— CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE —

  The Next Stage

  (Percival)

  We got up early the next morning and headed up to the Citadel. No time for breakfast, Fritz chugged his coffee on the way. That was our routine, because it took so long to get through the gardens, curtain wall, and facade. Today, however, we could walk directly from the courtyard into the entrance hall - very convenient.

  Inside, the entente had finished setting up their command post. Supplies and planning tables cluttered the space. Near the main doors, engineers were assembling weapons and rolling them out to the forward troops, and the infantry carried the wounded out of the side passages to bring them to the field hospital somewhere above in the facade wing. Echoing clashes of fighting could be heard coming from the four newly-opened doors spurring off the entrance hall.

  In terms of players, Nox was already there looking at the maps the NPCs had laid out on the planning tables. "Hey guys!" he called out, waving as soon as he saw us.

  The three of us joined him, and Fritz asked, "So, what are we looking at, progression-wise?"

  Nox called out, "Hey, Nic, would you mind telling them what you told me?"

  Prince Nicolaus, giving instructions to an officer nearby, broke off his conversation to come over and lay out the situation. His armor looked like it had been recently cleaned and waxed, but his long black hair was looking particularly shaggy. "Of course." He picked some of the maps out from the pile and laid them out.

  "We've found segments of my father's army fortified deep in the Citadel, split across three fronts. The east is the armory, foundry, and barracks - heavy fortifications, production facilities, and the core of the garrison. The west wing holds the eyrie and the beast pens. And those two halls at the rear lead to the dungeons below. I trust no man to fight my father's machines than my Lieutenant - he trained many of those men himself. So I have sent him ahead to manage the eastern front. As for the dungeons, I would like to tend to whatever hellish experiments my father has conducted there personally, so I will be heading down as soon as my uncle arrives. His assistant has already taken it upon herself to conduct the operations in the west side. We would appreciate any help you could render us, but there is something else I would ask of you."

  Nic turned and walked toward the massive door at the back of the hall. It was decorated with a relief depicting two dragons eating each other's tails. "This is an ancient seal that dates back to before this fortress was built. It is well beyond our means to destroy, but the heart of the Citadel, the throne room, and my father lay beyond it. To open it, we require the Crown Regalia - eight keystones, held by my family since the unification. Four of them were kept on premises, one of which I managed to bring with me when I first fled the city." He reached into the pouch on his belt and produced a grapefruit-sized crystal. It glowed with a soft blue light. He stared into the light for a moment, his frown growing, then put it back in the pouch.

  Recomposing himself, he continued, "For the other three, they could not have been taken inside, so I suspect they lie within the three strongpoints around us. But the final four, they are kept on the fringes of the Kingdom, in ancient shrines that predate our known history. While we are occupied here, I would like you to find them and retrieve the keystones. Only when they are all assembled can this madness truly end."

  Nox picked up one of the maps. "Here are the locations of the shrines." It was a map of the world with markers way out in the Line of Fire in the northwest, in the far reaches of Desert in the southwest, somewhere in the Woodsea near Florin in the southeast, and deep in the King's Woods in the northeast.

  I asked, "So it's not another linear wing of the Citadel but seven different objectives?"

  "That's what it's looking like." Nox said.

  "That's great!" Fritz said. "That's even more than we can handle! Even if Ruin and Hermann Park split up and take their own parts, everyone gets their own area! No fights over raid rosters!"

  "We'll have to talk it over and see how the rest of the Vanguard feels about that first." Nox said. "For now, I sent a message to the Protectorate to see if they know anything about these shrines. And... I was a little nervous to go in alone, but do you want to scout the front lines with me?"

  "Yeah!" Fritz volunteered. "Let's check out the royal zoo!"

  The Protectorate didn't have any records of the ancient shrines, so they sent out missions to search the given areas. In the meantime, the Vanguard divided themselves among the three available wings of the Citadel. And, lumping the minor guilds together, how do you split five groups across three places? You pair up a few groups and put the strongest team on their own.

