It surprised Nox how Nobles Quarter seemed unaffected by the city’s chaos. The area housed the council’s offices, the richest and most powerful of the city. It wasn’t just the city guard that protected areas, but also personal protective forces ranging from bodyguards to small private armies—many of which contained retired war mages and delvers. As a result, Nobles Quarter was just as safe as Woodson University’s campus. In Nox’s opinion, that wasn’t strictly true. Things had changed significantly since his first semester. The warding department had gone to incredible lengths to strengthen defenses. Dean Oleg and Woodson installed golems all around campus. The growing student police was nothing to scoff at either.

Only a few servants from Nobles Quarter had disappeared, and they were all individuals without housing in the many estates. They went home to the Outer Rings after finishing their days. Much like Karen Taylor’s murdered employee, they suddenly stopped showing up for work. Unlike her, the noble employers had a staff member go looking for them only to discover the individual absconding.

Several members of the city guard also patrolled the streets, and the gates in and out of the area were more secure than Nox had ever seen. Since Nox and Joey had badges from Elgin Thorpe, they faced no scrutiny. However, they both needed to vouch for Ingrid. Her Woodson University crest wasn’t enough to protect her from interrogation. The wall wards meant she couldn’t sneak over them, and no one wanted to brave the tunnels.

The city already had people exploring them and sewers, hoping to find clues. As far as Nox knew, they hadn’t seen anything worthwhile. All needed a mage or aether warrior with them since rumors of monsters below the city persisted. The university and council insisted that all beasts released by Terrastalia had been exterminated, but people continued to report sightings.

The dozen student police Nox left behind all stood watch over the most probable tunnel and sewer exits criminals could use to move around the city.

“It’s kind of fishy, don’t you think?” Nox asked. “I don’t want to make this about me or us, but things weren’t so bad while we were in the city. Then, the abductions and killings spiked within hours of our departure.”

“We’ve spent the last year calling you paranoid, but the timing makes the possibility hard to deny,” Joey replied. “Do you think it might be the Cabal?”

Nox shrugged. “It's certainly a possibility. These kinds of crimes have happened occasionally since I arrived in the city. They intensified during the whole Terrastalia thing and then died down again. Why did it spike this semester? Why did things get worse when we weren’t around?” He glanced at his friend. “It's either somehow connected to the Cabal, or you were getting close to the source.”

“And they slowed down to avoid my notice?” Joey frowned, staring ahead. “It's certainly possible. Then they played catch up once we were away and perhaps even accelerated their plans. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to thinking about this before, but then I wrote it off as your paranoia rubbing off on me.”

“Being paranoid about the safety of the people you love and everything you’ve built is not a bad thing,” Nox said. “I never expect one of my first-year roommates to be involved in a cult plot targeting me. The Singhs trying to burn down my shop and kill my people for the sake of a patent almost caught me off guard too. Then there was the whole thing with Terrastalia and Well of Pestilence. I’d like to think my paranoia is justified.”

“I can’t make fun of you when you put it like that,” Joey said. “You can throw a jab or two at me too, if you’d like. I don’t mind.”

“I’d rather not,” Nox said. “It's not because I think it's below me or anything. I’m just not good at it. I’m afraid I hit too hard or low and go too far.” He paused, glancing at Joey. “To be fair, I know the least about you of all of my friends and companions—discounting Brianna, of course. We were both Kris’ assistant. You’re Caitlin’s partner and a party member. I don’t think we’ve ever tried to be more.”

“I suppose we’re just extremely different people. I respect you as a mage, businessman, and leader, but I’m not sure we’re friends. Our priorities are far too different, and neither of us seems to care enough to take the time to get closer.”

“I agree. Honestly, I am not interested in spending time with you unless Caitlin is around, delving, or investigating. We can treat each other well for the sake of harmony and our mutual friend.”

Joey nodded. “Caitlin and Alexander adore you, and I get it. You’re good to your people.”

“We might not be friends. But you’re one of my people too.”

“Colleagues?”

“Colleagues.” A familiar sensation tickled the back of Nox’s neck when he exited Nobles Quarter. He resisted the urge to look in the indicated direction and let Otis’s broadcasted images flash through his mind. “There are eyes on us.”

