Dawn of the Last Dragon Rider - Chapter 066 - Finding the Mole (Patreon)

“How? How is it being done?” asked Fiola as she leaned forward to see what he was looking for.

“I need the quest sheet for our quest!  Where is it?”

The three of them began digging, and Hess held it up when he found it.

“Let me see it a moment,” Kaen declared as he took his hand and swept a clear area on the table, sending paperwork onto the floor.

“I hope your right,” grumbled Fiola as she watched the papers spill everywhere.

Snatching the quest sheet from Hess, Kaen put the copy he had, and the original Hess had side by side.

“What is the difference between the two of these?” Kaen asked.

Hess moved to join Fiola on her side as Kaen turned them around on the table so both could see them.

After a minute of each of them comparing each sheet to the other, they looked at Kaen with shrugs and absent looks.

“Nothing, they are the same.”

“I agree with Hess,” answered Fiola.  “They should always be an exact match.  That is how the process works.”

Kaen nodded and tapped one of the sheets where his signature was.

“Hess, you remember what I asked Mandy the day I saw her return with the quest I made for both the boys?”

After a few seconds, Hess nodded.

“You wanted to know how it was made, and I mentioned there had once been a bounty on learning the process.”

Kaen grinned like he had just eaten a whole pie by himself.

“And why was that bounty stopped?”

“Because of the potential financial problems that could… wait.  Are you saying someone has figured it out?”

Shaking his head no, Kaen tapped the page again.

“Fiola, once this is signed, is there any way to change the document?”

“Absolutely not! That is why the magic in the paper shimmers, so all know it is bound.”

“What about before it is signed?  Could someone make a new quest sheet with different information? Would it be possible to do that?”

Fiola’s eyes went wide as that possibility hit her.

“No one would do that, though!  It would have to be someone in the guild house, and we are all sworn to assist the guild.  Our lifestones bind us to that!”

Kaen started to laugh, and then he began to howl at some joke in his mind that neither the two of them knew about.

“Really?  You are telling me that you have never done anything that the guild would not approve of because your lifestone prevents you?”

Fiola opened her mouth and began to move it, words failing to emerge as Hess began to chuckle slightly.

“Hairy dwarf balls, Kaen!” Hess exclaimed. “I hate when you do that.”

Hearing Hess curse and chuckle, Fiola realized Kaen was right.  She could get away with actions some of the higher-ups on the council would disapprove of if she believed hard enough that it was better in the long run.  A groan slipped out of her.

“Are you telling me that someone within our guild house is changing numbers on our reports and quest sheets because they believe their actions are better in the long run for the kingdom?”

“It is the only possible answer.  You said it yourself: all the scouting reports match up with the numbers on the sheet.  All the sheets match up with the quest forms.”

Kaen tapped both sheets now where his name was.

“If there is no way to change this exact copy once the magic has set in, then the only way to accomplish this before the magic prevents change.  That means someone is modifying the report, copying that report, and using it for the basis of everything else!”

Kaen dropped back onto the couch and stared at Fiola.

“How many people have the ability to do this?”

Staring at the sheets before her, Fiola began to count who could do such a thing.

“Ten people could do this,” she answered as she shook her head at the thought of it.  “Herb is one, but I believe we could rule him out.  Three of my clerks, Mandy included, have access, but it would be hard for them to be in that room for the time needed without a reason.  They also would never be alone in there.”

“That leaves six people,” Kaen interjected as Fiola paused momentarily.

“It does,” she said as she nodded, tapping her fingers against her knee.  “We have guards in place to prevent abuse from happening, but I guess it's possible they aren’t really paying attention to what the others in the room with them are doing.”

“Goblin Shite!” Fiola shouted.

Both Kaen and Hess watched in shock as Fiola jumped up from the couch and ran to the door, opening it.

“Lissandra! Get Herb in here now!”

“I guess it could be possible,” Herb declared as he listened to Kaen explain what he thought was happening.  “There are three teams of twos who handle that task.  How are you planning on finding out if any of them are doing it.”

“That’s where Fiola comes in,” Kaen answered as he motioned to her to begin.

Letting a sigh out before she began talking, Fiola was obviously not excited about the next part.

“We will have to make them use the crystal and verify that what they say is true.”

“You can’t be serious!” exclaimed Herb.  “The consequences of making them do that may cost you your job even if you do find out one of them is guilty of such an offense!”

“I know!” shouted Fiola as she banged her hand on the table.  “My options are limited. My position doesn’t matter right now. Saving the adventurers who are out there and finding out who is behind this does more!  How quickly can we get all six of them in here to begin testing?”

“A couple of hours?  Two are asleep right now, and the other four should be up with two in that room.  How do you plan on doing this?”

