The night in Noir was calm and tranquil. Gatsby Tower had an Allowstide Monster Mash on the 66th floor, but on the floor right above where costumed Elegere and Empyrean gathered, there was a secretive meeting.
Vladimir Draconis, head of the Vorhees Gang and the Syndicate, stood in attendance. Representing the Tombraiders is their Pharaoh, Ra. Several other gang leaders are also in attendance.
“I suppose you all know what the topic of the hour is, gentlemen?” Vladimir said. His white tresses and pallor. His black cloak. What a stark contrast. His piercing blue eyes looked at his fellow bosses.
A woman dressed in a laced black outfit spoke up. “It’s Allowstide right?”. Her long black locks were locked by striped ribbons.
Ra looked at the dolled-up woman. “The costume party is on the floor below.” He was clad in gold from head to toe. A gilded mask, a gold-laced robe, and silver silk gloves and pants were all donned by the enigmatic Pharaoh. All are embroidered with solar and wing imagery.
The black-haired woman rolled her eyes. Erezbert, who was also in attendance glared at Ra. She then turned back to the well-dressed woman. “As you were saying, Barbara?” Erezbert said.
“Gladly,” Barbara said. “On that day, around five years ago, as the Siegmamento War raged, one of the prominent firebrands, Maltheus Almeida Lobisomem, had perished alongside the entirety of his eponymous gang.”
A man cad in a white coat stood up. “Malthus was a good friend of my father. He and the Lobisomens were vital to our research into certain arcane arts. Were it not for him, those Mustache Petes would have likely won the war. And for that, they were massacred.”
Ra looked at the coated man. His sunglasses obscured his eyes in pitched darkness. “I see, forgive me, sirs,” the Pharaoh said. “I had been so busy with managing my neck of the woods that it had slipped my mind.”
The others could see that Ra’s apology was false, but for the sake of keeping things civil, most were willing to let him be.
“Yeah, I bet cleaning up that mess at Palimpsest alone took a lot of yer time.”
A man clad in a trenchcoat was the lone exception. His trilby and suit were grey with an iridescent sheen, refracting part of the light that lit this extravagant hall.
“Griff,” Vladimir said in a stern tone. The other familiga patriarchs saw that Ra tried to hold back his wrath. Barbara let loose an expressed giggle.
“Right, my apologies,” Griff said with a sarcastic tone.
Ra and Griff never saw eye to eye. They are often in frequent conflict over the districts of Whitewater and Blackthorn, their men having to be restrained through informal treaties brokered by the syndicate. The Frankensteins, led by Vic, are usually the ones who enforced these treaties.
“There is more to the matter than just giving our annual respects,” Vladimir said. “We also have to discuss the coming year.
Though the year is more than halfway through, with five months to go before the cycle begins anew, the Syndicate’s heads had marked Allowstide as the date of an annual meeting to discuss the state of their enterprises, as well as meetings with in-guys seeded through various organizations in Noir. Businesses, politics, and law all have spiders that weaved their webs…
✦✦✦
Where Rosenkreuz and the Black Box celebrate Allowstide, the City Noir has its festival for the harvest holiday. Yet that is not the reason why Tim, Esteban, Julia, or Sarah went to the city. Following the failure near Palimpsest, Tim and the Hermandezes investigated all the dojos in the area for a fellow remnant of the Golden Spear.
They arrived near the dojo the rouges had found near Palimpsest Boulevard. The dwarfette noticed something odd about the place.
“It’s emptier than the last time we went there!” Sarah said.
Julia noticed that the buildings were all plastered with signs announcing their ownership under “Mem-nefer Housing Association INC.” The exception was the dojo the rouge pair found earlier in the year.
Tim noticed the dojo. “You said that was a dead end, right?” he asked.
Esteban nodded. “The sword we found on them was a fabrication,” the blue-clothed man looked around the area. “This dojo is a martial arts one, but it seems unconnected to Alkahestics.”
“Why did such a weapon end up in their hands?” Julia asked.
“I’ve talked with Mr. Soprano,” Esteban said. “He brought up the possibility that it was planted to hinder his investigations.”
“That would make sense,” Tim said. He knew little about other Alkahestic sects, but what he did know revealed to him that they would prefer secrecy.
