Chapter XXVI

With the day of the mission to Omaruo fast approaching, Nigreos Noctis was becoming more and more anxious to get it all dealt with. Each day was filled with thoughts of what he would do when he got there and how he would handle the reclamation of the Assassination Gem. Ever since the QuaerBasim first detected magical outbursts in Omaruo a few months prior, they had become more common. It seemed as if whoever had the gemstone was using it at least once a week, sometimes more. For what, Nigreos couldn’t be sure. The constant repetitions almost made it seem like a child was treating it as a toy which didn’t match up with the intensity of some of the readings. It was almost a certainty that a powerful magic user was using its abilities at least some of the time.

The Master of Darkness grimaced. And how old would Eric Reiner be right about now? The one time I ever met him, he seemed no older than six. That would put him at school age.

Nigreos couldn’t help but to clench his teeth. He wanted to believe that Abi’s son wasn’t involved in the situation with the relic but, given the world it was detected in and the strength of some of the readings, it seemed more and more likely with each passing day.

And what am I supposed to do if Eric Reiner is behind this? King Markreas ordered us to erase anybody who came into contact with the stone. Does that include Reiner? And if so…can I really bring myself to stand aside and allow the boy to be erased?

As the thought went through his mind, the final words of Abigail Reiner returned to him, sounding so clear she may as well have been speaking them in that moment. They caused him pain, and he knew he would never be able to forget them.

I made her a promise. I looked her in the eyes as she lay there dying in my arms and I swore on my life that I would keep that promise. Can I so easily ignore her last words in a situation like this?

The Master shook his head and forced himself to stop thinking about it. Until the High Council went through the ridiculously long process of getting everything in order for them to jump worlds, he could do nothing but wait. However, having no certainties regarding the upcoming mission, he had decided to speak to an acquaintance of his. There was something he had been considering for the past few weeks and, after thinking it over, he decided to go through with it.

So, that afternoon after it had gotten dark, he donned his black cloak and made his way through the gates of the Citadel and out into the streets of Erika. His destination was the Night Market just to the south of the Citadel where his associate had a shop set up that sold a variety of magical trinkets and talismans that were mostly for normal household use. However, unbeknownst to most, he also dabbled in the black market, something Nigreos had become aware of some time ago and had decided that, rather than turning the man over to the authorities, he might be able to use him to his advantage.

The Master passed through the various neighborhood streets that stood between the Citadel and the Market without any problems. The few people still out and about were either going to or coming from the Market and he was sure that seeing a lone, cloaked man like him wandering the roads at night would easily dissuade anybody from approaching him. In addition, his cloak was charmed so that, if anybody looked under his hood, they would only see a mass of darkness, even if the red lights of the street lamps shone directly upon him. Recognizing him would be impossible.

Despite being one of the Masters of the Citadel, Nigreos wasn’t arrogant enough to believe that nobody would risk attacking him due to his status. In fact, he believed his status and the rumors surrounding him would only cause those bold enough to confront him. While he wasn’t concerned about his own safety, he certainly wanted to refrain from causing a stir, especially when he was going behind the Citadel’s back like he currently was. It would be best to get in and out.

Finally, Nigreos emerged from the neighborhoods and found himself on Market Street. The difference between the quiet neighborhoods and the bustling market were like night and day. He could hear merchants shouting out, urging shoppers to consider their wares or to pick their food for dinner. Smells of various exotic dishes wafted through the air. The streets and sidewalks were both relatively crowded with people from all over Ijiria and even from outside the country. The Ijirian Market was, after all, famous around the world. There were many who longed to visit it. When Nigreos had first laid eyes upon it, he had been in awe. Now, however, he merely scowled at how loud and overwhelming it all was.

He pressed forward, immediately blending into the crowd. He made sure to be aware of his surroundings, not wanting to be stopped by any of the patrolling Erikan Guards despite knowing that all he would have to do was reveal his identity and they would leave him be. However, he would avoid that situation if he could. Luckily, he didn’t find it to be terribly likely. There were always strange sorts that came to the Market to the point that a cloaked man without a face almost seemed relatively normal. Just a glance around confirmed that for him.

A few yards ahead of him, he could see a clothing shop run by a light-skinned and blonde Trovian man who had a third eye just below his nose, most likely a consequence of failed biological magic. The third eye was unsettling and it was most likely the reason the stall didn’t seem terribly popular.

