The group were the toast of the town, for a few hours. An attack by sorcerers had been averted from inside the walls. Most of the sorcerers had escaped but each time they encountered them they would kill more of them. They had already killed several members of a circle that had been in existence for over two hundred years they could well end up ending it. They ate there breakfast quickly. They avoided their usual tinkering reading and training they had business at the merchant’s guild.

The trade commissioner Gilda Jendryng had a deal to complete. Once her client approved their commission, she would be instructed with an order nearly five times the size. David had been full of anticipation, they met in a private room. He had received the runner at the breakfast table to confirm that his order had been completed. Smiths and mage enchanters had been working on it throughout the night to finish it off.

It was a thing of radiant beauty quite a bit heavier than steel. His mithril shield finally completed. It had a defensive rating of 300 nearly three times stronger than the Damascus he had been using. That was boosted by the impact absorption enchantment that reduced incoming physical damage by 55 points of force. It boosted his entire body and equipment with a natural armour of 40 points. There was a 10-point agility boost that made him able to move far more easily. Perhaps he should have chosen a dexterity boost but all the dexterity in the world would not help him if he could not close in on an opponent.

The shield was curved with horizontal bracing and a heavy boss most impacts would slide off. The edge of the shield had a reinforcing band that made any blow powerful enough to cut through it with say an octium or better weapon halt the blows progress. The top edge was a highly polished mirror to the point where he could see the reflection of something behind him. The bottom of the shield had two blunt spikes to dig into the ground. Allowing him to drop down and quickly brace against an oncoming impact he could not have otherwise resisted.

He silently nodded Vivian checked it over with her golem eye, looking for the smallest flaw or imperfection front back around the edge. Martin was next he poured focus into his monocle he had a modicum of experience with iron and steel. He could still appreciate the exquisite craftsmanship. finally, Alice reached out with her magical senses, she nodded. “no flaws” “no imperfections” “the enchantments are precisely … what was requested”. David handed over his old shield he grinned ear to ear as he picked up the new shield and started to block and move around with it, “a little heavier it will take me a bit of time to get used to the extra weight and the extra agility”.

Vivian put pen to paper signing a deal with the trade commissioner. She thanked them handed a note to Vivian. “One of my agents will help you with the duchess task, met them hear after you see the bishop”. She left one of her subordinates to complete going over all the minutia. Alice was ordering a set of splint bracers made from mithril with her existing leather bracers used as a backing. They would be enchanted between the pair of them with 10 points of impact reduction and grant a bonus rating of + 40 armour. Not many mages seriously went into armour, but Alice had embraced the mercenary preference for layers of defence, both with spells and physical barriers.

She had the same deal with her greaves a combined enchantment of 15 points of impact reduction and a defensive rating of 60 armour the arm and leg protection would cost her a total of 200 silver coin. To protect her face, she had a light metal cap, combined with her mithril mask. But she wanted more. Her current cap would be a very small piece of the exchange for a new custom made mithril cap, it would have a rating of 30 armour very good for something she would hide under a hat. It would boost her protection with an enchantment adding 10 natural armour to her body. It would set her back a further 200 silver, but there was a lot more work involved than her limb defences.

Her ring-mail vest was the most she could comfortably carry; she would not be able to stand under a full hauberk. But she could commission an upgrade a ring-mail mithril vest of ruinous defence. It would boost her defence by 50 points to necromantic and infernal magic they were expensive spells but they had tangled with enough necromancers and sorcerers to make her quite weary the 60 armour rating would be very good but it would cost her 600 silver and she would have to wait 1 week for the delivery, she was confident about the expense.

Vivian had gone over her own equipment she needed to prioritise attack not defence. She had commissioned a new bow string. A mithril adamantium alloy string would be far less likely to break the smith assured her it would add around 25 points of damage to her bow. It was an expensive item at 250 silver but modifying and repairing high end armour and equipment was never cheap and she would keep the spare string for an emergency replacement or an impromptu garotte.

