Mage Hunter: Chapter 2

The Investigation

Chapter 2: The Investigation

“Magic is all about evoking your will onto the world. My will is just stronger.”

The carriage returned to the city gates following a fifteen-minute bumpy trek. Miles of stone walls protected the capital on all sides, with the king’s royal guard standing ready at the entryway. The sentries on the ground welcomed Tychon with a mixed reception, while eyes from above judged him, gazing down onto him from the towers. The human held disdain for Tychon’s half-orc heritage as an unfortunate deep-seated bigotry flowed. The half-elf, however, greeted him with more hospitality, and even praise for successfully defeating the three necromancers restrained and subdued on the wagon. 
 	The captives offered no resistance. With their injuries, and without their arcane tricks, any means of escape would be utterly futile. Despite their wounds, they survived the journey thanks to Tychon's triage skills, as well as with the aid of a healing concoction. Following standard protocol and thorough questioning, Tychon was granted entry into Eskanore, the capital of the St. Celestine Kingdom. As those heavy ironwood doors swung open, the bustling capital revealed itself. Tychon was treated to a cacophony of sounds as merchants hawked their wares, beggars pleaded for coin, and citizens hurried about their business with purpose. The population sported a copious blend of varying races, humans, elves, orcs, gnomes, halflings, beast men… all with their own challenges and ambitions, and yet still seeming to respecting each other’s existence. 
 	Navigating through the crowds proved a challenge for the mage hunter as he navigated his way back to his guild’s barracks. In spite of the crowded streets trying to make way for the enforcer, progress was still tedious, testing his patience with each step of his mare’s hooves. I need to get these damned miscreants processed as soon as possible, he thought to himself. 
 	As his carriage ascended the slopes toward the elevated districts, the presence of wealth and privilege grew increasingly present, all by design as this road eventually will reach the castle. From this vantage point, the fortunate gazed down upon the lively city; their perspective blessed them a sense of superiority over the toiling commoners.
 	The Mage Hunter’s barracks was housed here in this regal district, a sizeable two-story wooden building built on a solid foundation of stone. Tychon’s arrival was greeted by the tall, elegant figure of the Master Enforcer, and co-founder of the Mage Hunters Guild: Lord Rion Bellcast. He stood outside the large double doors as if expecting him. “Tychon! There you are! Looks like the hunt went well?” his voice brimmed with optimism as he greeted his comrade. He was adorned in shining steel chainmail that shielded his limbs, decorated with war medals plastered all over his leather chest piece. Capitalizing on his extended elven lifespan, Rion honed his skills to perfection, earning countless accolades and honors in service to the throne. Despite his age, Rion’s elven heritage rewarded him a timeless grace, his vibrant blond hair touched only by a few stray silver strands. His vibrant blue eyes sparkled with a depth of wisdom and experience, with barely a wrinkle staining his otherwise perfect skin.
 	The hunter jumped off from the steed, finally giving his relief after a long trek that spurred minor sores throughout his body. “Yeah, these bastards were attempting a ritual with a pile of corpses. Six to be exact.” 
 	“Raising the dead? Tsk. C’mon fellas, you should know better. What if your mother was one of those corpses?” Rion taunted at the captives, but was interrupted when Tychon lobbed the mysterious, black gem tesseract towards the master. “Hmm…What do we have here?” he caught the implement, examining it with piqued curiosity. 
 	“I was hoping you’d tell me. One of them was using it in the ritual.” As Rion’s inquisitiveness led him to gaze deeper into the stone, his elven eyes detected an ominous aura pulsing within. It emanated strong feelings of dread within the master’s soul. With it, an obscure message of devastation seeped from this estranged energy. The world around him blurred, and tinnitus stung his pointed ears. Despite his best effort to conceal his body language, his unease remained evident. Tychon’s fast reflexes caught the gem when Lord Rion abruptly tossed it back to him. He paused for a moment before asking, “Think I should forward this to the Grand Wizard to have her take a look?”
 	“Yes…but to be safe, place it in an arcane lockbox. It’s…emanating something.” Rion advised, his brow furrowed with concern, which turned to confusion after he realized, “I’m surprised you didn’t pick it up - Hey hey!” He was interrupted at the creaking of the large doors opening from behind him. A pair of fellow mage hunters walked out, halting at the command of their leader, “Lazy bastards, come process these goons, would ya?!” he ordered. 
 	“More?!” a wolf-man retorted, “Ngh…! You’re kidding. We just took in two spell thieves and a suspected vandal, not to mention the three others we’ve had in holding that are still waiting for transfer.” 
 	“It’s been a hell of a day - Do we even have room?” a halfling woman added before stepping forward.
 	“Stop whining,” Rion argued, “We finally got some blasted leads on this necromancy problem. And we got enough cells. Throw one of the thieves in with the vandal,” Rion argued.
 	The wolf’s nose was sensitive to their wicked scent. “Ugh…that explains the smell.”
 	“Busy day already I see.” Tychon commented.
 	The halfling turned her attention onto Tychon, “I swear this whole city has been in disarray with criminal magi since you began your investigation into that cult.” She spoke as a matter-of-fact rather than accusatory. “Nice job on the snag. Find anything new?”
 	Tychon shrugged, “Just one thing after another. We’ll brief about it after they’re interrogated.” Cutting the conversation short, the group apprehended the bound necromancers and escorted them inside the guild hall, leading them down a flight of stairs into the basement where the holding cells were located. 
