It was just past midday, but the thick gray clouds overhead had transformed noon into late evening. The clouds poured a heavy incessant rain down onto the forest path and the single large coach that navigated it. Weeks of such rain had turned the ground into a soft brown sludge. The horses' feet sank into the mud... but excellent training and enchanted slip-resistant horseshoes kept them upright and moving. Just barely. The coach was larger and heavier than most, even though it carried only three people. The vehicle's wheels frequently snagged hidden roots and branches in the muck, requiring periodic bursts of extra strength from the already-fatigued horses. Rain pelted the waterproof blankets on the horses' backs. Enchantment or not, the steady downpour was beginning to seep through. The driver could feel it on his skin even through his own waterproof cloak.
"Dammit," the old man murmured for perhaps the hundredth time in the past hour. He peered out into the rain, trying to make out the road in front of him. The 'road' was a river of mud, and it was almost impossible to see through the curtain of water that was creating it. He'd navigated much of the last mile by memory alone... fortunately he had a very good memory. "I knew this was a mistake," he sighed. "After this one, ain't goin' nowhere else till this damned rain stops, that's for damned sure!"

The driver adjusted his position and squinted out into the gloom. The horses trudged forward. The coach continued on its way.

Inside the coach, the rain sounded like the hissing of a enormous serpent. It was peaceful and hypnotic in a way...

And it was driving Zade insane. She squirmed on the overly cushioned seat, still amazed at how uncomfortable it was. It was like riding a feather bed across country... the idea SOUNDED relaxing and enjoyable, but after the first few miles, the novelty wore off. December and Theesa sat across from her. December was occupying himself with books, correspondence and other matters he had brought with him. Zade had no idea what he was doing, but it didn't concern her so she didn't care. Theesa, on the other hand, was curious about everything. She snuggled up to December... which Zade imagined was like snuggling up to a large block of ice... and asked questions at every opportunity. Theesa's long blonde hair was up in a circular bun, and she wore a fur coat to protect her from December's icy aura. The temperature inside the coach couldn't have been more than ten degrees above freezing. Zade's leather armor... which revealed more skin than it protected, did little to keep her warm. She didn't mind. She was a warrior, after all. Still, she was glad that the rain wasn't seeping into the coach... being wet AND cold was a probably more than she could stomach for a 'vacation' that she didn't want to go on in the first place.

Zade sat back against the coach's padded wall and tried not to listen to the rain. She listened *through* it... trying to detect the tell-tale sounds of approaching horsemen, or any other trouble that might meet them on the road. Not that anyone in their right mind would be out on a day like today.

The rain had started just a few hours from Beckworth, where Lovvorn's teleportation spell deposited them late yesterday. It was quite uncanny... there wasn't a cloud in the sky when they rented the coach, but the sky seemed to open up as soon as they'd gone a short distance. Zade had been riding outside with the driver, but when the rain started she relocated to the inside with her employer. Theesa didn't seem to like that very much. Zade didn't know what the two of them had been doing BEFORE she joined them, but she did notice with amusement that December didn't produce his letters and books until after Zade came inside.

"Isn't this lovely?" said Theesa.

"Not particularly," December replied.

Zade smiled. It was exactly what she was going to say.

"Oh, come on... we're all cozy and dry, on our way to a magnificent city-"

"Which is probably underwater by now," said Zade. "If it's been raining like this for weeks, like the driver said."

"Oh, bah! It's just a little rain... it'll stop eventually."

Suddenly the coach came to a halt.

"What's this?" Theesa mused. "We can't be there alr-"

Zade motioned the annoying woman to be quiet. Zade felt the coach shift slightly to one side as the driver dismounted. She heard his boots splashing in the mud. She heard him mumble something... and then walk up to the cabin door. Both of Zade's hands moved instinctively to her belt. One hand rested on the hilt of her knife and the other fingered the array of throwing stars protruding from her belt.

The driver knocked on the door.

"Hey in there!" the old man shouted. "One of ya better come out there and take a look at this!"

