Obsidian Alcatraz: An Evalyce Novella

by J. Aislynn d' Merricksson

  “What if they were tests, before the killer went after his real target,” Cadi asked.

  “Unlikely. We settle our quarrels without killing one another and between us, the Hunter Guilds are aware of any new or potential hunters that come to Port Jericho. We have our differences and disagreements, but we share that sort of information. We need no outside competition and we don't take kindly to interlopers. Our watchers at the paddocks have reported no new arrivals in weeks.”

  “Aren't assassins trained to blend in, to be unnoticed? Wouldn't they be poor hunters if you could spot them?” Cadi asked dubiously. “What if this were a hunter who was… being trained?”

  The Dragon grinned, a feral looked that bared sharp teeth. “We are trained to blend in, and do so quite well, no matter what flavor of hunter we happen to be. The Guilds' watchers are veterans, well-trained to know how to spot others like themselves. It takes a certain measure of talent.

  “As for the training idea… trust me, Magister, if we trained our fledglings with Jericho's citizens you'd have a great deal more unsolved murders on your hands. It's a poor hunter who draws such attention to his killings by vaporizing them. That hardly helps us to blend in. Besides, you mentioned that all of the scenes contained traces of magick. You're looking at the only Jerachi hunter currently capable of using magick.” the Dragon said. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to attend to. I'll send Dracos to collect Riven's other dagger. Synmerra, Magisters.” He turned, wings flaring out briefly, before rippling back into his flesh.

  “Wait,” Cadi said. “Why did you meet with us? Reveal yourself to us? What's to keep us from turning you in?”

  The Dragon turned, meeting Cadi's gaze, golden eyes boring into hers.

  “You intrigued me and you came bearing one of my draakeen's daggers and news of his death.” The Dragon paused, face troubled and when he spoke again, it was in a much softer voice.

  “….Each of my draakeen… they are my children. I raised them all, took them in off the streets and trained them. My son is dead. That's a matter for me to attend to. As for why I revealed myself… you would be foolish to turn me in. I suspect your companion knows that. I am more than just a Technomancer, Magister. Jericho has been my home before your mother's mother was just a thought to her mother. To subdue me, it would take the efforts of those like me and it would tear your city apart. If I survived and you survived, I would come hunting you. Now, tell me, is that something you really want?

  “I will tell you this, also. By bringing me this dagger, you have made this killer my problem. I don't take kindly to people killing my draakeen. Expect to have your killer delivered to you soon enough. Deceased, of course.”

  “You're an Old One?” Viktor asked. “A rogue Old One…” He glanced to Cadi.

  “No, we'll not turn you in. But perhaps… you would be willing to work with us? You may be a hunter,” Viktor growled, “but you are a mage with experience… and senses that none of us can match. It may be that you can see something we cannot. I'm willing to give you access to the sites, access to our information.”

  The Dragon narrowed his golden eyes, considering. “Access I could get, should I desire to. I do not need your… permission… for that.”

  Viktor growled again, but didn't challenge the Argosian hunter's claim. After a moment, the Dragon chuckled, clearly amused.

  “Smart. Well, that's good. I'll help you, kas… but on my own terms and by my own rules,” he said, turning to walk to a nearby cabinet. He opened it and pulled out what looked like a pair of pins to Cadi. The Dragon whispered something in Argosian, holding the objects in his fist. Liquid metal welled up from his hand, pooling in his palm as he opened his fist, and covering the pins. There was a muted silvery flash and the Dragon grunted in apparent satisfaction. He held out the pins, in the shape of the dragon and spiral that had graced the doors, to the Magisters. Viktor took one, looking it over. Cadi gave the Dragon a distrustful look, reluctant to take the pin. He chuckled again.

  “To contact me,” he said. Cadi scowled as she took the proffered pin.

  “Why not use one of ours?”

  “Do you really think I want you to be able to track my every move? Oh no. Bad for business. These pins will allow me to reach you much faster, should it be necessary.”

  “How?” Cadi asked, curious.

  “He's a jumper,” Viktor guessed. He looked to the Dragon. “You've tied these to your own essence.”

  The Dragon inclined his head, still looking amused.

