Sera stood at the edge of the gardens, wind blushing against her dark cloak. The floating constructs had come down for the night, and she’d dismissed the majority of her security staff. It was not that she didn’t trust them, she was afraid they might upset her visitor.

She knew how sensitive their types could be.

When she’d come home from her nightly prayers at the temples of Venta and Uvu that night– allocating half an hour to each god– she’d found a sealed letter on her pillow. It bore the golden spearhead of the Inquisitors and she’d nearly shattered a lamp on her dresser reeling back from the shock.

It was an invitation for a meeting in her yard. It gave a time, but nothing else, and she’d scrambled all night to get everything just right. She changed out of her cloak five times and begged her brother to shut down the constructs.

She knew not what would come of the meeting, but she’d been certain they hadn’t intended to burn the Senos to the ground, otherwise what would’ve been the point of setting a meeting. The Inquisitors only answered to the High priests and they only answered to the gods. They would have burned them all and be done with it.

No, whatever they wanted to talk about had something to do with the General. Perhaps the gods finally heard her prayers.

Sera felt the air prickle and static friction where her cloak touched her bare skin. A cold draft swept up her cloak from behind, and she turned to look. She found no one but empty air and the sparsely lit garden staring back.

“Sera Seno,” a small voice came in front of her, and she nearly jumped. In front of her stood a small man, no taller than she was in white and gold leather armor with a pair of swords fastened to his hips.

Her breath caught. She didn’t have to see the lapel on his chest to know who he was. She’d never laid eyes on one, but the reports were the same. The Inspectors never went anywhere without uniform, even at night. It was partly because of discipline, but it was mostly because there was always work to do.

She rushed to her feet and folded in half, sweeping her robe to the side as she greeted. “Inquistior…”

She would have honored him by calling him by his name, but most never learned the Inquisitor’s name. They never got the chance.

The man stepped around her and settled into the long bench she sat on. Sera followed with her eyes but didn’t dare to raise her head.

“Sit, daughter of Uvu,” he said. “You needn’t bother with overtures like that, not with me.”

Sera's eyes widened at his words as she settled back on the bench. He’d called her daughter of Uvu.

“You’ve had a long day. The trips to the temples must weigh on you after a full day of training,” he said with a charming smile. Sera couldn’t help but be taken by him. Both irises were almost golden, his aura mixing with the green of his eyes. She didn’t need to call on her power to recognize his. It was a lightning aura, an advanced wind path.

“It does, but I have received favor from both Uvu and Venta,” Sera said. “I have to remain faithful.”

The man nodded approvingly. “It has not gone unnoticed by the church. Scarce little escapes their notice, especially the prayers of their most devoted.”

Sera a chill creep up her spine. “My prayers?” She’d prayed for help escaping Roko’s thumb for nearly a week now, ever since that night when Brick walked out. “I didn’t mean–” her face flushed slightly– “if I had known…I shouldn’t have been so conceited.”

“You needn’t be embarrassed,” he waved. “the diviners have caught more selfish prayers than yours. You wouldn't believe what some of the noble houses pray for.”

“You see and hear it all?” she asked, feeling suddenly vulnerable. She wondered how many people in the capital knew about this. The noble houses, the army Towers. Her eyes suddenly grew wide. “You don’t mean you even see the Imperial Palace?”

The man frowned a little. “The diviners could penetrate the Emperor’s demense with some effort, but they choose not to. Certain concessions had to be made when the Empire was in its infancy. We rely on mutual trust and interest when we deal with the army, and that has led to certain gaps in our network. Gaps we would have filed by loyal servants.” He looked intently at her.

Is he asking me to spy for him! Her mind clicked and turned with the possibilities as she dissected his words. Fear and excitement warred in her heart. Was this about the General?

“I am not sure what you’re asking of me, Inquisitor, but I’ll serve in any way I can.”

“I expected no less from a devoted daughter of the gods,” the man said. “Some of the priests who knew you at the front told us of your progress.”

Pride blossomed in her heart at the mention of her efforts at the front. She’d hoped someone had paid attention, and he had.

“I’ve come to you with a matter of the utmost importance. It might very well decide the future of the Empire,” he said in a grave voice as he locked eyes directly with her. Her pride turned to fear as the man began to speak.

“We have an…agreement with Roko’s army, and it’s more thorough than most. He’s provided us with the tools we need to push back the Vampires, and we allow some…concessions.”

