CHAPTER 4: FURTHER INVESTIGATION

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Cecili tapped her foot on the floor and looked at her watch again, knowing that only a few minutes had passed since she last checked it.

Gaius was late. That wasn’t like him. He was never late. It was one of many qualities she liked about him, including his dedication to the order and strong sense of morality. But he had always been adamant about punctuality. Showing up late increased the risk of an Afflicted getting away, lives being lost, and leads going cold. So he was never late, ever.

She stopped herself from looking at the watch again and began pacing. It didn’t help that the royal palace was a veritable fortress. All communications were strictly regulated and could only be done from specific terminals scattered within and those terminals connected to specific locations. Gaius couldn’t reach her nor her him until he returned.

It never would have happened if it hadn’t been for the strange circumstances. Of all the canids to be affected by residual aether, why did it have to be that worthless traitor, Thern? He couldn’t even be trusted to keep to the oaths he made. If even half the rumors circulating about him and Queen Hena were true, he needed to be hanged, not inducted into their order. If he didn’t survive the initiation process, it wouldn’t be the worst thing ever.

Her ears rose as she wondered what would happen if he did survive. As a fellow paladin, she would have no choice but to accept him into their ranks, but under no circumstances would they ever become friends. He would be a colleague whose presence she would occasionally have to tolerate, nothing more.

With a heavy sigh, she left the room. She would rather be out working than thinking about that oathbreaker. And if Gaius wasn’t coming back anytime soon, it fell to her to investigate before their trail went cold.

Cecili had never been inside the royal palace, so wandering its darkened halls with only the moonlight and the dim glow of the occasional aether lamp to guide her filled her with a strong sense of unease. She was too unfamiliar with the halls. Each corner, each intersection held unknowns. There were too many blind spots she was unaware of, too many connecting passages she couldn’t see. The threat of ambush loomed constantly overhead.

The circumstances were too strange. By all rights, Afflicted should have never been able to get in let alone remain undetected. Magical transportation into and out of the palace was impossible. Even from the inside, magic was limited. Which left only one way the creatures made their way inside.

Someone or something let them in.

She didn’t dare speak her suspicions out loud in this place where she was alone and cut off from outside communication or hope of escape. But she knew the truth and suspected the king knew it too. It was why he invited her to stay within the royal palace, gave her unrestricted access to its halls, and even told her she could call upon him at any time, day or night. His life was in danger and the only one he would trust was the lone outsider until reinforcements arrived.

She supposed it was her only saving grace. If she were killed now, here in the royal palace, it would be too messy, too obvious. It couldn’t be brushed under the rug, not unlike the queen’s murder.

Somehow, Cecili found her way to the battle site. The limited light gave the hall an eerie haunted feel. Most of the mess had been cleaned up, but the large pieces of debris, the holes in the walls, floor, and ceiling, and the blood stains and scorch marks remained.

Cecili risked turning on her flashlight to get a better look around but turned away from the scene. She had seen it already and there was nothing more to gleam from it. The battle had been short but fierce and brutal. Now she needed to retrace the events before the battle away from prying eyes.

Not far from the battle site was a large wooden door. It wasn’t locked, but it had been damaged in the struggle. Cecili pried it open and peered inside. It was nothing more than a simple supply closet, but the cot squeezed between the shelves caught her interest. The servants likely came down here to get some sleep during long shifts or perhaps even some guards hoping to laze about during their shift.

She thought about the rumors. This was where Thern and the Queen met that night to commit their adultery.

“But why would you risk something so reckless?” Cecili mumbled to no one. She inspected the cot. “Your partner would have noticed your disappearance. Were you truly so bold?”

It didn’t make sense to take such a big risk unless the threat of getting caught was what spurred them on. Nothing stood out about the cot so she moved on to the surrounding shelves. If she put aside her thoughts of the infidelity motive, another option became clear. What if Thern led her down here on purpose? But that still begged the question of why he would do that when it was so obvious that he would be responsible? It made no sense.

