“Mith-Fell is an amazing city and the center of life for an entire region. Cultural centers like that are bound to have all kinds of issues. I just could not imagine what the city was really involved in.” – Toren Eringer

Brixon had no memory of the ambush. Once he was knocked out during the initial fight, he remained asleep until the following morning.

“I can’t believe it! We were assaulted, almost killed, and I stayed asleep through it all!”

“Well, you did have quite a bit to drink. I also may have… uh… dropped you on your head at one point.”

The halfling put a hand gingerly upon his temple, wincing, “Oh so it’s your fault my head hurts! Ha!”

“Any idea who could have done this? I can only assume it has something to do with me, unless this is a regular occurrence for you here in Mith-Fell?”

“Highly unusual. Nothing like this has happened to me outside of our service. I don’t go around looking for fights or anything, look at me!” The smaller man was pacing back and forth, deep in thought. “I have some contacts that may have answers. I suggest you stay here for a bit, while I ask around.”

“Fine with me, I still have some recuperating to do.”

“Ok, that should work. I’ll come back here as soon as I have some answers.”

“Stay out of trouble and watch your back. Make note of anyone suspicious seemingly following you, alright?”

“Yeah, yeah, of course. They may have gotten the jump on me whilst I was inebriated, but no one is as perceptive as me while I am sober!”

From personal experience, Eringer knew that was not true. Brixon could, however, do some impressive magic when he wanted to, so the human was not too worried about him.

“Well, I take my leave then. I’ll see you within a day or two!” Brixon opened the door to the room, took a quick glance both ways, then left closing the door behind him.

Eringer washed up before lying back down, daydreaming. He decided to remain within the inn for the day, considering his condition and apparent notoriety.

He grabbed a meal downstairs at the tavern, along with a couple ales, before returning to bed. As he dozed off, he heard the distant sounds of people screaming.

The city below was loud. Cries of men, women, and children could be heard all around. Even at this height, some half mile above the city, the sound was annoying.

Folding his wings, he dove back down to return to the battle. Five heroes had shown up, determined to kill him. They were strong, but he was a dragon. Not just any dragon, an ancient one. One who had lived for thousands of years. They should fear him.

One of the heroes was running along building tops. It was fast. The fastest human he had ever seen. If it were running in an open field, it would outpace a dragon at full speed.

But it had to watch its footing, which made it an easy target.

Opening his mouth, the black dragon unleashed a line of acid aimed at the human. It tumbled forward, springing off its hands as it did a double front flip, avoiding his attack entirely. The building it was on was not so lucky. It began melting from the acid.

ROAR. These pesky heroes were irksome. They would pay for their insolence.

Another hero was before him, on the ground. It held up a sword, pointing at him. It was a beautiful sword. It glimmered a pale purple as he approached. He must have that treasure.

Eringer awoke startled. He held up the sword, which he kept in the scabbard with his hand on the hilt even when he slept. Are you trying to tell me something?

He got no response, but continued mulling over what he had seen.

-

It took over two days to recover, even with his healing abilities. Though Eringer knew the ribs were fully repaired, the pain lingered. He winced as he got off the bed to change.

Brixon had not been back, yet, nor had he sent any word. The human was starting to worry about his friend, resolving to go find him if he heard nothing by noon.

He stuck with his routine from the last few days, proceeding to the tavern downstairs for breakfast. So far, he did not see any unusual patrons since the incident. Either they did not tell anyone else, or they backed off, for now.

The man listened in on a conversation between two other humans nearby, but learned nothing new. Being holed up at the inn was beginning to wear on Eringer. Years of military service had given him discipline, but also an intense desire to know what was going on. He could wait, but that did not mean he enjoyed doing so.

Eringer…

He had not heard her since arriving in the city. “Yes?” he whispered.

Forgive me, I have been occupied.

“No problem.”

I believe there will be an attempt to take over Illiar from within. It will happen here, in the city.

“How do we stop it?”

Find out the plan before it is set in motion, if you can. If it already is, then you may have to stop it on your own.

“Is that possible?”

Yes. You are my champion.

A surge of pride flowed through Eringer as he sat there communicating with Kraelyn. I cannot wait for word, then. Without finishing his meal, he left a respectable tip as he ascended to his room to change into his gear. He grabbed a cloak to throw over to give him some concealment.

Since confined to the inn, he had not summoned Sam back to the Material Plane. He returned to the same spot in the park and brought her back once again.

Though it took a while in the morning traffic, the two made it back to the campus. Thanks to their night of frivolity, at least until they were attacked, Eringer had learned where his friend actually taught classes. Despite the “no weapons” policy, he swiftly made his way to Brixon’s office. Those that saw him seemed to pay no mind, as he was uninterrupted in his brief journey through the halls. The cloak was definitely helping.