  That's right, folks - after a little disagreement with Tempest and some World Guard mediation - the minor guilds were assigned to handle the Eyrie by ourselves. Then Tempest and DPS were put into the dungeons and Steel Rage and Rose's Thorns took the armory.

  The fighting was more intense than ever, and with our resources split, we didn't make progress quite as easily as we had been. Still, we gained ground. Slowly but surely, we were keeping on.

  ---

  +Leo+

  Two weeks after the Vanguard had unlocked the new wings, I finally got my chance to see inside the Citadel. They'd been hesitant to let observers in until they were sure of the stability of their positions, but now that they were comfortable enough, they invited the Protectorate in to document what they'd found.

  The January air bit at my cheeks as I approached the courtyard, noticing immediately how different things looked from my last visit. The ticket booths were still in place in the courtyard, but they were now unmanned and the gates were freely open. The gardens, now deemed perfectly safe, were open to public access, though the crowds were smaller now that everything was wilting.

  At the landing of the newly open front door, a new security checkpoint had been established. A couple World Guard peacekeepers were spacing out at the threshold, keeping tourists out of the dangerous territory. They let me through with a quick look at my credentials.

  The first thing that struck me was the immense floor mosaic stretching across the entire hall. From ground level, I could only make out fragments of the design - a circular layout broken into spokes that each showed a different scene. I craned my neck, trying to find a vantage point that might offer a better view. Maybe if I climbed one of the balconies...

  "Leo! Over here!"

  I turned to see Fritz waving at me from near one of the side passages. Beside him stood Percy and Lucy.

  "Hey guys!" I hurried over, notebook already in hand. "Thanks for playing tour guide today."

  "No problem." Fritz said, clapping me on the shoulder.

  I gestured back toward the floor. "That mosaic - has anyone gotten a picture of it without all the stuff on top?"

  "Yeah, we took some pictures before the boss fight." Fritz said. "The files should already be in the Wiki."

  "Oh?" I asked. "I didn't see anything about it in our books. I'll have to check the archives when I get back. So," I rubbed my hands together excitedly, "where are we going first?!"

  We headed through the eastern passage, and I immediately noticed the change in architecture. The ornate, ceremonial design of the entrance hall gave way to more utilitarian structures - wide corridors with high ceilings designed for moving large equipment and troops. As we progressed deeper, loud bangs echoed through the corridors, growing more frequent and intense.

  We turned a corner and entered an industrial zone. The floor was marked with long, worn streaks where heavy equipment had been dragged or rolled. Machines of riveted metal lay in workshop chambers on either side of the main corridor, many bearing scorch marks or bullet holes. It was a foundry for heavy weapons production.

  Taking pictures, I said, "Interesting. It's not as... 'primitive', for lack of a better term, as the traditional fantasy melee weaponry used by most of the NPCs."

  We continued through the workshops until we reached a particularly large bay. Rail tracks crisscrossed the floor, and carts filled with weapon components were scattered throughout. Along the walls, pools of molten lava bubbled under smelting vats, half-formed weapon molds lay abandoned, and a sea of tools were scattered across the floor.

  But the weapon-making equipment had been turned into weapons themselves as Loyalist soldiers had taken cover behind the larger machines and spilled out slicks of molten metal to beat back the King's men. Both sides were well entrenched in opposing corners, using small artillery pieces to hold their positions at the door while the space between was a no-man's land where the infantry clashed in close quarters.

  "Things get pretty nasty in there," Fritz said, "but that's what it's been like for the past two weeks. I'm glad we're not the ones that have to take this place."

  Percy added, "Rose's Thorns and Steel Rage don't have to, either - the NPCs hold the line while they take more roundabout paths to flank and undermine the King's positions."

  "They've found some nasty pieces of work, too." Fritz said.

  "Ooh, what bosses have they found so far?" I leaned forward eagerly.