“Concessions?” The faith she knew did not offer concessions. It was absolute, merciless, and just. It was unimaginable to think that they’d made a trade with a heretic like General Roko. She shivered. Had Brick been right?

“The most obvious you’ve seen are his profane runes,” his small nose turned up in disgust. “They are woefully inefficient and perversions of everything that the gods stand for! To think he would circumvent the natural order and…” the man caught himself and cleared his throat.

“As horrid as they are, they serve a purpose. They push talented knights a half step further along their path and help them win battles they’d otherwise lost… but Roko has strayed recently,” the man's face turned dark, “tinkering with eldritch power, not even the Vampires touch; power that’s better left forgotten, dead.” The man had unconsciously unraveled his aura, it made the very air crackle.

“Blood Magic,” he whispered, and Sera’s entire body tensed though she had no clue what blood magic was. “We respect Roko’s boundaries, but he’s threatening to bring ruin on us all.” As suddenly as it had appeared, the aura vanished, leaving the Inquisitor’s voice even again. “The order would have you watch him, daughter of Uvu and Venta. Report back what you see, and help us stop his plot to doom us all before it starts.”

Sera edged back in her seat, forcing some distance between them as understanding settled on her. “I…can’t,” she shivered. She’d prayed for this moment; that someone high up in the church would find her and come with an offer to report on Roko. She’d thought it’d be some priest, untouched by Roko’s influence, not an Inquisitor. She'd also hoped that providing information about the Profane runes would be enough. How naive she'd been.

Seeking out an Eldritch magic and spying on one of the most powerful men in Brightmont? It was simply beyond her.

“You would refuse the call?” the Inquisitor’s voice turned harsh. “You prayed for this.”

For a moment she feared he would strike her where she stood, but his face turned neutral again.

“The gods do not forget a debt,” he said, “and neither does the order.” He stood up and stepped away from her. “Watch him closely, and you will understand. I will be here in a fortnight and by then, I suspect you will have made up your mind.”

Sera opened her mouth to speak, but there was a sudden gale and a flash of lightning. He was gone when it cleared. She fell on the bench, drained and cold, and stewed in her thoughts.

She hardly heard Ellie's footsteps approach.

“Sera?” she called, snapping her from her reverie. It took a moment for her to remember who she was and how much she hated her.

“What are you doing here?” She fixed her with an icy stare, but it just rolled off her.

“It's Seth and Brick,” she said, somewhat quickly. "Someone is out to kill them both, someone from their past.”

Sera’s ears went numb for a moment before she spoke. “Their past?”

“We need to move, now,” Ellie said. “The General has given me 2 Hestills and 50 men. They took too long to gather and we’re running out of time.”

Sera followed after her without much thought as the woman led the way. She needed time to think and make up her mind, and her heart compelled her to follow. She’d still risk everything for them on a dime, despite how she felt.

—

The hestills bolted down the streets of the Middle Ring like a beast snapped at its heels. Their black mane bobbed and their feet clomped the stone before in a thunderous crash with each step. Ellie had started speaking the moment they’d left Sera's home and there was a lot to tell.

---

“What can you tell me?” Eleanor Ryall asked Herbert. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, the General raised a hand. His eyes were rooted in a communication crystal.

“He won’t give you the answer you or I seek,” he said. “Our visitor will.”

“Come,” he commanded as he left the room. She did not follow immediately, staying back a moment longer to look at him. Seth looked vulnerable, pale despite the thick melanin of his skin, and she felt guilty when she joined the General on the moving platform.

“The visitor?” she asked, throwing him a side glance, “who are they?”

“Someone who worked for who did this.”

“Did they say who it was?” She fired out. Ellie and her brother had gathered no small list of enemies and rivals as they clawed their way up from the bottom. Most of them dared not make a move but at least three of them had sworn vengeance. Corvo was at the top of her list, and Henry Matton was a close second. She was sure Kierra wasn’t so impulsive, but that still left at least half a dozen names. She would have dealt with them all, given enough time.

“Patience,” the General said. “You will have your answers soon enough. Grundy has questioned them ahead of us.”

The moving platform carried them to the ground floor of the tower and several levels past it. The smell of alchemical salves was slowly replaced with a heavy stink of blood and leather and piss, and she immediately knew where they were. The halls were narrow and dim-lit with fire orbs that cast off the dull green-black metallic doors.

Ellie did not hear the voice or the shuffle of prisoners as they moved. No sounds escaped the green metal doors that barred the men in. She almost convinced herself the cells were empty, but they all stank so horribly. No guards roamed except a cluster of 6 she spied far in front of them, by the only open door. They offered a deep bow as they approached, and a seventh man emerged from the cell.

