The Homunculus Knight

Chapter 19: Silver and Gold

“MOOOOORRRREEE! I NEED MORE! MORE GEMS! MORE GOLD! MORE SILVER! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! I will not let this Slumber be my last! Go! Bring me all you can find. Wring out every last vermin nest in ten days flight! Do not stop until my hoard shines brighter than all else! BRING! ME! MORE!” - Ravings of Ushumgal the Unsated. Dragon and Overlord of Lagash

Remembering the steel-hard warrior who’d rescued them from the Oubliette, Natalie cringed. Her feelings on Dietrich were complicated. He’d saved her life twice and was partially responsible for her status as Alukah. And if Cole was right, then the Scarlet Knight was responsible for her almost becoming Ash at the City Council’s hands. Looking at her partner, Natalie said.

“We need to warn the City. If a Vampire is creeping about causing troubles, they need to know.” As annoyed as she was with Vindabon’s government, Natalie wasn’t going to let that grudge get in the way of doing the right thing.

Morri answered before Cole could. “We will. I’ll contact my fellows in the towns surrounding Vindabon and take other precautions. But… I worry about how receptive the City will be. That prat, Graf Louon, lost family in the last Duchy War. He’s not happy with your presence Natalie, and he’ll make things difficult if he can.”

Thinking about that, Cole asked: “What about Councilman Korgun? He seemed receptive, or at least not hostile at the meeting.”

Shrugging, Morri said: “I’ll talk with my fellow Keepers and then make some plans. Hedwig has connections in the different halls of power we might be able to use. But for now, Natalie, I suggest you don’t leave the city.”

Letting out an amused snort, Natalie remarked. “Going from just the Temple to the whole city? I count that as progress.”

Cole spoke up, “I’m going to continue helping the Guards. I swore to aid them, and ending these murders will maybe help the political situation.”

Natalie started to say something, then stopped. Rebuilding her thoughts, she said. “Uh, they probably won’t want me around. So I guess I’m stuck at the Temple while you help?”

Breaking her personal Silence, Mina suggested. “I’ll talk with Iron-Teeth. If you tag along with Cole, it frees him and me from being your chaperone.”

Natalie perked up at that, but Morri dampened her excitement. “Even if he does agree, I suggest you don’t leave the Temple for a day or two, Natalie. It’ll take me that long for the Temple to issue its judgment and make sure no one does anything stupid.” seeing the sour look on Natalie’s face, the old Priest added. “Besides, Glynn wanted to take you through the Archives.”

Accepting that, Natalie crossed her arms behind her back and said. “Well, I guess we all have a busy day ahead of us? Anything else before we get started?”

With that, the group split up. Cole and Mina heading to the Guard Tower. Morri and Natalie going to find Glynn.

Mina waited at the Temple’s entrance, looking at the twin statues of the Wardens. Each two stories tall and carved from dark stone, the Wardens depicted Master Time’s two guards. Powerful spirits or Seraphs tasked with Guarding the dying and the newborn. A clatter of footfalls pulled Mina from her examination as Cole arrived. Clad in his black cloak, Cole looked shockingly similar to the Wardens.

“Sorry for making you wait,” Cole said. “I wanted to grab a few things before meeting with Iron-Teeth and the others.”

Mina gave an unbothered shrug, and the two set out. The city was busy trying to repair itself. The sound of pounding hammers and sawing wood came from multiple buildings, and Cole noticed a cart filled with garbage and broken glass being pulled by. Despite everything, Vindabon was a strong city. Wealthy and usually well-governed, it was healing from the Riot with shocking speed.

Passing through the market square close to the Temple, Cole noticed a trio of stockades had been set up near the fountain. Three shivering men with faces bruised and bloody were locked into the pillories. Wincing at their fate, Cole hoped they’d be let out before frostbite made its mark. On a closer inspection, Cole saw signs hung from the criminals' necks. Each painted with bold letters proclaiming their crimes.

‘RAPIST. LOOTER. FIRE-STARTER.’

Mina let out a low whistle at the signs and said. “Darvy must have been busy. They only set out the pillories for the worst criminals.”

Grimacing, Cole kept moving. The collapse of social and metaphysical order during the Riot had let some very bad people show their true selves. As much as he hoped the Guards got the worst of them, Cole knew more than a few Monsters had slipt through the cracks. Now free to step back into normalcy and pretend they hadn’t acted on their foulest impulses.