  "The only one they've run into so far was a big golem that assembled siege equipment." Fritz replied. "Apparently it kept rebuilding itself from the foundry parts."

  I leaned through the doorway, trying to get a better view of the fighting. "Do you think we could get some pictures?"

  Fritz shrugged. "I wouldn't recommend it, but I'm not your dad."

  "I'll go with you." Percy said, calmly walking through the line of barricades and siege lances.

  I swallowed hard but followed him, staying close behind as he raised arcane walls to shield us from stray projectiles. We darted between machines, using them as cover while Percy's magical barriers absorbed the occasional shot or spell that came our way.

  We ducked behind a minecart and Percy nodded toward the tracks. "We can roll this along to get a better vantage point."

  Together we pushed the cart, using it as mobile cover as we navigated across the battlefield. I opened my camera interface, trying to lean out from behind our protection to get clear shots. With all the spells and projectiles flying around, my hands shook slightly as I tried to frame each photo.

  Suddenly, something whistled past my ear - a metal wrench hurled by one of the King's soldiers. I barely ducked in time.

  "What are you doing out here?!" a voice bellowed from the Loyalist side.

  A man in polished armor charged through enemy fire to reach us, sliding into cover behind our cart. It was Lieutenant Anderson, his face twisted in a scowl.

  "If you're not part of my command, then get off my field!" he shouted. "I don't need rubberneckers!"

  "Sorry! I'm just... I'm with the Protectorate; we like documenting things! Do you think I could ask you some questions?"

  Anderson stared at me in disbelief before sighing heavily. "Come with me."

  He ushered us back behind the Loyalist fortifications. Once we were securely behind cover, he turned to face me.

  "I can spare a few minutes if it keeps you out of my men's way." he said.

  "So I have to ask," I began, "you have guns, right? Like, handguns? Rifles? Why are we throwing wrenches and stabbing each other out there?"

  Anderson looked at me like I'd just asked why people don't breathe underwater. "You've never fought an organized enemy, have you? Bullets have a very limited effect against magical shielding. Any real fight is determined by the competency of its mages - they are vital to infantry support and special operations. That's why the Resistance have been so effective despite their lack of numbers and resources - a good part of the elite mage corps defected alongside Alephred."

  "Oh. Why aren't you using your siege lances to push forward? They have to be strong enough to overpower a mage, right?"

  "Because they would be destroyed by the enemy's cannonry before they could get a shot off. A frontal assault here is a madman's gambit - that's why we're relying on you adventurers to outflank and disrupt their positions. As soon as they know they can't hold, they have to withdraw. Move fast enough, and they won't have time to pull back their guns and we can capture and send them to the other teams."

  I nodded, making notes. "And how are they doing on guns? Is fighting over the foundry causing them problems?"

  "It's hard for them to work while we're here. They are throwing together improvised weapons out of whatever materials they already have made. They should be on the ropes, and yet..." Anderson paused, looking troubled. "They are fighting with a rare fanaticism. I do not know what could inspire them like this - surely they see their position is untenable. The walls have been breached and they are being pushed back on all sides. The chances of reinforcements arriving from one of the other wings is negligible, but still they fight on."

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  "Are they afraid of what you'll do to them?" I asked.

  "We've made our position as clear as can be - we have no issues with the soldiers, only the Traitor King and his court." Anderson said. "It worries me to think the King holds something else over their heads - something we have missed."

  "Have the other fronts found anything like that?" I asked.

  Anderson's eyes narrowed. "You like sticking your nose in places - why don't you ask them yourself?"

  "That's a fantastic idea!" I replied enthusiastically.

  Anderson shook his head and turned back to his troops.

  ---

  We left the foundry and made our way back across the entrance hall toward the west wing. Unlike the utilitarian design of the eastern military sector, the western passages immediately took on a more natural appearance. The smooth stone walls gave way to rougher surfaces, the hallways narrowing and twisting like cave tunnels. The air grew damper, carrying the lingering scent of animals and earth.

