The entire town of Wayfarrow - or the portion of it that Marie interacted with - seemed to have slipped into night shift. The adventurers had been up late celebrating the first bit of good news they’d had all week; the librarians had been examining the ancient coins and healing potions until dawn (though thankfully they hadn’t opened either vial yet), and Marie herself had lain awake until the early hours of the morning alternately wanting to check in on how Brunalda was doing, and telling herself that the goliath woman needed to rest.

  She’d been so distracted she’d missed out on attempting to reanimate Napoleon for the first time since his destruction, though as she woke near noon and grabbed an apple from the main hall, she immediately got to work rectifying her lapse in diligence.

  With everything else pressing on her mind she couldn’t fully focus, and after twenty minutes of frustrating failures she admitted defeat and promised herself she’d spend longer on her attempt that night.

  The common room was still dead as she left for the day. Only Rudi was on duty, and a couple of allagi perusing the quest board paid her no attention.

  The midday streets were a little busier as the townsfolk went about their shopping or looked for an early lunch, but Marie had a different destination in mind for her first stop of the day.

  —

  “I’m sorry. We’re not permitting anyone else entry, apart from her team members and anyone assisting with the healing directly. We’ve already turned away a dozen others. She needs rest, not to be harassed with questions.”

  Marie tamped down on a spark of irritation. She wasn’t a lookie-loo; she just wanted to check up on a friend.

  But they know what she needs best.

  “Fine. Please convey my best wishes for her recovery when she is awake, if that is amenable to you, and I would be grateful if you could pass on a message to Fila Entoll when she comes in for her shift.”

  The look the man gave her was entirely unimpressed, but when he didn’t object, she relayed a request to meet at the Grinning Broccsus for dinner.

  With that avenue hopefully secured, she went on to the next.

  Externally, Wayfarrow’s Library was as gothically imposing as ever, but on entering the short tunnel to the interior, skin cooling thanks to the mass of the building and - she now knew - subtle wards keeping the heat at bay, she was met with a sight that more resembled the aftermath of a heavy-duty house party.

  The librarians might have been fully clothed, and the bottles of wine might have been fewer, but almost every bench and table was occupied by passed-out or sleeping [Clerks] and [Scholars] and [Archivists].

  Even the familiar striped face of Harlowe at the reception was slack as the badgerkin half-dozed, face propped up on one hand at his desk.

  Not wishing to disturb their slumber, she headed straight for the room she’d left her chest in, finding the door open and three people standing inside.

  “Gil? I did not expect to see you here so early in the day.”

  The rotund tabaxi [Merchant] turned, along with the [Chief Librarian], Lady Ununcia Kypria, and Intressa Tiluth, the library’s [Arcanavist] and the town’s premier spellcaster.

  Gilded Paw and Lady Kypria looked remarkably alert, whereas Intressa was visibly swaying on her feet, making notes on the rows of coins laid out on the table in front of her.

  “No sense in wasting time, Miss Marie. I was up with the sun and I’ve been discussing things with Lady Kypria here for the past few hours. I’m most eager to see what comes out of that box next.”

  “As are we all Master Paw.” Lady Ununcia strode to the door and leaned out, her voice echoing round the interior of the hollow tower. “Back to work you layabouts. [Chief’s Orders: Frenzied Research].”

  With the sounds of groans and scraping chairs bursting out from behind her, Marie came fully into the room.

  “Have you discovered much more about the coins and potions?”

  “Oh yes.” The [Chief Librarian] said, handing her a stack of notes. “We’ve confirmed the age to within ten years - Age of Silence for sure. The coins might have once been used as currency but they were turned into some sort of spell component. We’re not sure what for exactly yet, but it’s certainly ritual magic, which is rare these days. The leading theories so far are leaning towards healing or purification charms, or some sort of magical warding - possibly against theft. The potions were definitely healing potions but based on calculations that Benedict took all night to do,” she glared at the lanky man who shuffled in, dark circles under his eyes, “they were far beyond the basic variety that most of us know now. We’ll be able to narrow it down if we open one but it’s likely they were made by a Mithril-ranked crafter, if not higher.”

  Marie’s eyes widened, and Gil grinned.

  “In their day, the value of those two vials might have been more than that of this town.”

  “Is there anything we can learn from them that could help Osric or others in improving their Skills?” Marie asked.

  “It’s certainly possible, though I’d like to do that here with the staff present if you would agree to it.”

