The common room of The Prince’s Arms was busier than it had been during my first visit. Conversation and gossip filled the air, as did the music from the lute players. Wearing my snakeskin armor, I headed straight to the bartender—the same burly man I’d met during my first night in Encelas. I put on my widest grin and set ten gold coins on the counter.

“One room for one night.”

“Of course.” The man yawned and removed an iron key from the wall.

“Excuse me,” I said, “but I stayed in the Baron’s Suite the last time I was here. Could I get that room again?”

Now the bartender recognized me. A series of emotions played on his face, from surprise and suspicion to bewilderment. Finally, he replaced the iron key and handed me a silver key.

“The Baron’s Suite it is, sir. Just down the—”

“Down the hall behind you,” I interrupted. “Second-to-last door on the right.”

The bartender blinked. “You have it exactly.”

“Thank you!”

“I have the key to the Baron’s Suite,” I projected to the Surgeons. “I’m heading to my room.”

As I headed down the hallway, I looked for the aristocrat whose clothing I’d stolen. As I’d hoped, he was nowhere to be found. I unlocked the door to my room.

“I’m in the room,” I projected.

⚔

Forty minutes later, I sat in a chair, my crossbow loaded and aimed at the door. I took deep breaths and thought about my assailant. What if he wasn’t coming? What if he was going to attack in a completely different way, like burning down the tavern?

“Two drunken nobles and a passed-out sailor,” Hubril projected. “Nothing else to report.”

The Surgeons took turns walking through the common area, each keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. But nothing had happened so far.

As I watched the door, I formed a plan. When the latch turned, I’d count to five and fire a bolt of acid. Then I’d reload and keep firing. I would have given anything to have my Called Shot ability, but that was still a level away.

“A short man with dark hair has entered the hallway,” Bolan projected. “Dressed as a merchant, stepping carefully to stay silent.”

“Get ready,” Wystane projected.

More deep breaths. Moments later, the latch above the doorknob turned slowly. I aimed the crossbow and kept my eye on the green dot.

The door flew open and the short man dashed into the room. I focused on his violet shirt and fired at his chest. This stopped him in his tracks, and he shouted as he clutched the wound.

“Now!” Wystane projected.

I reloaded and fired again, hitting him below the neck. His health bar was at 5/6 of its maximum, but it wasn’t falling—my acid wasn’t working.

The Surgeons ran into the room. Dannik and Bolan stabbed the man in the side, while Wystane ran her dagger into the man’s lower back. She must have landed a backstab, because the man screamed as his health dropped to a third. Thick black blood spilled onto the floor.

“Hold him,” Wystane projected. “We need answers.”

Bolan and Dannik clasped the man’s arms, while Hubril reached around his neck and took him in a headlock.

“Tell us who you are,” Wystane said, “and we’ll let you live.”

The man responded in a high-pitched whisper, “I will tell you nothing.”

The merchant clenched his fists and his body began to expand. I thought he was changing into a wolf, but instead of growing claws and fangs, he simply became a larger version of himself. His clothes and muscles grew with him, and with his augmented strength, he grabbed Hubril by his arm and hurled him over his head. Then he threw Dannik and Bolan against the wall.

The merchant unsheathed a black dagger, his eyes focused on me with cold fury. I cast my Flash spell, and moments later, I cast Blur. He hurled the dagger, and though I did my best to run aside, the blade followed me like a guided missile. It struck me in the right side of my chest, and though it didn’t pierce my armor, I cried in pain. My health fell from 30 to 8.

The assassin shouted in frustration. Wystane stabbed him in the neck, causing his health to drop to an eighth. Clenching my teeth, I loaded a bolt of poison and aimed the green dot at his chest. One more shot would take him down.

“Don’t kill him,” Wystane projected. “When he leaves, we’ll follow him to his hideout. Everyone except you, Dylan.”

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“What?” I projected. “I can help you!”

“He knows what you look like, but he hasn’t seen the rest of us. If we keep our distance, we’ll be able to track him.”

Given how dangerous the creature was, splitting the group seemed like a horrible idea, but I obeyed. I kept the crossbow pointed at his chest, but I didn’t pull the trigger.

Seizing his chance, the assassin grabbed Wystane’s collar and threw her aside. After returning to his original size, he pointed at me with a furious glare, and then ran from the room. Wystane waited for a few moments, and then the Surgeons left to follow him.

“We’ll meet you back at the mansion, Dylan.”

After they left, I put the assassin’s dagger in my pack and looked at the pool of blood on the floor. It pulsated as though still being pumped by a heart, just like the harpy’s blood. Was the assassin a demon?

After collecting the blood in a flask, I decided to visit the Enclave on the following day. They’d know what type of monster we were dealing with.

⚔

The next morning, none of the Surgeons had returned. Freth served chicken and eggs, but I couldn’t enjoy the meal. Where were they? Were they still fighting?

