The Hero’s Right Hand

Mutations were never a sought after ability. It was forced and created unfamiliar changes to the body. But when Albert morphed it was like he enjoyed it. His silver bangs lengthened as fur burst from his body. His chestplate and leather armor fused into his skin. Bones shifted and bent awkwardly while the boy grew taller than Sariel. Teeth sharpened while his face elongated into a muzzle. His relaxed demeanor and calm eyes were transformed into bestial qualities. A blood curdling howl erupted from his mouth. I didn’t need to see him in action to be glad he was on our side.

Aisha and Sariel each took a defensive stance but Avant happily approached the werewolf. Behind its massive form it was still the excitable boy we’d met. With retracted claws, Albert petted the owlbear.

“Please don’t be scared,” Albert said with a deep, innate growl. “I’m sure you’ve got questions that I’ll answer later. All that matters is I’ve got full control of this form.”

Vofric nodded to Aisha and she slowly dropped her guard.

“Okay, lead the way,” she said.

Albert grunted and sniffed the cloak. His pupils dilated and fur stood on end.

“Sariel, mark me, please.”

The elf created an innocuous branch before shoving it into Albert’s fur.

She nodded. “Run as wildly as you please. We will find you.”

There was no response. Wind whistled as the lycan leapt from the ground. Before landing, he had already vanished from sight. Aisha and Sariel easily leapt to the rooftops with Avant in hand. While I searched for a means of ascend, Vofric tapped my arm. He signaled for me to throw him. A simple thrust of the arm and I could launch an armored dwarf. There was no reason to doubt my ability to climb the building. All I needed was something within reach.

It didn’t take an expert to find footholds on the side of a building. Whether it be natural or manmade. I leapt to an out of place brick that jutted out of the pattern. Kicking off the wall sent me toward a pipe further above. Metal bars, clotheslines, untoward planks; even without a ladder I wasn’t bound to the ground. Though still slower than Sariel and Aisha, I didn’t feel like a hindrance.

“Albert is going toward Zeffari district,” Sariel said before dashing across the rooftops.

On even footing it wasn’t hard to keep up.

“How long have you known about Albert?” Aisha asked.

Vofric grunted, “Since the day we crossed paths. His bloodline is all shapechangers.”

It took a second for me to realize what he meant.

“Adrian.”

“The man was the largest werebear I ever encountered. I expect Albert will be similar as he grows,” Vofric confirmed.

Aisha hummed. “Do Mia and Louise know?”

“Of course. They are family, after all.” Vofric smiled.

“Are they aware of the rumors?” Sariel asked as we crossed from Ramshorn to Dicoris. The direct path to Zeffari was blocked by Library Raebkayd. “They seemed unimportant during the gala but likely involved Albert. People spoke of a silver blur that wreaked havoc on criminals during the night.”

Vofric chuckled. “I’m sure they will stop him when they deem it necessary. Knowing Albert, it is his way of learning to control the beast.”

As we entered Zeffari, Albert slowed down and allowed us to catch up. Jittery movements accompanied his sniffs as he tracked his prey. With each spasm, he slowed down while honing in on the scent. We walked along the roofs until we reached the edge of town. A wide street separated the buildings from the city wall. The northwestern gate of Dawncaster was at the center of it. Regardless of how late it was, guards still did their duty of checking all civilians at the gate. Others patrolled the top of the wall. We did our best to remain hidden from view. Albert let out a long breath and transformed into his human form.

“There’s an alchemy lab near the wall over there,” he said with a nod. “That’s where  the scent goes.”

“This district was originally created by the Arcanum Order. Over time the existence of secret paths in Zeffari became common knowledge. Though they were never charted,” Vofric explained.

“They’ve been buried.” Albert added.

Sariel grunted. “Anything buried can be rediscovered. Guide us to where the scent ends. If a hidden path has been opened, we can surely find it.”

We used the rooftops to get near the alchemy lab. Guards would notice our movements but we hid before they could get a clear view. The closer we got to the lab the more specific Albert became about his movements. The lab looked unassuming, almost uninteresting. The alley behind it looked like any other but we descended to it regardless.

Aisha and I were drawn to the faded markings on the wall. Rough diagrams illustrated the mechanics of a doorway. Vofric and Avant kept watch to make sure no civilians got involved. Albert still had the scent but now Sariel could also hear something.

“Gears,” she said. “Close.”

She walked back and forth through the length of the alley while tilting her head side to side. Near the center of the path she stopped. With her head slowly moving downward, she crouched. Albert joined her and confirmed the scent was strongest under the cobblestone. While I was still trying to understand the dull sketches, Aisha had already figured out their meaning. She looked at the only ground level entrance and instructed Vofric.

“Look carefully at the opening to the alley,” she said. “There’s no actual way to enter.”

The dwarf looked at our leader quizzically then turned back. With hesitation he stepped towards the entrance but stopped short.