  “You might consider selling it instead.” Gil said. “A high level [Alchemist] or [Potioneer] might pay handsomely to analyse them.”

  “Perhaps I could do both, if the buyer were willing to come here to study them?”

  The two older experts weighed up the possibility and agreed there was potential there, though she’d have to consider a lower asking price if she made such demands a condition of the sale.

  “Never mind all that though.” Ununcia made way for Linea as the last of her core research team assembled in the small room. “Let’s get the next item out for analysis. The more we see the more data we have, and the more conclusions we can draw.”

  The excitement was infectious, though Marie had felt her fingers itching to return to the chest ever since she’d left the night before. She was just about to use her Skill and reopen it when she stopped.

  “Don’t we have to wait for the Watch?”

  Lady Kypria cursed.

  Half an hour later, [Arcanavist] Tiluth was being kicked awake from her power nap and [Watch Commander] Nasath was striding into the room. His reaction to Marie was frosty at best, but even his eye was drawn to the black chest sitting on the table.

  As the bubble-like {Arcane Ward} snapped into place around her and the chief, and the loot-covered table, Marie once again opened the box.

  The two other potions were tempting, given how high quality the healing ones were supposed to be, but if these had lost their potency too…

  Marie picked up the gold ring and brought it over to the barrier edge for inspection.

  Their speech and reactions were noticeably slower, but the gleam in their eyes forced the library staff to push beyond their exhaustion. Gil’s eyes went round. Half a dozen spells and Skills had been murmured as Lady Kypria took notes, but they were all cut off by the [Watch Commander].

  “Stop! That object’s too old to be stolen, but it reeks. [Nose for Trouble]. It must be something prohibited. Contraband.”

  Everyone but Marie backed away, and Amit approached the barrier, eyes locked on to the golden signet.

  “It’s not cursed.” Linea said from the side.

  “Maybe not,” Intressa murmured, “but there’s more than one flavour of magic on it.”

  “[Evaluate Threat].” He hissed a moment later. “It’s the magic alright. Must be illusion or enchantment.”

  “Or both.” Intressa muttered.

  The others backed off further, leaving Amit the only one near Marie as she inspected the ring closer.

  “Excusez moi, can somebody explain to me what the problem with that would be? Illusion magic means it would look like something else, so it is dangerous because it might not be a ring? What might I be holding? It feels like a ring.”

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  Eyes darted between Lady Kypria and Amit before the [Watch Captain] answered. He spoke slowly, as if she were a child.

  “If illusory magic lies on the ring it’s not just its appearance that could be different; the magic could mask its true nature. It might well be cursed, but that facet of its properties could be disguised. Or it could have illusory magic that disguises the wearer, or even turns them invisible. Either way, it’s an incredibly dangerous type of magic. Leads to people masquerading as others or hiding themselves from the law, or disguising objects for smuggling or assassinations. Is it not outlawed where you come from?”

  She could see him activating a Skill as he looked her up and down, though he said nothing.

  “I had not come across it, as far as I know. Perhaps they were so rare no one ever though to tell me. Nor enchantment… I am not sure what this does.”

  Whatever he’d been using to check her seemed to satisfy him and some of the tension leeched out of his shoulders. As he sighed in quiet relief, Gilded Paw took over the explanation.

  “Enchantment is even worse, Miss Marie. Mind magic. You don’t need to assassinate someone if you can tell them to cut their own throat or just stop breathing. And you don’t need an illusion to smuggle something past customs if you can simply tell an inspector to let you through. There are thousands of records you can look up. There should be books on it in this very library, or perhaps the Watch can give you examples they’ve heard tell of, but I’ll let you imagine what nightmares people can enact when they can strip away the will of another.”

  A shiver ran down Marie’s spine as she contemplated the possibilities.

  Like GHB, but worse.

  “That is…disturbing. I have not heard of that before.”

  Amit frowned.

  “You must have led a very sheltered life. You should be grateful you haven’t been subjected to it, although, one of the terrifying aspects of it is that you might not even realise.”

  That sent shivers down everyone’s spine, and for the briefest moment Marie considered if perhaps she had been a victim - that her mind had been messed with - and that her memories were all false.

  It would explain everything she’d been though, wouldn’t it?

  No. Cogito, ergo sum. My thoughts are my own; and no one here would ever dream of Earth. Besides I have the scars to prove what I went through.

  Still, her hand drifted to her shoulder where a faint web of hardened tissue was all that marked where an arrow had pierced her. Amit flinched as she moved, and she stopped.

