“So the first HornedTreeWeasel we found being smuggled was on Chernoff’s 17th, a little under four weeks…” Nanomi checked the dates again. ”...thirty days ago.” She was talking out loud without worry. The few younger guards in the building steered clear of the front desk when not on their shift. Voicing her thoughts to keep everything straight in her mind had the added benefit now of conversing with Myca. “Leve first heard about the style of painting on Nilavosh's 9th, exactly two weeks later.” It had been an exhausting few hours reading and cross referencing reports, deciphering over a dozen people’s handwriting. She was amazed that Renda didn’t require penmanship lessons for the guards.
“When did they find my lab?” Myca asked.
“I was only told ‘last month’.” Nanomi replied. “That is one of the details I’m hoping Renda will get clarified. Someone had to have known what they were looking for and had people out trapping the animals. There wouldn’t be enough time otherwise. But how would they have known, why wouldn’t your research have been pilfered back then?”
“The notes about the most recent breakthrough were pretty well hidden. I had an extradimensional space concealed on the bottom of a bookshelf, just a few cubic feet of storage. It was on the inside of the veneer. I always Mended it back down after peeling it up to access it.” Myca said, obviously proud of her forethought. “There would be no way to find it by accident without tearing up everything. Even Detect Magic wouldn’t work well because of all the magical raw materials soaked into the rooms.”
“We’re still missing something. They knew you had it somewhere, yet your lab was sealed up. Something happened, maybe Garren fell out of favor. Maybe that’s why he moved against you, to try and regain some clout. But when he couldn’t find the research he was disposed of.” Nanomi was grasping at straws, but since anyone with first hand knowledge was likely at least two centuries dead, guesswork was all she had. “Let’s work with that assumption. Garren was unable to find your research. Maybe he even thought he found it but didn’t. Your lab was sealed shortly thereafter, by parties unknown. That sealing itself may have been covered up, since the Lyceum didn’t know it was there either. Did you have any adversaries among the Deans?” She asked.
“Well they certainly didn’t like me much after I failed to publish anything for over two years.” Myca admitted.
“That’s a motive.” Nanomi said. “And after your apparent violent death, maybe they just wanted everything to be swept under the rug. We’re getting somewhere.” Nanomi massaged her temples, fingers weaving between her head tentacles to rub at the headache that was threatening to boil over.
The front door to headquarters opened, the first time it had done so since alpha team had left hours ago. A Human woman wearing paint speckled overalls with grey streaked auburn hair entered and looked around, seeing Nanomi sitting at the desk. “Hello, ma’am.” She said, turning her eyes down to the floor. “I assume you are Lead Watchwoman Ja. Leve said you wanted to speak with me.” She rubbed her fingers against a blue crystal pendant around her neck, fidgeting and clearly nervous about being there.
“Yes, thank you for coming, Vika.” Nanomi made sure to put on a friendly tone of voice. “Leve is an old acquaintance of mine. I saw your painting on display in his showroom and I had some questions about it that he thought you could answer. I’m told this is a new style that just recently came about. What can you tell me about the process of creating such a piece?”
“Well, it’s really popular right now. Falmon Dazzleford came up with it. He showed it off to a few of his friends in the art community, but word spread fast. He started selling the specially prepared canvases for fifty gold pieces each after that, otherwise people would have been beating down his door to get more of these paintings.” Vika said, more animated now than she was a moment ago. “I was able to take out a loan to buy two of them. These paintings are selling for hundreds, maybe even a thousand gold! As soon as Leve is able to move them I can pay off the loan and go buy more blank canvases before the market gets saturated and prices drop.”
Nanomi had grabbed a blank sheet of parchment and was taking notes throughout. “Out of curiosity, which money lender did you use?” Nanomi asked, trying to maintain a casual conversational tone to her voice.
“Erlanson and Son, down near the river.” She said sheepishly, her demeanor changing in an instant. “Not a lot of people are willing to lend money to a fledgling artist.”
Nanomi wrote the name down, trying not to let the significance of it show in her mannerisms or voice. “Was there anything special you had to do as part of the process, or could anyone take one of these prepared canvases and do it?”
“Falmon told me I had to concentrate the whole time, picturing the scene from start to finish. It was exhausting. I’ve never felt so drained after.” Vika said. “But it’ll be worth it in the end.”