“As quietly as possible,” Hess interrupted.  “You need to get someone to fetch the two who are sleeping and set up a room where we can have all six of them at once.  Tell them all that you and Fiola must share some insight you gained and want to stop rumors.  If one of them is actually doing what Kaen believes they are, we don’t want to tip them off.”

“Then we will turn to the task of taking them one at a time to the crystal and making them answer questions.  If they decline when told what is happening, I will offer them two choices, neither of which is good.”

Herb stared at Fiola.  Her face was like stone, and he saw the determination in her eyes.

“I will get started then,” he answered as he stood up from the couch.  “Anything else?”

“Send a message to Sulenda for me?” Hess asked.

Nodding, Herb smiled.

“I would be happy to my friend.”

Blowing a burst of air from her mouth, Fiola stood up and pointed at the door.

“Since we have a plan, you two need to head downstairs and hang out for a while.  I, on the other hand, need to shower and change clothes before all this happens.  I am afraid I smell almost as bad as Hess does.  It’s like he stepped in something.”

Kaen started to laugh as Hess groaned.

“You told me that smell was gone!”

Shrugging, Kaen grinned.

“I couldn’t smell it anymore because I am used to it.”

The three men moved to leave as Fiola stayed where she was, watching them go.

That boy… he really is just like his father.

“That is kind of intimidating,” Kaen declared as he walked around the crystal ball that was sitting on top of an ornate wooden stand.

Someone had done fantastic work sculpting a wooden base for a crystal ball that was as big as a grown chicken.

“I can feel it radiating power even from over here.”

Kaen was moving around a circular twelve-foot room with six lightstones that lit the room up like an early morning sunrise.  Dark wood panels covered the walls of the fifteen-foot room, and the only entrance was the door they had come in.  No windows were in here.

“It is even worse if you ever have to use it,” Hess replied as he leaned against the wall and used one of his knives to clean his fingernail.  “The way it feels when you answer questions is a bit discerning.  Like your mind and lifestone are being ripped from you.”

Grimacing, Kaen moved a few more feet from the crystal.

“How did you figure it out?” Hess asked.  “Was it like everything else you magically do?”

Moving to stand against the wall by Hess, Kaen nodded.

“It hit me with the knowledge I never knew I knew, if that makes sense,” whispered Kaen. “I remembered the line of questions I had asked and what you and Mandy had told me.  Suddenly, all the dots that needed to be connected were in an instant.  It overwhelmed me when it happened.”

Hess stopped moving his knife and glanced over at Kaen.

“I still have no information from the people I asked to help about that.” Hess tapped his knife point against his chest where his lifestone was.  “I hope someone can shed some light on how all this is happening.”

“When we get back to Sulenda, I’ll share something I figured out.”

Groaning, Hess flipped his dagger into the air and caught it after a few flips, tucking it back into its sheath.

“I just want you to know that you are way more trouble than your dad ever was,” he declared as he elbowed Kaen.  “I wouldn’t trade anything in the world for you.”

Shifting slightly, Kaen leaned against Hess’s massive arm and gave it a slight bump.

“Me either, Dad.”

As the two of them joked, the door suddenly opened up with a woman and Herb and Fiola following behind her.

“This is unheard of!” argued the woman. “You know I will file a complaint!”

Fiola nodded, and Herb stood by, writing down everything the woman said.

“Herb actually has a letter already drafted for you to sign.  You can do that now or after,” Fiola declared as she stared down the woman.  “You have two choices.  Put your hand on this orb and answer the questions I ask truthfully, all of which pertain only to your duties and the incident we are currently investigating, or refuse, be locked in a cell and under guard until the guild inquisitor arrives and makes you answer the same questions I will ask now.”

The woman swallowed hard, looking around and seeing that no one else seemed to have a problem with what she was telling her to do.

“And those two?”

“Adventurers who will testify to what is seen and heard,” answered Herb. “No doubt you recognize Kaen, our newest adventurer, and Hess, a gold token adventurer.  Both are highly thought of, and we trust them as men of their word.”

Hess gave a slight bow and smiled as the woman looked at him.

“Well, if you insist,” she finally replied curtly.  “Let’s get this over with.”

“Three down and three to go,” Herb said with a groan.  “We are halfway there from breaking most rules we promise to adhere to.”

“And yet,” Fiola replied, “we can do so because we believe that our actions are for the good of the guild!  Someone must believe they are doing this because it is for the betterment in the long run.”

“It is true,” Herb said as he pondered that realization.  “I at first was hesitant, and it was difficult to overcome, but now it feels much easier to do after you explained it that way.”

Nodding as if she had been right all along, Fiola motioned to his list.

“Grab the next one.  I’m tired and want to end this sooner than later.”