149. The Inquisition (Patreon)

“We know you were somehow involved in this,” a member of the Grey council stated. 

Most of the faces had changed since Lukas last met with them. Corruption or incompetence had resulted in their replacement. The Miner’s Federation had sent a tiny man who appeared far too skinny to wield a pickaxe. Even though he wasn’t the leader of the local chapter, Xander represented the Aquila guild. Lukas recognized a couple of local politicians and business moguls. Then there was one seat that hadn’t changed. It belonged to Ogden. He, too, unexpectedly appeared displeased with Lukas.

“You and your golems disappeared from the city, alongside the sorcereress and two of your friends from the Aquila guild,” the woman continued. She wore the Union’s crest on her lapel. “Next thing we know, Jotun movement has doubled. There are warbands and shamans on the move.”

“We give you plenty of free rein because of all your contributions to the city and the hole you filled after the Revolution fell,” said the Miner’s Federation representative. “But you’re taking advantage of the situation. The Jotun don’t see a division between an individual and their ‘tribe’.” The final word dripped with disgust. “Your mistakes won’t just turn them against you, but all of us. We can’t afford for you to screw all of this up.”

“The guilds don’t dictate how you behave as individuals, but your actions are a reflection on us, Mr. Zaun,” Xander said, fidgeting. He appeared uncomfortable in his current role. It didn’t suit him, and Lukas couldn’t help but wonder what he did or who he angered to end up in the position. “Where are Mira and Morph? Did they perish?”

Lukas gave the council ten minutes of silence, waiting for more questions. “Is it finally my turn to speak?”

“Let’s not be coy, Mr. Zaun,” said the woman from the Union. “If I were you, I wouldn’t underestimate the gravity of the situation. You could be looking at exile or life in prison.”

“Where would you like me to start?”

“Why did you and your friends head into the mountains?”

Lukas pulled one of his prized essence spheres out of his pocket. “Because of this. One of my most important abilities is approaching tier three, and I needed the Essence of Arcane Projection.” He made eye contact with Ogden. “The guild store and all affiliated merchants will attest that I’ve been looking for this for over a year. Mira and Morph have been regularly checking the Aquila stores for me, too.

“Weaver scried an aberrant beast firing powerful arcane missiles in the mountains, and the Conclave demanded Penelope, the Coldfire Sorcerer, for the rest of you to investigate and eliminate it.” It was unlikely that Weaver would lie for him. The giant spider hated dishonesty. But if protecting the Conclave’s agents or interests, he would do it. “There were more of them than expected, and we were separated.” Lukas raised his shirt, exposing his bandages. “My injuries were grave and arcanically charged. I had no choice but to return to town without them.”

“You abandoned your allies?” The Union representative crossed her arms. “It’s challenging to take someone—”

“No, no, no. Not abandoned.” Lukas summoned a Stalker. It manifested covered in Shade’s Mantle. “As most of you know, my primary ability involves creating clones.”

“And changing their appearance,” Xander added, his eyes narrowed, leading Lukas to wonder whether he had volunteered for the position in the meeting out of concern for his guildmates. 

“What most of you probably don’t know is that my golems and I can communicate with each other. Distance makes it harder, but I sent several after Penelope and Mira to keep them safe. They had to take a longer route because of the chaos, but will be back in the city within the next day or two.” Lukas focused his attention on Xander. “You’ve traveled with me before. You know I’d never leave a companion to their deaths. Especially Mira and Penelope.”

“Very well.”

“Don’t tell me that’s enough to convince you,” the man from the Miner’s Representative said, frowning. “This man is clearly a master manipulator. Look at him. This outsider has been in our city for less than two years, and he’s already one of the most influential figures. And he got there through unsavory means. He came from Iskander. We can’t trust someone like him.”

“Do you mean by eliminating a Void cult that was operating right under your noses with influential figures in multiple powerful guilds?” Lukas asked, raising an eyebrow. “I understand the Miner’s Federation dealt closely with many of them. Were you—”

“We ask the questions here, Lukas Zaun,” the man interrupted, staring daggers.

“How about we move on to what happened with the Jotun?” Ogden interrupted. “It’s best if we don’t get sidetracked. I don’t agree with his ways, but Lukas has proven to be an asset to this city and my guild. So, let’s hear him out.”

“You’ve come in here with clear bias, Ogden,” the woman from the Union of Guilds said.

