image [https://i.imgur.com/4RVofG3.jpg]

Lily found the quality of Ren's carriage to be outright mesmerizing.

Specifically the horses: magnificent beasts with glossy coats and silver harnesses. During the winter months, observing their every trot past the orphanage windows had been her principal enjoyment. She loved them all, yet these proved to be exceptional.

A rich bronze color washed into their manes – not simply brown or yellow, but a golden chestnut. Their long faces and small noses added to that elegant appearance and featured large, dark brown eyes, which held a deep sense of wisdom and affection. She wished she could sit in the front with the driver rather than play squire for a beast like Goge.

He was watching her. Lily hugged the binder to her chest and pretended to look from her window. Despite the attention, she knew he was only concerned with one thing: whether or not she was still wearing the pendant that had been tied to her belt. Although it was never removed, she did not wish to give him the satisfaction of pulling up her topcoat to prove it.

It might be better to ignore him. This morning alone, he had nearly killed two people. Three if you counted the one that Miss Nina had saved. For nearly two days Lily had been in his company and at first, it was thrilling enough just to get out and see the city.

And yet, his actions had made it clear that he was a monster, not a person. Witnessing his interactions with others filled her with anxiety, as she knew that these helpless people were just moments away from danger. He was a shark with an insatiable desire to kill and so far as first impressions went, the scars on his face proved to be an adequate indication of who he was.

Deep creases carved themselves in all directions across his skin, mottled in the way only burns can be. It was clear he might once have been an attractive young man, but had seen so much violence that now it was impossible to tell where the scars stopped and the wrinkles began.

It was not these ancient wounds which bothered her. What bothered her was the fact that his eyes did not blink when he inflicted harm. There was no expression, no clenching of teeth, no sneering, no grimace. He simply stretched out his hand and ruined lives. It was as if the entire world had been populated by people who were not real to him, nothing but shadows in a dream, undeserving of sympathy and incapable of feeling pain. Simply catching sight of his eyes made her feel like a rodent trapped in a pit of snakes. Or perhaps with one particularly large snake who had swallowed the others.

But why did he not kill her as well? Why did he hesitate when she blocked his path? What could he be planning? "Why do you want me to read?"

"What?"

Lily slowly forced herself to look at him. "You invited Miss Nina to give me lessons. And I am very happy about it, but why? Is there something you will get?"

He scoffed. "My intentions are not as complicated as you might imagine.”

“So why?” she repeated.

Goge rubbed his brow with a hand. He was clearly not accustomed to explainations. After a few long moments, he replied, his voice clipped and a little too loud. “The only thing worse than a slave is an illiterate slave. If you continue to be uneducated, then you shall continue to be useless."

Lily squinted. She held the book closer to her chest and shook her head. "I am not your slave."

She held his gaze and did not speak until her hands began to shake. The air grew heavy with the weight of his disapproval.

"Then what are you? Tell me what you are. While you are considering an answer, tell me how many demons are in my city. Where are they? Why are they here? Surely, you must know something. What is the purpose of disguising a red-sorc Nakiri… no, an untitled Nakiri spawn. Why hide it? Why leave it in the poor house?"

"You hate me..."

"I do not despise you. Incomplete puzzles are what I detest and you, so far, have not proven to be a piece that fits. Whatever nonsense deposited you in my city should come forward and explain itself. Offer confession or beg forgiveness when they are uncovered."

Lily squeezed the binder even tighter and decided to turn her entire body to face the window. His terrifying stare had become too much. Although his question was a fair one, she had already come to the conclusion that if Goge knew how little she remembered about arriving in this world, he might no longer have a reason to keep her alive.

Instead of trying his patience, she decided to focus on the world outside. From the angle of the sun she could determine that it was late afternoon. There would not be many hours left in the day before it began to sink behind some of the larger buildings to the west.

As the carriage got closer to the palace, she could see the huge iron fence that surrounded the estate and caged the emerald green grass. It smelled freshly cut, trimmed to perfection. She focused her attention on it, trying to ignore his angry stare.

"Lily, it was not my intention to..."

The carriage came to an abrupt stop and caused them both to lurch forward. From outside, the voice of the driver cried, "My passenger is the Lord Goge!"

These words were followed by the familiar sound of scraping metal as the gate began to open. It did not surprise her that the citywatch had returned to guarding the palace gates. What surprised her was the fact that they were letting his carriage pass through without a moment of protest.

Lily brought her voice to a whisper. "They let us come back?"

"Desmond must have spoken with them. I have to visit the temple, but you will remain at the palace. There are a few matters to which I must see."

A doorman dressed in fine attire greeted them as their carriage drew near the courtyard. Lily did not recognize the young man, but he appeared friendly enough. He had light brown hair and was slightly thicker than the average Akunian. Although daylight persisted, he had brought with him an unlit lantern, holding it high in preparation. He bowed and extended his hand to help her down the last step, but Lily had already hopped over it. Goge motioned for the driver to wait.

Stepping inside, she found the palace alive again. Not with furniture, paintings or statues, but with people, chores and... something more. What she thought might be her imagination turned out to be music coming from nearby. Not just music, but also the sound of cheering, dancing and clapping. Lily glanced around to try to get a sense of where it was coming from. After a brief moment, Goge moved past her to open the double doors at the right of the stairs.

Inside, they found ten maids gathered in a circle, all clapping along to a man with a flute and Vera dancing in the center. She was dressed in a red, billowing gown that clung to every curve of her body. Her dark brown curls gave her away, even though she was hiding her face with a feathered mask.

Goge planted his feet shoulder-width apart and began to shout over the music. "What madness is happening in this room?!"

The music stopped. The startled maids all shifted their eyes and held their hands in mid-clap. But not Vera. She continued to dance as if nothing was wrong. After a few additional twirls and hops, she danced from her place in the circle and stretched her arms out to either side. "Welcome home, my love!"

Lily took a deep breath and readied herself to step between them, blocking the way and saving Vera from certain death.

However, this time Goge simply lifted an eyebrow. "Vera, what is the meaning of this?"

"Just in time to ask me for a dance." She leaned forward and tried to take his hand. But he did not cooperate with her darting clasps.

"Are you drunk? Mad? Possessed?"

"Dance with me! How else will I know if you are the man of my dreams? Unless you are a cripple, I suppose?"

Goge shook his head. "Are you not supposed to be cleaning or something?"

"Yes, I should be cleaning." Vera began to stroll back to the circle as she gazed over her shoulder. "But I was waiting for you to return home so you could ask me for a dance."

"Well, I am... I am here now..." He put a hand on Lily's shoulder and pulled her along, retreating back into the reception hall before slamming the door shut.

Desmond emerged from the stairs with a folded white cloth over one arm. "Welcome back, my lord. Dinner is still being prepared. Do you have any baggage that requires attention?"

Goge attempted to regard him, but found himself glancing back to the side room as the music resumed, followed by clapping. "No, no baggage and I will not be here long. Please see that Miss Lily gets something to eat and is put to bed on time. Desmond…?"

"My lord?"

"Has Vera been acting strange lately?"

Desmond glanced to the closed door and back, a confused expression washing over him. "Not that I have seen."

"Is she keeping up with her duties?"

Desmond gave a nod. "Yes, my lord. She manages the staff quite well."

"Fine. See to Miss Lily and I shall return before morning."

"My lord, before you depart, you have a visitor in the lounge. He insisted on seeing you and I have not yet been educated on what sorts you prefer to be turned away."

