The Silver Sphinx

 

“The strongest of the pride are measured not by the steel in their hands  

but by the steel in their souls.”

leonin saying

 

 

Third Market Day of Mortis, 126 HR

When Amariel entered Prefect Fireheart's office to report, she was surrounded by a faint scent of weapon oil and sandalwood, reminding her of the leonin's Tharpuresian origins. The dignified tranquility here stood in stark contrast to the chaos and darkness of the previous day. The banner of the Planar Harmonium hanging on the wall opposite the door reminded the half-elf that the Barracks were her home, that she had friends here and would always find support and backing. Runako Fireheart sat behind his massive desk next to a large window that offered a good view of the Lady's Ward. His sand-colored fur shimmered in the glow of the light crystals, and his green eyes examined Amariel attentively. To her surprise, Killeen was also present. She saluted the prefect and then looked questioningly at her brother.

“The Lady's Grace, sister. I was just about to announce some good news,” he explained cheerfully.

“But of course, I don't want to interrupt an official report.”

He looked at Runako, and the impressive leonin nodded. “Well, as they say, good news doesn't run away. So let's hear what your sister has found out about the shadow thefts first.”

 

 

“Very well, sir,” Amariel replied. “As you know, I went to the Hive with the decurions Nallart and Verûsa because we had a lead. The following occurred ...” She reported the events near the Night Market in a matter-of-fact manner, but without omitting any important information. How they had found the house of the fence, who called himself the Shadow Ripper, which had been mentioned by their informant. How they had encountered Síkhara and Haer'Dalis there and how the suspect had managed to escape. She explained what the blood hunter and the Sinker had said that had ultimately persuaded her to join forces with them. How the two had shown them the secret laboratory of the shadow thieves. When she recounted how she had sent Nallart and Aranis Verûsa back to the Barracks so she could go to Rakalla alone with Síkhara and Haer'Dalis, Runako frowned. Amariel did not fail to notice that the prefect was not enthusiastic about her actions, but she took a deep breath and continued her report, recounting her conversation with the medusa and her discovery regarding the soul fragments in the shadow essences. However, she omitted the part concerning the Prophecy. She knew that Factol Sarin intended to inform the leonin about it. But that had not happened yet, so she withheld the detail for the time being.

When she had finished, Prefect Fireheart looked her over closely. “Thank you for your report, decuria,” he said in his deep voice. “I must admit, I am impressed by what you have discovered. The information that the stolen shadows contain soul fragments is a significant step forward.”

Amariel held his gaze and nodded, but said nothing. She knew that the praise was only the introduction. She was fully prepared to be reprimanded for her arbitrary acts during the investigation.

Runako leaned back in his chair. “However,” he continued, as she had feared, “I am also concerned about your methods.”

The half-elf took a deep breath. “I know that I joined forces with Síkhara and members of the Doomguard without permission. It was a risk.”

“Indeed,” Runako said seriously. “You say that Síkhara is a blood hunter. They are known for their unorthodox methods and their connections to shady characters. Haer'Dalis and Rakalla, on the other hand, are members of the Doomguard, a faction that is openly hostile to us. You have put yourself in danger, decuria.“

”I believe it was necessary, sir,” Amariel replied. A quick glance at her older brother revealed that he was equally concerned for her, but she also recognized approval in his eyes. The half-elf quickly turned her attention back to Prefect Fireheart. “Síkhara and her allies have information and skills that we need. And I am convinced that they are sincere in their desire to capture the shadow thieves. The shadow thefts are a threat to the safety of Sigil, sir, and we must do everything we can to stop them.”

Runako was silent for a moment, his green eyes studying Amariel intently. “I do not doubt your judgment,” he finally said. “But you must still balance your duties and your safety. Intuition is a good thing, an important thing. But you must not be guided solely by your instincts. There are certain rules for such missions, and they exist for good reason.“

Amariel nodded guiltily. ”I know, sir. I will try to observe these rules better in the future.“

The leonin sighed. ”You are a highly skilled and capable officer, decuria. But I get the impression that you are also sometimes impulsive and impetuous. Who does that remind me of?“

He gave Killeen a meaningful look, and her brother raised his hands defensively - but with a grin that made it clear he knew he was being addressed.

”I know that things can get dicey in situations like that,“ the half-elf said. ”I've been there more than once. And I've often acted impulsively and recklessly. Just like Sarin and sometimes even Tonat. But it would be a shameless lie to say that I haven't taken the biggest risks most of the time.“

Runako growled knowingly, a kind of confirmation, it seemed to Amariel.

”What I'm trying to say,” Killeen continued with a smile. “I can understand your motives, sister. I probably would have done the same. After all, we have the same blood running through our veins. Ultimately, of course, it's Runako's ...” He paused, bowed his head briefly to the prefect and switched to a more formal form of address. “... the decision of Prefect Fireheart on how to handle the matter.”

Amariel nodded. She was grateful for her brother's support. But she knew she had crossed the line, and Runako had made it clear that she was not allowed to do so again. She turned back to the majestic leonin and met his stern gaze. “I accept whatever decision you deem appropriate, Prefect Fireheart,” she said.

“I know that Sarin thinks highly of you,” Runako replied seriously, and Amariel couldn't help feeling a wave of pride and joy wash over her that she hoped didn’t show on her face. “I therefore do not want to be responsible for anything happening to you while you are working on a case that is under my supervision. Especially not if it can be avoided. But I also see that your methods, albeit unorthodox, have led to important progress in the matter. I therefore want you to continue investigating the case. But I insist that you adhere to the operational guidelines in the future.”