He was a balding man with a pruny face, and he carried himself with more confidence than the rest; confidence that cowed when he laid eyes on Roko. "General!” he bowed, but the General waved away the greeting

“What have you learned?” he demanded.

“Everything, Sir,” he said and nodded at one of the guards. He locked the door. His dark eyes landed on Ellie for a moment before he continued. “The second knight, Brick, was the true target of the attack, Seth’s poisoning was a last-minute addition.”

“Who ordered it, and what sort of poison was it?” The General asked, mirroring questions Ellie had burning in her mind. It had taken a great deal of self-control not to cut in.

“A variant of Wolf-kiss. An Acernium-based poison. It was supposed to be tasteless and double as a paralytic, but the boy somehow sensed it the moment it touched his lips. He lashed out and ended up at the bottom of the stairs.” Ellie thought she heard a hint of respect in his voice.

The General brows knitted a bit and looked in the direction of the prisoner. “Wolf’s kiss you say?” The man nodded. “Does she still have a sample on her?” Finding a sample would save them a great deal of trouble. Without one, the priests and potionists would waste more time figuring out what had been modified.

“Unfortunately, she does not,” Grundy said slowly and Ellie's chest tightened. “She ditched the bottle after the plan went belly-up. She planned to flee the city come morning, but she had a change of heart–”

“The poison,” Ellie cut in a low breath. “Did she mention where we might find a vial? Maybe her employer still had some?”

Grundy and every other person in the hall eyed her, and she slowly realized what she’d done, but she doubled down. “We are running out of time.” She’d vowed to herself she’d protect him. She wouldn’t shy away from stepping on a few toes.

“Who do you think you are!” Grundy barked, “to speak so freely in the presence of your superiors?”

“Grundy,” the General said in his rumbly low voice and fixed the man with a look. “She is right. We do not have time for this. Every second matters. “

”Apologies,” the balding man grunted and continued to explain. “Her employer’s name is Hector, an underground Acernium lord with grand ambitions. He was hired to poison the boy by a party he calls his ‘Employer.’ He keeps a sample of the poison in a personal vault she's never been able to find. All she knows is that it’s in his study somewhere.”

“We have to go to the Lower Ring, then,” Ellie said, turning to the General. She saw Grundy make a face, but she didn't care. “Give me a few men, horses, and the permission to search, and I will bring back the vial and the monster responsible for this.” Her eyes burned like two torches and the older man regarded her, still calm.

“While the situation is dire, we do not have a full picture. Captain Grundy, I believe there was more?” Grundy's lips seemed to curl slightly at the recognition. “Before the girl so rudely interrupted, I was about to say her reason for coming forth makes no sense. She says she did it for love of the Empire. Having fewer knights would mean fewer bodies to hold back the vampire hoards, and she didn't want anyone to go through what she did. Her parents were killed by half-bloods, she claims.”

“Why not come forth sooner, if she was so patriotic,” General Roko said with a raised brow. “You’ve pressed her, what are her real reasons?”

Grundy shook his head. “She’s remained adamant. I have held off using …unsavory methods,” Grundy’s eyes briefly met Ellie’s to search for signs of pity, or perhaps, weakness. He found none. “I thought it best to let you decide on such matters.”

“Prudent choice,” he said. “Thank you for everything you’ve done so far Captain. Hand me a written report, and wait at the Middle Ring gates. I will need you there as I coordinate our response.”

Grundy removed a rolled-up parchment from one of many flaps in his uniform and handed it over to the general. The man immediately scanned it. Grundy gave a low bow and barked out orders to his men. His contingent of guards marched after him.

“He is an efficient man, but he has little tolerance for those below him, even less for those of lower birth.”

“I bear no grudge.”

“Good, because you’re going to be coordinating with him.”

“What?”

The General looked at the Dungeon cell they now stood in front alone. “Grundy’s words gave me pause. The girl might be lying about more than just her justifications for coming forth.”

Ellie grimaced. She’d thought about that too. “But we don’t have time to interrogate her.”

“You may not, but I certainly do. Get Sera and a few men at the tower base and ride out to meet Grundy. Take the letter too. I will call you and send reinforcements should you need them.”