December and Theesa both looked expectantly at Zade.

"What? That's just great... I get to go out in the rain..."

"Take your time," Theesa said with a smile. She snuggled closer to December.

Zade stood and shoved the coach's door open, nearly hitting the driver in the head with it.

"What is it?" Zade demanded.

"Uhhh... c'mere..." The driver backed away and Zade stepped out. The mud came up to the middle of her calf, the bottoms of her boots were lost in the muck. Rain poured down on her. A steady stream of water ran down shoulders, across her chest, and into her leather armor... right into the furrow between her ample bosom.

"...great..."

The driver walked around to the front of the coach and pointed.

"What?.... Oh."

The path before them was no longer a path... it was a lake. A huge pool of muddy water blocked their path, turning the forest into swampland for as far as she could see in any direction.

"I know this land," said the driver. "See those trees growing out of the water... look at how high the water goes up the trunk... I'd say we got at least six feet here. I can't go through that. We can't get to New Venyce this way."

"Fine by me," said Zade. "Turn around and take us back to-"

"There's another path, though. We can swing around to the north trail... higher ground, the water won't settle there. The ground is rockier, too... less mud, easier going for the horses. It's out of the way though... add four more hours to the trip at least. Maybe five or six."

"Damn. And you couldn't have just kept that bit of information to yourself, eh?"

"What?"

"Never mind. Take us that way."

The driver nodded and started to walk back to the coach. Zade's hand clamped down on his shoulder and yanked him back.

"WHAA-!"

"If this is a trick to lead us into an ambush," said Zade. "I guarantee you, you'll die very, very painfully."

"Trick!?! Do I look like a mage? You think I can control the weather, now!? If I could, do ya think I'd be standing out here in the DAMNED RAIN!? Lemme go so I can do my job! Uhh... please."

"Just giving you fair warning. I got good ears...I hear anything that even sounds like a crossbow being loaded, or armed riders approaching-"

"I can't control who else uses these roads... but I've been traveling 'em for years and never been robbed. This ain't Montfort, ya know! Now the longer you stand here, the wetter you're gonna get!"

Zade released him and walked back the coach. She reached out for the door, then decided to knock first.

There was a long pause, and then December opened the door from the inside. His snow-white hair wasn't quite as orderly has it had been a minute ago.

"Road's flooded," said Zade. "Gonna take a detour... add some more hours to the trip, though."

"Sounds unduly suspicious," said December.

"Yeah... but it's raining and the road IS flooded. Could be legitimate."

December thought for a moment... as more rainwater ran down into Zade's armor. Water had already filled up her boots and was now rising up her legs.

"Very well," he said.

"You gonna let me in or what?

December eyed her. Theesa's head appeared in the doorway next to December's.

"Oh, poor girl... she's SOAKED!"

"Indeed," said December.

"Yeah! So move aside and let me in!"

"Unfortunately," said December. "Now that you are wet, the low temperature within the coach may be detrimental to your health."

"What?"

"Water and extreme cold to not blend well. You may take ill."

"What?! But I'm a w-... I don't GET sick!"

"We have not yet established that for a certainty... and now is not the time to do so. Perhaps you should join the driver, where you will have a better view of what transpires on the path as we travel."

"You want me to... But it's... I'm... OH, THAT'S JUST GREAT!!!"

December closed the door to the coach, leaving Theesa and himself sitting in cozy privacy and Zade standing out in the rain.

"You comin' or what?" the driver yelled. He was patting the seat next to him ... which, of course, was soaking wet.

---

New Venyce sat nestled in a valley between two snow-capped mountain, out of which flowed the great river Hames. Through its thousands of miles, the great river brought life and livelihood to many cities and some entire kingdoms... but New Venyce was the first to receive its life giving waters... and was grandest of any city built along its banks. It began as a stopping point for traders... a place to rest after traveling the arduous mountain paths. But those that rested here grew to love the beauty of the place... the temperate climate, the fertile soil, the fresh smell of the air as it blew down from the mountains. Not to mention the river, which served as a much easier way to transport valuable goods. More and more of the traders made their homes here, and the city of Venyce was born. Soon it was a haven for traders and rich travelers seeking bargains. Trade routes converged on the young city, which became the gateway for rare and exotic goods from the lands beyond the mountains. The city was the jewel of the kingdom... until the Great Flood destroyed it nearly 200 years ago.

