The Homunculus Knight

Chapter 16: The Sage’s Stone

“It was the strangest thing; she just right walked into the camp with nothing but rags on her back and a walking stick in her hand. Another refugee, I thought, till she comes up to me and says she needs to speak with the Prince! I didn’t know if I should laugh at her or get an Eighth Priest. Before I could do either, she looked me in the eyes and… and well I saw what she really was. I know letting her pass was breaking protocol and damn stupid to boot, but… well, go talk with her and see if you’d do any different.” - Man-at-Arms Manderlay’s report about the ‘Stranger’s’ arrival to Prince Franz’s war camp.

:: Three days after Isabelle discovered the cure ::

Mina Vrock felt like shit; more specifically, she felt like she’d been messily devoured by some dire beast, passed through its bowls, and then crapped out while still conscious. Washing her face and trying to stay bipedal, Mina stared into the washroom mirror. A gaunt woman with greasy blond hair and eye bags large enough to carry produce stared back at her. Letting out a sigh that quickly turned into a dry cough, Mina slumped against the counter. Cold wood did the work of a chilled compress, and Mina let out a miserable groan at the material’s touch.

Eventually, Mina forced herself to stand up straight, resisting the urge to pass out in the recovery ward’s bathroom. Shuffling out of the chamber, she rejoined the few dozen recipients of the experimental cure. Collapsing into her cot, Mina looked at her fellow plague survivor. Most of the people Isabelle tested her cure on were Screamers, and they could be easily identified by the dead-eyed stare they all shared. No one expected them to retain memories of what they did while infected, and some bitter part of Mina wondered if simply euthanizing them might have been kinder. There had already been three suicide attempts among the former Screamers. Priests of Aunt Seeress were trying to help, but the memory of ripping out a loved one’s throat with your own teeth isn’t easily suppressed.

A familiar face came over towards Mina, and the sight of Alia managed to distract the Priestess from those grim thoughts. The City-warden was carrying two cups of herbal tea and offered one to Mina. Reluctantly sitting up, Mina took the cup and mumbled a thank you before imbibing the warm draught.

Alia plopped down next to Mina on her cot, feline agility sparing the tea from any spilling. “How are you feeling?”

Shrugging her shoulders, Mina blew on her tea and said. “A little better, I think. I can use my magic, and breathing doesn’t hurt anymore, just coughing. What about you?.”

Leaning so their shoulders touched, Alia said. “Half my body hurts, and the other half thinks it should hurt.”

Snorting in bleak amusement, Mina savored the drink. “This is good; where did you get it?”

Bobbing her head to the left, Alia explained. “It's supposed to be a mild healing potion. They’ve got a big cauldron of it out in the main clinic.”

Mina narrowed her eyes and asked her girlfriend, “Aren’t we still confined to the recovery ward? At least until the Hierophants are certain, Isabelle didn’t slip anything nasty into the cure?”

Alia’s mouth split in an impish grin. “Yeah, but it's nearly shift change, and the templars are so overworked I doubt they’d notice a jagging Hippogryph walk by.”

Staring into Alia’s slitted pupils, Mina remarked. “It's concerning how good you are at things like that.”

Sipping her tea, Alia just shrugged. “There is a shocking amount of overlap in the skills of a criminal and warden. Like a poacher and Woods-warden, both know how to track.”

Despite her laidback and crass attitude, there was no disputing the fact Alia Cat-eyes was excellent at her job. She took the bestial potency of a jungle cat and married it to calculating weapons craft. Despite dating for a little over three months and working together for a few years before then, Mina sometimes forgot this fact until Alia reminded her; like when the City-warden squared up against a Faerie and undead monster without a moment's hesitation.

Licking her lips nervously, Mina decided it was time to breach a topic she’d been thinking about since waking up from her healing coma. “Hey, Alia, I have something I want to ask you?”

The Catblood frowned at her girlfriend, recognizing the serious tone in her voice. “Are you breaking up with me or asking to move in with me? Cause, either way, I’m going to need something stronger than this tea.”

An undignified snort escaped Mina, and she barely avoided spilling her remaining drink down her front. “No, no, nothing like that. Or… well, not really like that.”