Ellie stared at the man for a blank moment before she bowed. “Thank you, sir. I will leave immediately.” Ellie ran to the magic platform and rode it up to the ground floor. Two Hestills and a contingent of guards were waiting for her at the gate. Firelight burned in the night sky as they rushed and bustled to rank up and coordinate themselves. The entire Tower had come alive, and Ellie looked on in quiet awe, and some part of her couldn’t help but wonder why he would go through all that trouble. She knew he cared for his knight, but sending out his elite soldiers, coordinating with the city guards; it seemed like too much trouble for a pair of knights he barely knew.

—

The fight never slowed down after the opening strikes. Hector was nimble like an eel, jumping and flipping from wall to wall and lashing out at impossible angles. Brick was forced to hide behind his shield, which limited his mobility even further in the claustrophobic tunnel.

The cold aura the blade gave off was frightening. It snaked through most of his earthen defenses, slowly stealing away all feeling in his limbs. Brick could only grit his teeth and curse at his old friend turned enemy.

“Fuck you and your nimble sword, “ Brick roared as he blocked another icy slash to the eye and lobbed a rock over his wall of stone, but Hector was already moving.

“You started this,” he hissed from somewhere beyond him.

“And you could have given her to me, and put a stop to this. All those men and children I went through. They are dead because of you.”

It was only half the truth. Hector might’ve given the order, but he’d crushed them. One or two random men who didn’t know better was one thing, but blowing through a room of civilians and pushing the blame was another. It made him sick to his stomach to do this, but he had to win somehow.

“Shut up.” Hector spat as he came down with a heavy cut with his icy blade. Brick pulled a singular chunk of stone from the shield and let it collapse under the cut. Hector tumbled forth, expecting more resistance, and he was wide open when Brick sucker-punched him in the liver with a chunk of stone with his reinforcement rune flaring. He was ripped off the floor and slammed into the near wall. Brick followed, stone raised, eager to finish the job, but he froze looking down at him, panting.

You don’t want to kill him, remember?

Brick shook his head. The blood lust had taken him for a moment. He struck at his shoulder instead of his head, hoping to disable him, but Hector twisted suddenly, stabbing at Brick’s side. Only swerving desperately to the side allowed Brick to move away in time, but Hector's blade still scored a nasty gash to the side.

Brick tumbled to the side, with a groan and a shiver. The pain from the cut bit deep, and the wound had frozen over when his hand came off it. Hector stared at him hungrily, and Brick wished he’d just killed him.

He squeezed out the last of his mana from his core and levitated a few stones beside him, as well as reinforcing his body. Sweaty and freezing, running on the last dregs of his mana, he attacked.

Hector stepped to the side, ducked, and even jumped to dodge the stone shots. He was mid-air when Brick barreled into him, pinning him to the wall. He went after his sword arm first, squeezing it so hard he nearly popped it. Hector screamed, but he didn’t just wait for the man to disarm him either. Brick felt a fresh wound blossom on his back. Hector had stabbed him with a knife he’d pulled from gods knows where. Brick reached for the second hand in the darkness but grabbed the knife handle instead. Hector let out a scream, and Brick was suddenly thrown off by an icy gust. He flipped and slammed hard into the back wall. Ice climbed up his left arm and snaked down his knee, numbing it until he barely felt anything.

The temperature in the corridor had dropped and he could feel the chill still spreading. Hector didn’t look very good either. His bruised wrist had iced over with the blade, but the gem in the hilt of the blade still gave off some light, not nearly as bright as the torch Hector had discarded when he opened up the fight.

Brick knew he was finished. He was running on fumes, and Hector had plenty of power left over, but he wasn’t fresh either. His sword was somehow consuming him.

“I would have… figured something out,” Brick said in heavy breaths, leaning against the wall. “Whatever happened in the past between us. I never started out wanting to hurt you or Angi. I just did what I thought was best.”

“You did what you thought was best for you,” Hector croaked. He sounded like he bit through glass just to speak.

Brick leaned harder into the wall. “I started to run towards the Lower Ring gates the moment I heard that Grundy was coming. I counted on him coming for me, but I was clearly wrong. Did I run because I thought I stood a better chance alone, without you or Angi slowing me down? Yes, but I left because I thought it was the smarter thing to do.” Brick believed every word he said. He’d repeated those words to himself thousands of times through the years.

“Don’t beg,” Hector snapped, his gemmed sword flaring a dull blue. It was less bright than when they’d started the fight. “I’ve waited a long, long time for this. Angi wouldn’t forgive me if I didn’t kill you.”

“The Angi I remember won’t forgive you for dying either,” Brick said.

“Shut up! Keep her name out of your mouth,” he spat. “She’s in pain, Brick. She is in pain every day because of what you did. The least you could do is shut up and fucking die.”

