Grand Game 339: Forging Alliances (Patreon)

Elron and I spoke for hours.

I did not remove my disguise or share any of my own truths. There was no need to, and the possessed were already looking to the marshal for answers. I couldn’t risk my secrets falling into their hands. For his part, Elron did not pry, and I was certain he kept his own council on many matters.

We came up with a half a dozen schemes for evacuating New Haven. But every plan was convoluted and fraught with peril, and more crucially, they all presumed the possessed could be dealt with.

Finally, we both accepted the obvious.

Sitting back, I said what we both were thinking. “This is no use. We can’t finalize anything until we figure out a way to deal with the lich and the other possessed. And to do that, I must leave the city.”

Elron nodded. “I agree.”

“The first step will be to scout the archlich’s court. I only wish there was a way to get there quickly.” I sighed, thinking of the many miles of plateau I would have to trek across.

The marshal hesitated. “There is a way. But, like I said earlier, if you heed my advice, you will head east and find the exile before venturing into the possessed’s domain.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked sharply, ignoring the latter part of his statement to focus on the first. “What way?”

“There is a tunnel,” he replied. “It was constructed centuries ago.”

My brows rose in surprise. “A tunnel?” Elron had made no mention of this before. “Between the city and the lich’s court?”

He nodded mutely.

I threw up my hands. “But why didn’t you say so earlier? This changes everything!”

Elron shook his head. “It doesn’t.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Explain.”

“The tunnel is vigilantly guarded.” He leaned forward, his expression solemn. “Look, Taim, you know I’d back my men against any other prole army out there. But against the possessed? They stand no chance—especially in a small, confined space like the tunnel. Even Castor’s gang could hold it indefinitely against us.” He shook his head.  “Until the tunnel is cleared of the lich’s people, it is a death trap.”

I inclined my head, acknowledging the point. “But perhaps I could sneak through...”

“I doubt it.” He raised his palms before I could protest. “I’m aware you’re more capable than you want me or the council to believe, and maybe, just maybe, you can perform the feat as you claim. I still think it’s the wrong approach.”

“You want me to seek out the exile,” I accused. “That’s why you didn’t tell me about the tunnel.”

“You’re right,” the marshal said evenly.

His lack of denial caught me off-guard, and in a fit of pique, I almost refuted his advice there and then. But I reined in my irritation in time and forced myself to think through the matter.

I’d doubted Elron more than once during our short acquaintance. And so far, things hadn’t turned out so well for me. The marshal was a smart man, and he knew Draven’s Reach and the possessed better than I did. Did I doubt he hated the possessed? No. Did I believe he would betray me? No.

Then, perhaps, it's time I heed his words.

“Alright, we’ll do it your way,” I said at last.

Elron exhaled heavily, making no attempt to conceal his relief. “Thank you.”

I raised a cautionary finger. “But I want to know everything about this tunnel. Just in case.”

“Of course,” he agreed. “The tunnel is well-protected from external dangers and runs underground for its entire length, far below even the deepest chasm. It was constructed with two purposes in mind. First and foremost, to provide a means of quickly reinforcing the city during emergencies. And secondly, to evacuate New Haven’s populace when the time came.”

“Where is the entrance?”

Elron smiled. “In the lower levels of the same fortress you just escaped from.”

I lowered my head into my palms. “The council’s keep? Of course.”

Elron nodded. “That fortress is not the council’s though; it’s Cilia’s.”

My lips turned down. The two of us had spoken at length about New Haven’s rulers, and I was still irritated at myself for so easily being taken in by the dark elf. According to Elron, Cilia was the possessed’s staunchest ally on the council. “What are we going to do about her?”

The marshal knew what I was driving at. “Leave it to me,” he said grimly. “I’ll take care of matters with the council. You find the exile and deal with the lich.”

“Alright,” I agreed reluctantly and rose to my feet. “Then, I better get started.”

Elron stood too. “Come this way first. I have something for you,” he said and hurried out of the room before I could respond.

Following the marshal into the adjacent room, I found him ruffling through a chest. The room was an arsenal of sorts and overflowed with stygian weapons of all types.

“I know it’s somewhere around here,” Elron said, muttering to himself as he dug through the chest’s contents. A moment later, he yanked something out. “Aha! Found it.”

I studied the weapon in the marshal’s hand. It was a stygian shortsword, well-used but serviceable looking.

Without further ceremony, Elron placed the blade in my hands. “Here you go.”

You have acquired a basic stygian shortsword. This item is a well-crafted blade with no additional enchantments or properties.

“What’s this?” I asked, examining the weapon. It was not as good as any of my other swords, but in the absence of anything better, would do well enough as an offhand weapon.

“I remembered you asking Gamil for a sword and thought of this one.” He shrugged. “It’s not much, but it works against the stygians.”

“Thanks.” Stowing the blade away, I clasped hands with the dark elf. “I guess this is farewell then.”