But the denizens of Venyce had toiled too long and hard to let nature snatch their prize from them. They rebuild an even greater city in the place of the one that was destroyed... and New Venyce was born. Engineers, artisans, and architects came from all over Iffrean to lend their talents to the reconstruction. Some even worked for free, just to have their name associated with the rebuilding of Venyce. One of them... no one knows exactly who... proposed that it was not enough to merely replace what the flood waters had taken. After all, what could happen once could easily happen again. It was decided that New Venyce would be built to resist the wrath of nature. Great wooden platforms, cut of the hardest ironwood and enchanted against rot and decay were built over the banks of the river. It was upon these high platforms that the city was rebuilt. Shops, bazaars and town squares sprung from the platform just as they did from the solid ground in other cities. Some of the more elaborate buildings... expensive inns and restaurants, even theaters... were supported by huge stilts that rose from the river through large holes in the platforms. Patrons and visitors could look down and see the river, while patrons of less-exclusive places saw only wood. Soon it became somewhat of a status symbol to build one's home or place of business above the others that surrounded it. Structures rose higher and higher into the air, easily reaching fifty, a hundred, then two-hundred feet above the ground. This practice was halted when a few poorly-constructed buildings collapsed, but what remained was still a sight to behold... tall buildings reaching for the sky as the majestic river Hames flowed beneath them. Then there were the residences that sat on the sharply inclined land on either side of the river. The enormous estates... homes of the richest traders and statesmen... were far enough from the riverbanks so that flooding was not a threat. Yet, due to the lay of the land, the huge homes were able to look down on the rest of the city... even upon the high buildings built over the river. Only the richest of the rich could over own 'real' land... land with dirt instead of wood... in New Venyce. And the higher that land sat, the more it cost. The highest, and most expensive, place in New Venyce was a single manse which sat high upon the western side of the city. It was a huge mansion built of marble and white granite, designed and constructed to exacting specifications by the most talented artisans available. It overlooked everything... the river Hames, the platformed buildings... even the new City Hall. Only the mountains themselves rose above it. The mansion as a beautiful sight... but the owner hid that beauty behind a rugged stone wall that surrounded the entire property. Now, when those in the city below looked up at it, all they saw was an ugly prison...

... and even THAT was hard to see in the pouring rain.

"We're here," said Theesa. Reluctantly assisted by Zade's strong hands, Theesa stepped out of the coach and down onto the solid wood that served as the ground in New Venyce. The rain had continued unabated for their entire trip. Fortunately, the Golden Eagle inn had a covered courtyard where they could disembark and still remain dry. Assuming they were dry to begin with, of course.

"Thank you SO much for that lovely trip in the rain!" Zade spat. She was quite wet... soaked, actually.

"Oh don't be so sour," said Theesa. "You needed a bath anyway."

"What? ME!? I'M not the one that spent the WHOLE TRIP-"

"Isn't this the loveliest place!" said Theesa, clearly ignoring Zade's statement. She pointed out at the view... the city of New Venyce stretched out around before her in all its grandeur. "Beautiful!"

"It's raining, and its almost dark." said Zade. "New Venyce looks like any other city in the dark."

"No it doesn't. Look! Look up there... what's that!"

Theesa pointed to a tall building.. of course, most buildings in New Venyce were tall. This one sat on stilts, as did the Golden Eagle. But, instead of a regular 'normal' structure, the stilts held a large sailing galley high above the water.

