Evidently, the massive guard hadn’t come far – where the healers section halted against the eastern wall of the coliseum, a door had been carved into that wall, hidden enough that Serena hadn’t noticed it at first. It opened easily, the guard pushing through it without breaking stride. He did stop to wait on the other side, however, as he held the door open for Serena.

“How long has a door been there?” She asked as she walked through. Once past the threshold, she stepped to the side, and flattened herself against the wall.

“Since the coliseum was first built. It’s sealed by magic. There’s a certain place you press against it for it to open. Assuming you see it at all.” The guard said.

He waited until the door shut completely, seems almost disappearing and bustle from the other side falling silent, before turning and walking past Serena.

“Like…do you press it where the door handle would be?” She signed in the guard’s peripherals before falling in behind him.

“That’s classified.”

“Ah.”

Serena glanced around the unsuspecting hallway as she followed the man, who was forced to duck in certain places as the ceiling dipped. The walls were composed of the same tan stone that made up the coliseum, and it fact, it appeared as though someone had simply carved a square tunnel through the wall. Magical lights shed a harsh white glow that continued down the length of the hallway, forming spots in her vision if Serena accidently looked at them. Occasionally they’d pass by a wooden door on either side of the walls, each looking decrepit and unused. Beyond those, however, much of the hallway was barren, and it seemed to stretch on with almost no end.

The lack of distractions, in turn, gave Serena plenty of time to think. A flurry of questions danced on her fingers, and though she could have easily gotten her escort’s attention, Serena couldn’t will herself to do it. It seemed unwise to try to stop a man who walked that fast.

After a minute though, he halted and turned towards a door cut into the wall – picked seemingly at random – and pushed it open. It creaked hideously as he stepped through, and Serena quickly followed.

They stepped into another boring stone room, perhaps the size of Werond’s foyer, lit by the same harsh white lights. This one, however, had a floor made of wooden boards, and a ceiling that –

Serena gasped as she glanced up. The room extended upwards perhaps four stories, forming one long shaft straight towards what Serena assumed to be the top of the coliseum.

Before she could ask, the massive guard gestured for her to stand next to him, right in the middle of the platform.

“Best you stand with me, just in case.” He mumbled as she fell in next to him.

“In case –”

“Up!” The man yelled and smashed his fist against his plate armor twice, the sound bouncing off the stone walls. Serena flinched, and instinctively dug her knuckles into her ears.

The floor under them jerked, and something began to squeak horribly. Much to Serena’s surprise, the entire floor slowly began to crawl up the walls, ascending at a pitiful rate through means that Serena could not see.

Fingers still in her ears, she shot a shocked and confused look at her escort. He grinned.

“Sorry,” The guard said over the horrible noises. “this thing is old. It’s one of the service elevators the attendants use to get around. They haven’t done anything to it in Gods know how long.”

The entire platform jerked again, sending Serena’s heart into her throat. Whatever was making that squeaking sound, however, stopped completely.

“Or maybe they do upkeep this thing, but only to a certain point.” He shook his head. “Hell if I know. Irritates me.”

Serena unplugged her ears. “It’s really slow.”

“Yes, well this is mechanical rather than magical. And I’ve heard that whoever designed this thing was a tad drunk when he did.” He frowned deeply, as though he was remembering something. “Gods damn engineers. Always swinging their dicks around, thinking they’re the best. Never see them use their own makings, now do you?”

“Uhm.” Serena scratched at her chest, heart still racing. How did you respond to something like that? Instead, she glanced around the walls of the shaft, trying to guess how tall it actually was.

“How long does this take?” She asked, hoping to change the topic.

“Too long.” The man said, still fuming. “Fucking engineers couldn’t make a fast elevator to save their lives.”

“Ah.”

Silence fell between them as the elevator continued its ascent, the guard too irritated to hold a proper conversation. That suited Serena just fine, and gradually the tension in her chest began to fade, her heart finally slowing down. Despite that, those questions still buzzed about in her mind.

Serena couldn’t think of a single reason as to why someone with so much power wanted to see her personally. Especially enough to drag her away from her duties in the middle of the tournament. Part of her wondered if the Masked Lord planned on halting the tournament for a short while so the two of them could talk, considering that they couldn’t announce the next fights if Serena was there. If that was the case though, the situation became even more puzzling.

