The Mimic Becomes a Merchant King

Coin felt his stomach plummet when he saw the twisted wreck of what had once been the estate's outer gate, the black iron scorched and misshapen. They had paid to have a strong enchantment around the gate and outer wall... to blow a hole through it so utterly would have required a lot of magic.

He rushed into the house, past the chunks of shattered wood that had once been the front door, and soon found the entire house had become like a warzone. Each room he passed through had gashed in the walls and floor, furnishings shattered apart, and splashes of blood on the ground. He found Leonid unconscious but largely in tact beyond the dining hall, and moved on after getting his manservant propped against a wall. He'd come back for the elf when he found the others.

"Essine!" he called out, to no answer. "Pearl! Domajor? Anyone?!"

Then, distantly, he heard Pearl cry out in response. "This way!"

He hastened toward her voice and soon found the bard, half her face bruised, tending to Domajor who was slumped against a nearby wall. She was doing her best to bandage a great gash in his forehead.

"I am fine... I assure you," he said, trying and failing not to slur his words.

"You are NOT fine!" she hissed. "And you are going to a damn healer as soon as the bleeding is staunched."

Cricket was not as banged up, but she was still leaning against the wall for support. "Kanno, I... I'm sorry. Your girl, Essine... she got grabbed."

Coin stood rigid, all emotion removed from his expression. But the cords on his neck were straining slowly outward. "Grabbed. By who. And where."

Cricket tensed. When Coin spoke, there was a hint of something truly monstrous in his voice. An inhumanity boiling beneath the surface. "Some... big, scaly freak. He didn't give a name, but he was damn pissed at you for whatever reason. He's strong, kanno. Beat me an' your butler black and blue."

Coin furrowed his brow. He didn't know any man with 'scales' who would have a grudge against him, but he didn't need to be a genius to know this was clearly something to do with the Brotherhood. He sniffed the air... and tensed again.

The scent the stranger left behind was pungent and foul, but there was something to it. Something that sent an uneasy shudder through his body, goosebumps breaking out across his skin. What was this... stench? Why did it make his stomach twist in knots, and sweat flash across his brow?

"He said he was taking her to Elbrinth. And you can find her there," said Pearl. The bard swallowed hard. "From the sound of things, Lord Bleak wanted her alive."

"Bleak... that's... the persson leading the Brotherhood?" Why would someone like that want Esssine?

"It's..." Domajor grunted, pressing a hand to his bandaged forehead. "It's obviously a trap. Baiting you in."

"I..." Coin shook is head, trying to ward off the strange terror the scent had instilled within him. "I still have to go! I can't leave Essine out there!"

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"I'm not saying you need to, Master Coin. But running off without a plan, or on your own, would be foolish. I... will accompany you."

"No you damn well won't! You can't even stand!" Pearl shouted, tears forming in her eyes.

"He's got a point though. Gotta make a plan, get some others on our side," said Cricket.

Coin nodded, though he was not thrilled about agreeing with their assessment. Even if they did not kill Essine, that did not mean she would be unharmed. A horrible knot formed in his stomach, twisting and churning, and he could not help but recall how helpless he felt as Elijah bled to death in his hands.

"Scylla... Scylla knows about Elbrinth," Coin said. His own expertise on the area was very limited. Only that it was some vast underground city, belonging to some race that went extinct centuries back. And, apparently, the animus that created Colony and himself could be found there. "And she's powerful. Colony too... When they get back, we can plan properly."

The next while was spent getting healers for his allies and repairing some of the damage done to the manor. The city outside gradually grew calm as the last of the goblins were slaughtered and the fires were doused. But, after that, an uneasy silence hung over Sentinel. Coin had never known the city to be so silent.

New came their way from a few couriers at Coin's Commerce. Coin eventually told them to set wo of their drivers and wagons to work in the city, clearing away debris. It would not help much, but it was better than nothing.

Scylla arrived in her usual way: A swirling plume of darkness from which she and Colony emerged. The witch grimaced as she entered the front door. "I had hoped this place would be safe in my absence... unfortunately we were waylaid by goblins before I could return here, and then there were many people in need of aid."

"I should hope whatever you and Colony spoke of was worth it," Coin said, unable to keep the bitterness from his tone.

Colony stepped inside, sniffed the air, and immediately froze. The colour left her tanned feature in an instant, and she looked as if she might faint. Sections of her skin rippled in place, and suddenly she was glancing at every shadow in the room.

"A basilisk was here," she said, her tone stiff and uneasy.

"Not a basilisk," said Domajor, resting on a padded chair. "You wouldn't get Basilisks in Sentinel. But the monster that tore through us was definitely scaly like one. It reminded me of that... thing that clobbered me when last the mansion was attacked."

"I... what's a basilisk?" Coin asked.

"The only monster in nature that preys on mimics. You feel it too, don't you? The way that... scent hits you?" She clenched her fists, and to his shock there were new flickers of emotion on her face. Fear. "It's your ancestors, the ones that survived, their memories echo in your flesh over generations and centuries. They're telling you to be cautious."

"I'm not afraid of any monster."

"Against a basilisk? You should. Their strength is massive, their scales are dense and naturally resistant to magic, they can see through any disguise we create. But... most worryingly, they're the only living thing we can't eat."

Coin narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"They secrete a toxin that can melt our flesh. It's so potent that it would outspeed your regeneration. Whatever was here, fighting it would be extremely dangerous."

"I don't have a choice." Coin took the time to explain the situation to the two, with the others chiming in with details. As he spoke, Scylla's expression gradually grew grave.

She was leaning against a wall by the time he finished, stroking her chin. "Elbrinth," she said at last, her gaze shifting to Pearl. "And you say he left through a green door formed from a black cube?"

The bard nodded stiffly. "That's what it looked like to me. But... well the world was spinning in my vision at the time."

"No. I'm sure what you saw is accurate," said the witch. She shook her head. "Our insurrectionists must be very deep in Elbrinth indeed if they found such devices. I suppose we have no choice but to pursue," she added.

"I will come too. The conflict means little to me, but I need a chance to learn more about Elbrinth and its people." Colony's expression had grown placid again, but there was a tension that left her looking stiff and uneasy.

"You lot can count me in as well," said Cricket. "That kobold was my responsibility, and I let her down. Gotta make amends, yeah? And I'm in better fighting shape than your friend."

Pearl sighed. "I would love to save Essine too, but in situations like that I fear I would be more of a burden. Particularly when that... beast was clearly seeking to use your loved ones as leverage, Coin."

"It's fine. I need you, Domajor, and Leonid to keep things running at the company for a few days. Watch over the regular shipments, and check the contracts waiting in my in tray." No doubt the attack on the city would disrupt business, but he had no doubt the company could endure. "This will be dangerous, so... I'm also going to ask Illyana for help."