Chapter 52 Descent into Hedonism (Patreon)

Nathan took his time with the door, laboring over the fiendishly complicated enchantment with a single-minded focus. It didn’t hold the elegance or power of many of the more ancient enchantments Nathan had interacted with, but it made up for it in sheer bloody-minded paranoia and layers of reinforcing and authenticating enchantments.

He erred on the side of caution in disabling the lock, and was forced to dissolve a chunk of the enchantment with his aura. It was possible that somebody would figure out that it had been disabled by antimagic instead of bypassed with normal mana, but it was the only way to be sure he wasn’t going to set off an alarm.

After double- and triple-checking that the security enchantment was properly disabled and the bar had been magically raised, he cautiously pulled the door open.

{Wizard’s Intuition 4 achieved!}

{Mid-tier Aura Manipulation 6 achieved!}

Jeez, that thing was like a swiss watch. Some poor guy probably spent three months putting it together. But it was probably a Giantsrest artisan mage, so I feel more concern for the slave craftsperson that built the door.

Faline was keeping watch, though she was shooting looks at him as he worked. Anxiety was clear on her sculpted face, but it transformed to murderous glee when the door swung open noiselessly.  She stepped forward and seemed about to kiss Nathan, but he pulled back and gestured her through the portal.

She murmured softly as she passed, tapping a small makers’ mark set into the lock. “That was an adamant-rated ward. With your Talent, the only target we cannot strike is the Academy itself.”

Then they prowled through the door, finding an empty hallway stretching into the building. Doors opened left and right, but they were all closed. Laughter and the clanking of cutlery echoed from deeper in, and Nathan followed Faline as she ghosted down the corridor. He wasn’t the target of her stealth skills, knew she was there, and had perception and mental protection skills/ She still became a black-robed blur that was hard to focus on.

The hallway opened out into a fancy sitting room well-provisioned with couches. Side tables were well-supplied with fancy bottles full of colored drinks ready to pour into crystal glasses. A few trays held ground herbs Nathan didn’t know, and the tray of pipes made their intended use clear. The room looked like it was prepared for later on, when the guests had finished their business and retreated to a more intimate setting for relaxed socializing.

A maid stood statute-like in front of another door leading out of the room. The black blur of Faline closed in and she gave a faint gasp and crumpled.

Nathan winced, crossing the distance to check the fallen woman. She still breathed evenly, and he looked up towards Faline in surprise. He hadn’t been expecting her to be merciful.

She twirled an enchanted rod that looked a lot like a taser before it vanished back into her robes. “[Sleep] enchantment. Slow to recharge, and must touch bare skin. But the death of a slave may trigger an alarm, and this lays a trail saying that mages were here. Now, stand straight. We are guests, invited to show that the Nails live beyond their archmage.”

He nodded. “What if there are other Nails present?” He pulled in his aura, containing it inside a close radius around his body. Some of the mages here would be able to directly sense mana, and he couldn’t have his aura spilling out everywhere.

Faline shrugged offhandedly, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Then we represent a different faction of Nails. Only Cala knew all in their ranks, and none will be surprised that they have splintered at her death.”

She opened the door, letting in a wave of sound and light. Faline strode authoritatively out onto a second-floor landing, where a small group of mages were huddled around a small table loaded with a small buffet. They were looking out over the balcony at the crowd of mages below, gossiping in anxious whispers.

Nathan recognized Niray dha Norenusk, the young war mage who had pushed to be involved in the decision-making process and been invited to the party as a result. The others with her were all similarly young, and it seemed they’d been taking a break from the politicking of the party. To Nathan’s eye they looked overwhelmed by the pressure.

They turned as the door opened, jumping at Faline’s sudden appearance and shrinking slightly under her knowing smile. Their eyes widened as the black robes of the Giantsrest secret police registered. As one the younger mages pulled together to present a united front to the duo.

Faline didn’t give the surprised mages time to recover. “Wary of placing your hand in the blaze? No surprise, given your lack of value here. You lack power, money and friends.” Her attention turned to the crowd below. “Friends who matter. You should be down there, seeking patrons. They may be able to protect you from what is coming.” Faline snorted slightly, as if amused by a private joke. Then she turned away, making for the staircase with a dismissive wave. “Choose wisely.”

None of the younger mages said anything in response, though one of them whispered a spell. It was barely audible to Nathan’s enhanced senses.

[Tracking Mark]

He felt the spell reach towards him and whirled, bringing up his hand in a cutting gesture and pretending to cast a spell of his own. “[Dispel].” His antimagic lashed out and shredded the spell, also cracking through the offender’s [Mage Armor] like a club through a thin pane of glass. Nathan took an aggressive step towards the clustered mages, a predatory smile on his face as they all shrunk back from the implied threat.