The Guard Tower came into sight soon after, and Cole was bothered to see a line of people streaming out of its main doors. The City Watch would be pushed to its limits trying to ensure the thin veneer of order didn’t crack before it could properly set. Instead of joining the line, Mina guided him to a back entrance of the Tower. It was locked, but Mina had a key. Once inside, the Priestess and Paladin headed towards Iron-Teeth’s office. They passed barely a handful of people on the way. A few exhausted-looking guards and building workers. None particularly noticing Cole or Mina.

Arriving at the offices, they found a very bored-looking Cat-Eyes slumped against a table. Upon seeing Mina, the City Warden perked up. Before she could fully get to her feet, Mina had wrapped her arms around Cat-Eyes. “Alia! I was so worried when I heard about the tunnels! I’m glad you are alright!”

Cole swore he caught a hint of a blush on Alia’s face as she tried to disentangle herself from Mina. Wincing as she did, Cat-Eye’s rasped. “Be gentle, still sore from the Temple’s treatments.”

Realizing her overstep, Mina, backed up, her own face beet-red. Frowning, Cole wondered if he had actually seen a blush or if that had been just Cat-Eye’s current condition. Alia’s skin was red and shedding like a week-old sunburn. The Priests of Sister Sun had cleansed Alia of any demonic taint, but the process had not been painless.

Gingerly leaning against the table, Alia said. “But it's good to have you back, Mina.” a small smile creased the Catblood’s lips. Looking at Cole, Alia added. “And I see, Master Time spared you from getting your hide tanned like the rest of us? But the way I hear it, your night didn’t get much better after the tunnels.”

Smiling slightly, Cole said. “I’m glad you are intact Cat-Eyes. How are the rest, and where is Iron-Teeth?”

Alia gestured to the ‘war room’ Cole had visited before. “He’s in there, obsessing over that Gold Coin you brought back. Weary bastard isn’t exactly helping those Dwarven stereotypes. As for the others, Fargo requested some Time-off to be with his family. While I’m fairly certain Temir is using his new scars and stories to score cheap booze and pretty women. So all things considered, not bad.”

Frowning, Cole asked softly, “And you?”

Cat-Eyes spared Mina a glance and then swallowed her pride. “I’ve been better. Nightmares and all that. I…I can’t get the smells out of my head. All that death and corruption. It’s fucked up.”

A sad smile flitted across Cole’s face. “It is. Take care of yourself and talk to the Priests of Aunt Seeress when you get the time. They can help you.”

Shrugging off her momentary melancholy, Cat-Eyes headed towards the war room. “Enough of that. We have a killer to catch.” knocking on the door as she opened it, Alia said. “Boss! Mina and the Paladin are back.”

Cole audibly winced on seeing Iron-Teeth. His beard was matted, and his eyes puffy from sleep deprivation. While what little skin he showed was red and scaly. The Dwarven Captain was hunched over a table, looking over documents, and seemed to take a second to recognize he was no longer alone.

“Ah, good timing,” he growled, voice hoarse from exhaustion. “I managed to get a Token-Seer to come take a look at the Coins. They should be here within the hour.”

Briefly, Cole considered suggesting Iron-Teeth get some rest but realized it was pointless. Obsession was written into Dwarven blood as much as their height and beards were. Iron-Teeth would rest when the killer was caught, or his body gave out. Instead, he nodded in agreement. “A Token-Seer will be useful, especially since we’re working with metal. Back in the tunnels, you said there were others you found. Can I see them?”

Grunting, Iron-Teeth gestured to a metal box sitting on the desk. “Use gloves to handle them. Don’t want to make it any harder for the Seer.”

Slipping on his leather gloves, Cole popped open the box and examined their contents. The large gold coin was joined by three silver pieces. Picking one of the silvers up, Cole examined it. The coin was squashed and distorted, like someone had dropped a building on it. One side was perfectly smooth, while the other had a distorted image. Cole thought it might be the profile of some long-dead monarch but couldn’t be certain. Looking at the others, Cole found them in similar shape. Warped and smooshed like candle wax.

Bringing one of the silvers to his nose, Cole sniffed it. Earning a raised eyebrow from Iron-Teeth and Alia. Even with his enhanced sense of smell, Cole only picked up the tang of metal and dried blood. Putting the coin back in the box, Cole went to Iron-Teeth and the book he’d been pouring over. It was a text on coinage containing prints and descriptions of all manner of currency.

