Eve wasn’t thrilled to be pulled out of her mental chat with Nota to an argument between Jeffery’s nephew and some irritating new individuals that had arrived. Getting up from her comfortable chair, she hobbled over to the door letting the taller forms of Rex, Maxine, and Everburn conceal her.

Eve watched as a red-robed priest with a haughty expression said with a sneer to Rex, “We have every right to be here. The Cardinal personally assigned us to assist. If you have any issues with that, please, by all means, take it up with her.”

“You don’t have any right to be here Morgus, this is Guild business,” Rex replied to the arrogant priest.

“The Guild contract with the Cardinal stipulates she can attach advisors. We are advisors, by all means, go crying to the local Guildmaster, I’m sure he’ll support a contract-breaking team.” another red-robed priest with a supercilious expression said calmly.

“Are you threatening me Magren?” Rex said his tone cold.

Eve managed to struggle through the internal laughter of having two idiots named M and M within reach. To make it worse they were both clearly brothers sharing the same facial features. Rather than let things get further out of hand, she used her good hand to whack Rex’s leg with the cane. It was a not-so-subtle message to stop playing silly buggers.

“I’m sorry if you view the legalities of the Guild as a threat.” Magren said.

“Fine, since the Bishop and Cardinal both want to add people, I give up.” Rex said switching tactics with blinding speed. “We’ll take everyone, but our contract only requires us to lead the way. Safety is your own issue.”

Both the red robe priests blanched, but before they could say anything Rex gave a vicious smile and said, “Of course, if you have any issue with the contract, please feel free to take it to the Guildmaster. I’m certain he’ll be on the side of those wishing to break a valid contract.”

Very neat. Eve thought in amusement. Very vindictive too, but the young often are.

Eve glanced at the two red-robed priests casually barely restraining herself from retching. The souls of the two priests being added were stained with pitch-black tar-colored mana. Even as she watched, the sensation of something faintly looking back through the abyss occurred. Like a whispering feather of nothingness given tangible form the sensation echoed with something inside her own Soul. Even as horror started across her features Witch’s Dust roused ripping into the nothing that attempted to reach out to her. The eldritch power within her most trusted tool fed deeply on the phantom nightmare sensation eradicating it from existence.

Narrowing her eyes, Eve turned her attention to her Soul instantly spotting the reason for the echo. A faint thumbprint smudge of pitch-black tar ink marred the Mana construct of her own Soul. It was a tiny fingernail next to the ocean each red-robed priest contained. As her mind raced, a single word rose to the fore from memories combining with those in Eternal Memory.

Alignment. Eve thought in a flash. Alignment has something to do with this, something important that I can’t remember. Like the memory itself has been removed for my own safety? Or perhaps because remembering it would lead me to something else…

All the factors came together and Eve made a leap of intuitive logic to the singular being that could connect the dots.

Her brother, Matt was called the ‘Darkness’ could it be that he was dyed in the same substance to a greater degree? Or perhaps it was something else? Eve didn’t know for sure, but she was ever more certain that almost everything was simply mana in another form. It was the bedrock of existence, the very substance that allowed reality to function. The only exception to this she found yet was the willpower, runes, or words used to alter mana’s form. It was food for thought, and quite a tasty morsel too.

Questions spun in Eve’s mind like flickers of lightning-touched metal colliding. Since her attention was diverted she didn’t notice the attempt of the M and M brothers to bother her. Both foolish red robes had attempted to rudely gain her attention with words before resorting to physical intimidation. Unfortunately for the two idiots, Witch’s Dust prevented them from even touching the hem of her clothes. The silver dust started creeping out of her surroundings like a wolf’s fangs. While words wouldn’t trigger the auto-attack function, physical motions such as attempting to push her, and grab her shoulder easily met the threshold.

Eve’s attention was drawn back to the present from the high-pitched fearful screams of two man-children. A snort and a flicker of will pulled the silver dust back from existence causing it to fade around her once more. Rex and his team held barely suppressed laughter which caused Eve to give a sidelong glance to the younger drow before she said, “Waking me up means we are leaving, now, right?”

Rex straightened and said, “Of course, Granny Eve!” Moments later he was shouting at the two rogues who had managed to remain sleeping through the altercation. Rex herded both young men out with him while calling back, “We’ll meet you at the dungeon entrance, Granny!” The confused expressions of the two rogues were priceless.

Eve turned her attention to the two red-robed priests and said, “Ignorant little children shouldn’t touch a mage. There’s no telling what defensive spells might be activated.”

“Mage? A bag of bones like you?” Magren said with a sneer.

Morgus attempted to silence his brother with a look, but the other red robe ignored it.

“If you go down into the dungeon, you will die.” Eve said her face placid and calm.

“Are you threatening us?” Morgus said before his brother could respond.

“No, I’m stating an irrevocable fact. If you don’t like to hear the truth, then too bad. Weaklings like you cannot stop me from stating my views.” Eve said with a wrinkly smirk as she gave them the full force of her bright white smile filled with obscenely perfect teeth. Both brothers flinched before their arrogance bolstered their expressions. Ignoring the two, she turned to Maxine and asked, “Could I have a few moments of your time, dearie? I’ve always been interested in V’nor and his teachings.”