It was not the only upgrade to her bow; she had commissioned an addition to the limbs. Reinforced octium springs would fit over the current mithril. They would be enchanted with a bonus of 20 durability making the entire bow much harder to damage. They should add an additional 100 damage to the bows attack rating. It was expensive at 450 silver but commissioning the construction of an entirely new bow seemed to be a huge unnecessary expense she was not prepared to undertake, and she had grown attached to her precious.

She had ordered what was referred to as alchemist arrows, glass vials mounted on the end of an arrow shaft, with a concentrated surprise inside. She had ordered 5 black inky fog arrow that cost her 15-silver total. They would detonate into a cloud of black fog good to disorientate an enemy or covering a retreat, an expensive versatile tool. She had also ordered 5 positions yellow gas known as a mustard arrows or yellow murder, they cost her 25 silver and were best used against tightly packed organic opponents good for removing a swarm of enemy's.

She had 5 knock out arrow of Morpheus, they would be good against single targets or a few close together. At 20 silver they were a gamble on their usefulness, if they needed to capture someone alive. Everything she had ordered would be on a timescale of four days delivery.

David was the single most expensive member of the team. But then he was the primary front-line fighter. Mithril plate was a massive expense at 3000 silver. But that was not just the cost of the plate it would be reinforced with octium banding on the inside, to give it a 30-point magical resistance. across the set of armour, it was on a two-week delivery timescale.

A good part of that timescale was the enchanting he had requested. Fire resistance equalling 60 points would be added on the greaves. That might have well stemmed from when Alice let off a fire ball a bit too close for comfort when there was a bat flying next to him. He was going to get a vitality enchantment adding 40 points of extra health on the chest armour. 20 points on the front plate and 20 points on the back it was just generally useful.

On the same general idea, he was going to have 5 points of endurance enchanted onto each of the two pauldrons. He had a similar philosophy with 5 points of agility on each of the pair of boots.

He had the helmet boosted with 2 points of intelligence and 2 points of wisdom. A calm head in battle would be good and it might help him think his way around the odds on the card table. He wondered if it really counted as cheating, perhaps he should have asked for perception as well on the helmet.

With the gauntlets he would have the left one enchanted with sure grip and the right one with true strike. It meant that when he was up to his waste in mud if it ever came to it. He would not be fumbling around for his weapon or his shield, in theory. The total cost of all this was 4760 silver they made a payment of 2380 silver there and then for the deposit. The rest was left with a trustworthy neutral party, in this case the master vampire hunter Francis. It would be released on satisfactory delivery of the rest of their order.

Polished Damascus steel had a certain lustre to it. But David's mithril tower shield was far more impressive, it showed that he was successful it was ridiculously shiny and very difficult to tarnish. The group didn't have a subtle bone in their body's. Though it was mostly pointless to try and sneak up on a creature with as much perception as a vampire. Or a lich that could put spell wards out, still there were a few that could do it.

David was sure he would blink, and two weeks would pass. They would customise the armour set altering it to fit him and enchant it. With all the other bits it was a steep price. But he held in his hand proof that they could deliver. So, they had agreed to half up front half on delivery. It protected the merchant’s guild and them. One payment held by merchant’s guild second held at hunter’s house in trust, any dispute and the duchess or bishop could mediate.

They returned to the Bishop; he greeted the group in his private garden. “My children it is good to see you I have been thinking about a reward. Your previous encounter with Bismark got me thinking. In my possession I have 3 crystal vials of sanctified holy balm. It will temporarily weaken a stronger vampire, it is taken from the holy mountain summit spring. It is blessed by the patriarch himself Issac Gabriel. I assure you it’s a lot more potent than regular holy water”.

“There is blessed salt particles of blessed silver and a thin layer of holy oil added into the consecrated mix. You need to shake the vial thoroughly before use to achieve the maximum potency. A vampire like Bismark would certainly regret fighting you. When you do get strong enough to face him it will even your chances”.