  “What should I do with it? We do not know what it does, but it might be harmless?”

  The [Watch Commander] took a step back, nodding as the people in the room began to agree.

  “It hasn’t done anything yet.” Benedict said. “Maybe it’s nothing to worry about.”

  “You could try it on.” Linea suggested. “See if anything changes.”

  Lady Kypria’s lips twitched, and the shadow of a frown passed across Amit’s face. Marie’s concern mirrored theirs.

  “I do not feel anything from it, but I will not do anything with it unless you all agree. I would like to know what it does but if it is too much of a risk…”

  At that, Amit sniffed, then returned to his original position to watch.

  “No, you’re right. It’s your treasure and we should know what it does.”

  When Lady Kypria nodded, Marie shrugged and put it on.

  Nothing happened.

  “Well that was anticlimactic.” Marie hummed, her voice ringing round the room. “I suppose we should get on with the tests?”

  Intressa and Linea and Benedict resumed their analysis as the others watched, Lady Kypria noting the details down with her automatic quill. It didn’t take long.

  Marie admired the craftsmanship as they finished up.

  “The crest is interesting. It looks almost like a wyvre encircling a tower. I wonder how valuable it would be - the gems are certainly attractive. Oh, but I suppose I should hand it in to the authorities?”

  “Oh no, Marie.” [Watch Commander] Amit waved his hands most vehemently. “We wouldn’t dream of taking away what’s rightfully yours. By all means, do with it as you wish.”

  Marie smiled in surprise. This was just the sort of piece which might make a sizable dent in the debt the guild owed. She turned to the tabaxi [Merchant] who was standing to one side, holding the table as Lady Kypria’s quill finished taking notes.

  “Master Gil, is it worth a lot of gold? What do you think of it?”

  The rotund tabaxi opened his mouth, and then closed it. He swayed from side to side for a moment before he seemed to make up his mind.

  “I think… that it is worth… a very large amount. Many thousands.”

  The library staff began to congratulate her as Marie’s face lit up, and everyone in the room beamed with her… except Gil, whose face turned to a grimace as though regretting informing her of its true value.

  Mon dieu, what a relief. Fortune smiles on me today again!

  A strangled yowling came from Gil, drawing everyone’s attention as he made to speak again.

  “I… would not… sell it, Miss Marie…”

  His mouth kept opening, but words stopped coming out as he swayed on the spot.

  Joy turned to confusion, with a twinge of worry.

  “What? Why not?”

  The rest of the room could only look between the [Merchant] and the young woman as Gil tried to hold a conversation.

  “You…remember…the magic.”

  “Yes. Enchantment and illusion. You all explained it.”

  “You…remember…illegal…”

  Marie’s brow furrowed.

  “Yes, but [Watch Commander] Nasath said it was okay.”

  “Law…does…not… care…”

  “Are you saying I may be arrested? Even when it does nothing?”

  “No. I’m saying…why…did he… change… mind.”

  Marie stopped to think for a moment.

  He did seem taken aback when he found out what magic was on it.

  Why did he change his mind so quickly?

  Glancing round the room, the others were simply watching, expressions of curiosity on their faces.

  But Gil was pale and shaking, and that, if nothing else, made her decision.

  “Maybe I should put it back and leave it for another time.”

  She took the ring off and placed it back in the chest.

  The instant she did, a light seemed to leave the room, and Gil slumped to the ground, leaned to one side and dry heaved, supporting himself with one paw on the floor.

  The library staff and Amit reeled in horror.

  “What! Why did I give you permission to-”

  “-ew it was an illusion.”

  “- if there was a curse on it t-”

  Amit was the first to recover.

  “Nobody take anything out of the chest. Don’t even look in it. And stay where you are. I’m going to send for a containment artefact.” He pulled a stone from his pocket and spoke into it. “Emergency Command. Threat Level One. Bring the strongest magical containment box we have to the library. Get [Lieutenant] Odoona to bring it.”

  In the two and a half minutes they had to wait for Odoona to show, it slowly dawned on Marie what had been happening, and the blood drained from her face. She swayed, like Gil had been, but closed her eyes and focused on her sense of self.

  When the young [Lieutenant] arrived, a box covered in symbols and positively humming with magical energy in her hands, everyone held their breath. It was all she could do as Amit directed her to reach into the chest again, clutching a handkerchief Gil had provided, reach around until she felt the shape of the ring and snatch it out to dump in the box.

