let us operate as needed and tell your men we aren’t the enemy. Perhaps temporarily induct us into the student guard or give us minor authority over them.” The man didn’t waver. “We’re on the same side, Dean Thorpe.” Nox stepped closer and continued in a whisper. “If things succeed, you can have all the credit as far as the people and guard are concerned. Pretend that I’m working for you if you have to. Just let me find my people. I’ll give you better rates when the time for contract renewal comes around. You can have first dibs on Galleria space too.”
Dean Elgin Thorpe stepped away from Nox and straightened up. The man looked tired but maintained the usual gravitas. He wasn’t a simple noble after all, but one of the city’s most powerful mages and an individual of great influence. Nox couldn’t be seen making demands of the man or ordering him around. So, he abandoned his previous approach and put on a show of seeming desperate.
“Please. I can’t live with myself if people I swore to house and protect end up dead.”
“We don’t know if they’re getting killed or trafficked, but—” Elgine Thorpe mid-sentence. He glanced at the nearby senior guards and nodded. “Fine. I’ll temporarily induct you into the student guard.” He raised his voice, ensuring the individuals around him could hear it. “Respect the law and the men and women who’ve dedicated their lives to this job.” Elgin Thorpe fished a badge out of his pocket and pinned it to Nox’s lapel. He recognized it as those worn by the leader of the student police. “A handful of captains abandoned their post and left the city following the recent riots. You can fill in for them. Just don’t forget about the chain of command. Alright?”
“Understood.” Nox bowed his head, accepting the designation. It was mostly for show. Growing up in the Trade Empire and running the business had taught him that the aggressive business approach wasn’t always the smartest. Politics demanded nuance and tact. “I apologize for my earlier behavior. Do you want to discuss strategy out here, or should we go somewhere more private?”
“Lord Highwater should be close. Let's find him, and the three of us can discuss the matter together. It's best if we’re all on the same page.”