Rancour stared at Van. “That’s cold. You’re a different man than I expected.”
Van ran a hand through his hair. “It’s all that I can think of. Look, Seraquinn and Plux are headed off to Vinayre in two days. I don’t think there’ll be a better time to strike.”
“They’ll leave some good people behind. They’re not stupid.”
“Every group has its weak link. If we pin it on them, we’ll at least stir up some trouble within the two factions.”
Rancour crossed his arms and leaned back. “And what about Seraquinn and Plux? Any way you can do something about them in Vinayre?”
Van hesitated, “...I’ll see what I can do, but no promises. It’s been awhile since I’ve spoken to my contacts there.”
----------------------------------------
After the healers clear Elle’s condition, the trio decide to relocate to the Hunter’s Guild. Elle appreciates that someone cleared the main streets of snow, already feeling the cold bite into her toes through her runners. If Vinayre is this bad, she doesn’t want to venture outside of the city.
When they push through the guild’s doors, Tiami is once again the only person in the lobby. She offers a tired smile to the group. “Good morning, I’m glad to see you all. Elle, I’m sorry to hear about your injuries. How are you feeling now?”
Elle smiles back at her. “I’m alright. Probably shouldn’t be doing anything too heavy though for the next few days.”
“Luckily for you, I don’t think you’ll need to be doing much. The blizzards make it near impossible to travel outside of the city.”
“Aren’t there underground tunnels?” Elle looks at all of them in confusion.
Serena shrugs. “They’re kind of sketchy to be honest. Aura won’t help much if there’s a cave-in. Also, most of the tunnels into Vinayre are locked down.”
Tiami nods. “That’s correct. We found out early on that monsters can use those tunnels too, so it became better to keep them closed. If we need to evacuate the city, then we’ll open them back up, but it’s not really worth it to keep them open all the time.”
Elle sits down at a table. “Has no one used them since you’ve blockaded them?”
“Hmm, very few people as far as I know. We would need to post guards at the entrances if we did use them, so we generally avoid it.”
Thermal also takes a seat. “Is this common knowledge? Can we rule out that Fesper Bleck’s group attempted to retreat to Vinayre through the tunnels?”
Serena joins them. “Well, I heard about the tunnels through word of mouth, so I think his group would be familiar enough with the area to know. Did you not know about this?”
His cheeks redden. “I…” He begins with an indignant tone but calms down. “...have been travelling above-ground this whole time. Purposefully using those death-traps for extended travel never occurred to me.”
Elle adds, “I think it’s unlikely that they would’ve tried to use those particular tunnels. When we were down there, I noticed that we went pretty deep. Vinayre is up on a hill and not in the same direction that the sigil was pointing. If they were desperate, there’d be easier places to emerge.”
Tiami tilts her head. “You sound confident in your analysis. Where was the sigil pointing then?”
“To the city that fell onto the Ice Shield. Uh… I can’t remember the name, sorry.”
“Una City from Nessaprine.” The guild master props up her head on her hand, her brow knitted in thought. “It’s been restricted from public access for almost two months now. We’ve closed off all the known tunnels, but it’s possible that Mr. Bleck’s group managed to discover one by themselves.”
Serena says, “Even if they found a tunnel, how did they manage to make it to Una City alive? We ran into two great worms just by going halfway.”
Thermal adjusts his glasses. “Indeed, that is quite puzzling. Perhaps monster activity has increased since they descended? Powerful magic rituals could attract more monsters?”
Elle replies, “I remember my allergies acting up on the mountain, so maybe some kind of blood magic thing was done there? Do you know of anything that would fit that?”
“There are many rituals which fit that description.” He laces his hands together. “However, Mr. Bleck was a follower of Cravallus, so we may have a lead there. One of our next steps should be to visit the Archives at the Temple of Eurimas.”
Serena makes a face, “Let’s split up then. I’ve got a lead that I need follow alone.”
Elle shrugs. “I’m alright with that.”
Thermal says, “Very well then, Elle and I will research together at the Archives. We will have to find the information quickly though. Unfortunately, the Head Archivist has some grievances with me.”
Elle wonders whether or not it’ll be polite to ask about those grievances. Before she can make up her mind though, Tiami interjects, “Before anyone goes anywhere, I think the three of you should discuss what happened on the field yesterday. I understand the three of you usually work as individuals, but it’s important to communicate about places for improvement.”
All of them wince in varying degrees. Elle’s cheeks heat up, but she pushes aside her embarrassment. “Yeah, I’m pretty new to this. Sorry for not speaking up much. I’m not good at dealing with conflict, so I didn’t do anything to help with the situation. That being said, I wasn’t hiding my powers on purpose. I came to Vinayre because I wanted to learn more about them.”
Thermal nods in acceptance. “I see. You’re not alone in not understanding the full breadth of your powers. As an apology for my role in risking the team, I will be happy to help you with your research.”
Elle’s eyes widen. She’s already shown off her most powerful attack, so she doesn’t think it’d hurt to get his assistance. “Really? Thank you, I’d appreciate it.”