"That, dear lady, is the Ark!" said a richly-dressed middle-aged man. He was descending from the inn, walking down the huge set of covered stairs accompanied by for or five uniformed young men. The young men began to unpack the coach's baggage compartment while the older man approached them. "I am Sir Oliver," he said with a dramatic bow. "Owner of this fine establishment... we are SO happy to have you with us."

Theesa offered Sir Oliver her gloved hand. He kissed it gently.

Zade wondered what he would do with HER hand if she offered it to him.

"That structure to which you were referring," said Sir Oliver, "Is a fine restaurant... the finest in New Venyce! Dinner is prepared by the greatest chefs in the kingdom, and entertainment provided by some of the most famous playwrites and actors known!"

"Yeah," said Zade. "So why does it look like a rusty old boat?"

"History, dear lady! That boat dates back from the great flood! It was stranded here, run aground... you can still see the crack in the hull, there..." Sir Oliver pointed. Zade could see the dark line on the ship's body. "It is a historic landmark!"

"Yeah, whatever," said Zade.

At this moment, the coach tilted to one side and creaked loudly as December's heavy form exited.

"Ahhh Mr. December!" Sir Oliver clasped December's cold hand in his and shook it vigorously. "So glad to see you sir! I DO hope your trip was enjoyable! My sincere apologies for the weather, sir... it is most unusual for this climate. But I'm sure it won't dull your enjoyment of this fine city-"

"If Oliver gets any more oily he's gonna slip and fall," Zade murmured.

"What's that building up there?" Theesa pointed to a dark shape high up on the edge of the city. It was barely visible through the rain and the darkness. Whatever it was, it was huge. Unfortunately, no one was paying attention to her. December and Sir Oliver were discussing arrangements, and Zade was leaning against the coach watching the young men carry the bags to making sure nothing got stolen. She saw someone else descending the stairs. It was a man, but this one was clearly not there to carry bags. He wore no uniform, only some multicolored silken monstrosity that reminded Zade of Lovvorn. He had a large bundle under his arm, and as he approached, Sir Oliver stopped sucking up to December just long enough to introduce him.

"Ahh, allow me to introduce Mr. Cordway, our resident artist!"

December eyed the newcomer with disinterest. Zade didn't like the man... he seemed too nervous, and Zade neither liked nor trusted nervous people. However, all Theesa had to hear was the word 'artist,' and she quickly injected herself into the conversation.

"An artist?" she said. "What sort of art?"

"Why, PORTRAITS, of course!"

"Mr. Cordway paints portraits of our guests... Some of them are hanging in royal palaces as we speak!"

"The guests or the portraits?" said Zade.

Again, Zade was ignored.

"Perhaps the gentleman would like a portrait of his... lovely ladyfriend?" said Cordway.

"Perhaps," said December. "Some other time."

"Good," Zade mumbled. "Something to practice my knife-throwing on.."

"Ah, well I do have business to attend to across town," said Cordway. "But Sir Oliver can summon me at a moment's notice! I shall see you soon!"

Cordway shuffled down a covered walkway and vanished into another building. He seemed to be in quite a hurry to get away.

"Shall I show you to your rooms?" said Sir Oliver.

The Golden Eagle, while it was a fine inn, was not very large. It had only three levels... and December had rented all three of them. He secured every single room in the inn, and paid for them with a large ruby that made Sir Oliver's eyes get so wide Zade thought they were going to pop out of his skull. Of course, Sir Oliver had no idea WHY December went to such an extreme... but Zade did. Being one of the most feared crime lords in several kingdoms, it simply wouldn't do for December to sleep just a few walls away from total strangers. Fortunately, the rain... and the incredibly high prices for rooms... had all but killed tourism, so all the rooms were available to buy.

December and Theesa slept on the second floor. Zade's room...which was larger than some homes in Montfort... was next to theirs. Again, this was out of necessity... one completely empty level separated December from the roof and from the main inn's entrance. Barring some use of powerful magic, an intruder would have to work harder than expected to get close to December. And even magic wouldn't necessarily help them...