  “But jumping takes a good deal of energy. It's a rare skill for a Mage.”

  “Aaah, but I'm not a Mage, am I? Jumping is still rare among Technomancers, but among the Old Ones it's quite common. Even if the Technomancer couldn't before the Conversion, we usually can after and quite effortlessly. A gift of Master Mercurius and the new body we're given,” the Dragon said. “Name's Draccus, by the way.”

  “You're awfully talkative,” Cadi said.

  “Perhaps. I've shared nothing you can harm me with. We've already established that your alerting the Empire would be a very bad idea. I trust the consequences will keep you from betraying me.” He gestured to the doorway. “Synmerra, Magisters. This time for truth. I pray we need not see one another again.”

  “Likewise,” Viktor growled, “Though I doubt that prayer will go answered.”

  * * *

  Viktor's words proved true. Over the next month, there were seven more similar killings, most with no witnesses. Those that did have witnesses reported stories much like Eban's, of a large figure hidden in the mist and the hint of horns. Despite the assistance of both Stefan and Draccus, each case was a dead-end. The victims and locations appeared completely random. A guard, a street kid, a hunter, two mercenaries, a firefly, a miner, a distillery work and a pair of Crows. They had nothing in common, nothing to link them together. There was no rhyme or reason to the victims. The only consistency was the vaporized remnants of a body. It was only by the artifacts left behind that they were able to get clues to the victims' identity.

  At each scene, Stefan confirmed traces of the same dark magick and each time, the tracker was unable to find any sort of trail. The Argosian hunter had little better luck. His unique body and its particular talents allowed him to find a trail where the tracker had been unable and yet… they still had no leads. The trails Draccus found only led a few yards away the scene before they vanished for him as well. Despite all of the other efforts the Dragon had put forth, he'd had no better luck than the Magisters themselves at finding the killer and the longer the killer remained at large, the more surly the Dragon became.

  “What are we going to do, Viktor,” Cadi asked. “The people are growing paranoid. They're afraid to leave their homes at night. Gods help us if this killer ever strikes during the day.”

  “Cadi's right. Things are growing more unstable by the day,” Rolf added. “The Crows have had to double their patrols… and our own work has increased triple-fold. Too many taking advantage of the unrest…”

  “It is a city of thieves and mercenaries,” Viktor growled. “To make matters worse, the Argosians have responded to the discovery of the new metal in our mines. The presence of the ships and the imperial soldiers isn't helping matters. The Governor hasn't let them into the mines yet and they're getting a little impatient as well.”

  “Took them longer to come snooping around than I would have guessed,” Rolf said.

  The three Magisters were in their office at the Magisterial Headquarters. Beyond their cubby, other Magisters went about their business. A panel on Viktor's desk chimed and Jupiter's voice came through.

  “Captain Kellin's calling for you. Says he's found something in the mine he says you might want to take a look at. What should I tell him?”

  “Tell him we're on our way,” Viktor replied. He looked to his partners. “Perhaps he's found something useful.”

  Kellin met them at the mine entrance, looking haunted.

  “We reached the center
of the Labyrinth,” Kellin said. “Perhaps… perhaps I should just show you what we found.”

  Viktor nodded an assent and the Magisters followed Captain Kellin through the mines to the great pyrallym doors, whose chains still hung loose. The miners had been busy over the past month and though many side passages were still stuffed with the dark blue mage metal, the main throughways were free. They followed Kellin as the miner navigated the winding passageways with practiced ease, leading them to the Labyrinth's center.

  “We reached the center chamber yesterday. Today… we uncovered this,” Kellin said, as he led them to a low table in the very middle of the chamber, still partially encased in the blue metal that Kellin was calling 'tryllym'. Strange glyphs and delicate Ekkitaran script decorated the visible parts of the table, along the top and the edges, spilling down the broad supporting base. Closer inspection revealed a deep depression, still mostly hidden. Dark splotches stained the rim, dipping down into the basin. Recalling Loki's story of the 'minotaur', Cadi had the unpleasant feeling that she knew what it was.

