Kaden sat up, not covering the metal ribs embedded in his chest, and triggered the fairy lamp by the bedside. “Right-now help, later help, or some-time-before-I-die help?”
“Sleep is not forbidden, but this must be our purpose.” Ashi sat on the bed. “My brother traded a spellbook to one of your ‘Guild’ people to find out what Dungeon Sara was in. This was wrong in so many way. A royal treasure. A pride of the libraries. Spells that should not be in other hands, traded like minotaur horns.”
Kaden could barely keep his eyes open. “Give me a few more hours. Do we know where the book is?”
“We do not yet, but we will find it. Money is no object, the riches of Vichor are mine to use. A hundred thousand gold would be a bargain.”
Kaden was no longer sleepy. “Let’s say I wanted to finance resettling a town—”
“No. You have decided it will be so, and you must make it so.”
He laid back down. “After breakfast, we’ll hit up the Guild and start tracking them down.”
Ashi lay over. “I came back as soon as I could. There are few who choose to be in this world, few I can trust. The book was discovered missing just after the new year. Many question if this is a sign that Najur was not favored.”
“Only a sign Jagi was nuts,” Kaden said.
“Such a disgrace can never be public. We will find this book. We will return it in secret. It will never have been missing.” The worry in Ashi’s voice was contagious, but she couldn’t help yawning as Trinity raised her serpent head and gave a squeal of *Oh, her, again. I was really hoping for a wolf.*
It felt like Kaden blinked, and the sun was rising, the time of monsters was ending, and Trinity was heading out to shit in Sara’s garden, something Sara approved of. Speaking of Sara, Dominion said she wasn’t at the farmhouse.
Maybe she’d found company at the Guild, he sure hoped so. Sara deserved to be happy.
Ashi stirred as he rose and showered, then headed to the kitchen, where Vip was chewing on what looked a lot like an entire breakfast sausage. “What are you eating?”
*Love*, Vip replied. [Beast Soul] didn’t need to translate it. Love and sausage were essentially the same word.
“You shouldn’t feed Vip an entire sausage,” Kaden said as Eve worked.
“And you shouldn’t allow strange women in your bedroom. There, we’ve exchanged unwanted advice and are now equal. Eggs?” Eve asked.
Ashi’s quiet laughter made him smile. “Am I so strange to you, Evelyn?”
“Compared to Kaden you’re downright normal. But where I’m from, a man marries a woman. A woman stays with her man. You show your love by your commitment to each other.” Eve slung a fried egg like a weapon, landing it on Kaden’s plate from across the room, and another. “You do you, but it doesn’t look or feel right.”
Kaden actually understood Eve’s confusion. Of all her odd stances, it was one that made the most sense. And it was the last thing he’d waste time on. “Ashi has a Quest to find a spellbook. I’m going to help her. I sent a bird to Sara asking the same question. You want to come along or you want to hunt with Cutter Karn?”
Karn. They might be related. Then again, Kaden probably wasn’t related to every ‘Birch’ in the world.
“It depends on where you are going.”
“The Guild,” Ashi said, accepting a plate from Eve. “I will find the Quest Broker and murder him after I force him to reveal the location.”
Kaden wasn’t sure when murder became the plan, but he did have a better one. “Or.”
“Or?” Ashi asked.
Eve looked away. “Oh, not. Here we go.”
“Or, I send a message to the Guild Administrator. He owes me. How many parties have I pulled out of dungeons? How many dungeons have I re-opened for him? All we want to know is what Quest Broker knew where Sara’s party was.” Kaden waited patiently.
“I owe you an apology. I’m sorry I thought this idea would be as bad as almost every other one you’ve come up with.” Eve dipped her head in contrition.
“Accepted.” Kaden looked to Ashi. “We’ll try my way.”
“Murder is always an option,” she answered.
###
The Guild bustled this morning because a dungeon break had level seventy adventurers massing to clear it. Kaden and Ashi threaded their way toward the top floor, while Eve went to meet Sara at a downstairs bar.
