Archivuald left Pelas's office in a hurry, his mind a whirl. She couldn't even give him a single compliment before dumping a bucket of cold water on his head. It was more than a little alarming to know that the Lady of Darkness herself might show up unannounced to question him.
That was equivalent to the Pope, undisputed ruler of the Order of inquisition randomly stopping in for a visit.
The Lady of Darkness wasn't as popular with the masses, but that didn't matter. The mere thought of the world's most dangerous assassin even taking note of his existence made him jumpy. He had considered demanding that Pelas not give up his identity, but, as she said, the information he provided would make that obsolete.
His only recourse at this point to avoid being found was to kill Pelas, Tanner, but then there was also the Flesh shaper who gave him his new face. No…. He refused to burn everything down after all of his hard work.
Surely the Lady of Darkness would be reasonable, and hopefully not look into his past with to much effort. The more he thought about it, the more it made his hair stand on end. Who was he kidding. Of course she was going to look into him. And given how extensive her network of spies and assassins likely was, she was likely to uncover things he would rather keep hidden.
Not a pleasant thought. He was going to need a drink, perhaps ten. It took a bath, a change of clothes, and five full tankards of ale before he could finally relax. Weeks on the road were slowly washed away, drowned out by cold ale and good food.
His purse was heavy after his most recent payday, so he splurged, getting the good stuff. Top of the line frosted honey ale, running for two silvers a mug. An outrageous price, but it was worth every copper.. It was absolutely delicious, ice cold, and smooth, a perfect compliment to his meal.
The server looked at him like he was a barbarian as he devoured his meal like a rabid animal, but he didn't care. It was without a doubt the best meal he had had in a long time. After several hours of gluttony, he ended up stumbling back to the guildhall, collapsing into his bed.
A good evening indeed…
Archivuald awoke with a groan, still dressed from the night prior. Grumbling to himself, he slipped on his boots, and headed out into the street.
He squinted up at the harsh late morning sunlight, shielding his eyes as he tried to find breakfast.
A good cup of coffee or tea would do wonders for his hangover. On autopilot, he set off, his eyes roving over the decorated buildings, looking for a cafe. He might normally go for a Tavern, but the thought of alcohol so early in the morning made bile rise in his throat.
He had a few hours to kill before he needed to go find Davian's estate. A delicious breakfast, with pancakes, seared bacon, and some coffee really hit the spot.
He was starting to feel back to normal, as he walked the bustling city streets, the festive cheer making the city come alive. Everyone was preparing for the solstice, even the guards wearing decorative pins on their uniforms. He even saw a few inquisitors with decorative masks instead of their usual intimidating visages.
It appeared even though they were feeling the holiday spirit. The city was incredibly vibrant, with three members of the Red Hand standing on the corner, creating a fanciful display of dancing shadows and flickering lights in the air.
Judging by the hat full of copper coins at their feet, and the crowd, they were doing quite well for themselves.
One of them, in a dark cloak, with shadows hiding their face, had exceptional control over their emblems. The craziest part was, it seemed like each were just using one emblem to create multiple effects. Archivauld could almost feel the flow of essence in the air, a continual stream, with the same signature.
If it were multiple emblems, the essence would have a variety of flavors, but this just had one. The display made Archivuald's use of his emblems look sloppy. Sure, he was using his emblems to good effect, but was he using them to their full potential?
Clearly not. Watching the street performers was quite eye opening. It was something he would have to test in the future.
With most of the crowd moving on after the latest display, he set off. He had a fancy estate to find. Holding the crest Davian gave him in one hand, Archivuald strode through the inner city for a while. After an hour or two of no luck, he decided to ask a well dressed passer by.
With a dismissive once over, the woman gestured up the street.
"Walk that way for ten blocks, if you reach the Ruffled Qail, you have gone too far. The place you are looking for is built right into the cliff, you can't miss it," with that, the woman left, not even sparing him a glance back.
Archivuald shrugged off the exchange. She wasn't very nice.
As he walked, something was nagging at him as he eyed the fancy building built into the looming rock face. Didn't this gate seem a bit familiar. .
The ten foot tall ornate copper gate had the crest he was holding emblazoned into the facade. As if on cue, the gate swung inward, with Davian stepping from the front door of the large estate.
Dressed in black silken pants and a finely woven green vest, Davian grinned as he strode down the drive way..
"Ahh, Alex, there you are! Did you get lost or something?" Davian exclaimed.
Archivauld scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Something like that… How's your new pet doing? I hope she is still doing well?" Archivuald asked.
Davian grinned.
"A ravenous little beasty, but I suppose that's a good sign," Davian replied.
"Before you know it, she is going to be large enough to carry your horse in her talons," Archivuald replied.
Davian laughed. "Won't that be a sight? If she gets that big, I might have a flying mount," Davian replied.