The vials were blessed with an enhancement to their strength. They would be particularly hard to shatter, there was a red waxed stopper sealed with the patriarch's mark the scroll and mountain. The mixture of sacred items glowed slightly with a radiant white light. The bishop handed one to Martin one to Vivian and one to David. He stopped at Alice, “I know such an item can interfere with your magic so I for you I have a master tonic of speed. It grants a bonus of plus 30 dexterity and 30 agility for 5 mins. Mages are not known for their speed it will allow you to surprise and opponent, I take some personal pride in this concoction, as some of the ingredients came from my little garden hear”.

Vivian saluted the bishop, “thank you your holiness this gift will put us one step closer to putting Bismark in his grave, a second and final time”. Martin bowed, “touched by the hand of the patriarch himself. I am truly honoured it will be put to good use”. David looked over sanctified balm, “I will make a generous donation to the church orphan fund when I kill Bismark and we collect the reward. I was a kid in such a place, they needed all the funds that could be found”. Alice curtsied, “you are thoughtful I will use this …to turn the tables on some evil, mark my words”. They left the bishop to his duties and headed off to their next meeting.

They went to the spot that the trade commissioner had indicated. Vivian and Martin started to scan the area there was no one apparent. The spot seemed to be deserted perhaps the trade commissioner’s agent was late. Martin felt a nagging tug from his monocle Vivian felt something to form her golem eye there was something off. David and Alice couldn't see anything or feel anything, but they trusted the instincts of their team.

Vivian grinned as her eye scanned the shadows around the area, she turned to Martin, “as you know each of the big nine cities has at least one exalted master charged with their defence. The capital getting significantly more”. Martin looked over at the shadow and nodded, “I wonder where the defender of this city is”? The shadows shimmered and a woman in a hood stepped nonchalantly out of nowhere, “Right behind you”. Various weapons were pointed in her direction she had nothing in her hands.

David let a little surprise slip out, “how who?”. She grinned a cheeky carefree grin, “my name is Agatha Seymour I am called the ghost, you are the four masters yes”. Vivian nodded, “you show us your identification and we will do the same”. The agents held out their paperwork, scrutinized each other and a whole lot of weapons were sheathed.

Vivian looked her over critically, “please tell us more”. “I am an exalted master assassin working for the esteemed merchant’s guild”. David was quizzical, “if you’re the ranking defender of this town why haven't we seen you before”. Her answer was sharp, “I was at the celebratory diner in the lime green dress next to the trade commissioner, when we celebrated the death of the prince”. David looked embarrassed having difficulty placing her. She elaborated further, “I have been chasing all over the area fighting fires”. She allowed a look of exhaustion to show on her face then it was gone. “A vampire agent hear, a group of bandits there. It all adds up we nearly met at lighthouse hill. I was sent as back up from the initial report, I got a couple of stragglers no more”.

David pointed out the bleeding obvious, “you have a supreme skill”? Alice looked over at him her mask hiding a look of disbelief, “obviously …some form of invisibility”. The ghosts tone filled with mock superiority, “I would not reveal such a secret to anyone”. Martin shook her hand, “we are not anyone my supreme is a touch-based strike that dose several thousand damage, now you know my secret I must..”. The ghost pulled her hand back nervously, then realised Martin was joking with her.

She nodded, “if we work together, I have a supreme technique called chameleon. Its technically a martial art”. Vivian was curious, “what's a chameleon”? The ghost gestured an animal perhaps the size of a normal rat, “a beast from the southern lands, perhaps a blood alchemists little jest. They can hide themselves quite well my ability is similar”. Alice was analytical, “I make the assumption that you can use … it several times in one day and you need some shadows, otherwise you wouldn't have revealed yourself …to us”.

She gave the barest hint of a nod, “I suppose that this is a logical deduction on your part”. David tried to get a sense of her, “how long have you been this city's defender”. Another weary look flashed across her eyes, “three years now”. “Had much trouble with the sorcerers, they are our current objective” Vivian asked her. “They are dangerous prey, it’s hard to isolate them, they have summoned eyes and ears that are a lot harder to deal with than the sorcerers themselves”, Agatha gave a concise appraisal. Martin agreed with her assessment, “yes in our last encounter with them we only killed a few, there demons protected them. Summoned demons can come back, as long as the sorcerer survives”.

