They used the back entrance to District HQ, navigating dimly lit corridors until they arrived at the stairway to the Deep Cells.
Flight after flight they descended, the crystal light above providing less visibility with every step. Eventually, the two Inspectors were engulfed in darkness, only the soles of their echoing boots to keep them company.
"Have you been here before?" Elsha asked.
"Never."
There was a sense of foreboding about this place, their boots beating a rhythm through endless black. Stale air tickled Kint’s face like cobwebs.
The deeper they went, the more unnatural it felt.
"You know..." Elsha started, breaking the silence. "When I first got here, I thought 'why does a district like this need Anti Mage Confinement…. But now, I think we might need more."
"Right." Kint huffed.
His partner paused, craning her head to check how far they’d come.
"But, did they need to build it so deep?"
He snorted a laugh, jostling her forward.
"The sun." He noted, after a few moments.
Elsha gave him a quizical eye before understanding crawled across her face.
"Ah…Right."
It was common knowledge among Mages that the sun's rays helped accelerate the regeneration of one's magic. Anyone with a well could feel it. So, building the cells this deep helped nullify that effect.
A subtle blue light became visible below, indicating a crystal lamp.
They’d reached the bottom.
Light emanated, beckoning from the end of a hall.
A guard dressed in the black and purple of House Vorva sat slumped in a chair beside a heavy metal door. The lamp was on the floor beside him, illuminating the man’s sleeping face.
"Eh-hem." Elsha coughed.
The guard perked up, blinking tired eyes. He scratched at his poorly shaven cheeks, straightening in his chair.
"Who are you?" He asked, words slick with sleep.
"We're Inspectors." Kint stated, "Here under the Black Seal.”
The man stared at them, either unimpressed or uncomprehending.
“We need to see one of the Prisoners." Elsha prodded.
The guard sighed, irritated.
He checked his watch and grimaced.
"Alright." He groaned, pushing himself up from his chair.
"Which one is it, then?"
He fumbled through keys.
"Syfeeli." Kint stated.
The man nodded.
He grabbed the lamp in one hand, inserting a heavy key into the black steel door with the other. Gears thunked inside as it unlocked.
The guard groaned, pushing his shoulder against the metal. There was a grating sound of metal on metal as the dark steel slid back, revealing another hallway beyond.
The surly man gestured for them to follow.
They moved through in silence, the guard’s lantern swinging blue light down the hall.
There was another heavy door. This one had a dark swirling pattern on it, a combination of several different alloys.
The tired Kadenite fiddled again with the keys, muttering to himself.
“... At the end of my blasted shift…”
After much grumbling, the door clicked open. This one swinging on well oiled hinges.
The guard stood to one side, motioning for them to enter.
"Syfeeli's the last cell on the left. Knock three times when you want out."
He handed them the lamp before closing the door with a thunk.
There was another muffled click.
They were locked in.
Elsha shivered visibly beside him.
He was struggling not to do the same.
The moment the door had sealed, Kint felt a difference in the air. Like magic had been stripped from the environment.
"Gansheer." His partner whispered.
Gansheer, an anti magic alloy. A metal that sapped the wave energy of anyone in contact with it. Neither of them were touching it directly, so their magic was safe. But still…
The ambient magic was completely gone.
It was unnerving
"Let's get this done." Kint muttered.
Elsha nodded.
“Agreed.”
They started walking, boots echoing through the dark.
As they moved, a chorus of muffled groans rippled around the room. Pained cries, cracked the air every so often, making the Inspectors uncomfortable.
"Wavers Flu." She grimaced, raising her lamp to reveal groaning bodies huddled on steel slabs.
These people were so drained of magic, they could barely move.
They’d be experiencing flu-like symptoms, a level of sickness far beyond the Well Weathering that Tanveer the Ice Walker had shown in the Arena.
Prolonged exposure to Gansheer was torture to any Mage.
Kint glanced to his right.
A prisoner in the fetal position had felt the light on his back, turning to face them.
His gray eyes glinted, as the irises narrowed into focus. Those eyes widened, glowing with a terrifying hunger.
The man shot up, moving faster than Kint thought possible. He slammed his body against the bars with desperate force. Pushing his head through the opening.
"Give it to me!" He screamed, reaching for the lamp. "I need it. Plea--"
Elsha kicked him in the face.
Bones cracked.
Blood spattered to the floor.
The prisoner whined in pain, wailing like a dying animal.
Blood sprayed as he fell away, whimpering like a wounded dog.
Elsha sneered at him, disgusted.
“Low blood roach.”
Kint raised an eyebrow, reminded of how ruthless the Blessed could be.
She took a moment to check her boots for stains before continuing down the line of cells.
Other prisoners noticed them, that same rapturous hunger in their eyes. But, there were no more attempts to grab the lamp.