Removing his attention from him, Nigreos then noticed a man in a black top hat and a suit similar to the one he normally wore. Sitting atop his hat was a glemlin, a small, hairless animal with sharp teeth and a pointed nose that was well known for hunting smaller prey. It was often kept around as pets to ward away household pests. However, what stood out the most was the pair of glasses on the creature’s head, which made it seem like something out of a circus.

Nigreos grimaced, feeling more uncomfortable as he looked around so he was thankful when his destination finally came into view. Unlike the stalls that he had been passing, this was one of the few shops in that part of the market. Most of the buildings were further down. However the owner had once told him that he built his there because the competition would be weaker and thus, the amount of money he spent on the shop’s construction would be well worth it.

Nigreos broke free of the crowd and began walking toward it. He barely spared a glance up at the wooden sign hanging from the roof reading “Tannath’s Talisman Tavern” in dark writing. The Master reached for the door and pushed it open before stepping inside the shop.

The interior was just as he remembered it. In fact, he wasn’t even sure it had changed at all since his last visit nearly six months prior. Upon entering, he was greeted with the sight of an average tavern. There were tables situated around the room at which sat a variety of shoppers having dinner or getting a drink. There was even a man passed out on the ground in the corner. Serving girls were walking around with trays of food and there was a stocky man at the bar talking with some of the customers.

“Hello, sir,” greeted a rather busty serving girl who approached him with her back bent forward as if to tempt him into looking her over. Her very tight and revealing uniform was something he was sure was an intentional choice by the store’s owner. “How can I help you?”

As always, he found himself amused by how confident the servers were. Despite the charm on his cloak, she showed no hesitation approaching him though he supposed that sort of attitude came with the territory.

“I want to speak with Mr. Tannath. Is he in?” Nigreos asked, keeping his eyes firmly directed at hers.

The woman smiled wryly and nodded. “Yes, sir, though I do think he’s quite busy. I’m not sure he’ll have the time to speak with you.”

“Don’t worry,” Nigreos replied casually. “He will. Just tell him the Black Night is here to speak with him.”

The girl frowned in a purposefully childish way before nodding and hurrying through a doorway in the back. Nigreos remained by the door, sensing the untrusting stares from the tavern’s patrons but refraining from showing any indication that he noticed them. Moments later, the girl returned with an almost curious look on her face.

“Mr. Tannath said he’ll speak with you,” she chirped. “If you follow that hall—”

“I know where he is, thanks,” Nigreos replied before stepping past her and making his way toward the doorway she had just indicated.

Just beyond was a small hallway that led to the back of the building where it split both left and right. He knew the part of the shop that sold magical wares was to the right and the left would take him to a staircase leading to the top floor. Nigreos went left, arriving at the creaky wooden staircase moments later. He slowly ascended, sensing the waves of mana that circulated throughout the building. It was strong but, compared to the Ijirian Throne Room, it was nothing.

He made an immediate right at the top and maneuvered his way through the floor’s various halls. There were hardly any decorations and he found that to be unsurprising given the efficient nature of the man he was going to meet. Any potential decorations would have already been sold off. When Nigreos arrived at the closed door that was his destination, it looked no different than the other doors he passed. Nevertheless, he knew it was the right one so he reached for the doorknob and pushed it open.

“Ah, hey!”

The exclamation from the man within came immediately as he entered the room and he could tell why. Despite having already alerted the man to his presence, he clearly hadn’t been ready. Sitting in a velvet couch to Nigreos’s left was the individual he had come to speak with, a well known merchant named Nuvo Tannath. And atop his lap, her arms wrapped around him, was one of his serving girls, completely naked. Upon seeing Nigreos, the girl jumped off of the merchant and backed away fearfully, twisting her body as if to hide herself from him.

“You ever heard of knocking?” Nuvo growled irritably.

“I already told you I was coming,” Nigreos replied curtly. “Perhaps you should have sent your whores away faster.”

The merchant scowled. “I’d hoped you’d get lost on your way up…give me more time to finish.”

“I don’t have time to get lost,” the Master replied sharply. “Now, send your girl out and let’s get to business.”

Nuvo sighed, reached for a silk robe that had been laying on the ground and tossed it across the room to the girl.

“Sorry, love,” he said. “We’ll have to pick this up another time. I need privacy.”