Goge sighed. "Yes, yes, summon the visitor to the courtyard and I shall see him off. From now on send everyone to City Hall. Accept those who can prove an invitation."

"As you wish, my lord." Desmond offered a hand to Lily.

****

image [https://i.imgur.com/vxtRwRS.jpg]

Atrix was a dashing young man who wore glasses and styled his hair short. He dressed comfortably for travel and wore his silver and red-trimmed cape to show he was a member of the Royal College of Magic. He sat in one of the few chairs littering a sinfully empty lounge in the east wing, right across from a stack of small oil paintings, which he had taken it upon himself to inspect. His curiosity was hard to satiate and he was on his third landscape depiction when the door opened.

The well-dressed man from earlier stepped in and made a sweeping gesture toward the corridor. "Sir, Lord Goge will receive you in the courtyard."

Atrix gently returned the small painting to the top of the stack and stood up. He gave a polite smile and crossed the length of the room before noticing a young lady by the man’s side.

His breath caught, he expertly attempted to conceal his surprise by transitioning to a polite bow. It might have worked if he had been able to peel his eyes off her. "You must be Lily."

"Hi."

"I am Atrix Kestrel."

She dropped her eyes to the floor. "Hello."

"Please forgive my manners, but I have never before seen one such as yourself." Atrix approached like a predator, ready to pounce. His eyes flicked up and down her horns. "May I ask... what type you are?"

Lily did not respond, instead inching herself behind Desmond.

“Please forgive my curiosity. I do not mean to be rude."

"Lord Goge awaits you in the courtyard, sir." Desmond repeated his gesture.

Atrix folded his hands behind his back and gave an embarrassed nod. So far as missed opportunities went, this encounter threatened to haunt him for years to come. A genuine abyssal, category six, and of unknown origin.

Yet by the rules of common courtesy, he was forced to bury his questions and depart. He tried to keep up his smile and like a scorned dog, pushed himself down the hall and out into the courtyard, leaving the demon and the well-dressed man behind. At the end of the corridor, a solid oak door opened without protest.

In the courtyard beyond, he could see an elegant carriage waiting by the main entrance. As he approached, the driver appeared to have made a joke to an older gentleman with short white hair... Could this be him? The imposter who took Rav’s life? Atrix continued forward as his eyes carefully scanned this man. His black suit appeared a bit worn and he carried a cane in his hand. Yet he did not seem to hold it as if it were a walking cane, but rather some kind of weapon.

Nervous energy surged in waves. It was a sensation he was familiar with, but not quite like this. The presence of magic, both Aether and Ignis. Intense, pulsing, fields of power that seemed to press up against his skin like a sunburn.

He gave a slight bow when noticed. "I am Atrix Kestrel. May I ask your name?"

The old man shifted his attention. He passed the cane from his right hand to his left and turned ever so slightly.

Atrix halted in mid-step and put up his hands to show that they were empty. "Peace. I offer no threat."

The carriage driver's smile faded and he pretended to be preoccupied with the reins as the old man forced his voice into a polite tone. "Who are you?"

"Atrix Kestrel, His Majesty's Royal College of Magic."

"Why are you here?" The real question was this. The one you rush toward, even if it means omitting half of the first answer. Atrix reasoned that if the mage did not attack after that first question then he might not attack at all. Instead, it was quite possible that he would only issue a warning or a threat.

"I am here to speak with Lord Goge."

"What about?"

Atrix kept his hands raised and he resumed his approach. The strangely dressed man stood motionless, seemingly relaxed, yet he never took his eyes away from Atrix's hands.

"Contingency spells." Atrix finally came to stand before him and kept his smile a friendly shape.

"I have no time for games."

He kept his hands raised. "The truth is that I came here to see if you were indeed the real Goge. But now there is no doubt in my mind. You have contingency spells attached to you. I have never felt so many."

"Such nonsense today. Why should that matter?"

"They are quite rare. No one has been able to cast a contingency spell in over six hundred years."

The man scoffed. "Ridiculous. A contingency spell is just a delayed cast with a condition. Such things are basic."

"A condition..." Atrix dropped his hands and shook his head. "You speak like the mages of history. It has been centuries since anyone even wrote about a casted condition."

Goge stared at him a moment. His expression gave nothing away. Finally, he pointed at the carriage. "Get in."

Atrix did not hesitate. With a renewed smile, he quickly helped himself up into the cabin and sat on the back bench. After whispering something to the driver, the old man climbed in and sat across from him.

Goge cleared his throat and laid the cane on his lap for a moment so he could rub his eyes. He seemed poised to answer Atrix’s questions, yet waited for the carriage to start moving before he spoke. "Aether sight. Do you know it?"

"Minor elemental detection? Yes." He gave a quick nod.

"Cast it."

Atrix lifted his right hand and leaned forward. "On what? On the carriage? On the bench?"

"On anything."

He summoned power to his grasp with a quick roll of his wrist, bringing his fingers into a crooked gesture. A small blue light erupted just beyond his reach, releasing a spark that engulfed the carriage itself. The interior of the cabin glowed softly and shined around the edges. The wood became more vibrant, and the texture of the leather darkened until it was almost invisible. The glow faded after a brief moment. Atrix had expected some shout of alarm from the carriage driver, but heard nothing.

Goge stared at him rather uncomfortably. "That is completely wrong. That is not Aether sight."

"I do not understand, the spell activated as it was intended."

"Did your people just memorize gestures?"

Atrix lowered his hand. "Yes. Yes, of course. I mean, there is a bit more to it than gestures, but gestures are the cornerstone."

"Gestures are meaningless." He said it so easily. With such confidence. It was as if the implication annoyed him.

"Are they really?"

"When did this start?"

Atrix squinted. "When did humans start using magic?"

"When did this style of teaching begin?"

His eyes wandered as they considered the question. "Primarily… after the purge."

"What purge? Explain." Goge propped an arm against the window and leaned his head against his hand.

Atrix inhaled deeply. "Six hundred years ago… Well, there was no Toth Kingdom. This whole area was portioned into a lot of smaller countries in the Zin Alliance. War broke out with the Getch Tribes in the far north. A truce was declared, but fighting did not cease entirely. Throughout the years, mage groups persisted and even recruited outsiders to act as proxies. Eventually, both the Getch and the Zin began to collaborate against these mage groups. Things became very, how shall I say... dramatic."

"I will assume that is why you referred to it as The Purge."

"Yes. Well, there are a great number of books written on that topic. I do not want to bore you with details. Following this affair, most of the nations involved brought their laws in line with the Oceanic Council. To put it simply, they banned spellcraft."

Goge scoffed. "Banned? How does one ban spellcraft?"

"With swords, I believe."

"I find that difficult to understand. The mages of my day would not have been phased by such a threat."

Atrix gave a shrug. "Perhaps that was a contributing factor. These nations were ruled by mage groups at the time. These groups were not so much prohibiting the practice of magic, but rather its teaching and instruction. We endured a lengthy period of intolerance. Of course there were people who resisted. Small groups and cults carried on... well, two hundred years ago..."

"You all dusted off the books that had not been burned and decided to start over."

He gave a nod. "In a manner of speaking."

"Your method is garbage." Goge stretched out both hands, palms facing each other. Without warning, a torrent of electricity spanned the distance between them. The light was so intense that it chased away every shadow in the small cabin and nearly forced him to avert his eyes. It might have been startling for most, but not Atrix. There was no heat, no sound. It was an example of energy in its purest form.