What if the queen being down here at this moment was entirely circumstantial? What if she was not the intended victim, but an unfortunate byproduct of random chance? But if that were the case, then what was the intended goal?

Cecili swore under her breath. If that were the case and the queen’s death was truly an accident, the perpetrators couldn’t have asked for a better smokescreen. Everyone was focused on the queen’s death and the scandal of a glaive breaking his oaths. The Afflicted were nothing more than a footnote in their exciting gossip.

A strange glint on the upper shelves caught her attention. Her height made it possible for her to see it; a shorter canid wouldn’t have noticed. Carefully, she reached up and took the item down from its perch.

It was a large indigo stone, carved in the shape of an egg, a memory stone. They were once the primary means of recording memory but most canids stopped using them on account of them being difficult to use and often requiring magic to activate. They were also a security risk as anyone with magical talent could view its contents.

Cecili turned the stone over in her paws and examined it in the light. The stone wasn’t cracked so she could view it, but why was it there?

She gave it a slight squeeze and channeled some aether into her paw. The memory stone flashed brilliantly and hummed. An ethereal fox materialized before her. He wasn’t a member of the royal family, but whoever he was, he wore a pained expression on his face.

Her ear swiveled towards the door. It was faint, but someone was approaching. She cut off the flow of aether and the stone immediately ceased humming and glowing, plunging her into the void, and the fox vanished just as quickly as he had appeared.

There was no mistaking the sound of heavy boots on the floor now. A soft glow appeared underneath the door. Cecili slowly drew the arcblade at her side, cursing her tight confines.

The steps stopped in front of the door. The glow outlined the entire frame now. Cecili inhaled and then kicked the door with all her strength. It burst open, knocking her would-be attacker to the floor. She pounced immediately, pressing a knee against their chest and pointing her blade at their throat.

There was no mistaking the grey-furred face of Sarl, the captain of the glaives, even with his nose pouring blood.

“Is there a reason you’re following me?” Cecili asked.

“I suspect the same reason why you just attacked me,” Sarl replied. “Now would mind getting off my chest? It’s hard to breathe as it is.”

Cecili increased the pressure of her blade. “Not until I have good reason to.”

“What has gotten into you, paladin?! I’m a member of the elite royal guard! If you think for a second you’ll be pardoned for killing me--”

“Why were you following me?”

Sarl relaxed but the fury didn’t leave his eyes. “I wasn’t. I heard steps down here so I came to investigate. I didn’t know it was you.”

“By yourself?”

“I can explain that if you would stop crushing me.”

Cecili glanced around for signs of anyone else watching. He wasn’t lying about that at least. She slowly stood up and sheathed her weapon. “What are you doing down here alone?”

Sarl sat up and wiped the blood from his nose. “I could ask you the same thing. But why I was down here is for the same conclusion you arrived to: Because the royal glaives have been compromised.”

“Is that so?”

“Don’t play dumb. Why else would you be wandering the halls this late at night without informing anyone?”

Cecili nodded and held out her paw then cast a simple healing spell to staunch the bleeding of her new informant. “There, consider that my apology for suspecting you.”

Saul wiggled his nose and then snorted a blood clot onto the floor. “No, you were right to be cautious. So did you find anything?”

“Just where the servants like to slack off.” She wasn’t stupid. He could still be a traitor, so until she learned otherwise, she would play it safe. “I think I’ve learned all I can from this place. If you don’t mind, I’d like to return to my room.”

“Wait, you shouldn’t be walking around alone. Also, there’s something I need to check and I would appreciate a sword arm I can trust at my side.”

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Cecili studied his face for any signs of deception. In a previous life, she was quite the gambler and learned how to read her opponents. Sarl showed no signs of lying, not yet anyway. She concluded that if he really wanted her out of the way, he would let her leave so he could bury evidence in peace. Drawing her someplace secluded before learning all she had discovered would be showing his cards too soon.