Tiami says, “The Hunter’s Guild has a training room. Since people are still avoiding us, you’ll probably have it to yourselves for the next little while.”
Serena smirks. “Don’t leave me out of the fun. Your melee skills need some polish too. I can give you some pointers.” She stretches and looks at Thermal. “But speaking of not telling us things, mind telling us what was up with you during the mission? You almost got yourself killed.”
Thermal freezes, his expression settling into a blank mask. For a long moment, Elle thinks he won’t answer, but he sighs and replies, “I am only willing to answer if it does not leave this room. After our mission, I have a little more faith in this team but no one beyond it.”
Elle and Serena make gestures of agreement. He continues, “My magic relies solely upon specialised ink and paper for spell components. While that is a massive boon for spells requiring rare ingredients, it has become a major drawback after the Calamities. Regular paper is now a scarce resource, and the mana-filled ink is a luxury commodity. Due to my dwindling supplies, I reached out to the guilds in Vinayre and agreed to complete this mission in exchange for easier access to the components.”
Elle thinks about the thinness of his tome and the spells which burn pages from it. “So if you failed the mission, you wouldn’t be able to get the stuff you need to defend yourself. You’d be as good as dead anyways.”
“That is a rather tactless way to summarise it, but yes.”
As Elle cringes, Serena pipes up, “Tiami, would you be able to get some for him before we head onto the field again? I know it’s supposed to be his reward and all, but I rather not die because he’s being stingy with his stuff.”
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Drumming her fingers on the counter, the guild master looks to be deep in thought. “I can try contacting the Arcanist’s Guild, but I can’t make any promises. Most of the magic paper is being bought by the Temple to make their preservation spells. At the very least, I should have an answer for you and additional team members by the time the blizzard clears.”
Elle folds her arms. “Does it not snow here very often? It’s so cold, yet I didn’t see a ton of snow when I arrived.”
Tiami shrugs. “We get less rain or snow relative to other areas, as far as I know. It does melt surprisingly quickly, but I’ve been told that it has an unusually high concentration of mana. The city takes the shovelled snow for experiments.”
Thermal adds, “Relatively high concentration, that is. Once the snow melts, the mana evaporates with it. It seems like mana here does not linger unless it is attached to a physical object.”
Elle asks, “While that’s all interesting, are you able to use other spell components in the mean time?”
“Unfortunately, I lost the capability once my aura awoke. Yet another mystery to ponder upon…”
Biting at the inside of her cheek, Elle stares at the table in thought. Did the merging of worlds cause their natural laws to contradict and interfere with each other? She recalls Ira mentioning that the System stopped working properly too. What other processes did the Calamities affect?
***
After deciding on plans, they leave the guildhall and part ways. As Elle and Thermal walk out of sight, Serena relaxes and makes her way to the public library. She has a hard time reading, so it’s more for disguising her movements than any real research. Nobody is tailing her closely as far as she can tell, so she only pretends to read for a few minutes before finding a different exit.
As she wanders through the streets, Serena listens to the conversations around her, keeping her gaze casual and natural. At least half of them are in Xanam, so she has a bit of trouble following the topic. Luckily for her, there are plenty of people who speak Euri.
“Can you believe that my boss is only giving me half-time off for the festival? We’re not healers; the paperwork won’t bleed out if we delay it by a day.”
“And here I thought workaholics died out with the Calamities… He does realise that nothing matters anymore, right?”
“Aris guard your heart, that was terribly dark.”
“Hey, I didn’t mean it in a depressing way! We should all be able to cut loose now that we don’t have to worry about food and rooves over our heads.”
“Well, the Weaver’s Guild is putting up a stall for the Festival, so some of us will be working during it.”
“Oh shit, sorry for bitching.”
“Ah, it’s fine. At least we get paid overtime.”
By the time she reaches the Crooning Loon, Serena starts to feel interested in the festival too. Back in Quinlind, she’d grab whatever free samples were available during the celebrations; they were some of the only times she could try new food. The Calamities destroyed all the farms, so talk of Vinayre’s festival didn’t grab her attention. After hearing more people talk about it though, Serena wants to see all the various crafts and stalls being shown off.
Serena pulls open a glass door and finds herself in a moderately busy tavern. Since it’s too early for the lunch rush, there are still a few empty tables. Instead of picking one of those, she makes her way to the bar where her favourite merchant sits with a drink. “Hey, Kuriole! Enjoying the snow?”
The curly haired gnome grins. “I am now that I’ve got ale in my belly! If it weren’t for all the knick-knacks here, I would’ve headed up to Basinoon.”
She slides into the seat next to him. “But then you’d have to fight the sea-cold? And it’s always so wet near the harbours.” As much as she loved life in Ballaturne, Serena remembers hating the humidity and mist that clung to her skin.
He waves her off. “Ah, you get used to it. The sea has a charm of its own. Vinayre has a giant chunk of ice blocking the view, but we’re not too far from it here.”
The tavern owner Benny wanders over to them. “I’d love the business of a port city, but we gotta install a lighthouse first. Not even for the sailors, for us poor folks who wander ten paces outside of the city and want to find our way back!” His green scales glimmer in the light. “Good day to you, Serena. What can I get for you?”