"Magic is not a ritual or gesture. This practice we call elemental spellcraft is the very fabric of nature. Ignis and Aether exist everywhere. We are bathed in it. Your soul is capable of creating a negative space and when you reach out, you are pulling at the threads of reality itself. This is not something you can do through memorization. You must understand what it is that you are touching and how existence will react if you alter it. I swear, you College Mages are a bunch of blind children, fumbling around on the floor."

Darkness reclaimed the cabin as the display ended. Goge rubbed two fingers of his right hand together. Atrix jerked upright as a soft blue light swallowed his eyes and glowed with the same energy which had encompassed the carriage. In an instant, the curtain drew back from his gaze and he could see everything: currents of red and blue, energy moving in and out of the cabin like a tornado. Soundless yet ever present, it poured through the world at unimaginable speeds. He could see through the floor, through the street beneath and the buildings on either side. It was enough to make him hold his breath. Intangible existence. Matter and energy dividing into infinity, the flesh that clung to Goge's bones was nothing more than a pulsating echo of improbable madness. Was everything magic? Or was magic everything?

Goge's movements came unhurriedly as he waited to make sure Atrix was paying attention. His fingers pulled at a small strand of silvery red and twisted it into a knot before he dragged his thumb across the thick end. "Delay."

He twisted his wrist to wrap the base around the loop of the knot. "Conditional."

His hand repeated the process. The same spell was crafted all over again and layered on top of the first. Finally he enclosed them both in his grip and pressed them against the handle of the carriage door.

Atrix stared at the brass fixture with a lover's intensity. Condensed reality: too volatile to be contained in a simple metal and too delicate to be seen with the naked eye. It held the shape it was given and waited patiently. Before he knew what he was doing, Atrix raised his hand and reached out for the door handle.

He paused. "May I?"

"Of course, that is why I made it. You need to understand how magic interacts before you can ever hope to use it properly."

Atrix rubbed the small metal handle with his index finger, disturbing the threads. The magic unraveled before his very eyes and the effect activated. A small red spark manifested above his finger and made a small pop. Twice.

Goge’s gaze drifted from the threads to Atrix’s expression. "Do you understand?"

"I..." Atrix was still hunched over, staring at the door handle in disbelief. A smile crept across his mouth. "I have learned more in the last few seconds than..." He sat up straight and aimed his right hand at the empty seat across from him. It was a pressing curiosity. A spell of his own. He began the gesture for ‘Fireball’, a spell he had cast thousands of times before. The minute he began the gesture, tendrils of red energy leapt from the environment and sat at the end of his finger tips. The young mage stared at the tiny strands as they shimmered against his skin, ready to be shaped. So many years of practice and this was the first time he had ever seen what he was actually casting. He canceled the spell and leaned back against the bench cushions. "Students who were blind, studying something we could not see. We pursued the knowledge of the ancients and never had a chance of attaining their heights. Now, everything makes so much sense."

Goge glanced out the window again. "Well, I am glad you got so much out of it, because I must tend to other affairs. Shall I have my carriage drop you somewhere?"

Atrix ended the detection spell on his eyes and struggled to focus. He wondered how he could ever look at the world the same way again. "Thank you, but there is no need. I... I think I shall walk. There are a few books I must consult and it seems I have a great deal of research ahead of me."

Goge disembarked as the carriage slowed to a halt. He turned to retrieve his cane. "As you say. Pursue these revelations with caution. Avoid reckless experiments until you are confident of the outcome."

"Master Goge. Thank you for this."

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Mister Atrix." Goge gave a nod and started up the steps of the Mynar Temple.

****

The estate of Hana Stella was especially quiet this afternoon. There had been no visitors, no business and no servants. All three were missing.

The Baroness sat behind her desk. She wore her favorite dress today. It was elegant, regal and very expensive. Her strawberry blonde hair was styled to perfection. The room was silent except for a pendulum clock against the far wall. She stared past it, in a state of shock, for an unknowable length of time.

The coin, the gold, the treasure was gone. All of it. The markets were in chaos. Nath was dead. Eckard had left. Vassago was leaving. Her position ensured a quarter-share of nothing. Much like Vassago, she had invested everything into Nath’s plan. With no one willing to extend credit and no means of raising further gold, she would not even be able to pay for a decent meal.

The world had become a surreal reflection of its own self. Leaning slightly forward, she stood from her chair and crossed the room to the door. It made no sound as it opened. Stella walked down the corridor and into the dining room. The room was too bright. She carefully adjusted the drapes to draw the perfect lighting for the room, which was a task typically performed by her staff.

The servants had all gone. Released early. Perhaps gone forever. On the dining table lay the message looked over during the afternoon break from a contact at the docks informing her that the Dockworkers Union was in serious jeopardy. A simple note. Only one page with just a few sentences.

Both hands made short work of the letter. Then, she gathered the pieces and returned them to the table. No sooner had she set down the articles than she spied an open bottle of wine. She pounced upon it, but quickly realized her error when she discovered the bottle to be empty. And at that moment she broke.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" The bottle shattered as she threw it against the far wall and showered the richly woven carpet with shards. "How did this happen? How?!"

She crumpled to the floor, sobbing. The makeup she had spent hours applying began to run. "This is not fair!"

The baroness bowed forward to stand, but her head hit the table's edge. Instead of recoiling from the wound, she braced herself against the edge and flipped the entire section over. The table and its contents rolled into the chairs, knocking them over. Glassware shattered, and candles fell from their silver holders. She flailed her arms and grabbed the chair next to her. She hurled it at the window with great effort, hoping to hear the sound of broken glass, but it missed and bounced against the wall instead. She collapsed once again.

After rubbing the wet streaks from her face, Stella surveyed the devastation and finally noticed a large man peeking in from the hallway. It was Baudin. He wore travel clothes and his hands were covered in dirt.

"What happened here?"

She feigned confusion. "I do not know. I was having a bit to drink and must have fallen."

"Are you alright?"

"I am fine. Just a little drunk. I shall clean this up."

"Where are your servants? Shall I summon someone to...?”

“No!” Stella's face twisted with rage. She jumped to her feet, but nearly stumbled into one of the remaining chairs. In retaliation, she kicked it over with a grunt.

"I do not need anyone! He shall not take my property! He can eat dung that son of a whore – I do not care who he thinks himself to be!"

Baudin backed away carefully. "Baroness... I can help you. I…"

She placed both hands on her head and tried not to pull out her hair. She did not want to cry again. Not with Baudin watching.

"I have a plan. It will work. Trust me." Baudin drew a little closer.

She glared and took a deep breath, her voice somewhat calmer. "Alright. Tell it."

"Well. Tonight, our friends..."

“Our friends…” Stella scoffed and stumbled across the carpet, waving Baudin away and unconsciously looking for another bottle of wine among the wreckage. There were none.

"Our friends..." Baudin repeated. "Are going to cause a disturbance."

The Baroness looked up. "What kind of disturbance?"

"It doesn't matter. I know where the gold is."

"In City Hall? In the basement? In the pocket of that criminal? Everyone knows where the gold is! Do you think you can just walk in there and take it?" She spat those words at him, but even as she did she began to see the merit of his idea. "Do you think... do you really think... he would leave it unguarded? … Do you think any of the watchmen would alert him?"

Baudin smiled. "I can assure you they will not."

