Chapter 231: Partner (Patreon)

Argrave lowered down the wooden-framed glass display case containing the bronze set of jewelry he’d came to get. It settled delicately on the uneven stone of the heart chamber, the pieces within staying fixed atop a velvet pillows. Everyone else was similarly hauling things, setting them in uneven heaps. It was impossible to tell the value of much of what they saw—neither Vera nor Hegazar were experts at discerning inscriptions from the Order of the Rose.

“It seems the thing we really ought to be discussing is logistics…” Hegazar mused. His body was unused to carrying things and he did not deign to use magic for the task, so his haul was relatively light. “Even if things are divided, how are we to carry this back?”

Vera set down her box, and then said without much care, “A local caravan, perhaps. I have enough to pay for my own passage. If you can’t pay similarly… I could be persuaded to help you if you part with more of this gear. We would return together. This equipment is valuable enough to warrant our personal escort, I should think.”

“Of course I—” Hegazar began, but then stopped and shook his head. “We waste time. Let’s get back.”

Once Vera and Hegazar turned back, Argrave covertly cast a spell. He could acutely feel his Brumesingers rush to obey his command. The two Magisters were still cautious and comfortably slow, and Argrave was glad of this fact. Considering Anneliese was linked to Argrave’s druidic bond through the B-rank spell [Progenitor], she would surely know what he was doing, and be amply prepared to act in kind.

Argrave played things cautiously. He allowed several return trips to the vault, both for the Magisters to relax their guard and for Argrave to get his Brumesingers in a better position. After several journeys, the Magisters got into the rhythm of things. Argrave found ample time to command his Brumesingers to take their position and ready their mist.

When they arrived back at the vault for the umpteenth time… the sight to greet them was dark elven warriors holding display cases in their hands. The scene was so shocking that all paused, and a silence persisted. At once, the warriors retreated deeper into the vaults, dropping the cases they held.

After frantically checking all present, especially Hegazar, Vera did not waste a second in pursuing them. She paused at the entrance to the vault, scanning the room for where the foes had gone. Content no ambush waited, she proceeded. Hegazar’s illusory form rushed forth as if in frenzy, while his true body lingered near the doors.

Argrave panicked briefly that Hegazar would not enter as seconds passed on. When things persisted for too long, he made as though advancing through the door to follow the two Magisters… but grabbed Hegazar’s body and pushed him. The smaller man was easily moved, no time given to prepare a spell. As though timed, the doors started to shut. In short order, the titanic walls of metal slammed together, enchantments shimmering as if sentencing those within.

Argrave held both hands to the metal door, his heartbeat far too fast. As what he’d done dawned on him, he started to laugh. He turned around and took a deep breath of sweet air.

“Hahaha!” Argrave shouted, throwing his fist up. “Holy… god damn,” he stepped forth to Anneliese, who opened her eyes just as a golden bird perched on her shoulder. They both had the same idea—a hearty embrace, with a sweet and deep kiss of satisfaction following.

“How sweet,” a husky voice entered Argrave’s ears.

At once, it felt like a maggot had wormed its way into Argrave’s throat. He broke away from Anneliese and stared back at the tunnel from whence they’d come. A bald man leaned his shoulder against the wall, a wide grin on his face.

“Maybe my lecturing about love being a burden was a bit misguided. Very nice attempt. You certainly fooled Vera like nothing else… how satisfying, seeing her locked away like she belongs,” the Magister took slow, steady steps forth. “But come now. Illusions are my domain. You think I wouldn’t be able to notice you could see my true body, Argrave? It’s hard to act like you can’t see something, Kinslayer, least of all for days on end.

“You think I wouldn’t do my research?” Hegazar continued, gloating. “You think I wouldn’t know you’d contributed druidic magic to the Tower, that you might have… other actors? A pretty bird, some little foxes… it’s certainly sly. The theatric with your snow elf retainer—amazing! I can see why Vera missed it. She’s used to betraying, but not being betrayed. I am, though.” Hegazar shook his head. “Commendable. But all that’s done, now.”

Argrave braced himself, waiting for the next move of the S-rank spellcaster.

Though Argrave was bracing to meet his maker, Anneliese put her hand on his shoulder. “You wear no illusion anymore, do you?” Anneliese inquired, with a voice that did not sound afraid at all.

Hegazar held his arms out. “In the flesh, but just as handsome. Maybe even more so,” the Magister mused. “If you saw through my illusion, too… well, you’re better at hiding that fact than lover boy. Not that it matters,” he shook his head. “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, after all.”

The fact that nothing was happening made Argrave come alive once more. Discrepancies aligned, and he raced to a hypothesis. That hypothesis led Argrave to will himself to see the magic within. And what he saw within Hegazar was a great mass of magic, far beyond Argrave or Anneliese’s.

Hegazar’s magic was far beyond them… but also greatly diminished.

Veritable gears and cogs fell into place like a clocktower being set into motion in Argrave’s head. Hegazar had realized Argrave was seeing through his illusion magic… yet the Magister wasn’t certain how. As such, to guarantee he’d be able to fool Argrave, Hegazar cast illusion magic of a much higher grade than the one he commonly utilized. Apparently, even Master Castro had needed a few days to recover his magic after using an S-rank spell to use another, and that was a centuries-old spellcaster.

On top of that, Anneliese’s Starsparrow had pulled free the ear key in the brain chamber, locking all important doors and escaping back to them. Hegazar didn’t know how to proceed from there—their master key would still be locked in the chamber.

These two factors were probably the only reason Hegazar did not simply ambush them and kill them outright.

