54. Getting Up To No Good

Lukas paid little attention to the auction. He sat back and humored Mister Grey whenever he spoke, mostly commenting on the passing lots. It wasn’t just the central attractions that were up for auction, but also parts of the display between them. The essences occasionally grabbed Lukas’s attention. Many featured magic or rare elements and concepts that Lukas would’ve loved to add to his collection. He was sure that if he asked Mister Grey, the man would bid on them for him in exchange for the shard and an equivalent crown amount.

Other priorities helped Lukas resist. He had enough essences to meet his current needs. The job took priority. He focused on the sensing technique, sweeping the neighboring boxes for the witch. Lukas needed to know what they were up to. He was sure the woman wasn’t going to sit still, especially if she found out about whatever was happening in Nightingale’s Rest.

Penelope and Esther had instructed him to stay away from the witches and to leave the matter to them. However, if news of the operation got out, the one at the auction was likely to flee. Lukas guessed the woman had to rank high in the coven. He believed they wouldn’t have let her attend a prestigious event otherwise. There was likely something the coven wanted, and the witch was probably going to influence her date to buy it for her.

The auctioneer’s voice echoed around the auditorium. The stalls below were empty while temporary walls covered in wards filled the balcony where everyone sat. More exclusive hanging boxes stood above and on either side. The lighting left them all engulfed in darkness, granting everyone privacy. No one yelled their bids. Mister Grey spoke to them softly, and enchantments changed and amplified his voice for all below to hear.

It seemed the man mostly bid to drive up the prices for others and found great satisfaction in it whenever he believed someone overpaid for one of the lots. His targeted items hadn’t come up yet. However, Mister Grey had purchased a handful of trinkets that decorated the displays of powerful armor pieces and weapons. A wristband he won appealed to Lukas. He had spotted it in the ballroom. The journal followed his instructions and pulled up the description.

Halo Of Invulnerability
Activating the band’s enchantment will conjure a personal circle of invulnerability. It lasts three seconds and takes five days of passive magic absorption to recover. 

Three seconds were an eternity during the heat of battle. It could potentially allow Lukas to survive an enemy’s powerful spell or shard ability, and leave them drained or struggling with mental strain. Three seconds of face-tanking a dragon or wyrm’s breath was also an incredible feat. The giant creatures always needed a few moments to recover afterward, creating the perfect opening.  

It was part of the reason why Silverspine favored magic over her natural dragon abilities. Their natural weapons grew more powerful with age, but using them also became more taxing with increased recovery periods. Experience had taught Lukas how to bait them out. It was likely he’d make an enemy of her someday, face Drakan’s descendants, or other draconic foes. It was inevitable if he continued facing off against the Wyrmkin or worked with Penelope.

“Here we go,” Mister Grey said, rubbing his hands. His smile and wide eyes betrayed his excitement. He sat forward in his chair. “Three thousand!”

The bid turned high-pitched and sounded nothing like Mister Grey as it echoed through the auditorium. The mask in question sat on a velvet pillow. All the other pieces that had decorated its display sat behind the lot, waiting for their turn.

Mask of Many Faces
The ancient order of Countless Faces was known for its signature masks. It acted as a conduit for their magic, allowing them to change their appearance and blend in wherever they went. The order gained legendary status because of its achievements in assassination, espionage, and intelligence gathering. The mask has no magic of its own, but it contains the vestiges of all of its past wearers.

Lukas made a note of the name. He planned to look up the order and perhaps uncover the secrets of their face-changing magic. It seemed unlikely he’d get anything of the sort from shard abilities—unless Shade’s Mantle gained the power to change its appearance. It felt unlikely or too far away to prove useful anytime soon. Lukas hoped to find alternatives. Gaining the power to change a clone’s appearance would prove invaluable.

“Three-thousand-two!” 

“Do we have a three-thousand-three? The auctioneer asked.

Mister Grey didn’t raise the bid straight away. Instead, he listened to others do it for him, likely gauging the conversation. Lukas followed each bid, focusing his arcane senses on each of them, hunting for the witch’s energy signature. It didn’t take him long to find her. Her booth continued bidding on the lot aggressively. 

“Four thousand-nine,” Mister Grey called, crossing his arms.

“Is it really that valuable?” Lukas whispered.

The man nodded. “Maybe not to others, but it is to me.” 

Do witches also use magic connected to vestiges?

“Five-thousand!”

“Five-thousand-two.”

Only Mister Grey and the witch’s box continued to bid. All others had fallen silent. It was all too expensive for Lukas’s blood. The minimum increment of two hundred crowns was too much for him. After selling everything salvaged from the Elder Wyrmking’s camp, he was just short of fifteen hundred crowns. It was substantial money for an ordinary citizen of Iskander. Unfortunately, it was barely enough for the lesser lots. He needed to save money for his departure from Iskander and journey to wherever Penelope was heading. 