The much smaller man was at his desk, and he rose up when the Captain walked in. “Oh, I wasn’t expecting you! Sorry I hadn’t gotten back to you, yet. I’ve been busy. Yes, very busy.” He walked around his desk to greet his guest.

The armored man stepped inside, closing the door before addressing Brixon. “So. Any word on what is going on?”

“Yes, in fact. Did you know there is no word on the street about the events that transpired two eves ago?”

“No. What does that mean?”

“It means, my tall friend, that the Guild is involved. There are few with the resources to so thoroughly squash any news of people being kidnapped and then the kidnappees killing their kidnappers! My money was on the Guild, and some digging confirmed that a few hours ago. I would have told you in person later today.”

“Alright. Judging by your smirk, I would guess you have more information, correct?”

“Yessir! Two names, Coughlin and Sherrill. I don’t know either personally, as they came after my time, but I’ve heard of them. They are the ones that cleaned up the scene, according to my source. That should mean they know something you could use.”

“Just me? What about you?”

“Well, I was hoping to stay out of this, to be honest. I quite enjoy my current life, you know, and have no intention of blowing that. I’m sorry, my friend. I can continue informing you on anything I hear, though.”

Eringer held up a hand in assurance. “I understand, Brixon. Thank you for the help. Do you have an address for either of those two?”

“Who do you think you are dealing with here!? Of course I do!” Brixon swiveled all the way around on the balls of his feet, snatching up a note on his desk as he did so. “Here you go.” He handed the addresses over.

“Did you see anyone unusual around since I last saw you?”

“Unfortunately no. That doesn’t mean they weren’t around, but there are just so many new faces on campus every day. Could easily have been observing me at some point without my knowledge. I don’t think anyone has magically spied on me, though. I have defenses against that here and in my classroom.”

Eringer should have suspected that, knowing Brixon and his past. “That makes sense. Thank you for the information. Let me know if you need anything, or if you see anyone unusual.”

“Of course, my friend! When this is all over, we need a night to make up for being attacked. I can’t have our last night of fun for a while be sullied by some low lifers!”

“I agree. For now, though, I would suggest laying low.”

“I was afraid you would say that… Very well. Though it’s against my nature, I will indeed lay low for a while.” The halfling embraced the larger man in a hug. “See you soon!”

“Thank you again, Brixon.” He returned the embrace before taking his leave.

“You’re welcome!”

-

Eringer saw no point in wasting time waiting around. The busy work life of everyone would help him blend in with the crowd, at least as much as a fully armored military captain in a cloak could.

He did see other active and retired military members around the street. Their appearance seemed common enough that most people would hopefully not look too close into his own activities.

He started with Coughlin, who was closer to the college. The address he was given was a shop, rather than a home. From down the street, he could tell it was attached to a larger shop as part of the same structure. There was a small alleyway, about wide enough for two average humans to walk shoulder to shoulder through on the other side. A sign hung perpendicular to the door, swaying slightly in the wind, which read Aberthal’s Apothecary.

Eringer passed the two story building, glancing through the window only briefly. Inside he saw many different vials of various liquids, which he could not determine upon a quick look. He saw a pair engaged in conversation, one in front of the counter and one behind.

He continued past the shop a block until he found a hitching post, where he tied Sam up utilizing the same slip-knot technique he had used previously. He chatted idly at the horse in an attempt to appear as casual as possible while he observed the apothecary.

After a few minutes, the human that was in front of the counter exited. Now that there was only one person inside, the veteran made his way to the door and entered.

“Be with you in a moment!” a pleasant voice called out from the back of the shop.

It was dimly lit, relying solely on natural light at the moment. Plenty of different vials lined the walls, with a large variety of colorful liquids. The shop was very reminiscent of Barrett’s back in the village a week prior.

“Oh, um, hi there,” a middle aged human had just come around the corner from the back.

“Hello, ma’am. My name is Toren Eringer, I was wondering if you had a minute to chat?” He carefully observed her reaction to see if she recognized his name. His military training covered some study on how people react and give information away via body language, but he really honed the skill once he was in a leadership role himself. His name definitely had meaning to her.

“A pleasure to meet you,” she bowed her head slightly in respect. “Kathy Aberthal, owner of this apothecary.”

“I was wondering if you happened to know someone by the name of Coughlin?”

“Yes, I do. He is an employee of mine, I suppose. A runner. Is he in some sort of trouble?”

“No, I should think not. Just heard he might be around and I had some questions for him. Do you have a time you expect him back?”