Sucking in a breath, Mina said. “When I was asleep, someone visited me in a dream. A… mutual friend of Cole and myself.”

Alia frowned, trying to understand what Mina meant, and then it clicked. “I guess you’ve gotten your boss's attention then…”

Somehow, giving words to what Mina experienced felt wrong; there was no way to translate the experience adequately. Saying ‘God visited me in my dreams’ sounded either insane or trite, so Mina defaulted to euphemisms. Alia would be the first person Mina shared her interaction with, and for good reason. Divine messages are rare; over-eager Priests mistaking dreams or flat-out lunatics embracing delusions are comparably common. Most Priests never receive a proper ‘audience’ like Mina did; instead, they experienced echoes of emotion and intent during their prayers. So, for Mina to speak with avatars of Master Time twice in a short span, this must be important.

Bobbing her head in agreement, Mina elaborated. “He said I’m going to leave Vindabon for a while. My presence is required closer to the frontline, or at least not here. He also said I should bring anyone I think could help in my quest, and well…”

Mina let the implication hang like a gibbet as Alia thought on this. “What does he want you to do?”

Before Mina could answer, the doors to the ward swung open, and a parade of stretchers entered the room. Ten more Screamers successfully cured and ready for recovery were deposited on empty cots and fussed over by a swarm of healers. At the end of this parade, an imperious woman with long black hair strode into the room, a scarred giant at her side. The woman snapped orders to the healers, relaying best practices and instructions in a South Atredian accent.

As the new batch of healed Screamers were settled in, the woman shut her eyes and shifted posture. Her shoulders relaxed, she started breathing, and one hand rested lazily on a hip. This was maybe the fifth time Mina witnessed Natalie and her head-guest change places, and it wasn’t any less disturbing than the first time. Isabelle moved and talked with the type of domineering authority Mina associated with competent, if controlling, leaders. All sharp movements and firm gestures compared to Natalie’s more flowing body language.

Gesturing with her now empty tea cup at her friends, Mina answered Alia’s question. “He wants me to keep an eye on them.”

Watching as Natalie flopped against Cole in exhaustion, Alia said, “This Isabelle bitch really has him worried, huh?”

Mina nodded. “ Natalie is a good and trustworthy person, but she’s much more powerful than you’d imagine. If anyone other than her was hosting the Alukah, the whole continent would be in deep shit. So having Natalie share mind space with this Isabelle is really concerning. Isabelle is an old and incredibly intelligent Vampire with a Paladin wrapped around her finger. Not the type you want jagging with ancient nation-destroying powers. ”

Sighing, Mina frowned and looked at your girlfriend. “You need to stop swearing so much; it's rubbing off on me.”

Alia smirked, clearly thinking up some entendre relating to rubbing, but Mina’s clammy hand on hers stopped that chain of thought. Looking into her partner’s feline eyes, Mina said. “I understand if I’m asking too much, but having you with me during this would mean a lot to me.”

The immature smile growing on Alia’s face died, and she interlaced fingers with Mina. “Of course. You need me, so I’ll be there.”

Gently, Mina leaned forward, set her forehead against Alia’s, and said, “Thank you.”

Alia shrugged and remarked. “It might be good to get out of the city; things will be jagged up here for months. Besides, I need to get Cole alone and ask him how he did it.”

Mina pulled back slightly, frowning, trying to figure out what Alia meant. When realization struck, the Priestess let out a low groan as Alia elaborated. “I mean, he’s a literal Paladin of Master Time, and he’s managed to bag not one but two different Vampires. Then, as if that wasn’t ridiculous enough, he’s got them not just to share him but share a body! Do you think he’s just an Incubus in the sack, or is there something else at work?”

Letting out a groan, Mina said. “You are incredible, and I think I love you, but you are also terrible, and I think I hate you.”

Cackling, Alia got off the cot and helped her girlfriend up. Moving in closer, Mina whispered. “Don’t say anything to them yet; I want to get a better idea of things before bringing this up.”

Nodding, the City warden took the Priestess’s hand, and the two walked towards Cole and Natalie. Upon seeing them, Natalie brightened. “How are you both feeling?”

Alia shrugged. “Like I had the plague until someone ripped it out of me.”

