The Silver Sphinx

 

"Shadow owes its birth to light."

Elysian proverb

 

 

Second Hive Day of Leagueheim, 126 HR

The Barracks were a place of order and discipline as well as of fellowship and camaraderie – but often they were also a place of unrelenting noise. The calls of the instructors, the clatter of boots on stone and the clanking of weapons echoed from the inner courtyard. And although she didn't mind it on most days, today it annoyed Amariel, as she wanted to think in peace. So she stood up and closed the window of her office that looked out on the courtyard, energetically shutting out the distracting background noise. The shadow thefts. They had returned, like pesky cranium rats, crawling out of the sewers after they had supposedly been wiped out. For months, they had believed that the matter was settled, dismissed as one of the many unsolved mysteries of the Cage. At that time, a few months ago, the missing shadows had suddenly returned to their owners. The victims had recovered and no lasting damage had been found. Despite thorough research, Nallart, the decurion in charge of the case, had ultimately been unable to uncover who had been behind the thefts. However, since there had been no further incidents and the investigators in Sigil always had their hands full anyway, the case had been shelved. But now more shadows had been stolen. Three, to be exact, and the victims had come to the Barracks to have their statements put on record. Amariel had interviewed Yorinda Hazewing. The tiefling woman from the Fated had appeared cool and distant, but beneath the polished facade, Amariel had perceived something more fragile – a fear that seemed to go beyond the loss of her shadow. What are they really stealing? she wondered. Was a shadow more than just the absence of light? The inner emptiness felt by the victims seemed to suggest as much. A knock interrupted her thoughts. The door opened and Nallart entered, followed by Jostos. The aasimar dwarf, who was also Kiyoshi's instructor, was a Harmonium veteran and bore the scars of many fights in his weather-beaten face. Jostos, a red-haired half-elf, often helped Lady Diana in the reception hall, but was currently assigned to her unit to investigate the shadow thefts.

“Lady's Grace, Decuria Amariel,” Nallart greeted her with his rough voice. “We just finished interrogating the other two victims. Shall we see what we have?”

“Yorinda Hazewing is worried,” Amariel replied, while she offered the two a seat. ”More than she wants to admit.”

“Torgan just seemed annoyed to me,” Jostos explained. ”He seems to see a personal insult in the fact that his shadow was stolen. He's sure it's the act of revenge of a disgruntled citizen whom he didn't give an appointment with Factor Lucius Atkins.”

Nallart grumbled. “A disgruntled citizen who happens to know such a rare form of shadow magic? I doubt it.” He sat down on the chair, which creaked a little under his and his plate armor’s weight. “The aasimar I questioned, Lyria Stardust, is ... different. She spoke of a sense of liberation when her shadow disappeared. Almost as if she had lost something that weighed on her.”

“Hm, let's put together what we have so far,” Amariel suggested. “Let's start with the dwarf from the Signers.”

Jostos nodded and opened her notebook. “Torgan Ironred is an old grump, there's no doubt about that. But he's also a stickler for detail. He remembers the exact moment when it happened: Fifteen minutes before peak, when he was issuing a certificate for a blacksmith named Baruk. He said he heard a soft whisper, like the rustling of parchment, and then suddenly his shadow was gone.”

“All the victims mention the whispering,” Amariel interjected. ”It seems to be a recurring detail. Torgan couldn't tell more about it, could he?”

Jostos shook her head. “Unfortunately not. Just a soft hissing sound, like cold air. At first he thought it was a draft, but all the windows were closed. He seemed unsettled by the fact that it happened in the Hall of Speakers, where he usually feels safe.”

When the triaria had nothing further to add, Amariel looked at Nallart.

The old dwarf rummaged in his worn pocket and pulled out a tattered scroll. “I consulted Lyria Stardust, an archivist without faction membership. She lost her shadow while working in a remote part of the Bibliotheca Epiphania in the Clerk’s Ward. She was organizing old tomes when it happened. It was already early evening and she was almost alone, but a few other scholars still worked in the main library area. She's ... unusual. Very calm, very serene. She described the incident as if it were something she had been expecting. She said she had felt observed for some time, as if there was an invisible presence near her. When her shadow disappeared, she described it as a feeling of lightness, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her.”

Amariel frowned. “A burden? What did she mean by that?”

“It was all a bit strange,” Nallart replied. ”She said it was as if her shadow represented some kind of memory or obligation that she now no longer has to bear. She seemed almost relieved that it was gone. She also mentioned that in the hours before the theft, she had had the impression as if something was floating through the library. Like a shadow without a body.”

“A shadow without a body ...” Amariel murmured. “That sounds like something out of a fairy tale.”

Nallart snorted. “In Sigil, fairy tales are often the ugly truth in disguise. And what did the tiefling woman say?”

