After having sorted the pallet and setting up a serviceable work area, I realized Katya had been rather generous. I had written any amount of silver, but I hadn’t expected two industrial size bars of 1000oz silver, each about 29 kilograms.

The reason I had asked for pure silver was because I needed something that wouldn’t break apart under the burden of rune magic as most mundane metals did, and I settled on Truesilver as being the cheapest and most easily accessible.

“Pretty sure nobody’s gonna be handing out bars of platinum around here anytime soon.”

Taking out one of the 2x2 slabs of marble, I began carving numerous concentric circles of runes, only to realize.

“Ah shit, the bars aren’t going to fit on that. They’re way too big.”

After trying out a few different methods of cutting the bars into more manageable pieces, I finally found my solution with an old fire axe hanging on the wall. A few runes and a couple of swings made the hefty bars into 16 Sodacan sized rectangles.

I quickly threw the axe to the side as it started hissing and spitting sparks like an elemental having a hissy fit.

“This is exactly the reason I need something better. Anything lesser breaks down too quickly to be useful. “

I placed a chunk of silver on top of the runed slab of marble and then carefully channeled my power into it while shying away slightly as the runes lit up.

“It wouldn’t be the first time it’s blown up in my face.” I reflected with a smile.

After five minutes, the silver chunk had melted and formed a small ball hovering a couple of inches above the marble.

half an hour later it started to purify and change, slowly dripping blackened and bluish metals into a steel pot I had placed underneath to keep the runes undamaged.

Now the point of all this is to make Truesilver and Anyone who knows what that is would probably tell you it’s impossible without an alchemist and that the average yield is 24 to 1, depending on the skill of said alchemist.

What people won’t tell you is that alchemists are a bunch of chemical huffing sons of bitches that can’t help but skim and rip people off and waste an infuriatingly large amount of raw materials because they’re too busy inhaling fumes.

Which is why I came up with my own method, which usually adds up to around 16 to 1.

which comes out to 5 kilograms... give or take a little, depending on how rusty I am.

While that’s cooking, I started on the preparations for the anvil. I needed to make it strong enough that it could hold up to the forging process before breaking down.

Iron is better than steel for runes, something about loose carbon and impurities messing with the flow of energy, putting greater strain on the material. It still wouldn’t be good, but it would hold up long enough to get the job done.

Thankfully, they followed my list and got a cast iron one.

“This must be almost 150 years old.”

Once I’d finished prepping the anvil, I started sorting out the various other materials. You know, leathers, wood... military grade ordnance.

“These will work nicely.” I thought, holding the smooth round grenades,

“Only one thing missing. More Runes.”

***

2 weeks later

“you’re telling me he hasn’t left even once?” Katya said, rubbing the bridge of her nose between thumb and index finger.

“Yes, Ma’am.” Hendricks replied crisply, standing respectfully in front of her desk.

“What’s he been doing for food?” Natasha questioned, while leaning against a bookshelf next to the desk.

“He’s been ordering takeout, Ma’am. Although they never step foot on the property.” He answered.

“Because of the Runes?” Katya repeated verbatim from the report, slightly exasperated at this point.

“Yes Ma’am. That is our theory after we observed a group of teens jumping the back fence. When they crossed between two of the runed posts, they seemed extremely distressed the further they went in, until turning around to flee.”

“Were they injured in any way?” Katya inquired.

“We do not believe so, Ma’am.”

“That will be all, Mr. Hendricks.”

Katya sat in thought for a while before being interrupted.

“Not what you expected?” Natasha questioned professionally after Hendricks had left.

“I expected him to go on a mad murder spree and disrupt red court activity at least a little. Then return to safe ground to lick his wounds and repeat.” She replied, sounding a little displeased.

“He’s hard to read that one, at least when he’s not projecting murderous intent and rage,” Natasha chortled lightly.

“That he is. I wonder what he’s doing in there?” Katya muttered, before switching to a wicked expression and turning to Natasha.

“Now that I think about it, it has been a while since you two last saw each other.” Katya suggested wryly.

***

I’d finished my preparations, and they were perfect.

The first time I made them, I had been young and inexperienced, needing something to hold my power because I couldn’t yet manifest their shapes on my own.

But this time I knew all the steps, and the little tweaks I’d always wanted to make, but never got around to.

They laid on a worktable in front of me.

One was a lightweight bearded-axe, the metal blackened from the hardening process, intricate runes adorning every part of the axe-head glowing softly in a deep red, ending on a brown leather wrapped handle.

