The streets of Omnor held less tension now. The temple was in the far northeastern corner of Omnor, but the [Priest] assured them a blessing would grant them permission to travel anywhere for twenty four hours. Kaden headed straight for the Underground Market with Sara beside him.
This time, the bouncers glanced his way and shrugged letting them pass. “Two Brokers? Twice the trouble.”
With that, Sara and Kaden were passed on. Twelve steps into the Underground Market, Kaden caught sight of a young Udon girl among the swarm of market visitors, and rushed to her. “We’re headed to meet with your boss. Do we need an appointment?”
She immediately latched onto Sara’s hand and led them through the streets of the market to an entirely different building, arched stone with heavy wooden signs advertising a blacksmith, except the forge at the front lay dark and cold. Kaden plunged into the darkness, hell bent on figuring out how to help Sara.
One step into the abaondoned blacksmith, Kaden shifted locations. Suridev must have installed a Rune Portal, allowing entrance to his true headquarters. Bright lights and glossy wood and stone told Kaden he was back in the Udon complex. Today, the fine inlayed wood floors were splattered with blood, and teenagers worked with mop and bucket to clean up the mess, arguing about whether that was a thumb or a toe in the pile.
“Radu! I told you no new customers until the hour!” Vanya called as he entered the center hall—then recognized them. “Appologies, for the mess. A guest was less than polite with Lord Suridev. A guest who mis-estimated the power of a Centurion versus the strength of a dragon. His knowledge is corrected. You can’t enter here, by virtue of neutrality, unless you’re willing to let us verify what happened.”
“What do you mean, what happened?” Kaden asked, trying to restrain himself.
Vanya dispatched a Messenger Bird. “Word is you were in the Emporium at the exact moment the Necromancers attacked. Everyone is on edge, accusing everyone else of assisting. The Brokers are nearly at war with each other. To keep the Master’s standing, I have called an investigator.”
The center hall had high arched alcoves with sculptures of different dragons slaying heroes with varying degrees of ease, but one alcove lay covered by a heavy woven tapestry of a dragon devouring St. George, the Dragon Feeder. Servants rushed to pull back the tapestry, revealing an empty alcove with a pattern of runes that reminded Kaden of the ancient FarPortal he’d found in the cultist town.
The runes glowed, forming pillars of light that reached to the top of the alcove, and the center grew brighter and brighter. The portal flashed, and out stepped a thin man in dark purple robes with an ridiculous hat and even uglier spectacles that gleamed like polished [Thousand Year Terrapin] shell.
[Inquisitor Marx]
The Inquisitors are masters of revelation, the craft which shows them the facts of what has occured, for as far as they focus, when the materials support. The final answer in most matters, few expect their arrival and even fewer survive it.
The Inquisitor scanned the room and when his gaze locked on Kaden, his spectacles shifted to crimson and then changed colors, cycling through the colors of the rainbow.
Inquisitor Marx has used [Revalation of Cintus].
Your recent history is under review.
Kaden’s skin burned and he coughed as the mana in his soul resonated, echoing images he couldn’t quite understand, couldn’t prevent or control. His chest ached, and Kaden held his breath as he steadied himself for battle based on what happened next. If the inquisitor said ‘Attack’ or even ‘Atta,’ Kaden would in fact attack him, because there would be no question he’d discovered their role in the attack.
“What a waste of time. I saw their corpses in the Emporium. That one was attacking a Necromancer when he died, for all the good it did, that one never saw it coming but couldn’t even die correctly. I had suspected both being involved but the trail of blood and bones showed they were victims, and their inventories contained nothing from the Emporium. Though that one carries a mana rat skull, so perhaps he had it coming.”
Vanya visibly relaxed. “I’m sorry, the neutrality agreement insists we call you for every visitor—”
“And well that you did!” The Inquisitor boomed out. “And well that you shall. We know the Necromancers had help with their attack. We know they couldn’t possibly have taken all the scrolls. We will find out who.” He cocked his head to the side, listening to the air. “Oh, what’s that? There’s a better prospect. Someone who might actually be the culprit. I go, tell your Master he will continue to comply. We may not be able to kill a dragon, but we can make his business very difficult.”
Kaden was going over those final moments in his mind. Duggarn had said something just before he attacked. That this was the only safe way for Sara and Kaden. That he wanted to make sure they got at least a level.
So they wouldn’t be down a level. Making Kaden and Sara look like collateral damage had caused suspicion to drain away like [serpentor] blood in a river.
Vanya watched as the Inquisitor departed through his not-quite-farportal. He personally hung the tapestry back, then turned to Sara and Kaden. “My sincere apologies for the inconvenience. Now, how do I help?”