There wasn’t anything about Serena that was remarkable, save the sign language, but even that wasn’t enough to gain the attention of a lord. She hadn’t done anything recently to earn any outside attention either. Aside from Harshnag bursting in during dinner, Serena had done nothing to make herself known within the city. Like any other person, she was virtually a no one – a fact that did not bother her. Waterdeep was too big for someone as small as her to become known. If anything, it would make more sense if Pavel had been asked to come up. After all, he’d gotten popular from sparring with Harshnag, but even then, it wasn’t enough to make him noticed more than usual. In fact, he was only known in the coliseum – outside of that, he was just as unknown as any of them were, Jo and Cruck’aa included.

So why was she being called up?

Serena frowned and, despite the angry look still on the guard’s face, turned to finally ask him that burning question on her mind.

“Uhm…may I ask why the Masked Lord wants to see me?”

The man answered her without looking at her. “I will be entirely honest; they didn’t tell me.”

“Oh.” That seemed odd. “Can you make a guess?”

This time he did look at her.

“A-ah, sorry.” Heat rose in Serena’s cheeks. “I-I’m just not sure what someone like them wants with…someone like me.”

“Implying you’re no one of note.”

“I am no one of note though.”

“On the contrary.” The man adjusted his weight. “You were on that caravan that limped into the city some time back. Lot of people are still talking about that. Makes you someone.”

She blinked. “Really?” Serena turned to fully face the man, embarrassment quickly forgotten. “Why are people talking about me? Are you sure? There’s nothing about me to talk about, and I haven’t heard anyone say anything!”

“Well,” the guard sighed. “if you don’t submerse yourself in the politics of this place, I understand. Honestly, I doubt you’d really hear about it on the streets, but I’ve been wrong before.” He crossed his arms. “Short of it is that giants sacked the Goldenfields some time ago and disrupted a lot of the food distribution across the coast. They got cocky afterwards and moved in closer to Waterdeep. Lot of caravans have been decimated but yours survived. So that made you a bit famous.”

“And people are talking about that?”

“People talk about anything these days. Masked Lord especially.”

The man fell silent, and pointedly glanced up at the slowly approaching ceiling. Serena began to sign, but quickly dropped her hands, words dying on her fingertips. Her escort still didn’t seem to be keen on talking with her. Not that further conversation would help.

If the Masked Lord did indeed want to discuss the caravan, why would they ask now, in the middle of a tournament? And why ask Serena? Though she was the only member of the caravan readily available – something that would have been easy to figure out, since they’d all signed up in some form – it still didn’t make sense to ask her specifically. After all, Pavel had signed himself as the captain of the whole trip, which would have made him a better person to question over Serena. He would have remembered details better than she could, especially considering she’d tried to suppress those memories anyways. In fact, anyone but her would have made a better interview candidate. Jo wasn’t broken up about the attack whatsoever and would more than likely know how to talk to someone with so much power. Even Cruck’aa would have made a better conversational partner than Serena could, as…rough as he was.

Serena frowned. And yet, despite all that, she was still on an elevator going up to meet one of the most important people in the entire city. It didn’t make sense, but Serena supposed that not much made sense in Waterdeep.

Slowly, the bottom of a door entered the top of Serena’s vision, the elevator rising the final distance to meet it. It looked like any other they had passed before, and as the lift locked into place with one last sickening jerk, the bottom of the door aligning perfectly with the platform, the guard strode over and pushed through it. He stopped outside the threshold and held the door open, waiting as Serena scrambled after him, glad to be off the lift.

They had exited onto a small flat surface, jutting out from the side of the coliseum wall. To her right, the wall continued up, blocking any view of the city. To her left, beyond a railing, Serena could see the entire sandy arena, along with the packed stands, spectators looking much smaller than they did from the ground. Despite the magnificent view, the anxiety in her chest tore her attention away. Instead, all Serena could focus on was the wooden viewing box in front of her, some paces away.

To say it was unassuming would have been an understatement. It looked nothing more than, well, a large wooden box built directly into the wall. A platform extended from the front of it, jutting out towards the stands, where the Masked Lord had made their announcements. Beyond that, however, the entire structure looked nothing like what someone so powerful should use.

“Please head on in.” The mountain said, gesturing across the way towards the door that was built into the wood. “The door is unlocked, and I will personally see that no one enters while you two are engaged.”

Serena couldn’t help but glance at him. He stared back at her and gestured again towards the door.