“Very well. Where are we going?” she asked.

Sarl motioned for her to follow as he started down the hall. “There’s an escape tunnel beneath the palace in the event of an attack. But it’s gone unused for decades. It wouldn’t surprise me if something had moved in. And before you ask, the existence of this tunnel is known only to a few so I can’t send guards to clear it out.”

“Let me guess, you’re the only one outside of the royal family who knows of this secret tunnel?”

The wolf hesitated before replying, “There was a time when I believed that to be true.”

Nothing more was said as they continued through the winding hallways. Cecili tried to track their movements but quickly became lost. Amongst the shadows and dim lighting, everything looked the same. What she did know was that they were going deeper underground. She kept a grip on the hilt of her weapon. There was no escape tunnel down here. It was too far away and out of place to be useful to anyone.

Eventually, they entered an abandoned part of the palace. The thick carpet of dust on the floor and the cobwebs lining the walls didn’t give it away, the lack of proper lighting did. The sconces dotting the walls were empty and archaic. Newer buildings didn’t rely on such things as it was annoying handling each one individually. Sarl’s lantern and Cecili’s flashlight was the only source of light.

The further they descended, the more her trepidation grew. Just how far underground were they? She couldn’t see what lay beyond the doorways they passed as the doors, while rotted or rusted, were closed and she didn’t dare wander off. She wanted Sarl right where she could see him.

Finally, Sarl stopped in front of a very old door. Cecili wondered what could be holding it together. A strong breeze would likely reduce it to splinters.

“Something’s not right,” Sarl said. “This door should be covered up.”

“Should it now? It’s not a very good escape tunnel if it’s blocked, now is it?”

The wolf glanced over his shoulder giving her a brief look at a tormented gaze. “You’re right. This is not an escape tunnel, but I didn’t think you’d believe me if I said otherwise.”

“If you want me to distrust you, you’re on the right path.”

“Follow me. All will become clear soon enough.” With an effort, he pushed the door open. The rusty hinges squealed at a pitch that made Cecili cringe.

Beyond the threshold were a flight of stone stairs and impenetrable darkness. But she didn’t need light to imagine the walls covered in cobwebs and likely falling apart or the grime that coated the floor or the indescribable filth hanging from the ceiling. She could swear she heard howling coming from the depths, like wails of the damned. Even from where she stood, the stench of mildew and death clogged her nose.

Sarl started down the stairs. Cecili stayed put. “Do you truly believe me to be so naïve?” she asked. “A secluded area like this would make for a great dumping spot.”

The captain stopped and shot an annoyed look over his shoulder. “If I really wanted to mislead you, I would have come up with a better lie.”

She couldn’t deny that logic even if she didn’t like it. She followed. If he tried anything, this would become his tomb instead. The further they descended, the colder it became. The howls and wails of the specters seemed to get louder. Luckily, she didn’t believe in such things, but even her convictions were being tested.

They continued to descend until the door above was no longer visible. But that wasn’t what worried Cecili. They ran the risk of going into a high-density area. This place hadn’t been used in years so it likely didn’t have the necessary filters in place to clear the air.

“Warn me if you suddenly find it hard to breathe,” she said.

Sarl chuckled. “The stench alone has already done that, but if you’re worried about the aether density, don’t be. The royal glaives’ uniform is specially designed to withstand magic and as a bonus side-effect shields us from high-density aether. But what about you?”

“I’m a paladin. We’re immune.”

Silence fell on them again except for the echoing sound of their boots on the grimy floor. Reaching the bottom of the stairs brought no relief. Cecili swept the beam of the flashlight around the chamber.

They stood in a long narrow hallway. The walls, filthy and crumbling, were lined with sturdy metal doors, each one caked with rust.

“A dungeon?” Cecili asked. “But why seal it off?”