Kaden sidestepped a pile of entrails as a servant shoveled them. “There’s a problem with Sara, something that never happened before. She drank tea after he did, and he said there was very little chance of something bad happening. I think it may have.”
“I want to talk to Suridev,” Sara said. “I want to talk alone.”
That was a surprise.
Vanya gave a short bow. “Please, if you would come this way. Mind your step.”
This time, he led them out of the main hub and down narrow hallways, past meeting tables with silk curtains draped over them, and into areas where Udon family members laughed and ate—and stiffened as Kaden and Sara passed. “You will remain, the lady will come with me,” Vanya said, pointing to what was obviously a dining table for two.
Kaden took a seat at the table and pulled the curtain shut for what little privacy it gave him. Sara was more than capable of taking care of herself, but he couldn’t help worrying for her. And Duggarn, he had words for when they met.
His stomach still hurt where a white scar showed on his abdomen. His Inventory was intact, all his armor had been left, but the Centurion hadn’t even thought to warn Kaden or Sarah or explain his plan. Killing Emir Cook had given him just enough experience for two levels. Duggarn’s plan to protect Kaden had cost him one.
The two attribute points remained, waiting for him to distribute them.
One would be going to Willpower, the other to Intelligence so he wouldn’t be dependent on the booster. With the first change unlocked, he knew how to assign it to the garbage prompt.
Intelligence didn’t reveal instant solutions for his problems, but Kaden was sure it would help. Willpower he wouldn’t be able to tell until Nasky tried to break free. And she would try. He used the battle against Emir Cook as a test for [Relive the Moment], which worked exactly (and only) as advertised. Every decision, every movement, every injury his to relive and see exactly how it had turned out. As a utility spell, it wasn’t immediately useful, but if it would give him insights into battles, it would make a difference.
The skill didn’t work on older battles, only moments since he’d gained the spell. He could relive waking up in the temple over and over, and the moment Duggarn used Mortis’s grasp. A class evolution skill so powerful Kaden hadn’t even been given a prompt to resist it.
It might have been hours before Sara returned to Kaden’s table. “Come, have dinner. We’re going to stay here until our meeting with Diggus.”
“Did Suridev know what happened to you?”
Sara nodded. “Dragon esssence is very powerful. When he drank my tea, the slightest fragment of power drained off into it. If I wasn’t already bonded to a cosmic entity, odds are it wouldn’t have done anything. As it is, I’m not quite mortal anymore.”
Mortal was one of those things you either were or weren’t like ‘on fire’ or ‘pregnant.’ Kaden waited for her to explain more. “What does that mean?”
“Dragons don’t die if you slay their body. They simply return—and usually find whoever slew them and return the favor. I can’t quite return, but I don’t exactly die, either. Suridev assures me it gets easier. There’s more to it, but that’s all I can say.” Sara seemed relieved.
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“I haven’t seen Skully, but if even a fragment survived, he’ll be back.” Kaden didn’t need to say why he was keen on retrieving the skull.
“What are you even going to do with those?”
Jumping straight to level fifty had been a thought. “At fifty, the System spawns a [Nemesis]. I don’t know that I’m ready for this. I don’t want to outlevel my party. Using one on Trella would be a waste.” Kaden shook his head. “The key was to keep them from having it.”
“If the Emporium is a business aligned with Diggus Bikus, we’ll be meeting with someone we just stole from. And this wasn’t shoplifting a few beetles. Have you considered what to do about that?”
“Oberix said she’d only act as a Broker if we also asked Diggus. And the answer as to what to do is that I plan to trade most of what we got to Oberix for [Fate Breaker].” Not the tier up scrolls. Or, maybe, only the Tier Up Scrolls.
“You’re assuming Oberix negotiates in a rational manner. You’re assuming they want things. You’re working off a flawed assumption that Oberix’s most desired treasure isn’t the joy of manipulation.” Sara was definitely better at negotiation if the negotiations were ‘normal.’
Kaden had thought Sara meant they would go out for dinner. Instead, she joined him at his private table, Udon servers brought bowls of curry and rice that made Kaden think he was going to develop [Resist Spice], but every single bite was delicious, so good he couldn’t help asking for the [Recipe], which he received almost immediately.
With Sara’s help, he tested the active version of [Relive the Moment], which required he start using the skill and pay a constant mana cost that grew with time. The difference was reliving one moment alone versus being able to stop and walk around, studying every point of view. The mana cost kept rising, so it wasn’t unlimited, but it was interesting being able to go back for every little detail of sight, sound, or smell from any angle.