Through the last several months, Tim and the Hermandezes, as well as the rouges guild, had attempted to search for other Alkahestic sects to network with. Several of them had led to encounters that ended unsatisfactory for their goals. Tim knew that he needed more allies to help rebuild the Golden Spear school. Yet he was at a loss for why the few he encountered were hostile to him.
The group left Palimpsest and headed to Veda Venue, a community of Karuvan immigrants, they had found no information there, though Sarah did take the opportunity to take some treats from their Allowstide festivals. They then headed towards the Raiju Complex, an electrical company, and Dungeon that sourced power from those born with the Electrosphere. Though they came through with some loot, including a dagger and shield that discharges electricity and magnetic ore for Sarah, they were unable to find any leads there.
They eventually came across a grocery building in the Broadway Plaza. The place was open and large, yet there was a lack of people there. The fliers on the windows didn’t mention any Allowstide sales. They drew closer and saw that not even an employee was present. The lights were on, but nobody was there.
“Hmm,” Tim noticed something was off about the market. The group investigates it further and finds a hidden passage.
“That is rather suspicious,” Julia said.
The group traveled down the hidden passageway…
✦✦✦
The Familiga patriarchs of the Syndicate continued their discussion. Vladimir welcomed a guest into the hall. Noir’s Minister of Real Estate. A man who remained in their pocket ever since the Vorhees gang made an anonymous “donation” to his election campaign.
“What say you, Sir Greenspan?” Vladimir said to the guest.
Greenspan was clad in a dark blue suit with trilby with a red tie. A standard uniform for men in his line of work. “September has seen a large number of foreclosures. Thousands of Elegere homes were seized following, shall we say, certain incidences. The residents were subsequently stripped of their land and deemed Exsecratii.”
“As per usual,” Beatrice said with a pleased smile.
“I almost feel sorry for those chumps,” Griff said. “But hey, we’ll always need the men.”
“Indeed,” Ra said. “My organization has been struggling with development in Whitewater.” The self-titled Pharaoh said. “Though it would help if someone were to stay in their lane.”
“You keep to yours first,” Griff said.
Erezebert and Vic sighed.
“As for screening,” Greenspan said. “Well, the ball is in your court there.”
“Understood,” Vladimir said. “Would be very scandalous if the public were to find your fingerprints here.”
“Good thing Gatsby here is too busy boozing it up below,” Beatrice. “Walls may have ears, but that won’t do any good if they drunk.”
“That wouldn't be necessary, anyway dame,” Griff said. “You really think Gatsby of all people would snitch after all we’ve done for him?”
“That reminds me…” Erezbert said. “Have there been any disturbances in the rivers?”
“None that I’m aware of,” Greenspan said. “The Temperance law is still technically in place, but there was no news about the Ebony Guards or other authorities locating them.”
“Excellent,” Ra said. “Our Costa Nosa is our way of life, would be a shame if some flatties were to discover them.”
“At least your bull’s little fiasco led the bulls away from the rivers,” Griff snarked.
“Leave Master Hathor out of this,” Ra said with a subtle furor.
“That will be all, Sir Greenspan,” Vladimir said. “You’re dismissed.”
“My pleasure, Lord Vladimir,” The corrupt minister tipped his hat and left the room.
“Speaking of Palimpsest…” Vic said. “Are you willing to explain why you took a sudden interest in the territories of Jiang-hu?”
“Why would you need to know?” Ra said. “Anything that benefits the Tombkeepers benefits the Syndicate.” His feigned loyalty fooled none among them. “Trade relationships are helpful in ensuring my operations are successful.”
“Is that why you always go all around town?” Beatrice asked. “Every hour on the hour?”
“I’d like to see if you have any alternatives for managing a Familiga such as mine, Dame Beatrice,” The Pharaoh said.
“Careful,” Griff said. “Remember she controls half the fixers here.”
Erezbert wondered how she and Vladimir had kept those fools in line for so long. She silently asked herself if the Voorhes’s influence was the sole factor in keeping them from each other’s throats.
✦✦✦
One floor beneath where the Syndicate meets, a lavish party takes place. Jay Gatsby uses his walls and halls to entertain a multitude of costume-clad partygoers. All donning masks that conceal only their eyes.