Nearing the final cell, Kint cocked his head.
There was a blue light emanating from the far corner, similar to their own.
"Hello."
A pleasant voice whispered, echoes of the prison projecting his voice to their ears.
Mr. Syfeeli greeted them with a friendly smile as they approached the black bars of his cell.
The man was seated, casually reading a book with a crystal lamp perched beside him.
He closed the book, placing it gently beside him on the steel slab of a bed.
The man looked like an owl, eyes glittering like saucers in the night, observant, intelligent. Nothing like the babbling lunatic he’d met two days ago.
He looked healthier, handsome even.
The killer sat with a confidence that belied his situation.
"You look well, Syfeeli." Elsha stated, taking the lead.
"I am well." He smiled, "A few sound nights of sleep will do any man good."
"Excuse me for saying." Elsha replied, "But, when last we met, you looked more than a few nights sleep away from sane."
The man’s smile faltered a bit, eyes downcast.
"Ah… Yes…I'm sorry."
He looked up, meeting her gaze with apologetic eyes.
"I… wasn’t myself at the time."
Kint’s brow furrowed.
What was going on here?
This man seemed a completely different creature from the one he’d experienced before.
He’d gone from crazed lunatic to subdued courtier in just a few days.
Kint eyed his partner.
She was grinning.
Was this her type?
“Do you recognize me?” The Senior Inspector cut in.
The merchant cocked his shaven head, raising the lamp to illuminate Kint’s face.
His brow furrowed, concerned.
He shook his head slowly.
“I’m sorry, Inspector. I–”
His cheek twitched.
“I haven’t been myself of late.”
The Inspector’s eyes narrowed. Just like at the house the other day, he struggled to read this man.
"Have you forgotten your wife as well?" Elsha asked, “You don’t seem too broken up about her passing.”
Syfeeli flinched at the harsh comment, giving the Inspector a wan smile.
“I grieve the idea of her, for that is what I married.”
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
“You murdered a young woman, merchant.” Kint growled. “Not an idea.”
The man’s body shuddered at the word ‘murdered’.
“May I ask what this is about Inspectors?”
He met Kint’s eyes with intention.
“I must admit, I’d not expected to have visitors for some time.”
Syfeeli pulled a knee to his chest, resting his chin on it.
The Senior Inspector observed him for a moment, unnerved.
“How did you get like this?” Kint asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
The thin man shrugged his shoulders.
“Like I said, my memory is a little hazy, Inspector. So, your guess is as good as mine.”
Elsha snorted a laugh.
“Hardly.”
“Fair enough.” The killer shrugged. “But you haven’t answered my question, Inspector. Why are you here?”
He stood, brow furrowing in concern.
“Has something happened at the factory?”
The Inspectors were silent, the low moans of pain from the other prisoners echoing in their ears.
“What was going on in that factory, Aladash?” Kint asked, voice low. “What was Crecius up to?”
A knowing smile split Syfeeli’s lips as he approached the cell bars.
“We made wonderful magical tools for the Blessed. Sky shoes, glider boots, and skimming sandals.”
He shrugged again, holding that grin.
“What do you think happened?”
Kint worked his jaw, irritated by the man’s attitude.
“I think you were working on something experimental. Something even the Blessed aren’t supposed to touch.”
The Merchant stared at them, motionless, analyzing.
Eventually, he sighed, turning his back to them and walking away.
“Unfortunately, I never saw anything like that.” He shrugged. “Like I said, we made magic shoes. That’s all we ever did while I was there.”
“But, you stopped making the shoes, Mr. Syfeeli.” Elsha cut in. “Almost six months ago.”
Syfeeli froze, his long shadow cast in blue across the cell walls.
“You’re quite well informed, aren’t you?”
He turned to face them.
The knowing smile was gone.
“Tell me, why are you here again? I don’t think I ever got a precise answer.”
“We’re here under the Black Seal, investigating the murder of two Acolytes at your factory.”
The man gave a small laugh.
“Must be the trouble twins.”
“Trouble Twins?” Kint repeated, “What do you mean?”
“Every so often, Lord Crecius would send around two Acolytes to the plant.”
Syfeeli shook his head, wryly.
“They weren’t brothers or anything, but they looked similar, and every time they showed up it meant more trouble for me.”
“What kind of trouble?” Kint pressed.
“Why don’t you ask Lord Crecius? He should be able to tell you all this.”
The merchant cocked his head.
“Or is there some reason you can’t?”
Kint’s teeth ground like a mortar and pestle. This damned murderer knew something… he was certain of it.
“The Lord’s time is valuable.” Elsha supplied, drawing a chuckle from Syfeeli.
“I’ve heard that one before.” The merchant grinned, “His Executive used to say it every time I’d ask for an audience with his master.”
The man shook his head.
