I left the inn on my own after talking to Benny. I needed to think, and I wanted to be alone with my thoughts. I wore my mask and armor though, so none of the Horned Lords drama would affect me. I was just a relative nobody walking the streets in the dark.

It struck me as I walked how long it had been since I’d done this, wandered off on my own to just be by myself. I knew Zeke would be keeping an eye on me, but other than that…there was no one. I’d spent so long constantly around my friends that I’d almost forgotten what it was like to walk by myself.

Part of me expected to be worried or lonely, but I’d come to terms with solitude of a much deeper nature in the Ruined Soul Temple, and this was a trip to the bathroom in comparison to that.

Strolling through darkened streets lit only by lamp and starlight, I took a deep breath, enjoying the crisp, clean air. It struck me that being in space it was weird that there even WAS a night, much less air, but I chalked it up to one of the many huge enchantments or machines down in flipside.

I walked for hours, not talking or thinking, just living in the moment, enjoying the peace. There was something surreal about the darkness around me, something almost alive. I realized I was feeling Callie’s ability through the bond, at least a bit, but I liked it. I hadn’t entered the shadows so I couldn’t hear voices, but there was a comforting buzz to the dark I’d never felt.

Something pushed me on though, rather than sit and wait, I felt my legs carrying me almost on their own, my divination and fate sense pushing me this way or that until I came to a stop at the end of a dark alley.

Feeling with the bond, I pulled the shadows around me as I used Callie’s Stealth, maximizing my cover for some unknown reason as I looked out into the street.

Across from me were a pair of men, one small and broad shouldered with an angry red nose and an angrier red beard. His eyebrows were thick and hung over his blue eyes like a stormcloud, and his mustache nearly buried his belligerent scowl as he shoved a bag toward another man. “Look Danny, I’m not paying a forty percent mark up on an order I make every week. We have an arrangement.”

“And I told you that you are, or you’re not getting your Hallow.” He held up a small plastic bag full of something grey. “Five of our shipments have been interrupted. We’ve lost three delivery vessels coming into Tricorn, and two of them disappeared in Flipside and we STILL don’t know what happened to them.”

The bearded man snorted in derision. “I know what happened. The Darklings got them. I told you idiots not to run around down there.”

“The Darklings are a fairy tale, Rudy.” Said Danny with an eye roll. “There is NO evidence that prolonged exposure to any of the machines in Flipside can mutate a person, much less turn them into a soulless people eating monster. Even Recursion has limits. Now, I gave you the updated price. Are you buying? Because I can sell this to someone else in a heartbeat and you damned well know it.”

It was hard to see Danny, who was hunched under a large hood that shadowed his face. I’d seen similar cloaks before, devices made to obscure features. The red bearded man, Rudy, gritted his teeth, but he shoved a small clinking bag toward the man.

Danny took the bag, pouring it out onto his palm and counting the chits before stowing them away. He tossed the bag to Rudy. “Cheer up. This is seriously good shit. You know how it works, increased Skill development is nothing to sneeze at.” With a chuckle, he stepped back, vanishing into the dark the way Callie would have.

I froze as I stared at the bag, realizing what it was. It was ash. Specifically it was the SAME ash we’d found in those crates. I furrowed my brow. Why? Why smuggle what appeared to be some kind of cultivation drug into Tricorn.

Something about this seemed off. Also familiar. Ever since the Glade, I’d learned to be wary of miraculous substances that had crazy effects. This ‘Hallow’ apparently let people advance Skills faster, which was impressive, but also suspicious. The Moonglow Dew had been secretly tainted by the power of a dead god. Was that happening again?

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

Even if it was, what the hell could a bunch of low ranking nobodies do to people like my Grandfather? Even if the drug was designed to make them stronger or berserk or something, there was no chance they could do anything to anyone important. I was missing part of a bigger picture.

Glancing around, I wondered what the hell I was supposed to do? I could just go home, but I’d walked a long way. I debated chasing the dealer into the dark, but I wasn’t Callie, and picking a shadow fight with a dark aligned Ascendant IN the dark seemed unreasonably stupid.

So…I walked. Something in me was pushing me on still. My journey wasn’t over, and I trusted my divination and fate sense to lead me further. They’d brought me this far after all. I kept walking, and the path beneath my feet began to change. I’d wandered into the church district, and fairly deep into it somehow, taken a turn from one of the others.

Eventually I came to a small open field of grass in the middle of one of the blocks. A big pond of water sat in the middle of it, and over it a red wooden bridge.

On the bridge was a man, a guy about my age, with pale blonde hair and bright blue eyes, holding a fishing rod. I felt my fate sense pulling me toward him, and I obeyed it, walking along the bridge and sitting down next to him. “Nice night.” I said cordially, having no idea why I was talking to this complete stranger.