{Low-tier Disguise 10 achieved!}

Now what? I’ve done well acting the part of the thug, but if I need to move beyond threats it’ll be pretty obvious I’m not a mage. Mages don’t punch people.

He was glad to feel Faline’s gentle hand on his shoulder, gentle but restraining. It was accompanied by a low chuckle and a gentle admonishment. “We all weave the same color for tonight. Leave the young ones to their schemes.” Her gaze refocused on them, icy and threatening. “But my indulgence is done. Do not attempt to interfere with the Nails.”

With that he and Faline turned and left together, leaving a group of thoroughly cowed young mages behind and descending the sweeping staircase to join the party below. They joined the party in a bubble of silence, moving through an open space as the guests reacted to their robes and scurried out of their path. People avoided their eyes, seeming not to want to give any invitation to talk.

The Nails have cultivated a reputation, I see. Seems fitting to take advantage of it.

A tall, imposing man in a green robe in the center of the next room turned away from his conversation and frowned deeply at their presence, his stately brows coming down in a thunderous expression. The rest of the party went silent and the space between them cleared as he inhaled angrily and addressed them. “The Nails show themselves. Cala dha Drex is gone and you look for a new sponsor in my home? I don’t know you, but the Nails did not earn themselves an invitation.”

He seemed to be working himself up into a fury, and paused to look around the room. “Who invited you? What fool brought you into my home?” His tone promised disfavor, and nobody responded until his gaze landed back on Faline.

She met his gaze evenly, a slight smile across her sumptuous lips as she gave a measured and respectful dip of her head. “Honored mage Nol dho Chokiz.  Your party is a place to speak and mingle with the Giant’s fingers, so that the Giant’s Nails may know how best to serve the Academy. In this time of Ascension, we seek to know the people who should be known.”

“Who. Invited. You.” The man ground the words out, his face reddening as he stared at Faline.

She tilted her head, as if innocently confused.“Nobody. We came on our own. You have a gorgeous estate.”

The blood drained from the man’s face as quickly as it had come, and he gasped like a beached fish. “You stole into my house? Past Adamant wards? But the Nails can’t…”

Faline’s expression was a work of art, with a warm and friendly smile paired with eyes like sharpened icicles. The bearer of that expression would not start a fight, but she would finish one. “We are here to speak and listen, if we are welcome. If we are not...”

I suppose she is trying to avoid a fight? It would be pretty obvious we weren’t Nails if we actually started here. I can probably survive a fight that starts like this, but I’m not so sure about Faline.

Everybody had taken another few steps back, leaving the center of the large room empty. But several mages had moved to flank Nol, ready to act on his command. He looked around and seemed to gather confidence from his supporters, sneering in response. “Bah, this is a trick. You disguised yourself as other guests to enter, though you will tell me how you fooled the divination enchantment.” He brought his hands up and spoke deliberately to cast a spell.

[Mage Armor]

He cast the spell provocatively, baiting for a reaction. Faline didn’t give him one, but the tension in the room ticked upwards. The mages to either side of the enslavement mage mirrored the spell, becoming sheathed in their own protective magic. But Nol wasn’t leaping straight to a fight, and he spoke dismissively.  “Cala was the hand that guided the Nails. Now she is dead, and you pretend more than you have. But I know of your weakness, and here you…”

Faline interrupted his tirade. “Did you think Cala the only power of the Nails?” She tipped her hand towards Nathan.

He stepped forward, frantically trying to figure out what to say now that he’d been prompted.

The cardinal rule of improv is ‘yes, and’. You take what your partner gives you, agree and then add another layer on top of it. So let’s do that.

Nathan brought his open hand up between them, palm up. He sneered at Nol and spoke in a grating voice. “The Nails have Insights beyond what you know, old man. Insights from the Founders.” Then he clenched his fist, and slashed out with his aura. Nol’s [Mage Armor] shattered, along with that of every other mage who stood with him.

Risky, but confirmation bias means they’ll see what they expect to see. Which is a Nail using wordless magic they don’t understand to pop a bunch of [Mage Armor] spells with a gesture.

{Congratulations, you have developed the [Low-tier Disguise] utility skill into [Mid-tier Disguise].

Utility skill: [Mid-Tier Disguise]

This skill will make your disguises more convincing in the future, especially in conversation.}

The mages confronting them hadn’t been struck in any physical way, but they all staggered back at the loss of their protective magic, some of them tripping over furniture and falling over. Gasps sounded from the room around them, and all of the other guests tried to both get out of the line of fire and maintain a line of sight on what was about to happen.

