Chapter 52 – Contemplating
As Fas removed all the items from the chests and began to lay them out on the table, it reminded SJ of the apparatus from a chemistry set. Conical flasks, tripods, various bottles, jars, petri dishes and strange items she didn't even recognise. Fas carefully set everything up. Then he opened the smaller chest and removed several jars and containers. Even various small squares of cloth.
"What are all the materials for? If you have the magistika, can't you just work with that?"
"No, it requires various items to use as catalysts. It's one of the most complex alchemical processes I know, and it takes years to master. Even then, there are no guarantees."
"If it works so well against magic, then why hasn't it been used more across other areas, and why have you never mentioned it before?"
"As I stated, it costs a fortune, not just the cost, but this process for a very limited opportunity of being able to use the solution effectively against a target, due to how quickly it deteriorates."
"Then why bother at all?"
"I know some of the Chiefs' basic defensive capabilities, and this should give us a small chance to offset some of their defences."
SJ had watched Fas in various situations, from fighting to planning, and even recently grieving, but this was a new level of calm and intensity she had never seen before. She watched from the sofa, coffee in hand, as he meticulously worked through the materials and carefully placed everything before he left the room. When he returned, he had changed into more practical clothes, not his usual street wear.
He poured himself a coffee before returning to the table where he had laid out the contraptions. SJ stood and moved over to have a better view.
"Can you open the other windows for me?" Fas asked.
SJ did as he requested, and then she took a piece of cloth that Fas offered her. "Wrap it around your face; you really want to reduce the smell when I open this jar."
Fas tightly wrapped one around his own before he uncorked the lid from one of the jars. The stench was immediate, and SJ only just stopped herself from gagging as it hit her nostrils, even with the cloth covering her face, and she reached up immediately, pinching her nose.
"Urgh, what's that?" SJ said, still pinching her nose.
"It's varilic acid. It's from the varilic viper, a snake that lives in Varilic, a forested region on the western edge of the continent. It has the unusual property of corroding stone and is the only thing that can begin to purify the magistika. Don't worry, the smell will disperse quickly."
Fas poured some of the acid into a small glass dish before he replaced the cork in the jar. It only lasted a few minutes before thankfully the smell receded and Fas removed his face covering. "You should be good now."
SJ did the same, cautiously releasing her nose and sniffing carefully. The smell still lingered, but not to the degree of causing her to gag. She couldn't even describe the smell; it was so putrid.
"You may as well get comfortable; this is going to take a while."
Fas took a small tool that looked like a miniature pickaxe. He then carefully began striking the magistika rock. SJ could see how careful he was being with each strike. Painstakingly, he worked until a small fragment chipped off the stone.
He picked it up with a pair of tweezers before placing it into the small glass container that held the varilic acid. As soon as the rock touched the acid, there was a fizzing sound. Fas watched for several moments as a fine vapour rose before turning and walking back to the sofa.
"Now I just need to wait. It's going to take a while to do its work before I can move on to the next stage of the process."
"Does that liquefy the metal?"
"No. This is just the first process to remove any stone impurities from the metal fragments that it contains. Once it has done its work, it should leave pure magistika, which I can then work with."
"How many times have you made this?"
"Three, two failed during the purification process."
"One in three is not very good odds for success. He can't be that good an alchemist," Dave said.
Can't you see what his alchemy level is?
Dave stuttered. "No, when have I ever told you a being's profession level?"
SJ couldn't remember him ever doing so, looking back. It was another thing that the System kept from its administrators.
"If it's such a difficult process to complete, then why even bother?" SJ asked.
"Because when it is successful, it has one of the most, if not the most, potent anti-magic abilities out of anything. There are rumours going back to the early formation of the empire that a city's shield was taken out by a single blade that was coated in the substance."
"What did you use it for when you created it before?"
Fas shrugged. "Nothing. I was just learning the process."
"You've never actually used it then?"
"No."
"Then how can you be sure it will help?"
"I learned my trade under a master who had spent a very long time developing anti-magic capabilities. He swore by its potency."
What do you know of it? SJ thought.
"Only what's in the Legionnarious. I've never worked with a Legionnaire who had access to magistika or used it," Dave said.
"How long is it going to take?" SJ asked.
"Several hours. Once it's in liquid form, it will keep its potency for several months."
There was quiet for several moments when Fas started speaking.