“It is.” He agreed, eyes never leaving the water. “But then, it’s always a nice night for fishing, don’t you think?”

I shrugged. “Don’t really know. I don’t have much experience with fishing like this.” My mind flickered to punching flying rainbow fish on a rocking boat as they flew around us. “But I think maybe there are some nights that aren’t the best for fishing.” I glanced down into the water. “Are there…even any fish in that pond?”

“I don’t think so. Why do you ask?” His tone was politely interested, and I just raised an eyebrow.

“Because you’re fishing?” I asked slowly. “And the point of fishing is usually to CATCH a fish.”

He smiled, finally looking up at me. “You have some strong opinions on fishing for someone without much experience. Let me ask you this. If I go out on a lake full of fish, cast my line, and wait for ten hours without a bite, then come home empty handed, and someone asks what I was doing all day, what should I tell them?”

“You were out fishing.” I said automatically. I saw his point, but I didn’t really know how to respond.

His smile grew. “So we have established then, that fish are not integral to the act of fishing.”

“Yeah, I get it. But why would you bother then?” I sighed. “Like you’re just sitting out here casting your line into the water and you aren’t hoping to catch anything?”

He chuckled. “Now when exactly did I say that I wasn’t hoping to catch anything? I cast my line and set my bait, and I seem to have gotten a bite exactly as I expected. As I said, one who fishes does not necessarily seek to catch fish.”

I frowned at him. “You’re implying you were fishing for ME? I’ll be honest, that doesn’t exactly fill me with hope for your good intentions. I have to warn you, trying to kill me would be a big mistake. I know I probably seem like I’m alone, but I almost never am, and I can tell that you’re definitely too strong to be picking a fight with me.”

“Oh.” He said with interest. “And what gives you that idea? Do I feel like some powerhouse?”

I shook my head. “No, you don’t feel like anything. You feel like a regular human being just sitting around without a single point of Impact. Which you definitely are NOT, or else you would be dead just from being here.”

He sighed. “Yes, that’s a problem. Apologies, but being in my undiminished presence can be problematic for lesser Ascendants. I’m surprised you bothered with the threat though, I assume you already guessed who I am. If you have, you must realize Ezekial Cavendish can’t do anything to stop me should I decide to do you harm.”

“I was feeling out your reaction.” I admitted. “You seemed more amused than afraid. The combination of factors confirmed it. You know there were easier ways to do this, right?”

Snorting, he waved a hand dismissively. “Pish posh. It’s a grandfather’s sacred right to go fishing with his grandson. Did you know, I once caught a fish this big?” He held up a single hand, winking at me as tried to strangle a laugh.

“Funny.” I said after the snickering passed. “But it doesn’t answer my question. Why not just come see us at mom’s place? Why go through all the trouble to get me alone. Also HOW did you do that? Your power is purification right?”

That got another laugh, this one long and low. “My power is a great many things, Shane. But does not lie in such a direction. I used this fishing pole.” He patted the item, and I let my eyes focus on it. “It was a gift from my senior brother. Your Path bears some similarities to his in some senses. Casting our karmic thread out with a bit of bait helped bring you to me.”

“Wait…you’re the reason I came out at all?” I asked suspiciously. “Or did you just notice my walk and snag me when I was alone.” I had already inferred that he was the one who led me to the dealer, though why he didn’t just tell me what was going on (assuming he knew) I had no idea.

To my surprise, he hopped to his feet, stowing away the fishing rod and dusting himself off. “Well. It’s getting late. I prefer to call it for the day after getting a bite.” I felt a bit of panic. This was my grandfather, the one I’d been dying to meet since I’d heard about him, and he was just going to leave? He hadn’t even really SAID anything to me.

“You’re not going to tell me anything about what’s going on are you.” I said resignedly. “You’re just going to drop a cryptic hint and then vanish. Has anyone ever told you older Ascendants how annoying that is?”

His smile this time was beatific. “I’m sure I have no clue what you might be talking about. I just came here to do some fishing. Fishing is such an underrated activity, I think. Staring into the depths of the water, losing yourself in the serenity beneath the waves. It’s easy to forget how much we miss when we’re paying too much attention. Even when those things are right under our noses.”

With another wink, he was suddenly gone, and Zeke appeared in his place, spinning wildly. My uncle looked agitated and confused, and I had to assure him of my safety as we headed back to the inn. I had a lot to think about, and a cryptic annoying riddle to puzzle out. Before we left, I used my Eye of Revelation on the pond, but found nothing. Whatever he’d been talking about, I was missing something. I just hoped I figured out what that was before it was too late.