“I won’t deny it. However, it's clear that quite a few chairs in this council have come in with a bias against my guild member. So my presence is balancing things out.”

“Move on,” Xander said. “Tell us about the Jotun’s movement. Is the city in danger?”

“I suppose I am somewhat at fault for that,” Lukas said. “After getting separated, I happened upon a clash between the Jotun and an Elder Wyrmkin force.”

“Wyrmkin?” The Union representative sat forward in her chair. It seemed he finally had the woman’s attention. “My people searched the mountains and only found stragglers around the mines. Our diviners determined they had come from the eastern ports.”

“But did they figure out where these parties were heading?” When the woman didn’t answer, Lukas withdrew his camera contraption from his coat. A guard lowered his weapon, but Ogden gestured for him to relax. It projected a three-dimensional image of the Elder Wyrmkin, chained, being led away by the Jotun. “I managed to capture this from my hiding spot. The Elder Wyrmkin had an army in the mountains. I don’t know what they were doing. Perhaps your Jotun ambassador can provide answers. The troop movement your scouts witnessed was likely because of this. The Elder Wyrmkin were clearly trespassing and preparing for something big. Our frosty friends got wind and took care of the issue.”

A heavy silence hung over the meeting room as council members exchanged surprised and confused looks. The Union representative regained her composure first, leaning forward in her seat and squinting at the illusion. “This is all real?”

“The only illusions I can create from scratch are using shadows,” Lukas answered. “Unfortunately, I don’t have the means to create something so grand and detailed.” He grinned. “I appreciate the council thinks so highly of my abilities.”

“Did you or one of your golems get a good look at the spell circle or what used to sit at its center?”

“Yes to the first and no to the latter. I’d imagine there was some sort of arcane focus or a large arcane crystal from the mines to help focus the magic. It’s possible the Elder Wyrmkin troop sighted and captured in the mines were making their way up the mountain to unite with the army. Information gathered along the way gave them the necessary intelligence to start an aether crystal mining and processing operation of their own.”

“And the spell circle?”

“It was a powerful storm spell,” Lukas answered. “Possibly a blizzard. There were older iterations of it buried under the tents. I wouldn’t be surprised if our scaly friends have been here since long before I reached the city.”

“That would explain the frequency of the magically charged blizzards,” commented one of the politicians. Lukas hadn’t bothered memorizing their name.

“My journey from the port to the Grey was plagued by one such storm,” Lukas said. “I remember it had forced beasts out of their territories and buried several caravans and villages. What if the cults have been using these storms to cover their activities while simultaneously weakening the kingdom’s infrastructure?”

“I’ll need to report this to the court straight away.” The Royal Family’s envoy jumped out of his seat. Nobody stopped him when he marched out of the room.

“Why have you been sitting on this information?” the skinny man who represented the miners demanded. “This is vital intelligence that threatens the sanctity and sovereignty of this city.”

“I didn’t think you’d believe me,” he answered. “I was hoping Penelope and Mira would be back sooner, and we could present all our observations and evidence together. They’re taking the long route to avoid the Jotun. Penelope worries that her movements in the mountain have annoyed them, and she’d rather not ruin the kingdom’s relationship with their new ally. Besides, between arcane overexertion and injuries, I needed solo recovery time.”

“The sorcerer has been warning us about a possible war with the giants.” Once again, Lukas failed to recall the speaker’s name.

“That might be true, but she didn’t have evidence, and Penelope isn’t going to force anyone’s hand by starting the war herself. The Conclave wouldn’t allow it.”

“Unintended consequences aside, we can’t allow you to leave the city and operate however you please,” the skinny man said. “It’s time someone puts chains on you. If not literally, figuratively at least. We can’t afford your pursuit of power and materials to ruin things for the city.”

“The Union is likely to agree with the Miner’s Federation,” said the woman wearing the Union crest.

“In that case, it’s a good thing that I intend to leave the Grey soon.” Lukas flashed a polite smile. 

Several council members exchanged concerned looks, including the skinny man. “Let’s not get hasty. I meant your movement outside of the city. Your services and wares are valuable for the maintenance and growth of infrastructure.”

Lukas waved dismissively. “Oh, you don’t need me for that. There are plenty of capable and underutilized artisans and businessmen dying for city contracts.” Zaun and Company had taken over the maintenance of the city’s rail system. Lukas’s ‘shadow golems’ also assisted with the mass smelters and refiners in the city’s cavernous section. “I understand you don’t want outsiders interfering in your business. It’s best if I step away.”