Among the guests of the partying Dungeon, is an Elegere man. A lycanthrope. Ignoring the dances and jazz music around him he contemplated the scenes shown in five canvases In front of him.
The leftmost painting depicted a scene of a natural landscape. A grassy meadow with a myriad of trees was shown beneath a clear blue sky. Several animals and primitive humans were seen throughout. A vernal atmosphere permeates the meadow. A tall peak is the focus of the piece. The plaque beneath it reads “Dawn of Discovery. Thomas D. C.”
“So this is the Cycle of Civilization,” the werewolf mused as he saw the five-fold landscapes. Greenspan approached the werewolf.
“Having fun, Tobit?” Greenspan said.
Tobit’s brow furrowed, his ears perked up upon seeing Greenspan. He glared at the man. “I’m just enjoying the art, Mr. Greenspan,” he said. The werewolf was Greenspan’s rival and opponent, the loser of an election for the seat of Minister of Real Estate. Greenspan looked at the five paintings.
“The Cycle of Civilization?” Greenspan asked. “Interesting choice of art, Tobit.”
“Tis the season,” Tobit said. “Tell me, do you know why people turn to the mob?”
Greenspan knew all the answers, but he lied to his rival. “I know nothing of the sort. Maybe they’re just fools?” He said with a slight shrug.
“Of course,” Tobit said. He turned his direction to the second painting. The piece, titled Foundations and Fortunes, maintained the aura of spring but showed less of the arboreal tresses and several buildings. The people depicted in the painting did many things. A child drew on the ground, a hunter chased a deer, and a fisher lounged on the lakeside. The mountain from the last image was less obscured by the trees, and several clouds were in the once pristine sky.
“Tell me, Tobit,” Greenspan said. “Why do the Exsecratii turn to the mob?”
Tobit turned to his rival. The wolf-eared man noticed his phrasing. “It is pretty simple, these men, women, and children were rendered desperate. Destitute. They lived in the squalor of the underground. While people like us luxuriate in the light, they toiled in darkness, unable to climb a way out.”
“Your answer is fascination,” Greenspan said.
A débutante lady noticed the conversation and butted in. She was a mermaid, specifically a Naiad, and even more specifically a Skipper. Her spade-like fins propelled her to the pair. “What are you gentlemen talking about?”
“We’re discussing the Cycle of Civilization and the Exsecratii, Louisara,” Tobit said.
“Tell me, madam,” Greenspan said. “Why do you think the poor ‘suffer’ underground?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” the finned woman said. Her costume was decorated with opulent pearls. The hem of her dress was held aloft by both her natural floating abilities and spells she cast with her native attunement to the Aerosphere. “They were certainly unworthy of the city’s succor.”
“I thought so,” Greenspan said with an awry smile. Tobit’s expression was more annoyed if anything. “Not all people were born shall we say, fit,” Greenspan said to Louisara.
Louisara swam to the middle painting. She was awestruck by the summer splendor of Parade of Perfection. Depicting a marvelous city in place of the meadow of the previous two. Within this painting are a hundredfold people, showing and expressing their jubilations on the streets, in the river, and from the windows. While the Naiad looked at the painting with awe, Tobit instead saw sighs of ominous portent. A small drizzle from the cloudy sky above, a boy pushing another into the river. Golden statues shaped like warlords standing prominently in the background.
“The artist claimed to be a Messenger,” Tobit said, “was said to be sent by the Administrators to learn from the land.”
Greenspan chuckled. “There is always someone claiming descent from the gods,” he said.
“We must not ignore the land,” Tobit said. “Or the gods themselves, for they have ways of pushing back.” The lycanthrope turned to the mermaid. “Louisara, this painting shows the peak. A pinnacle, a moment of glory, yes, but…” he gestured her to the fourth painting.
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Within the piece called simply Fall, Thunder rolled in the autumnal wind, and the once marvelous city is through into chaos. The image depicted a riot happening progress as red-clothed individuals battled green-clothed ones over the future of the city. Criminals, invaders, and warriors battled each other on bloodstained streets and crimson rivers. The most prominent details were a capital building on fire, the plume of ash billowing out, a headless and chipped statue, and the image of an old man, playing his lyre while sitting atop the corpse of a drowned man.
“We stand on the precipice of great change,” Tobit said. “If we’re not careful, Noir’s future will mirror this painting.”
