To call the next two weeks tense would be like calling a dragon’s fire hot.
The mysterious monster, at this point dubbed “The Obelisk”, continued to slowly “eat” through the wall until it was halfway into it. The guild’s response was to put all but the most essential missions were put on hold in an attempt to keep as many guild members in the city. While the researchers were trying to figure out what this thing was and how to get rid of it, the rest of us were left on standby, told to do light training in between our shifts watching The Obelisk and reassure the public that everything was under control.
As it turns out, the public is not so easily assured. In fact, on the few occasions when Katherine and I left the guild grounds, my attempts to put their minds at ease only succeeded in either making them more annoyed and distrustful or, one time in particular, causing a woman to scream and try to hit me with her basket full of stale bread.
Perhaps that was more of a me issue, but I digress. Things were not going well.
As for our conspiracy, Krimsun had not provided us with any further information. No letter from Ignatius had arrived and our own attempts at research only told us what we already knew.
As a further obstacle, the ones officially responsible for investigating this creature were incredibly tight-lipped. Not even Krimsun could get much more than a “we will communicate what we know when we know it,” from them.
We were growing impatient, Katherine most of all, every time she looked like she was about to talk about it, she bit her lip. It was starting to look rather sore. I feared that we might be discovered if we didn’t have something happen soon.
Unfortunately, that wish came true.
As per our usual routine, we met with Krimsun in the training room early in the morning.
“Good morning,” she began, “We shall be performing nighttime stealth training tonight, so I want you to get some rest after lunch,”
This was certainly a change of pace; we had mostly been doing independent training along with combat as a team.
“However, we shall start with our usual routine. A cup of tea, then some basic training,”
Ever since we began our scheming, we’ve begun each day with a telepathic briefing from Krimsun. I was mentally prepared for yet another, “We must continue to be patient,”
I was not prepared for this.
“We cannot afford to continue waiting,” she began, “Tonight, you will break into the Guildmaster’s office and look for any clues to what is happening,”
Were it not for the slowed perception of time, our jaws would have dropped.
“You can’t be serious?” Reggie said, “We’ll be executed if caught!”
“Not necessarily,” Krimsun corrected, “A twenty-year prison sentence is more likely for you and Katherine, as you are young first-time offenders. I’d likely be sent back to Oakenveil for the Elven justice system. Mak… well, you’d likely be killed,”
“Fantastic,” I mentally muttered.
“However, this is only if we get caught, and only if all of us get caught,” she said, “Silence in the face of questioning and torture is a must in these situations,”
“You speak from experience?” Reggie asked.
“There is a reason I rarely visit home,” she replied.
Not wanting to press her on the issue, curious as I was, I tried to get us back on topic, “Well, what is the plan?”
We went back and forth on the details of our dangerous plot until we had what felt like a minute possibility of success. Krimsun had learned that the Guildmaster had an audience with the king tonight, so he would be away from his quarters. This left us a small window of opportunity to strike. Stealth training gave us a decent alibi if anyone saw us sneaking around the guild grounds. Krimsun and Katherine would run distraction while playing the part of the pursuers while Reggie and I would do the stealth work.
“However,” Krimsun said as the tea was beginning to fade, “If you are seen going into, or even near, the Guildmaster’s quarters, there will be nothing I can do for you,”
The spell ended on that ominous note.
“Alright then, let’s begin our morning training,” Krimsun said as if nothing had happened. She then somehow managed to put us through a more rigorous and painful exercise than the last one.
Yet, in spite of the pain and fatigue, there was only one thing on my mind.
Could I really do it? Face torture and death and not break? Given my history I doubt it. Best case scenario I’d simply be unable to speak from fear. Worst case… I’d sell them all out for a chance at survival. It wouldn’t be the first time I ran, but I’ve come so far! I’m not as helpless as I once was. And yet, I might as well be compared to The Inferno. I couldn’t face him when he torched the bodies of my kin, did I really have a chance against his questioning should it come to it? Would I even be able to run if he comes back early?
And then there was that lingering doubt. Are our suspicions unfounded in the first place? Hearing that Krimsun had concerns about him gave me some confidence, but I was still unsure if my own biases were clouding my judgment. After all, I still thought of him as less of a person and more of a natural disaster. The scent of burning flesh filled my nose every time he came near and he is forever ingrained in my mind alongside Frederick Rundoon and his other apprentices as the butchers of my kinsmen.
I suppose that is what bothered me the most. I was utterly terrified of the man. As terrified as any Nequese would be in the face of a Pestak if not more. He felled a dragon in a single strike for goodness’ sake! The idea that I still wasn’t safe from him made every hair on my body stand on end.
These were the thoughts that kept me up as I tried in vain to get some rest between the training and the mission.
But whether I got any sleep or not, the night would come anyway.
I just hoped it wouldn’t be the last night.
ns 15.158.61.12da2