Next to it was a dagger in the same darkened metal and runes. It had the appearance of a broken Carolingian sword; the point tapering downwards like a seax.

I was also wearing a leather shoulder holster with a 500 S&W revolver, loaded with leftover raw silver. It felt a little wasteful, as the silver likely wouldn’t stay inside whatever I hit with it considering the raw power of the revolver.

The buzzer for the front gate echoed throughout the warehouse as I was getting ready to leave. Looking outside, I recognized the expensive-looking company car Sophia had been driving a couple of weeks ago.

After hitting the button to open the gate, I hurriedly put on a coat, and I stepped out. The weapons I carried, somewhat hidden from view with the exception of trained eyes deliberately looking for them.

When I stepped out, the car had already pulled to a stop in front of the warehouse, and a familiar attractive brunette wearing a leather jacket leaned against the hood, looking me over with a smile.

“Going out?” Natasha said with a sly grin that screamed trouble.

“I was, yeah.” I replied, unable to hold back a smile at the obvious theatrics.

“I would have preferred to leave and come back before they realized.” I thought.

“Perfect, I’ll drive.”

I sighed.

“This night is not going the way I’d wanted it to, but they were going to find out eventually, anyway.”

“Where to Mr. Big Broad and Brooding?” She asked with a grin as I got in.

“North, I’ll give you directions when we get closer.”

“You’re no fun. I was expecting a good time tonight.” She responded with a pout.

“You wouldn’t drive me if I told you the address, and it’s taken me two weeks to set this up.” I thought to myself quietly.

***

Halfway through the drive, Natasha’s demeanor had changed. Instead of her usual mischievous self, she had become increasingly cautious and serious with each turn the car took.

“You knew their location from the beginning.” I no longer hid my thoughts instead I let them freely project. Natasha flinched, but her eyes remained locked on the road ahead.

“I know why you did it. You were afraid, afraid of war, afraid to lose yet another heir to cruel circumstances.”

“But in you inaction, you let them grow and spread, like a cancer.”

“Even with your great empathic abilities, you never understood them.”

“You never understood that they only know one language and one law.”

“Power.”

***

Natasha had silently driven the rest of the way without instruction. And as the car came to a halt in front of an opulent mansion, I stepped out.

“You will stay in the car.” I said, voice harsh and unrelenting, leaving no room for debate.

My plans for tonight didn’t have room for a plus one. And besides, I was starting to quite like Natasha.

The rain matted my hair down as I walked up to the gate and pushed the intercom button.

It buzzed to life as a female voice answered.

“We’ve been expecting you, Mr. Titanos, please do come in.” the locks on the gate clicked and it opened.

I walked calmly up the winding path leading to the front while being surrounded by at least a dozen guards armed to the teeth, literally as some of them were openly baring fangs at me.

An imposing redheaded woman strode out in a fancy dinner dress entirely unsuited for this weather.

“You will disarm, now.” Her voice rung in my head like a bell.

“Compulsion.” I growled to myself, keeping my expression neutral.

Empathy was a trait native to Sentire. Sanguinares could develop similar abilities with age, but they were exceedingly rare. Proven by the fact that my murderous thoughts went unnoticed.

I opened my coat to reveal the weapons I’d brought with me.

One of the dozen surrounding me stepped forward to disarm me, but stopped a foot away from me and took a deep breath. His eyes turned inky and black as he smiled at me, fangs extending as he opened his mouth like a snake unhinging its jaw.

“ENOUGH!” the small redhead commanded, and he froze in place.

“The Madam wants him for herself.” She added with a wicked, uneven smile, her face rippling underneath the skin.

After they disarmed me, they led me through the massive mansion. Along the way, we passed several rooms with bodies piled or hung like grotesque pieces of art, the smell of which made my stomach churn and my resolve harden.

As they led me through the final corridor, we arrived at a massive richly decorated dining room, a wide table stretched from one end of the room to the other, piled with bodies covered in vicious bike marks and wearing frozen expressions of absolute terror.

All around the table sat eerily still, figures staring at me. A platinum blonde woman with a tight-fitting red dress stood up and walked over to me. Before reaching me, she sent a questioning look to the redhead, who returned a silent nod in confirmation before turning her attention back to me.

“I didn’t expect you to contact me directly for a meeting. Might this be some kind of parlay in hopes of a truce?” she said, jeering for a reaction.

the ones around the table laughed mockingly, while my focus remained entirely on the bodies on the table.

“Well, from the smell of him, he’ll be an absolutely delectable peace offering.” the vampire guard from earlier suggested behind me moving closer.