"So you are planning to sneak in and steal it back?"

"That is exactly what I am planning. We won't be able to get it all. But with a wagon and four or five strong men we can get at least half."

Stella stared at him. For just a brief moment, a ray of hope shone into her desperation. But what was there to risk? She offered a sad smile. "I never liked you, Baudin. You are a greedy, unwashed, ugly, impoverished merchant, a terrible ship captain and you are unable to carry a tune to save your life. But I am happy that you stayed. You will have your men."

He inhaled and reflexively put one of those filthy hands against his chest. "Afterward we will be forced to flee.”

"Most certainly."

"And I want half."

"That is fair." She could already see one of her assassins slashing open his throat.

"Partners, then?"

"Partners."

****

Nina sprinted through the alleys of Akune like a wild animal, a hand pressed against her pocket to muffle the sound of coins. She practically ran all the way home, where she and Hammond occupied a series of cramped rooms. Many people wouldn't even consider it a dwelling. Once a bustling night market, these buildings had become a collection of sheds hammered together to form shelter that mostly didn’t leak. He had a room by the entrance and she had a room overlooking the street below. Definitely not the type of place one would call comfortable, yet they had furnished their place with enough good memories to call it cozy. Hammond had only just woken up when she burst through the door and dropped nine gold tani on the table.

"Good morning!" She was almost able to dance, despite her exhaustion.

His eyes locked on the coins. "Nina..."

"I've got something big to tell you!"

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

His eyes were as big as the coins before him. He opened his mouth and closed it again.

"Your debt is paid! I paid him a lot more than what you owe!" She lifted her arms as if expecting a hug.

"Nina..." He looked from the coins to her face and then back to the coins. "Nina, where did you get this?"

"I earned it from Goge."

"Goge?"

"Yeah. He gave it to me."

"He... gave you gold?"

"This is happening, Hammond! It is really happening!" She bounced delightedly, hoping he would ignore what she just said. "Now we can buy a proper ship. Our own ship! Set sail for open waters with our own ship!"

"How did you earn this?”

"I killed a dragon."

"You what?!"

"Joking." She reached out a finger and touched the end of his nose playfully.

"Nina, I am serious. We have some kind of monster living in the palace and now you tell me he is giving you money?"

Nina shrugged. "Well, yeah. I mean, I guess technically he isn't giving me anything. But I earned it. I tutored his little girl."

"The freak with the horns?!"

Nina narrowed her eyes. His words had not been unfair and she was not immune to the gossip circling the market district. But after getting to know young Lily, it just felt wrong to hear people say such things.

She folded her arms. "She is not a freak, Hammond."

Hammond went back to staring at the coins, but dared not touch them. "Do you know how crazy this sounds?"

" No, I don't. I don't see what's so crazy about teaching someone to read. In fact, I think I am pretty good at it."

"Nina… I'm going to ask you a favor."

"What?"

He exhaled and reached out to touch the edge of her arm. "Don't go anywhere near that palace. I'll find a way to pay you back."

"No..." Her features softened as she pulled up a chair next to where he was sitting. "You don't need to pay me back. Don't you see? I did this for both of us. So we can finally…"

"Finally what?"

“Don’t get mad.”

“I won’t get mad.”

She poked him with a finger. “You always say you won’t get mad and then you get mad.”

“But I won’t get mad this time.” His eyes were the most honest she had ever seen them.

"Goge offered me a job and I said yes.” No sooner had the words left her mouth than Hammond’s eyes snapped wide with panic. “Look, the nobles are done in this city. I can’t work for them anymore and neither can you. So I said yes. I said I would keep teaching his girl. And that sounds fine, but I just want to get away from this city. I want to sail away. Far, far away. So you decide, Hammond, you decide. Do I work at the palace or do we sail away?"

"I don’t want you to work at the palace, but… Buy a ship? Are you serious? You think the two of us can handle a trade lane?"

She scooped up the individual coins and held them up to his chest. "And about five crewmates. Look at all the gold we have now! We can buy a proper ketch. One with a double mast."

He stared down at the coins, still not willing to touch them. "If we fill the hold with wool… Wool sells really well in the western islands, I hear."

"And then we can live like nobles! Real nobles!" Nina grinned and laid each coin on the table, playfully stacking them into a small tower.

"Eat wild fruit every morning. And fish for our supper."

Nina placed a hand on his hair and resisted the urge to stroke it. "Sleep under the stars."

He gave a nod. "Aye."

"A real bed." She gave his shoulder a small kiss. Gently, through the fabric. In the moment, it did not seem like there might be anything wrong with that. It was a simple kiss. Something that good friends did.

"No debts, just freedom."

"Our own boat."

“I would swim in the ocean every day. And maybe buy one of those silly hats the merchants wear.”

Nina closed her eyes and leaned in to kiss him on the lips. Her hand on his, she felt him pull away. It was not the first time he had rejected her affection, yet this was perhaps the first time she had gone this far. Slowly, she opened her eyes and took in the surprise on his face.

Nina averted her eyes from his confused stare, casting them to the floor as she eventually withdrew. "Sorry."

"No. It is not... It is not you."

"It was just..."

"I did things. " Hammond whispered so quietly that she had to hold her breath just to hear him. "When Eckard sent us out of the city… he would have us kill people. People didn’t deserve… People that never did anything wrong."

She looked back up and for the first time in a while she could see shame on his face. With both hands she reached up and tried to brush it all away. "None of that matters anymore. We are free now. Free of everything. We can sail away and leave it in the past."

"I want that." His smile returned. Hammond gave her a pat on the shoulder and stood up. "There is so much to do! I have to talk to Commander Teric and apply for a trade license at City Hall. We can leave tonight, or maybe in the morning."

“It may take longer than that to find a good ship. We don't want to buy the first one we see."

"Then you do it. Go find us a good ship and I will take care of the paperwork. I don't want to spend any more time here than we have to."

She stood up and embraced him. For a moment he seemed confused, but returned it. It was all too soon before they parted, both of them ready to go about their separate ways. She gave a wave and took a few steps toward the door, looking back to give him one final smile. It was happening. It was really happening.

****

Goge proceeded to walk straight through the temple. What a sad sight. It was enough to make him wonder if Mynar was the god of disrepair. The forward-facing hall was well-kept, but beyond lay an endless procession of corridors and rooms in disarray. David's people, the vagrants known as "priests," were nowhere to be found. The sound of activity, however, soon reached his ears and led him back outside.

Years of abandonment had turned the east side of the temple grounds from a garden into a barren wasteland. Hundreds of tents took over the dirt yard, their silken colors commanding the eye. Each was made of good material from fine merchant's stock, but thrown down and assembled with obvious haste or little care.

It was impressive how fast Father David could spend coin, although in fairness, this amount of coin had a way of simply spending itself. Nearly a hundred carpenters, toolmakers, merchants and craftsmen were hard at work with only a handful of priests sprinkled in. As Goge surveyed the staging area, he planted the tip of his cane in the dirt and realized that it was safe to assume word had gotten out. Not even a full day and wagons were already delivering fresh lumber. The previously mentioned 'poor' whom the temple had been tasked with sheltering appeared to have been recruited into more lucrative vocations. It reminded him of something he heard many years ago: ‘It is always the hungry that make the best cooks.’

David approached from the edge of the property and tried to hide a proud smile. "Mynar provides."