“Aren’t they Ingrid’s little birdies?” Joey asked.

“Some,” Nox answered. They continued in silence, passing low bridges between buildings and turning a corner. “Otis also claims a couple of a handful older, unallied eyes seem interested in me. Alongside…”

Joey frowned, following Nox’s eyes as he studied a dark corner. His eyes flashed gold for a moment before confusion clouded them. “Alongside what?”

“Spiders. Unnatural. Magic spiders.” Nox studied Joey for a moment. “You don’t seem particularly surprised. Do you perhaps know anything about them? Or Perry the Spider?”

“Perhaps we should leave the discussion for later. I’d advise you to talk to Professor Lorenzo, but he isn’t your biggest fan.”

“He’s of a rare breed immune to my charms. No wonder you and him get along so well. Can you look into it for me?”

“I’ll try my best.”

Little wisps of pink flame floated off Joey’s skin when they turned the next corner. It was a narrow side road with no foot traffic or open windows. Nox guessed Nar, Joey’s patron, had detection abilities that rivaled Otis. Whenever the floating glass spearhead pulsed and floated high, its owner seemed hyper-aware of his surroundings.

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Half the wisps surrounded Nox before disappearing before shadows rest around him. The rest of the conjurations coalesced, forming a humanoid shape. It took a couple of seconds to create a clone of Nox, and it returned to the street where they had just left. Joey also conjured a doppelganger of himself a moment later. It walked back in the direction they had come. Nox didn’t need to be told that they were currently invisible, and the pair used the opportunity to slip away.

The spell born of Fae Fire and Shadow Puppet made them invisible to Ingrid but not Otis. The master-familiar connection ensured he never lost track of Nox, and Ingrid only needed to follow the monkey-sized gremlin to avoid getting lost.

Otis’ patched-together images helped Nox identify the people tailing them. The gang of mostly young men and one woman followed the illusory clones for a couple of minutes until they disappeared. Nox watched amused as fear and shock dominated their faces. The group ran in circles like headless chickens, checking every alley and alcove, looking for their target. It took them several minutes to regroup, and then they all set off in the same direction.

“Maybe you’re right,” Joey whispered as the pair followed. “This might’ve been targeted. Someone’s out to get you.”

“Or us. If it's the Cabal, they’re likely targeting the whole party.”

“Why—”

“We’re both apprentices of one of the finest cult hunters on the continent, and you’re following in her footsteps. The remaining half of our illustrious party are descendants of the last druid, and one is set to inherit that title. I wouldn’t be surprised if the news of us taking out the Gorgon Sisters’ dungeon is also out. We all have targets on our backs.”

“Is that why you put Alexander on stupid guard duty?”

Nox didn’t answer the question. Instead, he increased the pace, closing in on the gang. They had given up all attempts of appearing inconspicuous. As the pair reduced the distance between themselves and the group, it became clear they were rushing to report to their superior. A couple of them, especially the youngest of the men, sounded and looked terrified.

The pursuit led Nox deeper into the Outer Rings than he had ever ventured. He rarely crossed Nobles Quarter and had only in the past year to deal with suppliers in the outer markets. They specialized in raw goods, and smaller producers from the countryside often visited them. The smaller operations usually gave more attention to their product, and the idea of contracts for specialized or custom crops appealed to them. The narrow lanes, slums, and darker side of the City of Ygg were alien to Nox.

Apparently, the Outer Rings, though never affluent like the city's inner sections, was a nice place to live until the events surrounding Terrastalia. First, the deluge of refugees pushed the infrastructure and resources to their limits. Next, crime spiked with scarcity, and the tensions born from overcrowding only made things worse. Old neighbors and friends fell apart and grew suspicious of each other once the disappearances and ritual murders started. Finally, monsters attacking the walls and appearing through the sewers sent everything into chaos.

House Edelweiss had helped solve the issues by giving hundreds of refugees new homes and jobs. Powers from around the countryside followed suit by extending similar deals. Things had started to improve and seemed to be on the mend, but the continued abductions and killings slowed recovery. Now, things looked a lot worse than they had in a long time.

