Unbound

Chapter Ninety Nine - 099

Eliza DuFont gazed pensively at the sky, dark but still smeared with a reddish haze along the western horizon. From the Spire she could clearly see the Wall, and her enhanced Perception could even make out the specks of Guilders rotating through their shifts. It was hours past midnight and the attack had petered out some time ago, but those on the Wall weren't taking any risks.

Not any more, at least, she mused with a finger tapping her lips. What a catastrophic screw up....

The view from this window was limited to the western quarter, but she could sense the rage and grief that suffused her city. Many people had died this night. Too many.

Eliza turned away from the dark and took a steadying breath. Behind her the others were mingling tiredly before this impromptu council session began. Regis held a cup of steaming kaf in her hand as she spoke seriously with Holt and Latvere, the two of them looking like hot death warmed over. Teine and Fairbanks, the shortest and tallest of them respectively, were murmuring something to one another and trading written reports. Hyde, at least, was the only one beside DuFont herself that looked like they'd seen a piece of the battle. His hands and face were speckled with red, while his formal robes were clearly tossed over a suit of armor.

DuFont nodded at the rotund elder, and he sent a wary scowl back. The scowl became a begrudging nod as Hyde noticed the gore flecking Eliza's gauntlets as well.

Elder Fairbanks cleared his raised his hand and let out a pulse of harmless magelight. Cool green light splashed against the ceiling and drew their attention. "Let us begin."

With a quiet shuffling, all seven of the Elders made their way to their seats. Eliza eyed the pale white doors, unblemished now despite being shattered to pieces just a few days ago. The council chamber had been rapidly repaired after Hyde's paranoid display. To think, the old boor thought they had been spied upon.

Eliza scoffed to herself.

There was little reason to believe it true; the Spire was extremely difficult to reach unless one already had access, and even if someone were to infiltrate the halls, the council room was warded against eavesdropping from outside. One would have to breach the chamber itself to listen in, an act one of the Elders would have noticed.

Out of amusement, she had looked into it, but there had been no evidence of skulduggery. There were some faint traces of unidentifiable Mana in the hall, but that could have easily been from a passing guard or even one of the Elders. Hyde's blast had flushed the environment with his own explosive blend of fire and water Mana, the chaotic energies of which had scrubbed anything else out. Not even her Tracking Skill found anything.

Either Hyde was a fool, or the Sworn had been contracted against them...and DuFont knew the last wasn't possible. She had made sure of that.

"Where is Governor Westworth?" Asked Regis, arcing an eyebrow. "Was he not summoned?"

"Asleep in his manor, no doubt," groused Holt through his wild beard. He didn't bother to be quiet either. "He's of no use here, anyway."

The others all grunted or nodded in agreement.

"First order of business," Fairbanks cleared his throat and tapped his forefinger on the hard table, the sound more like metal than flesh. He turned to Elder Latvere with tired eyes. "How stands the Wall?"

Latvere smoothed back his pale blonde hair. "The Wall survives, though it has taken some damage. Elder Teine and Elder Holt's people are already on it, rapidly fixing stress cracks in the sigaldry."

"The beasts damaged the Wall?" Hyde's deep voice was incredulous. Eliza could almost see his mutton chops bristling. "That's never happened."

"Not often, but it has occurred. We fought against roughly three hundred foes this night, each one beyond what we would term First Formation for monsterkind. These were strong enemies, stronger than we've fought in the past, if not as numerous." Latvere's face was drawn as he looked at the Elders. "The Tin Ranks that man the Wall were barely able to hurt them, and we had to rely on Iron and Bronze to do any significant damage. We've suffered a number of losses, though the final report hasn't come back yet."

"The monsters. What were they?" Fairbanks asked.

"Insect type, a mutated variation on the Greater Mantis. Predominantly Prismatic Wretches, but there were fifteen Prismatic Lords." Latvere gritted his teeth and nodded at Teine. "The Elder of Spirit may know more."

Everyone's focus turned to the silver haired man, who raised a hand. "Not as of yet. They've been mutated by the excess Mana in the Foglands, but the how of it is uncertain. My people are looking into it."

