Chapter 11 – A Poisoned Chalice
The steps down were lit with dimmed lanterns as SJ entered, leading to the single door at the end of the short corridor. Her pulse raced as nervousness about meeting Navina started to grip her. She had never been here alone before, and from the brief encounters with this being, she knew she was deadly. It was in her mannerisms and conversation that always gave SJ an air of caution when speaking to her, ever since Dave had revealed she was indeed a vampire.
She knocked sharply on the door.
"Come in," Navina replied in an almost bored tone.
SJ took a steadying breath and then opened the door, entering.
Compared to the dimly lit corridor, Navina's office was brightly lit. Its furnishings were sparse yet practical. A single desk stood at the far end of the room, and Navina, with her brilliant white hair, alabaster skin, and sharp blue eyes, looked up at her. She held a crystal glass in her hand and sipped from it. Red coating her lips until she licked them clean, lifting a white handkerchief to her lips and dabbed them. The liquid in the glass did not appear to be wine.
"Navina," SJ said as she entered.
"Ah, SJ. I'm glad you made it in time to see me," Navina smiled, showing perfect white teeth.
"What did you need to see me so urgently about?"
"Please come and sit first. May I offer you a drink?"
SJ moved to the desk, her heart still racing. Navina had never offered her any kind of hospitality before. Her throat felt parched as she answered.
"Yes, water would be nice, thank you."
"Of course," Navina stood with fluidity and grace as she moved to a side cabinet, where several glasses rested and several bottles of various drinks were stored. There was no sight of one with the same liquid in the glass already on her desk.
"Here you go," Navina said, handing SJ the glass before returning to her seat.
SJ lifted the glass and, without even considering it, sniffed first before raising the glass to her mouth and sipping.
Navina chuckled. "Don't worry, dear, if I meant to harm you, I wouldn't use poison."
SJ flushed. "Sorry, I didn't mean any offence."
"None taken. The trade we work in means that suspicion should always be at the forefront. I can see that your pulse is racing. As I said, there is no need to fear this meeting. I have a genuine business proposition for you to undertake."
SJ swallowed, trying to calm her pulse. She could feel it pulsing, and going from her memory of films she had seen on Earth containing vampires, the realisation that her blood was pumping didn't make her feel any safer.
"You say business proposition? Carlito said you wished to discuss a quest?"
"It is a quest, but a rather specific one. The value is quite insane to the successful party who succeeds in completing it."
"You say party. Does that mean it has been offered to more than one?"
"Yes. It has been allocated to three of you, although I believe you are in the best position to complete the requested task. Anyway, how have you been? I see the chancellor is currently on his way to your hometown to visit."
That comment completely took SJ off guard. Stumbling over her response, she replied. "He is... how... why would you be interested in that?" A sense of dread suddenly filled SJ as she said the words. It couldn't possibly be that Navina was going to request that she assassinate the chancellor?
"Calm down," Dave said quietly. "You're going to give yourself a heart attack."
"No reason. I usually monitor the council's doings, and it's common news that the chancellor was departing the city. Especially as it's his first time leaving the territory since he took the position."
"I didn't expect you would be concerned about city politics?"
"I keep abreast of most happenings in the city. Without doing this, I wouldn't be a very competent guild master," Navina smiled. Her smile was disarming.
"So, this quest you say has already been assigned to two others?"
"Yes. You will have competition, although I believe the other two will probably be thwarted in any attempts."
"I don't understand. What could put me in a position above all others?"
"Your connections, of course. You are well known within the political circles of the tower, aren't you? The fae ambassador, who has the chancellor's trust and ear. You even have a city title if I heard correctly."
SJ had never spoken to anyone outside of the room when she had been granted the position by the chancellor, apart from a couple of very select friends. "How do you know about my position with the chancellor?" SJ asked, then regretted it as soon as she had confirmed Navina's suspicions.
"As I say. I know most things that happen in this city," again a brilliant flash of white as she smiled. Her eyes, though never held any humour or light-heartedness, maintained the stone-cold stare of a killer.
"Don't let her fluster you," Dave said firmly.
"What is this quest?" SJ asked.
"It involves a close friend of yours. Not directly, I might add, but enough so that they could become suspicious or even prevent you from undertaking the quest. That is why I wished to speak to you directly about this matter rather than through our usual means of communication."
