Fortress Al-Mir

Duke Levi Woldair woke to a tolling of alarm.

The sound of the warning bells in the manor was never supposed to ring through the city. For a long moment, he sat in bed, staring at the ceiling with no worries, feeling like he was listening to the chime of the Grand Old Church, which rang every morning with the rising sun. It was only the lack of melody to the frantic and panicked ringing that made him realize something was amiss.

A jolt of adrenaline surged through his body as he jumped from his bed. Levi threw open the doors to his wardrobe and pulled out a simple robe and slippers. Not bothering with proper dress, he barged out into the hall outside his room just in time to barrel into the captain of his manor guard.

“Sir, there—”

“What is it? Is it… Evestani?” Levi said, whispering the word as he glanced around the hallway. Despite the Abbey of the Light’s recommendations to ally with the foreign power, the alliance had him ill at ease.

They had sent assassins after him at the start of this nightmare. The Abbey might claim that there were greater threats out there, ruinous magic that threatened the entire world. Levi didn’t care about the entire world, just the possibility of blades in his back.

He almost wished the Sultan had rejected his offer of an alliance if only so that he would know that they were still after him.

But his guard captain was shaking his head. “No Sir. At least, I don’t think so. It’s a horde of refugees along with—”

“Refu… Refugees?” The panic and alarm that had woken Levi faded, irritation and annoyance replacing the feeling. He let out a relieved sigh. “Just get rid of them? Why all the commotion?”

“It isn’t that easy, Sir. There are over a thousand of them, armed and even armored. The garrison can’t handle them all and… some of the residents of the city have joined the mob as well. Including some from among the guard. Things have already turned violent in some areas of the city.”

“Traitors.” Levi folded his robe around him and started walking through the manor. The guard captain followed behind him, continuing to inform him of the situation.

“Maybe so, but their presence and that of the city’s residents has made the guard hesitant to fight back. It’s like a wave has swept through the city and the longer it goes on, the larger the group of rioters becomes.”

That gave Levi pause. He shifted, glancing behind him with a raised eyebrow. “Magical influence?” Such could be the product of either of his enemies. Evestani used their heretical golden magic to wage their war and, if the Abbey was correct, that abominable splitting of the sky had been the doing of Arkk. A man who, he now knew, had been interested in a certain mind mage that had been causing problems in the Duchy.

“I don’t know.”

Levi scoffed, wondering why he bothered asking. Good help was hard to get these days. He knew without a doubt that Alya would have known everything there was to know about this incident. She would have likely known ahead of time and defused the situation before it got to this point. Or, at the very least, she would have handled it before it got to the point of waking him.

“They do have demands.”

“Of course they do,” Levi grumbled, ascending the tall tower’s staircase. He needed to see what was going on himself. The eyes of his underlings couldn’t be trusted.

“They demand the revocation of the alliance with Evestani and the release of some woman from the garrison.”

“Who?”

“Her name is Katja, supposedly, but there is no record of any prisoner by that name. Unfortunately, contact with the garrison has since been cut off because of the riot.”

Levi crested the top of the manor’s tall tower. A quartet of spellcasters were supposed to be present at all times, manning the manor’s magical defenses. Only one was present. Slumped over with a dagger sticking out of his chest, he was in no position to maintain the magical wards.

The guard captain moved immediately, calling out down the stairs for more guards.

The sight made Levi recoil. No rabble could possibly have reached the tall tower, no matter how riotous they were. And…

Now that he thought about it, had he seen any guards besides the captain?

Mouth dry and cold air biting at his skin through his thin robe, Levi slowly turned around. There was no sign of any assailant but the view from the tall tower let him get a good look at the state of his city.

In the early morning hours where the sun had yet to crest the top of Cliff’s mountains, he normally wouldn’t have been able to see much of anything. Today, however, little dancing flames bobbed back and forth with the masses surging through the city’s streets. In the distance, the exterior of the garrison was burning. Most of the garrison was built into the cliffside but it had a large courtyard that stuck out into the city proper. A few other pockets of flame were burning at various points throughout the city.

Much of the city was made from wood. The flames needed spellcasters to bring them under control as soon as possible or the entire city would burn down. Already, it looked like the mercenary quarter was being quenched but that wasn’t enough.

“Tell them we’ll free the woman and even pardon her for whatever crimes she committed,” Levi said without turning, his lips numb both from the cold and the threat at hand. He needed to de-escalate things as fast as possible. Regain control. “Tell them whatever they want to get them to lay down their arms. Then round them up and—”

A coughing gurgle from behind him had Levi turning.

The captain of the guard clutched at his neck, struggling for a moment before falling limp over the body of the spellcaster.

A woman… No, a gremlin with bright orange hair vaulted the side of the tall tower, landing just to the side of the two fallen bodies. She bent, wiping glistening red blood from the edge of her blade onto the spellcaster’s tunic.

Levi’s eyes flicked from the short woman to the stairs back down. He lunged, all but diving toward the opening.

