The birds flew away, silhouettes vanishing into the dark. Adenius couldn't say for sure, but he knew. Liron Sturm. There he was. He had someone with him. One of his allies. Member of the Resistance. Had communicated with animals. Likely one of the few Qilesh working with the Resistance. Perhaps a Wizard that focused on summoning animals. Birds could have been their Conduits. But why summon them? There was nothing to do.
So many secrets left for him. Lovely.
Adenius put away his spyglass, turning away. "Come, Tobeés. We still have much to do."
The young Warpriest stared at the Inquisitor. He looked back through his spyglass, watching Liron leave. "But, sir… he's right there. Why not hunt him down with Sintara? All of this would be over."
"Oh, Tobeés, you still don't understand. There would be no joy in such an end. I have yet to see all that Liron is capable of. Why let the hunt end in such a way?"
Tobeés wanted to argue. His face shifted under his arrogance, but he reminded himself of his station. He was the son of the Flirant family, but his blood meant nothing now. He was an apprentice, and Adenius was his teacher. Molding himself, he bowed down, a submissive smile on his lips. "I understand. I apologize for questioning you, master. You know best."
Adenius' mask couldn't have altered Tobeés' voice to lose his slimy tone. The youngest Flirant son was a disgrace. He only loved to bully those below him. He showed no greater talent as a Warpriest, unlike the rest of his family. At least he knew how to accept his position.
Adenius turned towards the wolves. They had tested out their defenses again, slowly retreating. Their leader, a vicious beast with only three eyes, glared in the direction Liron had left. It stayed for a little while before following the rest of its pack. Interesting.
…
Adenius knocked at the door. He repeated the same rhythm for ten minutes, waiting for them to open up before he knocked again. The door was ripped open, and a woman in plain clothes stared at him. "For Harras' sake, what do you w…"
She stopped, realizing who was standing before her. Adenius bowed down, pulling off his hat as he introduced himself. "Ah, it is an honor meeting you. My name is Adenius Klang, Inquisitor in the name of our Harras and his divine Scion. You must be Anna Bauer. A pleasure, truly. I have heard of your devotion to Him. I am terribly sorry to intrude at such a late hour, but I must ask. Is his Lordschaft here?"
Anna studied Adenius, going through all options in her head. She thought of killing him. But how? Smashing in his head. No, her eyes wandered to his torso. A blow to his chest. Perhaps a knife. She could use her Conduit. No, it would cause too much damage. Would attract attention. Their plan would fail. But Anna is not too rational. Reports mentioned her unstable mind. Might crack. Perhaps shouldn't have surprised her.
"How did you know where to find us?" Kasper asked, walking up behind Anna. He held his whip in his hand, wearing similar clothes as Anna. He hated each second having them on, an insult to his royal name.
"Ah, an honor," Adenius said, bowing again. "It is an honor. Meeting the pride and future of the Sacred House Lockram. My dear Lordschaft, I have heard so many tales of your wit and brawn throughout the years. To answer your Lordschaft's question, I have agents stationed throughout the city, keeping watch of the walls at night. They reported back to me that two individuals have climbed them successfully. A feat that should have been impossible. Who else but you, your Lordschaft."
The praise was too much, brought forward with no skill. But a man like Kasper ate it up, grinning at it. And where he smiled, Anna would follow suit. As expected, they didn't have any methods of entering the city. Only people with sufficient reasoning were allowed to enter Kupferrang. As Kasper and Anna had wanted to stay hidden, they couldn't have entered as themselves. Without the proper methods, they'd had little choice but to climb over the walls.
"You know your place," Kasper said. "Good. You spare me the hassle of painting your city with your entrails. Speak now. What do you want? If I like the question, I might reward you with your life intact."
"Your mercy knows no bounds, your Lordschaft. As do your wit and brawn. The legends they will write about your heroic deeds. As to the reason for my visit. I am aware you are here to bring the Ravenspawn to justice. Am I correct?"
Kasper nodded, smug. He yearned for all the praise he could receive. Thanks to his family and blood, he had never missed compliments, but they were all made under the threat of punishment. Kasper had never received them based on who he was. His thirst was never quenched.
Too easy.
"Yes, Inquisitor," Kasper said. "My mother has trusted me with this duty. I shall end Drom's Scion before he can fester into something bigger."
"Of course," Adenius said. He made a humpback, ensuring he was smaller than Kasper. The boy was tall but not tall enough to look down at Adenius. His mask shifted, distorting his voice to sound more submissive. "Grand Inquisitor Hyal Euse has ordered me on the hunt of the Ravenspawn as well. I will do as I am told, but with you in the pursuit, I think I can never fulfill my mission. I yield to you, your Lordschaft."
