“Cursed magic rings are something of a cliché in our line of work, Aria said. “Which is why the union advises new adventurers to avoid using magical items until they know more about them.” She took another sip of her wine and then stared into the burgundy liquid. The expression on her face was somewhere between bitter and wistful. “I remember my chief instructor when I was still part of my old order. He was an odd fellow but a good man, and he was always warning me about trying on magical jewellery without knowing exactly what it did and at what cost.”
“He was right to be cautious.” Jonathan peered at the ring. He felt a faint compulsion to put it on, but he shoved the thought aside. “What makes things so difficult is that many magic rings are not only designed to withstand casual scrutiny but also magical inquiry. For example, [Discern Magic] can tell me what this ring’s positive effects are, but it is less sure about the downsides. I could try stronger Words, but without careful preparation, I could damage or even destroy the ring since most magic rings don’t become durable until they’ve bonded with someone. Given how useful and valuable a good magic ring is, it would be better to proceed cautiously.”
Miles poured himself a cup of tea and sat down on one of the other couches. “It does remind me of the magic lamp you once brought in to study, sir.”
“Ugh.” Jonathan shook his head. “That was not one of my finest moments, which is saying something considering the mistakes I’ve made in the name of research.”
“Oh?” Eric’s eyes gleamed as he looked up from what Jonathan suspected was his fourth sandwich. “What happened?”
Jonathan sighed. It was better to simply tell Eric. Otherwise, the werewolf would never let it go, and he had no qualms about combining lupine tenacity and childish wheedling to get what he wanted. “It was an old magic lamp that was found in the deserts where the ancient kingdom of Sharazan once stood. Like many magic lamps from that area, it was used as a container for a magical entity. I wanted to know what was inside it, so I used [Reveal]. When that didn’t work, I used a stronger Word, which ended up releasing what was inside it – much to my dismay. Let me tell you, having a confused and angry dust elemental in my library was not fun. In between almost drowning in sand and having shelves and other furniture thrown at me, it was a miracle I managed to get it back into the lamp.”
Blue Scales laughed. He was definitely enjoying his time on one of the other couches. Unlike most furniture, it was magically reinforced, so it was in no danger of breaking beneath his bulk. “That reminds me of the time one of my fellow trainees accidentally released a kraken from an enchanted seashell.”
Jonathan raised one eyebrow. “That seems a great deal worse than a dust elemental. Even a small kraken is enormous. But how did it get stuck in a seashell?”
“Once it had calmed down enough to communicate, we learned it had been imprisoned in the seashell by a raccoon war wizard – not Roger the Relentless himself, but one of his elite guard.”
“That would make the seashell a truly ancient relic dating all the way back to the time when krakens and leviathans tried to flood the world. Out of interest, how did you calm it down?”
Blue Scales laughed again. “We didn’t. We ran. My people are brave, not stupid. Against a kraken, there is little you can do except retreat and pray to the gods for aid. Some of our foes were less wise. They sought to capture it and wield its power. The kraken calmed itself by unleashing its fury upon them. Only then did we seek it out.”
“It does make you wonder how the dragons, raccoons, and squirrels managed to fight them off,” Jonathan mused. “The dragons, I can understand, but the raccoons and squirrels are more of a mystery. True, they can wield powerful magic, but I doubt even a war wizard from the Raccoon Empire could withstand a glancing blow from a kraken.”
“I doubt we’ll ever know what really happened.” Aria ran one hand through her hair, and Jonathan was tempted to point out she had helmet hair before thinking better of it. “My former order had its own theories, but the gods never saw fit to answer questions about that era. The best we ever got was a warning to steer clear of dragons and to leave any raccoons or squirrels with magical powers alone. Apparently, they produce a disproportionate number of powerful magic users to compensate for their small size and lack of physical ability.” She shrugged. “Although I don’t know if that’s true. I’ve never met any.”
“I have been lucky enough to speak with several raccoons from the Raccoon Empire,” Jonathan said. “Although speak is a loose term. They generally use a form of sign language to communicate with humans and other humanoid species although they do use translation charms from time to time. They didn’t show me any of their magic, but they felt quite powerful.” He got up, ignoring Eileen’s puppy dog eyes. It was tempting to continue basking in success, but dawn wasn’t far. He needed to get back to Martin’s shop. “I’ll let you know when I’m ready to take another mission. In the meantime, Miles and I will take that chest and see what we can make of it. With any luck, most of it will either be useful or valuable.”
“That’s fine. I doubt any of us are going anywhere for at least a week, so we’ll contact you if we need anything.” Aria grinned. “I can finally afford to have someone take a look at my sword. A spell blade isn’t the sort of thing you can use [Restore] on forever without eventually damaging it.”
Eileen hopped off Aria’s lap, shifted back into her bear form, and held up a sign. I’m looking forward to sleeping in for a change. I might also see if I can find another contract or pull off another ritual. They are pricey but having more choices to summon from is usually a good thing.