“A pitcher of beer for me and Kuriole!” She slides thirty lymm to Benny and smiles at Kuriole. “Think of it as a thank-you for your tip. I got a good deal.”
Kuriole’s eyes light up. “Glad the youth still knows how to show gratitude. How much did you get?”
“Forty lymm for a handful of glossy woodbug shells. They were real desperate.”
He chuckles, “A lot of sales are about the timing. Are you interested in more opportunities?”
Benny sets down a pitcher, and Serena pours the beer into glasses. “Hmm… I’m looking for something a little more specific this time. Maybe to trade or buy.”
He accepts a glass from her, raising his eyebrows. “Oh, I can do that too. What are you looking for?”
“Has anyone been selling magical foci besides the Arcanist’s Guild? On the market or privately?”
“Magical foci… That would most certainly be a specialty item, yes. Are you looking for anything specific?”
“Oh, I’m not picky. A spellbook, staff, mirror… Just trying to get a feel for what’s available.”
Kuriole drinks from his glass. “A filled spellbook gets snatched up quickly by the Arcanist’s Guild or the Temple of Eurimas, so you’d have to be rich and get there before anyone else does. If you find a spellbook on the other hand, I can get you an excellent deal.”
“I’ll keep you in mind,” Serena lies, knowing the true value of one. The Calamities have turned such luxury items into things that money can’t buy. The petty part of her loves it. “What about the others?”
“Hmm… I’ve been hearing something about a staff on the market. But I would avoid that one for now.”
“Why’s that?”
“Rumours say that it’s powerful one from Una City, but since the Council has closed off the ruins for months now…”
Serena sighs, “The guards will come knocking, yeah. Do you know if the rumours are real?”
Wandering back to their end of the bar, Benny joins their conversation. “From Una City? I heard that someone is selling Archmage Aspirash’s staff. I think the Council will be more mad about that one on principle.”
Kuriole lowers his voice. “No, it’s certainly from Una City. I spoke to the potential buyer, and they were looking for runic enchantments specific to the System. They were expecting it about two or three days ago, but the seller got cold feet and didn’t meet them. I wonder what kind of pretty coin would it take to coax them out…”
Fesper Bleck’s group disappeared two days ago and likely went to Una City. Was he the seller? Serena saves this thought for later. “Maybe it was just a scam. Did the seller see the staff?”
“Yes, they did see the goods. I suppose an illusion could’ve done the trick, but I get the sense that they’re a half-decent mage. They would’ve known if it was real.”
Benny looks interested. “But how did the seller get something so rare? Two months is a long time to hold onto it before selling if they sourced it from Una City. Honestly, it would’ve looked less suspicious had they sold it then. Perhaps they looted it?”
Kuriole strokes his beard. “Aye, that’s possible. Or perhaps they found another way into the ruins.”
“I guess nobody is sharing if they did. I don’t hear a peep about it nowadays. Two months ago, every other customer had something to say about the closure!”
Serena nurses her beer. “Why did they shut it down if everybody was going to be so mad about it? Was it too dangerous or something?”
Benny begins to clean a row of mugs. “Well, there were definitely a lot of monsters attracted to the mana left in the artefacts. The farther away you got from the Ice Shield, the more monsters you’d see. I tried scavenging once and swore off it once I almost got dogpiled by them. But the thing that actually got the Council involved was an argument between the Temple and some people from Nessaprine.”
Her eyes widen. “Wait, just an argument? That’s crazy.”
Kuriole snorts, “Oh, not the usual arguments about religion. The Temple took these precious scrolls from Una City to store in their Archives — ones that were sacred to the native people of Nessaprine — and refused to give them back. The situation got so heated that a bunch of people left the city.”
Benny nods, “It got ugly very fast. The Temple already had a reputation for being passive-aggressive towards people from Nessaprine. I had to ask customers to leave the tavern before punches were thrown about it. In the end, the Council couldn’t prevent people from taking sacred objects, so they stopped access to the ruins entirely. I don’t know if it was the right move, but I can understand why they did it.”
Serena never liked the Temple in the first place, so she already wants to support the other side of the argument. On the other hand, she feels a bit annoyed that the Council would block off the ruins when people need to find materials to support themselves. They just survived the end of the world, for Cravallus’ sake! “Did the Temple ever give back the scrolls?”
“Not as far as I know. Kind of a dick move, if I’m being honest.”
“Sounds like something they’d do.” She finishes her glass of beer and pours more for herself and Kuriole. “What about the people who left? Where they did go?”
Benny thinks for a moment. “A lot of people went north because they didn’t want to deal with the Temple anymore. But if I remember correctly, the people who were most involved with the talks went west towards the Outlands. They set up a place called Fort Kernstone, and you can get good deals for ore there.”
“Huh, good to know. Thanks for the tip!” Having found her answers, Serena lets the conversation flow naturally, enjoying her beer and good company. This has to be way more fun than staring at dusty, old scrolls.