"A man can dream," Archivuald replied, clasping Davian hand. "So, when is the auction?" Archivuald asked.
Davian chuckled. "We still have a couple hours yet. Where are my manners.. Come, lunch is being served. After we eat, we can procure that item from the vault I promised," Davian said.
Archivuald couldn't help but smile.
"Lead the way," Archivuald said.
Davain pivoted on his heel and sauntered back towards the large estate, and he followed the gates swinging shut behind them.
There had to be some sort of fractal framework woven into the gate, and perhaps even the walls.
It reminded him of the estate he climbed down into when he entered the city. What were the odds? There were several dozen estates built into the rock face, surely this wasn't the same one? He shook off the thought.
Archivuald followed the boisterous young man up the front steps, and into the estate. The smell of fresh food wafted to his nose as they walked down a polished marble hallway.
Statuettes, paintings and other ornate things lined the hallways, but it was nothing compared to the large dining room Davian led him into. Archivuald paused in the door, his eyes quickly taking in the room and its expensive decor.
The table, the chairs, the paintings and even the chandelier were all works of art, the plates and cutlery, like polished silver. All of that was quickly forgotten as he locked eyes with the man at the head of the table. Two people were already in attendance, a woman with her back to him, and an older man facing him.
Their eyes met and he froze, his heart skipping a beat as recognition dawned.
The man was dressed in a simple, yet stylish uniform, with the Sinners guild crest emblazoned on his chest. With short cut, greying black hair, the man had a chiseled jaw, wide shoulders of a fighter, and harsh grey eyes that seemed to capture the essence of a thunderstorm.
Sonder Ivalian, guild master of the Sinner's guild and storm warden of the eastern expanse.
He was then reminded of Davian's talk about being a failure because he couldn't become a storm wielder.
In hindsight, he should have suspected something like this. Taking a seat near the head of the table, Davian gestured..
"Don't be a stranger now. Father, this is Alex, the friend who helped me. Alex, this is my father Sonder, and that is my dearest elder sister, Tallia," Davian introduced.
Archivuald snapped back to focus as his mind went into overdrive.
The woman with her back to him turned in her seat, and they locked eyes, his heart skipping a beat. Archivuald suddenly felt a prisoner being led to the gallows as he met her inquisitive storm grey eyes.
Unheeding of the tension suddenly in the air, Sonder gestured a callused hand to the chair on his left.
"My son speaks very highly of you Alex. Please, come, take a seat," Sonder said, his voice low, yet commanding.
Not wanting to bring his own demise, Archviuald did as asked, walking past Tallia to take a seat on Sonder's left.
On one hand, he was excited to be within spitting distance of a living legend, like the storm warden. On the other, his hated nemesis was also in the room. Archivuald couldn't decide whether to be excited or terrified at the meeting. So much could go wrong, it made his head spin. If his real identity was uncovered by that insufferable woman, he would be screwed.
There would be no survining Sonder's wrath. The man was a blade Cardinal, someone at the peak of the Cardinal tier, with at least one emblem rumored to be in the phantasmal realm.
If it came to blows, Archivuald would have better luck fighting a volcano and winning.
With that in mind, he glanced over to Tallia, who was watching him like a hawk, her eyes narrowed.
That insufferable woman... What did she know, and more importantly, what had she told her father.
Davian, raised an eyebrow as he caught his sister's stare.
"Have you two met before?" Davian asked curiosuly.
Tallia huffed. "Yes, we have met. I caught him climbing down the cliff onto our balcony," Tallia replied dryly.
Davian's raised both eyebrows at that.
"Is that true Alex?" Davian asked curiously.
Archivuald was so screwed…. He had been found out. But what to do? This woman was going to get him killed. Mind racing he decided to stick to his initial lie, to play it off like a innocent mistake..
"I told you, I was doing some training in cliff climbing. It's a good thing too, i would have never been able to get Davian's little bird without that practice," Archivauld replied, his stomach clenching as he said it.
Who knew, maybe being burned at the stake wouldn't be so bad?
Davian nodded slowly seemed convinced. Sonder on the other hand didn't seem to care. Seeing their expressions Tallia pursed her lips.
"Night climbing huh? That's ridiculous. I still think you were trying to rob us. Perhaps that's what you are doing know. Hanging off Davian's coat tails to steal from us?" Tallia accused.
Archivuald's mouth went dry at the accusation. Robbing a noble was a capital offence, punishable by the death. Archivuald really didn't want to die.
"You are just being dramatic, I am a respectable citizen. A member of a guild with proper verified papers," Archivuald replied with faux calm.
She frowned. "A member of a guild that formed through suspicious backroom deals and dubious bribes," Tallia interjected.
Archivuald shrugged off her accusation.