Natalie’s smile faltered slightly; there was still some awkwardness between them since the fight with Isabelle. If Cole noticed this, he didn’t seem to care. “We were just coming to speak with you, Mina; Morri is awake and requested you alongside us.”

Eyes wide, Mina swallowed nervously. Her mentor’s mysterious disappearance and collaboration with the Lych was something she still couldn’t wrap her mind around. She’d missed a lot thanks to nearly dying of the plague, and events around Morri were a great example of that. “We should go to him then. How is he doing?”

Cole grimaced, an expression that stretched his scarred face into an even more unsettling configuration. “I don’t know much, just that Hedwig seems relieved he’s awake.”

The group departed the recovery ward, Cole and Natalie’s presence being enough to let Mina and Alia break the shoddy quarantine around the ward. As they walked, Natalie talked about how she and Isabelle were switching fairly regularly so the older Vampire could oversee the creation and distribution of the cure. The Temple was starting to lay the groundwork for mass production of the two serums, but caution over potential side effects and sabotage was slowing matters.

The topic of treatments and medication eventually turned into complaints about the city’s preferred cleansing mixtures. Natalie and Alia started bonding over shared annoyance, their enhanced senses of finding the acrid cleaning chemicals horrible. As they talked, Mina silently watched Cole. Unlike everyone else cured of the plague, he seemed perfectly fine, showing no after-effects of a brutal illness. When he was sick, Mina saw him sprawled out on his cot, creeping closer and closer to Master Time’s halls, but now he was apparently in perfect health.

While she’d never admit it to anyone, part of Mina feared the Paladin. Huge, horribly scarred, and clearly entwined with dark powers, his presence always put Mina on edge. Of course, in every interaction they’d shared, he’d been surprisingly kind and polite, except when he acted under his mantle and then inspired something close to holy fervor in Mina. But ever since the disastrous solstice ball, Mina couldn’t help but wonder what the tattered warrior was hiding. This would be the second time she’d seen him bounce back from mortal injuries, and she knew Cole was keeping something secret. Still, Mina found some comfort in knowing if Master Time chose Cole as his champion, so his secret couldn’t be too horrible.

To Mina’s surprise, Cole didn’t guide the group towards the fane or Morri’s quarters as she expected. Instead, the Paladin took them to the Temple’s main doors and into the statue garden surrounding the structure. Cole moved slowly, accommodating the sedate pace plague recovery forced Mina and Alia to take so the group had time to enjoy the collection of sculptures. Twelve great hour statues circled much of the Temple, but over a hundred smaller works filled the space between them. Many were salvaged from damaged burial sites and given new purposes and better care. (After a proactive exorcism and cleansing, of course) But others were donations to the Temple or even the work of its Priests. Stone carving was a common hobby among Priests of Master Time, a side-effect of their work with tombs and tombstones.

Reaching one of the hour statues, a granite sage in flowing robes marking six-in-the-evening, Mina noticed two people sitting on the bench beside the statue. They were both old men with stooped postures and weary shoulders, but Mina recognized one of them. For the first time since Mina met the old Restbringer, Morri looked his age. Withered and gaunt, the Hierophant let his hands rest on a cane standing between his legs. Mina winced when she noticed his fingertips were black with necrosis. Hierophant Morri was sick with the plague and horribly so.

Stepping forward towards her mentor, Mina was stopped by a cold, hard grip on her shoulder. Looking at Cole and seeing his other hand resting on his axe, Mina felt a spike of concern grow in her; she wasn’t in any position to fight whatever threat the Paladin noticed.

Maybe three meters away from the men on the bench, Cole spoke firmly. “I understand why this is where you requested the meeting; is it safe for us to be here, Morri?”

The other old man, a somber-faced Magi with a long beard and robes, let out a rolling laugh. “I mean, you no harm, Paladin. Besides, I might not look it, but I’m in a similar state to the Hierophant.”

Mina’s blood ran cold; she knew that voice even though the body it came from was different. On hearing the words spoken, Mina was reminded of Morri’s lessons about accents and one in particular: old imperial. Nothing human or still human spoke the ancient tongue as their first language; its accent was a clear sign of something old and terrible, like the Lych of Vindabon.