The Guild Administrator waved Kaden into his office. “I’m really busy this morning, but make sure the Vichoreans know I’m eager to help. Your Party’s Broker was Alain Wentworth, but he’s not here, and hasn’t been for months. He accepted a transfer to the Southern Continent and left for Omnor not long afer.”
Ashi swore. “We will track him there.”
The Guild Administrator shook his head. “Now, I have to be careful about accusing people. But let’s say he did accept a stollen spellbook, and let’s say he did run. The man was a Crafter by class and a Broker by profession. He can’t use the spellbook. He headed straight to the Underground Market to sell it.”
Kaden looked to Ashi, who showed no recognition. “The Underground Market is?”
“Omnor is in the blight. It’s an underground city, a cavern surrounding an underground volcano. The Plutarchy there maintains the largest blackmarket in existence. We have Quest Brokers, they have Item Brokers who collect and arrange access to everything.” The Guild Admin brought up a map. “You can’t even get into the market without something to trade, something worth trading.”
“Wand of Seasons?” Kaden asked, taking it from Inventory.
“Got three, I use them to prop windows open,” The Guild Administrator replied.
Kaden carefully took out the tube of Mana Dust. “How about this?”
The sharp whistle of breath from both of them said more than words.
“Where do you get that?” Both demanded at once.
Priorities were always set right. Kaden answered Ashi. “Erris Karn had it. You know my rule for loot. If it’s not tied down, I take it. I tried to talk to Mistress Scylla.”
“That would get you in. Jackie’s busy working on getting help for your lover, but I’ll send her a message. Given that Allan is a Crafter, he didn’t spend time in the Market if he didn’t have to, and he probably was looking for somewhere to hide for a few years. You might catch him in Omnor proper.”
“Thank you.” Ashi placed her hands together. “I will mention you by name when I recount those who helped undo this wrong. I will specifically ask Mother not to speak to you.”
The Guild Administrator was a black man, and he didn’t really turn pale, but the way his eyes went wide, Kaden felt bad for him. He looked down at a scroll, and read a bit further. “I had your party scheduled to clear an erratic dungeon but it can wait.”
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
“Give me the coordinates. I will personally deal with it when I get back,” Kaden said. “I’m curious, what Faction are you a member of?”
“Assassins are our own,” he said. “We’re happy to let everyone else think they run the world, and as long as they don’t break everything? We don’t have a reason to act. But when we act, there are consequences.”
“I’d say it doesn’t hurt to ask, but…” Kaden never knew quite where he stood with the head of the Adventurer’s Guild.
“No Faction Quest for you! Now, if you don’t mind, I have to meet with the [Alchemist] Hall.”
Kaden left as soon as possible because meetings with the Guild Administrator often required a mop and bucket to clean up after. “Where is Sara?”
“Downstairs in the Crafter’s Commune. May I have the wand?”
He gave it to Ashi without question. “I thought you only liked exotic mana types.”
She shook it, checking each setting, and handed it back. “Worthless. I have deep stores of these types. Gnomes make good wands. Powerful wands. We should hunt Gnomes soon.”
There was never enough time in the day to hunt everything Kaden wanted to, but this Quest would allow him to fulfill another he’d been waiting for. “There’s Eve and Sara.”
Sara saw them and waved. “I hear we’re going to Omnor. I won’t lie, I feel better about it with us in the second tier.”
Eve accepted a pacakge from a crafter and joined them. “People die a great deal in Omnor. You’ll need someone who can resurrect Kaden, so I’ll join you.”
A Messenger Bird landed lightly on Kaden’s arm, and he listened for a moment. “Sara, I need you for a moment. Ashi, Eve, stock up. I don’t know what we’ll find in Omnor.”
“What we need, I will buy,” Ashi said.
Kaden quickly left the Crafter’s level, heading to the top floor of the Guild, then down a side hall, with Sara close behind him. When he opened the door, the meeting room windows were open wide and crisp wind blew in.
Mistress Scylla sat at the end of the table, her orange octopi tentacles arranging furniture nearby. “Kaden. Sara.”
“Mom.” Sara’s voice contained all the disappointment she still held. “What are you doing here?”