Once Sir Oliver had left them alone, December unpacked a small satchel that he had carried up himself. Inside were a few books, some scrolls, and a single sheet of paper folded into quarters.

As Zade and Theesa watched, December unfolded the paper, revealing a large, elaborate symbol that had been drawn on the page. December tapped the rune with his finger. It glowed briefly, and Zade felt a strange 'force' flow past her briefly. It made the hair on her arms stand on end, and left a tingling feeling behind as it expanded to fill the whole building.

"This structure is now secure against magical intrusions," said December.

"You sure?" said Zade.

"You doubt Lovvorn's magic?" said December.

"Hell, no matter how good you get... there's always someone better."

"True... but no casual scrying or normal teleportation spell can penetrate this field. We are almost as safe as we are in my own home."

"Almost," said Zade. "'Almost' can mean anything..."

"Indeed. That is why you are here."

"Well now that THAT'S settled," said Theesa. "What shall we do FIRST!"

"If you remember, my first order of business is with Jake Fast," said December. "I intended to arrive earlier and seek him out this very day... but due to the lateness of the hour, that shall have to wait until tomorrow morning."

"So what about tonight?" Theesa mused. She looked at December. December looked back at her.

"Uh-oh," said Zade. "I recognize that look. Maybe I-"

"Perhaps Zade should check the other rooms... to make sure we're alone," said Theesa. "There might be... spies or something. Don't you think so, Zade? Maybe you should go...you know... check things out while we... ummm...get unpacked?"

Zade glared at her. She was about to go and to the very thing that Theesa suggested, but to have HER suggest it beforehand got on Zade's nerves.

"Fine," Zade said. "Hell, if ya wanted to be alone, all ya had to say was-"

"Zade. Leave." said December.

"I'm gone."

She'd taken no more than two steps down the spacious carpeted hallway when the door slammed behind her.

"...oh, this trip's gonna be a LOT of fun," Zade mumbled sarcastically as she headed for the stairs.

---

Four men stood in a tight group around the large wooden table. Three of them wore loose-fitting robes that were the darkest shade of blue they could be without being black. The robes were nearly identical, save for the slight differences in the gold designs around the sleeves and collars. Each mage had a large jeweled medallion around his neck, which marked them as members of the same school. But they were far too old to be novices or mere apprentices... no, they were Cellus and Bershold, masters of the recently founded New Venyce school of magic... and Dravian, the founder and headmaster of the school. They stood shoulder to shoulder and peered down at the large quartz crystal that sat on the table. The crystal was shaped like a huge, perfectly cut diamond. It sat balanced on its point, and its pure white glow cast eerie shadows in the small room.

A fourth man stood on the opposite side of the table. Dressed in expensive silks, he, too, peered down into the glowing crystal. Gabrial Brink's short brown hair was broken by single streak of gray that gave him a distinguished, almost regal look. Likewise, his immaculately trimmed mustache and beard contained dots of gray, giving it a peppered appearance. He was not a handsome man; pockmarks marred his face, and a single jagged scar bisected his left cheek. It was an old scar... but ugly nonetheless.

The rooms two final occupants stood well back from the table.

Gabrial's enormous bodyguard, Thorne, paced back and forth between the room's two windows. Armored from head to toe, Thorne's golden armor did not rattle clank noisily as he walked... instead it made the deep, smooth sound of a heavy, well-oiled machine-

vvvshm-vvvshm-vvvshm-

The sound was almost pleasant. And it denoted a sense of power and intensity that complimented the sight of Thorne's huge armored body. Those who heard it, and those who saw him, knew that there was much to fear and respect about the man who protected Gabrial Brinks. From deep within his golden helm, Thorne's eyes looked out each window as he passed it, and studied the room's other occupants as he moved from one window to the other.

The final occupant stood motionless in a far corner. At first he appeared to be nothing... a shadow or perhaps a trick of the light. Only by looking closely could one make out the billowing black cloak and hood that seemed to merge with the darkness. The figure's eyes... and the entire upper half of his face...was hidden by the shadow of his hood, but he could nonetheless see everything that happened around him. He stood with is arms folded across his chest, his gloved hands resting lightly on his sleeves. He was perfectly motionless. Like a statue.