“Because no one’s supposed to know it exists,” Sarl replied grimly. “Several decades ago, there were rumors that the king at the time was…to put it nicely, out of his fucking mind. They said he saw shadows and enemies everywhere and imprisoned them all to save himself from a coup.”

He never looked back, but she saw his hackles rise beneath his shirt and heard the growling in his voice.

“But the truth is worse. Much worse. He was a different kind of mad. He liked to torture and these…these were his…playrooms.”

“I see.” She swept the beam into one of the few open doorways. Inside was a large rack, the skeletal remains of its occupant still laying on the rusty surface. Nearby was a wooden table cluttered with dirt and forgotten torturer’s tools. She quickly turned away. She had seen many things during her time in the paladins, things that would have broken a lesser mind, but even she didn’t want to think about the things that went on in this place.

“How do you know about this place? You can’t possibly be old enough to have been here.”

“No, I wasn’t here. But not long after I became captain of the glaives, I discovered a journal from one of my predecessors. Inside, he describes in great detail the canids that were dragged down here, how their screams filled the halls, and how the floors were flooded with blood. Because he had been sworn to secrecy and to serve the crown, he helped dispose of the bodies and even bring in new victims.”

Cecili was silent. She would never have done something like that; she would die a traitor first, but making such declarations served no one now.

“The journal also mentioned that shortly after that mad king died, one of his sons discovered this place and ordered it buried,” Sarl continued. “It’s been here ever since.”

“And what happened to the captain?”

“He stepped down from his position and then took his own life.”

“The king’s final victim. But that doesn’t explain why you believe someone else would know about this place.”

“It’s the only thing that made sense. I had doubled patrols and ordered everyone on high alert. Still those Afflicted got through undetected. They never would have gotten in on their own.”

Cecili said nothing. Now that she knew this place held several tormented souls, she was on high alert. If any of the victims had turned, they were left down here for decades. She didn’t even want to imagine what monstrosity they could have become.

They reached the end of the hall. But there was no exit except for a large grate covering a hole in the floor. Judging from the tracks on the floor, this was where the bodies were disposed of. Years of rust had likely sealed the grate shut and neither of them was in the mood to test that theory. Shining their lights through it revealed nothing except that it was so deep they couldn’t see the bottom.

Sarl swore. “I guess they didn’t come in through this way.”

“No, this is where the Afflicted came from,” Cecili said. “This place has been sealed for decades making it the perfect breeding ground for—”

She was cut off by a sharp squeal followed by the dull clang of metal on stone. They whirled around, drawing their weapons and pointing their flashlights down the hall.

Cecili strained her ears for sounds of approaching steps but heard nothing except that infernal wailing. She knew it was just the wind and her imagination, but thoughts of it being the vengeful spirits of the victims wouldn’t leave her mind.

To distract from the creeping panic, she thought back to all the cells they passed. She only looked into the ones that were open and they revealed nothing that warranted her attention or showed signs of use. But it couldn’t have been something they missed.

She couldn’t tell how long they stood there, staring into the abyss, arcblades shaking in their paws as they waited for whatever lingered beyond the light to attack them.

“We can’t stand here forever,” Sarl said. “That thing is blocking the only exit.”

“I’m in no rush to dive blindly into the dark. Afflicted can see in it quite well.”

“So it’s a war of attrition, then?”

As if in reply to his question the hall echoed with the sound of heavy steps. Cecili decided to take the initiative and thrust her palm outward, firing a ball of light into the hall. It illuminated everything in its path until it reached their approaching opponent.

She wished she hadn’t. What stood before them was a type of Afflicted known as a remnant. No one knew where such creatures came from or what created them, but it looked like a canid wearing an old suit of armor. No one could tell because it emanated so much corrupted aether it was shrouded in a veil of darkness. Only the vague bipedal shape of a knight of old could be seen. The creature’s head nearly brushed the ceiling. A pair of red eyes peered at them through its “helmet”.

“What in the name of the divines is that?” Sarl asked breathlessly.