Eyes locked on the undead monster, Cole growled. “Respectfully, the question was meant for the Hierophant.”

Morri nodded his head. “You are safe; Leonid is here as an ally and has no interest in Natalie or Isabelle.”

Cole visibly relaxed, and Natalie spasmed slightly. Nodding in her direction, Leonid Lupa, the First Preceptor of the Ivory Tower, said. “I can see young Isabelle has managed to avoid true death yet again. I was saddened to hear of her fate, and it pleases me to know she persists. But I must play the stern schoolmaster and insist she’d not have met such a curious fate if she took my original offer.”

Natalie’s expression cycled through expressions too quickly for any of them to be identified. Eventually, she carefully chose her words, probably translating her head-mate’s dialogue into something more diplomatic. “She thanks you for your kind words but speaks… poorly of the cost you lay on your students.”

The Lych made a noise of exasperation. “Not every prodigy can be trusted to use their talent wisely, as demonstrated by the crisis befalling my city.”

Morri cleared his throat, making a phlegm-filled noise that got everyone's attention. “Let's refocus on the matter at hand. Natalie, did you bring an example of Isabelle’s cure?”

Nodding, Natalie produced two vials and handed them to the Lych, careful not to touch him as she did. Offering a polite smile, the Lych uncorked both vials and said. “As for you, heir to the Alukah, we must talk sometime. But my current antithesis is right; my city needs our attention.”

The Lych flipped both vials over and dumped them into the air; instead of splattering on the ground, the contents swirled through the air. Mina watched as the two cures took strange occult shapes, their fluid shaped into floating runes. Setting the vials down, the Lych let his fingers trace along the liquid sigils. A strange sense of pressure pulled on Mina as if the Lych possessed his own gravity, not enough to move her, but enough to be felt. This was a common side-effect of powerful magic, the Aether, and, by extension, reality shifting in response to mighty spells.

The two fluid runes melted into floating streams and flowed down into the empty vials and filled them. Picking both cures up, the Lych smiled with almost paternalistic joy. “This is good, very good. I don’t know how you acquired plague immune blood so quickly, but using it was inspired. Separating the two halves of the plague and attacking them independently is clever but unduly complicated. With a little refining, the formula could be boiled down into a simpler combined Bane, but considering the deadline, this is perfectly acceptable.”

Natalie kept her face very still and said. “Thank you?”

Looking to Morri, the Lych added. “It’s safe and potent; we can continue with the next step.”

Shutting his eyes, Morri took a shaking hand and reached into his robes, removing a rune-marked reliquary. Holding up the ornately gilded and lovingly inscribed box, Morri rasped. “Mina, come here, please.”

Mina complied, looking down at the box; she felt a strange prickling on her skin, a curious sensation she almost didn’t recognize. Stargent, the rare metal found in meteorites, can interfere with magic, masking, shielding, or crippling people and spells. But like any barrier, stargent isn’t perfect, and extreme power can bleed through insufficient amounts of the metal. The buzzing, prickling sensation playing on Mina’s skin was how the mortal mind interpreted magic ‘leaking’ through a stargent barrier. Whatever was in this reliquary was powerful, worryingly so.

Running a hand along the top of the reliquary, Morri said. “My magnum opus, and Gods willing, what saves this land. Inside this box is a Sage’s Stone.”

After a few seconds of dead silence, Alia asked. “A what?”

All eyes turned to her and the City-warden for once her life seemed sheepish. The Lych smiled at her. “All around us is the Aether, the atmosphere of magic that reflects and affects the world. The Aether can be diluted, concentrated, corrupted, and purified like any substance.”

Gesturing at the reliquary, the Lych continued. “Inside that little container is Aether concentrated and attuned so thoroughly it gains a physical presence and remarkable properties. It is magic given physical form, if you will.”

In a hoarse voice filled with shock, Cole whispered the common name for such an object. “A Philosopher’s Stone.”

The Lych smiled like a pleased tutor, “Yes and no. A simple Philosopher’s Stone relies on pure Aetheric concentration to create an arcane singularity. A Sage’s Stone requires not just concentration but consecration. The Aether focused into making the stone must be purified and attuned by a Priest.”