Still staring at Nigreos in fear, the girl quickly slid the robe on and rushed past, exiting the room and leaving the two men alone. Nuvo got to his feet and crossed the room to his desk only to sit back down in his chair, fiddling with the documents strewn atop it.

Nigreos looked the man over for a moment. He was a very overweight man with a bald head and thick brown beard. If not for the intelligent look in his eyes, Nigreos would never have perceived him as being anything more than a rich fool of a man.

“You’ve gotten fatter,” Nigreos growled, reaching up to remove his cowl so that the man before him could see his face.

“I’ve gotten richer,” he replied. “The shop is doing better than ever. In fact, I just made quite the deal with one of my best clients today. Should bring in a shitload of coin by the end of the week. Now, if only somebody hadn’t chosen to pop in today and I might’ve been able to call it the best day of the year.”

Nigreos snorted. “Oh, I think you’ll still be able to. After all, I’m here to purchase something from you.”

“That’s what I’m worried about,” Nuvo snapped. “If you came to me of all people then there’s no doubt you want something you can’t procure elsewhere.”

“You’re correct there,” the Master admitted. “And I hope you realize that I’m willing to pay you handsomely for it.”

The merchant leaned back in his chair and sighed. “Well, then out with it. The fuck do you want from me, Master Noctis? If I have it, I’ll consider your offer.”

Nigreos remained silent for a moment, wanting to give Nuvo a chance to imagine what he might want before replying.

“I need to get my hands on a nerich,” he said simply.

True to his craft, Nuvo didn’t reveal any of what he was thinking inside. His face was still and unreadable. Yet even so, Nigreos could see the hint of surprise that flashed across his eyes.

“A nerich, eh?” he grunted. “And what makes you think I’d have something like that?”

“Don’t act like you don’t,” Nigreos replied firmly. “I can sense it, Nuvo. A creature like that reeks of dark magic…and I happen to be the Master of that particular field. I could sense it just by passing your shop.”

The merchant narrowed his eyes. “And why would you want a creature like that?”

“Not your business,” Nigreos stated. “It doesn’t matter to you what I do with it. What matters is how much I pay, correct?”

Nuvo slowly rose to his feet once again, folding his hands together behind his back.

“And how much are you willing to offer?” he inquired.

“One thousand…” the Master answered. “…sayus.”

This time, Nuvo’s eyes went wide though Nigreos suspected it wasn’t by accident.

“A thousand sayus? How desperate are you, Noctis?!” he exclaimed.

A sayu was the most valuable type of coin in Ijiria. The poorest class could only hope to make one of them a month if even that. It was a coin often used solely by the rich and powerful when buying rare and priceless items. The Council had given Nigreos and Album full use of the royal treasury to prepare for their mission and originally, he hadn’t thought it necessary. However, it was Album who urged that they take some protective measures on the rare chance that whatever mage they encountered in Omaruo was too much for them to handle. Therefore, after thinking it through, he decided to approach Nuvo with the deal. After all, any dark mage worth their shit knew how powerful a well used nerich could be.

“Desperate?” Nigreos parroted with a smirk. “I’m not desperate at all. It’s quite the rare item…especially seeing as it’s illegal in Ijiria. You probably own the only one within two hundred miles of the city. So, it’s only natural that I pay what it’s worth, yes?”

Nuvo reached up to scratch his beard, his eyes twinkling in an obvious intrigue that Nigreos was sure he didn’t care to hide.

“And do you have the coin on you?” he asked sternly.

Nigreos nodded. “I do. And you can have it up front if you provide me with what I want.”

“Ah, fucking hell, Noctis,” he grumbled. “Fine. Don’t suppose I could say no to you even if I wanted to. Come along.”

The man waddled toward the door, motioning for Nigreos to follow after him. The Master pulled his hood back over his head, reactivated the charm, then followed after his business associate with a smug grin. Nuvo understood what position he was in. Denying Nigreos what he wanted could very well end him up in jail. If the Master dropped even a hint about his black market dealings to the Captain of the Guard then the entire shop would be seized. Nigreos followed him down the hall before turning toward the stairs leading back down. As they walked, the Master heard a chittering sound coming from the rafters and looked up in curiosity.