“A real ripe cunt that one is. He’s the one who got me into this mess. Found me when I was down and pulled me into a deal with our great Lord.”
“So they used you.” Kint probed, “Trapped you into a raw deal.”
Syfeeli huffed another laugh.
“Of course they used me.” He spat. “That’s the game Inspector, they used me, just like you’re trying to use me right now to get what you want.”
Kint’s frown deepened. Why was this man being so cautious? He could tell the merchant knew something, so why wouldn’t he just spit it out?
“Which begs the question.” The killer continued. “Why me? What exactly do you want from me that I haven’t already given?”
“We want to know what happened–”
“I already told you, Inspector. We made shoes. That’s all I know.”
“That’s not all you know.” Kint snapped, slamming his hand against the bars of the cell.
“Well that’s all I have.”
The gaunt merchant raised his hands in exasperation, turning around to face the wall again.
“Fuck.”
The Inspector cursed, ripping his hands from the Gansheer bars. He stared at them feeling the discomforting depletion of his well from just a moment's contact.
He took a few calming breaths.
Elsha looked at him, face neutral.
“What do you want to do?”
He bit his lip.
“Want to get out of here? We could wait till dark and go back to the fact–”
“No.” Kint cut in. “No, I’ll figure something out. Just give me a second.”
He gave a deep sigh, glancing back to the observant merchant.
His mind ached for the power of the Silent State, confident that he could break this man down in moments with its tantalizing abilities.
But the way he’d used it at the Tube station earlier… so easily slipping into its grip.
“Inspector Kint” Syfeeli called, voice echoing across the cell.
Kint frowned. Neither of them had ever given their names to this man.
He turned back to the cell.
“You do remember me, don’t you.” He pressed.
The merchant was staring at this bare feet.
“For certain reasons, I can’t tell you about my time in Lord Crecius’ employ.”
He fidgeted anxiously with his hands.
“In any case, I only ever saw them make the shoes… But…”
He paused, face pensive.
“But, I– I did have… experiences… in my time there… unnatural experiences…”
Kint stepped closer to the bars.
“What kind of experiences.”
The man flinched at the question.
He seemed so frail now, under the blue light of the lamp beside him.
“Tell me Inspector…”
He swallowed, taking a breath.
“Have you… have you had the dreams yet?”
Kint’s jaw clenched.
Syfeeli’s face tightened in pain as he saw the reaction.
He crept forward, careful, cautious.
“Have you–”
He hesitated.
“Have you seen him?”
He looked around, leaning in as if someone else might overhear.
“The man with the red eyes.”
Kint’s face was hardened.
Syfeeli put a hand to his mouth, horror racking his face.
“I’m sorry.”
He backed away.
“I’m so… So sorry.”
“What do you mean you’re sorry?” Kint growled.
Syfeeli shook his head, feet sliding toward the wall.
“I didn’t know– I– I couldn’t–”
“What did you do to me, dammit.”
The merchant shuddered as his back hit the wall.
“Answer me, Killer!” Kint snapped. “What did you do to me!?”
The man was silent, shivering as he slid down the cell wall.
Then, slowly, he began to speak.
“He came to me in my dreams… horrible dreams…”
He shuddered again, figure shrouded in darkness.
“He showed me things… things I’d thought, but… I’d never do them, you see… I swear I’d never do them.”
The man looked up at him pleading.
Kint gritted his teeth, thinking of his own dreams.
“He told me–He told me I was broken… And–And If just confronted my past… If I just faced the things I’d done– Then I could fix it…”
He looked up at them, eyes glowing with hope.
“I could save her… He said I could save her.”
“But I failed…” The words came out as a moan. A sick desperate moan
His face fell again, wracked with anguish.
“I woke up–And she was there in my arms… and the– The blood. Blood was everywhere– So much blood.”
He shook his head, tears rolling from his cheeks.
“I didn’t mean to…” He wept. “I tried to fix it… I just wanted to save her.”
“Then what happened?” Kint pressed, trying to stop the man from spiraling. “What happened next, Alatash?”
“Next… Next…”
The man repeated the words as if he was trying to capture their meaning.
“Next was…”
His eyes shot up, meeting Kint’s own.
“You were there. Yes! You were there, Inspector.”
A tentative smile crept onto his face as he nodded, reliving it.
“Yes… you were there, and it was all going to be okay… He could make it all go away.”
His smile faltered.
“He could make it all go away if I just…”
“If you just what?”
“If I just…”
His face took on a look of horrible harrowing sadness.
“Gave it to you…”
Silence descended on The Deep Cells.
Kint cocked his head, as the world seemed to close in around him.
“What… What did you do to me?”
“I’m sorry, Inspector.”
Syfeeli shook his head, tears flowing from his crazed eyes.
“What did you do to me?”