Louisara is not convinced. “That would never happen,” she scoffed as she made an exuberant grin. “The Empyreans are wise, strong, natural leaders. They are the fittest to rule, why else would they have the riches they do if not because of merit?”
“Indubitably,” Greenspan said. “Whether they be adventurer, businessmen, or Dungeon, all can prosper here, if they are willing to. Is it our fault that some people just aren’t willing to apply themselves?”
“Perhaps not,” Tobit said to the Minister. “But is it their fault that they had failed in spite of that? For all of their talents, they had failed to obtain themselves a home on the surface. Perhaps those we call Exsecratii were simply denied the chance to apply themselves?”
“I see you haven't changed since the election, Tobit,” Greenspan tipped his hat. “Still it’s clear your opinion is a minority one. Happy Allowstide.” The man said this in a polite but subtly venomous tone.
“May you be blessed in the starlight,” Louisara said in blitheness before she swam away to dance. She swam past the final painting in the series. Dusk of Days. The painting depicted snow blanketing the ruins of the once proud city as the clouds cleared to reveal a starlit sky. Constellations depicting the Administrators peek through the fading clouds. The most prominent one, a representation of Astra, the Cosmos herself, looked at the ruins in what is both a mix of regret and relief. Sorrow that the city had fallen, yet calmness as the fall took the vices that plagued it down with it. A lone sapling sprouted from the white blanket.
As Tobit looked into the last of these, he felt a sense of dread wash over him. He knew this painting was meant to represent the end of a cycle, or rather the point where it returns to the beginning.
“We stand on the precipice of great chance,” he repeated. He felt it in his bones. He knew a great change was coming, one that could shake the whole of Liberté to its core. The room’s lights flashed and for a short while something appeared, hovering over the lycanthrope’s head. A blue object, a ring, holding two cones together. The halo faded as quickly as it entered.
“Oh, Administrators,” he thought. “May you deliver us from the rising storm,” he prayed.
✦✦✦
During the party going on below, the Syndicate continued to discuss their plans and policy for the next year. During which Barbara had a question. “What became of the guys responsible for the massacre?”
“The perpetrators of what the media dubbed the ‘Silver Rain’ massacre?” Vic said “Surviving Lobisomem had retaliated following the attack, joining other games in response. Mine among them.”
“I forgot you were the newest patriarch, Beatrice,” Ra said with a sneer. “Or mayhaps ‘matriarch’ is more fitting?”
“Cut the crap,” Beatrice said. “As leader of the Dollkeepers, I want to be treated with the same respect as my father,”
“You’ll have to earn it first,” Ra said.
“It is the way of life, princess,” Griff said. “Still I’d think the young dame has earned some. There were fewer mishaps following her ascendancy.”
“Thank you!” the well-dressed girl said with a coy smile.
“Speaking of which,” Erezbert said. “How did your little group of toy collectors fare?”
The young girl made a cocky smile. “Well Miss Erezbert, we have managed to induct more toy soldiers into the ranks. And we also found a suitable location regarding Project Stronghold.”
“That’s good to hear,” Vic said while adjusting his glasses. “My own made men had made some headway regarding the Dungeon Core trafficking operations. It turns out the Cerberus region had an upstart that attempted to raid a Dungeon in Nova Virginia.”
“Ah yes, a Divine Dungeon. The Engines was it?” Vladimir said.
“The House of Seshat,” the pompous pharaoh said, “Had discovered that they were local providers of processed steel. A rarity among even Divine Dungeons. With their fall, the local industry had waned quite a bit.”
“More to the point,” Vic said. “We have discovered that with the loss of the mirage Feywood in the same area, several smaller Dungeons were exposed to the horse of guilds and adventurers desperate to find something that could fill the void.”
“It sounds like a wonderful business opportunity,” Vladimir said. “So how vulnerable are those Dungeons?”
“By my estimate, it might take only a small team of championes to get their Cores,” Vic said.
“Might not even need that much,” Griff said. “If Cerberus be on the nut, we’ll be able to gather some frontmen for our tasks.”
“You have a plan, Griff?” Vladimir said.
Griff extended an invisible out to the table, holding a clipboard of possible operations. “Oh, you bet I do,” he said with a wicked grin.
