Evolution: A Warlock's Rise To Power

While Lucan and Super were taking a look around New Avalon, Lucan recurved a communication from Oar.

Edgit Hammerstone was requesting his input.  The warlock instantly realized what this was in regard too and didn't hesitate to return to Shadowsweep.

The pair took the newly built shadow tunnel back to the dwarven citadel.  When they arrived, Oar was already at the entrance waiting for them.

"Boss! Boss! Over here!" The young man shouted while jumping up and down.

Lucan's steward was worried that his boss didn't see him, even though Lucan was looking at him and walking his direction.  This wasn't because he was soft in the head.  No, Oar was worried because this could be a major issue, depending on how Lucan acted.

"Boss there was a mishap in the forge.  Mr. Hammerstone wants you to come down and take a look so that he can explain."

"Alright, let's go." Lucan said while suppressing the bad feeling he had.

The trio entered the dwarven citadel and took a windy path through the cavernous city untill they venture even further underground.

Passing through a heavily guarded hallway, the three could already feel the temperature steadily rising as they drew closer towards the door ahead of them.

When the dwarf guarding the door saw Oar, he gave the young man a nod.  The two were clearly familiar with each other.  The guard didn't hesitate to open the door and let the three enter.

When the door opened a swell of heat rolled out like waves over the ocean.  They were bathed in the hot air that the dwarves didn't seem to mind.  Without any other choice.  Lucan pushed forward into the stifling environment.

Entering into the large chamber, Super and Lucan saw the grand forge in operation for the first time.

A massive forge with over fifty compartments and openings was the source of the stifling heat.  Numerous dwarves surrounded the openings, taking things in and out while working on their craft while melodic pounding of hammers rang through the room.

At the largest opening in the very center, Edgit was hammering on an anvil.

When he saw Lucan arrive he stepped aside as another dwarf took over.

"Lord Quilldrake... We have a problem."

"What is it?" Lucan asked, in no mood for a long drawn out explanation.

Edgit sensed Lucan's agitation and didn't beat around the bush.

"It is the eternal luminary heart diamond.  It shattered in the furnace."

"What!" Super exclaimed"

"How is that possible?" Lucan asked sharply.

Edgit passed the warlock a bag of the shattered remains.  "I believe it was a fake.  A luminary diamond wouldn't normally shattered even if it was bathed in the breath of an ancient red dragon.  I am sorry, even this fake fooled me.  It is a top of the line counterfeit.  A normal forge wouldn't even be hot enough to destroy it and we would have never know.  Who ever sold it to you probably didn't imagine you would use a citadel's grand forge to help shape it."

Lucan grabbed the back and looked inside to see that the diamond he purchased for a huge sum was shattered into several small pieces.

"Lucan, I really didn't know." Super said panicking.

He hadn't procured the stone for Lucan but he did introduce the jeweler who sold it to him.

The warlock frowned as he though about what to do.  The wedding was tomorrow and the main stone of Silent's ring was now found out to be a fake.  He didn't have much time.  A different stone wouldn't do.  The entire ring was designed around the luminary diamond.  He had to either track down a new one, or go with an entirely different kind of ring.

Lucan turned around to leave without saying anything more.  As he was on his way out, Edgit called to him.

"If you can get a new one, I only need and hour to set it and shape it.  I will be at the forge until your wedding tomorrow.  If you find one, don't hesitate to put me to work."

Lucan turned back and nodded to the dwarf before leaving.

Super rushed after him while Oar went to help Edgit.

Super could tell Lucan was furious. He didn't bother asking where he was going.  There was no point.  Super followed Lucan into the teleporter and the two arrived in Vertshadow.

Super began to communicate with his contacts and quickly found the location of the jeweler.

"He is not at his store, the jeweler is currently at home."

Lucan stopped in his tracks and turned towards Super.

Super quickly took the lead and led Lucan to the man's house while giving a run down on everything he knew about the man in question.