“Best not keep them waiting.”

She sighed. Couldn’t argue with that.

Breathing in deep, she crossed the distance in ten steps, only to hesitate at the door. Ignoring her anxiety, Serena shoved it open and stepped through.

Only to halt halfway and gasp.

Though unassuming from the outside, the sheer decadence of the inside smashed against Serena like a wave. Expecting to find bare wooden surfaces with slightly comfortable seats, she was instead greeted to something much more extravagant. A massive pane of glass made up the western wall, offering an unparalleled view to the sands below, marred only by the balcony. Light filtered in unabated, washing over the red rug that blanketed the floor and the plush furniture that sat atop it. A large loveseat was shoved against the north wall at the back of the room, next to an unlit fireplace that was built directly into the back wall. Across the couch sat a low wooden coffee table, brimming with foods of all kinds – eaten and uneaten – with a second couch across the way.

And in the middle of the viewing box, close enough to the window to offer a fantastic view, sat an impressive looking throne, carved of a rich wood, with a tall back. And in that throne, leaned against one of the arms – nothing more than a jut of wood – sat the Masked Lord.

They stood up from the throne as Serena froze in the doorway and faced her fully, tucking their arms away in their oversized sleeves. Serena couldn’t help but stare at the sight; thick purple robes, accented with streaks of jagged white, flowed across their body, hiding any hint as to the gender of the person. A large helm, crafted from what looked like a solid piece of iron, obscured the Lord’s face. The imitation of a woman’s face, screaming in anguish, was carved into the front, giving an eerie feeling to an already strange appearance.

“Please, come in. And shut the door behind you.” The Masked Lord said. Serena flinched as a voice like thunder rumbled over her, and she obeyed without question. When she turned back, the Lord gestured with a single gloved hand to the area in front of the throne. They sat back down as Serena quickly strode over to the spot, halting a few paces in front of them.

The Masked Lord leaned back into the chair and rested their folded hands onto their lap. They remained silent, almost stock still, as Serena nervously fidgeted in front of them. Suddenly remembering her manners, she awkwardly curtsied to the Lord, blushing as she did. They laughed in return, a sound like a lightning strike, and sat up straight.

“Oh dear,” they said, untucking their hands from their sleeves. “no need for that. I am who I am, but I never expect anyone to bow.”

“Ah, uhm…I apologize, I didn’t mean –” Serena began.

“Oh, don’t apologize.” The Lord waved her off, unphased by her signs. “It’s quite alright.” They turned and looked to the back of the room. “Are you hungry by chance? They delivered quite a bit of food to accommodate how long this tournament takes, and if you’d like –”

“Can I ask why you called me here?” Serena blurted out as the Lord turned back around.

Her hands immediately curled into fists as the Lord regarded her with a cocked head, the screaming visage sending a shiver down her spine.

“Straight to business, I can respect that.” The Masked Lord placed their hands back into their lap. “Well, I meant to talk to one of you earlier, but I just never had the chance to, and with a tournament like this…well, it worked out better than I had expected. The next match will just have to wait for a bit.”

They leaned forward. “I understand that you were among those who had survived the most recent giant attack on the Trade Way. We received the report that your associate, Pavel Smith, wrote some time ago, and despite our best efforts, that information was…disseminated. It wasn’t widespread at first, although it did end up that way. Regardless, Pavel’s report is limited, and he remains the only one of your group to document the encounter. While I do trust the report, I’d very much appreciate another’s account on the incident, so we may verify them together. It helps with making sure we have the correct information. Unfortunately, I haven’t had a chance to summon any of you until now…which is a rather inopportune time for most of you,” Serena swore she could hear the Lord’s smile. “but better now than never. So, would you indulge me for a few moments?”

Serena shifted from side to side and grimaced. She still held no desire to recount what had occurred during the giant attack, but you didn’t say no to one of the most powerful people in Waterdeep.

“I…” Serena’s signs came slow. “I can. They’re not…pleasant memories but if you need me to –”

“Oh, I’m fully aware.” The Masked Lord said. “And I do apologize for prying. If I am to be honest, I really only have a few questions and they’re mostly specifics. More or less confirming what Pavel had in his report.”

“And you really need that? I-if I may ask that.”

The Masked Lord nodded. “Yes. The giants have become a terrible problem recently. We still haven’t nailed down anything concrete, but I’m hoping that, with your help, we might be able to.”