And now… could they kill Hegazar? Argrave didn’t have the Blessing of Supersession. He didn’t see the necessity to regain it—he never thought he’d stand a chance against either of these two with or without it, so he decided to rely solely on his abilities to manipulate them. With four of them—one C-rank mage, two B-rank mages, and Galamon with Ebonice and his Giantkillers… could they fight and win?

Maybe, Argrave came to the mental conclusion. Hegazar heard that we killed Induen, plus his four B-rank royal guards. I’m sure he’s thinking the same thing—maybe he can kill us. But with a vault full of valuables behind us, and a unified party of unknown strength… he wants to look for another solution. A cleaner solution. He’s gambled a lot to get a higher position in this negotiation. If I give it to him…

“So… partner,” Argrave straightened his back and stood up tall, yet did not relax. “That vault back there—it’s got an angry S-rank mage inside. I think I can help you with a little pest removal. I’d just need a little bit of your help, a little charity.”

Durran and Galamon, perhaps not coming to the same conclusion Argrave had, looked at him as though he was mad. Hegazar put both hands behind his back.

“Charity?” Hegazar repeated vaguely, neither affirming nor denying Argrave’s beginning to an offer.

“How’s this?” Argrave stepped forward, ahead of everyone. Galamon attempted to stop Argrave, but he shrugged the elf’s arm off. “You, me, everybody here—we collaborate to move this fortress to a different location. An old, nearly abandoned sewer system in Dirracha. I mentioned this idea to you earlier. It’ll enable you to bring your people here, get things in order to open the old vault, meet Vera once more… and better prepared.”

“Why not let her suffocate?” Hegazar said coldly. “Swoop in after…”

“I don’t assume she’ll let that happen,” Argrave shook his head slowly. “She’ll play it calm for now, but if things get desperate in there? Expect her to test this vault’s limits. It’s a little less unbreakable from the inside. Even if she can’t get out, you can be sure she’ll destroy everything in spite.”

Hegazar nodded slowly. “A fair point.”

“I only hope you’ll be willing to part with something. A little finder’s fee. Everything in the heart chamber,” Argrave held his hand out. “There’s a lot of stuff left in that vault. Definitely a lot more than half, which is probably the best you might’ve gotten from Vera.”

“Probably seventy-five percent left,” Durran contributed, going all-in with Argrave on this gamble.

Hegazar stared up at Argrave with his cold, dark eyes. “The things in the cages, too?”

Argrave stepped away as though thinking, but he was really looking to Anneliese for guidance. She gave the slightest nod. Argrave turned back.

“Yes,” he confirmed.

“How, dare I ask, did you come up with this offer?” Hegazar tilted his head.

Galamon’s hand hovered near the Ebonice axe on his belt, prepared for anything. Argrave wavered slightly before the tense situation. He swallowed, steeling his resolve. “It’s an offer I thought would make everyone happy. Except Vera, of course. Everything goes back to the way it was. Everyone is rich, happy, and powerful. Not another spell cast—all our worries laid to rest. And you get an undeniable victory of unquantifiable scope against someone who wronged you so much in the past.”

Hegazar stared at Argrave for an uncomfortably long time. Then, he opened his mouth in a grin and said, “However will we get back in the brain chamber, partner?”

Argrave smiled and rubbed his hands together. “To say the least… we’re definitely not the first to lock ourselves out when the key is still inside. And I may have embellished a few points. Nothing personal, of course…”

#####

“The ear is one key to the mind,” Argrave shouted aloud, mouth close to the metal door.

Like the initial opening had only been a show, the round metal door blocking the entrance to the brain chamber opened up. Hegazar watched Argrave in surprise.

“You just lied right to our faces, putting that key into the slot?” the Magister said, gaze wandering to the spot. “You were playing a high-stakes game, it would seem.”

“No. The ear is still in the slot on the other side. Anneliese pulled the key out slightly and put it back in. Her Starsparrow is quite fast, you see,” Argrave looked back to her. The bird on her shoulder stared back at Argrave almost proudly. “If I screamed with no answer… I had a backup plan. Maintenance area. Very dangerous.”

Hegazar watched the two in what might’ve been wonder, but his face quickly turned bitter as he noted their smiles. “Hmm… let’s just get this over with before I change my mind.”

All of them stepped within the brain chamber. Argrave looked to be sure everything was in order, then stepped within. He was acutely aware of Hegazar’s presence, waiting for any last-moment betrayals. He thought things were put to bed… but they’d only be so once this living fortress started moving.

“Alright,” Argrave cracked his knuckles, looking at the Magister. “We command this thing to move 3.2 furlongs, hold our hand to the apparatus, and it does its work.”

“We?” the Magister repeated.

“If you’re in the mood for charity,” Argrave nodded.

“This thing drains magic, does it not?” Hegazar looked at it. “Without magic, what am I? A fleshy bag who’s never been in a fight. At the very least, you can carry much more than I can… I don’t wish to imagine how hard you hit. All of you.”

Argrave’s gaze wandered to Hegazar’s fingers. “I wonder how many B-rank spells you have in those rings, there. And you’ve certainly got more jewelry hidden—hard to see behind the gray robes. I got a few more rings from Induen, but none of them fit, and I don’t know what they do… it’s hard to compare.”

Hegazar brought his hand up and ran his thumb across the rings on his finger. “Well… even still…”

“I can have Galamon wait far away, if it comforts you,” Argrave assured. “Just consider this… a great equalizer. You can pull your hand free anytime, and I’m not even sure it’ll drain all our magic. These living fortresses—they’re very efficient at burrowing. The Order of the Rose was the foremost authority on earth magic, after all. The surface won’t even be disturbed.”

“You’ll get it started,” Hegazar said, paranoid to the end. “Provided nothing strange happens, I’ll join after… a second or two.”

Argrave nodded. “Well then… let’s get going, partner.”