Vivian thought about their other main problem, “Have you had any trouble with the hidden hand”? “Recently they have been really aggressive, I have killed a dozen of them over two encounters, but there's something off”. Alice shared a knowing look, “yes we …uncovered one of their faces twice”. The assassin was curious, “what do you mean twice”?

They were pretty sure that they had someone who would believe them. A few nods and Alice continued, “we have killed the same man again and again. The …hidden hand don't have a vast army; they just seem to keep coming …back.” Agatha nodded, “magic, that would follow my own observations. They are known for getting the job done regardless of their lives. But that sort of fanaticism in a gang, hard to spend coin when your dead, it would explain an awful lot”.

David had his own theory's, “they try to avoid death don't get me wrong”. He paused for emphasis, “but the look in their eyes when I killed them. It was more akin to a gambler who lost a lot of money, they are not dead, but their pockets are lighter”. Understanding flashed across Agatha's face, “you think, they have found some expensive way to cheat death”, “that's my conclusion”.

Vivian pointed to her own armour, “We are still fairly poorly equipped for our level, what do you carry, I am sure the trade guild provides the finest”. Flattered the assassin showed off her arsenal under her cloak, two short swords or large daggers appeared in her hands. They were of the same general dimensions and design, but one was razor thin and the second was far heavier, “these were custom enchanted from a pair of daggers I confiscated from a captain of the red blades of Saul. One octium blade for piercing magic one adamantine blade for piercing armour,”.

She made the blades dance in her hands becoming a blur, “the set is called the final promises, I went with poison and a mana syphon”. Alice looked nervous at that, “why a mana …syphon”? her voice was deathly serious. “Mostly for the sorcerers to stop them getting off one last spell. A summoned spell casting demon is no joke either”. The daggers disappeared just as quickly, “What else do you have”? the hunter politely enquired. “Smoke bombs, steel throwing knives if I lose them it’s not the end of the world. Baggy clothing with light leather armour enchanted with a bit of durability. I will never be able to take a strong target head on. But I can wear them down form one ambush to the next”.

They explained their various abilities and armaments to her. The ghost briefed them, “Gilda wants what the duchess wants, I have been assigned to help you tackle those two remaining tasks. As you and a few others have trimmed down the local threats my workload is less. Good work with the lich I could never get into the bitch’s fortress”.

Alice regarded her more closely, “anything to counter …magic”? “Oh, the usual octium to disrupt magic. I even have a set of advanced octium lock picks for dealing with magically locked chests”. Martin considered his own paltry tools, “I didn't even realise that was a thing”. A roll of flashy complex mechanical tools appeared in her hand, then disappeared back into her clothing, “oh yes thieves guilds keep that sort of thing well hidden, you might have gone past a few safes and not even realised”.

As a vampire hunter Martin had considerations, “what do you have to deal with the bodies, especially if we target the undead to stop them being raised again. We have a flask of oil and a tinder box”. She held out a long slim silver tube, “a flask of alchemists fire, a few drops does the job and far smaller to carry about”. Martin nodded his approval, in a show of respect.

Vivian looked at the assassin, she wanted to know just where she stood. “Ok so you’re working with us now. I assume you know the secret to the crossing of the long sea”. Ghost nodded cautiously “that certain ingredients are needed to pacify a leviathan. So that it can lead the convoy yes”. They were on the same page; Vivian was willing to follow for now. “You’re the local what is the next step in investigating these thefts”. Ghost started to lead the way, “the mushrooms were held in a cold dry place, a warehouse away from the salt spray, we have a look there we question people. When their answers don't make sense, we ask more questions, and so on”.

They had a short journey to arrive at large warehouse. There were some people on the gate a mercenary company that carried large two handed single bladed axes and wore blue, they were probably a small company. They moved out of the way of ghost, David gave her a questioning look “they know me, I am the trade commissioners right hand”. The mercenaries let them in opening the inner gate after they touched a holy symbol on the wall. David looks around crates were everywhere, “how did they find anything in this lot its massive”. He looked around further not sure of what system was used to catalogue the random chaos, “The mushrooms might still be hear just misplaced”.