"I am just an honorary member. How am I supposed to know the happenings of the higher ups?" Archivuald asked, dryly.
Tallia snorted, folding her arms across her ample chest.
Fearing the worst, Archivuald turned to Sonder, whose lips were turned up into a smirk.
"You said your name was Alex? Where are you from, and how did you find yourself in Stronghold?" Sonder asked, calmly.
Archivuald let out a soft sigh, going through his rehearsed lie. Maybe he could turn the storm warden to his side.
"I am from the town of sticks a few days north of here. When I came of age, I left my home, to become an adventurer. Found myself inside stronghold without any of the established guild who would take a chance on me. When Pelas of the Black heart's guild gave me a chance, I took the leap," Archivuald said.
Not a complete lie, with the last part being mostly true.
Sonder slowly nodded.
"By all accounts you have done quite well for yourself. The way Davian tells it, you single-handedly cleared a knight tier rift while at the same tier with ease?" Sonder asked.
Archivuald couldn't help but flush at the praise.
"It was not as impressive as he makes it sound. The mountain guanaco were quite easily taken down if I was patient. They traveled alone, instead of packs, much easier to kill then the iron boar I killed in my first knight tier rift a week prior," Archivuald said.
Sonder rocked back in his chair, eying Archivauld thoughtfully.
"How interesting…I don't suppose you would consider switching guilds?" Sonder probeb.
Davian glared at his father.
"Dad… You promised," Davian said, his tone accusing..
Sonder let out a heavy sigh, raising his callused hands in surrender.
Davian then threw a glare at his sister.
"And you.. Be nice, this is why I can't have any friends. I swear, you two are worse than the damned inquisitors," Davain grumped.
Much to Archviuald's relief the woman's expression softened. She still tossed him a sidelong glare, but didn't press any further.
Archivuald let out a mental sigh. Well, he wasn't out of the woods yet, but this seemed to be a regular occurrence.
He couldn't wait to be done with this meal, and hopefully be forgotten by these two. Archivuald rather liked Davian, he was a good kid, but his family were much too suspicious for their own good.
After the impromptu interrogation, they ate in relative silence, the meal quite delicious.
Once the plates were cleared by a butler who appeared from a side door, Sonder stood gesturing them to follow.
The four left the dining room, and walked up some stairs, pausing at a thick ironwood door. The door was densely inscribed with fractals, a familiar door that Sonder opened by touching. With a flash of essence, the door swung inward, revealing a vault to put most banks to shame.
Weapons of all shapes and sizes covered the walls, some of which he couldn't even name. Each was incredibly high quality, some of which were clearly inscribed with fractals.
That was just the tip of the iceberg. Clear glass cases with sets of armor were lined up in rows with paths to walk between. At the centre of the room on a raised dais were tables, lined with small crystals covered in dense fractals.
Archviualds heart skipped a beat as he took in the wealth on display. There had to be over a thousand emblems, with several chests under the table that probably contained more.
Sonder cracked a half smile.
"What do you think about my collection?" Sonder asked.
Archivauld coughed, clearing his throat.
"It's incredible! How did you get so many emblems, and of such variety?" Archviauld asked numbly.
Sonder strode forwards, passed the cases of armor, and the walls lined with priceless weapons.
"Come take a look, if you see one you like, it's yours as promised. I really do want to thank you for bringing my son back in one piece," Sonder said.
Archivuald threw Davian a glance, with Davian giving him a thumbs up.
Heart beating loudly in his chest, he entered the room, walking past the ornate sets of armor. Most of them looked like they were just for ceremonial purposes, however, others were covered in dings and scratches that could only come from extensive use.
He paused as he reached the end of the displays, standing right next to Sonder, who overlooked the table.
The man gestured.
"Each of them are labeled, with their tier and a brief description of their effect. Appraisals of emblems are not an exacting science, but the descriptions are close enough. Take a look, if you find one you like, in the Lord tier or below, it's yours," Sonder replied.
Archviuald's eyes roved over the arrayed emblems, noticing a few in their own personal cases locked behind dense fractals.
There were no cardinal tier emblems on display, but there were a couple saint tier, each locked behind glass that could probably survive having a mountain dropped on it.
Having a Saint tier emblem would be nice, though a pipe dream for the time being. He would have to settle for the next best, a Lord tier emblem.
Even more exciting, he had dozens of choices to choose from. There was of course, the extremely popular shadow bolt emblem. It was pretty self explanatory. The emblem launched a bolt of darkness from the caster, able to punch through flesh like it was paper.
There were plenty of other combat emblems, as well as some less combat oriented emblems. One such emblem had the unusual ability to conjure a chair from thin air. An ornate wooden chair.
Reading the description made him snort.
Noticing his attention, Sonder peered over.