“Oh? So that’s what that sweet smell was, truly a wonderful aroma.” She replied, amazed and breathing in to taste the air, her eyes turning black but turning back to normal at the last minute.

“It’ll certainly be better than this riffraff.” She waved her hand in disgust at the bodies on the table.

I calmly turned and locked eyes with her as an impenetrable darkness fell on the room.

“Kill them all.” I heard a sick mockery of my own voice command as I let go.

***

A nearby tactical team of Custodes had joined Natasha outside. One approached her, holding out a tactical headset.

“Status?” Katya demanded, with a hard edge to her voice.

“T1 entered the Baroness Sicilia’s compound approximately ten minutes ago.” Natasha replied, her military experience and Custodes training becoming apparent as she armed herself and changed into tactical gear with trained proficiency.

“How could you let this happen Natasha.” Katya asked with a heavy groan.

“I had assumed you, of all people, would have attempted to discourage him from this sort of suicidal plan.” She continued.

“With all due respect, Ma’am. I didn’t lead him here, he led me. And I think we’ve severely underestimated his capabilities.” Natasha said as she picked up a submachine gun, loading it and racking the bolt before switching to full auto with practiced ease.

“I acknowledge the boy can handle himself, but we’re not talking about a couple of-” A surge of gunshots and yells sounded out from the mansion up ahead of them, interrupting Katya.

Natasha and her team flew into action, wasting no time scaling the walls and clearing the distance to the house in seconds.

Moving towards the back entrance used for kitchen staff and servants, they heard the yells turn into screaming. Every room with a window flashed with gunshots.

A large Custodes ran forward and kicked the door open like a battering ram, before moving back, two others moved forward to clear the entrance but stopped dead in their tracks. One of them nodded to the other, who responded by pulling out a flashlight, shining it through the opening. Natasha, baffled at what they were doing, broke formation and moved forward.

“What the hell are you doing?!” she hissed.

“It’s dark.” One of them stated matter-of-factly.

“So what?” Natasha asked, dumbfounded.

The man pointed the flashlight towards the doorway for her to see. The powerful tactical flashlight sent out a bright beam... for about 8 feet, before just stopping as it hit a roiling mass of black fog, obscuring half of the room completely.

The team all stood there for a moment just looking at it, but quickly came back to their training, taking positions of cover as they heard running and cursing coming from inside the darkness.

Seconds later, a woman in a gaudy red dress came tumbling through the darkness, landing in front of the doorway.

Natasha barely recognized the baroness Sicilia in her miserable state.

Her left arm was nothing but bloody strips of flesh, as if some massive beast had bitten down on her and she’d torn herself free to flee. A familiar glowing red brand was burned into the side of her face and scalp.

She stumbled to her knees and looked up, an expression of utter terror on her face. She had no trace of her famously arrogant disposition left. Only pain and horror were visible. The rune on her face lit up, searing her face as she let out a soul piercing scream.

“Found. You.” A merciless voice echoed out from inside the building, locking the team of Custodes and Natasha in place.

“Gleipnir,” the voice echoed in a drawn-out call that reverberated inside their heads.

A savagely spiked and edged chain slithered out of the darkness. When Sicilia saw the chain, her expression turning into horrified recognition as she tried to run away. But It sprang forth like a snake, wrapping itself around her leg and waist, cutting into her body, drawing black blood, before pulling her screaming back into the darkness.

The team stood there, shocked into silence.

“Let’s move to the front. It’s the furthest point from here and seemed clear when we scaled the wall.” A Custodes suggested receiving a few nods of agreement.

As they circled around the building to the front, the shooting had all but ceased.

When they arrived, they found the front door wide open, and the inside clear of the dark fog.

They took up a formation to cover the balconies above them in the luxurious foyer and carefully moved through the building.

Moving through the mansion, it didn’t take them long to find signs of fighting.

Lines of crossing gunfire marking the walls, black blood sprayed in great arcs... But no bodies.

As they slowly cleared the building, they eventually came upon the ruins of a spacious dining room. A massive table laid crushed in the middle of the room while deep claw marks covered the walls along with black blood and viscera as if a tornado of claws and teeth had ripped through the room.

A Thump behind them startled the group, who immediately leveled their weapons in the sound’s direction.

“Please don’t shoot!” the sobbing plea came from behind an ornate wooden shelf.

A woman with curly black hair and a blue streak running through it stepped out into the open. She had dark, unblemished skin and a nose ring, along with various piercings in her right ear.

“Raeni?” Natasha said, recognizing the young witch.

“Natty?” Raeni asked, hope in her voice and squinting in the darkness.