Jonathan agreed. Forming new contracts or performing more rituals to increase her array of summons was a potentially time-consuming and costly affair. However, it could be quite advantageous since versatility was one of the greatest strengths summoners had. From what he’d seen, Eileen tended to focus on support-type summons, like the shadow imps, which made sense given her formidable combat power. However, more combat-oriented summons might come in handy given how frequently they ran into trouble. Having some capable of healing instead of simply carrying and distributing healing items would also be useful. At the moment, they relied heavily on Aria to keep everyone in one piece.
“Fluffy could use a better hutch,” Blue Scales said as he got to his feet as well. The rabbit served as the team’s unofficial mascot, and he lived a charmed life. Whenever a mission was deemed too dangerous for him, they’d leave the rabbit behind with Janice. The receptionist adored the animal, and many an adventurer had remarked on how exceptionally fluffy and cuddly the rabbit looked. “Perhaps something more portable for our easier missions.”
Eric sighed dramatically. “I would help you take care of him, my friend, but I don’t think Fluffy likes me.”
Miles’s lips twitched. “I do believe it’s because you smell a lot like a wolf.”
“I never said it was a bad thing. I’m a werewolf. I’d be offended if a cute, little bunny rabbit liked me too much.”
* * *
“Another easy mission, eh?” Martin asked as Jonathan sat down at the table opposite him. Bits and pieces of a clock he was restoring were neatly arranged on the table, and Jonathan noted with some interest that it was one of the older, more ornate varieties that had once been favoured by the high nobility. They were excellent timepieces, but they were incredibly difficult to properly maintain, which likely explained why Martin had disassembled this one.
“That’s not exactly how I would describe it.”
The other vampire laughed. From his amusement, it was clear he could tell the mission hadn’t been easy. “Another brush or ten with death, I suppose.” Martin looked him up and down. “I don’t see any missing limbs or singe marks, so I doubt there was a dragon involved.”
Miles cleared his throat. “As a matter of fact, there was a dragon although it breathed lightning not fire.”
“Oh.” Martin stared. “That must have been awkward.”
“Again, awkward is not exactly how I would describe it.” Jonathan put the chest down, opened it, and began to take things out of it. There was plenty of room on the table, and Martin soon put his tools aside to lean forward in curiosity. “There was also an ancient draco-hydra, but the two of them ended up ignoring us in favour of fighting each other.”
Jonathan and Miles had used the tunnels under the city to get back to Martin’s shop. Daylight was still an hour away, so they could have taken the streets. However, two men carrying a large chest was a recipe for trouble. The tunnels were frequented by vampires and their servants, so the main thoroughfares were regularly patrolled and kept free of trouble. It wouldn’t do for a vampire noble or merchant to worry about their safety, and only a fool of a vampire would risk damaging the tunnels they all relied on to move safely during the day.
“I’m amazed you’re still alive. I saw a storm dragon once, albeit only from a distance. It was incredible. It was only passing by, but it still managed to turn a clear day into a hailstorm.”
“We were lucky,” Jonathan admitted. “A few minutes earlier or later, and we’d have been caught up in their battle.” He gestured at the objects he’d put on the table. “Care to help me examine these? I could use the help.”
Martin downed his mug of blood and grinned. The past several weeks had been good for business. True to Aria’s word, Jonathan and the others had run into plenty of artefacts, relics, and other items during their missions, and Martin had helped sell them for a handsome profit – and a tidy commission. Jonathan had begun to make a name for himself as a vampire who could get things done, an image Aria had done her best to foster since it ensured they got more and better missions. Martin’s stock had risen alongside Jonathan’s by simple association. He would never be truly welcome in polite society – his lack of lineage and personal eccentricities saw to that – but he could, if things continued to improve, look forward to doing regular business with the wealthy, provided he had the good sense to be discrete. For the increase in profits he’d seen, Martin could keep things quiet.
“I was going to work on my clock a bit more, but I suppose I can help you sort through this.” Martin’s feigned reluctance wasn’t fooling anyone. Like many who dealt with artefacts and relics, there was little he enjoyed more than the chance to examine things he’d never seen before. He reached forward to pick something up and then paused. “Wait… is any of this cursed?”
Jonathan pointed to several items. “Those are potentially cursed although none of them are currently active. As far as I can tell, you’d either have to bond with them or activate them to trigger any curses, and neither of us are crazy enough to do that.”
Be careful. The Blood Emperor had kept to himself during the meeting with the baron. The baron’s House was not famed for its fighting prowess, but members of his bloodline were said to have keen senses. Some cursed artefacts are designed to appear curse free to lure in the unwary although I should be able to detect anything troublesome if you miss anything. He chuckled. I’ve dealt with more than my fair share of troublesome items over the years.
Jonathan acknowledged his words with a small nod. He’d learned the hard way that his Words weren’t perfect. For instance, [Reveal] was capable of missing things – as he’d learned on some of their missions. If Miles hadn’t had such quick reflexes, he could easily have lost his head to a handful of different traps. The only way to improve its effectiveness was through further practice and study. Hopefully, he could get it to the point where it could pierce even magic designed specifically to conceal things. He’d never needed to detect assassins or hiding monsters before, but his life had changed. Aria had told him his [Reveal] was already very strong, but he wouldn’t be happy with it until it could detect anything that could potentially harm him and the others.