  As we ventured deeper, we passed by a series of empty enclosures - cages with bent bars, pens with scattered straw, and what looked like feeding troughs now dry and dusty. Many of the doors hung open, their locks broken or removed entirely.

  "What was kept in here?" I asked, peering into one of the larger pens. Claw marks scored the walls, deep enough to gouge the stone.

  Fritz said, "That one held wolves. The King's men broke it open when they retreated past here, and we had to fight them off."

  "It's absolutely miserable." Lucy added. "The conditions they've kept these animals in is deplorable, and they force us to put them down."

  "They're desperate." I said. "I wouldn't be surprised if they're starving them to make them more vicious, too."

  Percy said, "You know, we never solved if NPCs are capable of starving or not."

  "I don't see why they would program that in - it's unnecessarily cruel." Lucy replied. "Then again, there are plenty of small things that seem to exist solely for immersion."

  Fritz shrugged. "At least they don't let players starve."

  As we continued through the tunnels, I began to hear sounds echoing from ahead. At first, I thought it might be more fighting like we'd witnessed in the east wing, but as we drew closer, I realized it was a chorus of calls, chirps, and caws.

  The tunnel suddenly opened into an enormous cylindrical tower. I stopped at the threshold. The space stretched upward for what must have been hundreds of feet, the walls lined with alcoves, perches, and artificial nests. Catwalks and bridges spiraled up the sides and crisscrossed through the middle, creating a maze of walkways. It wasn't too far off that tree city in the Woodsea, actually.

  And everywhere - birds. Hundreds, maybe thousands of them, filling the air with their calls and the beating of wings. Swallows darted between the lower levels, while larger birds of prey perched on the higher reaches. Peacocks strutted along the walkways. Eagles soared in lazy circles near the ceiling, occasionally diving to catch smaller birds that ventured too high.

  "Whoa." I breathed, pulling up my camera. "There's got to be every kind of bird in the game here." I snapped several photos in rapid succession.

  Percy nodded. "Almost - we haven't found the penguins yet."

  "Percy was complaining about that earlier." Fritz said with a smirk.

  "I like penguins - they're cute." Percy said with deadpan neutrality.

  "How do you think they've weaponized them?" Lucy asked. "Strapped bombs to their chests?"

  Percy said, "I hope there's an ice caves section where we have to cross a slippery path with penguins sliding down trying to bowl us over."

  "Why would you want that?" Lucy asked.

  Fritz chuckled. "I don't know, sounds like it could be fun - better than the usual combat."

  "Oh yeah, this place is your territory, right? How's it going?"

  "Smooth enough." Fritz said. "Come on - we just cleared this place up ahead."

  He led us through another passageway branching off from the main shaft of the tower. This one was shorter but still retained the natural, cave-like appearance of the west wing. After a brief walk, the tunnel opened into a wide greenhouse with arcing, frosted glass walls and ceiling that bathed everything in a natural blue glow.

  Inside, a dense jungle spread out before us. Tropical plants of every description crowded together in carefully arranged beds, creating the illusion of a natural forest. Vines draped from the ceiling, and flowers in vibrant colors bloomed despite the winter season outside. Colorful birds flitted between the trees, their plumage matching the exotic blooms.

  "We had to comb through this place bush-by-bush." Fritz explained, pushing aside a large leaf to clear our path. "There were tigers jumping out at us whenever we turned away."

  Percy nodded. "Mr. Boots took some strays - and not by me, surprisingly."

  "Who's Mr. Boots?" I asked, stepping over a fern.

  "Maybe you'll meet him later - the guys are working up ahead." Fritz said.

  A bird suddenly launched itself from a nearby tree, startling me enough that I ducked reflexively. "Lotta birds." I muttered.

  A bush rustled to our left, and I tensed, expecting another bird - or a tiger. Instead, a woman emerged from the foliage, her blonde hair streaked with dirt and her armor bearing the marks of recent combat.