“Ah, ignore that,” Nuvo grunted. “Got a bit of a problem with dark spirits. I keep killing the little shits, but they just keep coming back. Haven’t been able to find their nest yet.”

Nigreos smirked, knowing how irritating a dark spirit infestation could be. His thoughts briefly flashed back to the glemlin he had seen out in the market and smirked.

“You ever consider adopting a glemlin?” he suggested as they reached the bottom of the stairs. “I hear they’re great for dealing with pests of the sort.”

Nuvo snorted. “Like hell I’d ever want one of those little rats running around my shop. My uncle used to have one and it would shit all over the house. Did a nasty one in his shoes one day and that was the last straw before the old guy stepped on its fucking neck.”

They proceeded down the hallway and passed the corridor that would lead back to the tavern, heading instead for Nuvo’s main shop for his wares. When they finally arrived, they found the place empty, which wasn’t surprising. Nuvo closed his main shop around sundown.

The room was quite large with a counter separating the area for customers from the area where Nuvo kept his more expensive merchandise. Some of his stuff was kept under the counter but Nigreos knew most of it was in a separate room behind the store.

“Give me a moment,” Nuvo said before disappearing through the doorway behind the counter.

Nigreos stood patiently as he waited for the man to return. As he looked around, he found that there were mostly household talismans on the shelves for display. A simple glance around the room would make him seem no different than any other merchant. Moments later, Nuvo emerged from the back room, an unnerved look on his face, before placing something down on the counter.

“Here you go, Noctis,” he grunted. “I hope it’s to your liking.”

Nigreos knew without having to look that it was exactly what he had requested. The strength of the dark mana emanating from it was enough to convince him of that. The item was a small, liquet canister about eight inches tall and six inches wide. Inside, he could see a small creature skittering about. Its body was a black circle about the size of his fingertip with long spindly legs sticking out. He called it a creature but it wasn’t technically alive. It was an amalgamation of dark mana that acted at random unless commanded by a strong enough user of dark magic.

“I can’t imagine what you need the bloody thing for,” Nuvo growled. “But it’s yours, Noctis. Hell, I doubt there are very many who could actually control the damned thing.”

Nigreos leaned forward to look closer at it. The nerich instantly reacted to his own dark mana as it rushed toward him, desperately trying to escape the canister to get at him.

“And is it guaranteed to work?” Nigreos asked softly.

Nuvo scoffed. “Of course not. Nothing is ever guaranteed. That thing will work on most but not everybody. If the target has a strong enough willpower, they might be able to overcome it. You, for example, would never be contained by its spell.”

Nigreos smirked. “Well, you really are being honest. I would’ve thought you’d invent some lie to convince me that it would work unconditionally.”

“Not with you,” the other man growled. “You’re too clever for that. And I’m no fool. You probably know more about that thing than I.”

“Perfect,” he replied, reaching out and taking the canister before sliding it into the pocket of his pants. Then, before Nuvo could protest, he tossed a rather large leather pouch of coins onto the counter. “That should do it.”

Nuvo grimaced. “I suppose it should.”

“A pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Tannath,” Nigreos said as he began making his way toward the door.

“And you, Master Noctis.”

Leaving Nuvo behind, Nigreos made his way back toward the tavern, anxious to get back to the Citadel as fast as he could. He was confident that his trip was worth it and that the nerich would provide them with a strong enough force to use against the mage in Omaruo. Nuvo had said that it wouldn’t be able to control everybody but, aside from the mage, he was certain it could handle anybody in a magicless realm and he had no intentions of using it on the mage.

When he went through the door and back outside, he found the market just as crowded and busy as when he first arrived. Deciding he didn’t want to push through the crowd again, he made his way past the stalls and toward the back alleys that would take him around the market. It would be a longer route but it would be more isolated. Slowly, making no indication that he was in a rush, he walked down the dimly lit roads.

He couldn’t help but feel a sense of disgust as he walked. The last time he had come this direction had been the night of the Citadel attack when he had gone in pursuit of Rista Pine. Even after so much time had passed, he still couldn’t help but feel furious at himself for allowing Pine to escape. He had been a mere boy and, despite his skill with wind magic, had been someone Nigreos should have been able to dispatch with ease.

So why couldn’t I? Why did I decide to go easy on him?