“He hasn’t changed,” Erezbert said.
“You kill one guy in Hamlin,” Ra said, “and suddenly you think yourself a master tactician.”
“Let us not forget that ‘one man’,” Vic said. “Was the opponent of our guy in the mayoral elections. Nor that our guy wanted to connect his village to Noir.”
Ra scoffed at Vic’s reasoning. “Look how that ‘investment’ backfired,” he said. “That backwater town is now childless! I can guarantee you that it would cease to be in ten years!”
“You’re mad that you weren’t the cause of it?” Griff cheekily said.
“Listen you—“ Ra saw Vladimir glare at him and stopped himself.
“That is a shame,” Beatrice said. “I’d like to find out who managed to kidnap a hundred children.”
“Well, my men had discovered something of interest there,” Vic said. “An Exsecratii man, Stanley Piers had left Noir a little while before those vanishments.”
Ra and Griff both laughed at the suggestion. “You think that bozo was able to smuggle that many kids out of the village?”
“The timeline matches up,” Vic said. “Though there were other possible avenues of inquiry I could peruse if you want.”
“The Franks have other matters to attend to,” Griff said. “They can’t just go around researching has-been exterminators.”
Barbara is a little intrigued. “What If I sent some of my dollies with them? I’m sure they might be able to help the Frankensteins out there.”
“You want them to help find snipes as well?” Ra said.
Vladimir stood up. “Actually, it might be worth it to investigate Hamlin,” he said.
Ra was unamused. “You can’t be serious boss,” he said.
“There is something amiss in that town,” the man said. “If we could solve it, we might be able to deepen our relationship further and maybe bring a few more loyal men into our fold.”
Griff stood up. “You heard the man,” he said. “Hell, I’ll lend some of the Vanishers to this little exercise.”
Ra rolled his eyes. “I’ll make sure The Houses of Seshat and Medjed will conduct their own investigation on the matter.”
“Glad to hear it, Ra,” Vladimir said.
The meeting continues for a few more hours. Eventually, at the stroke of midnight, Erezbert disbands the meeting. And all the patriarchs of the Syndicate go their separate ways. Their network is still united, for now.
✦✦✦
As Allowstide festivals were happening all over Liberté, the town of Hamlin refused to celebrate. No decorations were put up, no treats were procured, and no guilds were contacted. After all, it made no sense to celebrate without children to celebrate with.
Instead, the Mayor called the town to a nearby chapel in observance of mourning. It had been several months since the town’s children were abducted, several months since they had captured and punished Carla. The town had moved on with their lives, but regrets and fear bubbled beneath the surface.
Douglas and Medusa Arion were the only people who knew the truth. They knew that a demon was the real culprit, they knew that the children were alive but altered into a state that would incite panic among the townsfolk if they saw them. Panic, and furor. The alraune that once lived there had enacted a plot to fake her death at their hands to give them closure and to give herself and Emily time to free the children.
Mayor Cortez addressed the group. He began by recalling the story of the day of the execution. The immolation of the woman the town had accused of the abduction. As he told his tale, Medusa saw Geraldine, the only alraune in the crown, and the only one beside them who knew what happened to her sister.
The married couple recalled what happened the week after, the carpenter and father of three had called Geraldine over to Revotos’s Valley, away from prying ears. The pretext was to gather lumber for a building project. It was then that they told her the truth of what exactly happened.
Geraldine was worn to secrecy, having seen firsthand the town’s bloodthirst. Yet there was disquiet in her heart. “How long could this ruse continue?” She thought.
The mayor continued his speech. Cortex mentions the loss of his own son, Charles, among them, and how difficult it is to move on. They have avenged their children, they have slain the monster that killed them, and the mayor had made great strides in his project to connect it to the city of Noir.
Douglas wondered about Orpheus’ endeavors. He had visited them recently and they had discussed in private about his time with the Ebony Guards. The bard had been careful not to alert any of the other villagers during his short stay there as he tried to look into the murder of Samuel. Yet Douglas knew he found no clues. The mystery remained so.
The Mayor eventually ended his speech. With a solemn “May you be blessed in the starlight,” he disbanded the congregation. Everyone left the chapel with painful reminders of the damned day.