“A…A…A remnant,” Cecili said.

“If you’re worried, that can’t be a good sign.”

“We need to get word to my order. We can’t face it here.”

“I doubt it will wait until backup gets here!”

The remnant started lumbering forward. The light of Cecili’s spell withered out, leaving them with only the light of their flashlights that seemed to stop right at the creature’s hulking form. It began to pick up speed with each step.

Cecili lowered her weapon and raised her fist, charging it with as much aether as she could manage. Facing this thing just the two of them in this small space was a death sentence. Only one option remained, but it was a gamble. Should she fail, a very painful and brutal death awaited them.

But that creature could not be allowed to reach the upper levels.

She thrust out her palm, firing the spell at the ceiling. A brilliant display of dazzling lights and a deafening roar filled the hall. Everything shook around them. Chunks of the ceiling came down onto the remnant until it was buried beneath the debris.

But the shaking didn’t stop. The walls continued to crack and dust continued to fall.

Cecili reached down, seized the grate and charged another spell. With a grunt, she ripped it out of the floor and tossed it aside. She grabbed Sarl’s arm and jumped into the pit.

Immediately, she waved her free paw, creating a platform of light beneath them. It slowly descended deeper into the darkness. Overhead, stones fell into the pit and the hall continued to roar in pain as it crumbled.

“I don’t want to rush you, but can this go any faster?” Sarl asked.

“We don’t know how deep this goes nor what awaits us at the bottom. But if you want to be impaled on broken bones, be my guest.”

Sarl said nothing but continued to look up. Cecili didn’t. That trick with the ceiling likely didn’t kill the remnant immediately and she didn’t want to look up and see red eyes looking down at them.

The tunnel suddenly widened into a much wider cavern, too wide to see the far walls or the floor. Cecili quickly created another platform of light next to the first.

Sarl didn’t need telling to jump to their new sanctuary. She quickly followed. Not long after, a massive piece of debris fell through the tunnel, smashing their previous platform and continuing its descent unhindered.

They continued their slow descent as more pieces of rock and dirt fell through the tunnel entrance like water pouring from a pipe. They couldn’t see the ceiling above, but heard the rumbling of the chaos above and felt the dust and small rocks falling on their heads.

Thankfully the roof held. The tunnel eventually became clogged and the rumbling ceased. Now that they were alone in the darkness and silence. Cecili missed the noise.

Their platform reached the bottom. She waved her paw, dissipating the spell and dropping them to the cavern floor. Sarl swore. Before them sat a massive mound of bones. There were at least hundreds by Cecili’s count. She didn’t want to think about the atrocities that led to this mass grave for they had bigger problems. They had no idea where they were, no clue where to find the exit, and the place was likely crawling with Afflicted or worse.

On a whim, she pulled out her radio and tried to contact Gaius. Only silence answered.

“Either there’s too much inference or we have not yet cleared the anti-magic field surrounding the palace,” she said. “We’ll have to discover the exit the hard way.”

Sarl nodded, still leaning on his knees for support, his breath coming in hard ragged gasps.

“It’s a side-effect of the remnant,” Cecili explained. “Just getting near them is enough to kill the average canid. Just take slow breaths, it’ll pass.”

She sat down on a rock and waited until her new companion caught his breath. It gave her a chance to settle down as well. She didn’t blame him for being shaken; it was also her first time facing off against a remnant. The books and illustrations did not even come close to capturing its horror.

Finally, Sarl straightened up. “Are you ready to go? We can’t wait. The king is in danger and we’re trapped down here.”

“Yes, I’m ready. Let’s go.”

With no idea where to start, they chose the first path that looked safe and started walking.

“This was a complete waste of time,” Sarl said, kicking a nearby skull. “We had no reason to go down there.”

Cecili shook her head. “No, we learned one thing. We know how the Afflicted got into the palace. They weren’t smuggled in, they’ve always been here.”