  I jumped back in surprise, but quickly recognized her as Livitha, one of the entente NPCs.

  "His Majesty has always loved birds." she said without preamble, looking up at the glass ceiling where several macaws circled. "He built all of these exotic environments to house them while his people starved in the streets. He didn't even have the decency to make it a public zoo or research center - it had to be all his and for his entertainment."

  "That's a shame - this place is beautiful!" I said. "Maybe we could make it a proper exhibit for the public now."

  Livitha's lips thinned. "That all depends on the Prince. If he would let this place go, maybe we could see some improvement. I doubt it - the crown is a sick instrument that drives men to center the world around themselves."

  "Is that why you defected from the mage corps?" I asked.

  Livitha froze mid-step, then turned to face me fully. "Who told you that?"

  "I just put a few pieces together."

  She resumed looking out at the plants. "Yes. I was part of the Queen's personal guard, and I was proud to be there. The balls, the ceremony - growing up on the streets, it was all so... magical. But then I saw that man for what he is. The things he did to that poor woman. And I was expected to stand by and do my job. The Goddess has poor judgment if she saw that man fit for a crown. No, the people need to select their own leader. Accountability is the only way to stop this cycle."

  I asked, "So you don't think there's something controlling these people?"

  "If there is, then we will uproot it alongside the King." she replied firmly. "But at its core, no. He was a witch long before those 'voices' started. This is just what let everyone else see it." She turned away. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm looking for something."

  "What?" I couldn't help asking.

  "The King's pet dragon, or any record of it."

  My eyes widened. "He's got a dragon?"

  "Ifrit - it was supposedly a terror in the first civil war to depose the Prince's grandfather." Livitha explained. "However, we haven't seen a single scale throughout this war. Something that large does not simply disappear, and there must be records of what they've done with it."

  With that, she continued her walk through the greenhouse, disappearing among the dense foliage.

  As she left, Percy rubbed his chin. "So there will be a dragon boss at some point."

  I quickly pulled out my notepad and scribbled down the name. "Ifrit - I'll check the libraries for that. Is there anything else in here to see?"

  "Plenty - it's a whole zoo." Fritz said, gesturing toward another path leading deeper into the west wing.

  "I'm a fan of the swan enclosure." Lucy added.

  They led me through the rest of the secured areas of the west wing. We passed through arctic habitats with artificially maintained snow drifts (but no penguins), desert zones with real sand and cacti, and even an underwater viewing chamber where exotic fish swam in massive tanks. The whole place reminded me of the gardens outside, though the tower structure gave it a more linear progression as we ?worked our way upward through the floors.

  As we climbed higher, the sounds of battle grew more distinct - shouts, the clash of weapons, and occasional explosions echoing down the stairwells.

  "Is that the front line?" I asked.

  Fritz nodded. "The minor guilds have been pushing forward floor by floor. It's slow going - the King's men have a lot of barricades."

  We emerged onto a floor where the fighting was in full swing. Unlike the eastern wing, where the NPCs held the front line, here it was the minor guild personnel directly engaging the King's forces. The Royalists had established a chokepoint at a narrow hallway, effectively blocking further progress.

  Several FUN Rangers were positioned at the front. Lancelot had his massive shield wedged across part of the doorway to provide cover for Liz, who was wearing a flamethrower attached to a backpack. She was firing it at a high angle, sending burning pitch over the enemy barricade to splatter the defenders.

  As we observed the battle from a safe distance, something brushed against my leg. I looked down and jumped back with a startled yelp when I saw a tiger prowling beside me. They were right - they really were lurking everywhere! But no one else was concerned.

  Fritz simply reached down and petted the beast's head. "Hey Mr. Boots."

  Behind the tiger stood another FUN Ranger - Carla.

  "Have you considered my plan for busting these kinds of blockades?" Percy asked her.

  Carla's expression immediately hardened. "For the last time - we are not strapping explosives onto Mr. Boots!"