“Thank you for coming down here and answering these questions for me today.” Nanomi said, setting the quill down. “I hope Leve is able to sell your work quickly.”
“Thank you, Lead Watchwoman Ja, I hope so too.” She said, then turned and left out the door she had come in.
Nanomi waited a moment to make sure she was really gone. “Myca, how old would you guess Vika was?” Nanomi asked.
“Uh, maybe in her mid forties.” Myca guessed, caught unaware by the non sequitur. “Why?”
“Leve called her young, and she referred to herself as a fledgling, but she did indeed look middle aged.” Nanomi said.
“Maybe she just started being an artist recently? Maybe Leve is bad at estimating Human ages? ‘Young’ means different things to different races.” Myca pointed out.
Nanomi frowned. “Perhaps. I found her choice of money lender very interesting. Arric Erlanson has connections to Santerfinks. Which is the second time the thieves’ guild has come up in the proximity of these paintings.” Nanomi tapped the name on her notes. “I don’t believe in coincidences.”
Nanomi, I was attacked. Sayta’s Send was suddenly pushing itself into Nanomi’s mind. I knocked one out, the others retreated. I’m losing blood and fading. I’m a few blocks east of Fani’s. Send help.
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“Myca, did you perceive that Send as well?” Nanomi asked.
“Yes.” Myca confirmed. “Respond to her quickly, before she loses consciousness.”
Sayta, I’m coming for you. Nanomi knew no one could reach her faster. Get your back against a wall, head up. Start counting, don’t stop. Don’t you dare die on me Watchwoman YellowPrarie.
“BERK!” Nanomi yelled, mustering all the volume and command in her voice that she could. She was throwing parchment into drawers, trying to maintain a semblance of order as she heard him running down the hall. As he skidded into the room, she said. “You’re covering the desk. Sayta’s injured and needs my help. Here.” She reached into her pocket and handed him the Sending Stones, then raced out the door.
“Who or what is Fani’s?” Myca asked.
Nanomi was sprinting down the streets that were thankfully mostly empty at this time in the late morning, her cloak whipping. “Fani’s a madame. Of the RoseGulch Den.” Nanomi’s sentences were short and clipped as she tried to maintain steady breathing. “Fani would help Sayta. If she could have made it there.” Nanomi said as she made a sharp turn south. “Sayta’s mom used to work there.”
The distance disappeared beneath Nanomi’s feet as she went ducking down side streets to avoid larger groups that could slow her down. She made it to the RoseGulch Den and turned east, then began slowing her breakneck pace and scanning around for signs. There were even fewer people out on the south end than there had been near headquarters, and those that were all seemed to be averting their eyes and avoiding Nanomi. They knew something had gone down, but didn’t want to be involved. “Blood. On that wall.” Myca said at the same moment Nanomi had herself noticed the smeared print of a hand on the brown wood siding.
Following the trail was easier after picking out the first spot, and Nanomi found Sayta halfway down a narrow passage between two buildings. Her head was down. “No. No. No.” Nanomi said, hurrying over and kneeling down. “Sayta, wake up honey.” Nanomi said through clenched teeth, lifting Sayta’s head up. The right side of her face was swollen and bloody, and her left arm lay at an improbable angle. Her purple tunic was shredded, with parts dark and sticky with blood. Pulling aside the cloying fabric revealed a stab wound was oozing from her lower abdomen, her leather armor failed to turn the offending blade. Nanomi checked for a pulse, and she could just barely feel one, fluttering and erratic
“I can help.” Myca said, her voice soft. “You need to accept some of my magic. We can save her, together. She’s not going to make it otherwise.” Nanomi felt an upwelling of power, similar to the kind she used to Detect Thoughts, but with a different quality to it. Softer, without the sharp tingling edges she was used to. She reached for that power and took it in, willing to do anything to help Sayta. “Put your hands on her. Touch skin, and say these words.” Myca said a few words that Nanomi didn’t understand.
Nanomi did as she asked, gingerly taking Sayta’s right hand with both of hers and reciting the unfamiliar words. A moment passed. “Nothing’s happening.” She said with a touch of anger in her voice. She could feel the magic, but it wouldn’t go where she wanted it. “Why isn’t it working? What do those words mean?”
“They mean ‘by my will, mend these injuries’ in Goblin.” Myca said.