“Kaden asked to speak to me. I’d like to speak to you. You’re going to Omnor? And the Underground Market?”
“I am.” Kaden took a seat across from her, while Sara stood to his right, arms crossed. “I have a tube of Mana Dust. I’ll say I’m there to sell it.”
Mistress Scylla extended one tentacle. “Show me. I need to know who you got it from and where you got it from them.”
Kaden carefully handed it over., then explained about Erris Karn, the Serpentors, his looting of the outpost.
“Not one of mine. If he only had a single tube, he was either a very light user or he had a guaranteed supply. Did he show excessive skill use?” Mistress Scylla sealed the tube and handed it back.
“He mainly used a [Wand of Seasons],” Kaden said. “But he did freeze an entire river with it.”
The room became very quiet. “I would ask if you took the wand, but you are you. Did you sell it already?”
Kaden shook his head. “I was going to give it to Ashi, but it’s just standard Mana types.”
“Carefully—carefully—hand it over.” This time, she extended four tentacles, wrapping them tightly around the wand as Kaden handed it over. “Yes, I thought so. See the thumb grip?”
Metal cracked, and Mistress Scylla tossed a piece of the wand back down the table. The grip where one put their thumb to activate the wand housed a blade the size of a fingernail. More cracking, and when Mistress Scylla turned, she held the body of the wand, which she shook.
A second gray tube of paste fell out, oozing slightly into Mistress Scylla’s hand. “The wand continued to dose him so he could use it. I know the mark on this one. I’ve been hunting this dealer for a century.”
“The Mercari are searching for FarPortals connected to Erris’s shipping station. They’ll have the history of locations.”
“Using a weapon like this, he would go every day. If I find where he was buying, I will find his dealer and then, deal with him.” Mistress Scylla with drew a third tube from Inventory, sealed with a mana barrier on one end and a second Wand of Seasons. “The Underground Market will require each of you to have an item to trade. Go in pairs only, anything larger will draw attention. At one time, I ordered supplies from there.”
“Drugs,” Sara said. “You ordered Mana Dust. Not Jackaroo coverings. That’s why your shipments were stolen.”
Mistress Scylla kept quiet for long minutes. “I ordered Euphorium. Addicts will find a way. Having a trusted source who knows when someone is breaking their addiction and when they are sinking further is essential. I control what they receive. I dillute to wean addicts off. I ‘run out’ when someone is increasing use.”
“That makes it right?” Sara asked bitterly.
“It makes it necesary. The Justari know who must not be allowed to hold power. The city guard know who to keep an eye on. In larger cities, there is no control. There is no order or knowledge.” Mistress Scylla shook her head. “My place in the chain allows me to help rather than harm.”
Kaden put away the tubes of Mana Dust and the wand. “When I get into the market, how would I find the spell book? Or who it was sold to next?”
“Go see Digus Bicus. He’s a ‘Treasure Broker’ who prides himself on magical tomes. Even more, he’s almost entirely rational, something I can’t say for the other brokers. Do you have a pretense?”
A lie. A lie for why he’d want the book. “My pretense is that the owner wants it back desperately and sent me to get it.”
Sara shook her head. “You need something better. For some thieves, knowing it won’t go back to the owner is as much a payoff as the gold. Say it has a spell that can break a binding. Tell them there’s a binding on Trella and the book is rumored to have a spell to break it.”
“That is a common enough scenario. Also, please understand that Omnor doesn’t operate by peaceful rules. When you’re accosted on arrival—and you will be—make an example. A gory example. Do it quickly and you won’t be attacked twice.” The whole time Mistress Scylla spoke, she focused on Kaden. “This will not be a time for mercy and the power of friendship. Show weakness and you will be worn down until even the strong fall.”
“I’ll be prepared.” Kaden wasn’t sure he would be.
“How goes Treadle’s research?”
Kaden drew Nasky’s Demon Core from Inventory. “We’ve been using this and [Binding Mark]. Mr. Dervish is certain he can not only break the binding, but keep it off Trell and I long enough to kill it. He’s gathering materials to try, now.”