Goge used his cane to gesture at supply tables, which had been erected on both sides of the camp. They were piled with everything from clothes and tools to dry foods and bedding. "I find 'swift' to be a poor description for you."

David glanced in the direction of the distant gatehouse along the east wall. "The city guard does not appreciate it. They say we are attracting the unsavory. Threatened to shut us down."

"I shall persuade them to reconsider."

"Just like that? Is it so easy? You give a word and they forget their grievance?"

Goge inhaled sharply through his nose and turned toward the head priest. Taking a step closer, he brought himself face-to-face with the scrawny man. "You never stutter when my back is turned. Why do you believe that is?"

"I... well... it is not to say that... my Lord Goge, no offense is... intended when..."

Goge shook his head and took a step back. "Calm. Calm yourself. It is difficult to speak with you when you are unable to be calm. It is my goal to be obnoxious, it should not be yours. Your task is to be a bastion of stability, so calm yourself."

David's face darkened for just a moment. His eyebrows came down and his lips adopted the start of a sneer. "My words were spoken in haste and it was not my intention to sound as though I was questioning your authority. This is only the second time we have met and already I have been threatened, harassed and now everyone treats me as if I am the city's most wealthy noble. This is not a life with which I am proficient and you put too much on me. Do you not understand that I am a priest? I know nothing of your authority, or politics, or how you plan to handle the citywatch."

"Perhaps you know more than you admit. Because it will be that easy. As you said, I shall give the word and they shall forget their grievance. Granted, they will be allowed to protest my decision. However, the truth remains that they are replaceable... whereas you are not. They would be wise to remember that." He kneeled down to inspect the soil. Although Goge had never been a farmer, he had expected to see something a bit different when he ran his fingers against the dusty ground.

"Terrible!" A man called to them as he approached. He was middle-aged with specks of gray coming into view across the edges of otherwise short brown hair. With a flashy pair of goggles on his forehead, his appearance was professional, but still quite rugged with articles of leather mixed in with his expensive attire.

David waved to him. "This is Caleb. An architect I hired this morning. Met him in the market. We are going to turn these tents into homes."

"I saw you looking at the dirt." Caleb smiled at Goge and gave a quick bow. "It is terrible. Way too much sand."

"I was thinking about buying up the properties across the road and using that instead," David mused. "However, that could become rather expensive."

"It would be a shame if there was a fire in that part of the city. It would make the land a lot cheaper." Caleb’s smile quickly faded as David and Goge both glared at him. "What I... what I mean to say is..."

Goge pointed. "Why not expand through the east wall?"

"How would that work?"

"I could punch a hole in it. Strip as much of the north and south sections as you need. The other side is empty right up to the outer farms. It is all just fields, really."

Caleb's eyes ran up and down the wall. He pressed two fingers to his lips and gave a nod. "That would certainly give us a lot more space. However, I doubt Akune's new lord would allow it."

David blinked and glanced at Goge. "Oh, I think he might."

Caleb glanced from person to person before it finally set in. He leaned against his back foot as his eyes widened. "Oh, by the gods, that is him, isn't it?! Do not tell me that is him. Sir, are you him?"

Goge set the tip of his cane against the dirt. "Yes, I suspect I may be him."

The architect took two steps back and bent at the waist, attempting to give the lowest bow possible without falling to his knees. "My sincerest apologies, my lord. I did not know you would be here today. ‘Saw Father David talking to someone and thought you were a supplier or a... Oh dear, I am making it worse..."

"Enough. I have had my fill of awkward apologies for the day. Let us return to the topic." Goge gestured back to the wall.

Caleb straightened his back and flashed a smile at David. "Absolutely. Absolutely, my lord. Expanding this plot to the wall and beyond will certainly make construction a lot easier. Cheaper too, I would wager. If vertical construction is no longer required, we can start looking at a much longer complex."

Goge faced east and scanned the horizon, trying to get an idea of the size it might one day become. "No need to stop there. The city can easily support multiple projects if your employer agrees."

Caleb stepped a little closer and turned to face the same direction. "Hold on. If you are just going to get rid of the wall... would you mind if I quarry it?"

David raised a finger. "Don't we...?"

"I find no issue with that. What do you propose?"

"With that much stone I could easily make a patchwork foundation for the expansion. With some cheap pitch and all this sand... yes... yes I could build out this section. It would be unrivaled."

"Do we not require the wall?" David finally asked.

They both looked at David. "For what?"

"Well, perhaps, in the event that the city is attacked by the King of Toth?"

Goge rolled his eyes. "David, if King Silden is able to best me, I suspect a few stones piled atop each other would do little to protect you. If such an event comes to pass, you are better off begging his mercy and blaming all of this on my influence." Goge returned his attention to the architect. "I like this idea, but you will need to discuss it with Father David. He is the authority on these matters."

Caleb shifted his eyes and David glanced over the tents once again. "Well... you are the architect, Caleb."

The man gave a nod and turned his head to smile at Goge. "My lord, if you do not mind me saying, your reputation is not deserved."

"Truly? What is it they say?"

"You have been on everyone's lips since I arrived. Some say you killed Lord Nath with magic. You travel in secret and hide in the back of hired carriages. That you are some kind of evil wizard from the before times and you are here to murder nobles. Oh, and my favorite thus far, that you are accompanied by some kind of horned goblin."

"A goblin. Ha!" He chuckled at that, nearly slapping the man on the shoulder.

David offered a thin smile. "Yes... How amusing."

"Well, gentlemen, let me return to my duties." Caleb gave them both a thin bow before walking back the way he had come. His staff members, still collecting around the supply tables, greeted his approach.

David shot a suspicious glare. "You are a bad influence on them."

"Me? You must be mistaken."

"You are always talking about the future. You get them excited. It gives them hope."

"No, David, you are the one giving them hope. My methods are direct and my motives quite obvious. So long as everyone stays out of my way, we need not be at odds."

The pair began to stroll further into the encampment. David's eyes wandered from tent to tent to make sure no one was close enough to hear. "Why are you doing this? We never discussed what you hope to gain."

"I am waiting for someone."

David straightened up at that. "Who?"

"No one you know and this is not something you should concern yourself with."

"The Temple, of course, appreciates... We all appreciate the aid, I am sure, but Caleb is correct. People are talking and I deserve to know what we have become involved in."

Goge rolled his eyes. "Archpriest of Mynar... here to lecture me on what he deserves."

"I do not even know your last name." David tried to whisper, but his unformed question came out sounding a bit strained instead.

"Yes, you do. Goge."

"Goge is your last name? Well then, what is your first name?"

He paused and gave David the serious expression from earlier. Although he hoped it would have the same effect, there appeared to be a bit more confidence in the priest. "David, I am a very busy man. Where is this coming from?"

"It occurs to me that everyone is calling you Goge, but no one seems to know anything more than what is mentioned in books. Which is very little. Outside of your rivalry with others of that age, all I have been able to find is accounts of the city's origin."

"Zyxin," Goge finally said. "Zyxin Goge, Disciple of Aegis and Ninth Chair of the Qar Panopticon."

"Aegis... Saint Aegis? The Saint Aegis?" David's expression turned from concern to horror in the span of a moment. "He was…"

He took a deep breath. "Yes, the right hand of the emperor. A thousand years ago the entire world knew who he was. And they were wrong about him. He was much worse than anyone realized. It could be said he was human when Nicodemous sent him to this world, yet that was not my experience when I entered his service. To think, that some would refer to me as an abomination when Aegis spent his days eating souls and destroying worlds. It baffles me. It simply baffles me.