“He is off doing some errands for me at the moment, but he should be back in an hour or two. If you would rather wait somewhere, I can give him your information upon his return.”

“No, that will not be necessary. Does he have a standard time that he comes in on a typical day? Tomorrow, for instance?”

“Yes, he is usually here an hour after dawn.”

“I will try tomorrow at that time, then. Thank you, ma’am.” Eringer bowed his head in the same respectful manner she had earlier, then departed the shop. As he did so, he mentally communicated to Sam to watch the front door and to let him know when and who came and went. The armored man went to the alleyway, feigning leaving that direction as he did some reconnaissance on the shop.

There was a single door on the side of the building, with a small window near the top. As he reached the back alley, he found another door and a standard window to its side. He walked down the back alley, away from the shop to try and avoid being seen by the owner. Before he reached the main street, he stopped to watch the back of the apothecary. He knew he would be noticed back here should someone come up, but he would also get a good look at them.

Master, someone entered the shop. A human, I think.

Thank you, he thought back to Sam. Eringer moved toward the shop again, hugging the wall down the alley. From here, someone could only see him if they opened the back door or came around the corner.

He tried to listen for any noises coming from the shop, but the hustle of people moving on the streets was drowning out other sounds completely.

Another person walked in the front.

Eringer thought about what could be happening within the shop. Most likely it was just standard patrons, but he had a feeling there was something more at play. Keep watching, something may be going on.

After a few minutes, a human exited the back carrying a package with one arm, held against his body. He glanced toward Eringer, then immediately took off running the opposite direction.

At the same time, a female elf left out the front. Master, there is one leaving out the front.

Follow them!

The other male was faster than Eringer, but not by much, despite his armor. The real problem was he was much more nimble. They reached a main road within a few seconds of each other, but the other man was easily able to parse through the crowd.

The armored man pushed past people using his strength, though it was slow going. “MOVE!” he exclaimed, entwining some magic in the command. It had the desired effect, more or less. Most people nearby stopped moving hurriedly, instead parting before him.

It helped, but it only meant he could keep pace with his target as they made their way through the crowd in their own ways.

The other man had a cloak of his own on, with the hood now raised. The only decent look Eringer had of him was when he stepped out of the shop in the alley, but there were no features that had stood out. Fortunately, the hood was quite noticeable in the street, making him easy to follow.

Three blocks into the chase and the veteran was getting winded. Yelling for people to move and pushing through the crowd was difficult in armor nearly a third his body weight.

The quarry was still five paces ahead when he slipped into an alleyway. In a full sprint toward the next street, the man was getting further ahead. At the far end of the alley stood two guards, both facing away looking over the traffic on the road before them. “Guards! Help!” he panted, “There is... A man… chasing me!”

The two guards, sporting chainmail with helmets, swiveled around, both reaching for their respective swords.

“Help me!”

They ran toward the man carrying the small parcel. The nearest one spoke up, pointing at Eringer. “You, stop right there!”

“I think he might kill me!”

Eringer slowed down, holding up his hands in a non threatening manner while trying to calm down his own breathing. “I was merely trying to ask the gentleman some questions.”

“Lies! Look at how he is dressed, he wants to hurt me!” The man carrying the parcel was now behind the city guards. He smirked mockingly as he gave a sarcastic wave, then slipped away into the street.

Damnit. Hopefully Sam is having better luck, he thought. He was about to check in with her when the guards reached him.

“What are you doing? Why are you chasing this man in full military gear?”

“Look, if he was being honest, would he not have stuck around to ensure I was reprimanded? He just snuck away.”

Both guards turned to look for the other man, noticing he was gone. “Well, um, I guess so.”

The other guard finally spoke, “That may be true. We have to question you, nonetheless. Please come with us.”

“Can you not question me here? I have things to attend to.”

“Afraid not, sir. Need to file a report, however this turns out. Would be better for you to join us back at the barracks to make sure we get an accurate account of what transpired.”

Eringer sighed deeply, “Very well. Lead the way.” Sam, are you alright?

Following the elf.

He was pleased she was able to track one of them, at least. If nothing else, they could learn where the elf was heading. The guards were engaging him in conversation, preventing him from concentrating on seeing through Sam’s eyes.

“So why were you following him?”

“I think he is involved in some criminal activity. I had a lead to the shop, Aberthal’s Apothecary. I was merely waiting out back to see if anything suspicious was occurring there, when that man exited with a package. As soon as he looked over at me, he ran. That seemed like incriminating activity to me, so I followed.”

“Seems like you have leapt to a conclusion without any evidence.”