He asked himself that question so often despite having an idea of the answer. Even Album had come to the same conclusion though she didn’t refrain from telling him exactly what she thought. At the end of the day, the reason he tried to spare Rista Pine was because he was a Child of Reiner. When he looked into Pine’s eyes, he saw a look of determination that he knew had been put there by Abi. The memory of his old friend had made him desperate to find a way to convince Pine to stand down.

God, no wonder Album’s so furious with me. Even after everything Abi did, I still can’t forget her. I can’t forget all of that time we spent together!

He clenched his teeth. And if I couldn’t bring myself to take down one of Abi’s orphans, how can I expect to face down her biological son?

In that moment, he recalled how Album had so mercilessly erased Rista Pine without a second thought. To her, stopping Pine was her duty and she refused to let her emotions get in her way. Nigreos knew he should be more like her and yet, he also knew that it wasn’t necessarily Album’s decision to be so emotionless. There was no denying that she had changed significantly since their early days.

If I can’t bring myself to strike down Eric Reiner should it be necessary then Album won’t hesitate to step in and do it in my place. I know this…

So I just have to pray that the boy…that Abi’s son, has nothing to do with this.

Just as the thought went through his head, Nigreos came to a sudden stop. Slowly, the Master turned and slowly looked around the empty neighborhood street that he had been walking down. Though the streetlights were dim, he couldn’t see any sign of people despite the sudden alert from his instincts that he was being watched. He narrowed his eyes, slowly bringing his mana to the tips of his fingers so he would be ready to be attacked on a moment's notice.

I sense four...no, five people. They’re all around me. However, I can’t tell if they’re hostile or not. They shouldn’t know who I am so if anybody’s watching me, they probably think I’m just an average traveler. Maybe I can use that to my advantage and test the waters a little bit.

“Who’s out there?” he called. “I sense you. Come on! Show yourselves!”

For another moment, the street remained eerily quiet. Then, all at once, five figures came into view as if popping out of thin air. He immediately knew they had been using distortion magic to conceal their presences and that was why he hadn’t been able to see them. Two of them were standing on the roofs of the houses on either side of him, the other two were nearly twenty yards behind him, and the last was standing thirty yards straight ahead of him. All were wearing cloaks and all had longswords gripped in their hands.

Their distortion was too good, Nigreos internally remarked. These people aren’t mere thieves. No...this is something else.”

“Who are you and why are you watching me?” Nigreos demanded.

The one who responded was the figure ahead of him, who he quickly realized was female.

“Well met, Nigreos Noctis,” she replied.

He kept his surprise from showing despite his features still being concealed. What? She knows who I am? How? Are they powerful enough to sense my mana? If so then...who are they?

“If you know who I am,” he began cautiously, “then you should know how foolish you are for drawing swords in my presence and following me.”

“Perhaps,” she called back. “Although, then again, we do outnumber you five to one. Sure...maybe you’re a Master, but you’re still one man. I don’t think we’re the ones who should be afraid.”

She’s confident, I’ll give her that, he mused. But that doesn’t make her any less of an idiot. I’m not in any danger. Perhaps if the sun had been up, I may have had a problem but in my element, they could have ten more people and they still wouldn’t walk away alive.

“Outnumber me?” he replied. “Then I take it, you intend to fight me? This should be obvious even to a child, but assaulting a Master of Ijiria is punishable by death.”

She laughed mirthlessly. “Only if we get caught, which we don’t plan to.”

Nigreos could sense those behind him steadily drawing closer as if preparing to strike him at any moment. He could hear it in the woman’s tone of voice that they all fully intended to try and kill him. It was a bold move seeing as how close he was to the Night Market.

Damn it. I really just wanted to get home. I didn’t need this tonight. He sighed. Whatever, let’s get this done with.

“And what reason would you have to want to harm me?” he called over to her. “As far as I’m aware, we’ve never met. Perhaps you could have been polite enough to at least introduce yourselves before threatening me.”

She shook her head. “Our names don’t matter to you. All that matters is that you die, Master of Darkness! You will pay for what you’ve done to our brothers and sisters! Now… Proto!”

“Proto!”

Just as the woman called out her incarnation, the other four did the same. All at once, the hooded figures launched from their spots and began soaring in his direction, weapons raised to cut him down. However, despite knowing he wouldn’t be dying that night, Nigreos felt a sense of dread wash over him.

Their brothers and sisters? Then...these people are…

Children of Reiner.