“Someone has crafted an optical illusion and bolstered it with illusory magic. I believe you are correct regarding the impossibility of entering this alley,” he said. “Come, Avant. There is no need to guard here.”

They joined us as Aisha walked to the center of the street. Sariel and Albert stepped back when they noticed a familiar look on our leader’s face. Her eyes jittered while searching for a clue. The prosthetic conduit glowed purple and she smirked. Mana gathered near her foot and wreathed it in violet energy. With deliberate movements, she stomped on six specific stones. Something clicked softly. Almost too quiet to perceive.

“If people could get to this alley, everyone would find this door,” she scoffed.

Stones inlaid in a circular pattern near Aisha shifted upwards. Mechanical arms underneath separated them in a spiral pattern. Layers of stones revealed themselves deeper in the ground. As one layer opened and locked into place, another followed suit. A single large stone remained each time causing a set of stairs to present itself. The clicking and shifting continued for much longer than expected. Once it stopped the group gathered at the mouth of the stairs.
“According to the diagram, there should be a way to close it inside,” I said and turned to Aisha. “Right?”

She nodded and took the first step.

“With me.”

Having seen how the stairs appeared, we didn’t dare close the doorway until reaching the bottom. It didn’t take as long as anticipated. Whatever machinations created the path were incredibly slow as the stairwell wasn’t very deep. The spiral was illuminated by a light coming from further into what I assumed was a basement. When we reached the bottom, Aisha activated the closing mechanism while the rest of us delved further.

The hallways within the basement weren’t as well crafted as the stairs. They were carved out enough for traversal then ignored. Patches of jagged stone jutted out at random angles. Without knowing the exact layout of each corridor it was difficult to move. The rooms, however, were as well crafted as any other building. The ground was flattened in a way that could trick one into believing it was tile. Walls were beaten into smooth angles and lined with shelves and tables. On either side of the main room were smaller ones with abandoned weapon racks and ratty bed mats littered across the floor. At the opposite end of the main room was a long hall we couldn’t see the end of.

My attention was drawn to a brasier built into the floor of the main room. As my magic had grown stronger, I became more aware of fire and its many properties. Even if all the embers and heat dissipated I could feel the remnants of a once burning pyre.

“Someone was here. Within the day if I had to guess,” I said.

“If they only just abandoned the place, it’s because of what happened at the gala.” Aisha added. “Kargon and Vofric, look for any clues left behind. Albert, try to find that dragonborn. She might still be nearby. Sariel and Avant, go with him.”

Albert’s group went into the hallway while the rest of us stayed back. Though the original occupants left in a hurry, they had made sure to take as much as possible. The weapon room and barracks were emptied out. Searching for hidden vaults was fruitless. What we saw was all that remained. And it all seemed like unimportant pieces to a much larger puzzle. Incomplete notes were scattered throughout the few notebooks left in the main room. Pages were torn out, leaving broken sketches in their place. Other books remaining on the shelf were nothing of note. It was like staring at the bargain shelves of a bookstore. Well-known stories that could be found anywhere. Aisha seemed enamored by the possibilities they presented but it was lost on me. I opted to help Vofric piece together whatever clues we could from the damaged notes.

Expectations of an obvious name for the organization were quickly dashed. Even Caelum’s worshippers didn’t have a name. Whoever was planning to harm the Dicoris’s was as ragtag as our party. The diagrams were unlike those meant for the mechanical door. These resembled mage’s spellbooks. Wildly scrawled ideas filling margins to the brim surrounded damaged magic circles. The madness of the creator matched the record keepers of the tomes in Library Raebkayd. Even notes regarding early steps of the plan were shredded. I only knew the leftovers were related as mention of the gala was left intact.

“This symbol repeatedly appears even in this garbage,” Vofric grunted.

He had torn remnants out of the notebook with partial drawings left on them. At the center of each was a scepter. Sometimes it was drawn intricately, other times a simple line and circle. Either it drew power from the symbols around it or empowered the sigil. All we could do was speculate its capabilities. Any further details were lost.

Aisha approached us with pages she’d torn from the bargain books.

“Is there any mention of daylight or daybreak in there? Maybe something related to a new beginning,” she asked.

I checked once more but already knew there was nothing.

“Your hunches are usually right, which means it’s something important,” I replied. “If so, it’s no wonder all the information related to it is gone.”

Vofric nodded. “I presume daylight is mentioned in each of the books you checked.”

“Yeah. I can’t help but feel it’s important. Especially in a city called Dawncaster,” Aisha said. “Vofric, you’ve been here before. Anything of note in the city’s history?”

“Nothing that is available to the public. And as I’m sure you are aware, Victor is bound by a vow of silence.”

“The dragonborn did mention wanting to take over Dawncaster.” I recalled.