“I suspect all the evidence I would have needed was in the package he was carrying. If he was not doing anything illegal, why would he run from me?”

“Well you are a pretty big person with military rank, he could have been intimidated.”

“Doubtful. I am also recently retired, so I no longer have affiliation with the Illiarin Army. I just do not currently have the funds to adjust the symbols on my armor. Furthermore, I tend to keep that covered, which it was when he initially saw me. My cloak only pulled back enough to reveal that after we started running.”

The two guards fell silent, apparently thinking about all Eringer had told them. They rapidly reached one of the outposts in town that was used by the city guard.

The lead guard spoke up again, “Here we are. Let’s go inside and get your official statement. Hopefully we will have you out of here quickly.”

As they walked in, Eringer noticed the Captain of the Guard was at the counter, speaking with another guard. He immediately noticed the veteran.

“What’s going on here? I thought I specifically said I didn’t want to see you get into any trouble?”

The lead guard that brought Eringer in replied, “Sir, I don’t think he has done anything. We are just getting a statement from him about some potential illegal activity going on at a shop nearby.”

The Captain continued eyeing Eringer, “Alright. I would like that statement when you are done.”

“Yes, sir.” He turned to the retired soldier again, “This way, please.”

They moved into a small room, where the guards gestured for Eringer to take a seat.

“I will stand for now, if that is alright.”

“Yes, not a problem,” the second guard said as he grabbed some parchment to scrawl on.

They went over all the events again. Eringer gave as much detail as he could, leaving almost nothing out. He did not reveal his source of information, but said if something came up, he would have his source make his own statement.

The large half-orc came in partway through, but remained silent until the guards were almost finished. “If your source has nothing to hide, why can’t you let us know who he is?”

“Well I will ask them if it is alright that I tell you. I do not want to give them up without their permission.”

“I suppose that’s fair. Very well, continue Sergeant.”

“We are all set, sir, unless you have any other questions.”

“No questions.” The Captain then addressed Eringer again, “Again, please leave this investigation to my guards. They will inform you if anything comes of it. And send in your source if he, or they, are willing to talk.”

“Yes, Captain, I will do as you request.”

The half-orc nodded, then exited the crowded room.

The guard that was questioning Eringer stood up, offering an arm to clasp, “Let us know if you hear anything else. We will inform you of the conclusion of the investigation if you leave your address with the front desk.”

Eringer returned the gesture to both guards, “I do have one question, actually. Have you been able to determine anything about the gate attack a few days back?”

“Unfortunately no. At least nothing we can reveal to the public just yet. The one thing we can say is that we suspect some of them have made their way into the city. If you see or hear of any of them, let any guard know and they will get the information to those looking into the matter.”

“I suspected as much, myself. I will keep a lookout for them.” Eringer nodded to the duo and left the same way he came. He stopped by the desk to make sure they still had the address of the inn where he resided before leaving.

Once he was out in the street, he called out to Sam. Sam? Are you still following the elf?

He waited, but got no response. Sam?

Again, nothing. He moved to a spot against a building where he would be out of the way of traffic in the street. He concentrated on entering Sam’s vision.

Ordinarily, it was a fairly simple task to see through her eyes and hear through her ears. This would blind and deafen his own senses, but he felt safe to do so now that he was out of the way.

For some reason, he could not capture her perception. He calmed his mind, trying again. Everything went black and he could no longer hear any sound. Sam?

After a moment, he came crashing back to his own senses, receiving nothing from his steed.

What could possibly be happening? Perhaps she perished somehow in the chase.

Eringer returned to the street the apothecary was on, desperately looking around for any evidence of his steed. Everyone was moving around as normal, there was no sign of hysteria anywhere nearby.

He asked a few people that had been loitering around if they saw Sam after describing her in detail. It seemed no one had noticed a solo horse walking around. He got several suggestions for checking the stables nearby, but they did not understand Sam as he did. She was much smarter than any animal. In fact, she was smarter than some humans and elves he knew personally.

After checking the stables anyways, with nothing to show for it, he was at a loss for what to do. Eringer made the long walk back to the park where he had summoned Sam a couple times already. He went through the standard ritual to summon the intelligent steed, but to no avail. Nothing like this had ever happened in the few years they had been together.

Perhaps if I release her and retry. The veteran attempted to release Sam to her native plane, but had no indication if it had worked. Typically, there was a feeling he would get in his mind when she returned to where she had come from, but he sensed nothing.

He tried the ritual again, in case the release had worked.

There was no difference. The steed still did not show up to his spell that had never failed before this day.

That could only mean one thing. She was still here, somewhere in the city. Some powerful magic was preventing all his attempts to contact or summon her. Sam… what happened to you?