“People of that era may have lamented the fall of the empire, but I tell you that the world was better off without them. Forget him, forget the Empire, forget Nicodemous, the Night Masters and Qar. Those days are gone and we are fortunate for that. You, David. You have people here who require a priest. Living people. The power to help them is yours. Regardless of my plans, you must keep your mind focused and work closely with Beatrice. Do that, and you can reshape this city into a shining jewel – the pride of the entire southern coast. From one edge of this..."

"Who is Beatrice?"

Goge stopped in his tracks. With a slow turn, he gave a rather long stare. "You met her this morning. When you sought me out at City Hall."

David shook his head. "I did not go to City Hall this morning. I meant to, but I ended up..."

"‘Ended up’ what?"

"I went home to the farm for a few hours and..."

"What farm?"

David's eyes were pulled into the distance. "My family's farm. The place where I grew up."

Goge centered himself on the man and searched his eyes. "What madness is this? What is wrong with your memory? David, look at me. Has anyone been practicing spellcraft on you?"

"N... No... I just got a bit distracted this morning. I went back to the farm to see how it looked.”

"How did it look?"

His eyes darted around, but finally settled on the horizon once again. "Just as I remembered it."

"Describe it to me."

"It was... It is a small place with a red barn and a field of corn. There are three or four cows and a dozen chickens. Set on a hill, a stream runs through the middle and there is a wooded area behind the house."

"When was the last time you visited?"

"This morning, I told you."

"Before that."

"Oh, it has been many years since I last saw it. It was claimed by fire when I was very young." David stuck his fingers underneath his glasses to rub his eyes, but Goge quickly slapped his hand away.

"Look at me, David!"

"I... I just had to go and see the farm again."

Goge grabbed the small man by a shoulder and nearly shook him. "Where were you before you went to the farm? Think, damn you!"

"I told you! Why... Why are you angry?"

"You will come with me or I will have you carried." Goge pulled the thin man toward the road. A few priests and workers gawked at the sight, yet no one seemed eager to involve themselves.

****

image [https://i.imgur.com/tI8h902.jpg]

His carriage moved swiftly through the residential district. It was almost dark as the sun sank through inkling colors in the west. It had been a long day and the carriage was no longer moving as quickly as it once did. One by one, Goge removed wands from his bandolier and gave them a quick inspection. David sat across from him, his eyes marveling at how the objects passed in and out of view.

“It is called a bandolier. I wear it around my shoulder like a sash. Eyes alone will not see it.” He did not look up at the priest, but could feel the man’s eyes on each wand that slipped into his hands.

They did not need to be sorted, only checked to be certain they were properly charged. From time to time, a spell or an environmental effect might cause one to drain. It was a rare occurrence, but not the sort of thing he wanted to deal with in the middle of battle.

David spoke softly. “You appear very disturbed by all this.”

Goge glanced up. At first, he had taken issue with just how calm David was behaving. But after a moment, he was forced to let it go. The man was still partially under the spell’s effect. Also, this was probably the first time Father David had ever sat in such a fine carriage.

He returned his attention to the wands and attempted to keep a reassuring tone in his voice. “There are three possibilities. The first involves a mage who has set themselves in opposition to me. Altering the mind of a realmer is no easy task and we can safely assume it is beyond anything that your Toth mages can achieve. It requires a disciplined use of Aether and a keen understanding of how a human mind functions. Something so elegant would take decades of practice for me. The spell could not be infused into an item, nor could it be made ready before the encounter. No, this mage is a specialist and very talented. A genuine threat. A threat that has developed an interest in myself and, by extension, those around me.”

David leaned forward and put his head in his hands. “When I think about it now, I do not understand how it was so convincing. I saw it. I saw a place that no longer exists and I did not question it. Not even for a moment.”

“You did not question it because it never happened. Whatever transpired was obscured and later replaced.”

“What are the other possibilities? You said there were three.”

The carriage came to a halt and from outside came the stirring and creaking of leather and links as the driver put up his reins. Goge put a hand on the door. “Forget them. The more I ponder it, the more certain I become. We are dealing with a very experienced mage.”

“I will not be of any use to you. Every time I try to remember what actually happened, the false memory...”

“It will pass. Just breathe deep and focus on the present. Leave the rest to me.”

David glanced at his hand on the door. “What are you going to do?”

“My yurei travel underground and require a few moments to position themselves. We will wait for a –”

“Yurei?” David attempted to interrupt.

“– moment before disembarking. When we step out, we must assume he will be watching.”

“Yurei? What do you mean by yurei?” the priest repeated. “I said I would show you what I remember, but I will not be a part of your... your...”

“My plans? My agenda? My goals? I should inform you that you have no choice. You were the one this mage chose to interrogate. You are in this up to your neck.”

“I will not be a party to violence, Lord Goge. Perhaps you believe that you intimidate me, however, however, well yes. Yes, you do. Sometimes you scare me to death. Especially earlier when you spoke of Aegis.” David put his hand up to his forehead as if a sharp pain had returned. “Yet...”

Goge took this opportunity to correct him. “Listen to me, you ignorant fool. Changes were made to your mind. The memory will pass in a day or two. The purpose was not to convince you of something; it was to make you forget. Breathe deep, clear your thoughts and follow me.”

The door opened and Goge stepped out onto the cobblestone streets of a relatively wealthy neighborhood. Three rows of city-homes pressed together, each sharing a wall with their neighbor, with only a stonework path in place of a yard. David disembarked behind him and threatened to step forward into the quiet cross-street, but Goge’s outstretched hand stopped him.

“Wait.” He scanned the area carefully.

David dropped his voice to a whisper. “I meant what I said. I will not be a party to violence.”

“Then be a party to peace. If he presents himself, I will allow you to mediate.”

“And what if he attempts to run?”

“He will not.”

“How can you know that?”

“He will realize my pets have surrounded the district.”

David turned to walk away, aiming himself down the eastward street and starting off. “No. I will not be a part of this. You intend violence.”

Goge attempted to grab his arm, but did not want to take his eyes from the nearby buildings. “I do not intend violence, David. David! I am investigating an attack upon you. This is an investigation. We are investigators. Is that not what your god expects you to do? Is he not the god of knowledge?”

David paused. “You know he is not. Why do you taunt me with such words?”

He tried to remember the conversation from yesterday. Mynar was the god of... peace? Love? It was something simple yet hopelessly naïve. The kind of religion you would find on one of these far-flung worlds. Justice, perhaps? He may as well have been the god of annoyance if his followers were any indication.

Goge decided to play it safe. “Do not be offended. I was testing your memory.”

“Did you... did you not call me a fool moments ago?”

“Yes. I believe I did.”

“Was that a part of your test?”

“No, you were behaving like a fool.” He could not help himself.

David turned away once again. “I shall return to the Temple. I will not stand for such abuse.”

“You will not stand for violence. You will not be abused. David, it only serves to make my role difficult if you continue placing conditions upon me.”

David halted in mid-step and turned back, raising his voice so loud that it echoed off the nearby homes. “Your role is tyranny and murder!”

Goge finally pulled his eyes from the surrounding structures, frustration seeping into his expression as his lips peeled back. “Damn you, David! I get enough of this from Lily!”

David glared and gave a small sigh. He shrugged and attempted another approach. “It... it is not my intention to be difficult... This is very frightening for me. You invested in our temple and I am grateful for that. Yet by doing so, you have tied our fate to yours. How can we live with such a burden?”