Natasha and Raeni had met each other before, after Raeni had run away from home at thirteen because of a dispute with her grandmother. Their coven originated from the Caribbean but had deep roots in the city and often lent out their talents for a price, though her grandmother, the head priestess, insisted on a strict neutrality.

“Raeni, what happened here?” Natasha asked softly, not wanting to spook the clearly frightened twenty-year-old.

“We have to leave, Nat. Right now, before they come back.” Raeni whispered urgently, looking around terrified.

“They?” Natasha repeated in askance.

Just as Raeni was about to answer, she quickly muttered something incompressible, sucked in a sharp breath and stood completely still, staring wide-eyed behind the group.

They all spun around and leveled their weapons towards the other end of the room. A pair of large sliding doors had opened, letting the dark fog slowly flow in and engulf the room. Small sparks of red lightning would occasionally light up unearthly shapes inside the fog like thunder.

The Custodes were about to open fire on the fog and make a run for it. When a pair of red eyes appeared in the opening, causing Raeni to let out a small, terrified squeak.

The fog stopped and drew back behind the figure, revealing Aleks.

“Natasha, I believe I told you to stay in the car.” Aleks said, his voice dark and twisted.

Natasha just stood there for a moment trying to make sense of the image of the well-mannered and polite man who’d saved her niece, with the eldritch-like terror in front of her now.

“I’ve never been that good at listening. I’ve told you that.” Natasha tried to force bravado into her tone, but her unease still crept into her voice.

Another small squeak came out of Raeni.

“Is that the little mouse I hear? Quite clever, this one, cloaking herself.” Aleks said looking around with wide unfocused eyes almost as if-.

“- He can’t see in the dark?” Natasha thought. One of the Custodes raised his rifle and aimed at Aleks, likely coming to the same conclusion, but the moment he did so a dark obsidian spike flew from the darkness behind Aleks, stopping barely an inch from the Custode’s eye.

The roiling darkness became a churning mass of activity. Unnatural snarls, growls and roars thundered out and a veritable flood of brutal bloodlust hit the team of Sentire.

“ENOUGH.” Aleks roared, silencing whatever hid inside the dark fog.

“Natasha, please tell them not to do whatever they just did, again.” he said between staggered breaths swaying slightly.

Natasha put a hand on the barrel of the Custodes, lowering it, and the spike turned to smoke and returned to the larger mass in front of them.

“He looks exhausted, and he’s injured.” Natasha thought as she noticed Aleks was clearly trying not to put any weight on his left foot and his left arm hung limply at his side.

“Aleks, this is an old friend of mine, Raeni.” Natasha said carefully.

“Your old friend was employed by these-” He gritted his teeth and reached back, gripping a body from the darkness by the neck and waved it around like a piece of trash. “- Things. ”

Natasha looked at Raeni, who shook her head.

“She says she wasn’t.” Natasha stated.

“And you vouch for her?” He asked gravely.

Natasha was about to say yes, but remembered something Katya once told her after rejecting an heirless clan that had wanted to join them as a branch member.

“If you vouch for someone, you will shoulder their crimes as if they were your own, be careful with this.” Katya had said.

Natasha turned back to Raeni.

“Raeni, what were you doing here?” Asked the scared witch, who was looking quite blue in the face from holding her breath. She finally opened her mouth and gasped for air.

The shadowy things behind Aleks all seemed to notice Raeni for the first time and focused on her position.

“There you are.” Aleks said, holding up his right hand to stop the advancing shadows.

“Iwasonlyheretooverseeacontractsigningbetweencourtsasatruthsayer!” she exclaimed in one long breath, wide eyed.

Aleks grimaced.

“Uhm... What?” he said, tilting his head to the side, frowning slightly.

“They hired her to be a truth Sayer between two courts signing a contract. Her people are often hired for such things.” Natasha said with a slight smile, seeing more of the man than the monster now.

“Huh, you guys got like business cards and stuff?” he asked rhetorically, lost in thought at the idea.

Raeni had taken this as a literal request and quickly produced a business card, holding it out with both hands, shivering.

“I don’t think he can see in the dark, Raeni.” Natasha said, taking out a flashlight and shining it at the ceiling, causing Aleks to flinch and squint as his eyes adjusted, but when they did, they widened a little in surprise.

He hobbled forward and waved the shadows back when they tried to follow him like worried pets... Void dwelling eldritch horror pets.

When he reached Raeni, he towered over her five-foot frame. It looked like she thought he might decide to eat her, but he just gently took the card and examined it curiously before saying.

“Neat.”