Kint’s eyes narrowed, face hardening.
“I– I had to– I had to fix it..” The man pleaded.
The Inspector slammed his hands against the bars.
“What did you do to me you sick fuck!”
A dreadful laugh began to rise from the insane man’s throat.
It was a sobbing, weeping, bone curdling laugh.
Eventually the laugh turned down to silence, and the silence turned to words.
"Sealed in a sack of heavenly skin.”
Syfeeli gripped himself tighter.
“The God's trapped forsaken Kin.”
He swallowed.
“Live clean, or let them in.
The Shattered... stain of Rot and Sin."
"The Shattered..." Kint whispered.
The world closed in around him like blinders.
The shattered…
But… but how… Him? How?
Elsha looked at him concerned.
“What’s going on Kint?” She pressed. “What is he talking about?”
Kint schooled his face to stone, backing away from the bars.
“We should go.”
He turned moving down the hall.
“Wait.” Elsha hesitated, confused.
She rushed to catch up to him.
“Wait, Kint.”
He was moving quickly, already knocking on the Gansheer door.
"Don’t do what he says, Inspector." The crazed man pleaded, "Whatever he shows you… don’t do it."
The door opened.
Kint rushed past the startled guard, the words following him down the hall.
Don’t do it…
He was halfway up the endless stairs before Elsha caught him by the arm.
“Stop, Kint!” She begged.
He tried to rip free but she held tight.
“Stop it!” She commanded. “Stand still.”
He kept moving, but let her continue to cling to him.
"What was that, Kint?" She snapped.
Their boots clattered in the empty staircase.
"Slow down."
His mind was racing as he took the steps two by two.
The Shattered.
It had been too absurd to consider before, but…
The Shattered…
And it seemed like Mr. Syfeeli wasn't having the dreams anymore, or at least he seemed more stable. Was that a consequence of the Deep Cells, or had he truly passed this thing to Kint?
"Kint." Elsha snapped, finally pulling him to a stop.
"Slow down..."
She stared at him, face a mix of concern and severity.
He pulled against her, but she held tight, and he finally relented.
The Inspectors stood silent, catching their breath.
"What was that?" Elsha asked, "Things seemed normal and then…"
"I don't know, Elsha." Kint said, exasperated. "It’s insane… the man’s insane.”
“That’s a blasted fact. But, what about you?” She questioned. “You got him babbling about some craziness and then you just bolt off!”
She gazed into his eyes with genuine concern
“I’m looking for answers, same as you!” He shot back. “You said it yourself, things are getting weird–”
“No, I said something was going on. And I certainly wasn’t talking about some red eyes dream beast, and the bloody SHATTERED!” She cried. “He said The Shattered, Kint… Like the children’s tales!”
She shook her head, incredulous.
“And then you ran out like you’d bloody seen one!”
She paused, meeting his eyes.
He looked away.
“Oh, gods!” She exclaimed.
His hands shot up in exasperation.
“I don’t know what I’ve seen!” He lashed out. “It’s all fucked up and… I don’t know…”
He wiped sweat from his forehead.
“... It could be…”
She rolled her eyes in disbelief.
“Gods save me.”
She took a few steps down the stairs, away from him.
They were silent for a minute. Labored breathing echoed through the stairwell.
Elsha sighed, shaking her head.
“The shattered.” She whispered, throwing him a glance.
“The red eyes… you’ve seen them?”
He bit his lip.
Then nodded.
She shook her head again.
“The Shattered…”
She froze, a thought coming to her.
Elsha looked at him, askance.
“You’re not feeling–”
“No. Of course not.” Kint cut in.
“It’s just–” She gestured to the deep cells below. “I mean.”
“I’m fine.” Kint sighed. “It’s just dreams, alright? I’m not gonna end up like him.”
“No, of course.”
She put her hands up in apology.
“I was just checking.”
Elsha shivered, then nodded to herself.
She began climbing, passing him on the way up.
“We’ll talk about this later.” She said, brushing hair from her face. “I need to get away from that bloody Gansheer.”
He stared at her as she walked, uncertain.
She turned back, face expectant.
“Are you coming?”
“Un–Right.” He muttered, stumbling after her.
He let out a sigh of relief.
This wasn’t the end of their conversation, even Elsha had limits to what she was willing to ignore.
But she was still with him. Somehow.
The two continued up the remaining steps in silence. Their focus drifted to their feet, the climb, and their labored breath.
As they mounted the final stair, Elsha put a hand on Kint's shoulder.
He looked at her, panting.
She was staring toward the top of the stairs, face pale.
He followed her gaze.
A dark hulking man stood on the ground floor, looking down at them. A crystal light behind him cast his shadow over both Inspectors.
Sh’Geel shook his head. His muscled arms, folded in front of him.
"Lord Crecius would like a word."