“It’s the perfect spell for a thief,” Kaden said. “Or a creep. Creeps would love this.”
Sara’s look of extreme distaste confirmed exactly what Kaden thought. “Perhaps it’s not so bad Chrono Mana spells are rare.”
“I didn’t ask for it,” Kaden said. “I’d burn the skill slot but it might be useful.”
“Don’t. Occular Mages, Biomancers, Padfoots, all of them are every bit as bad, capable of spying on anyone, anywhere.”
Kaden relieved her statement, studying body language. Would [Skills] like lie detection work during [Relive the Moment]? If so, perhaps it was more powerful than he’d thought. Or it could be.
By late evening, Kaden had gained a point in [Relive the Moment], which only served to lower the mana cost. And he’d rehearsed a thousand different lies for Diggus, but would aim to stick for the simplest answers possible.
When he followed Vanya to a sky skiff dock, Kaden was surprised to find the golden dragon, no longer than Kaden’s arm, perched on the bow of the sky skiff. There would be fewer ambushes tonight.
*Kid, I’ll personally see you to Diggus’s Enclave* Suridev sent it as a greeting. *You ready for this? Enjoy the show. It won’t kill you to smile and cheer.*
Kaden nodded. “I will.”
Moments later, the deckhands cast off, and the skiff began to rise. Instead of rocketing straight up, it followed a slow glide upward, tracing the circumference of the lava dome so close Kaden could have stuck out Remembrance and burned off a hand.
A young man on the bow called out, “Behold, on your left, Syntera’s Circus of Pleasure. Wait, no, Symphony of Blood? Tempest of—oh no.” He looked to the dragon on the bow and covered his mouth. “Forgive me, Lord Suridev. I will throw myself off the bow for dishonoring your business.”
Kaden triggered [Moment of Speed]—and still arrived a heart beat after Suridev, who, despite being two feet long, knocked the man down. *Nobody jumps. If they can’t be bothered to choose unique names, you can’t be bothered to learn ‘em.*
“Syntera’s Sticky Sex Spot,” Kaden pronounced as they a floating island that looked more like a torture dungeon than a pleasure center. “Every visit comes with a free trip to the temple for [Status] cleansing. That one over there is ‘Bullied-As-A-Boy Bluderyn’s Ouchy Shack. Bring Your Own Bandages. I never heard what Diggus or Oberix call their domains.”
*The gods are merciful,* Suridev said. *Sit down and enjoy the show.*
Kaden sat down beside Sara at the front at the skiff as marooon lights lit up the sky ahead of the skiff. Clouds of vapor formed under the skiff and changed colors, reflecting a brilliant dawn, as a flaming meteor formed overhead to cast shadows. Reeds stuck up through the clouds so the sky-skiff floated on a river in the sky, as the sun swung further overhead, and ahead—it was and island. A castle. An ancient temple carved from stone so white the Necrosium bones couldn’t match.
Trumpets rang out, and drums boomed like thunder, but the meteor sun contined to move until the sky skiff sailed toward a sunset—a sunset that highlighted a man, wreathing him in eclipse-fire.
No man could be that large.
No man could stand like that, catching the Meteor sun in his hands—and crushing it like Kaden would crush a terror-bird’s skull. Suridev didn’t need to worry, Kaden was loving every moment. Mana forms of giant cranes formed, and they dove at the man.
A man who had crushed the sun.
He fought, tearing them up, forming lightning bolts from their very bodies.
Then the cranes turned on the Sky Skiff, diving at claws and teet.
And every one fell dead from a bolt, exploding into petals that showered down on the sky-skiff as it came to rest gently at a dock. Either the island was moving or the man was floating closer, as the imposing figure grew larger and larger.
Even though he’d murdered the sun with his bare hands, Diggus wore a crown of sunset on thick, curly black hair, and his olive skin was flawless, his nose would have been called beak-like if not attached to someone so regal.
He could have carried Mr. Dervish with one hand, and Kaden would simply never have a build like that, a chest that could stop a stampeding Quillophant.
A leather loincloth did a poor job of concealing anything beneath it, and even the drops of sweat seemed to take pre-charted paths that followed bulging veins.
Swarms of servants in white gowns threw themselves on the ground as the trumpets rang out again, and Kaden couldn’t help joining them in cheering as Diggus bowed and waved to his own employees.
“Again! Again!” Sara shouted. “We’ll take the skiff out again, you do the whole sun crushing thing again! How much does that cost? How many people do you have to employ just to put on that show? Kaden, why are you bowing?”
Why was she not?
*Kid’s too mortal. Can’t help himself,* Suridev said, slithering down to bump Kaden.