Amariel breathed a sigh of relief. Part of her had feared that Runako would take her off the case.

That would have been the worst possible outcome for her at the moment. “I'll be more careful in the future,” she said. “I promise.”

The prefect nodded contentedly. “Very well,” he said. “Now about your cooperation with Síkhara and the members of the Doomguard. I will allow you to continue with it for the time being. But ...” He raised a finger. “You will inform me of your every move. No more playing a lone hand. And you will not put yourself in unnecessary danger. If the situation becomes too risky, you will withdraw and inform me.”

Amariel nodded seriously. “I understand,” she said. “I will abide by your conditions, sir.”

“Good.” The leonin then turned his gaze to Killeen. “Legate Caine, you said you had good news.”

“Indeed.” The half-elf sat up straight in his chair and was clearly in a good mood. “It concerns Lord Valiant.”

“Good news about Lord Valiant?” Prefect Fireheart growled. “What kind of news could be good regarding that man? In my opinion, the only good news would be that he has left the city.”

Amariel couldn't hide a smile when Runako showed his displeasure with the Grand Inquisitor so openly. It was common knowledge that his relationship with Juliana's predecessor, Ulan Delazar, had been very tense. The leonin had voted for his dismissal at the time and had made no secret of it. So, naturally, he was not particularly fond of Lord Valiant either.

“Ha!” Killeen clapped his hands. “You hit the nail on the head, my friend.”

Amariel felt a sense of relief wash over her. “Lord Valiant has left Sigil?”

“It was about time,” Runako grumbled. “He didn't express himself very clearly when he told Factol Sarin that he intended to stay a little longer. How long has he been here? About a month?”

“Yes, a little more than four weeks,” replied Killeen. “That naturally caused quite a stir among us all. I've had a talk with our factol and told him that I would like to find out the real reasons for Valiant's presence in Sigil. Sarin agreed, so I tried to have some of our esteemed Grand Inquisitor's activities observed. I assigned the task to a woman of whom I am sure we can trust and who knows how to gather information discreetly: Lady Diana. She knows all too many faces in Sigil, but as an expert in disguise magic, she can prevent herself from being recognized.“

Prefect Fireheart nodded. ”Ah, that's why our concierge has been replaced by triaria Jostos so often in recent weeks. A clever move, legate. And did Lady Diana find out anything?“

”Not much, unfortunately,” Killeen explained. “Valiant didn't spend much time in the Barracks. Which was a blessing in one sense, but also a bit strange, wasn't it?”

“Indeed,” said Amariel. “After he had asked me about the shadow thefts, I was afraid he would start meddling everywhere. But in the end, he was hardly seen in the Barracks.”

“I wish I could say I'm happy about that,” Runako growled. “But unfortunately, I agree that it is pretty suspicious. Do we know where he's been hanging out instead?”

Killeen leaned back in his chair. “At least Lady Diana observed Valiant meeting with Estavan from the Planar Trade Consortium once. He was also away from Sigil for over two weeks. The portal he used to leave the city leads to Cornucopia. We don't know what he was doing there or if he stayed there the whole time, though.”

“The realm of Rosmerta, the Celtic goddess of trade.” Amariel nodded. “It's part of the Eternal Market, where the gods Zilchus, Sera, Waukeen and Shinare also have their realms. If you want to acquire anything rare or valuable, it's probably the best place to go besides the Great Bazaar or Tradegate.”

“Or if you're looking for information,” Killeen added. “In the planes, that's sometimes one of the most important commodities. I'm almost certain that's what he was searching for: knowledge. But what secrets he's after and whether he found any answers ...” The half-elf spread his arms to indicate that he hadn't been able to find out.

“Very ominous,” Runako remarked gruffly. “Especially that the Grand Inquisitor himself has deigned to conduct these investigations. It must be really important. But even without answers to these questions, I'm more than glad that he's back on Ortho.”

The half-elf nodded. “At least for now.”

“For now?” Amariel looked at her brother uneasily. “You mean he'll be back?”

Killeen sighed deeply. “I'm almost certain of it, unfortunately. His behavior is unusual, and something tells me that Sigil will attract his attention again. It's probably only a matter of time.”

Prefect Fireheart folded his arms, his green eyes sharp and sparkling like emeralds. “Our factol will be thrilled. And since Valiant is a member of the Octade, we can't even refuse him entry.”

“Yes, regrettably,” Killeen replied grimly. It was clear to see that this prospect made him anything but happy.

Amariel nodded gently. She knew that the tensions between Sarin, Tonat and Killeen on one side and Valiant on the other went back many years. That they had once been friends, but were now on very different political and philosophical sides. That some kind of change had occurred to Valiant, but even the factol and his two legates had never been able to figure out what it was.

“And what do we do now?” the half-elf asked cautiously.

“Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do for the time being,” her brother explained with a sigh. “As Prefect Fireheart rightly pointed out, we have little to nothing on a member of the Octade. We just have to wait and see what his next move is and be very careful. Valiant is a dangerous man, intelligent, charismatic and ruthless. He is willing to do anything to achieve his goals, whatever they may be at the moment. But we will watch him. We will follow his every move and try to find out what he is planning.”

Runako grimly tapped the table to signal his agreement, and Amariel nodded resolutely. She would do everything in her power to prevent Valiant from causing the Harmonium any more harm than he already had – or her factol ...