He raised his blade to strike, but Brick was already moving. To Hector’s shock, he rushed past him, towards the shattered wooden door that led to the sewer.

Hector recovered in time to send an icy lash that clipped him in the shoulder sending him barreling into the muck. He followed after, relying on only the light from his gem to guide him. He was entirely taken when a grimy stone slammed into his chest, knocking the wind out of him and sending him rolling back. He wheezed and glared in futile anger as Brick hobbled out the darkness, bleeding all over with the knife he’d used to stab him. He clutched it like he meant to use it, and Brick watched Hector try and fail to coax magical power from his sword once. He rushed him before he could try a second time. He twisted around him, leveraging his bulk, and snapped his elbow like a twig.

A scream echoed through the narrow halls, and Brick brought his blade to his opponent’s neck.

“What did you have her do to him?” he said in a labored breath. “Fuck around, and I swear I’ll slit your throat.” It’d been a long night.

“Kill me, you coward,” he groaned. “You’ve ruined everything so far. Why don’t you finish the job.”

Brick pressed the blade against his open neck, and Hector winced. “Don’t fucking tempt me. I swear to the gods I’ll fucking do it. Just talk. It’s not too late.” Brick’s face looked weary. The wounds he'd accumulated through the night were finally getting to him.

“When you came back, I waited for you to come. I wanted so much to kill you, but some part of me held out hope” Hector said in a whisper. “Angi thought I gave you too much credit, but I waited. I even sent a girl named Angi to jog your memory– inspire you to act”

Brick’s eyes went wide. He remembered a girl named Angi at Jon’s place.

“You rescued her from the life, but you made no inquiries, sought no answers. It was then I knew you'd forgotten about us.”

“I’m…sorry,” Brick said. “I wanted to come for you, but I had my problems to deal with. I still…do. Sometimes I wished I had stayed and the fire had gotten me instead of what I saw out there,” Brick’s eyes grew unfocused for a while before they snapped back. “Tell me, Hector. We don’t have time for this.”

“I..will, but first you have to promise me something,” he said. His eyes were dark and desperate, and Brick nodded though he knew he shouldn’t have.

“If I help you save your friend, you look after mine. Take care of Angi”

Brick felt his heart drop and he said, “I will.”

“It’s an Acernium based poison,” he rasped, “The key to it is around my neck. Find the door with the lowest handle and look for the shelf to the right. I stored a vail inside.”

Brick moved, pulling the key bunch from his neck immediately. Hector pointed out which key, and he rushed down the corridor, but not as quickly as he wanted. His eyes grew foggier the longer he kept them open to search, and he collapsed in front of the room, the door unlocked, his body finally falling over from the blood loss.

—-

Ellie jumped off her horse when they arrived at the orphanage, blade drawn, but no one stopped her. There was no one left to. Sera motioned to follow after, but her eyes caught someone in the corner, watching. He was a young teen in clothes several sizes too large for him. His hair was fiery red and watched on with a blank look that she could only describe as… unnatural.

“Miss Seno,” a guard's words drew her attention. “Are you all right?”

“Quite fine,” she said, brushing him off. He wasn’t in the corner when she turned back to look. She gave the side of the building a double-take. He’d simply vanished. She was almost tempted to explore when the soldier’s voice came again.

“We should join Miss. Ryall in the building.”

All around her, the soldiers were marching, swords drawn and shields raised. Only a few waited on her.

She drew a shortsword she’d borrowed from one of the soldiers and nodded to the highest-ranking soldier, who’d also happened to have interrupted her twice, “lead the way.”

---

Ellie scanned the building as she breezed through the halls, her aura rune burning. It was utter chaos. Vases and shelves had been knocked aside on the way to something. She found the battlefield moments later. Brick had not been gentle. Blood splattered on the walls, mixed in with random chunks of gray matter and crushed viscera. She saw headless masses twitch on the ground and bodies with more than half of their masses pureed or lost.

Ellie shoved down the urge to gag and moved on, stepping through the massive ebony double doors and coming upon an underground structure. It was tight and dark and she had to coax a bit of aura into her hand without funneling it through a spell to make light. There would be no backlash like a typical rune spell, nor could it ever do more than power an enchantment. It was a trick she and most of the knights at the tower had figured out after nearly two months of training.

She jogged, keeping her aura burning, ready to retaliate if need be when she saw blood. Lots of it, and a body; Brick’s body.

“Sera!” she yelled out.