  "Oh come on, he'll respawn!" Percy argued. "Liz is all for it!"

  "Liz is into anything that lets her use her gadgets!" Carla shot back. "Why doesn't she just make something to launch the explosives?! Tape them to one of her drones!"

  Percy shouted, "We can't repair the drones - they're expensive! We can repair the cat!"

  "Get your own cat, then!"

  "I've got a lot of classes to level right now!"

  "Sounds like an excuse to me!"

  Percy turned to me suddenly. "Leo, you're a third party, back me up here! Pets are a renewable resource that we should take advantage of, right?"

  I held up my hands, taking a step back. "I'm not getting involved in this."

  Lucy said, "Percy's right - it's the safest method of approach."

  "Come on, guys," Fritz said, "you know these things retain memories. Do you really want to put something through that experience?"

  "Better a memory than someone actually dies pushing in there!" Percy insisted.

  Carla hugged her tiger protectively. "Willard already settled this: my pet, my rules! If you want to blow animals up, me and Mr. Boots are having no part in it!"

  From the front line, someone shouted back at us, "Can you argue somewhere else?!"

  I cleared my throat awkwardly. "Yeah, is there anything else to see in this wing?"

  As we walked away from the front line, Percy mumbled, "There would be, if we broke through these barricades faster."

  ---

  It was getting late in the day by the time we returned to the entrance hall. The light filtering through the stained glass windows had shifted to the golden hues of late afternoon, casting long shadows across the mosaic floor. As we approached the back entrances, columns of players filed out of the two doorways - Tempest and Doughnuts Per Second members heading home for the night.

  We paused to let them pass. One of them - a swordsman with quaffed hair - noticed us and broke away from his group. Matt, his nameplate said.

  "Howdy there - what're you all doing here?" he asked, his tone friendly.

  "I'm collecting information for the Protectorate!" I replied, holding up my notebook.

  Fritz said, "And we're making sure he doesn't get in trouble."

  I looked past Matt toward the dark passageway from which the raiders were emerging. "This is the dungeon wing, right? Is there anything we should know before going in?"

  Matt's expression shifted, his casual smile faltering for just a moment. "Stay safe down there. It's... not for the faint of heart."

  "Aw, stop trying to sound all cool." Fritz said with a dismissive wave. "You're just mad we're beating you on progression. You guys found your first boss yet?"

  Matt straightened, a flash of pride crossing his face. "As a matter of fact, we have - mechanics testing started today."

  "So we can expect a kill in a month or two." Percy said.

  Matt's cheeks flushed. "Hey, we're going wide with our search - it's an open-plan area, not some little linear path like you've got!"

  Lucy offered a playful smirk. "I'm not sure about that; he's telling it like it is as far as I can see."

  "And here I thought you had some decency left in you, Mills. Fine - see for yourselves. But don't come crying to me when you need therapy."

  "Don't worry - the Protectorate's got a very good mental health division!" I assured him.

  As Matt rejoined his departing guild, Fritz turned to me with a pained expression. "... You've gotta work on your smack talk man, I think you hurt us with that one."

  "Sorry. So competition's fierce?"

  Fritz nodded. "Tempest is PO'd that the Guard took our side in splitting up the wings."

  "And for how well we managed the Knight fight." Percy added.

  "And the dragging weight of their stagnant management practices." Lucy concluded.

  We approached the back passageway, which was noticeably darker than the other wings we'd explored. Unlike the industrial cast of the east wing or the natural curves of the west, this corridor was thin and straight, with bare stone walls that seemed to swallow the light from the torches placed at wide intervals.

  As we walked, the passage began to tilt downward, descending deep beneath the main body of the Citadel. The air grew cooler with each step, carrying a faint smell of mildew and something else - something chemical and sharp that stung the back of my throat.

  The Citadel's large, pale orange-red bricks gradually gave way to more natural grey stone. The ceiling dropped lower, creating an oppressive feeling despite the substantial width of the chambers we began to pass through.