Fate! Goge remembered now. Mynar was the god of fate. For a moment he considered writing it down. Instead, he waved away David's words and forced a smile. “The fault is surely mine. You ought not to be expected to accept this and I understand that.”

“We are just going to talk to him?”

“I will not be the first to strike,” he lied. "Is this where it happened?"

David glanced at the cross-street. "Yes."

"And you were on your way back to the temple?" Goge led the way and gestured for David to follow. No other carriages parked or passed at this hour and the few persons who passed on foot gave them a wide radius. Less of a crossing, the street branched off into a T-shape with the fourth ending in a dirt path, which cut across several blocks.

"I remember that the bag was heavy. Heavier than I thought it was going to be. When I passed through the merchant district I saw a vendor selling saddlebags that could be slung over a shoulder. ‘Considered buying one, but I did not."

“Why?”

David gave another sigh. “There are better ways it could be spent. A little discomfort would not be the death of me.”

"And what happened when you arrived at this point?"

"Then I... I remember the farm." The priest grew still and his eyes began to glaze over.

"No. You were here in the street, walking, surely not down the center. Do not think back to it. Just use your eyes and tell me what is different. What has changed?"

“What has changed? Everything has changed. Everyone has gone home.”

Goge raised both arms to the many homes around them. “Good, now look around. Who has gone? Who might you expect to see?”

David looked from right to left, his eyes settling on the east-most corner. “...there was a beggar sitting over there. She had a torn shirt and a small box. I remember that she...”

“You rejected the merchant, but you would not have ignored the beggar.”

David stared at that spot. "No… No, I do not believe I would have. In fact, I am sure of it. If anything, I would have directed her to the temple.”

“And that is the point where your memory ends?”

The priest grunted and closed his eyes. Leaning forward, he put his hands on his head. “Why can I not...?”

“Stop." Goge gave him a pat on the shoulder and slowed his pace. "Do not try to remember. The spell is long gone, but your memories are stacked like a trick of cards. Choose the wrong one from the deck and they all spill out. Focus on the ground. Avoid the memory and answer me this: if this woman were still here, where would she be sitting?”

David pointed at a spot on the ground. It was a fairly unremarkable stretch of stonework that lifted up from the street and provided a sidewalk. Beside the dirt and filth one might expect to see on the streets of Akune, there was nothing of significance outside of a small wooden box. Goge tapped it with the tip of his boot.

Stepping around that spot, he pulled up one side of his overcoat to obscure his other hand and summoned a bright ball of Aether. He cast Minor Elemental Detection, Radiant Release and Cascading Vision. Wisps of energy wove patterns on the ground as David stumbled backward.

"What is that? What did you just do? I felt something."

"Nothing." Goge glanced around one more time. How was that possible? Was his adversary such a master of Aether that he could completely remove all trace? "There is nothing here."

David strained to watch. "What you did there. I felt a great warmth in my bones. Was that your magic?"

Goge looked around again. None of his yurei had reported anything unusual and there seemed to be no trace of spellcraft on this block. Even the minor spells he had just cast would remain detectable for days. And yet this man had altered someone's mind in broad daylight without leaving a speck of evidence. It was either extremely unlikely or extremely impressive.

Nothing had been altered, nothing cast, nothing remained. The entire effect began and ended with David's mind.

Goge pointed at a nearby home. "What color is that roof?"

"Brown."

"And that one?" Goge moved his finger to the right.

"Red."

"And that one?"

"Brown."

"And that one?"

"Lord Goge, I do not und..."

"David. It is important. Tell me the color of that roof."

"That one is also brown."

"And that one?" He moved his finger again.

"That is an empty field." David rolled his eyes.

Goge did not move his finger. "David..."

"Lord Goge, I do not understand what you..."

Goge was quieter now. His expression, grave. "David, take another look at where I am pointing."

"It is an empty field. Maybe there used to be a house there, but not now. Nothing but tall grass."

Goge gradually lowered his arm and drew his cane; holding it in his left hand, he used the right to retrieve a silver wand. The metal was pure enough to hold a great deal of charge and this particular wand had been infused with ‘Disintegration’. A master of Aether would not have difficulty defending himself against it. However, to do so would only serve as theory confirmation. He activated a small pin under his coat. This one was shaped like an elephant and held a single charge of ‘Modified Reflection’. It would last for the next half hour.

Although such a trick passed as simple enough to detect and dismiss, Goge was frequently surprised by the number of opponents who fell victim to it. Of course, it would only work once and was only effective on common Ignis and Aether spells, but he speculated that this pin had a higher body count than the wand in his hand.

"David, take the carriage back to the temple. I shall check on you in the morning."

"Please, at least tell me what you plan to do."

"Return to the temple, David." Goge stalked toward the house that Father David had been unable to see. He summoned power to his hand and gestured at the building, confident that Necromancy was too rare a magic for even this mage to have guarded against. Twenty living creatures inside, spread across two floors. None of them were moving.

David caught up to him. "Not until you tell me what is going on."

Goge readied the cane in his left hand and the wand in his right. "If you insist on staying, then wait here."

The front door was not barred or locked. Quality wood made a tight seal that resisted anything less than a firm push open. The hardwood floors did not give off a hollow sound as he stepped inside, and this allowed him to move in relative silence.

The interior appeared to be very well decorated and recently cleaned. There were no wards or traps, at least, none that could be detected. Five Akunian citywatch sat on the sofa and stared blankly at the wall in front of them. Candle holders sat on desks and tables, unlit. Two more citywatch stood in the kitchen, unmoving, peering out the windows. Goge took a quiet series of bootsteps toward the stairs unchallenged. Each step creaked under his weight as he climbed to the next floor. It was not a large house and the presence of so many watchmen made it seem rather cramped.

The upstairs was not as bright and Goge could barely make out the silhouette of more guards posted in the hall. They stood like statues and remained inert to his intrusion. A single ray of light came from under the door at the end of the corridor. Goge took the last few steps carefully as he traversed the watchmen that crowded his path. Although he was sure to be nearing his target, the lack of defenses made the situation all the more confusing. An adversary with this type of skill and experience would surely have coated the walls and floors with all manner of magical defense. Yet he saw none.

The door opened before he could touch it. Peering inside, he noticed a large chair and a woman within its padding hunched over a table. Aged and somewhat plump, she sat facing him and was dressed in a faded gray robe with a brown woolen cowl. Goge kept the weapons at his side with the utmost care not to raise them. Until this person decided how she wanted to proceed, this was as much of a greeting as he was prepared to give.

With her right hand she drew a deck of cards; pulling a tarot with her left, she placed the image on the table face up. It was death. She drew another card and placed it alongside the first. It was also death. She drew a third and a fourth as he watched. All death.

"The cards foretold your coming. They did not warn me that you carry an infernal weapon. Obscenity to the gods, I have been expecting you." The old woman did not speak with the voice of someone her age. Instead, it sounded as if someone were trying a little too hard to play the part.

Goge sighed and put his wand away. Taking a seat in the chair which had been set out for him, he attempted to get a glimpse of the woman's face. Unfortunately, the dim candlelight draped long shadows across them both.

"You are swimming in illusion magic. Your cards are no different. Remove these insults or suffer my choice of spellcraft."

The old woman paused as she placed the deck on the table, as if startled by what he said. "I am not your enemy. But the cards..."