Some sort of quarter master behind a ledger gave him a withering look. Vivian was more practical her eyes scanned all over the place and her mind ran, “Alice if it was the sorcerers again can you sense any magic”? Alice started to move through the warehouse, “can’t sense …anything but I can keep trying”. Martin held out his holy symbol and started to look for signs of the same, trying to sense anything that would cause a reaction.

The quartermaster, a high-level scribe pointed ghost in a specific direction. David started to move crates for her as she had a sneaking suspicion that the goods might have been boxed up inside something else to hide them in plane site. It was a tactic the hidden hand had used before when they were being more subtle. Vivian talked to the captain of the guards; they were new just into town the Housecarls. They would not have had time to form an agreement with the local’s thieves for any stolen goods.

Vivian learnt that the guards had been swapped with a dock guard at the last minute to increase security. Vivian started to concentrate on the dock and warehouse workers. They were the locals they had connections and with what they were being paid had little loyalty. Her golem eye focused on some stains. She walked over to Ghost pointing out a barely sober man with a hand cart. “If people thought that these were dye mushrooms not hallucinogenic ones, why has that guy got blue stains on his jaw”?

They approached the man showing him their identification, Vivian pointed at the stains in his beard. “Some valuable mushrooms disappeared blue ones, don't tell me you ate 20 boxes of them”? His eyes were unfocused, “someone from night shift bet me I wouldn't eat one, I won five bronze pennies’”. Vivian looked over his eyes not drunk, “you guessed it was not from the regular mushrooms used for dye, but some different one’s right”? The man swayed and nodded.

David looked round the warehouse, “who found the crated missing”? One of the workers put down a crate, “I did”. It was easier answering questions than carting boxes about. David looked at the group of workers gathering around them, “who was killed or assaulted”? The man swaying to the charm of hallucinogenic fungi chimed in, “no one”. Vivian took ghost to one side, “the sorcerers used knock out magic to make it quiet and the hidden hand made it a blood bath to send a message”? Ghost had seen this before, “the hidden hand could change tactics they could be quiet, if it hides something”. Vivian looked about the lack of evidence was evidence of a sort, “this was stealthy I think it’s an inside job nothing is broken”.

The ghost checked out the locks on the doors, “nothing picked or jimmied”. Alice ran her hands over them “no …magic”. Vivian inhaled, and walked over to the mushroom addled worker, she looked him in the eye. “All my senses are sharpened,” she pulled several items out of his jacket, “what this blue moon and fools’ green ink”. The man shrugged at the drugs, “so I get a fine and some lashes or I few weeks repairing the harbour wall, … I am so terribly sorry I did drugs”.

Martin held his holy symbol to the man's head, “purify” he looked like he had just woken up, “feeling a bit sober now”? Martin made the sign of a blessing “thy will be done”, insight pushed him to this man, he knew more. He flashed a look to Alice and the rest a little rehearsed played out. Martin had a steel dagger in each hand they came down at the man. But at the last-minute Alice cast a shield spell around him to stop the blow. David and Vivian seized Martin holding him back. Vivian looked at the man, “talk, we can only hold him back for so long”.

The dock workers face turned white, “don't let go of the zealot, I admit working for the hidden hand, pointing them in the direction of stuff they might want to steal. I noticed the stuff after that little dare, there is a back door not so well guarded the hidden hand stole shipment”. The man was dragged off to the deputy sheriff he had little useful info. He would do hard duty for several years, repairing the sea wall, and scrubbing the leviathan not the worst fate but not pleasant.

A sniffer dog was used to track the shipment, someone had dropped an aniseed bomb covering the sent and the trail. They had one other lead to work with, something affecting the merchant’s guild alchemists preventing them from producing chemicals. Martin would bet shipments of something else had been stolen.