Kasper grinned at the sight, enjoying each moment of it. "You are the smartest Inquisitor I ever came across. You have truly earned your life. But you haven't just come to announce your loss to me in this race. What are you proposing?"
"I devote myself and my work to our divine Father. I have no interest in furthering my position and fame. Whatever He wants from me, I will serve. So, I offer you my services. The Ravenspawn has proven himself a rat, and he hides himself with them. Searching through Kupferrang is a waste of your time, your Lordschaft.
"I have prepared a trap for the Ravenspawn. I believe he will try to rescue his sister during the execution. He has the support of the Resistance, but he has nothing to besiege the bureau and free her. His only option is the execution."
"You want me to work with you?" Kasper said. "With Inquisition? You are known to be liars. And my family doesn't take kindly to liars."
"Of course. Your Sacred House is the embodiment of justice. Only a fool would claim otherwise. I would never dare to deceive you, your Lordschaft. Your ancestor, Nag, has proven to the entirety of Ekon what a Lockram is capable of. A disgrace how he is remembered. Saying he was a monster is akin to spitting Harras Himself in His face."
As expected, Adenius had found Kasper's weak spot. All suspicion evaporated from him. Anna glared at him still, but Kasper's emotion sprung to her over.
"It would be an honor to work for you, your Lordschaft. I would never dare to insult you by saying I could work with you. That would require us being equals, and we truly aren't. Harras Himself has shown me my station in life. And it is below you, your Lordschaft."
"You speak truth," Kasper said. "Fine, tell me your strategy. If it has any value, I might consider it."
"Thank you, your Lordschaft. As I have explained, the Ravenspawn will strike during the execution. While he doesn't have the resources to attack the bureau itself, we have determined that he is sufficiently equipped to free his sister. I myself can't defeat him. But if you, your Lordschaft, would remain hidden until the destined moment and strike him down during the execution, we could succeed."
"You want me to ambush the Ravenspawn. Like a common bandit?"
"Of course not, your Lordschaft. The Ravenspawn is a son of Drom. He is a vermin that needs to be eradicated. One can only ambush righteous people. The Ravenspawn shares his father's wicked mind. He will flee and never fight you as you are owed. Let me ensure that he cannot escape the justice you bring. I shall do all that is required for you to slay the Ravenspawn. Your name, your Lordschaft, then cannot be denied anymore. The people will know you as what you are. A hero of the Empire."
Kasper pondered Adenius' offer, trying to appear as if he considered the many options he had. "Well, you have convinced me, Inquisitor. I shall allow you to assist me in the hunt of the Ravenspawn. Prove yourself worthy, and I might mention your name in front of the Emperor."
Adenius bowed down. "I do not deserve your grace, my Lordschaft. But there is one more thing I need to address. The Urachs have sent an assassin into my city. She has caused mayhem and destruction. No surprise considering who sent her. She should be regarded as an enemy that wants to steal your glory away from you. My Lordschaft, should I fail in stopping her beforehand, she will appear during the execution and should be treated as a foe that needs to be killed."
"The Urachs are indeed the lowest. What kind of assassin are we talking about?"
"She belongs to the Farn clan. Her death would be costly to the Urachs."
"Ah, music to my ears. I like you, Inquisitor. You have my thanks."
Adenius held his hand out. Kasper frowned at it, but he took it. Adenius' voice changed, his mask altering to sound sincere. "You honor me. I look forward to working under you, your Lordschaft. And while I know you would never regard me as the same, but to me, you are a dear friend."
…
Adenius patted Sintara good night. His loyal companion never enjoyed leaving his side, but she needed to stay back for this one. He closed the door of his office, stretching. The night was reaching its end. He yearned for bed, but his duties were yet to be fulfilled for this day.
Adenius sat down at his desk, reading through letters addressed to him. The Inquisition and Hyal haunted him like a guilty conscience. They demanded constant explanations of all that transpired. While he hadn't explained his strategy to them, they knew what he intended to do. They knew of risks and wanted justification. Despite their doubt, Adenius' track record spoke for him. Yes, there might be some sacrifice along the way, but he was willing to make them all. As Harras expected him to.
"There is no reason to be shy," Adenius said, not looking up from the letters. "Please, you are my guest. Take a seat."
Hidden above him, the assassin descended. A tiny woman, akin to a spider lowering herself to devour her prey. While the threat of violence lingered in her tense fingers, holding spiderwebs between them, she had no desire for blood. Hesitant, timid even, she studied him. Adenius had caught her off guard. Something she didn't seem to like.
"You knew I was coming," she said.
Adenius didn't respond.
"You positioned the guards to open a free path for me. Are you mad? I could have been coming for your head. What if the Ravenspawn had tried to assassinate you tonight?"
