Curselock

Chapter 33: Descent Down

Dinner was fish and potato.

“So how did the meeting go?” Leland asked the now returned Lady Onryo and her daughter Lady Mavi.

The younger of the two sighed deeply scrapping at her plate unenthusiastically. “The guard has no idea what they are doing. Everyone is scared.”

“Did you mention the sewers?”

Lady Onryo answered, “Yes, and they sent teams to investigate. Nothing. Six teams entered at different points and all returned without any worthwhile information.”

The boys shared a glance. “Perhaps sigils were—”

“No, we had a specialist look for sigils. Nothing, not even on the sewer entrance Glenny found,” Lady Onryo rubbed her temples. “That entrance had been destroyed, however.”

Boor, walking around the table serving drinks, asked, “Destroyed how?”

“Some sort of magical attack. A high ranked one. It broke apart most of the concrete.”

“No, and that’s the problem,” Mavi said. “No one wants to come forward. The fog and bodies are getting to people. Just a few hours ago the total raised to fifteen.”

“Fifteen?” Glenny echoed. “Seriously? And there haven't been any witnesses at all?”

“There has, but they all say the same thing. They saw a woman in a white hooded robe. Not very helpful if you ask me.”

Leland and Jude looked at each other. “About that…”

They then told the table about their return home from the tavern and the rushed woman leaving the scene of a still warm body.

“Similar story to the others,” Lady Onryo said, shaking her head. “It just doesn’t help us very much.”

“It may not, but I might have something that will,” Leland took a deep breath and recited his practiced lie. “Without going into many details, my Legacy has some unique properties that allows me to be privy to some information. Now, I’m not saying I’m an expert or even that I analyzed the information given to me correctly, but I think I have some tips to progress the Lord of Spirit’s Legacy.”

Lady Onryo took a long hard look at Leland before moving on to Jude and Glenny. Without noticing a hint of deceit, she motioned for the young man to continue.

“How much do you know about the history of spirit fire?”

The following conversation lasted several hours and in near silence. Only Leland and Lady Onryo discussed, and even then it was mainly Leland dodging questions about how he came to know these things. In the end, the idea that spirit fire was more than simple illusions and directly related to life and preservation were spread to those listening.

“I am not sure what you can do with this information, but I also know it is incredibly possible to progress in the discipline without use of supplemental potions or tonics.”

The room went still. Both Onryo’s went stark still, their posture towering over the slumping adventurers. An annoyance crawled up their faces, narrowing their eyes and pursing their lips.

“What do you know about supplements, boy?” Lady Onryo spit.

“Only what Alkin told us,” Leland answered quickly.

“You know nothing of my family and those we’ve lost. Do not think your friendship with my son allows you to be disrespectful, especially when you are in this house.”

“I meant no disrespect, I apologize if I offended—”

A knock came from the mansion door. Boor hesitated but Lady Onryo waved him off.

“My eldest’s death was more than a mana junky getting a fix,”

Leland’s face fell. “I-I had no idea it was like that. Alkin only said he was searching for a way to speed up his spirit fire progression. I didn’t know it was Mana Dust, I never would have insinuated...” he trailed off.

Lady Onryo stifled her anger. Her posture fell, her demeanor broke. “I apologize. My son is a sore subject.”

Glenny was the one to speak up, “Losing a family member is horrible.”

“Have you…?”

“Did Alkin not tell you?”

Lady Onryo shook her head.

“M-my mother was the Royal Inquisitor that was killed by the Witch Icewillow three years ago.”

“Oh. I’m so sorry. We didn’t know.”

Mavi spoke up, “Alkin only told us you three were the children of Inquisitors, not anything past that.”

Glenny’s frown had turned into a somber smile. “It is alright. I just ask you not to spread this information around.”

“Of course,” Lady Onryo said. “And the same goes for my son and his addiction. Alkin does not know the full story and we wish to keep it that way.”

Leland wasn’t sure if he agreed with keeping family business hidden from one another but he held his tongue. Last thing he wanted was to upset his hosts more than he already had. Boor saved the conversation by entering the dining room with a hesitant guard Captain.

“Lady Onryo,” Boor said, his hands finding grip on his vest. “Captain Lurch says there’s been another murder.”

“I-I’m sorry for interrupting dinner, my Lady, but this is urgent.” Lurch began. “A body has been found and I need to ask some questions.”

“Ask me some questions? Heavens why?” Lady Onryo asked.

“Not you, ma’am. The one named Leland.”

All eyes flicked to the young mage.

“Me?” he asked. “Why?”

“You were the name on his delivery slip. A barrel of beer.”

Leland flattened in his seat. “I-I see. What do you need to ask?”

“Was the barrel delivered already?”

“Yes.”