A few polite enquires at the merchant’s guild about trouble with the delivery for the chemicals for the duchess delivered them to the workshop of one alchemist Thomasyn Adamson. They were slow to respond and eventually reported that some of his larger equipment had been stolen from the middle of the guild. He didn't have the best locks on his workshop and now he was in quite a predicament, with the trade commissioner and duchess asking difficult questions.

One of the night cleaners had ended up missing at exactly the same time, it was suspicious. People had emergency's they got ill they found better jobs, but it was to coincidental. Thomsayn confirmed that without that equipment they could only make small quantities of the chemicals the duchess needed. Something that they were doing 24-7 now to trying and failing to keep up with demand.

They searched through a number of the cleaners’ possessions. David lifted up a massive dresser to look behind it casually showing off his strength. His deductions or dumb luck showed a set of cleaner’s clothes screwed up. A cut hole in the back, someone else had used it as a disguise to walk in and walk out taking the equipment hidden with the rubbish. They had changed and left.

A more thorough search by the guild found a grisly discovery, a few bones at the bottom of tank of corrosive chemicals, probably the cleaner’s body. Martin pulled of his jacket several bits of armour. He gritted his teeth and made the sign of a blessing reaching into the burning chemical and pulled out the poor man's remains. He used his divine favour blessing to restore his hand. A few more hours and there would not have been a body to perform last rights upon.

The ghost looked over the cloth and bones, “it was probably the hidden hand, its unlikely to have been another gang and a shape changing demon would not have gotten past the holy symbol on the front door”. The resident mage was in agreement, “that equipment can’t be …used for any sorcery”. Ghost nodded, “it can be used for the drugs trade. They try and control shipping in the short run by controlling the drugs its reliant on”.

The ghost proved her worth with her local knowledge. The warehouse worker might have only had a rough idea where the crates were taken. She soon found a dealer who worked that area. Perhaps informant was too strong a word. She was willing to point them in the right direction. A small person who saw an opportunity to grow larger, if ghost removed the hidden hand. They found the gangs next hide out; they were in the process of setting up an alchemical factory. The equipment that they had stolen, the crates of mushrooms some other items. The building was in a poor condition, but it had roof and four walls all they really needed.

Ghost removed two sentries then they burst in. It would be a fight a good battle against the same gang and captain again. Ghost sighed, “I suppose you won’t surrender”. The first blade mocked them, “the hidden hand will not die, our grip is eternal”. There were several cages about the place twelve hidden hand rogues. They had pets from a tamer, two salamander two basilisks and six large trained war hounds. The first blade who was rapidly retreating behind his minions. Alice created an earthen wall spell for Vivian to fire from, then she covered herself with defensive shields.

This was the ghost’s kind of fight she hit one of the massive hounds with some sort of chemical smoke bomb stunning the animal. She slit its throat using its massive corpse as a shield avoiding a barrage of knives bolts and a basilisk’s poisonous breath. David charged straight at the first basilisk blocking its attack with his shield he pierced its neck with a precise strike. Angling its head away with his shield he pushed deeper until it went limp and collapsed.

Vivian fired off a barrage of iron broad-heads at two crossbow wielding rogues, they were behind wooden boxes it was nowhere near as much cover as they needed between them and Vivian's arrows. The salamander’s flames licked against Alice's shield spell. A fire ball would not be effective but her acid strike spell that got them twisting about. One was dead after a few hits to the skull the second was wounded and out of the fight. Martin chewed through the bulk of the hounds his Tesla grenades stunned them and his four barrelled pistol finished them off leaving one straggler.

The ghost had used her supreme skill to disappear in the middle of the fight. She reappeared and two rogues fell to the ground dead impaled from behind with her blades. Alice targeted the last basilisk with a couple of fire balls it was resistant to poison and acid but not that. Animalistic howls of agony filled the room as it died. David charged over to the hidden hand, they had space they would not let him bunch them up. They were also more cautious about jumping out of his way to get caught by Vivian's arrows.

The rouges dodged Vivian's arrows in one direction and David's sword swings, they still ended up bunched up enough. Martin used his blessing “pillar of ice”, the storm of freezing death caught four of the remaining rouges in its swirling mass.