The streets weren’t littered with the displaced and destitute. However, the people looked worn and high-strung. Nerves appeared stretched thin. Nox doubted it would take much to send the Outer Rings’ southern quadrants into chaos. He believed a societal breakdown was probably the culprits’ objective. It was no secret that the cults wanted to bring down the City of Ygg and the titanic tree towering over it. It stood in the way of many Dungeon Lord cults’ plans.

The City of Ygg had three outer rings. As the pair ventured deeper into them, Nox couldn’t help but note the lack of planning. Woodson University’s campus, the Market Ring, and Nobles Quarter had buildings that stood in clusters divided by roads that ran in concentric rings. Major streets ran through them from the center to the outermost walls. Zig-zagging alleys and side streets also linked the concentric circles. Many had popped up as dividers between properties and, as a result, often didn’t match the pattern of the rest.

Meanwhile, the outer rings were a much more random construction. It seemed the city hadn’t bothered continuing the concentric ring streets, or the residents had built over them when policing weakened. Nox noticed new constructions in spots where they didn’t make sense. The city and guard had spent the past year and a half focused on other matters, and many seemed determined to take advantage of the lapse.

Roads abruptly broadened and narrowed. Several corners felt far too sharp. Only the main streets radiating outward from campus remained untouched. The cramped spaces and random twists and turns only added to the ugliness and feeling of danger. The gang's words bounced off the walls, making them clear to Nox’s enhanced ears. He and Joey carefully listened for information, but they failed to find anything useful. The group came across as incredibly stupid and ignorant. They switched between talking about getting punished for losing their marks, the next shop or house they intended to rob, and how to spend their ill-gotten gains.

Joey abruptly grabbed Nox before the pair could follow the gang into a particularly decrepit neighborhood.“This doesn’t feel right.”

“What?” Nox looked around, concerned. His familiar didn’t alert him of any danger. When he glanced up towards where the gremlin sat, he caught Ingrid’s eyeline. The young apprentice only shrugged, looking as confused as he felt. Meanwhile, half the squirrels accompanying them didn’t stop, continuing to follow the gangs. “Otis and the squirrels—”

“No. I don’t mean a trap or an ambush. This is just way too easy.” Joey glanced at the spearhead floating above their heads. He paused, and his eyes narrowed. It seemed the warlock and his patron were locked in an intense conversation. “Isn’t it far too convenient that we find people to tail as soon as we enter the Outer Rings?”

“Think they are taking us on a wild goose chase?” Thanks to Alexander’s squirrels, Nox didn’t worry too much about losing the gang. Instead, he used the break to have his companion drink a mana recovery brew. According to Nox’s calculations, the accelerated regeneration was enough to fight the constant drain of his invisibility spell.

“I do,” Joey answered after draining the vial. He shuddered, and little goosebumps appeared on his bare arms. The djinn container acted as Joey’s secondary mana storage, and Nox wanted to ensure he didn’t have to tap into it. “I also think you were right about someone targeting us and people connected to us. In fact, it's probable that they’re toying with us. The bastards want to waste our time while they do their thing elsewhere.”

“In that case, it might be best to catch up to them,” Nox said, nodding as the gang disappeared from one of the neighborhood’s narrow lanes. “A decent interrogation might get us their employer’s identity.”

“Anyone smart and affluent enough for this kind of ploy likely has enough brains and capital to predict that. We’ll get led to a proxy of a proxy of a proxy.”

“What’s your solution then, Joey? Do we give up? Or just wander aimlessly?”

“No.” Joey shook his head, and his djinn container floated down to eye level. “Nar senses something else nearby. We’re passing a trail of old magic.” He paused, wincing. “Not old as in it having been lingering for a while. The magic is ancient. It's dark and apparently tastes of despair—whatever that means.”

“It means that’s a trail worth following.” Nox sighed. He glanced after the gang. They had now disappeared. If Joey’s instincts proved wrong, Alexander’s squirrels would help track down the group. For the time being, Nox chose to trust his companion. “Lead the way, Detective Greengrasse. You're more knowledgeable here than I.”