"Carlito?" SJ gasped, realising that Navina was referring to him.
The smile hadn't left Navina's face, but this time her eyes twinkled slightly at the discomfort that she knew SJ must be feeling.
"Yes, Carlito."
Navina didn't continue as SJ's mind raced. 'What could involve Carlito?' she thought, panic-stricken.
"Calm down!" Dave again emphasised. "You're losing control of your emotions, and for an assassin, that's not a good idea. She said it involves a close friend, but not directly. You aren't going to be asked to assassinate him."
'Maybe not, but what about his acquaintances? Those who work within the orphanages?'
"Let her finish explaining and stop giving her ammunition to get under your skin. Your emotions are giving her gaps, which are showing your weaknesses."
'I know, but...'
"But nothing," frustration filled Dave's words.
SJ took a moment to get her thoughts in order before she continued, trying to stay as calm and controlled as she could under the circumstances she had found herself in.
"What does the quest involve, and why am I better suited, if you know it involves a close relationship to my patron?" SJ said, attempting to sound professional in her relationship with Carlito.
"Oh, come now, SJ. I know you and Carlito are more than sponsor and trainee. He has told me so much himself."
SJ didn't believe a word she was saying and was pretty sure she was trying to dig deeper into the relationship they had. After all, Carlito of Asterfal, the renowned assassin, was known as Fas in Killic, but from the already revealing statements from Navina, she probably even had a rough idea of his involvement during the battle of Killic.
"I asked what the quest involves?" SJ asked, ignoring Navina's comment.
Navina smirked. "Good. At least your emotions didn't rule that time."
That comment again threw SJ; had she deliberately been attempting to misfoot her and get her to reveal information about herself and Fas? Fas had always said they had a long history together, but SJ still wasn't sure what that history actually stood for between the pair of them.
"The quest?" SJ asked again.
Navina scoffed. "It looks like my fun is over for today. Oh, well, back to business. The quest specifically involves Carlito, as it involves the Black Gryphon. A significant bounty has been raised, which we as a guild can't turn down. It is a guild quest, but I am able to assign the task to those whom I believe are the best suited. Unlike many quests we receive, it isn't open for general release, and was brought directly to me."
"If it's a guild quest, then why don't you do it yourself?" SJ asked.
"Good question, which I'm not going to answer, unfortunately."
SJ looked at Navina suspiciously, frowning. "I would be interested to know what stops you from dealing with this matter directly?" SJ asked.
"I'm sure you would yet, I won't divulge my reasons. Instead, I will tell you the target that needs to be assassinated."
"Go on," SJ replied. There was a palpable tension in the air.
"You know them as the 'Chief'."
SJ couldn't quite hold back her sharp intake of breath at the name, or at least the name of the position she was known by. The only chief that SJ was aware of in Asterfal that Carlito had any close relations with was the chief of the Black Gryphon. The Chief was a dark elf mage who ran and owned the Black Gryphon, with which SJ had met on a couple of occasions, albeit briefly. She was rarely seen in the inn itself, but her renown for her dealings across the underground fight scene of Asterfal was well and truly known; yet, the city officials never did anything about her.
"This is excellent and about time," Dave said excitedly. "We have been after those earrings forever now."
The earrings the chief had worn the first time SJ had met her matched the design of the missing earrings from the fae heirlooms and had the potential to be part of the Earth Sentry set, which she already wore, including the choker and the belt.
'Yes, but the chief was a powerful mage from your comments when we first met her,' SJ thought.
"She was then; you have levelled much since then, and also you have stored experience that you can also use to level further, and your skills and understanding as an assassin have grown significantly since your first encounter. I'm sure you wouldn't feel the same threat from her as you did back then."
'She has owned the Black Gryphon for over two centuries. Didn't you say that there were magic users with unprecedented skills who were low-level? If she is high-level, I can assume that, also with her age, her magical ability is potent.'
Dave hummed as he thought.
"What do you know of her?" SJ asked Navina.
Again, a faint smile creased Navina's lips. "I have known her for a very long time, longer than Carlito. We have no working relationship, if that's what you mean. Any interactions have only ever been professional."
"Given that you've known her for so long," SJ pressed, leaning forward slightly, "what can you tell me about her capabilities?"
"That would be granting you an unfair advantage over the others who have already accepted it."
"The other two are already aware and working on the quest, then?"