Ghost faced off against two of the remaining rouges, a fan of thrown knives hit one in the leg they slowed down and fell to ghosts’ blades. The second retreated ghost dodged a poisonous blade blocked a second then brought the other rogue down. Alice and David focused on the remaining two she used him as back stop she cast a poison gas cloud spell. When the rouges stumbled out of the toxic cloud David finished them off.

Vivian was surprised as the last hound jumped up and clamped onto her arm calmly, she dropped her bow pulled her mace from her belt and delivered one solid blow that caved the mutts head in. The first blade the leader of the hidden hand had been looking for an opportunity, he had disengaged from the fight. The hidden hand used a certain strategy when facing formidable opponents like the four masters. His blade sank into Vivian's neck between the gap in her neck guard and hauberk. It was a small spot, but it was all that was needed. She collapsed backwards clutching her neck her life blood flowing out. The first blade licked his knife and sneered, “one down”.

Martin was right next to him. Rage filled Martin's face his right hand blurred into a strike four fingers and thumb extended as points the rouge tried to pull back, but the attack hit him. The 1st blade felt agony unlike he had ever experienced before, his body vibrated as if there was a tornado inside his head. His flesh and veins were overwhelmed with poison and corrosion simultaneously

. Holy light filled him he was judged and condemned; his body exploded with an internal force ripping apart what was left rapidly transitioned into a fine dark red cloud.

That was Martins supreme skill in effect, it was overkill against a human rouge like that. His jubilation at finally having a use for it was significantly dented with the circumstances. David was filed with an overwhelming wave of grief and shock. His shield clatterer to the ground and he barely managed to sheath his sword. He rushed over panicking looking at her lifeless body, “fuck what do I ...”. Martin pulled supplies form inside his cost, moving David back with a gesture, “keep out of the way”.

David reached for the healing potion on his belt, it was his first coherent instinct. Vivian was not breathing Alice used her most powerful restorative spell aura of healing. Then her cure poison spell, everything else the hidden hand used was poisoned in some way or another. Martin focused on his task pulling Vivian's neck guard and scarf away. The first blades body was already disappearing leaving just Vivian's blood pooling out.

Alice cast her healing spell again Martin had needle and thread on the wound stitching it shut stopping the flow of blood. His hands blurred forcing compressions to Vivian's rib cage. He didn't have time to remove the hauberk he just had to make do. He tilted her head back so that the airway was clear, the medical knowledge was in there, he just needed to apply it.

Martin added his own brand of healing “Divine favour”, then he focused on his resuscitation technique. He reached for his blessings “divine favour”. David pulled off his helmet he could see the healing blessings and magic that Vivian and Martin were pumping into her had no effect. Martin would keep going until her ran out of blessings and focus. He hit Vivian's chest so hard he swore he heard a crack. His efforts at resuscitation finally bore fruit, with a cough and a gasp a small spray of blood came out of Vivian's throat. Then with a slow laboured ragged breath she sucked air into her lungs.

A tear rolled down David's face he slapped Martin on the back and hugged Vivian. She gasped then punched him on the shoulder, her voice was horse, “Agh fuck, what hit my throat”. It took a second for the situation to sink in. “what the fuck” she croaked. Ghost looked over the room, “The entire battle was a distraction, so they could isolate and kill one person”. David looked to ghost, “we have to be more careful”. Alice used another healing spell on Vivian as she used David to stand back up. She breathed a sigh of relief “All of you thanks, the bastard found one weak spot. An extra chain mail neck guard should cover up the gap”.

Ghost looked over all the blood, “take it from me Vivian a wound like that. You suffered a lot of blood loss, magic won’t replace the blood your body needs a few days to make it, your high level so it’s not so long to recover. But don't expect to be at your peak, even with every healing spell they used on you”. Vivian looked at her armour her brows furrowed, “that's going to be a bastard to clean”. David grinned, “I don't mind helping you”, she hugged him back in thanks. David noticed some shallow breathing in the corner of the room, he drew his sword and finished off the wounded salamander.