“But only for now,” Elron said.

“For now,” I agreed.

✵ ✵ ✵

I left the marshal’s abode cloaked in shadow and slipped unseen into the closest alley. Glancing upward, I saw the silver dome was still active around the city. It seemed I had yet more time to kill.

And I knew just where to do that.

Orienting myself with the map Gamil had given me, I headed in the direction of the mages guild. Thanks to both the shopkeeper and the marshal, I’d gained a good grasp of the city’s geography. As a result, it did not take me long to reach my destination. Wearing a new face, I studied the tower ahead.

Judging by the number of window slits, it consisted of seven levels. From what Elron had told me, I knew it to be the focal point of the city’s protective dome. The mages who maintained it—whether they were possessed or not—would be gathered inside.

And the doors were wide open and unguarded.

Careless, I thought.

“You’re going inside?” Ghost asked.

I nodded.

“To kill the possessed?” she guessed.

“Only some of them,” I replied. “And only if I have to.”

“Why?” she asked, puzzled.

The spirit wolf had listened in on my conversation with the marshal, and she knew as well as I did that the dome around the city would be lowered soon. There was therefore no reason to seek out the possessed or enter their lair.

Except to get a measure of my foes.

“I’m going to have to go up against them eventually. Better I learn here and now what they’re capable of before I enter the lich’s court.”

“Oh,” she said, understanding my reasoning immediately. “What’s the plan then?”

I slipped the spectacles of ward seeing back on. Castor was an elite, but the rest of the possessed weren’t. I would not be able to see Castor’s spells, but the spectacles would do just fine against everyone else.

“I don’t have one. This is only an exploratory mission.” Wrapping myself in shadow, I crept across the street.

You are hidden.

I made it to the tower doors without incident. Bracing my back against the wall, I peered in. The entrance led into a large foyer area with two occupants: a human and an elf. From their speech and mannerisms, I marked both as young. Reaching out with my will, I inspected both.

The target is Noel, a level 85 human.

The target is Corin, a level 91 elf.

I frowned. Both youths were dressed in the ubiquitous blue robes of the mages guild and had their cowls raised to obscure their faces, and for a moment, I debated whether they were possessed or not.

But neither bore any obvious scarring that I could see, and so far, I had no other means of telling the possessed apart from ordinary non-players.

Possessed, though, are unlikely to be manning the front desk, I thought.

Ducking around the doorway, I snuck into the room.

Two entities have failed to detect you! You are hidden.

There was an open archway behind the two mages, and trusting in my stealth, I crept towards it. “Check the next room,” I ordered Ghost.

“Empty,” she reported when I reached its entrance.

I stepped into the room. It was as brightly lit as the foyer and was lined with display cases along the adjacent walls while up ahead, a staircase spiraled upwards to the next level. Through an open doorway on the left, I heard the clang of dishes and raised voices. The kitchen. To my right were three closed doors.

“Check those rooms,” I ordered Ghost, staying put.

She slipped through the closed doors one after the other before reporting back. “They’re full of sleeping people.”

Dormitories, I decided. “Are there any wardrobes?”

Ghost stared blankly back at me.

“Cupboards full of clothes,” I clarified.

“Oh, those. Yes, there are.”

I nodded, pleased. “And you say everyone inside is sleeping?”

She bobbed her head in agreement.

I smiled. “Then it’s time for another disguise.” I murmured as I entered the first room.

✵ ✵ ✵

The guild clearly had little to fear in the city.

The dormitory was completely unwarded, and had I wished, I could have slain everyone inside, but, by age alone, I judged all the sleepers to be apprentices—and likely innocents. Still, the lack of protective wards was sloppy.

Their seniors should have taught them better, I thought. Shaking my head in disgust, I ruffled through the closest wardrobe and soon found what I was looking for.

You have assumed the visage of Nell.

A few minutes later, I exited the chamber, garbed like a mage and wearing the face of one of the youngsters from the dormitory. Stealing the robes had been a breeze, and none of the sleeping apprentices had stirred.

Not removing the spectacles of warding, I headed to the second floor. With the robe’s cowl pulled forward to hide my face, it would not be easily spotted.

Ghost had already run ahead to scout, and I found her waiting at the top of the stairway to greet me. “It’s a library,” she reported without preamble.

I nodded. “Is it occupied?”

“Only by a few,” she said.

“Lead on, then. We head to the next floor,” I replied, even though I was tempted by the idea of exploring the library. I’ll have a peek on the way back, I temporized.

The third floor was made up of workshops and laboratories and it, too, was sparsely occupied. The chambers were warded, but the castings were paltry things—easily avoided. In my stolen robes, I walked down the main corridor in plain sight of the preoccupied mages tinkering about in their rooms.

No one stopped me.

The fourth floor contained the sleeping chambers of the senior mages.

And it was where I ran across the first possessed.