Mina understood then where Morri disappeared to and why the Lych was involved. “You worked together to make this,”

Morri grunted. “He was the forge fire and anvil; I was the smith and the hammer.”

Comprehension bloomed in part for Mina; she’d heard of what a Philosopher’s Stone could do but didn’t understand how that was relevant. “What will the stone transmutate?”

Leonid Lupa stroked his long, silvery beard as he replied. “Nothing, it doesn’t transmute, it transubstantiates. A Philosopher's Stone changes the form and configuration of matter; a Sage’s Stone gives matter the magical properties of another substance.”

Natalie spoke then, her voice low and guarded. “Isabelle says a Sage’s Stone is impossible. She’s ranting about different alchemical laws and warning me you are lying.”

The Lych’s face, or at least the face he wore today, wrinkled in an amused smile. “Isabelle was never good at playing with others. The magic required to create a Sage’s Stone is not something we Undead can grasp without aid. Besides, of all of us, Isabelle has the least merit to claim something is impossible.”

Cole tensed, a white-knuckled grip on his axe. Mina knew enough about politics and people to guess some sub-rosa meaning was being exchanged. In a clear attempt to cool matters, Natalie said. “If I’m following along, you want to use the Sage’s Stone to mass produce the cure?”

Morri leaped at the opportunity. “Yes, we should be able to turn any mundane liquid into more of the cure.”

Natalie actually smiled. “Perfect! Do you need more of the cure? It shouldn’t take Isabelle too long to make a larger batch!”

Instead of answering, Morri gently handed the reliquary to Mina, and the buzzing sensation became almost painful. “Hold it and let Natalie touch it as well.”

Confused but obedient, Mina complied. She held one side of the box, and Natalie held the other, wincing at the strange sensation it provoked. Morri and the Lych both reached out to the reliquary’s lid. When all four touched the box, a jolt of power snapped through Mina. It was a physical shock, like a huge static discharge coursing through every nerve. By some (perhaps literal) miracle, Mina didn’t drop the reliquary.

Looking at Natalie, Mina saw the vampire looked as frazzled as she felt. Ignoring the metallic taste coating her tongue, Mina asked. “What was that?”

The Lych removed his hands and said. “The magical protections of the reliquary will recognize you both as its keeper. You must both desire its contents, by your own free will, to help others to open it.”

Natalie and Mina exchanged confused looks, and the vampire spoke their shared thoughts. “Okay, you told us what, now tell us why?”

Morri explained. “Because knowledge of the cure and the power to create more of it needs to reach Prince Franz before the being defending his army falters.”

Pointing at Mina, Morri elaborated. “The stone cannot fall into incompetent or malicious hands; to ensure this, Leonid and I have ensorcelled the reliquary in a highly specific way. Only a Priest and Undead recognized by the reliquary and united in consenting purpose can use the stone. With your skills and a Paladin to guard you, the stone should fulfill its purpose unmolested by zealots or monsters.”

Frowning, Natalie pointed out the obvious. “Why leave Vindabon? Even ignoring all the people we’d be condemning by not staying with the stone here, the city would be the best place to produce and distribute the cure.”

The Lych of Vindabon nodded his head in agreement. “I concur, which is why Morri and I made two of them.”

Nonchalantly, the Lych reached into his robes and pulled out a thumbnail-sized gemstone. Perfectly smooth, white in color with a bluish sheen, the Sage’s Stone pulled all eyes and refused to let them go. Despite sitting snuggly in Leonid’s palm, the rock was incredibly heavy, not physically, but magically. The very air distorted in its presence, giving the stone a faint halo of not-quite-real colors.

Cole was the first to recover from the stone’s presence, and he growled. “I don’t see why Natalie or Mina have to be the ones to take the stone. Placing the Alukah that close to the Duchies is unduly risky.”

Hands back on his new cane, Morri hesitated before speaking. “Sage Stones are temperamental things; all that magical power packed into a tight space is literally explosive. Leonid and I were limited in the defenses we could put around the stone. If we wanted to keep it safe, we could only attune the stone to ourselves or people similar to us.”

Natalie reached towards her throat and rubbed the hidden stigma there. “And I’m the only Undead you can trust to have one of the keys.” frowning, she asked. “Why can’t the Lyc- I mean the First Preceptor do it?”