"Greetings," Adenius said, looking up at her. "My name is Adenius Klang. I have been waiting for you. It is a pleasure to meet you."
The assassin frowned. "You didn't know when I would come. Have you been open this entire time?"
"I also addressed my office the same way each time I entered. You do feel rather silly when no one responds. Praise Harras. I knew you would come. I think we have things to discuss. Could I ask you for your name?"
Eyes made from ice, colder than Drom's wicked heart. "You should show me respect. You know who I am. Who I represent."
"Of course. You belong to the Farn clan. It is an honor to meet you. I have heard so many great tales of you…"
"Keep this to yourself. I have no need for empty praise."
Ah, a challenge. She was tense. Calculated. She readied herself for combat. One wrong motion, and Adenius would be dead. She didn't know when she might be ambushed. To counter this, she was always prepared for an attack. Difficult but not impossible.
"I did not intend to insult you," Adenius said. He altered his voice, twisting it to sound neutral. A man anyone could talk to. "I value my life. You are in control here."
The assassin relaxed slightly. Too faint for the untrained eye to notice. But Adenius sensed it like a shark smelled blood in the water. There was an angle, but not deep enough to offer a greater advantage. But it offered an opening.
"Please," Adenius said. "How can I help you? I knew you would seek me out. But I couldn't imagine for what reason. I'm not too arrogant to believe myself sharp enough."
"You know who I am and who sent me. It is your mission to hunt the Ravenspawn, too, correct?"
"Indeed."
"Then I demand your assistance. Kupferrang is too large to locate the Ravenspawn. I shall not wait for the execution. The Inquisition wants to claim the Ravenspawn's death as their doing, but we know that such an honor belongs to a Sacred House."
"Any Sacred House, or one in particular?"
Hesitation. Nothing but a fraction of a second, but it was there. It arose from uncertainty. She didn't know how to respond. No, she must have prepared what to say for such a question. She struggled to bring these words over her lips. She didn't just mean them. There was something else.
Interesting.
"The Urach, of course," she said. "The killing of the Ravenspawn requires not a warrior or an executioner, but an assassin. Who else besides the House of Assassins?"
"You believe I don't want to give up the glory. You think I want to be the one that kills Liron Sturm."
"It's obvious. Bringing renown to the Inquisition would increase your standing."
"It would help my career, indeed. I don't have too many friends in the Inquisition. But I could be doing it for Harras' praise. Perhaps I don't care about my fame."
Adenius chuckled. The assassin didn't join, her defenses still up. A tough one.
Perfect. But he still needed a better angle.
"Believe it or not, I would love to aid you. You serve a Sacred House, Harras' chosen. And I desire nothing but to serve Him. But finding Liron Sturm will be nigh impossible. The execution is the best method to lure him out. The Ravenspawn has proven himself quite capable. Have you heard what people call him now? Ravenson. Too theatrical for my taste, but it captures the threat he represents."
And there it was. Irritation. Nothing but a change in her eyes, a slight twist in her expression. She was trained to hide her emotions, but she had a human heart, and it would speak if it desired to. Adenius had found his angle.
"He's nothing but a boy," the assassin said.
"Agreed, but he was chosen by Blackbone. He holds tremendous potential. And you have to consider the effect of the dreams. Based on my reports and own experiences, Liron Sturm will gain the knowledge and skill he had in this other life. He will be trained by the Promised Dawn. Who knows whether Blackbone will bond with him? How long until he will cut down half the Empire."
"Then we have to stop him," she said, too quickly. Interesting.
Adenius changed his voice. He needed something subtle. A slow-working poison. One, which the assassin wouldn't notice. Its effect would corrupt her, spreading through her body without her noticing.
"Say, the House of Urach didn't just send you, correct? There was another assassin."
She stared at him, all wind taken from her sails. Her silence was the proof he needed.
"Many have been lost due to him," Adenius said, his voice as gentle as a mother wishing her child good night. "I've seen the reports. The Resistance has cost us dearly. All in the name to preserve him. I understand your insistence. It's the right thing to do. I would do it, too. But we have to be careful here. If we can't get him to step into the trap, he will escape, and we won't have our revenge."
"Who says that I want revenge?" she asked. Still some fight left in her.
"Isn't that what we all want? Even if we don't want to admit it to ourselves. This world has taken from us all. More than others, and I think you have been wronged more than I can imagine. Liron Sturm needs to die, and I am willing to let it be your hand to deal the blow. He deserves it, correct?"
She nodded, losing her hold on herself.
"I guessed so. I propose the following. We will use execution as a trap. I will ensure that Liron and his allies will be tired out for it. Once they try to reach Emma Sturm, you will ambush them. There you can kill him. If he shouldn't be there, take his sister as a hostage and climb the bureau.