  “What I can read of it, part seems to be an incantation to summon or recall the 'Bull of Minos' mentioned on the doors, though who or what that would be, I've no idea.” Kellin frowned, tracing over parts of the fine script. “And this part… this part tells of sacrifices made to this being, to placate it. This was its home. It roamed these corridors in a wraith-like form, taking a solid shape only to feed. Offerings were sent to wander the Labyrinth.” The mining captain walked around the plinth to another cleared patch. “And this… this here describes instances in which this creature was sent out after others… times of war… assassinations… The only time it could leave the Labyrinth.”

  “A wraith-like creature… that certainly sounds like our mystery killer,” Rolf said.

  “A creature whose magick we can't sense. Captain, can you finish uncovering the incantation please? Perhaps then we can recall that which was unleashed,” Viktor asked.

  “I sent the others home, once we uncovered the table. I knew you would wish to see it, “ Kellin said. He removed his helmet and ran a hand through his short hair, unhappiness lining his already craggy face. “We did this… we let this thing loose… but, there was no trace of magick we could recognize… how could we have known the full truth…”

  Cadi felt sorry for the man. The miners had scanned for magick and the room had been sealed and stuffed full of the blue metal. It seemed a reasonable assumption that nothing could be alive in the Labyrinth.

  “Call some- “ Viktor stopped, ears flicking forward as he caught a sound. He cursed softly. Rolf's ears flicked forward too and his shoulders slumped slightly. Moments later, Cadi and Kellin picked up the noise that had distracted the Dashmari. It was the sound of the city's disaster sirens wailing out a funeral dirge. The Magisters' pins chirped and Jupiter's voice came through.

  “Riots in progress. All Magisters respond. Repeat, riots in progress. Locations- Firefly Alley, Shadowylde Lane, East Ward airship paddocks and North Ward distillery district.”

  “Gods help… that covers the entire city,” Cadi breathed, as Loki the firecrow materialized on her shoulder. “When things go wrong, they go wrong.”

  You have no idea, my dear. No idea at all… Things are bad, Loki said. There was an attack, this time in view of quite the crowd in Firefly. Then another, at Shadowylde. I have no idea how the killer could have gotten from one side of the city to the other so quickly, but both fit the pattern of your killer who vaporizes their victims. This city being what it is… the panic spread like… well… like wildfire.

  Luther materialized beside Viktor as he responded to Jupiter's message. They were to report to Shadowylde. Viktor instructed Kellin to recall his miners and get the table uncovered as soon as possible. As the three sprinted their way out of the mines and headed for Shadowylde, Cadi quizzed Loki about the nature of the 'minotaur' from his world.

  “No… I can't say I recall it every being allowed out of its Labyrinth home, nor any stories that give it as anything other than a being of flesh and blood. A mortal being with a mortal lifespan.”

  “Then it seems unlikely to be the same creature from your world.” Cadi sighed, frustrated. So much about this case didn't make sense… but that wasn't for here and now, not with riots to get under control.

  Compared to the rest of Jericho, Shadowylde was a walk in the park. The hunters who ruled this part of the city had taken things in hand, calming and dispersing the crowds, cloistering off the scene of the killer's attack. There were already a handful of Crows and Magisters, processing the scene. Draccus met the Magisters when they arrived.

  “Figures it'd be the three of you,” he muttered. He fixed them with a grim look, golden eyes cold and unforgiving. “I saw it.”

  “You what?” Cadi asked.

  “I saw it, the killer. I was there at the attack. It is the mist. That's how it kills. The dark mist gathered, out of nowhere. We had no fog here in Shadowylde tonight. There was a snuffling sound, a glimmering of horns and then the mist enveloped the victim. He didn't have a chance to scream. He was there and then… he wasn't. That's why there's no trace of it. Whatever this creature is, it doesn't maintain a corporeal form.”

  “That makes sense,” Viktor said.

  “Basa seite…” Draccus muttered. “How does that make sense?”

  The Magisters shared with him what they had learned from the mines earlier.

  “As soon as Kellin uncovers the inscription, we can attempt to recall this creature. However… there's little guarantee that we could control or contain it.”

  “Time enough to worry about that when the miners are done, though that certainly makes things much easier.” Draccus shifted a bag he carried slung over his shoulder. Settling it on the ground, he pulled out several pieces of equipment.