The Lych gestured at himself. “Because if I were to approach the frontlines, it would be a sign of total war, and your distant cousins would do something rash in response.”

Mina wanted to ask what in the jagged hells the Lych considered ‘rash’ compared to unleashing a plague on the Holy League. Instead, she asked Morri. “Is there a reason I’m going in your stead? I can understand that being your student helps me attune to the stone, but why aren’t you just going yourself?”

The Hierophant smiled sadly and held up his fingers. “My condition would make travel difficult.”

Glancing at the necrotic tips of her mentor’s hand, Mina started to say. “With the cure and some proper treatment, I’m sure you-”

This close, Mina actually got a proper look at the blackened digits and felt her heart miss several beats. Morri’s fingers weren’t black with dead blood and rotting flesh; they were the shiny, smooth obsidian of an Anchorite.

“N-no.” The moment the words left Mina’s mouth, she felt like an idiot. She was a Priest of Death himself; denial and the other stages of grief were beneath her. Sucking in a breath, she tried again. “How long do you have?”

Morri shrugged. “Months? Maybe a year if I’m miserly with my power. But that doesn’t really matter; what does is the responsibility I’m putting on your shoulders. I’d prefer to carry this burden myself, but I cannot, so it falls to you, my prodigy. Mina, this won’t be easy, the portents are fell, but it must be done, and you are the only one I trust to finish this.”

Swallowing down the lump in her throat, Mina said. “I will do it.”

Cole came forward then and took a knee before Morri and Mina. “I will offer my steel to this task, not just for Natalie’s sake, but yours as well.”

Glancing at the Paladin, Mina felt several emotions curdle in her. It almost seemed like Cole was a stranger intruding on the moment between her and Morri, but rationally, she knew he was also a student of the Hierophant. Aside from that nugget of anger, Mina still felt guarded around Cole; the abnormalities around him raised her hackles. But despite that, she knew Cole would fight and die to protect anyone he was oath-sworn to, and Master Time pretty much ordered her to keep an eye on him.

“I accept.” then, turning to Alia, Mina asked. “You still coming?”

Inflating her cheeks and blowing out a long breath, Alia said. “Iron-teeth is gonna be pissed, and I will need new knives, but what the hell? Maybe the two of us will join Cole on the triumph arch next year?”

Cole visibly winced at Alia’s words and then asked. “I’m still concerned about Natalie being so close to the Duchies. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Alukah is the entire reason this war has grown into the beast it is. Putting the enemy's goal so close to them feels… ill-advised.”

Morri wrapped his fingers around his cane, the obsidian tips clattering against the metal. “That’s very true, but there are a few other factors. Many of the worst defeats we’ve faced have been because of Daywalkers tipping the balance. Natalie is our best option to detect and eliminate Vampires using the Alukah’s blood. Also, let's not forget wherever she goes, a Paladin follows. Having the two of you working together at the front might be enough to salvage this ugly conflict and push back the Duchies.”

Natalie finally spoke up then. “Do I get a choice in this matter?”

Without tact, the Lych replied. “Depend on how sturdy your conscience is. With the stone in the city, the plague will be stopped, but we will probably lose the southern army and Marches in their near entirety.”

Rolling her eyes, Natalie bit back. “That’s not what I meant. If I can help turn the tide or, hells, just save some people, then I will. The leeches need to be stopped, and if that means risking myself, then I’ll do it. Besides, I’m not exactly the scared village girl who couldn’t control her thirst like I was six months ago. I want to go, so there is no need for this debate.”

Cole nodded his head and shut his eyes. “What’s the next step?”

Morri looked at the Sage stone held in Leonid’s hand. “Well, we should probably check to ensure the stone works before making other plans.”

Natalie watched as Cole helped a pair of beleaguered workmen haul a massive cauldron onto the ritual circle prepared for it. The two laborers were stunned when Cole offered his assistance but gladly took the aid, moving the steel vat. Requisitioned from an Ivory Tower alchemist lab and now delivered to the Temple plaza, the cauldron would hold the first batch of transubstantiated cure.