“Where are you thinking of moving?” Xander asked. “Is Mira accompanying you?”

“We’re still in the scouting process,” Lukas answered. “As for Mira, you’ll need to ask her that. I’d be willing to keep a worker here alongside one of my clones to continue providing my services.”

“And what would you like in exchange?”

“This is an inquisition,” a nameless politician stated. “Not the place for business deals.”

“I’d like arcane crystals at the same rate you provide the guilds.” Lukas had a pitch prepared. “Once every three months, one of my smarter golems will come by to conduct general repairs and maintenance. It will hear out your requests for the next visit and collect payment. You’ll receive the means to contact me for emergency work, but that will, of course, demand bonus payment.”

“And you can do all of this from outside the kingdom?” asked the Union’s representative, raising an eyebrow. “I mean, send a golem across continents without being present.”

“It is by no means a cheap or easy process.” The next big arcane project on Lukas’s agenda was the Shadow Gate spell, which involved using Shadow Step over long distances from one anchored permanent Shadowsteel structure to another. He was nowhere near completing the project, as first he needed to figure out how to create permanent Shadowsteel structures or shadow constructs that would persist without a constant source of magic. Next, he would need to use them as anchors over long distances. The creation of Shadow Gate would follow. Until then, he would have to rely on Escape Portal. “But I value my business contacts in the Grey, and the arcane crystals are better quality and better priced than anywhere else.”

“Did he seriously come to an inquisition and is going to walk out with a business deal?”

“Audacious bastard.”

“I don’t know. It’s kind of hilarious.”

The big players in the room ignored the exchange. “Why don’t we meet after this is done?” asked the man from the Miner’s Federation. “We can discuss details, and I’ll have a contract drawn up.”

“You and I should speak too,” said the woman from the Union. “Walk me to my office?”

“Are we just done here?” demanded one of the politicians. He rose to his feet so quickly that his chair tipped over behind him, the thud making him jump. “This man and his associates are working without answering to the city or the guilds, doing whatever they please, hoarding knowledge and power, and might cause a major political incident. They’re wild cards that need to be brought down a peg. Not rewarded! Are we just accepting this Elder Wyrmkin plot? Shouldn’t we keep him in custody until trusted city representatives verify all of this?”

“My guild will be sending a representative alongside a city envoy,” Ogden stated. “We shall get confirmation from the Jotun.”

“One of my men will join you,” Xander added. His eyes met Lukas’s. “It would be best if you remain in the city until then.”

“I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. The Grey is valuable to my business.” Lukas turned to the section of the table where his naysayers sat. “I don’t intend to harm the city or the kingdom in any way whatsoever. If anything, my business would crumble without it. The last thing I want is war. My smithy doesn’t focus on weapons or armor; it specializes in survival and travel gear. We sell a few custom, special-order pieces here and there, but I can’t compete with the bigger, well-established merchants. The pieces we sell to the guilds are rejects from experiments for my personal use and that of my golems. War won’t benefit my business. I’ll lose money.”

“Nice speech,” a portly mustached man said. “I’m not buying it. Perhaps Mr. Zaun should be put under surveillance.”

“You mean more than I am already?” Lukas asked. “My golems and I’ve detected at least four separate surveillance groups watching me. I guess the City Union and Royals are behind two of them. I’m assuming people around this table are responsible for the other two.”

“That’s enough for now,” said the woman from the Union. “I call this meeting adjourned. We’ve gained valuable information, and further investigation is necessary. Mr. Lukas Zaun has given us his word that he will not leave the city. His word might not carry weight, but given everything we’ve learned about him, he won’t leave his business and the possibility of profit behind.”

“Right. There is nothing more to achieve or accomplish here.” Ogden rose from his seat. “Xander and I need to organize an expedition team to send into the mountains. It’s vital we confirm the Elder Wyrmkin’s presence straight away and figure out the reason for their presence.”

“This might work as a valuable point of unification between the Jotun and our kingdom,” Xander stated. 

Half the council grumbled as everyone dispersed. Lukas organized a meeting time with the man from the Miners’ Federation before departing with the Union representative. She snaked his arm through hers, clinging far too close as they walked. It was clear what she was trying to accomplish. Even though he had eyes for nobody but Mira, Lukas didn’t push her away. If a little bit of flirtation won him the Union’s favor, he considered the discomfort worthwhile.