The stopped Infront of a villa on the outskirts of the city.  The place was way to nice for a jeweler.  It wasn't that a jeweler didn't make good money, it was the fact that this was Vertshadow.  The largest city of the shadow realm and was consider to be the capital by most of it's inhabitants.  Property prices were ridiculous.  Even a prince would be hard pressed to afford a villa of this size.

Two guards lazily sat in a guard house beside the main gate.  When they saw Lucan and Super approaching they looked in their direction but didn't bother to get up.

When one of the men was about to call out to the pair, Lucan waved his hand as mana surged forward.  Both guards slumped further into their seats and started snoring.

With an ethereal step, Lucan passed though the locked gates and Super was right behind him.

When the gardener working in the yard in front of the villa saw them, he didn't think anything of it.  The pair were walking up the main path and the gardener hadn't heard any commotion from the front gate.

It was natural to think that the two men were approved guest and not intruders.  The gardener lowered his head and got back to work.

A maid opened the front door as the two walked up towards the villa.

"Is Mr. Fort expecting you?" She asked politely.

"No." Super responded.  The maid was puzzled as it didn't look like the two were planning to elaborate or reveal their identities.  But she relaxed after Super reached into his coat and pulled out a sealed piece of parchment.

The maid took the parchment.  "Please come inside and wait a moment." Said while leading them into the sitting room just off the entrance.

She then took the note and scurried upstairs.  It was only once she was out of their view that she snuck a closer look at the wax seal on the piece of parchment.

She didn't know who it belonged to but she was smart enough to recognize the lion's head in the corner which signified that it was the seal if a king.

She picked up her pace and ran towards the master bedroom.

Super sat next to Lucan while the warlock looked him over in surprise.  They spoke telepathically.

'You get paid in experience and gold, which are nice, but sometimes I request different payments from my clients.' Super explained.

'Impressive, I will owe you one.'

Super felt better once he knew that Lucan didn't blame him for introducing him to a cheat of a jeweler.

Super nodded and didn't deny the favor.  He had a few more but high level seals were hard to get ahold of.  And he usually had to write the note before it was sealed.  And whoever was sealing it would read it over because they didn't want to be implicated in anything nasty.

So I'm this case, the king who sealed the parchment was alright with it because the parchment clearly stated that the holder of the note only wished to make contact with it's reciever and then it vaguely hinted at the proposition of a business deal.

The note itself wasn't much, but it and the wax seal could be used to get a greedy person into the room.

Lucan and Super waited for five minutes before they head hurried footsteps.

The warlock was doing his best to contained his anger.  He has spent a fortune on that stone and it turned out to be fake.  But seeing that even an experienced dwarf was fooled by it, it wouldn't be surprising if the jeweler also believed it was real.

But Lucan as determined that someone must know that it was fake.  If it wasn't the jeweler it must be his supplier.

Such an expensive villa was already a bad sign for the jeweler but maybe his family was filthy rich.  If that was the case it could be explained.

As the footsteps rushed quickly towards the door, the suddenly stopped.  Lucan and Super could imagine that the man on the other side of the door was trying to calm himself before he entered.

The double doors were swung open wide as the man entered the room with his head held high and a smile plastered on his face.  He was eager to find out who his guest were and he was excited at the prospect of making a business deal with a kings direct aides.

Lucan immediately recognized the jeweler Mr. Fort.

When the jeweler looked upon his guests he was shocked to see the man he had made a deal with a few days ago.  He wasn't able to hide his panic and fear quick enough as they both flashed across his face.

Lucan and Super both saw it at first glance.

The man quickly tried to turn around and leave but after his eyes met with Lucan's he was frozen on the spot, so intimidated that he couldn't move a muscle.

Mana poured out of the warlock's fingers as it spread to different ends of the room as Lucan opened his arms. The two doors that were still open, quietly close.  Magic covered the walls, windows, ceiling and floor.  Shadows rolled and filled the room.

Mr. Fort wasn't able to move, but sweat poured down his face like rain water.  When he was freed from his bindings, the first thing he did was gulp.