 	Rion turned back to his partner with a lifted smile, “Come, I’ll treat you to a drink to celebrate your bounty.” 
 	As much as he wanted to escape socializing, the orc blood in Tychon refused him the ability to turn down a free drink. With a shrug, his relaxed frown curved into a reluctant smile. “Fine.”
 	The hall, though modest in size, exuded an air of quiet dignity, its walls adorned with the relics of past triumphs, and echoes of heroic deeds. Beside a staircase leading to the second floor’s balcony, a small bar was installed along the western wall. Its surface gleaming with polished mahogany, and the half-dwarven lady bar tender had a wide assortment of alcohol for the guild’s members to partake in. Above the bar hung a portrait of the King and Queen, their regal visages overseeing the mostly vacant interior. Flanking the royal portraits were paintings of the guild's esteemed leaders, Tychon and Rion, their likenesses captured in professional detail.
 	The remainder of walls came alive with a tapestry of history and valor. Scenes of true events and notable accomplishments adorned the space, interspersed with trophies, letters of commendations, and even replicas of magical artifacts seized by the guild in the line of duty. Several wanted posters of dangerous arcane convicts had its own section; the ones that were captured were partitioned away from the ones that were still at large. Though the guild's tenure may have been brief, its legacy was already vast, with ample room for further tales of heroism and adventure to be etched upon its walls.
 	Tables and chairs dotted the space, most of them unoccupied save for a few mage hunters seated at the far end, their presence acknowledged with a casual wave as Tychon and Rion entered.
 	“Hey Nessa!” Rion called to the barmaid as he settled into an empty seat at a nearby table. “Get us a bottle of red wine and a few glasses.”
 	“Ye’ got it, boss!” the half-dwarf barmaid replied with a brisk tone. Her movements were both spastic, yet dexterous as she quickly assembled a wooden tray with glasses and the requested wine bottle.
 	“Thank you, hun! Oh, hey Tychon, sit tight, let me fetch you that lockbox before I forget,” Rion added before hurrying off, disappearing downstairs into the storage area. 
Left to his thoughts, and the provided wine, Tychon reflected on the recent events and the mysteries that loomed. Why the sudden surge in cultist activity? The first recorded instance was over a year ago when a brutal ritual was uncovered in a resident’s basement. Nothing new followed until many months later with a sudden influx of necromantic crimes. What nefarious schemes are they plotting? And what of the enigmatic black stone he held in his hand? So many questions remained unanswered, each one casting a shadow of uncertainty over his mind.
 	“Here,” Rion returned, placing an icy-blue box on the table adorned with purple glowing arcane sigils and a sturdy, pristine padlock.
 	“You know, wine hasn't been tasting the same to me lately,” Tychon complained after taking a sip. He carefully deposited the gemstone inside the crate before sealing it shut. As he closed the box, the arcane sigils flashed momentarily, emitting a harsh, chiming tone. After the stone was sealed away, Tychon’s ears shifted, as if feeling a fresh breeze of air wafting over him that he never knew was absent.
 	“Aww, come on, don’t tell me that orc blood is spoiling your tastes,” Rion teased, his smirk accompanied by a raised brow. Tychon hesitated, unsure whether to be offended or play along with the banter. “Hey I’m just teasing. So, tell me. What do you think?” Rion prodded.
 	“About...?”
 	“The necromancers you took in. What do you think they were doing all the way out in the farmland?”
 	“They were clearly trying to raise the dead. Would make sense if they were new recruits, but they were casting some rather advanced magic.” Tychon mused.
 	“Is that so? Hmm… Zombies don’t usually move particularly fast. If they were intending to cause any trouble, you’d think they’d try to do it within the walls. So they weren’t novices?” Rion added, taking another sip of the aged, crimson drink.
 	“No, they were casting some advanced necromancy. Would’ve lost half my lifespan if I didn’t dispel that dagger enchantment one of them used,” Tychon recounted, his expression darkening with the memory. After a silent moment of contemplation, an idea sparked. “Wait... actually...” he reached for a tube within his satchel, pulling out a map of the kingdom and its outskirts, the very one he had used to locate the abandoned farmhouse. “Say, do you know of any merchants that travel this path?” he pointed to a road near the farmhouse, adjacent from the route he had taken.
 	“That, I'm not entirely sure of. What are you getting at?” Rion inquired, intrigued by Tychon's sudden curiosity.
 	“If I were plotting something that required zombies, I'd try to loot a caravan along this pathway. One likely to be highly guarded,” Tychon theorized, his eyes narrowing in focus.
 	“Ah... that orc blood surely isn’t rotting your brain after all. A fine deduction,” Rion studied the map intently as he took another sip of his wine. “What do you think they would be after?”
 	“It could be a million things. Gold, artifacts, a map to something. Or maybe, they were trying to infiltrate the city,” Tychon suggested, his mind racing with possibilities. He swirled the wine in his glass thoughtfully before taking a sip, the strong, rich taste causing him to recoil. “Hrm. I think we should start looking around and ask questions. See if the guild halls have any high-paying escort jobs listed, or maybe check with the magistrate.”
 	“I'll get on that right away,” Rion declared, rising from his seat and making his way towards the exit after draining the last of his wineglass. However, he paused as if he forgot something. Returning to the table, he swiped the unfinished wine bottle. “You should really go take that gemstone to Beatrice. I don’t know why, but my stomach hasn’t been sitting right since you brought that thing in,” Rion urged before departing once more.