"Damned magic. What is happening out there?" Hyde muttered. "What did that woman do?"

Eliza smiled inwardly, not missing the Elder of Body's sour words. Indeed. What did you do Magda, you oaf?

Fairbanks rapped his knuckle on the table again. "Focus. Elder Latvere, you said portions of the Wall were damaged. Is that how they got in?"

Latvere nodded and swept a hand on the table before them. An illusory image of the city rose from the script circle inscribed there, shining with a ghostly yellow light. Sections of the Wall lit up brighter than the rest. "They breached here and here after several Prismatic Lords assaulted the same portions of our Wall. The Wretches flew into the city, at least forty of them. They had wings, built for short-range flight but more than effective to reach our less defended Quarters. Most landed near the Wall, but a few hit the Dust and Crafters Quarters."

"Casualties?" Elder Fairbanks turned his mild eyes to Hyde, who growled.

"Too damn many. The Guilders were more or less ready to face monsters in the Wall Quarter, but the Dust and Crafters didn't stand a chance." Hyde grunted and pointed at the illusory map. "I've reports of upwards of six hundred dead, mostly in the Crafters area. The Dust though...there was a lot of damage to buildings, but the casualties have been surprisingly low."

"I've heard reports of quite the strange happenings in the Dust," Elder Teine said before Elder Hyde cut him off.

"Wild imaginings of exhausted Guilders," he grunted, slapping a meaty fist onto the table. "There's no reason to believe--"

*SLAM*

The pristine white doors, just so recently repaired, were abruptly thrown open. The new sigil lock (an insistence of Elder Hyde's) was sundered as if made of paper. All those present leaped to their feet, save for Elder Fairbanks. A slew of Mana lights bloomed across the room, Skills held ready, only to fade as two men strolled into the council chamber.

The one in the lead was tall, over six and a half feet, just as tall as Elder Fairbanks though far more slender. He was wearing elaborate plate armor, enameled white and decorated with delicate gold filigree across the pauldrons, vambrace, and cuisses. A tunic edged in gold thread and emblazoned with a golden starburst across the chest finished the look, though it looked dingy and travel worn, as did his bright red cloak. A complicated helm was tucked beneath the man's right arm, his greying temples and hawkish features on full display. His expression was severe.

Katan, Eliza snarled to herself. She itched to loose one of her Skills on the interfering bastard, but common sense reigned her in.

Khorun Katan, Master Inquisitor of the Inviolate Inquisition, second only to the Grandmaster herself, and she answered directly to the Heirophant. Nothing but calamity would result in attacking him, accident or no.

"Master Inquisitor," began Elder Fairbanks, still seated at the head of the table. "Welcome. I was not aware you had returned to Haarwatch."

"Only just," Katan said, curt as always. His face was a thunderhead as he looked between them all. "Imagine my surprise as I return to your city after weeks in the Foglands, only to find it having barely survived a siege. What happened?"

The Elders were silent for a moment, and Fairbanks spread his arms with a tired smile. "Please, take a seat, Master Inquisitor."

"I'm quite fine where I am, Guilder," he tugged off his gauntlets and hung them by his belt, directly next to a saber that Eliza's eyes widened to behold. Her Analyze Skill pinged it as extremely powerful, though the Inquisitor's aura muffled the full details. "I have gathered the bare facts from your people, and I do not like what I am hearing. Monsters breaching your Wall and attacking the citizenry? After all I have been told that the Wall will repel anything your Foglands can vomit forth, that it's enchanted orichalcum is powerful enough to last Ages. Apparently not."

Eliza could hear Elder Hyde's teeth grinding from across the table. She saw Regis place a discreet hand on his elbow. The Inquisitor, whether he noticed or not, did not stop.

"On the way here, I saw devastation through the Quarters, including multiple fires. But did I see your precious Guilders walking the streets? Tending the unfortunate?" The man sneered at them, his sharp features all the sharper for his disgust. "No. Not one. This is unacceptable, High Elder. It is gross negligence."

"We have teams out there now! Sweeping the Quarters, looking for missing threats--!" Hyde bristled.

"How was your Wall breached? The enchantments reach several miles into the sky. Who's head should roll for their incompetence?" The Inquisitor's voice was quiet, and there was a power there that everyone stopped to hear.