The gremlin hopped over, planting herself firmly between him and the stairs. She pointed the tip of her blade directly toward his face. “Ah-ah,” she mocked, ticking the end of the blade back and forth. “You know, I thought I was going to have to find some hidden bunker or safe room. Even brought some alchemical explosives with me to blast my way in. Imagine my surprise when you come stumbling up here.”

“Who are you?” Levi said, backing toward the edge of the tall tower. He took a few steps around, moving closer to the fallen bodies. “What do you want?”

The gremlin remained in her spot, guarding the only exit to the tall tower. “I’m just your average seeker of fortune. No one important. And, obviously, I’m earning a promised fortune.”

“I have a vast treasury. Gold coins, precious gems, rare metals,” Levi said, taking another step. “I can pay you ten times whatever you’ve been paid tonight. A hundred times, even.”

“True, very true. But, my dear Duke, what is stopping me from marching into your vast treasury and taking it all?”

Levi grit his teeth. “Take it. All of it,” he said, eyes flicking to the body of the guard captain. The man had drawn his sword before getting his throat cut. It was on the ground, half resting on the legs of the spellcaster. “I can take you straight…”

Flicking his eyes back to the gremlin, he found her gone. Eyes wide, he dove for the blade, grasping it by the hilt in both hands. Whipping around, he looked for any sign of the assassin. Untrained hands swung the sword back and forth, hoping to catch the gremlin off guard even as he backed up to the stairs.

“Help!” he called. “Guards! Guard—”

Searing heat split his throat. He stumbled back, trying to swing the blade back and forth again. The gremlin jumped back, well clear of the sword. She looked entirely casual as if this were just another day even as she wiped the edge of her blade on the back of the guard captain.

The sword slipped from Levi’s weakening grip. He pressed his fingers to his throat, trying to staunch the blood. It leaked between his meaty fingers, flowing without end.

“You know, Arkk wished he could have been here for this. But he’s too busy plotting the downfall of another nation to deal with this one.” She let out a long and disgusting chuckle.

Levi felt lightheaded, woozy. He tried to speak but let out a sputtering cough as he stumbled back.

“Ah, but don’t you worry about a thing,” she said, her tone almost reassuring. A smile spread across her face, revealing sharp, pointed teeth in her unpleasant grin. “I’ll find my way to your treasury just fine.”

Levi tried to take another step back, only for his back foot to hit nothing but air.

The darkness closed in, shrinking his vision as he fell through the air. Everything went black when the back of his head struck a step leading down from the tall tower.

Master Inquisitor Darius Vrox heard the whispers in the halls of the Grand Old Church. Everyone, from the lowliest acolytes to Pontiff Bernardin himself, gathered at the south-facing windows of the church to watch the chaos in the city unfold. No one was quite sure what to do.

A few of the priests and abbesses had been dispatched to help end the fires that were tearing through some districts of the city. That was only a symptom, however.

The city guard didn’t have enough stationed in the city to quell the riots. The garrison had been running under capacity with the vast majority of the Duke’s Grand Guard being stationed out in the Duchy for the war. Even with the so-called alliance in effect, they had yet to be recalled. If the reports coming in were accurate, some of the guard had joined in with the rioters, further exacerbating the problem.

“…dispatch a purifier?”

“…make the problem worse.”

“When threatened with emeutes, drastic measures—”

“The Inquisition of the Light is not meant for quelling mundane riots. The Church isn’t threatened. None have tried crossing the bridge to the Church. There is no evidence of heretical magics at play,” Darius said, voice firm and admonishing toward the various whispers of concerned priests and abbesses. “We won’t expose undeserving people to the mercies of a purifier.”

“…lost his purifier.”

“Embarrassment.”

“This is a mundane issue,” Darius added. “The city guards will handle it or they won’t. The Abbey will continue in either case.”

“Will it?” Bishop Ocasek stepped forward, furrowing his thick eyebrows. “Times are unusual. This disruption will undoubtedly affect our actions against the enemy. If we stand by and allow this city to fall into chaos and thus cannot act when it matters, are we not dooming ourselves and all our subjects?”

“We should be out there anyway,” Abbess Marra said, clutching her hands together at her chest as if in prayer. “People are getting hurt. Dying. The few who are extinguishing fires aren’t enough. It is our duty to help as many people as possible.”

“The Abbess is right,” one of the younger acolytes said as he put himself in the middle of the group. “We’re hiding behind our bridge and gates. That isn’t right. Maybe we can’t quell the riot entirely but we can at least go through the crowds and administer what little aid we can provide.”

“There aren’t enough guards to keep everyone safe,” Bishop Ocasek said, shaking his head. “I fear for the ones who volunteered to fight the fires. If the riots turn violent toward the Abbey, the few we sent with them won’t hold the masses back on their own.” He turned, giving a pointed look to Master Inquisitor Joel Hachi.

Hachi, along with Master Inquisitor Verimas Kael were the only two stationed at the Grand Old Church with purifiers in their retinue. Darius had lost Agnete to Arkk. A few were set to arrive in the coming weeks to help in a joint offense with Evestani against Arkk. There were others out in the Duchy, dealing with their tasks. Most hadn’t contacted the Abbey in weeks if not longer.