  I peered into the first room, noting the old, disused cells arranged along the walls. Manacles were chained to the floor, their surfaces stained with what I hoped was just rust.

  "So this is... a prison?" I asked, my voice echoing unnaturally in the stone chamber.

  "Prison, torture chamber, laboratory - take your pick." Fritz said.

  It was a creepy place, but I chalked it up to pure atmosphere. That is, until we caught up with the entente forces.

  Unlike the active combat zones we'd seen in the other wings, here the Loyalist and Resistance troops maintained a defensive perimeter around a staircase leading to even lower levels. Blue dust filled the air as they carried up mangled... creatures. Things so twisted that I couldn't even tell what they originally were anymore. Some looked like they might have been animals once - dogs or goats perhaps - but now they were infested with that dark, viscous substance. The black goop pulsed and writhed even as the creatures lay limp and dead.

  They piled the remains onto a bonfire. A team of priests stood around the blaze, reciting prayers as each corrupted body was consigned to the flames. Behind them, mages worked to channel the smoke and fumes away from the personnel, funneling it through a series of air ducts in the ceiling.

  Then it all became more sinister - the low groaning reverberating through the stones, the darkness of the cells, the strange implements lying around.

  In a corner away from the bonfire, sitting on a chair with a broken leg propped against the wall, was Prince Nicolaus. A pile of old journals lay beside him, and he was flipping through one, his brow furrowed in concentration.

  I approached cautiously, not wanting to disturb him. "Er, hello there. Sorry to interrupt you."

  Nicolaus looked up. "Ah, you're one of the adventurer's archivists, yes?"

  I was surprised he remembered me. "Um, yes! I'm looking at the new areas here."

  "Well I suggest you stay well away from this one - the stink will not be cleansed so quickly." he replied, closing the journal with a snap.

  "I do what I have to for the cause." I said.

  "Well spoken. So, you have questions?"

  "I was hoping you could tell me more about this place."

  Nicolaus gestured to the chamber around us. "The dungeons are in remarkably poor condition, though that should be no surprise - they were under my uncle's purview, and he never had the taste for the barbaric form of spy craft of some of our forefathers. His policy has always been that accurate information can only come from the thorough infiltration of the enemy - from your own men's eyes. Sometimes I worry how deeply he has people within my own ranks, but I've made it as clear as I can that I do not consider him an enemy."

  I glanced at the corrupted creatures being burned. "So you never saw... any of this?"

  "The only time I saw this place in use was for the traitors that upheld my grandfather's reign of terror. Most of these chambers weren't even here last I was."

  "Is this related to the, er, numah rumors we have in the city?"

  "You're familiar?" Nicolaus asked.

  "I've done my digging, yes."

  "According to this... 'research'," Nicolaus said, tapping the journal beside him, "it's very probable. The full answer to that question will be found in the main labs in the floors above us; what is here is merely the waste disposal. Something left to fester - pure meat to slow us down in pursuit of the regalia."

  "That's horrible!"

  "He seeks to dishearten us, wear down our will by any means necessary. I've come to expect this sort of thing. But expected or not, it still eludes me how quickly my father changed. What was he told? And where did it come from?" His voice softened. "He was kind once, you know?"

  Nicolaus stared at the floor, lost in memory. After a long moment, he shook his head as if to clear it. "Forgive me. There's a nostalgic air about this castle, no matter what it may be now."

  As I moved away from the Prince, I feverishly scribbled notes in my journal - connections between the numah, the corruption we'd seen in the field, and now these experiments in the Citadel. We were getting closer to the source.

  Fritz caught my eye and nodded toward the stairs. "We should head back. Curfew's coming, and you don't want to be caught out after dark."

  I left that day with loads of new information and leads to look into. But I was able to give something back to them! Only a few days later, I got word from my boss: our field agents had found the elemental shrines!