No one answered.

Suddenly, an undeniable pulse of energy poured from the man, a near visible wave of aggression. A blinding brilliance was conjured behind his head, a corona of light that stabbed outward. He held out a hand and his companion, a dark eyed man with a sharply trimmed goatee handed him a scroll. He unrolled it and held it out toward the council.

"This, Elders of the Protectors' Guild, is your City Charter," his voice raised in volume as several Elders, Eliza among them, gasped. "It details your rights, your privileges, and determines your authority over Haarwatch. The Heirophant has trusted this Charter to me, and if I deem it necessary I will tear it to pieces."

He glanced at all of their faces, by turns shocked, appalled, and enraged. He did not seem to gain an ounce of satisfaction from it, the grim set of his eyes and mouth never changing. The light behind him faded away and Eliza felt the pressure against her Spirit lessen.

"Now, I'll ask again: how was your Wall breached?"

"A, ah, concentrated assault, Master Inquisitor," managed Latvere, his eyes darting between Fairbanks and Katan. The High Elder nodded and Latvere continued. "The Prismatic Wretches made up the bulk of the attack, but there were a number of Lords among them. These Prismatic Lords sundered the sigaldry in two places, allowing a number of Wretches to fly through."

The map of the city flickered back on and the parts of the Wall Latvere had pointed out before were highlighted. The Inquisitor stepped forward and placed a hand on the script circle, spinning the projection and zooming in on a piece of the wall itself. Eliza raised an eyebrow, impressed. The Inquisitor was adroit at scriptwork; surprising for man that hated magic.

But I suppose scriptwork isn't 'Sorcery,' she thought, scathingly.

"Coordination like that is not normally seen in Tier One monsters. This sigaldry is..."

"Yes," agreed Latvere. "The creatures were frighteningly accurate."

Eliza saw Teine lean forward in interest, his eyes flashing between the Inquisitor and the model. He met her eyes and smiled. Eliza smiled back and flexed her gauntleted hands just out of sight. She could tell the bastard just had another idea, likely regarding his damn experiments. The last thing she wanted to be concerned about was what fresh horror his team would requisition.

"I have also heard tale of another monster, one seen in Dust Quarter this night." Katan turned his gaze across the table. "People on the street are talking. One...creature killed fifteen of these Prismatic Wretches and protected your people. They weren't a Guilder and they certainly weren't one of mine. Do you know of whom I speak?"

Teine perked up even further, his easy smile stretching wider with excitement. "We heard. One of our Guilders saw him, and now they all know about it. They're calling him the--"

"I've heard. Ridiculous," Katan snorted. "This Guilder, did they see his Name?"

"Unknown," shrugged Teine.

"Race? Level?" Katan pressed.

"All unknown," the Elder of Spirit sighed. "We assume he is wearing a powerful artifact to so completely hide his information."

"It's all rumors, and idiotic ones at that," scoffed Hyde. "Our man gave us a description, but it's the worst sort of tripe. Aric can hold a sword, but he sees Chimeras in every shadow. I don't know why you're concerned about this fool--"

"Tell me." The words weren't a question, that that same pressure shone off of the Inquisitor. Hyde only paused a moment before rattling off the details, each one more fanciful than the next. Eliza would have laughed had the Inquisitor not been so intent. Claws? Wings? Eyes made of blue fire?

Idiotic doesn't cover it.

"...reports from the citizens are...scattered at best, but the eyes are a constant. Blue and glowing. That and some sort of lightning Skill." Hyde finished rattling off, his memory impressive despite his dedication to his Body above all else.

The Inquisitor's aide leaned forward and whispered something in his ear for a moment. It was so soft that none of the Elders even caught a syllable. Katan fingered his chin before his attention sharpened again, and his eyes bore into the Elder of Body like daggers.

"The Inquisition will take over searching for this person. Report any findings to my undersecretary with due haste." Katan dismissed the matter, apparently done with the topic. He leaned in closer.

"Now, show me how the monsters attacked. Show me everything."

Eliza repressed a groan that threatened to become a yawn. It was going to be a long night.