Casualties of the war, presumably.

If they couldn’t make contact now that Evestani was supposedly in alliance with the Duchy, they were likely dead.

“Inquisitor Vrox isn’t incorrect,” Hachi said, shooting a dark look in Darius’ direction. “If the goal is to preserve lives and reduce chaos, unleashing a purifier into the city is counterproductive.”

“But—”

“If we act as regular guards, we can escort more healers around. Perhaps, with careful preaching rather than a show of force, we can help calm down some sections of the city. Anything beyond that is outside the scope of responsibilities for the Inquisition of the Light.”

Darius opened his mouth to voice an argument.

He found himself cut off by an unexpected voice, stepping forward from the shadows of the hall.

“All it takes is one idiot throwing one rock at a purifier to spark a massacre.”

For a long moment, no one said a word. They simply stared at the woman who had emerged into their midst. Silver hair dribbled out from the hood of a black cloak. A scarred face peered out with hard red eyes.

“Astra?” Kael said, sounding surprised.

He wasn’t the only one.

“Master Inquisitrix Sylvara Astra?”

With her hands covered in thick leather gloves, Astra gripped the sides of her hood and lowered it slowly. She looked over the group, scowl clear on display. “What a mess.”

“Where… You’re alive.”

“Obviously.”

“Chronicler Qwol made it back, injured to hell and back. He claimed you had perished.”

“Chronicler Qwol and I were separated following the fall of Elmshadow Burg. I was pursued by a golden-eyed abomination of Evestani’s Golden Order. It isn’t surprising he thought I wouldn’t make it out alive.” Her hard lips twisted into a grimaced grin. “Lucky, I’m hardier than I look.

“Unluckily, I return to find the city like this? An alliance with Evestani? What a sad joke.”

“A lot has changed in your absence,” Bishop Ocasek said. “Surely you saw the fissure in the sky?”

“Bah. I’m in no mood for excuses,” she spat. Her red eyes swept over the room, pausing on Darius for a moment longer than any other, before she finally let out a long sigh. “I’m going to take a nap and then I’m going to start on my report. Maybe it will convince the Abbey to part with this self-destructive alliance before it kills us all.”

“You’re taking a nap,” an acolyte said. “At a time like this?”

“Oh, would you prefer if I stand around at the window with the rest of you all? Useless,” she said with a shake of her head. “A waste of time. I am hurt. I am tired. And standing around helps nobody.”

Astra didn’t give anyone a chance to argue with her further. She turned and, with a slight limp in her gait, walked back down the hall.

Darius looked around the group for a long moment before walking after her. “She’s right,” he said. “As long as I’m awake, I’ve got work to do.”

He left the others behind. Perhaps the inquisitors would decide to send out their purifiers. Perhaps the healers would head out themselves, guarded or not. They could do as they will. It wasn’t like his input would be taken with any amount of gravity.

Contrary to his words, however, he didn’t head back to his office.

The Inquisition of the Light had a small section of the church set aside for their use. It contained sparse sleeping quarters and offices. There wasn’t much room there. Normally, there wouldn’t be this many inquisitors stationed in the church at once. With all the inquisitors, chroniclers, and purifiers, they had spread out, taking over a few of the neighboring rooms and even a few storage areas.

Astra headed for the inquisitor’s quarters but, rather than head in, she stopped outside and waited. When Darius reached the door, she looked over at him. “Something to say, Inquisitor?”

Darius looked up and down the hall. With all the commotion going on this evening, it was deserted. Nevertheless, he waved Astra over across the hall to his office. Holding the door open for her, he stepped inside and closed it behind them. Only then did he speak.

“Suspicious that you return tonight of all nights.”

“Make your accusations if you must,” Astra said with a sigh. “Or, better yet, submit them to our superiors in writing. I don’t need to hear them.”

Darius moved around her, taking a seat behind his desk. His fingers found the end of his cane. He didn’t use it for such short walks through the church. “You’re against the alliance?”

“I don’t know what the rest of you inquisitors have been up to in my absence. I was in the thick of it. Fought against Evestani and their golden abomination. I’ve seen things out there. Things I cannot abide.”

“Personally? Or as an Inquisitor of the Light?”

“Both.”

Darius leaned back, clasping his hands together. “Your plan?”

“Why do you…” Astra trailed off, closing her eyes. “Ah. Arkk. I met him, you know? Not sure what to think of him. Heretical, for sure.”

“Let’s just say that I have my own interests and they don’t necessarily align with the official stance,” Darius said, avoiding her comment. “And if you don’t align with that either, perhaps we can offer each other some mutual… advice.”

Astra eyed Darius for a long moment, simply staring. Her red eyes drilled into him, unblinking and unwavering. “I intend to go visit the inquisitorial researchers, find out if they have any countermeasures for the Golden Order, then come back here and finish what I started. Whether or not I get support along the way is irrelevant.”

“If they don’t have anything?”

“Figure out why not, impress upon them the necessity of coming up with countermeasures, and make my own. In descending order.”

“In that case,” Darius said, leaning forward once more. “I think we can work together.”