Nathan brought his aura back under tight above his skin, ready for action. Either they’d fight now, or they’d watch him carefully from now on. He was poised on the balls of his feet, ready to leap forward but unwilling to strike and ruin the masquerade unless necessary.

Nol dho Chokiz stood upright and glared murder at Nathan. His anger had turned cold, and the Enslavement mage’s eyes were calculating as they flitted from him to Faline, judging the level of threat. He focused on Nathan first, and a spindly thread of mana reached out for him. But it didn’t approach normally, instead moving through the extra dimension where mana pools existed.

He’s got some kind of skill, enchantment or silent spell that can check somebody’s mana pool. [Mage Infiltration] says it will give me a fake mana pool, but I haven’t practiced with it.

He quickly shaped his antimagic into the approximate shape of a mana pool, which he knew well from breaking dozens of them earlier. He made it big, nearly the same size as Stella’s, and then raised a mocking eyebrows as the searching tendril reached Nathan.

Nol dho Chokiz sucked in a surprised breath and the tendril snapped back. He looked shaken once more, and swallowed heavily. The enslavement mage took a second to regain his focus, struggling to come up with words. After a moment he just nodded curtly, addressing Faline. “You may listen to our words. I will give a speech soon, and you will hear the truth of Giantsrest, though it will not please you.”

{Mid-tier Disguise 2 achieved!}

Then he turned on his heel and left, passing through an innocuous curtained opening underneath the stairs. His supporters all looked at each other awkwardly and stepped back, trying to escape the public eye and fade back into the crowd.

Nathan looked to Faline, feeling the attention from all around the room. He shrugged. “That was abrupt. Was it wise?”

Her smile was satisfied, wide without a hint of teeth. “Indeed. We have won our admittance. Now it’s time to meld with the walls and listen.” She gestured, and they walked over to the side of the room, near the doorway Nol had passed through. From here Nathan could see into the next room, which looked like a presentation space. Tables groaned with food along the edges of the room, and dozens of chairs faced a stage with a podium on it.

The conversation in the room was slow to start up again, but hushed whispers turned into open conversation over a minute or two. The room filled again as people reclaimed their spots and resumed conversations, though they avoided the faux Nails like there was a magical barrier around the two.

Nathan eavesdropped a bit, hearing some of the conversation going around. Unsurprisingly, some of it centered on them, though nobody seemed willing to openly confront them after his display. Oher topics abounded too, similar to what he’d overheard in the cafes and streets of Giantsrest. People were worried about the future, with the loss of the battle and the brazen murder of a pair of generally-liked mages in their home.

The difference was that these people seemed to have access to better information and more capabilities to fix the problems. Some groups discussed training new slave-elites to replace those who’d been lost in the battle, specialized in perception skills to prevent future ambushes. Others speculated on the faction that had killed Lang and Tharra dho Stedst, but with privileged information. They all knew more about the different factions and their conflicts than the average mage on the street.  One of them had seen the report of the people who’d investigated the compound, and spoke about expertly-bypassed enchantments, shooting a sideways glance towards where Nathan and Faline stood.

After a few more minutes without any drama, Nathan felt Faline carefully ramping up her stealth skills. He used his own skill to push attention away, following as she carefully slipped through the curtained to follow Nol. There was a subtle spell on the curtain that reached out to check if they were allowed. Nathan hadn’t noticed it among all of the other magic and hastily blanketed the alarm in his aura, disenchanting the curtain entirely before it could respond to Faline’s unauthorized entry.

Whoops. Hope that doesn’t get noticed.

Nobody seemed to notice their exit, and the narrow hallway on the other side of the door was empty for the moment. There were a few other openings into other rooms, and a slave turned the corner at the far end bearing a platter of food. The pretty man was intensely focused on not dropping the platter, and didn’t spare them a glance as he passed through another curtain and back into the party.

Faline strode down the passage, seeming to know exactly where she was going. As they walked there was an announcement that the guests should gather for Dol’s speech. Faline paused and leaned over to say a few quiet words into Nathan’s ear. “Kill Nol quickly and quietly. Don’t let him cast a spell, and don’t stain his robes. You handle any mages, I’ll take care of any others.”

Nathan nodded hesitantly, starting to understand the shape of Faline’s plan. They climbed a short staircase and pushed open a door to a small prep room, where Chokiz was standing in front of a tall mirror while an elderly slave busied herself adjusting his artfully graying hair.

The enslavement mage saw them in the mirror and his eyes widened in alarm. He spun as Nathan accelerated, and had time to yell for help. Instead his hands rose to cast a spell.