The level up hit Alice reached level 88 gaining the improved version of her mage armour spell. Vivian reached level 87 gaining rank six of the knock down ability. David hit level 84 gaining the 4th rank of the battle brother skill. Nether ghost or Martin levelled up already being at level 100. though it got Martin thinking if he could find and defeat something else over level 100, could a human go further he was willing to try.

Ghost looked round the group at the dead animals, “well that was something new, at least they are trying to find a week spot hitting back. It means we are getting to them”. Vivian angrily croaked at her, “don't be so blasé, they got fucking close”. Ghost dismissed her near-death experience, “they didn’t, and you learnt, next time will they get even a small advantage or will you be ready?” Vivian was silent, Ghost could see the answer in the fierce determination in Vivian's eyes.

The city guard and the deputy sheriff arrived soon afterwards. The merchant’s guild turned one corner of the room into an impromptu abattoir. The basilisks and salamanders were cut up for alchemical ingredients and materials that were fireproof and highly resistant to poison. The dogs were skinned for their hides, the rest of them becoming culinary delights in the poorer parts of town.

Ghost did find a hidden safe her special lock picks defeated it easily. There was a crude map and directions, a lead on a possible sorcerer’s camp. Ghost reviewed the papers, “it could be a trap, or they just want to point us in the direction of someone else to give themselves a break. But then alternatively they need crystallised mana, if they wanted to produce that drugs. If the sorcerers had some enchanters amongst them that would have done the trick”. Vivian looked at the papers, “they are trying to form a tacit alliance, as they are the only major players left”.

The ghost also found some correspondence from someone called the shade. Titled as the second crime lord, did that make them the second in command off the hidden hand or simply was the hidden hand the second most powerful member of an alliance of criminal syndicates. It would be worrying if they were that organised. The letter spoke about securing a stake of the future by any means necessary. This shade their leader must be giving orders related to the trade convoys, they were the biggest deal to come through North port in a very long time.

Twenty minutes after they started to digest the implications of the letters several carts arrived from the merchant’s guild. Identification were presented they signed for the items and collected the crates. Vary carefully they loaded up the alchemy equipment, they would soon have it back inside the guild alchemy workshop. The mushrooms would soon be processed. Just to be on the safe side they accompanied the group of guard’s mercenary's and trade guild staff back.

With a deep sigh of relief, the carts moved into the guild. Vivian took the opportunity to correct one over-site. She looked through the regular armoury, she found a good quality steel chain-mail neck guard paying 25 silver for the privilege. That little gap in her armour was gone, even if she would be croaking for a little bit while her throat healed.

They returned to the duchess residence and saw her steward. The group collected the reward of 500 silver for sorting out the situation with the supply of drugs. The four masters kept 400 from the reward and ghost took her share of 100 silver. They had a brief meal and were then summoned to the duchess presence.

A brief round of curtseys and other formalities and the duchess began in earnest, “Ghost I see Gilda wanted this matter dealt with. You all have my thanks for dealing with this quickly. You have thwarted the hidden hand again. Though I understand from the guards report they are becoming more creative. A dozen tamed monsters with them this time, I am starting to wonder if the sorcerers and hidden hand have some sort of informal alliance an agreement to work together”?

“That may very well be the case, I found a hidden safe with some evidence of a sorcerers camp. It might be a trap, or some deal they were planning, the sorcerers could have provided them with crystallised mana, one of the other main ingredients in blue moon dust. They are effectively the only two main players left in this area. It would make sense for them to work together”. “yes, I see your point, it would be effective to eliminate one of the groups then the other”.

The duchess thought for a bit, “with the hidden hand we seem to have only ever found small temporary bases. I refuse to believe that they don't have something more substantial in or around the city, or on a ship or something nearby”. Vivian spoke up a croak in her voice, “we need a lead the hidden hand, they have remained hidden for a long time. They will slip up as long as we keep the pressure up on them, eliminating their last ally will be easier than starting to dig through the entire city for their base”. The duchess nodded, “the sorcerers did try to summon an overlord inside my city, eliminating them first might be the most prudent thing we can do”.

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