“That’s ten times faster than I expected. Of course, having a bound demon to experiment on is a first. Does it regenerate?” Mistress Scyall reached for the core.
Kaden put it away. “No. Naski had her class revoked by Asmodeus for betraying him a second time. Cut off from Demon power and without any sacrifices, she can’t regrow. That’s the Professor’s theory.”
“And this bond. How similar is it to the [Slaver] class?”
Kaden shook his head. “We don’t know. If I find a [Slaver] I’ll bring him in and we’ll see. I’m not sure how I’d recognize one, but if I do, then I’ll make an example.”
“He or she will be a Centurion. They gain XP so quickly it’s almost assured. The class is hidden, but given your history I’m not going to risk it. Should you find one, purchase a secure bird and send it to me. I know people who can deal with them.” Mistress Scylla looked to Sara. “I’d like to speak to Sara alone.”
Kaden left them there, nervous and eager to get going. But while he waited, a Dragon landed on his arm. Kaden shuddered as it leaned in to speak. “Meet us in my Guild Quarters,” it said in Eve’s voice. “Plans are changing with the situation.”
After thirty minutes, Sara emerged, her face red and angry.
Kaden explained and they hurried to the fourth floor, where Eve met them at the door to open it and then turned on Ashi. “Have you ever brokered discussions between nobles? I don’t care if they’re Vichorean or Pandorean or Delorean, nobles are nobles. Delay them.”
“They demand an audience with Mother!” Ashi said. “This is their right, by birth.”
Eve didn’t miss a beat. “Is it their right? Is it really? How do you know it’s their right by birth?”
Ashi began to crackle with electricity, which she did every time she was angry. “It is not the same as here. Their lineage is recorded for every family, the mother, and who she chose to father the child. And I cannot demand this.”
“I’ll do it. I was delaying and wearing down nobles when I was nine. I want to see their records. Their entire records, and I’ll personally verify every single one. Then, when the entire noble party is vetted, I’ll record their questions. Individually.” Eve wasn’t malicious as she spoke, simply cold and calm. “Time passes slower in Vichor. It should buy Kaden and you a chance to get the book.”
Ashi opened her mouth to speak—and stopped. “It is a good plan. But I must go with you, or you will not be allowed. Kaden is of Vichor, as are all Dungeon Masters. You must receive permission from Mother.”
Kaden had gathered enough of the situation. “I could go back. You and Sara and Eve go to Omnor. The three of you would be unstoppable.”
“Tell me the difference between Lineage by Atrribution and Lineage by Secondary Attrribution,” Eve said. “It’s the details that matter. It’s the details that delay. Secondary attribution is when a father claims he’s the father. It’s about as valuable as if the maid says he’s the father. Less valuable, because I’d trust a maid, while a man would lie for his pride.”
Ashi turned and reached for Kaden, taking both hands.
You have received: 1x Authority of Vichor. You may take on debts for the benefit of the kingdom, but know that your choices are watched. Do you really need to be told it’s a bad idea to steal from someone who can alter the System?
Kaden pulled her close for a hug. “Is there anything you need?”
“You to hurry,” Ashi said. “It is not too late to undo the harm. It is not your duty as a DungeonMaster. It is my request of you as a friend. Mother does not ask this of you.”
“I’d be less receptive if it came from her.” Kaden made mental adjustments to Dominion to protect the house. “Eve, do you need Vip?”
“Would she be safe?” Eve asked. “You told Kaden very little would survive the trip.”
“I told Kaden many lies, once, out of desperation. I will not let her be harmed.”
Kaden summoned Vip and let her leap into his arms, squeezing the dog tightly until she squirmed. “You take good care of Eve.”
*Love.* Vip said it, she meant it.
Kaden handed her to Ashi.
Vip immediately stopped wriggling, snuggling down with a sigh.
The four made their way through the Guild and downstairs to the FarPortal. Kaden let Eve and Ashi go first, watching as the FarPortal turned rainbow colors and engulfed them, then looked to Sara. “You ready?”
“Close enough,” She said. “You have the inheritance package from Dervish?”
Kaden had checked twice. “Got it. The Market is the priority.”
And they stepped through.