As the Arions left the chapel, they wondered if it was even possible for Carla to save the children from their current fate and if it could be done before the parents had forgotten about their kids, just as the children were made to forget their parents by the Piper Pruflas. The rest of the night was restless for the village.
✦✦✦
Tim, Sarah, and the Hermandezes eventually found a dojo, hidden in the basement of an empty market. As they reached the end of the path, they ended up ambushed by several monks.
Tim battled several of the ambushing monks. With a dragon kick, he repelled one of them and threw them into a pillar. With a double palm strike, he disoriented another enough for him to trip him with a swipe from his Qiang. With a crouching kick, he avoided a third’s one-inch punch and retaliated with one of his own. While he fought the advancing monks, Sarah and the Hermandezes contended with their own enemies. Watching the fights unfold is a woman with a saber in hand. The woman was clad in an outfit resembling a cheongsam but with a loose jacket over it. Her hair was tied up in two hoops. Her clothing had shades of teal and black on it.
“Fen-hai Mei?” a retainer of the woman said. “Those intruders, they’re—”
“I know,” the woman said. While stern, there was a youthful tone in her voice. Fen-hai Mei addressed the warriors fighting her defense. “Cease!” she said.
The monks that weren’t defeated by Tim’s group had stopped fighting.
“Tend to the wounded. I’ll deal with our honored guests.” Mei said. She then approached Timothy Howard, who had offered some of the monks assistance getting up.
“You are a rather skilled warrior,” Mei said. “Did a rival clan send you?”
“No, madam,” Tim said. “My friends and I sought you ourselves.”
“My wife and I, we’re with the Rouges guild,” Esteban said. “A certain friend asked for a favor.”
“I’m just here because my brother didn’t want me near the treats,” Sarah said. The dwarfette held a grumpy face as she made that statement.
“So what would bring you to try to storm the lair of Alkhestists?” Mei said.
“Does this Qiang seem familiar?” Tim said as he displayed his weapon. Met apprised the features on the Qiang, including some familiar patterns.
“That weapon looks different, but I can sense the aura,” Mei said. She looked at Tim and noticed that the boy himself looked familiar. “You were a student at the preliminary level of the Golden Spear?”
Tim nodded. “I was still learning bajiquan when the school fell. At the time I had no idea why, or who the true purpose is.”
The monks were baffled by their lady’s cordial tone with the invader. One more so than the others. His leather-clad appearance didn’t hide his disdain for the current circumstances. “Milady, don’t tell you me you—”
“Silence, Xhao Li,” Mei said with an authoritative tone. She turned back to Tim and presented him with a slip of jade. “I know my master, and I knew he wouldn’t let anyone who isn’t attuned with the weapon sense his mana.” She displayed her own weapon. “This Dao is similar, it senses promise within you.”
“I ask of you,” Tim said. “Will you help me rebuild the Golden Spear?”
“Perhaps,” Mei said. “But not know, it is clear that for your promise you had only begun to walk the path of Alkahestry. I would not cede my weapon or my aid to any unworthy of it. If you can prove to me your worth, and your purity of heart, then we’ll see.”
“Very well,” Tim said.
Esteban had a question about the dojo. He noticed signs of wear and tear among the furniture that indicated months of use. “You’ve been here for a while huh?”
“Perhaps,” Mai said. “Why do you ask?”
“Has the Syndicate given you any trouble, ma’am?” Julia asked.
“Syndicate?” Mei asked. “Oh, the thugs dressed in gauze? My monks made sure they haven’t penetrated this place.”
“I’ll bet,” Sarah said, rubbing part of her body sprained by their attacks.
“We shall meet again,” Mei said. “If Astra decides.”
With that, Tim, Sarah, Julia, and Esteban began to leave. “By the way,” Mei said to Tim.
“Yes?” Tim said.
“Make sure your Dungeon accomplice is with you next time,” Mei answered.
Tim is surprised. “How did you know about her?”
“I have my ways,” Mei said.
Tim knew he wasn’t going to get any more answers from her. With that, he left with the others.
The monk wearing black leather stood up after the visitors left. “Why are you considering aiding trash?” he said.
“Xhao Li,” Mei sighed. “Regardless of your opinions on the quality of their roots, we can ill afford to make enemies of those with the other relics. The Jian had been stolen by a thief the night of the raid and the Bang remained unaccounted for. We have little choice but to assume they had fallen into the hands of Wu-kong or other parties who wish to render the Spear extinct.”