  “After I realized how this creature was attacking, I had an idea. This is a stasis field modulator. I've been collecting them from the various Hunter's Guilds. Most Guilds have only one as they are rather expensive. If we set several of them up we can form a large containment field. Perhaps it would be enough to keep the creature at bay, if it were summoned into the field.”

  Cadi and her companions took over for those working the scene, freeing them to assist in other parts of the city where riots still raged. The other three wards had been far less lucky than had North Ward, with its Hunter guardians, and Cadi suspected it would be hours before things were effectively calmed throughout the whole of Jericho. They were just finishing their work when Jupiter patched Kellin through to Viktor again. The Captain had called his men back in and they had since managed to uncover the rest of the stone table.

  “Aye, we've uncovered it. You're not going to like what we've found though.” Kellin answered Viktor's questions. The Captain's voice grew softer. “To summon the creature, to recall it to the Labyrinth's center, requires a sacrifice, not just blood, but life itself.”

  “Is anything else necessary?” Viktor asked.

  “No. It just requires the offering and someone to speak the words. I… can do that for you. I speak Ekkitaran fluently. There's still the sacrifice to consider… It must be a human life. The wording is very specific.”

  “We'll figure something out. We'll be there soon.” Viktor broke the connection with Kellin and contacted Draccus. The Argosian hunter listened while Viktor explained what the mining captain had uncovered. There was a long pause and Cadi thought perhaps Draccus had broken the connection.

  “Give me an hour,” he said. “I've an idea for the sacrifice. I'll meet you at the mine with the stasis field modulators. We can set the field and summon the creature into it, perhaps find a way to destroy it for good.”

  Draccus arrived at the East Ward mines just shy of his promised hour. With him came the bartender guard he'd called Dracos. Both Argosians carried satchels. They greeted the Magisters with curt nods.

  “Let's get this done,” Draccus said. “Lead on.”

  “You had an idea for
the… necessary requirement?” Viktor asked. The Dragon gave him a grim smile, baring his sharp teeth.

  “You're looking at 'em,” he said.

  “But…” Cadi's voice trailed off in a hoarse whisper.

  “Look, it needs doing. Are you going to volunteer? Will you drag one of your incarcerated criminals down here and sacrifice them?”

  Cadi and Rolf shared a horrified look. Viktor gave Draccus one of deepening respect. He twisted his head slightly, once more acknowledging the Dragon as alpha to him. They followed the corridors through the mine. Draccus let out a low whistle at the great pyrallym doors, with the chains coiled to the side. They entered the Labyrinth, following its winding path to the center. The Dragon chuckled softly as he surveyed the chamber, still partially full of tryllym. He knelt to inspect some.

  “My brethren would be frothing to get at this,” he said, with a wry grin. “You should turn quite the tidy profit from it.” Draccus stood and walked to the center plinth, where Kellin stood. By this point the Captain had sent his men away… away from one danger, but likely into another, since riots still swept the city.

  “And you must be the one who set this creature free. It's you I get to thank, that I go to Shae N'Sala this day.” Draccus' golden eyes narrowed. Kellin's jaw tightened, but he met the Dragon's fierce gaze.

  “We didn't understand. I would offer myself, to end this madness, but I don't know any others within the city who can pronounce Archaic Ekkitaran fluently. Do you?”

  Cadi saw the hint of madness in Draccus' eyes again as he laughed. “Indeed I don't. Today is a good day to die!” He clapped his hands together, then shrugged his pack to the floor. “Let's get these set up, shall we?”

  They spent the next several moments setting up the stasis field modulators, linking the fields so that they overlapped. Stasis field modulators were Artificer-crafted, designed to set up wards similar to the ones a War Mage might set. They could be adjusted to erect a variety of shields. Cadi had never seen one up close. Draccus was correct. They were expensive pieces of equipment and she was impressed that the Guilds had so many between them. They'd arranged the modulators along the perimeter of the room so that once activated, the linked fields would encompass the entire room. They set each modulator to its maximum capacity and in doing so, enabled several types of shields, each overlaying the other- shields against magick, shields to prevent solid objects from passing through, shields to stop things less than solid. Cadi was hoping they would be enough to hold the creature in, once summoned… that its unique magick wouldn't be able to slip through.