“Let me try that in Tenkan then.” Nanomi said. She began speaking in her native language, and as soon as she spoke the first few words she felt the magic rising. By the time she finished the phrase her fingers were practically buzzing as energy flowed through her and into Sayta.
The swelling on Sayta’s face receded, and her arm returned to a more natural angle. Sayta took in a huge gasping breath and looked around with wild eyes. “Nanomi?” She said with a raspy voice, zeroing in on the woman kneeling beside her, before devolving into a coughing fit.
“Sayta!” Nanomi hugged her tightly, and Sayta let out a wince and a yelp.
“Easy there. I’m banged up pretty bad.” Sayta said, pushing Nanomi back weakly. “You must have been running fast old lady, I only got to a hundred…then I must have nodded off a moment.” She sounded confused.
“You’re a bit more than banged up. Can you stand? We need to get you back to headquarters.” She grabbed under Sayta’s armpits to help her up.
Sayta let out a series of groans as she got to her feet. “I think so. As long as I can lean on you and we go slow.” Sayta said.
They made their way out of the alley and Nanomi’s instincts started screaming at her. There was no one on the streets anymore. “We need to move quickly.” She took more of Sayta’s weight and started moving as fast as she could manage.
They had made it barely a block before a voice called out. “Leave the stuck pig and we’ll let you scamper away grandma.” Nanomi turned and saw five people closing in on them from behind. A few Finks foot soldiers, two Humans, a Hill Dwarf, and a Pinky Suswhog, led by a Stout Halfling Herder captain.
“Sayta, you need to get to Fani’s.” Nanomi whispered. “She won’t let them touch you. I’ll hold them off. Go.” She made sure Sayta was steady on her feet, then turned and faced the goons. “If you want her, it’s going to be over my LIFELESS BODY.” She yelled, whipping her cloak back and grabbing her club and dagger from her belt.
The Herder made a motion. “Take her out boys.” He said, then crossed his arms and stood back as the Finks moved in. Most held daggers out, but the Dwarf was hefting a two handed hammer. Nanomi knew she had to take him out first. She reversed the grip on her dagger, laying the blade back protecting her wrist, then screamed and leaped towards the Dwarf counting on surprise to aid her.
They weren’t expecting that. The others fell back a step, but the Dwarf tripped and fell backwards to the ground. Nanomi pounced and brought her club down on his head, not intending to kill him but to knock him out of the fight. The two Humans rushed her from the left, and Nanomi raised her arm to attempt to stop the incoming blades from hitting her core. “I’ve got this.” Myca said. Nanomi felt the skin on her hand tingle, then some of the white fungi exploded out and back along her forearm and formed a shield, deflecting the weapons.
“I didn’t know you could do that.” Nanomi said, using the confusion to slam the shield into the attackers, knocking them back to give her space.
“I didn’t either.” Myca admitted. “That one is getting past us!”
Nanomi saw the Suswhog attempting an end run while Nanomi was occupied. “NO!” Nanomi howled. She felt a swelling on her other hand, and almost instinctively launched a tendril that stretched out and grabbed him by the ankle. She yanked him off his feet, pulling him back towards her. She closed the distance and kicked him hard in the stomach, hearing a strangled scream escape him, before turning back towards the others, teeth bared and bloodlust in her eyes.
The two Humans were trying to get the Dwarf to his feet, and were sending sideways looks back at their Herder, obviously not wanting to engage again. They were not expecting an old lady to materialize additional weapons and armor from her very body. “Come along boys. We’ll get the sow another time.” The Halfling said. He stared right at Nanomi. “And you better watch yourself, tentacle head. We’ll be expecting those tricks next time.”
Nanomi spat on the Suswhog before stepping back to let his compatriots claim him. She then retracted the fungi back into her body, feeling more able to control it with each passing moment. She didn’t move until she lost sight of them as they turned down a side street. “Myca, are you hurt? You had said being outside was painful.”
“I’m fine.” Myca assured her. “I think you consciously accepting the power allowed us to find a new equilibrium. I was able to react much quicker, and you were able to control the fungi yourself. I told you I’d be useful.”
“If saving and protecting people are among your skills, then I will gladly make use of them, Myca Bramblebum.” Nanomi intoned formally. “Let’s go make sure Sayta made it to Fani’s, shall we?”