"In the following days, I would like you to lie low. Keep an eye on Emma Sturm. Become her shadow. I am certain that we will not be attacked until the execution, but you can never be too certain. Do you think this plan is reasonable? Would you be willing to participate? If not, please share any ideas you have about how we can alter it."
Once the hook was in, it was too easy. The assassin didn't know how to respond. She wasn't used to being talked to like that. Orders and insults, that was the language she understood. Never a partnership in which she was treated like an equal. No matter the training, decades of steeling her body and mind, human emotion would remain unshackled. They ruled her, as did all of us. Adenius just needed to wake them up.
The assassin nodded. "No… I think that makes sense. We… we should do your plan."
"That is great to hear. You know, it is good to hear it from someone like you. You never truly know whether your ideas are that great. Can't trust the people below you, as they need to be nice to you. I've seen what you can do. I trust your judgement."
She nodded, timid again. Another angle.
"It is sickening work, though. We fight for something better, but… it can be difficult. No matter where I go, death follows me. You have heard of my reputation, correct? I deserve it. Everybody looks at me like I'm a monster. And they should. I have never risked a life without cause, but I… I dream of them, you know. All the people who died because of me."
"At least you have a cause…" the assassin said.
Perfect.
"If I'm crossing a boundary, please let me know, and I will drop the topic. But… Mira Farn, she's as bad as everyone says she is, correct?"
Taken by surprise, her expression revealed years of abuse she had experienced at the hands of the Winter Witch.
"I do have a cause. It helps to carry the burden. They never vanish, but it lessens it. Again, if I overstep, a single word, and I will stop. You don't strike me as a killer. You're not someone who ends a life without reason. I believe we all have a role to serve in Harras' great design. It might be grim, but it will help bring His paradise.
"Mira offers no such thing. She only cares for her name and reputation, correct? She represents what is wrong with the Empire. People addicted to their own power, not caring who they have to hurt to get what they want. We need to defeat the Qilesh, but we have to ensure we do not lose our souls in doing so. I think change is possible, but I will need some help with that."
"You… you want me to work with you?"
"Yes. I can provide you something Mira and the Urachs never have. Meaning. Something to suffer for. You will look back at your deeds. They will be bloody, but they will guide us towards a better tomorrow. You don't have to answer immediately. After you have killed Liron Sturm, we can talk about the future. One thing at a time."
The assassin looked down, her eyes darting around. "Mira and the Urachs would never allow this."
"They don't have to know. The execution will be chaotic. Even a trained member of the Farn clan might fall."
Her eyes dug into his mask, searching for any hint of a lie. She didn't find any. "You can free me from them?"
"I can. Of course, I would expect your help from then on forward, but I will never treat you like they did. And should I break my word, I don't think I could prevent your strings from claiming justice."
All the right words were spoken. A symphony only Adenius could hear. Always different, played only once for his ears alone. It vanished into oblivion; only his memories prove it ever existed. What a blessing.
"Fine," she said. "But there's more to it. What do you want me to do?"
"We do have an issue. There are others that want Liron Sturm's head. Chief among them, Kasper Lockram. He has been ordered to kill the Ravenspawn. He's a spoiled brat, from what I've heard. A child acting like a grown adult. He will try to steal our kill. I want you to prepare yourself. Should he show up, kill him."
"Kill… a Lockram? But… isn't he one of Harras' chosen? Isn't this heresy?"
"Harras didn't choose Kasper; he chose Lockram, father of this Sacred House. No matter how pure a family might be, there will be bad ones. Kasper is such a child. And there is a strategic value to it. I will not lie to you. To improve the Empire, we need to rise through the ranks. Avenging Kasper Lockram after he died to Liron Sturm will do such a thing."
The assassin grew suspicious, but he hadn't lost her. "You mean you will claim the kill. And you will avenge Kasper Lockram."
"Yes. As I said, I will not lie to you. We can't improve anything from me being a common Inquisitor. The Grand Inquisitor sees potential in me. He wants me to be his successor. I need to prove that I'm worthy of such a role. I can only offer you my word, which is not much. But, besides your revenge and a life worth living, I will promise you another thing. Mira Farn's life. Cleansing the Empire means cleansing it from filth like her."
Perfect symphony. Adenius couldn't resist. He needed to know whether he could push her that far. The hunt was over. It was a worthwhile one.
The assassin nodded. "Fine. I'm in."
"Oh, that is wonderful news. But I need one more thing from you."
"What?"
"Your name? I will not call you assassin. I will show you the respect you deserve."
For the first time, she smiled. "Tr… Trisa. My name is Trisa."
Adenius held out his hand, shaking hers. "Trisa. What a wonderful name. It is a pleasure. We will do many great things together. It might be too early to say, but to me, you are a dear friend already."