Nearby, other workers were delivering fruit juice barrels; apparently, wine worked better for these rituals, but there was some justifiable concern about an intoxicating cure. Because as Natalie was learning, the Sage’s Stone didn’t change the physical properties of a substance but only its magical and metaphysical ones.

With the cauldron finally in place, Cole quickly went to help the barrel movers. Natalie pursed her lips as Cole tried to distract himself with simple tasks. He was clearly worried about heading towards the frontlines, and she couldn’t blame him. Escaping the Duchies hadn’t been easy, and now events were conspiring to put the pair of them dangerously close to the leech lands. Of course, they’d both known this was coming, but ominous warnings about distant threats were a different species from an immediate dangerous task.

“You know, this will be the second time I’ve spoken with an Alukah. And I must say, you are proving far better company than Lilu ever was.”

Natalie just about jumped out of her skin upon hearing the Lych’s voice next to her. Whirling about, she found Leonid Lupa standing to her right, about a meter away. Smiling at her like a teacher observing an amusing student, the Lych said. “We’ve never been properly introduced. I am First Preceptor Leonid Lupa, and meeting you, Natalie Striga, is interesting.”

Her racing mind slowed enough to actually comprehend what the Lych just said, and Natalie asked. “You’ve met the second Alukah?”

Leonid nodded. “Yes, I think it was what… maybe four centuries ago? She showed up in Vindabon seeking a consultation on certain occult matters. We traded a few secrets, and she went on her way. Fascinating women, utterly terrifying but still fascinating.”

Trying to digest this information, Natalie asked. “I assume asking what she wanted your help with would be pointless?”

The Lych smiled. “Give it a century or two, and you might have information or favors worth the trade; but until then, enjoy that little mystery niggling at the back of your mind.”

Raising an eyebrow, Natalie said. “You speak like a God, and I don’t mean that as a compliment.”

An actual laugh burst forth from the Lych. “So impertitant! Most people with wits walk on eggshells when my very name is mentioned. Which leads us to the question, are you stunningly brave or blindingly foolish?”

Sighing to herself, Natalie answered. “Both, but more importantly, I’m tired, stressed, and can’t find the mental energy to be scared of another monster at the moment.”

The first barrel of grape juice was emptied into the cauldron, then with a huge splash. As the second barrel was opened, the Lych said. “Fair enough, now shall we see if Morri’s sacrifice is in vain?”

Rubbing her face, Natalie nodded and started walking towards the cauldron. She’d let Isabelle ride along during their meeting with the Lych and was very much regretting it. The pair spent the past few days switching and sharing control more than ever before, and not without consequences. A throbbing headache and phantom sensations were accosting Natalie, symptoms that reached a terrible peak while meeting Leonid. Isabelle’s stress was so great, and her thoughts so intense it violently bled into Natalie’s mind.

True to the Lych’s words, Isabelle didn’t play well with others, and being confronted by a superior colleague while trammeled was not pleasant for either her or Natalie. Something that only got worse when the Lych alluded to knowing about Cole or at least things related to him. Natalie wasn’t used to Isabelle panicking and spent a lot of psychic focus trying to soothe and eventually ignore her mentor. As worn out as she was, Natalie didn’t have the will to be stressed; besides, if the Lych held ill intent, he would have already acted.

With those tiring thoughts, Natalie watched as the Lych produced the Sage’s Stone and one of the cure vials. Judging by the marked cork, this vial was the Faerie bane, which made sense to Natalie. The Sage’s Stone could only attune to a single substance at a time, and there were fewer Screamers than simple infected in the city. Hopefully, it would only take a few batches of transubstantiated cure to treat all the Faerie-cursed.

Uncorking the vial, Leonid Lupa telekinetically plucked a single drop of the cure and placed it on the Sage stone. As bane and stone made contact, the Lych muttered a word of power, and the droplet melded into the magical gem. Holding up the Sage stone, the Lych dropped it into the juice-filled cauldron with another arcane word. The cauldron started to vibrate, humming with an oddly melodic tune for a few seconds. Once the vibration stopped, the Lych scooped up a handful of the liquid with his mind. The sphere of shining grape juice formed into an occult shape and then was dropped back into the main body of liquid.

Turning away from the great cauldron, the Lych smiled. “It’s perfect. Now, let's finish saving my city.”