I waited for two more hours, and then decided to visit the Enclave. I told Freth my intention, and then headed south, thinking about the new magic items and enchantments I’d buy. And quests! The wizards in Raven’s Rest had tasked me to slay owlbears and wolves. What beasts were the wizards in Encelas interested in? Ogres? Minotaurs? Dragons?

The Enclave in Encelas looked like the building from Raven’s Rest, but stood two stories higher. As I opened the door, I saw a young wizard in blue robes seated at a desk with a crystal ball mounted in a sconce. Her face was immediately familiar.

“Good to see you, Prezon,” I said. “I’m glad you and all made it safely to Encelas.”

“Ah, Dylan the adventurer.” Prezon smiled. “Yes, I’m glad to be here as well, but I’m disappointed that I’m still assigned to the front desk. What can I do for you?”

“I’d like to buy items for protection, and if possible, I’d like to improve some of the items I have. Do you have any enchanters available?”

Prezon shook her head. “They’re busy enchanting weapons and armor for the city’s soldiers.”

My heart sank. I had plenty of money, but I couldn’t spend it if the mages were assisting the army.

“Do you have any missions for me?” I asked. “Any beasts you need slain?”

“No beasts, I’m afraid, but I have one task that might interest you. This afternoon, several senior wizards are leaving on an expedition to Zhulla. If you’d be willing to guard them, we’ll pay you handsomely.”

“Where is Zhulla?”

“It’s a tiny village far to the north. Some fishermen found a temple in the mountains, and our wizards have become obsessed with deciphering the writing on its walls.”

“I wish I could join,” I said, “but I can’t stray too far from Encelas. What about alchemy? Do you have any training that goes beyond the basics?”

“There I can help you. Intermediate alchemy training costs 50 gold.”

I placed the coins on the desk, and Prezon’s fingers traced arcs and ellipses on the crystal ball.

“Surmene?” Prezon asked. “A friend of ours seeks intermediate alchemy training. Do you have the time?”

“Certainly,” a female voice responded. “Send him to my office.”

⚔

Surmene’s office was larger than the alchemist’s office in Raven’s Rest. Alembics stood against each wall, flanked by bookshelves laden with thick manuals. Much of the floor was occupied by miniature gardens, from which sprouted flowering plants of every color and size.

Surmene was a grandmotherly half-elf in a sapphire-colored robe, and looked up from her gardening as I walked in. “So you already know the basics of alchemy. Is that correct?”

“Yes,” I said. “I’ve mixed potions of Lesser Healing and Cure Poison, and a few others.”

Surmene nodded. “While novice potions require ground-up flowers and mushrooms, intermediate potions require flowers, mushrooms, and blood. When you mix a potion that requires blood, you need to do more than just grind your ingredients. The mixture needs to be heated to get rid of the impurities, and that requires a calcinator.”

“How much heat does it need?” I asked.

“The color will tell you. When a potion is properly heated, it will take the lighter color of the blood used to make it. For example, a Potion of Invisibility requires chameleon blood, which is dark brown. When the potion is mixed and heated properly, it will be tan. Clear now?”

“Very clear.”

She handed me a book titled Intermediate Alchemy. “This shows what ingredients are needed and the required proportions of blood and water. In each case, there are three steps: add water to a flask, pour in blood, and then add the ground-up components.”

I took the book and repeated her instructions. “Water, then blood, then components.

Surmene smiled. “Precisely.”

I thumbed through the pages of the book, which explained how to mix potions of Strength, Healing, Invisibility, Regeneration, and Stoneskin.

“Do you sell components? Flowers, mushrooms, and blood, I mean?”

“Of course. I also sell the potions themselves.”

“I’d like to buy two potions each of Healing, Invisibility, Stoneskin, and Regeneration. I’d also like to buy a calcinator, tinder, and flint.”

After the trade, I set the flask of blood on Surmene’s desk. She lowered her head and stared at the black liquid, which continued to pulsate and swirl.

“I wounded a creature last night,” I said, “and because of its blood, I suspect that it was a demon. Is there anything you can tell me?”

Surmene’s face became grave. “I can’t tell you anything, I’m afraid. Only necromancers consort with black-blooded creatures.”

My heart fell. I desperately needed answers. “Isn’t there anything you can do? This is important—not just for me, but for all of Encelas.”

Surmene closed her eyes for a moment. “I know one person who can help you, but he’s rather odd and his assistance will be costly. Still interested?”

I leaned close to her. “I’m interested.”

Surmene nodded, and then went to her crystal ball and traced patterns on its surface.

“Obin?” she asked. “Are you there?”

“What… do you want?” The man sounded tired and annoyed.

“A friend of our wounded a creature last night, and its blood is as black as midnight. He’d like to know what type of creature it is. Can you assist him?”

“I suppose I can, but it will cost 400 gold.”

I gasped. That was almost everything I had left. I thought about mentioning my service to the chamberlain, but I was sworn to secrecy. I nodded to Surmene, and she leaned over the crystal ball.

“400 gold will be fine. Shall I send him down?”

“If you must.”