Amariel sighed again. ”Yorinda Hazewing was cautious, controlled, as you would expect of a Taker. She lost her shadow in her office in the Hall of Records when she was working on a contract late in the evening. She remembers a cold draft and a slight rustling, similar to Torgan. But she emphasized that she had no idea who might be behind it. She dismissed it as a prank or the result of a broken window.”

“Does she have any enemies?” Jostos asked. “As a factotum of the Fated, that could be possible, couldn't it?”

“According to herself, none who would be capable of such a thing,” Amariel replied. ”But she did mention that the contract she was working on is of great importance. It's about control of a lucrative trade route in the Outlands. She thinks that maybe some rivals are trying to intimidate her.”

Nallart scratched his beard. “So we have a grump who scents revenge, an aasimar who feels liberated and a tiefling who may have been intimidated. All have heard a whisper and felt a cold draft, but the only thing they have in common otherwise is that it happened in the Clerk's Ward.”

Amariel leaned back and folded her arms. “The pattern is vague, yet the concentration in the Clerk’s Ward is striking. But why that particular ward?”

“Maybe there's a collector, a wizard or a mad artist who covets these shadows,” Jostos speculated. “Or someone needs them for a dark ritual.”

“Or maybe ...” Amariel thoughtfully played with the quill in her hands. “Maybe the thieves aren't even looking for the shadows per se. Maybe they're searching for something else and the disappearing shadows are just a side effect.”

“What do you mean?” Jostos asked.

“The Clerk’s Ward is a center of knowledge and power,” Amariel explained. ”The Hall of Speakers, the Hall of Records, the library – all these places contain valuable information and secrets. Perhaps the thieves are looking for something specific there, and stealing the shadows is a kind of distraction or a method of covering their tracks.”

Nallart rubbed his neck. “Yes, who knows? This is all very tricky, we shouldn't rule anything out. Unless it's much simpler: maybe the goal is simply to cause chaos and undermine order in the Clerk’s Ward.”

“And we have to ask: why now?” Amariel pointed out. “Why are the thefts an issue again after so many months?” The half-elf stood up and looked out the window. The city of Sigil was a maze of possibilities and dangers, and she and her comrades were hunting for a shadow thief who had disappeared in that labyrinth.

“Let's talk to Prefect Fireheart,” she said. ”He needs to be informed of the scope of this matter.”

 

Runako Fireheart had been a member of the Harmonium for many years and was one of the most respected factors in the faction. In Tonat Shar's absence, the leonin was Sarin's deputy and second-in-command. Since the factol had instructed her to report any important developments in the case of the shadow thefts to Prefect Fireheart, Amariel visited him immediately after questioning the victims, taking Decurion Nallart and Triaria Jostos with her. When they entered the prefect's office, Amariel realized once more that it reflected both, his military discipline and his deep faith, which was of course particularly important to him as a paladin of Ba en Aset. Next to a large window that offered a good view of the Lady's Ward, stood a massive desk made of polished gold wood. On it were only a few carefully arranged stacks of documents, a quill pen made from a dragon's claw and a small bronze statue of Ba en Aset holding a pair of scales. Amariel had to smile a little to herself when she compared the orderly workplace with that of their factol. Sarin's desk was always quite untidy and untypically chaotic for the head of a lawful faction. On the wall opposite the door hung a banner of the Planar Harmonium, and in wall brackets below it hung a long saber and a shield, perfectly maintained and decorated with sacred symbols of Ba en Aset. A small shelf held a collection of law books, military manuals and holy scriptures. The prefect had invited them to enter with his full voice and was standing behind his desk when they came in. At around seven feet tall, he towered over most humanoids, but was of average height for a leonin. He had sandy-colored fur, a slightly darker mane and green eyes, and he wore a mithral plate armor engraved in the style of his homeland, Tharpura. While Amariel, Jostos and Nallart presented their findings, he listened attentively without interrupting or showing impatience.

When the half-elf had finished her summary, Runako nodded slowly. “This is disturbing news,” he said in a deep, calm voice. “Apart from the crime itself, the insecurity and fear that such acts sow among the population are just as dangerous as any physical threat.”

“We believe that the thefts are deliberately taking place in the Clerk’s Ward,” Amariel explained. ”However, we are not yet sure whether the shadows themselves are the target or whether this is just a side effect.”

“I see,” Runako replied. “We must act before these thefts get out of control. I will immediately decree some measures.” He went over to the window to look out over the city below. ”We'll double the number of patrols in the Clerk’s Ward, especially in the evenings and near the Hall of Records and the Hall of Speakers. We will also install additional lanterns and repair existing ones to better illuminate the streets. Visitors to public buildings must identify themselves and have their bags checked in case the thefts involve a magical focus, an arcano-mechanical device or something similar.”

Jostos noted the prefect's orders in her notebook, and Nallart nodded in agreement.

