The crowds parted like grass, reforming once they'd passed. Gaius wished, at times like this, that the Templar armor and iconography was less distinctive. But the regulations were specific: members of the Order Inquisition were to appear in full uniform when on-duty, unless specifically ordered otherwise by their Knight Commander.
If the note was a trap, whoever sent it would know they were coming. Gaius adjusted his shoulder plate, glancing at the man a step behind him. He wouldn't voice his fears to William -- not when the man had only been promoted to the order two months ago. William was adapting well, but he was still in training. There was enough on the man's mind as it was.
The message had been simple enough: a request for the Templars to meet an informant at the abandoned church a quarter-mile south of Hangman's Hollow. The anonymous source claimed to have information on the cult activity they'd been tracking the past few weeks with minimal success.
"Do you think it's legitimate?" William asked, echoing his own concerns.
Gaius shrugged. He slowed his pace slightly to match his partner's. "It is convenient, and perhaps suspicious because of that. But cultist activity is most often exposed by one of their own growing a shred of conscience, in my experience. We'll assume the letter was sent in good faith, while remaining wary for any deception or ambush."
They returned to silence, minds on the task ahead. It was their first break since the trail had gone cold two weeks ago. Two bodies, partially desiccated, with no wounds upon them. They were most likely killed by magic, hence the Order Inquisition's jurisdiction over the case. No sign of a struggle. Both nude, with no easy means of identifying them. And both with their faces twisted in ecstasy.
Some sort of ritual sacrifice, perhaps by initiates to an arcane or demonic cult. Whether the bodies came from victims or members it was difficult to ascertain.
The only apparent witness to the attacks, a wealthy art dealer named Silas Revene, had left town suddenly after they had occurred. Acquaintances had said that it was unlike him, and that he had only spoken of a purchase he needed to make in Southspire. He would likely not return for some time. Access to his home, a lavish two-story apartment in the western Bazaar District, had proven impossible to acquire. The investigation had been rapidly bogged down by a team of lawyers claiming it would infringe on the privacy of Revene's clients. The warrant would come through eventually, but not before Silas had returned and scoured anything relevant or potentially incriminating.
The men stopped, looking up at the ruined cathedral. It had once been dedicated to Kelothan, a god of wisdom and mysticism, but had been abandoned some thirty years ago. Arches and pillars of crumbling stone were choked with ivy, illuminated by shafts of flickering sunlight that flowed past the trees overhead and through the shattered roof.
Gaius pushed one of the double doors open, watching the shifting light dance among the shadowed interior.
"What now?" William asked.
"The note asked us to wait inside. We'll do just that. If our informant is looking to escape a cult, they'll be skittish -- no sense frightening them off. We've arrived an hour early in hopes of avoiding an ambush, or at least disrupting one." He indicated one half of the interior with his gauntleted hand. "You'll sweep the east side, I'll cover the west. Look for any signs of recent activity that might indicate this is more than a clandestine meeting. No lanterns -- we want to be as circumspect as possible. Once the area is secure, we'll wait somewhere with a view of both exits. Sitting, so as to not intimidate our friend. We'll complete the Prayer of Warding before they arrive, as an additional precaution." He paused, meeting William's eyes. "Understood?"
The other man nodded, following Gaius into the ruins of the cathedral. William muttered the Litany of the Calm Mind under his breath. Surely everything would go well. They'd meet the informant, break open the case. Call in the Order Militant to help them deal with the cult. He'd be promoted from initiate to full sword brother, like as not. Everything was going to be fine.
*****
"I've run into a little problem lately, Daniel. Do you think you could take care of it for me?"
Dan knew they were moving to the edge of the city, but he wasn't sure exactly where they were. He needed to focus on Lexi -- she was talking, and that was more important than anything else. "Of course," he said. "I'd be happy to help. What's the matter?"
The succubus sighed. "I'm afraid I was a little careless when I first entered the city. I knew it would be some time before I could track you down, and in the meantime I had to feed. Now that I could hide my true nature I could move freely about the city, but still, I didn't want to draw too much attention to myself. I found two men who wouldn't be missed, squatting in a disused house near the bridge. We had a lovely time together."
Dan nodded occasionally as she spoke. It must have been difficult for Lexi, being new in Nath Valen. The city was immense, confusing for any first-time traveler. It had taken him almost a month before he was familiar with the main thoroughfares.
"Unfortunately, someone noticed what had happened," Lexi continued. "And he alerted the authorities. I met the man at his house and persuaded him not to take things any further. Silas was ever so helpful once I explained everything. He even offered me the key to his home while he was traveling, off to some city to find a gift for me."
She stopped for a moment, furrowing her brows as she looked around. After a minute she began walking again. "Ah, I remember. This way please, Daniel. As I was saying, I had thought that took care of everything, but some men stopped by the apartment the next day. They were quite rude, pounding on the door and demanding to speak with the owner. 'On authority of the Order Inquisition,' they said. They returned twice more after that, and I'm afraid they'll try something drastic. I can't keep looking over my shoulder forever, and from what I understand these Templars are not easily persuaded once they set their mind to something. "
Dan grimaced. It was a tough spot, no mistake. The Templar orders -- Militant, Judiciary, and Inquisition -- were the highest authority in Nath Valen, aside from the Regent Council itself. They worked with the city guard most of the time, assisting with investigations. The Inquisitors specialized in hunting down rogue mages.
There'd been plenty of forum posts detailing how you didn't want to mess with the Templars. They were high level -- just how high no one was sure -- and very good at what they did. They also had no issue with slapping down adventurers who caused too much trouble in the city, as many had learned during the first few weeks after launch. Any seasoned adventuring party had a solid chance against the city guard, but if they called in the Templars you either dropped your weapons or tried to run.
Lexi stopped, looking up at a ruined structure that had once been a temple of some kind. She shielded her eyes against the midday sun, then thought better of it and moved into the shade beside the building. "But you're here now, so everything will be just fine. Isn't that right, Daniel?" She smiled at him, playing with her hair.
Dan walked slowly to stand next to her, going through what she'd said again. "Hold on, help you with what?"
"I wrote a letter to the men who've been pursuing me," she said, "Telling them I had information on their case. I asked them to meet me." She glanced toward the building behind her, her smile fading slightly. "Inside here, so you could take care of them for me."
"Wait, you want me to fight them?" Dan's voice went up before he realized that a pair of Templars were inside the building. "I can't do that," he whispered. "They'll slaughter me!"
"You said you'd help me with my problem, Daniel." She batted her eyelashes, pouting prettily. "Can't you do it for me?"
Too panicked to be distracted, Dan began pacing slowly in front of her. "They're better than me. And there are two of them. And they're Inquisitors! Specially trained to fight mages. I want to help, it's just, I mean. How can I win against that? They'll kill me, and I'll have to start another character."
"Poor Daniel." The succubus stepped forward, and Dan stopped pacing. "No need to fret. I'll be right here with you. You want to help me, don't you?"