Goge summoned a ball of crackling red energy to his hand and raised it to shoulder level, his eyes never straying from his target.

The woman held up her hands in surrender. "Alright… Alright..."

The walls, the candles, the table and chairs peeled away as the illusion unraveled. Light from the sunset washed through the room as the drapes disappeared as well. The woman changed into a beautiful version of herself with a fox tail and pointy ears covered in light brown fur. Her hair was reddish brown and well-styled. Thick white trousers and a shirt under a gold trim vest completed the more honest truth. The fabric was obviously not local.

Goge briefly glanced around the room. Not spacious, as he had been led to believe: a bedroom with a four-post bed, a small night stand, an armoire and a selection of oil lamps. The table and two remaining chairs were hardly as grand as they once appeared, taking up a fraction of the space.

Goge lifted an eyebrow. "A succubus? Another demon in my city?"

"I am no demon, if you please."

"You are an abyssal who uses illusion. Succubus is what you are called."

She sat up straight and placed her hands on the table. "My name is Tiffeneau and I know what a succubus is. It is true that I am a Domainer, yes. But not an abyssal. I am Kitsune, if you please."

"’Never heard of that." Goge placed the cane across his lap, still glaring.

"We reside in the domain of Zao. We do not involve ourselves in the eternal war."

His cold expression faded as he placed the final piece of the puzzle. "You are the one who brought Lily here. That glamour was your doing."

Her fluffy tail snaked around and momentarily wrapped across her chest. "Yes, we separated and I watched from a distance."

"Why are you disrupting my affairs?"

Her features twisted angrily for just a moment, but slowly relaxed before she would allow herself to speak again. "Lily was fine where she was. You are the one who complicates matters, if you please."

"Me? Was it I who came to your city and began altering the memories of your servants? Please forgive me if that is the case. I did not realize that it was, in fact, I who was found to be living in a house with dozens of mind-numbed citywatch. Please accept my apologies."

She set her jaw and straightened her back, seemingly not a fan of his sarcasm. "These men are very well paid. Each of them donate a small portion of their earnings every week. I can understand that you might find this..."

Goge leaned forward, a rare moment of anger flaring across his face. "This is not your personal playground! Make your living somewhere else! This is Akune and these are my servants!"

Tiffeneau stood up so suddenly that her chair scraped across the floor to punctuate the departure. Goge gripped his cane, but relaxed the moment she turned her back to him. She made a step toward the window, her triangular ears standing on end. Perhaps she had done it by accident, yet any hope of tactical advantage had been surrendered in that one moment. No serious opponent would have turned their attention away for the sake of a dramatic gesture. Goge felt all of the tension drain just as fast as it had arrived.

"I mistook you for something else. I apologize. These days have been difficult. Difficult for us both."

She paused by the window. Her breathing was still agitated, but seemed to slow as something caught her attention on the street below. "That priest. That is how you found me. ‘Knew he was trouble. When he opened that bag and showed me how much coin he was carrying, I realized my mistake…"

"Please. Sit back down. I have questions."

Tiffeneau turned slowly and seemed to bury her pride for a brief moment. She retook her chair and sat across from him. "I tried to erase all memory of myself, if you please."

"You did a very good job of that. He does not remember you at all."

"Coins like that were destined to be counted, I dared not take any. ‘Sent him away as fast as I could and still you found me."

"He mentioned visiting a farm in the middle of the city."

She smiled for a moment. Maybe it was the memory of diving into David's mind or perhaps it was the expression Goge made when he mentioned it. She glanced off to the side and decided to change the subject.

"Who are you expecting?"

Goge raised an eyebrow. "Expecting?"

"It is my responsibility to keep watch on Lily. On your first night here you took her to a tailor and told them that you are expecting someone. Who is it, if you please?"

"I do not recall."

"If you start lying now, this discussion will not go far."

Goge suppressed annoyance."No one you know."

"Tell me anyway."

"A personal rival from another realm."

"Does this rival have a name?"

He sighed in annoyance. "Ethan. Are you happy? You have received information that is truly worthless to you."

"Hard won. A small victory for me. Now you get to ask a question, if you please, although I already know what it is."

"Why did you hide a red-sorc Nakiri in my city?" Goge leaned back and the chair creaked in response.

"Your city? It was not your city when I arrived."

"It has always been my city. Now tell me."

She shook her head. "Lily is not a red-sorc. She is an Amanozako, if you please."

He glanced up at her eyes. "I am not up to date on abyssal nonsense. What is that?"

"Something which is sacrificed. With every ten million born, the gods require a sacrifice."

"You stole their sacrifice?"

Tiffeneau gave a brave smile. "No. The role of thief was not offered to me and I am not sure how many hands she passed through since."

“Could you not have brought her somewhere else? The City Of Mists? A paradise domain? Surely there are better places in the domains.”

"This is not some ritual. A celestial would slay her just as fast as her own kind. The gods want her dead. Both the old and new."

Goge shook his head. "I find it difficult to believe that the gods would pay attention long enough to actually agree on something. Why so much attention?"

"As I said, she is Amanozako. Every ten million born, a Nakiri emerges with the power to slay the devine. Their pact demands they eliminate it. This is no game. It is the reason they count their young and test them. If they fail to find and eliminate her, the consequences for them will be unimaginable."

Goge calmly closed his eyes and used his thumb and forefinger to massage the area between them, letting out a slow groan. The kitsune did not continue.

“Are you aware of how mad this all sounds?” He focused his tired eyes back to her. They did not convey acceptance. In truth, he was not yet certain whether or not he believed her, but he had no reason to think that she would have gone to so much trouble for such a poor lie.

She spoke softly. "I am aware of how it must sound to someone like yourself, but that does not make it less true. Regardless of what we believe, the Nakiri are convinced and they will stop at nothing to find her."

He shook his head. "Why would you bring her here?”

"You think it was my choice? I was not aware of what she was. They gave me the girl and I departed. Had I known what she was I would have refused, if you please."

He clenched his teeth. “Why did you choose this world? Do not avoid my question.”

"Your mind forbids my power and I am unable to read it!” She squeezed her hands in frustration. “Do not hold me to impossible standards when I have spent years on my own and must choose my words so carefully! This world was not where I intended to bring her! Our chain is broken. I was to deliver her many years ago and found their agents laying in wait. Now there is no one to whom I can bring her and I am alone."

Goge stretched out his right hand in an effort to calm her. “Consider this. Surrender the girl to them."

She shook her head and closed her eyes for a moment. “They would kill me. None have admitted she is gone and their servants have been searching the realms. These are well-practiced at recovering those who seek to stay hidden. It is only a matter of time. It seems... It may sound cruel, but the best thing for us is to leave her on her own and keep our distance. If you please, it is all I can think to do."

"Are there others who might know you had a hand in this?" Goge slowly rose and straightened his suit.

“None that live. What will you do?”

“For now? Nothing. If they are not already here then there is no need for haste. Ships leave Akune all the time and she can easily find herself on one of them. Continue to distance yourself and I shall do the same. For now, I suspect it would be better if you started living like a realmer. No more glamours, no more stealing. Go see Beatrice at City Hall and take a salary. It will be easier for you to hide when you are not behaving like a Succubus… if you please."

The kitsune hinted at a smile. She stood up from her chair to give a grateful bow. "I appreciate that. Good luck to you, Lord Necromancer. You may still need it."

"You as well."