"I've been thinking about what we can do to try to cause disruption to the Chief's network. Your theft of the earrings has already unsettled her. The rumours from downstairs in the inn are that she is still in a flat-out rage over the theft, though it is not discussed openly. Just that she has been heard screaming from her office on several occasions. There are three potential targets you could consider which would cause significant issues to her network."
"Why are you only telling me now?"
"I know how you feel about disposing of targets without due process."
It was true that SJ was always careful about the targets she accepted within the guild's quest framework.
"So this would be external to questing. Just pure assassinations?"
"Yes. You would be acting outside of the usual constraints you hold yourself to."
"I don't classify it as a constraint. I think my actions are morally justified."
Fas nodded, not wishing to get into an argument about her beliefs.
"The first target is Barnabus Longspike, a dwarven moneylender who operates in District 3. I know that he has brokered several of the Chief's property acquisitions over the years. He is still very active and openly runs a business, although I know that his income source comes from more nefarious means."
"What means?"
"He is strongly linked to the thieves' guild. The second is an information broker. They operate out of District 9, a half-elf called Julisa Ganforth. I'm aware that she has fed information back to the Chief about the Tower Guard and their routines and operations. She has been doing so for decades. The third suggested target would be an orc fighter called Balbuss. He started as a street gang member and was brought into the Chief's inner circle of operatives. I know he has performed several security details for some of the illegal fight operations that the Chief has overseen over the years."
"Wouldn't taking out the three raise too much suspicion for the Chief?"
"Perhaps, but I know that Barnabus and Julisa also work with others across the city, not just the Chief."
"So the removal of those two wouldn't necessarily mean a direct link to the Chief is being disrupted."
"No, but the removal of both would cause issues for her. Losing financial avenues and information routes is critical to her network's operation. I know there are others, but they are also the key figures within each of those networks with direct ties to the Chief."
"I definitely think the orc shouldn't be targeted if he is that close to her network. It could mean she increases her security even more if it did happen."
"Perhaps, but he is also a fighter with a temper and known for some rather unsavoury actions. He openly killed a man a few weeks ago, and nothing ever happened to him. That is the power and influence the Chief holds."
"I don't feel happy performing these without a quest or guild backing."
"I can arrange contracts."
"Isn't that playing the system if you raise the quests?"
"How? A disgruntled or discontented debtor could easily raise a contract. A tricked or underpaid spy could do the same if they didn't believe they were being properly compensated. The underworld is, after all, the underworld for a reason. I know you only live in the shadows part-time, but the reality is that corruption is still rife across the city, not just from those in power."
SJ couldn't argue; she had seen many quests herself that had been posted by the guild, which she would never accept due to the whimsical and soft nature of the accusations that were stated in them. One she had seen was due to another being called "fat" in a bar, so he had raised a contract for his removal.
Her reputation with the guild had increased over the past twelve months to a position of Popular, which attributed an extra 60% to her experience gains or potential rewards when she did so.
Fas moved to his writing desk and scribbled two notes before pulling the small cord beside it. SJ knew that it rang a bell in Benji's quarters, which she had learned were next door. Within moments, the young man appeared in the entrance.
"What do you need?" Benji asked in his usual sprightly manner.
"Could you please take both these notes to the haberdashers on Janson Street?" Fas called several coins to his hand, passing them to Benji.
"Sure," he said as he left again.
"It's that simple to raise a contract?" SJ asked.
"Yes, and no. Anyone who reads those notes would see a very basic order for a standard set of items available there. Only if you know the code, would it allow a contract to be raised."
"If you are using code to define the contracts, how do normal beings go about it?"
"Usually, through the actual desks, the guilds operate via. Those in the know go directly to specific contacts. I have also used one of the other guilds. I didn't send it through Navina. She may well catch on to what is planned."
"Won't others accept the quests as well?"
"Perhaps, but if they do, then so what? If it helps us solve a problem in advance and causes further discomfort to the Chief, then why not? Ideally, please complete the tasks so you can benefit from looting their properties. I can stand here now and guarantee that, in your eyes, they are legitimate targets without playing on your morals. I also know exactly where both of them live, while others would need to discover that first."
SJ shook her head, rolling her eyes. "I have morals for a reason."
"You do, and I accept them, but that doesn't mean I agree with them."