“You still have protective gloves, right?” Jonathan asked.
“Of course. In my line of work, I always make sure to have several pairs.” Martin walked over to a cabinet and returned with two pairs of gloves. He kept one and gave the other to Jonathan. “These should stand up to the protective measures most lesser and mid-level artefacts employ.” He reached out to touch several symbols carved into the walls, floor, and table. “I have also activated some protective runes and seals. I’d rather not blow my shop up by accident. It’s not like I can afford to rebuild it.” He grimaced. “And even if none of the things you’ve got seem that dangerous, interactions between artefacts can be nasty. I once obtained a chalice for a client. He neglected to mention that it should not be put anywhere near even the smallest flame despite its sturdy construction. I put it near a candle while I was observing it, and I was lucky to survive.”
Jonathan put the gloves on and pursed his lips. Martin’s story sounded familiar. “Wait… was it a Chalice of Everflame?”
Martin sat back down. “You’ve heard of it?”
“Unfortunately, yes. It came up during one of my studies of an ancient empire that vanished at the peak of its powers. I eventually discovered that an evil cult was likely responsible. The chalice – or rather the chalices since there were multiple chalices – was the tool they used. They were involved in certain… unpleasant rituals, all of which involved fire, and all of which caused great devastation if left unchecked.”
“Then I’m glad to be rid of it, yet worried the fool I sold it to might try something unwise.” Martin looked about furtively. “No wonder he was so pleased to get it and so willing to pay extra for my silence. I might have to ask a few acquaintances to check on him. If he does do something foolish, I do not want to be held responsible.”
“I doubt he’ll succeed,” Jonathan assured his friend. “Only bits and pieces of the rituals the cult used have ever been recovered. Many have tried to recreate them, but no one has succeeded.” He nodded at the things on the table. “Shall we get started?”
They worked quickly, setting aside the less interesting items in favour of those that were either more unusual or more useful. Most of the chest’s contents could be classified without too much difficulty, and Jonathan took careful note of the time period they were from. Unless he badly missed his guess, they dated back to approximately one thousand years ago. They weren’t truly ancient, which would make them less valuable. However, they ought to be easier to work with. Those had been turbulent times for the Blood Alliance, which had found itself on the back foot after several campaigns by their enemies had inflicted heavy losses. Many nobles close to the border had fled with whatever they could carry. This chest must have been lost along the way. Whoever had owned it must have run afoul of the draco-hydra although it would have been less powerful then. Yet even a young draco-hydra would have been more than a match for the average vampire noble and their retinue if they were caught off guard.
“This isn’t half bad.” Martin held up a collection of keys. They all looked identical, and each was made of steel plated with small trimmings of silver and gold. “I can’t pick out the enchantment on them, but they’re obviously magical, and the craftsmanship is good.”
Jonathan used [Discern Magic]. Normally, he’d be more sparing with his Words, but it would be a while before they went on another mission, so he could afford to splurge. The Word rustled outward, and the keys offered only token resistance. “Ah. They’re skeleton keys enchanted to open locks. They won’t work on everything, but they should work on most locks that aren’t designed to withstand magical interference.”
“Then you should keep at least a few of them,” Martin advised. “They’re handy to have although they will fetch a fine price if you sell them. Skeleton keys tend to be popular since not everyone can be bothered learning how to pick locks.” Martin, of course, knew how to pick locks, and Jonathan had made a point of not asking him why or how he’d learned that particular skill.
“That’s a good idea. There are a dozen keys, but we won’t need that many.”
Martin put the keys aside and picked up a pair of scaled gloves. “I recognise these. You mig
ht want to give them to Miles. They’re made of drake scales, and they’re designed to enhance the strength of whoever wears them. Since he spends most of his time fighting with his fists…”
Jonathan used another Word just to be sure and grinned. “I’m sure he’ll make great use of these. You’ve got a good eye, Martin.”
“Gloves that enhance strength are more common than you think,” Martin replied. “It’s generally better to have them custom made, but few adventurers can afford to be picky when they’re starting out. Words of enhancement are often stronger, but they do use more power. Gloves like these don’t require much power at all to work.”
“We’ll keep them. I’ll give them to Miles tomorrow.”
“There is another pair of gloves here, so you could sell one and keep the other after you work out which pair is better.” Martin’s brows furrowed. “Based on what you’ve said, everyone in your group is already strong or has some way of becoming so.”
“That’s true.” If Jonathan could help Miles, then he would. So far, his servant hadn’t had any trouble on their missions – other than during the incident at Baron Darkletter’s manor – but it was best to be prepared. He might also ask Aria if she wanted one pair of gloves for herself. She did have Words to enhance herself, but it couldn’t hurt to have something less taxing on her magic to use.
Martin held up a small mirror. By some piece of good fortune, it had survived being thrown around the inside of the chest. Given its obvious quality – nobody used that much gold and silver on something unless it was important – it was clearly valuable, so the owner must have been in a hurry. “Oh… now this is nice. I’ve only seen a few of these before. It’s a scrying mirror.”
Attempted Adventuring (The Attempted Vampirism Series Book 2) Page 4