"Hah, that one is extremely rare. There are quite a few other collectors that have been trying to barter it off me for quite some time," Sonder smiled.
"But it's useless. Who would waste one of their limited nodes on something as stupid as summoning a chair?" Archivuald asked.
Sonder shrugged.
"Having a chair always on hand could be quite useful. Namely you would always have a place to take a seat. If you need a fire, you have unlimited firewood. It could also be quite handy in bar fights," Sonder joked.
Archviuald chuckled.
"I suppose you have a point. Though it would look quite ridiculous to summon a chair to beat a monster to death with it," Archivuald said.
Sonder laughed, slapping Archivuald on the back.
"Now that would be an amusing sight. So, what do you think, is anything catching your eye?" Sonder asked.
Archviuald rubbed the stubble on his recently shaved jaw. There were quite a few he wanted, but he could only choose one.
"I'm having trouble deciding what I want," Archivuald said.
Sonder nodded.
"How about this one, earthen bulwark. It's a good defensive emblem, conjuring an earthen shield in front of you," Sonder suggested.
"That is a good emblem by all accounts, though costly in essence," Archivuald replied.
"Very true. I wish I had a spare lightning barrier for you, but Tallia took my last one. I can ask around if you like, or I might be able to get another in a trade?" Sonder replied.
"You are too generous. That would be extremely useful, but I am a close range fighter. I have a few long range emblems, but my ax is my main weapon. Adefensive emblem would be good, but I would prefer something to help me avoid getting hit?" Archivuald asked.
Sonder chuckled. "Best way to not die is to avoid getting hit. Look here, I have a few different options. I have the extremely popular shadow step. Next to it is wind rush, and others. My personal favorite, and the one I still use today, lightning dance," Sonder said.
Archivuald furrowed his brows.
"You still use it? Does that mean your lightning step managed to reach Cardinal tier?" Archivuald asked, confused.
Sonder laughed.
"Not even close… It's not exactly a secret, but it's not widely known that Saint Tier rifts and above can form extremely rare and valuable natural formations of essence. Finding one, and absorbing it can expand and alter any emblem you already have to new unique heights," Sonder said.
"Even a divine emblem?" Archivuald asked.
Sonder snorted, glancing at him.
"In my younger days I thought the same thing. My instructor told me I was a fool to waste such a rare thing on a gamble, but I did it anyway. Even now, i am unsure if it did anything. What i do know, is the formation crumbled, and my divine curse didn't change. At least not enough to be noticeable. The markings did become slightly more complex, though.. Hmm, maybe I just didn't absorb enough essence to push it all the way?" Sonder trailed off, seeming lost in thought.
Archivuald listened intently. He had never heard anything so monumental. A way to raise his emblems, and have all of them reach the peak of power?
Sonder didn't even seem to notice, or perhaps he just didn't care if anyone knew he was a Holder. Archivualds train of thought came to a screeching halt as his eyes rested on one of the emblems.
It was nearby the conjure a chair emblem, with the name Updraft. It was fairly common for emblems to be useful to only monsters. After all, the emblems were essentially a power the monster had that crystallized on its death.
Archivuald's heart skipped a beat as he read the brief description.
Updraft, a strong current of wind pushes you from below.
Wouldn't that be perfect for his bird form? It might even help him fly. The thought was exciting.
Sure, it might not work, but it also might work. His heart raced at the possibility.
"Can I have that one?" Archivuald asked, pointing towards the emblem.
Sonder raised both eye brows.
"Are you sure? That is a monster power. It won't help you fly. You need to already have wings, and feathers for this to help you at all," Sonder said.
Archivuald nodded.
"I'm aware.." Archivuald replied.
Sonder shrugged, reaching over to pluck the thumb sized emblem from the cushion.
He handed it over, his gaze scrutinizing.
Archivuald ignored the look, tucking the precious emblem into his shirt pocket for now.
With his reward chosen, he turned, noticing Davian and Tallia still waiting near the door.
Davian grinned.
"I think you took the least valuable emblem in the entire collection. Are you feeling bad or something?" Davian asked.
Archviuald shrugged.
"I have my reasons. Plus, you paid me well. Who knows, i might be able to find an emblem or two at the auction tonight," Archivuald said.
Davian nodded.
"I doubt anything as impressive as what you see in Dad's collection will appear, but who knows," Davian replied.
Tallia flicked a lock of pitch black hair behind one ear.
"Speaking of which, I am also interested in the auction. Do you care if I come along?" Tallia asked.
Davian nodded. "Of course, sister. Actually, you would be perfect. Could you take Alex i might be running late, I need to check on Iglus and make sure she is doing well," Davian said.
Tallia nodded, giving Archivuald a smile.
"Of course, I will keep Alex company until you arrive," Tallia said.
Archivuald swore under his breath. Of course she would volunteer.