“Any luck identifying them?” the Paladin asked.

Iron-Teeth shook his head in the negative. “Not really. I think they are Pre-Imperial, but that's about it.”

Eyes widening at that, Cole muttered. “Pre-Imperial? How old are these things?”

Alia answered in a deadpan tone. “At least two millennia? Since that’s when the Empire was founded?”

Ignoring her snark but glad she was feeling well enough to be glib, Cole removed his gloves. “Old coins like that aren’t exactly common. Especially damaged ones like this. You’d think they’d have been melted down and recast by now?”

Mina piped up at that. “Morri always says if old coins are suddenly in circulation, it usually means someone found a Tomb or ancient treasure. Could that be the case?”

A metallic scraping escaped Iron-Teeth as he worked his jaw on that thought. “We aren’t going back to the Undead theory, are we?”

Cole and Mina exchanged glances. A note of abashment in the Priestess’s expression. She’d led the investigation down a bad lead assuming the Killer was Undead, and Mina was clearly unwilling to repeat that mistake.

“Doubtful,” said Cole. “But Mina does have a point. Coins like this don’t just show up for no reason. Maybe we check the Banks and any Merchants near the murders for more?”

A knock at the door stopped any further musing. “Enter!” barked Iron-Teeth. A weary-looking Guard opened the door and ushered a plump woman in her mid-forties into the conference room. Clad in fine purple robes and a fur-lined coat, the Woman peered around the room with a bored expression. Her expression was unchanging even when seeing the scarred Paladin. As she adjusted her spectacles, Cole noticed she wore thick leather gloves covered in spiraling runes.

Bustling over towards the table, the woman chirped. “You are the ones who requested me?”

Iron-Teeth nodded. “Aye, Magi Ida. We have some strange Coins we’d like you to inspect.”

Ida blew out an annoyed breath. “Coins? You do realize how hard it is to get a good reading from them?”

Placatingly, Iron-Teeth added. “These are old and rather odd Coins. But if you can’t get anything, I understand. We appreciate any aid you can give us.”

Cole looked to Alia, wordlessly questioning the usually gruff Captain’s conciliatory tone. The Catblood Warden just shrugged. Apparently appeased by Iron-Teeths words, Magi Ida opened the box in question and carefully removed her gloves. She whispered something in a clipped tongue Cole didn’t recognize, and she picked up the Gold Coin. Cole felt a pulse of power ripple out from the Token-Seer. An invisible thing felt through the soul, not by any mundane sense.

Ida dropped the coin like it was red-hot and rushed over to a nearby bin, and vomited. Face flushed from her sickness and eyes wide with rage, she made a gesture, and Iron-Teeth was suddenly floating midair. Suspended by his beard, its ends bound up in an invisible fist. Hissing in anger, Ida spat. “You bastard! That coin was close to a Demon! Why in Stars did you not warn me?!”

Putting as much calm into his voice as possible, Cole stepped between Iron-Teeth and Magi Ida. “Seeress, if we knew it would effect you so, we’d have said something. None of us are familiar with your magical art and didn’t realize what would happen.”

Adjusting her glasses with the back of her wrist, keeping her other hand up, and pointing at the suffering Iron-Teeth, Ida asked. “And you are….?”

Reaching for his amulet, Cole answered. “Paladin Cole, servant of Master Time.”

Relaxing her hand, Ida let Iron-Teeth fall to the ground. Mina rushed over to check on the beleaguered Dwarf. Eyes locked onto Cole, Ida said. “You… I saw you in the Coin. You were the first person to touch it after the Corrupted.”

Cole nodded, half-expecting it to be his turn to be magi-handled. Instead of striking out with her power, Ida blinked a few times and recovered herself. “The Demon. Did you kill it?”

Nodding again, Cole said. “I did.”

Lips in a tight line, Ida jerked her head in what might have been a gesture of approval. “I felt that Spiritual Cysts influence through the coin. That thing needed to die. Glad to hear it met an appropriate fate.”

Reasonably certain he wasn’t going to get tossed about like a rag doll, Cole asked. “I’m sorry to ask, but can you tell us anything about the Coin and its owners before the Demon’s cult got it?”

Ida looked at the box and the gold coin sitting on the table. Suspicion clear in her green eyes. “Are the other Coins connected to the Demon?”