"I would expect so. As I say, the reward is substantial."
"Why have you not offered it to Carlito? He has the closest relationship with her and could get closer than any of us."
"Because his relationship is tainted," Navina replied, her face expressionless.
"You mean they knew each other more than just as acquaintances?" SJ asked, surprised.
"I said they have known each other for a long time, not as long as I have known her, but long enough for there to be... let's say some water under the bridge."
SJ couldn't fathom Fas having a relationship with the chief, but that was the only meaning she could take from Navina's comment. Even after the time they had been together and his position as her guardian, she knew so little about his history, which she was fairly certain was varied and complex.
"You say that there is a substantial reward? Yet, you haven't issued me the quest to review. Is there a reason?"
Navina leaned forward in her chair, propping her elbows on the smooth, polished surface with her hands clasped. With a grin, she spoke. "The reward is not your usual reward you would be used to from within the quests system. It is rather specific and is an aside to the actual task."
SJ frowned. None of her previous quests had ever been about anything outside of the standard coin reward, experience gains from the kills and skill perks through Fas.
"What is it then if it is external to the task? That seems rather unusual."
"Oh, it is. That is why the other two who have been assigned the task didn't hesitate to accept when they heard what their rewards might be."
"Their rewards might be? Does that mean that each is different?" SJ asked, feeling trepidation at what it might be. She felt a shiver run down her spine, her wings twitching slightly.
"Yes, each reward is specific to the person to whom I have decided to assign the quest. Your reward is definitely unique and something I believe you won't be able to turn down. Each is individual under the circumstances of this quest."
"Come on already, just tell us what it is," Dave suddenly blurted. "The tension is killing me here. I'm losing processing cycles waiting."
Navina obviously couldn't hear Dave, but SJ agreed fully with his statement. SJ's nerves were slowly getting more and more on edge the longer she dragged out the details.
"What could be so unique to me that you believe I will have no choice but to accept the quest?"
"First, I must explain that I have been around for a very long time. Much longer than many, no one knows my true age, and if I'm being honest, I can no longer remember what it is. Time has no meaning to me in its normal sense. What I do know, though, is many of the hidden treasures of this world and what they stand for. I know for a fact that you indeed seek the treasure that the chief owns."
"How could she possibly know!" Dave said with alarm.
'She can't be talking about the earrings, can she?' SJ thought in response as she felt a trickle of sweat run down her back. The cellar wasn't hot, but she may as well have been sitting in a furnace, her cheeks heating up.
"What do you know of such a treasure?" SJ asked, trying to keep her tone calm and even. If Navina knew about her Earth Sentry set and the fae heirlooms, then she may even have been alive or undead when the original loss of them occurred.
"I know you wear some of the set already," Navina said, leaning back again in her chair, her expression serene and with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. "I also know the earrings you seek can't be just taken."
SJ gulped. Navina's confirmation of her suspicion was starting to worry her. Her eyes widened, even as she attempted to control her bodily responses.
"You know about the heirlooms?" SJ said, her voice trembling slightly.
"I do, and I know you seek what the chief wears. The problem you face, though, is that the earrings have been bound to her. The task is not just as simple as killing her and removing them from her. She bound them a long time ago to prevent their theft. If any being, living or dead, attempts to take them, they will be destroyed. The magical spell that was cast on them was by one of the high dark elf mages, ensuring that they could never be returned to the fae."
"If that's the case, then how can you possibly offer me something that can prevent it?"
"Because I know the incantation to reverse the bonding," Navina said as she opened her desk drawer and removed an ancient and yellowed parchment, placing it on the desk's surface.
"How can I believe what you say is true, and not just a ploy to ensure I take the quest?"
"Suspicion. Excellent, a good sign for an assassin. Always considering the wider factors," Navina smiled. "Fas has been doing an excellent job of ensuring your development."
SJ's eyes shot open in surprise. Navina had just named Carlito as Fas.
"Holy troll snotballs," Dave said. "This being is seriously underhanded and dangerous."
'You think!' SJ thought in a sarcastic, dripping response. 'She does lead the city's main assassin guild.'
"What you are telling me is that without the incantation, it wouldn't have mattered at what point I attempted to get the earrings; they would have automatically been destroyed, and surprisingly, you are the only person with an incantation to reverse the bonding, even if the chief is dead."