Lukas hoped to invest in a portable forge and smithing set, purchase high-end tools and materials, and still have some leftovers for incidentals. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t tempted. Even though he already had a shard picked for his Heart Pillar and all of the necessary essences to upgrade it into something powerful, 

“Six thousand!” The auctioneer exclaimed. “Do we have six thousand and two hundred? No? Six thousand going once. Going twice. Sold! Congratulations on picking up such a rare piece of history.”

Journal. Will upgrading my Heart Pillar knock me out? 

It usually does, but given your tier-two Body Pillar and high mass, it might just help you overcome the issue. 

What do I need to do for you to assist with the process like you did with the first shard?

Agree to take on the next quest I give you without delay.

What happens if I don’t hold up my end of the deal?

I’ll have no choice but to limit journal abilities.

I suppose that’s a good trade. 

“May I be excused for a moment?” Lukas asked.

“Sure. You’ve done your part of the job.” Mister Grey handed Lukas the second shard. “I have the mask. If I get the Aquila badge too, my night will be made. You’re free to leave. Although the post-auction festivities are something to behold.”

Lukas pocketed the shard, failing to suppress a grin. He ignored the Shard of Growth’s call. He intended to keep, upgrade, and eventually sell it for a profit. “I don’t know about the festivities, but I want to watch the rest of the auction. Just need to relieve myself and perhaps get another drink.”

“Sounds good to me.” The auction had Mister Grey’s attention. He paid little mind to Lukas afterward, more focused on the furious bids flying over the Shard of Arboreal Mastery. He didn’t bid on it, but it wouldn’t surprise Lukas if the man intended to try to steal it from the winner.

Guards and staff walked the corridors outside the auditorium. He followed their guidance to a free private washroom. The spice was large as expected. An incense diffuser filled it with pleasant-smelling smoke. An armchair decorated the space, and a trolley with a variety of perfumes, toiletries, and other products sat next to the sink. 

Once the door was locked and he was sure the space was empty and he had his privacy, he withdrew the ritual leather from his storage space. Lukas placed the Shard of Static in the center. The essences of arcane regeneration, cumulus, and lightning populated the three points around the spell circle. He spilled blood and began the ritual, heart pounding out of his chest. The process took several minutes and gave him far more than Lukas expected.

Shard of Thunderstorms:
Thunderstorm’s Eye(Heart): Your heart becomes a powerful source of magic attuned to lightning and thunder, generating and excels at storing it. Either energy can be used in its raw form, channelled through the body, or transferred through touch, or woven into spells.
You will also gain resistance to lightning and sonic disruption. Spells, abilities, and naturally occurring energies utilizing the same magic of the same rank or lower than your Heart Pillar will not hurt you.

Lukas used the shard without hesitation.

________________________

El-One liked how strong he felt. The loss of speed and flexibility didn’t particularly bother him. He hid in the alley, watching and waiting for his time to come. It was a cushy job. He didn’t know whether it was the high mass or the bruiser specialization, but El-One was just fine sitting, waiting, and relaxing, unlike the other clones. 

Well over an hour had passed since El-Prime entered City Hall. The auction was likely underway. A good deal of the guards lining the stairs and entrance had moved inside the building. However, enough still stood around the entrances to make infiltration a challenge. It wasn’t an issue for the stalker clones. One had taken to the roof, and the other used a first-floor balcony. Guests had used the space to smoke their pipes, drink, and flirt not long ago. Now, they were deserted.

Initially, the clones had thought El-Prime wanted to rob the auction. It was mostly because the thought had passed through his mind several times over the past few weeks. But all of them agreed that it would be a moronic move, and they’d never get away with it. Instead, they were present to cover him in case anything went wrong, the coven struck, or he decided to rob one of the guests.

As expected, everyone in attendance had brought large volumes of crowns with them and also valuable relics, shards, essences, and art to sell or barter if their liquid funds proved inadequate. The hosts had taken charge of almost everything, but the guests and their staff had held onto several pieces. 

El-Prime didn’t quite know what he wanted or how he’d fence it. But the latter didn’t matter since Penelope planned to leave Iskander as soon as possible. They’d unload the loot far from the city of Iskander, where its council and law enforcement would fail to find it.

Personally, El-One hoped for enchanted items that increased speed and would help balance the limitations that came with increased mass. He appreciated the shield and enchanted hammer and wanted to be able to use them better. The Haste spell somewhat covered the limitation, but it wasn’t nearly enough. A couple of more ranks and Shadow Clone would gain a new mid-tier ability. All the clone specializations wanted something different. As a bruiser, El-One wished for the joys of speed and mobility.

A flashing light caught his eye. It was coming from a ground-floor window. El-One channeled Shadow Sight for a moment and caught a glimpse of a stalker, peeking from within, holding a mirror. It was the signal. El-One checked his surroundings before casting Haste and speeding forward. Casting two spells so close together gave him a headache, adding Silencing Shadows to the mix made it worse, but it was necessary. The discomfort wasn’t as bad as before gaining Spellweaver, but still ever present. He wasn’t going to be much help outside of the building. 