Iron-Teeth finally got to his feet, massaging his aching chin. “Not to our knowledge. Just that it's probably connected to the killer we are hunting.”

Accepting that Ida, stepped to the table, looking at the silver coins with undisguised trepidation. “The Heart-Stealer murders?”

A muscle in Iron-Teeth’s brow twitched. “We prefer not to give such pomp to scum. I wish the news criers would have the same policy.”

Ignoring his bitterness, Ida flexed her fingers like she was preparing for a harp recital. “I apologize for my earlier outburst, Captain Iron-Teeth. When I touch an object, I get to look into its past. Precious metals give me a clearer picture and… and the picture that coin gave me was of the Demon and its malice. Not something any sane person would like etched into their mind.”

Iron-Teeth just chuffed at that. “Find anything useful on the coins, and I’ll consider us even.”

Ida said her incantation and plucked up one of the silvers. She didn’t drop it instantly this time. Instead, holding it up with both hands, muttering something in that same arcane tongue. After maybe a minute, she set the coins down and repeated the process with the other two. Once it was done, she put on her gloves and faced the expectant group. Cole noticed her eyes had a distant, almost vacant look. Like she was lost in memory, which he guessed she kind of was.

Clearing her throat, Ida began her report. “All three silver coins show similar things. They’d only recently been taken out of some sort of storage. A vault I think. Someone put a crude tracking spell on them.”

Iron-Teeth bolted to his feet, but Ida made a placating gesture. “When you put them in that Stargent lined box of yours, you broke the spell. Which is arguably not a good thing. It's like a severed thread. I can see its existence but not who cast it. But that fact is honestly not the biggest surprise from these.”

Sucking in a breath as if her next words took an effort, Ida pronounced. “These coins lay in a Dragon's Hoard a very long time ago.”

Stunned silence filled the room. Only broken by Alia Cat-eyes. “Fucking what?”

Ida nodded at Alia. “Crude but apt. Before these coins found themselves in a vault, they lay in hoard beneath a Dragon. It's why they are warped, I imagine. A few tons of fiery Wyrm slithering over them would have that effect.”

Clutching his amulet so hard its metal cut into his skin, Cole asked, “How long ago was this?”

Shrugging, Ida weighed her words carefully. “A millennium ago, probably two. It's hard to tell. The imprint of a Dragon leaves quite a mark, making things blurry. Powerful magic has that effect. It's why I only got the barest whiff of the Dragon from the gold piece. The Demon, being far more recent, blotted it out.”

Pausing to consider something the Token-Seer added. “The unique nature of these coins is probably why they were used. Tracking spells don’t usually work with currency. Something about their nature conflicts with the magic. Anchoring a spell to something a Dragon has literally lain upon would be much easier.”

Iron-Teeth looked like someone had told him his father had been caught shagging a sheep, and his mother had died from the shock. “Th-thank you for your help Magi Ida.”

The Seer just waved a gloved hand dismissively. “Thank the Tower’s idiot students. I’m just paying off a debt they incurred.” Then she left without another word.

Curious, Cole asked. “Debt?”

Cat-Eyes shrugged. “We let the Ivory Tower’s students get away with shit that they probably shouldn’t. In exchange, the Tower helps us occasionally. There is some sort of unspoken agreement the Preceptors, and Watch Captains keep.”

Iron-Teeth got up from the desk then went to the door and shut it. After a moment's thought, he grabbed a throw rug from nearby and lodged it into the gap beneath the door. Then he gestured for the group to join him at the far end of the room. Confused but willing to play along, the Priestess, the Paladin, and the Warden clustered around the nervous-looking Guard Captain.

“Bugger me till I break,” Iron-Teeth rasped. “I think I know who the killer is.”

At their concerned looks, he elaborated. “Coins from a Dragon's Lair. A murderer using the Noble’s private tunnels. Strong and fast enough to carry a body over a distance. Slag and Soot! The killer is from House Kronor.”

Mina’s lips flapped like a dying fish while Cat-Eyes winced in grim comprehension. Leaving Cole alone in his confusion. “House what?” he asked.

“Kronor!” snapped Iron-Teeth. “A slagging powerful Noble House as old as the city!”

Regaining her ability to speak, Mina rasped. “That… that makes too much sense. But why would a Kronor go around ripping people’s hearts out?”

