Chapter 117

Justinian, dressed to the nines, was holding a familiar black-handled case, and was scanning around the basement. "Nice place; do you sublet to rats?" He asked, his eyes taking it all in as they flicked from the rafters to the floors.

"Like where you work is any different. It's underground too," Riley scoffed, defensive of the only home she had.

"Yeah, but my apartment is respectably second story. Only peasants live in the basement," he sniffed with a fake superior air.

"That's only to get away from the smell you nobles leave behind," Riley quipped as Justinian threw a hand over his chest.

"Run through by a Ranger... It's a conspiracy!" Falling dramatically to one knee, instead of feigning his death, he swept off his hat with a modified bow, before setting it to one side on the floor, only to set the case flat and open it.

"M'lady, show mercy on a humble servant. I present you with your requested wares." Dramatically he flipped up the latch and drew it slowly open, revealing a segmented deep black armor plate, that gave way to mail over what would be her stomach and lower torso.

Artful filigree had been inlaid into the plates, offering accented curves, drawing attention from tightly set mail rings, so small it almost appeared as if it were forged of a strange fabric.

Riley cast analyze:

Mythril Ranger Armor, Masterwork, Elite

Endurance augmented 50%, Elemental Resistance augmented 50%, Magical resistance augmented 50%

Slowly regenerates mana when not in active use.

This item was made with love, concern, and familial friendship, granting an additional 10% modifier to all base effects.

"It's amazing," Riley's eyes widened as she struggled to find her words, "You're amazing!"

"Justinian, this is too much," Tobias objected.

"Don't worry, you aren't getting the bill on this one, but it's some of my best work. You two are my family, and I know what kind of horrors you're facing out there. I do repairs when I don't have orders, and I've scrubbed my fair share of blood off of plate mail, so just take it, ok, and try not to die."

Awkwardly, Justinian rose and pulled Tobias into a hug.

Tobias sighed and pulled away but let his hand rest on his best friend's shoulder. "You don't know the half of it. The way Sabine talks, we've stumbled into something bad."

"Which is why you aren't drinking on my tab tonight and celebrating my greatness, I take it," he smiled mischievously.

"Yeah, the attacks seem to occur overnight at intervals, so the hope is we will catch it in a rest period, but I don't expect it to be that easy," Tobias looked down as Riley felt a sudden feeling of being lost and adrift rising like an ascending iceberg from within his soul.

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"You think the monster is the doorway to a wider conspiracy," Justinian concluded.

"Sabine thinks so, and that doesn't leave this room," Tobias pointed a finger, landing squarely in the middle of Justinian's chest.

He smiled wanly. "Brother, I could have told you that days ago."

Tobias' jaw fell open as Riley asked for him. "What do you know?"

"There are so many cabals, power alliances, and other horseshit roaming around the second and first tier halls of the castle I'm surprised you aren't even more busy, but if you're crossing over into their games, man, you should have let me know sooner. If Sabine's right, well, just watch your ass and remember it's ok to run, and it's ok to be a little blind. You've got more to think about than you," Justinian replied.

Tobias went pale. "My family..."

"Would be right in the middle if you exposed the wrong Noble. Go wherever you're going with your eyes open, but don't be afraid to keep them shut. Talk to Sabine before you do anything stupid, or me. Do you understand?" Justinian had lost all joking manner and gripped Tobias' shoulder with his massive right hand.

"Ok, friend, stay upstairs for a while and have a drink for me. My Granda is already at the Cathedral offering prayers most days," Tobias replied, looking back towards the door.

"I'll do that. Riley, up on your hind paws. Let's get that ill-fitting kit off of you," Justinian replied with a nod, going back down on one knee.

She complied, letting her forepaws hang out front, cocking her head in a scan as Justinian expertly pulled at buckles, and soon, the messenger armor fell away.

The cool black metal added punctuation to the edges of her fur as it warmed, clinging in the exact right places, offering a greater comfort that, at first, seemed odd and out of place.

"I feel like I'm part beetle!" She said a moment later, after the last strap was fastened, and tentatively hopped around.

The segmented, overlapping plates covering her back moved with her, preserving her mobility, while the mail that tucked up under the plates over her ribs gave her forelegs enough space to move.

"Whatever those are, they've got nothing on you," Justinian said, tussling her ears before rising.

Riley boggled again at all the differences between their world.

"Thank you again, friend," Tobias held out his hand, allowing the brothers to clasp arms.

"I'll be back tomorrow, and I expect you to give me an evening to get you at least mildly drunk," Justinian said, hugging him again.

"Fair enough, old friend," Tobias smiled before turning and moving towards the back entrance.

"See you tomorrow! Don't worry, we'll be fine!" Riley called back, hoping she wasn't telling a lie.

They left through the back entrance, and as they threw open the door, a chill wind blew across both of them as if in herald to winter.

"Riley, veil, and keep close and quiet," Tobias ordered, falling into business.

With a nod, she pulled at her magic as they made their way into the night.

Checking their inventory, she eyed a new key given by Sabine. Only to notice her mana gauge was now surrounded by a soft glowing golden box, along with a green arrow pointing up, set just beside it.

Buff Active, Mana Regeneration

"Cool," she said to herself, keeping her thoughts away from Tobias, who was busy navigating and avoiding the people moving about on their evening tasks.

It was well past eight in the evening, and the day's crush of returning workers to their homes was done, but the nighttime entertainment was just getting started.

People clustered around bars, laughing, some already drunk, while carriages whisked others to their evening destinations.

In some ways, Ashenvale reminded her much of what she could remember about New York, too.

"It was the city that never rested... Wait... that's not right, well, not exactly..." She said, following Tobias while splitting her attention between the people and her own internal monologue.

"What was it?" She mused, grasping for the exact turn of phrase as they turned one corner, then another, before she felt a strange pall of magic and then a choking stench that drove all such distractions away.

"By the dead gods, that is foul," she gagged.

"We just crossed the ward barrier for the central sewer," Tobias said before spitting. "How can it be a smell you can taste?"

"And it's about to get worse, isn't it?" Riley asked rhetorically.

"I'm afraid, much. For now, we're still outside," Tobias replied, as he produced the key.