“She has a point,” a female monk said. Her air was tied in hoops. “Besides, we also have to consider the other Alkahestic sects in Noir. Her eyes were hidden behind foggy glasses. Most of them consider us easy prey for what happened back in Jiang-hu, and others still might be sent by Wu-kong themselves.”
“That is right, Meihua Jie,” Mei said. “We may be able to ward off these predators, but if we are to remain or to succeed then we must find allies where we can.”
Li rolled his eyes, but out of a pragmatic desire to not be forced to ten hours of practice, he relented from speaking further. He thought about Tim and the mention of a Dungeon…
✦✦✦
A new says dawns as Stella emerges from the horizon. Tim and her party had returned to the Black box.
“So, how did it go?” the martial artist said.
“Atsuko and I did well,” the dungeon’s voice echoed to Tim. “Everyone had a great time!”
“Glad to hear it, Em,” Tim said with a smirk. He held the slip of jade in his hand.
“How about you?” Emily asked. “Did things go well in Noir?”
“You could say that,” Tim said. “I found who I was looking for, at least.” He hadn’t tried attuning to the jade slip yet, something seemed to prevent him from accessing the knowledge within.
Richard greeted his sister when she returned and asked her about the expedition into the city. Esteban and Julia meanwhile spoke with Minerva, Carla, and Lydia about the night. Heathcliff was in Rosenkreuz’s guildhall to talk to Pauline about the previous night’s festival. The Black Box is preparing to resume normal operation, with Minerva, Carla, the Coloraturas, and Tim once again tasked with challenging visitors as Sentinels.
Meanwhile, in Rosenkreuz a certain pair of Dormarches were having lunch in the built-in restaurant.
“These burgers are fantastic!” Cassie said.
“Be careful, Cassie,” Sydney said. “You don’t want to have sauce in your little toys.”
Alongside the food, several small gadgets were also on the table. Drone prototypes, manameters, and conduits were among them. Cassie’s Stardeck was also on the table. Glaucus’ Pisces card face-up on the pile.
“What is taking them so long,” Cassie said impatiently as she placed her sandwich down and picked up a screwdriver.
“You know Bernadette gets,” Sydney said as she strummed a few notes on her guitar. “Tell me, are you sure this place is right for us, Cass?”
“What do you mean?” Cassie said. “It’s got everything so far. It’s nice, it’s quiet, it’s far away from both cities and dangerous Dungeons, and the guild seems at least competent enough to deter threats. Plus I heard those nice people from the other day live nearby as well, Syd.”
Sydney chuckled. “To tell the truth, I’m getting a little tired of the ‘nomad’ act myself. But I’m not convinced this place is perfect for us.”
“Maybe when everyone else gets here,” she said while she tightened a screw on a beetle-like drone. “We can finally explore that Divine Dungeon that’s said to be nearby.”
A certain blue-haired elf walked up to the dog-eared women. “Hello are you Cassie and Sydney?” she said.
“That’s us!” Cassie said with exuberance. “What’s up?”
“We have received a message from a Bernardette,” Pauline said as she handed them a red envelope. The parcel smelled like apple blossoms.
Sydney took the red envelope and opened it. Her eyes widened in surprise. “Seems like they’re not going to get here for a few months,” she said.
“A few months?” Cassie said in shock. She took the envelope from Sydney and learned from it that a blockade in the Cerberus area had impeded Bernardette and her group. They were forced to take a longer path and cannot arrive in Nova Virginia, let alone Rosenkruz until December.” Her face grimace.
“Look on the bright side, squirt,” Sydney teased. “It means we get to stay here in this ‘perfect’ town longer.”
Cassie really wanted to show her friends and fellow nomads the town, and to make her case for her desire to live there instead of traveling with them anymore. Her cyan and blond locks were frazzled from static electricity from her drone moving onto her head. Her ears drooped in sadness.
“It’s only a few months,” Sydney said empathetically. “We’ve been through worse.”
“Yeah, I know,” Cassie said.
The two Dormarches finished their lunch and returned to their rooms in the guildhall. Cassie eventually perked up and decided to use the time to connect with the local residents in the interim until her fellows arrived.