[Disintegrate]

The spellcasting itself was relatively quiet, and achieved precisely nothing. Nathan had already wrapped the man in his aura, and the mana drained away before it could even cohere into a spell. Then Nathan’s left hand covered the Chokiz’s mouth and as his right chopped at the back of the man’s neck. Bone crunched, and a muffled wheeze escaped as the imposing man flopped limply in Nathan’s arms.

An automatic healing enchantment tried to activate on an amulet around the enslavement mage’s neck, but Nathan killed the magic immediately and slowly lowered his victim to the floor, where his eyes rolled and mouth opened and closed with a quiet wheeze. Nathan turned to Faline, grimacing as he saw her cleaning bloody blades on the dead slave’s clothing. “He’ll be dead in a couple of minutes.”

She nodded, then gestured towards the dying man. “Help me get his robes off.”

They spent an awkward thirty seconds pulling the man’s sumptuous and multilayered robes off. Then Faline yanked off her black robe, standing naked over the prone form of the enslavement mage. Her figure morphed as she adopted the face and body of Dol dho Chokiz.

Her new voice was deep and commanding, a perfect match for the Enslavement mage who’d just confronted them. “Pile the bodies together. Atop the bloodstain.” She pulled on the set of green robes, which fit perfectly. She pointed towards the original’s hands, where a half-dozen enchanted rings sat on his fingers. “Which of these are safe?”

Nathan scanned them all with his magical senses, discarding any where there was any chance of danger. He pointed. “That one is the mage mark. These three are also fine, and the amulet. Though it’s discharged. ”

The disguised assassin reached down and pulled off the indicated jewelry, quickly donning them before turning towards the other exit to the room. She glanced over to Nathan. “Stay away from sight. I will speak, then fake my death. Reveal yourself on stage in the black robe, grab my body and come back to this room. I will firebomb the corpses, then we will flee. We’ll go out the first entrance on the left, which is close to a window facing the rear of the building. Then into the air and away as quickly as possible.”

On the floor the mage gurgled and died.

{Magekiller has leveled to 139! Congratulations, you have slain the prominent enslavement mage Nol dho Chokiz inside his own home, without any alarm being raised!}

Faline wasn’t distracted, and she waited until Nathan had given a nod in return before stepping forward and opening the side door to reveal the stage and podium they’d seen earlier. The anticipatory murmurs of the crowd indicated a full house.

Nathan watched as Faline strode confidently out onto the stage, perfectly matching the now-dead man’s gait. He was just catching up to what had happened.

Holy shit, we really did it. We snuck into the house of one of the richest men in Giantsrest and assassinated him. Now Faline is impersonating him, speaking to all of the most influential people in town with his authority. What a tour de force.

The disguised assassin gathered the attention of the crowd with a few deft gestures, and Nathan considered just how they’d pulled this off.

All of my abilities came into effect. Antimagic, especially being able to bypass magical security. Flight, stealth and disguise. But Faline… She needed me to bypass the magic and get her in, but all of this is based on her knowledge, stealth and social skills. I know she has a skill called [Dramatic Entrance] from her bard class, and I can’t help but wonder if that helped us pull this off. Or if she has other skills like it.

She’s an incredible force multiplier for me, like I am for her. I’m starting to believe we really can take down this city, so long as we can keep pulling shit like this. But now that she has this platform, this disguise, how is she going to use it?

{Utility skill: Low-tier Disguise

This skill will make your disguises more convincing in the future.}

{Pending utility skill: Mid-tier Disguise

This skill will make your disguises more convincing in the future, especially in conversation.}

{Overall Status:

{Status of Nathan Lark:

Permanent Talent 1: Aura of Antimagic 9

Permanent Talent 2: Perfected Body 9

Permanent Talent 3: Airwalking 4

Class: Void of Magic level 299

Deepened Stamina: 8627/9270

Void of Feeling

Antimagic Momentum

Raging Thrill

Implacable Inertia

Unarmored Resilience

Magic Anathema

Airborne Agility

Hand-to-hand Expertise

Voluminous Aura

Denial of Wizardry

Mana Severance

Class: Magekiller level 139

Regenerative Focus: 1197/1490

Catastrophic Blows

Battle Stealth

Mage Infiltration

Forgettable

Unsuspecting Strike

Antimagic Stealth

Spell Redirection

Lethal Index

Utility skills:

Battle Meditation 10

Inspiration 1

Acceleration 2

Wizard Senses 4

Alertness 5

Wizard’s Intuition 4

Effortless Dodge 1

Mental Fortress 7

Tutoring 2

High-tier Tumbling 10

High-tier Noticeability 4

Mid-tier Disguise 2

Mid-tier Battle Cry 7

Mid-tier Aura Manipulation 6}