Footsteps from around the corner elevated his heart rate. Pairs of armed guards patrolled the building’s perimeter on a strict schedule. There were more within City Hall doing the same. Openings between them were narrow and few, and the clones had no choice but to make the most of whatever they could get. El-Prime had instructed them to dispel themselves if detection and capture seemed imminent.

Fortunately, the directive didn’t need to be fulfilled. A powerful leap carried the clone off the ground and to the high window. He just about grabbed the ledge and clung on, holding his breath. The guard patrol passed under him, none the wiser of the shadowy mass hanging overhead. Shade’s Mantle stood out against the white marble even under the cover of darkness. Magical torches and braziers sent dancing lights across the walls, and he was the one dark patch among them.

“Hurry up,” El-Two said. “The patrol is due within a minute.”

El-One grunted, heaving his heavy body up and through the opening. He followed his fellow clone through an opening into a significantly darker service corridor. It had several nooks and crannies for them to blend in.

“That was close.” El-One sighed after two more guards passed and turned the corner. “Have you located the storeroom?”

“Yes, but it's too well guarded. El-Three and I found something better.” He grinned. “There are valets waiting outside each box, carrying their master’s luggage. It's stupid, I know. They trust City Hall’s security far too much.”

“I wouldn’t call it stupid. Defences don’t account for four of the same person loitering at the same time.”

Esther had a rough idea of City Hall’s defences. The wards and detection devices memorized all who legally entered the building and were scanned at the entrance. The differences between the clones were minor. El-Prime and she believed that they’d enter undetected and unmolested. Their hypothesis proved correct. As far as the authorities were concerned, everyone within the building was spoken for, and none had the ability or stupidity to steal from another without detection.

“You’re not wrong there,” El-Two commented. 

The pair followed the corridor deeper into the building, occasionally ducking into alcoves, broom cupboards, and empty service areas. It helped them dodge staff, regroup, and map their future steps. It took them a quarter of an hour to find a flight of stairs to the first floor. They almost got caught at the top, but El-Two successfully redirected the approaching woman’s attention using clever shadow shaping and manipulation. 

El-Three was waiting for them at the service corridor’s exit. He had them wait a minute and a half until a pair of guards and a servant carrying a tray of empty cups passed. When the trio moved, they crept in the same direction as all of the others. The stalker clones darted to the arcane lights, damaging enchantments wherever they could. Some dimmed, others flickered. 

“Who goes there!” A man called. His voice sounded like that of a teenager whose voice hadn’t yet settled on a pitch.

The stalkers successfully slipped away, disappearing into dark passages, but El-One was much too slow. He released his mediocre rendition of Silencing Shadows and withdrew Shade’s Mantle under his clothes. He spun around to find Hump, Guard Captain Stefan Santana’s favorite cadet, stomping toward him.

“What are you doing here?” Hump demanded.

“Getting a drink?” El-One struggled to come up with anything better. 

“Does your employer know you’ve wandered from your position?” The young guard flipped through the stack of parchment attached to his clipboard. “I need his name and yours.”

“Uh. Mister Grey?” The clone managed to get out, mind racing. His eyes darted to where El-Two had disappeared. He didn’t want to take Hump out. The man had a reputation for being annoying, but he was just doing his job. “I told him that I needed a break.”

“I thought you were the smarter brother,” Hump commented. His eyes widened. “I apologize. Captain Santana told me about his passing. That was out of line.” He tapped his clipboard. “Lukas Zaun. You’re on the list, but you shouldn’t be here.” Hump looked El-One up and down. “You’re supposed to be his guest. Why are you dressed like a bodyguard?”

“Well—” El-One’s heart raced as he considered his options and prepared to dispel himself.

A sudden seizure interrupted Hump. His eyes rolled back in their sockets before he collapsed. The mass of shadows that had abruptly appeared behind him receded. It was El-Prime. The fine clothes set him apart. Lightning tendrils danced between his fingertips. Metallic black coated his hands.

“What are you staring at?” El-Prime demanded. “Hide the idiot. We’ve got a job, and it's going to be infinitely harder if someone finds a knocked-out guard.”

“Yes, boss,” El-One replied. “Thanks for the save. I was sure we were screwed.”

“You’re lucky I was around to save the day. But otherwise you would be. Hump already doesn’t like us. No lie was going to get rid of him.”

“Is he going to be okay?”

El-Prime glanced at the knocked-out young man and shrugged. “I don’t know.” The shadowsteel coating his hands softened before receding under his sleeve. “It's the first time I’ve done this. The voltage wasn’t powerful enough for that. I think.”

“Got it. Hide the body. Then get to thieving.”

“That can come later,” El-Prime said. “There is a witch that needs to be dealt with.”