Iron-Teeth glanced at the door as if he expected someone to burst through it. “They are powerful Sorcerers. Soot knows what a rogue house member could get up to.”

Cole frowned at that. Sorcerer was a term for a person who was both a Savant and a Magi. Combining their innate magical ability with arcane knowledge for staggering power. The semi-inheritable nature of Savantism often led to clans of Sorcerers hoarding knowledge and power like other families might hoard gold or land.

“Why do you think this Kronor family is related to the Murders?” Cole asked, trying to get a foundation before things spiraled out of hand.

The Captain ground his shining teeth together and said. “They are Dragonblooded. Vindabon got its start as a Dragon vassal. The Kronors are the product of that Dragon's dalliances.”

That made some things click into place for Cole. Mina helped erase his remaining confusion. “That book you got Natalie about the city's history? You should read it sometime. The Dragon, Vindoric, laired in this region back in the Third Epoch. Until he was killed by the Sidhe during the Dawn War. The Fair Folk didn’t bother to take his treasure, so it fell into the hands of his scions, the Kronors. That wealth helped Vindabon survive the Sidhe and grow into what it is now.”

Nodding his head in understanding, Cole shut his eyes and let out a tired sigh. Dragonbloods were powerful. Even after millennia of dilution, the influence of their ancestor would make them stronger, faster, tougher, and more magically potent than any average person. Combine that with the resources and knowledge of a Noble Sorcerer house, and the killer was looking to be profoundly dangerous. Not even counting the hornet’s nest investigating the Nobility would kick up. Iron-Teeths paranoid reaction seemed reasonable in this new light.

“So, what do we do?” asked Cole.

Iron-Teeth let out a low bitter sigh. “Bugger, if I know. We can’t go poking around a Noble's business without an adamant reason. What Ida gave us would be enough to push the issue with a commoner. But no magistrate is going to approve anything risky when a House like the Kronors are involved.”

Rubbing his beard, Iron-Teeth grumbled. “It’d be enough if it was just any Noble family. But the Kronors are probably second only to the Elector-House in power. I don’t see any way forward aside from catching the killer in the act.”

Going over to the box and the coins, Cole pondered the question. “Magi Ida said a tracking spell was put on the coins. I doubt things like that are exactly common. Maybe we can ask some questions at the Ivory Tower?”

Iron-Teeth chewed on that. “Maybe, but I had to call in a pretty big favor to get Ida to help us. Last year we had a bunch of Apprentice Magi enchanting half the Horses in the city to recite limericks when goaded. I don’t think I’ve got anything else that big banked with them.”

Cole rubbed his scarred face in consideration. “I have some contacts inside the Tower. Hopefully, they will be willing to meet with me.”

Nodding, Iron-Teeth grunted. “Aye, good, let's head out then.” The worn-looking Dwarf headed towards the door but suddenly stumbled. Cole caught him, trying to help the Captain to his feet. But Iron-Teeth’s legs were like jelly; he couldn’t keep upright. Cursing, Cole helped Iron-Teeth to the ground before turning to his companions. “Cat-Eyes, go get help. Mina, do you have any healing spells?”

Alia bolted from the room, shredding the carpet Iron-Teeth had wadded into the door frame in her haste to leave. Mina kneeled down next to Cole and put her hand on Iron-Teeths forehead. Iron-Teeth tried to sit up, but Cole’s firm hand on his chest stopped him. “I-I-I’m fine. Let me up.”

Mina scoffed, shutting her eyes and murmuring a spell in Saintspeech. Opening her eyes, Cole saw they glowed slightly, her irises a faint silver. The light faded, and her eyes returned to normal. Clicking her tongue in frustration, Mina snapped. “Hells! Captain, when was the last time you slept!”

A noncommittal grunt escaped Iron-Teeth. Looking at Cole, Mina hissed. “I know Dwarves can go longer without sleep, but… I think his body is just giving out. No sleep, all this stress, and Ida tossing him about. His heartbeat is wrong, irregular, I think.”

Soon Alia returned with a trio of worried-looking Guards. Gesturing to them, Mina said, “Get a stretcher or something! We need to take him to the temple!”

The Guards complied, and Mina set her hands on Iron-Teeth’s chest. Another whispered incantation, and a pulse of power went through the Captain. Iron-Teeth let out a pained gasp and snapped. “What in the Ancestors are you doing to me?”

Mina shot back, “trying to force your heart to beat properly. So shut up and let me work!”