SJ sighed. "Where do they live, and how long will it take for the quests to become active?"
"The quests should be active within the hour once Benji drops the details off. In relation to where they live. Barnabus Longspike owns a property in District 3, by the inner wall. Similar position to your own in District 11. He has an office on the ground floor, named 'The Offering', and he doesn't hide his function as a moneylender and openly has deals outside of the bank's remit. I know he lives on the second floor. The first floor is occupied by his guards, two permanent bodyguards. Both are high-level dwarven fighters. As a fae, you should be able to bypass them for obvious reasons. Julisa Ganforth lives above the 'Firestarters', a notorious bar in District 9. It has a reputation for attracting beings of a certain kind."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Obviously, those with loose lips after a few coins. It's rife with rumours; that is her trade, after all."
"I would have thought that if it's good for intelligence, you would use Firestarters?"
"The Gryphon is much better for the clientele variance; we get all kinds of downstairs in the bar from all walks of life. Firestarters is a dive of a bar."
SJ knew that type of bar. Dark, seedy, and the sort where your feet stuck to the floor when you entered.
"Do I need to be aware of anything about either of them?"
"Barnabus was a fighter in his youth, but I doubt he will pose much of a threat to you. Julisa is a little trickier. She is a ranger by class, giving her dexterity a boost, and she still practices her archery skills regularly. Hand to hand, I doubt she would be a problem."
"From what you are saying, neither should be a threat. If that's the case, then why haven't they been taken out previously? Am I missing something?"
"No, not really. With your level and skills, you should be able to deal with them both easily enough. Also, if you are someone who uses their services, it's unlikely you would dispose of them."
SJ sat silently for several moments. She wasn't happy with this; something just didn't feel right. Fas raising contracts so readily to give her the moral justification was too easy. Not that she didn't trust him, because she did; it just felt different.
Fas stood and moved back to where the magistika had been soaking in the acid; the fine vapour it had been releasing had stopped. SJ watched as he carefully lifted tiny metallic fragments from the acid before placing them on a cloth.
"You know, I've been sitting here quietly while you and Fas arrange the murder of three beings over a drink of coffee," Dave said.
Two, the third was agreed not to be a target.
"Oh, much better, only two. Look at you on your moral high ground," his voice dripped with sarcasm.
Aren't you the one who has often challenged me to draw more in my class?
"Yes, but it's come as a shock, hearing you readily talk about murder."
Assassination, not murder.
Dave sighed. "If you say so."
SJ didn't respond. Fas carefully patted the metal fragments dry. It was a tiny amount left after the initial impurities were dissolved. He carefully lifted each piece and placed them into another glass tube, before lighting a candle and positioning the tube with the fragments over it. He clamped it in place as he turned back to SJ.
"You've gone quiet," Fas said.
"I'm thinking."
"About what?"
"About what I have just agreed to and what I refuse to normally do."
"Ah. Your moral compass again. This is different; you have considered it. You haven't just accepted the quests; it has been discussed, and you have concluded."
"I'm not sure I have reached a conclusion."
"Anyway, even if you don't perform the tasks, the contracts are now out there, the quests will be raised, and someone will come along and complete them." Fas shrugged.
"That's a true statement," Dave said. "You don't actually have to do anything."
Fas's answer didn't fill her with confidence. SJ knew that the Chief had a strong grip across the city, but how many others might have to die in the process of removing her? Only time would tell.
SJ stared at the small tube as the candle heated it up. She was surprised by how easily the metal seemed to liquefy.
"I thought you said the process took a long time? It's already becoming a liquid," SJ said.
"This is just the second stage. There are twelve in total. It melts easily at first because its structure is altered by the acid bath. This will just combine the initial fragments, then I must let it cool before moving onto the next phase, before I begin the painstaking process of adding the catalysts."
SJ lifted her coffee cup to take a sip, but it had gone cold, so she set it back down. She stood and moved to the window, looking out over the gardens. Two humans were walking hand in hand; the woman's laughter reached her through the open window. She reached up and kissed the man on his cheek. It was the most basic of actions any couple could take, yet at that moment, it made SJ feel corrupt. The city continued its life outside, while behind closed doors, all across its many streets, plans and conspiracies controlled the narrative.
SJ sighed as she turned to look at Fas. "I'll start tonight," she said as she moved to the door to leave.