As we shared our notes with one another the sound of footsteps fast approached. Avant ran into the room and roared for our attention. Puffed up fur meant he was on alert. With our other allies missing we knew something was wrong. Aisha rushed through the door before we could think of a plan. Vofric grabbed the few notes of importance and stowed them in his armor before following our leader. I almost picked up Avant but stopped when I realized he had kept up with us all night. Maybe I was imagining things or it was his wild fur but he seemed larger than before. His quizzical look helped me refocus and we chased after our friends.

The hall exiting the main room was much longer than any other we’d explored. The rocks and dirt hadn’t hardened from years of settling. It crudely snaked around immovable stones while leading down deeper into Vethyea. Further into the tunnel, it became even less sturdy. Dirt shifted underfoot. Loose gravel fell from the ceiling. It was like this part of the tunnel was carved out after we arrived at Dawncaster. At the end was a wall that had been pushed aside to reveal a door. On the other side were Albert and Sariel with a dozen guards ready to attack.

“Wait!” Aisha roared as she burst into the room.

By now we were familiar with the inside of a prison cell. The metal door was unlatched with guards both inside and out ready to skewer us.

“Why are you here?” one yelled.

“We’re on a mission from the royal family!” Aisha replied.

“A likely story,” another replied.

It hadn’t even been a day since we received our instructions. There were always guards who didn’t get communications due to an awkward shift change. This had to be that group.

“Call Victor!” I demanded.

Aisha nodded and repeated. “Yes, call Victor. He can clear this up.”

A guard stepped forward with her spear at the ready. The intricacy of her sigil marked her as a team leader. Vofric stepped in front of her. Slow head shakes and a smile seemed to calm everyone in the room. A faint orange glow radiated from his chest.

“Please, be calm. There is no need for violence. If Victor is not available you may contact Captain Telos. Tell him the chosen one requests his presence,” Vofric instructed.

The lead guard commanded another to get Victor and Rusty.

“Both of ‘em better trust y’all,” she growled.

While the contact ran off the rest of us stood still. Aisha’s hand hovered near her blade. Mana accumulated near Sariel and I could tell she was ready to create some sort of overgrowth. Even Albert refused to sheath his sword. A low growl emanated from Avant’s beak while he prepared a spell. I was similarly ready to ignite the room at a moment’s notice. The guards were no different. Though they were willing to wait for their leaders, that didn’t mean they would do so calmly. Only Vofric stood with no intent for violence. We’d need to protect him if things went awry.

For the first time in a while, nothing did. Victor and Rusty entered the prison. To my shock, Prince Makani followed close behind them. The captain immediately went about calming his subordinates while the prince and Victor approached us. Aisha signaled to drop our guard. We could approach this diplomatically.

“How did you get access to my family’s dungeon?” Prince Makani asked while staring at the broken wall behind us.

Victor explained, “The dungeon is meant for criminals who threaten the lives of the royal family. There should be no way to access it without their express permission.”

“There haven’t been prisoners for a few months. Years when it comes to this cell.” The prince added.

“We entered through the other side of this tunnel,” Aisha explained. “I’ll show you. Kargon, tell Rusty about the person you met. Maybe he and the guards can find them.”

I agreed and waited for Rusty to finish dispersing his subordinates. Avant and Albert joined me while the others showed the prince to the secret meeting room. Some guards apologized as they departed. It wasn’t their fault for missing an announcement and I made sure they knew that.

“Any idea who you met?” Rusty asked me.

“Not really, they had this cloak on the whole time,” I replied and gestured for Albert to hand it over. “But are there records of any dragonborn prisoners? Or ones in the city?”

Rusty examined the cloak and said, “You know how many dragonborn there are in Dawncaster? Did you catch their color? Maybe the element they produce? I know you heard their voice.”

It hadn’t been long but with everything going on I found myself having trouble remembering the figure in the alley. With a deep breath, my mind recreated the location. I recalled Vofric’s flashing light hammer. Jumping through the city. The large buildings spaced out by tiny alleys to create the perfect alcove. Ropes and signs obscuring my vision. Finally, in the corner of the meeting spot I saw a creature with deep hatred for the high society of Dawncaster.

“Red scales and pupils,” I muttered with my eyes shut. “They hissed whenever the royal family or anyone like them was mentioned. Fire came out of their mouth and nostrils. Tried to shoot me. I’d never seen a pistol up close.”

“What?!” Rusty asked and pulled me from my trance. Wide eyes stared at me as he let out a shaky breath. “The gun. Was it mechanical or magical?”

I recalled the seal and answered, “Magical. Do you know the criminal?”

The captain looked around the cell then checked the door. The lock was damaged. With minimal effort anyone could enter. Rusty muttered to himself while reviewing information he refused to share. I’d seen a similar look on Aisha when she created plans for our party. I’d grown accustomed to it on my friend’s face but never seen anyone else do it. The captain’s face grew sullen as the identity of the dragonborn cemented in his mind.