The vitriol from the normally placid Mina was enough to get Iron-Teeth to comply. The Guards returned then with a stretcher, and Mina said. “Cole, lift him onto it!” the large Paladin complied, while Mina never let her hands leave Iron-Teeth’s chest. They set off, then. Mina kept the Captain’s heart working while he was ferried out of the Tower and towards the Tenth Temple. Once they arrived, Mina was replaced by a quartet of more qualified Priests, and she was left with Cole and Alia.

Looking into the clinic where the Priests worked, Mina said. “They say it isn’t too bad. Dwarves are hardy, if he rests and takes care of himself, then he’ll recover easily.”

Alia let out a pained sigh at that. “So he’s fucked?”

Mina’s lips quivered with a sad smile. “Yeah, basically. At least as long as the Heart-Stealer is running around.”

Crossing her arms, Alia turned to Cole. “So what now?”

Confused, Cole asked. “What do you mean?”

Shrugging, Alia explained. “Darvy can run the District Guard while Iron-Teeth is down. But someone needs to head the investigation. Considering you are a Demon-slaying Paladin sworn to help the city, I’d say that falls to you.”

Cole cursed under his breath. She had a point, while Alia could, and probably should, take command. If she wanted him to take the lead, she probably had pretty good reasons. Looking down the Temple hallways, Cole resisted the urge to see how Natalie was doing. Hopefully, she’d found something interesting in the Archives.

Returning his attention to Alia and Mina, he said: “Let's get the coins and head to the Ivory Tower. If there are answers, we can find them there.”

Giving one final glance at the clinic, the trio set out. They returned to the Guard Tower, updated Darvy, and got what they needed. The Lieutenant was able to speak now, his words a little slurred by his new silver teeth but understandable. Concerned by his boss's condition, Darvy wished them luck and said he’d post someone to watch over Iron-Teeth while he was in hospital.

With the coins in hand, the trio set out. Alia flagged down a carriage, and they set out. The Ivory Tower was close to the city center, and the ride would allow them to plan. Tapping his fingers on the Stargent lined box, Cole mused on options. “The Preceptor of Archaeology knows me. He should be amenable to helping us.”

Cat-Eyes examined her sharp fingernails and asked. “Archaeology? I don’t think a Magi specializing in digging through dirt will be much help.”

Cole snorted in amusement. “I dare you to say that to his face. Archaeology is a delicate study, and the Magi who engage in it are… interesting.”

Mina was looking out the carriage window as she asked. “How do you know the Preceptor?” then, after a moment, she added. “On second thought, that's obvious.”

Alia frowned and glanced between the Priestess and Paladin. “It’s not obvious to me.”

Keeping a steady drumbeat on the box, Cole said. “Archaeologists and Rest-Bringers have a complicated relationship. The line between a historical site worthy of examination and hallowed ground where the dead rest is… blurry. I’ve helped Rellim, the Preceptor, and his fellows on more than one occasion. No matter how powerful a Magi is, having your dig site overrun by Rattlers is inconvenient.”

Swallowing that, Alia leaned back in the carriage and said. “So we ask the Preceptor to help us or direct us towards someone in the tower that can?”

“Basically,” answered Cole.

They arrived a few minutes later, the Carriage pulling up to the Arcanum Scholastica. The trio got out, and Alia paid the driver. As one, the three craned their neck up to see the Ivory Towers' heights. Taller than even the Ten Belfires or the City Palace, the Tower was a monolith of silver-white stone. Great swirling glyphs of gold crept over the building's surface, moving like auric shadows across the stone. Suspended in the air around the main structure were smaller buildings carved of the same white stone. These floated around the Tower like orbiting planets. Like all its kindred across the continent, the Scholastica was both a center of learning and a monument to knowledge.

Shaking off their shared awe, the trio entered the university's grounds. A large garden and park surrounded the Tower. Complete with flowering bushes in defiance of Winter and statue fountains whose water ignored gravity in eye-catching streams falling through the air. Cole had heard that the Gardens were where Magi liked to show off. Creating arcane art pieces as displays of power and talent. A rather petty thing, but Cole had to admit the results were wonderful and shared with the City freely.

Following the main path of tesselating stone, similar to the Imperial Highways but of a different pattern. The trio went towards the main doors of the tower. Along the way, they passed bundles of students hurrying to and from the Tower. Getting a few strange glances, but no one stopped their passage. Until a voice called out from a nearby fountain circle.