Maxine nodded regally and said, “Sharing the blessed knowledge of the light is a key teaching of the faith.” The younger woman didn’t hesitate to give a derisive sniff before continuing, “Although some faiths believe that secrets should be kept in the shadows. Sadly, such things lead to the fall of faith when those keeping them die out. A tragic turn of affairs, wouldn’t you say?”

“Absolutely.” Eve said with a smirk allowing the younger priestess to lead her to the side table she had occupied earlier. Finding another chair placed already, she took a seat while leaving her cane standing beside it. She noticed the two brothers took the casual display of power to heart and decided to retreat. As they exited the room to follow Rex, Eve closed the door sealing it shut with a casual flick of power.

The priestess introduced, Everburn, the mage who took a seat next to her. Each of them gave only a flicker of amusement towards Eve’s actions. Maxine gathered her thoughts before asking, “What can I answer for you, Mrs. Eve?”

“Granny is just fine, child. There’s no formality between family members, right?” Eve said with a withered smile before continuing, “Could you give me a bit of education on the Major Deities?”

“The Major Deities are those who do not suffer restrictions on them by the System. Some scholars argue they are the basis of Reality itself, facets of a Supreme Being whose name is unknown to us. Others claim they are powerful forms of Faith given consciousness by their followers.”

“Sentient mana?” Eve said with a raised eyebrow.

“Faith isn’t mana though, is it?” Maxine asked glancing at Everburn.

“Technically it is, just a highly concentrated form. Think of the difference between droplets of weak acid compared to a stronger one. Both are acid, but one is more ‘concentrated’ than the other, right?” Everburn said.

“Exactly. These old eyes can see the Mana in all its forms. In exchange for a small sacrifice to my Patron.” Eve said calmly, “Souls, Faith, Elements, all is mana in one form or another. Only the structure changes, not the substance.”

Everburn’s eyes lit up as sparks started to pop before she said, “Can you see…Runes?”

“Like this?” Eve said producing a runic symbol on the tip of her right index finger as she pointed it upward, “Or this? Perhaps this one?”

Everburn looked dazed as Eve went through almost a hundred Runes associated with Fire in a short time. She had made sure to move from the more common ones to completely esoteric versions and Eve was certain the mage wished she could remember them all.

“Very…nice.” Everburn said as her eyes appeared slightly out of focus.

Maxine glanced at her friend before casting a small healing spell to snap her out of the shock of seeing so many Runes. Eve grinned and said, “Now let me be frank. I didn’t want to scare the boys, much less inform those two nosy red-robed wankers, but you both deserve to know.” Both women leaned forward as Eve said, “The door you have discovered, looks eerily similar to the one my Patron knows called the Daedric Door. If it isn’t, that’s all well and good. However, if it is the same one, what lies beyond the Door will be a link to the Planes of Oblivion.”

Everburn gasped, “Void Planes?”

“Indeed.” Eve nodded, “Planes located within the Void itself run by a capricious lot who take the name of Daedra as a collective term. We aren’t likely to encounter any of their Royals, but just in case keep V’nor close in your heart.”

“Evil fears nothing more than the Light.” Maxine said, inclining her head to Eve.

“Daedra can be resistant to certain Elements, but Fire is still a valued weapon.” Eve said looking at Everburn, “Make sure to melt anything that might exit the Door. I’ll ensure a Seal that prevents further problems if I must.”

“What if an army is waiting on the other side?” Maxine asked with a slightly nervous expression.

“In that case I’ll get us all out of there, alive. At that point, it will be up to the City Lord to handle. Tier Seven’s get all the wonderful privileges they have for times like this.” Eve said with a shrug.

“On another note, do you have any method to detect Soul damage?” Eve asked Maxine.

“Do you mean Sin or Virtue?” Maxine asked perking up.

“I’m, actually not sure what those are?” Eve said, “Those sound familiar but I’m a bit old dearie.”

“Oh! Yes, I’m sorry you just seemed so sharp earlier.” Maxine said nodding, “Sin is things that darken the Soul, actions that take light from the world. Virtue is things that brighten the Soul, actions that bring light into the world.”

Very. Interesting. Eve thought as her eyes glinted with the zeal of learning new things. I will be able to investigate quite a few theories using those two pawns.

“Thank you for helping these old bones learn.” Eve said as she rose to grasp the cane at her side, “Let’s depart for the dungeon and finish this bit of nastiness up right quick.”

Nodding both women rose and followed Eve as she exited the room.

Pausing outside the room, Eve glanced at Maxine who took the hint to lead the three out of the temple.

Once they had exited Eve said, “Grab my shoulders, I’ll bring us to the menfolk.”

Spatial Step brought everyone to the entrance of the next floor. Maxine and Everburn looked impressed at the distance covered in a flicker of a moment.

“You can teleport, Granny?” Rex said, recognizing their arrival.

“Of course, can’t everyone?” Eve said cheekily with a grin at the two rogues who grinned back at her.

“Ok, ok. Gear check everyone!” Rex said to his party.

Eve watched as the adventuring team made a serious check of their gear a stark contrast to the Cardinal’s people who didn’t bother.

Once everything was double-checked, Rex turned to hoist his shield up to the ready before marching to the steps of the next floor.

“Once we enter, everyone is sharp. Remember, the dungeon is not our friend. The dungeon is always hungry, don’t be the next meal.” Rex said as he began to descend downwards.