When Runako turned back to the investigators, his expression was still serious. “I will also order the casting of magical barriers in the Halls of Records and in the Hall of Speakers to ward off shadow magic. They may be expensive, but they provide good protection. We will, of course, also offer a reward for any information that leads to the arrest of the thieves.” With these words, the prefect sat down behind his desk again. He looked intently at Amariel, Jostos and Nallart. “Thank you for your report. I'm counting on you to solve this case.”

Nallart grumbled discontentedly. ”Yes, sir. This time I won't let those berks slip through my fingers!”

Amariel knew that the dwarf was quite annoyed that he hadn't been able to find out more about the first thefts a few months earlier.

But Runako Fireheart smiled reassuringly. “Don't worry, Decurion,” he said. “You didn't have a chance to do more back then. The case was justifiably filed as unsolvable. Legate Shar has confirmed this.”

Although Nallart nodded reluctantly, it was clear that he would only be satisfied once the shadow thieves were caught.

“We will do our best,” Amariel promised. “We will find the perpetrators and bring them to justice.”

“I have no doubt about that,” the prefect declared. ”But be careful. There could be more to this than we suspect. Proceed with caution and call for support and reinforcements if necessary.”

With these words Runako released them. Amariel, Jostos and Nallart left his office and re-entered the wide corridor of the Barracks. They nodded to each other resolutely: they were aware of the gravity of the task, but also convinced that they would be able to solve it. But now Nallart had a training session with Kiyoshi and Jostos had to help Lady Diana with a reception for a factor of the Fraternity of Order. So Amariel made her way to her quarters to go over all the details of the case in peace and quiet. The half-elf was lost in thought as she walked along the Barracks’ corridors when someone unexpectedly addressed her from behind, startling her.

“Decuria Amariel.”

The voice was deep and melodic, but the half-elf still winced. She stopped, turned around slowly, and her heart stopped for a moment. Lord Valiant. His alabaster skin seemed to catch the dim light of the corridor and his blue eyes sparkled with the intensity of the heavens. The large white wings that rose behind his back seemed to shrink the space around him. He was overwhelming, but intimidating, as always.

Amariel forced herself to bow politely. “Lord Valiant. It is an honor.” She felt that she was flushing. How she hated that he made her so nervous.

Valiant smiled, a winning smile, but there was still something cold and calculating about it. “The honor is all mine, Decuria. I've heard about your work. Factol Sarin had only words of praise for you.”

Words of praise? Sarin was someone who rarely gave direct praise, and she was also skeptical that he would talk to Valiant about her work. However, she tried not to let it show. “I serve the faction as best as I can, Grand Inquisitor.”

“Your modesty does you honor,” Valiant said with a slight smile, and Amariel had the impression that he saw right through her. ”But of course I didn't just stop you to exchange pleasantries. I've heard that you're working on the case of the recent shadow thefts.”

Amariel tensed inwardly. How much did he know? And why was he interested in it? “That is correct, my lord.” She tried to keep her voice calm. “It is a disturbing matter.”

“Indeed,” Valiant replied gravely. “Shadows are a powerful symbol. Their theft could dangerously disturb the balance of the city.” He took a step closer, and Amariel felt her heart beat faster. The Grand Inquisitor aroused a strange sense of alertness in her. “Sarin will make sure that you get the support you need for this case, won't he?”

The half-elf took a deep breath. She was, of course, aware of the tense relationship between Valiant and Sarin, of the differences that had led to a rift in the past. And she also knew that the two men had once been friends. The same applied to Killeen and Legate Shar. She had once asked her brother why their friendship had ended, but he had explained that they didn't know and had never been able to fathom why Valiant's character had suddenly changed. However, she had realized that all three of them felt a deep sense of pain and anger about it.

So she just nodded and tried to hold the Grand Inquisitor's gaze as calmly as possible. “Factol Sarin has provided us with all the resources we need, my lord,” she replied firmly. “We will do our utmost to bring those responsible to account.”

Valiant scrutinized her, his blue eyes piercing. “I'm sure you will. My old friend Sarin certainly chose wisely in making you his aide.” He smiled again, and Amariel felt a shiver run down her spine. ”I wish you much success with your investigation. And don't hesitate to contact me if you need help.”

With those words, Valiant nodded at her in a friendly but patronizing manner and strode away. Amariel watched him until he turned the corner of the corridor. Only then did she allow herself to take a deep breath. Not only were the shadow thieves back, but Valiant was too, and sooner than expected. His presence unsettled her, for she didn't trust him and was sure that he was hiding something. And she knew that his words were a warning, a subtle threat she couldn't ignore. As she continued on her way to her quarters, she swore to herself that she would solve this case, not only for Sigil but also for Sarin. And she would keep an eye on Lord Valiant. Because one thing was for sure: the shadows of Sigil had grown darker and more dangerous since he had returned.