“You there, young man! Do I know you?”

A little surprised to be referred to as such, Cole turned to the voice. A man in his mid-thirties in loose robes sat on a wooden bench, feeding a flock of bored-looking pigeons. The man was utterly unassuming, plain of feature and build. But seeing him made Cole’s insides turn to water. Forcing himself not to run, Cole took deep shuddering breaths. Alia and Mina both looked at him, confused by the utter terror they saw on his face.

With great effort, Cole forced himself to speak. “Yes, I am a Rest-Bringer of Master Time. You helped end a hunt for a Necromancer a few years back.”

The average man nodded at that. “Ah yes, I thought you looked familiar. Don’t see that many people running around with as many scars as you. So tell me Rest-Bringer, why are you here at my Tower?”

Mina mouthed to Alia, “My tower?” and the Warden just shrugged.

Cole clutched at his amulet, forcing himself to look at the man before them. Where his eyes saw a simple Magi, his soul felt the truth. Infused with a God's power, his soul recoiled from the profane thing sitting not twenty paces away.

Swallowing, trying to force the bile back down his throat, Cole ignored the truth and focused on the body he was supposed to see. “I am hunting a killer and came to the Tower seeking aid from Preceptor Rellim Hardspade.”

Mina looked to Cole and asked. “What’s going on? Who is this?” When Cole didn’t answer, she started to pull up her power.

Fast as he could, Cole grabbed Mina’s wrist and hissed. “Don’t. You do not want to see what he is.”

Seeing the fear in Cole’s eyes, Mina let her power retreat and looked at the man with newfound worry. Laughing slightly, the man got up from his seat and approached them. “So you are the Paladin stirring things up in my city? Interesting.”

Patting Cole’s arm with almost grandfatherly affection, the man said. “Come now, don’t be so afraid. You dealt with some vermin hiding under the proverbial floorboards and called up a Goddess. That hasn’t happened here in a very long time. It was extremely entertaining; I thank you for that.”

Alia rasped. “Cole… who is this?”

Smiling at her, the man spoke. “Oh, excuse me for not introducing myself. I am First Preceptor Leonid Lupa. Master of the Arcane Arts, First among Magi, Scholar of Eternity, and the Lych of Vindabon.”

Joining her fellows in fear, Alia shrunk back slightly. They were in the presence of an Ancient Monster. A creature who’d fought Dragons, Jotunn, Archmagi and won. The most powerful being in Vindabon and possibly the entire Continent.

The First Preceptor looked at them with patient amusement. “Well, you’ve come to my Tower seeking knowledge. Let me see if I can help.”

Glancing at the box Cole held, the Lych asked, “May I?”

A little surprised by that, Cole handed the container to Preceptor Leonid. Casually the Lych opened the box and pulled out a silver coin. “Oh, interesting, lots of layers to these trinkets. What do you wish of them, Paladin?”

A million possibilities floated through Cole’s mind. It wasn’t impossible for the Lych to tell them everything they needed to know right then and there. But some instinct told Cole overreaching when dealing with a nightmarishly powerful Archmagi wasn’t the best idea.

“A tracking spell was put on them. We’d like to know by whom.” Cole answered, hoping a simple request would be best.

Holding the coin up in the winter sunlight, the Lych hummed and let it dance between his fingers. He tossed it to a startled Alia, who still managed to catch it. The Lych repeated this gesture with the other three coins.

Nodding in satisfaction, the ancient monster explained. “The spell in question was severed both by the caster and the box. I cannot restore it easily, but I can alter it into something useful. Each of those coins will react to the original caster of the spell or if a similar spell is cast. I’d suggest using them to track this killer.”

No sooner had he said that than the coins started to glow and hum. Smiling to himself, Lych added. “Ah, well then. I’d suggest you all get moving. Don’t want another corpse to besmirch my City’s name.”

Looking at each other for a second, the trio bolted. Heading towards the garden entrance and out towards wherever the killer was. As they ran, Cole felt eyes pressing on him. Glancing back, he saw the Lych standing there, a curious smile on his false-face. Words came to Cole then, whispered into his ear like the Lych was right next to him. “I look forward to seeing you again, Sir Paladin.”

Shivering, Cole grabbed a coin from Alia and muttered a prayer to Master Time. Hoping his next meeting with the Lych was a very very long time coming.