  It wasn’t until Odoona snapped the lid shut that everyone breathed once more.

  Lady Kypria watched as the box left with a coterie of the highest level [Guards] that had been in the Watch House at the time, with orders to lock it away immediately with maximum security.

  “Perhaps this would be a good point at which to break for lunch.”

  Faint murmurs of agreement began to rise from the others until Amit shut it down.

  “No. Not yet I’m afraid. I need witness statements whilst they’re as fresh as possible.”

  “Right.” The [Chief Librarian] seemed to remember her own role. “Of course. We won’t see that again; we need all the information we can get. [Autonote]. [Instant Summarisation].”

  Each person in the room took it in turns to relay their account of what had just happened in as much detail as possible, even Amit, who gave his version to a [Sergeant] who’d come over for that very purpose. The [Watch Commander]’s and [Captain]’s Skills combined to sharpen their recall and drew out more than they realised. Not just what they’d seen, but what it had felt like, and especially what had made them change their attitudes towards the ring and Marie.

  Gil’s account was the most useful.

  “I knew it was valuable, and I knew I wanted to sell it, but the Merchant’s Guild naturally prohibits any items of illicit magic from being sold. But I still wanted it. And then when Marie asked what I thought of it, I felt compelled to leave it with her, but she’d asked what I thought, and I had to tell her that too.”

  The two officers of the Watch glanced at each other, before Amit cleared his throat.

  “Would you mind confirming your level, Master Gil?”

  The tabaxi tried to seem modest, but the looks he got when he admitted it were hard to brush off.

  “I recently reached Level 35.”

  Doing his best to keep his eyebrows in their normal position, the [Watch Commander] clarified.

  “And as a [Merchant] you have Skills to mitigate those who try to charm you or influence you in some manner.”

  “A few, yes.”

  Amit leaned over to murmur in his subordinate’s ear as he handed over the accounts of the event.

  “Tell Odoona to make a note - Platinum ranked threat. We need to send word to the capital for secure disposal immediately.”

  The junior officer sped from the room as though his shoes were on fire, and Amit straightened up to address the others.

  “My thanks for your patience and cooperation in this matter. Master Gil, particular thanks to you. I’ll let you all know what comes of it, but right now I think we can take that break. Let’s make sure that we’re extra careful with the rest of the contents of the chest; we caught this danger; let’s be vigilant of others.” He nodded to himself. “I’m off for a stiff drink. I’ll send Odoona back when you’re ready to resume your work. If you have any strange sensations over the next few days, alert the Watch immediately.”

  Then he left the room, and the others followed in his wake.

  —

  By unspoken agreement, no one discussed what had happened over lunch. Lady Kypria suggested a nearby tavern, and they all sat in silence for the first half an hour until they’d finished nursing their first round of drinks and began to nibble at a hearty roast that the [Chief Librarian] was paying for. It wasn’t until Benedict began to spout various tales of the Age of Silence that the small group began to be drawn into conversation, but by the end of the meal, with more drinks, and dessert, all from Lady Kypria’s generous purse, they had returned to some sort of normalcy, which at that moment resembled a tired excitement in most of them.

  When they returned to the library it was still early afternoon, but Lady Kypria declared that they’d hold off on their return to the chest for a few more hours, giving them time to fully sober up and the other librarians time to get a bit more sleep. They weren’t going back in until they were on top of their game.

  So it wasn’t until the sun began to hang lower in the sky that Marie found her research on necromancy and spellcasting in the towering stacks of the library interrupted by a [Junior Librarian] telling her they were ready for her once more.

  This time when she stepped into the room, the sense of excitement was still there, but there was an undeniable undercurrent of seriousness that had been missing before. She could read it in the set of their jaws and the steel in their gazes. There were also fewer dark circles around their eyes, which could only be a plus.

  Marie returned to the chest, cursing to herself as she realised she’d forgotten to close it. She reached a hand in, but something came over her.

  “Aiyee!” She leapt back with a screech, and the room burst into panic.

  Then they began to curse as Marie doubled over laughing and shook a perfectly fine hand at them.

  “I am sorry,” she said between gasped breaths, “I could not resist.”

  Ill-advised as it might have been to alarm a group that included high-leveled individuals, compared to her at least, Marie’s prank broke through some barrier, and an invisible edge of nervousness and fear was broken, and they returned to their task with their confidence returned.

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