"Correct."
"You say that two have already accepted their quests. If they are successful and kill her by looting her body, you're saying the earrings will be destroyed by any attempt to?"
"Again, correct. Therefore, timeliness is also a concern here."
"How long have they been in possession of the details?"
"The first was just over a week; the second was only three days."
That information infuriated SJ. She had assigned the quest to others, knowing that the fae heirloom could potentially be destroyed if they were successful. This highlighted Navina's callousness. She obviously didn't care either way and held no ties to them; instead, she used the existence of the heirloom as a means of manipulation.
"Why did you assign it to others first if you knew the importance that they hold to my kind?" SJ almost snarled as her temper started to flare.
Navina shrugged nonchalantly. "As you say, they are to do with your kind, not mine. I do not need them, and never will; they hold no value to me, therefore, why would I ever care about them?"
"She's a piece of work," Dave spat angrily.
A vibration sounded from under the desk, and SJ glanced down. Navina leaned forward and lifted a communication stone from the desk drawer.
"Excuse me for a moment," Navina said, standing and walking to the rear of the room, where a tapestry hung. She lifted it to one side and disappeared behind it. Even with SJ's advanced hearing, she was unable to make out the conversation as Navina returned and sat again.
"Well, that was fortuitous timing. It seems that one of them has just failed in their attempt. You have one opponent now."
"Dead?" SJ asked.
"Yes, very dead. Their remains were just located in District 2. So, I assume you will be accepting the quest?" Navina smiled again.
"We have no choice," Dave huffed.
'I know, but I have to consider Fas in all this,' SJ thought.
"No. No, you don't. This is a race heirloom that you need to obtain. I know we don't know what the full set will bring, but the slimmest chance of even getting all the pieces can't be overlooked."
'Fas is my guardian, though.'
"Exactly, your guardian. Remember, he can't do anything to you; he is your protector."
'He may be my protector, but after what he sacrificed when he came to support Killic, I can't just overlook his thoughts in this. If he once had a relationship with the chief, I can't just ignore it.'
"Once being the operative word."
SJ rubbed her cheek thoughtfully before sighing. "You give me little choice. Yet you know I also can't stay in Asterfal to resolve this immediately. You are deliberately preventing me from acting now, knowing this, thereby giving the other a greater advantage. If I accept the quest, I wish for the incantation now. There are no guarantees that I could return to an area to use it after an assassination."
"No. You will only receive it after, not before. You need to ensure that whatever you do, if you succeed, is in a manner that allows you the time to return here to collect it and then return. I have also told you I doubt that the others would succeed, and one has already proven me right. In all honesty, I'm not even sure you will succeed, but I do believe you have an advantage on your side."
"Offer me the quest," SJ said, staring at Navina, fighting the anger she felt.
Navina smiled again, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
Class Quest - A Chief's Reign Ended
You have been assigned the task of assassinating the chief of the Black Gryphon. On successful completion of the quest, you will be rewarded with a unique gift.
Reward: Incantation of Reversal - this incantation is unique and relates only to the Earrings of the Earth Sentry.
"Damn. Well, it's factual then," Dave said. "The quest system wouldn't allow that statement to be included if what she was saying wasn't the truth."
"What about anything else I find?" SJ asked.
"Take what you wish. The guild payment will be more than sufficient alone if you're successful."
SJ closed her eyes and let out a slow breath as she accepted the quest.
"Excellent," Navina grinned. "I look forward to hearing about your progress. Unless of course, I hear about your demise instead."
SJ stood and turned to leave. Her mind was spinning as she tried to work out what she would say to Fas, or even if she could say anything to him.
"I will let you know whether the other succeeds or fails," Navina said chirpily as SJ left the room.
She wasn't sure how long she had taken or how she got to the Black Gryphon. The rain had still been falling, and she had pulled her cloak around her face as she walked the streets. It was only now, as she stood outside the inn and looked up at the windows, with its familiar noisy facade, that the realisation of her undertaking struck home again. SJ turned to glance in the direction of the chief's office on the first floor, seeing a silhouette in the window; she couldn't tell if it was the chief from this distance. A tight ball knotted her stomach as she stepped forward, nodding to the troll bouncers as she entered to find Fas. A forced smile on her face as she entered, still unsure of how she might discuss or even if she could discuss the potential to betray her guardian.