With one blink of the dragon’s eye, the illusion, the glamor faded. Kaden looked around as the trumpets died off, unsure what had just happened. He stood in the presence of a god. A minor god, perhaps, but a god, and even looking at him made Kaden want to bow again.
“Get. Up.” Sara yanked his arm. “None of that.”
Diggus approached, still so much larger than Kaden, but more like a man than a giant. His crown of sunset was now just a crown of silver. “Kaden Birch. Mistress Scylla’s daughter, Sara. I’ve been waiting to meet you ever since I received her message.”
His voice thrummed in Kaden’s chest, carrying assurances that all was well here. All was safe in the presence of the emperor of the market himself. Kaden tried to kneel and flinched as one of Sara’s pseudopods nipped at his leg. “Sir. It’s such an honor to meet you,” he said.
“It’s an honor to me, to meet every client. Come, let me show you my Villa in the Sky. Sara, your mother spent so many nights here she had her own room.” Diggus waved to her to follow him up the stone path.
She wasn’t moving, talking with Lord Suridev.
*This is as far as I come. Be smart, be quiet, say little and offer even less,* the dragon said.
Sara reluctantly turned and joined Kaden. “Stop looking at him like that. I swear, if I could get Suridev to spit in your eye and fix it, I would. He’s not a god. Those weren’t even good illusions.”
Kaden would let her have her opinion. Sara wasn’t required to be right. They strolled through a white stone villa, surrounded by a crowd of servants. “How long have you been here?”
“Five or six cataclysms,” Diggus said. “Maybe only four. We don’t get affected much. My second System patch was when we had to have physical cards for every skill. Thankfully that didn’t last long.”
Diggus clapped his hands, and slidng doors shattered from the impact, revealing a dining room. He had them recline at a long, low table while servants brought plates of roast meat and vegetables and cups of wine that Kaden avoided. Getting drunk would deprive him of moments in Diggus’s presence.
And the Broker seemed to know so much about them both. He applauded Sara summoning a [Crawling Horror], tested feeding one to a rabid wolf, and was delighted when the wolf exploded.
Sara was not amused.
Then he turned his attention on Kaden. “[Beast Masters.] You’re the fourth I’ve dealt with in all my years. No [Beast Form], no [Beast Lord] and you don’t even know what your class’s Evolution skill is, do you?”
Kaden shook his head. “I don’t know what my tier three or four skills are.”
“[Beast Memory] will work with [Beast Form] to give you access to beasts that are extinct. [Beast Spawn] is the only tier four spell I saw, it let her create beasts from nothing but mana. She said [Beast Modification] let her change her Beast’s skills and attributes.” Diggus shook his head. “What was the Centurion evolution? I don’t know. I only saw one Centurion Beast Master, ever.
This would be a conversation he used [Relive the Moment] on over and over. “Do you know why we’re here?”
“The story? Or the reason?” Diggus laughed as Sara focused on him. “Oh, I heard the story you told to get in. Searching to break a binding, cursed lovers. You can always find another lover, bindings are almost entirely unbreakable. But this spellbook…I know where it is.”
Of course he did. Anyone that magnificent would have it. Anyone—
Hard to Kill has granted you a new resistance: Resist Charm
Your skill with Resist Charm has increased.
It was like waking up from a dream. The way he laid was uncomfortable. The food bland. The stone was grey, not white, and Diggus, while large, wasn’t god-like.
*Sara.*
*Thank the gods, idiot-hour is finally over. Hard to Kill?*
*Yes.* He mindlessly chewed rubbery chicken and grinned. *Did I say anything that would harm us?*
Sara shook her head. “Diggus, you said you know where the spellbook is. Can you get it for us?”
“That’s a harsh question. If you didn’t have a little something extra in your blood, you wouldn’t be asking that way.” The Broker tried to focus on Sara. “I could get it. I won’t. And yes, I know Oberix hijacked your little shipment. I don’t often deal in Mana Dust, which is why I got along so well with your mother. That and she’s the only woman to ever make me scream in bed.”
Sara turned slightly green, matching the shade of the Horror’s pseudopods. “We’d also be interested in information on where the book is. Acquiring it is probably within our capabilities.”
“It’s not.” This smile was real, and Diggus sat up, downing a whole cup of wine. “This Vichorean Spellbook entered the market and was traded for mere gold. You can imagine it wound up in a Broker’s hands almost immediately.”
“Oberix.” Kaden spoke the name like a curse. Oberix even told him they looked for chances to show who was the better broker.
Diggus shrugged. “Oberix lives off of need. Oberix feeds off desires. But Oberix doesn’t have the Vichorean spellbook. I have it.”