“Did you notice anything suspicious about the deliverer?”

“Boor dealt with him, I didn’t even need to sign…”

“I see,” Lurch whispered, taking notes. “Have you left the premises today?”

“No.”

“Can anyone vouch for that?”

“Everyone in here besides the Ladies, yes.”

Lurch scanned the room, receiving multiple head nods. “I see,” he said. “Thank you for your time.” Turning to leave, the Captain hesitated in the door frame.

“Is something the matter, Captain?” Lady Onryo asked.

“I-it’s just that this murder was different. He still had his eyes, you see…”

“It wasn’t the Sightless?” Mavi asked.

“The tavern the deceased worked at was known as a crime den,” Lurch’s words went dry. “We suspect this was an opportune killing to get rid of problematic employees.”

“Then shouldn’t you be interviewing the tavern owner?”

“I would if I could.”

“What do you mean?” Leland asked.

“The owner is dead as well, his tongue cut out.”

Jude interjected. “Someone thinks he was a rat. He did seem open to selling information…”

The Captain frowned. “Now hold on. Have you been—”

“That is quite enough, Captain,” Lady Onryo said, standing. “Before accusations are made, I would like to put one simple fact out there. These three adventurers sharing a meal with me tonight are under my employment. Think of them as private investigators.”

“I-I see,” Lurch said after a moment. “Just one final question then. Why did you choose the River and the Cavern to investigate?”

Leland answered with a shrug. “I needed beer and it was the first brewery we found in the fog.”

The Captain hummed at that. “I see, thank you for your time.”

With that, the man left the mansion and three sets of eyes were suddenly on Leland and the others.

“The River and the Cavern? Really? How did you three manage to find yourselves there?”

Glenny answered. “Because it was the tavern nearest the docks. We figured the connection from dockworkers to smugglers wasn’t that big of a leap.”

Lady Onryo nodded to that, “Smart. What did you learn?”

“That a smuggler named Poppy was the one to ask about unique body parts.”

Boor went still. “Poppy you say?”

“Yeah. You know her?”

“We have a history, yes.”

“Think you could introduce us?”

Again Boor hesitated. “She’s dangerous.”

Lady Onryo didn’t seem to care. “Boor take the boys to meet this Poppy character, that’s an order.”

“Of course, my Lady,” the butler said before turning to the others. “We leave at midnight. Prepare your weapons, we could be walking into something we wish we hadn’t.”

A few hours later, the boys and Boor were hiding behind a set of crates near the docks. In the air the sound of soft waves crashed against wooden ships resting in the harbor.

The boys wore their normal everyday battle ware, but the butler had changed into a thin leather armor. The armor was scored, cut, and patched over again and again. It was old, very old. The kind of armor left from father to son from the days of war some centuries ago.

Orange flickering flames led the route through the dense fog, like mile markers on a highway. They lined the dock’s edge, a single step past meant going for a swim. Boor gave a muted signal just before he dashed to the next set of crates.

Once set, Leland could hear the voices. They were quiet and slurred, drunk he supposed. Whispering to the butler, he said, “What do we do?”

The group of four had progressed like this for the last two blocks, making use of the unnatural fog to near the harbor. Luckily they hadn’t come across any human blockades prior to the set before them now.

Boor deliberated for a moment before tossing a scrap piece of wood blindly through the fog. A loud clank followed by multiple grunts echoing in alarm through the area. Boor counted to ten, then signaled to move again.

Frankly, Leland didn’t quite understand why they needed to remain hidden. Did Boor think Poppy would help them if they snuck up on her? The question was lost in his mind as they continued down the docks, eventually stopping at a certain dark lantern.

“Why did we stop here?” Glenny whispered. “Some sort of marker?”

Boor nodded and said, “Trust me on this.” He then stepped off the dock, falling into the depths below.

The boys looked to each other for a moment before Jude gave a hesitant shrug. He jumped off a moment later, followed by Glenny, and eventually Leland. They landed on a set of tied row boats anchored to the underside of the dock.

Boor had already pushed forward across the makeshift bridge and onto rotted scaffolding. A long rusted out door stood silently behind him, only an off yellow dim mana light illuminating the area. Warnings had been carved into the surrounding wood, crude and often nothing more than simple phrases like, “enter and die.”

Boor knocked in a rhythmic pattern, although no sound came from the metal door. It was then Leland saw the glyphs carved into the doorframe.

“Sound suppressants,” he whispered to the others. “Whoever is behind there wants to remain hidden.”

Suddenly a slot on the door snapped open and two bloodstained eyes looked through. Boor didn’t seem surprised and simply said, “Malt is better than hops.”

The man behind the door grunted and pulled it open.

Boor then turned to the boys, “I would like to welcome you to Shoutwell’s Smugglers Guild.”