“Um, sure. Whatever I can do.”

“Fantastic. Well, I’ll keep in brief then. Pavel’s report made mention that, while Hill Giants did indeed attack your caravan, they were also accompanied by a score of orcs. Is that correct?”

“Yes, they were there too.” It occurred to Serena that Pavel had never discussed with them what all he’d included in the report, though there wasn’t really a reason to do so. “A lot of them. Riding giant uh…birds, I guess.”

“Axebeaks, I’d imagine. Although that does have rather startling implications. The orcs working with the giants, I mean. You slaughtered them all, correct?”

“I think so.”

“Good. And was there any indication as to what either group wanted?” The Masked Lord gestured around their head. “Where they just trying to kill, or was it…more of a robbery?”

“Just trying to kill.” Serena sign instantly, shoving the memories of the attack out of her mind. “They weren’t looking for anything else. They just wanted to kill. I know they were.”

“The giants weren’t eating anything or anyone, were they?”

“What?” Serena signed, taken aback by the Masked Lord’s casual tone. “No, they just killed. They didn’t eat anything at all.”

“Right, and I apologize for that. The Hill Giants in particular seem to be consuming everything they can these days. Just to clarify, even the orcs were only interested in slaughtering? None of them tried to go after the Cult’s wealth?”

“No, they were out for blood, that’s it. We –”

Serena’s hands froze.

She pulled them against her chest, heart smashing to meet them. The Masked Lord cocked their head again but said nothing.

“T-the Cult?” Serena hesitantly signed.

“Yes, the Dragon Cult. The wealth that was spilled belonged to them. They weren’t after that?”

“Did Pavel put that in his report?!” Serena blurted out. “That’s –”

“That’s supposed to be a secret? Well, of course it is. Pavel did coincidently leave that part out.” The Masked Lord leaned their helmet against a fist, as though they were bored. “In fact, Pavel left quite a bit out, including whether or not all the wealth had been recovered, and the fate of Azbara Jos, although I assume the man was killed after his plans were exposed. Not to mention that Larion Keenblade fled once you all arrived in the city…which Pavel also left out. He should have been arrested the moment he stepped into this city for assisting a member of the Cult.” The Lord snapped their fingers. “Oh. Torno should have received an additional payment for her services, considering she was the only one of the hired guards left alive aside from Pavel. And failure to report that is fraud.”

Serena could only stare, her hands refusing to work. The Masked Lord stared back.

“I can give you a moment, if you need it.” They said.

Serena’s heart sped up.

“Are we in trouble?” She squeaked.

“Yes.” The Masked Lord replied instantly. “For starters, I take fraud very seriously in my jurisdiction. Torno should have been paid. And beyond that…well, the Dragon Cult is the enemy of the state. You helped foil their plans, of course, but you stole their resources, which should have been confiscated…by the state. Of course,” the thunder of their voice deepened. “with how utterly ridiculous our inspections are currently, I’m not surprised you got through. In addition, you deposited it all into the bank under your name. They run background checks on people who deposit a large sum of gold all at once, and you weren’t very inconspicuous about it. We have systems in place to verify gold, and it didn’t take us much effort to figure out where that gold originally came from…and who stole it in the first place. I could go on.”

“I-I can give it back!” Her body warmed as the implications became clear. “We didn’t spend all any of it, that helps right?”

“Well, it will help lessen the sentence, yes.”

“Ah…”

Sweat began to bead on Serena’s forehead as her hands curled back into fists.

The magnitude of the situation tore through Serena like a knife, rendering her unable to sign. She wouldn’t have known what to say had it been otherwise. What could she say to all of that? Her, and everyone else, were in the hotseat – the proof was undeniable. None of them, Werond included, had taken any of that into account that day, and when it was laid bare, well, it all was incredibly damning. There wasn’t anything she, or anyone else, could do, save go along with the law as best they could. Perhaps if they explained their side of the story, they’d be alright. Hopefully.

Serena uncurled her fists, only to jump as the Masked Lord let out a laugh.

“Oh, that’s quite a look on your face. I’m sorry, I didn’t think it would be this bad.” They straightened up. “Alright Serena, no more games. I’ve scared you enough.”

The Masked Lord reached up and placed two gloved hands on either side of their helmet. Their palms glowed faintly, and after a moment, they pulled the helmet from off their head, sending Serena’s heart soaring into her throat.