"Do you think this has anything to do with the Lakarta shipment?" said Gabrial. "Those greedy bastard are always plotting something. They want to meet with me tomorrow night... asking for a bigger cut of my profit, no doubt. This could be some kind of trick on their part... fools."

"The Lakarta are not known for their magic," said Dravian. "And even if they were... they'd know that ours is better."

"Play it back again," Gabrial ordered.

Dravian waved his wrinkled hands in the air above the crystal. An image appeared within the jewel... a miniature model of the city, created with reflections and beams of light as they bounced around inside the crystal. There were dots of green light in various places... within buildings, on street corners, in the trader's square,... even on the boats that sailed down the river out of the city. The lights represented places were magic was being used. There was nothing unusual for several seconds, and then there was a sudden, extremely bright pulse of green light that flooded everything on the model. The light faded quickly, leaving no trace of what it was or where it had come from.

"And you mean to tell me that you have NO idea what that is?" said Gabrial.

"A spell of some kind," said Dravian. "Powerful... but with no physical effect that we can see."

"But where did it come from?"

"We cannot locate it. There seems to be a powerful stealth component involved... when know WHEN it was cast... but not WHERE it is, or WHAT it does."

"I did notice something," said Bershold, the younger mage standing on Dravian's left. "Please, play it again... and freeze it at the event."

Dravian started the recording again. The flash of magic re-appeared, but this time it did not dissipate. Instead, it simply halted... frozen within the crystal...

"There-" Bershold pointed at the crystal.

"Ahhh.. very good eyes, Bershold," said Dravian.

"What? I don't see anything," said Gabrial.

"You wouldn't," the third mage, Cellus, spoke for the first time. "We're looking at the components of the magical aura itself... you're not trained to-"

"Just tell me what the hell you see!"

"Something familiar," said Dravian. "This magic was cast by the same mage who enchanted the items we studied earlier."

"What items?"

"The teleportation stone. The friction wand. The auras are remarkably similar.... and unique. I don't recognize the school of study... but it is certainly the same mage who made the stone that Thorne took from the traveler."

"AHA!" Gabrial shouted. "Soooo... my new trophy has attracted attention, eh? GOOD! Let's see who has come to claim my prize!"

"I don't know if this is good," said Dravian. "A mage of this skill..."

"Are you worried, Dravian?"

"Certainly not. But-"

There was a loud knock on the door. Thorne ceased his methodical pacing and swiveled toward the room's entrance. In a dark corner, the shadowy figure shifted its gaze...

"WHAT IS IT!?" Gabrial shouted. He was not one who tolerated disturbances well.

"Uhh, sir," came a timid voice on the other side of the door. "A messenger has something urgent to show you."

"I'LL decide what's urgent, dammit!"

"You... you might want to talk to him... sir."

"Show the bastard in!" Gabrial growled.

The door opened, and a colorful figure entered. It was Cordway. He was clearly nervous, and was trembling so hard it looked like he would shake right out of his silken clothes at any moment."

"Uhh... uhh, sir I think... I think... I think we... uhhh... maybe... there might be... uhhh... at the ... I mean..."

"You are wasting my time, Cordway. DO you have something to say or not?"

"I...uhh... I drew this..."

Cordway removed the heavy bundle of from under his arm. It was a collection of sketches hastily drawn in charcoal. He held one up so that everyone could see it.

"N-new visitors at the G-Golden Eagle... just arrived within the hour! I saw them through the window, and went down for a closer look!"

"Oh. My. Gods," said Dravian. His face turned white and he backed away from the drawing as if it was going to reach out and bite him. The other two mages looked confused. Thorne's expression was hidden behind his golden helm.

Gabrial frowned... then smiled.

"Well, well, well..." he said. "And here I was thinking that nothing interesting could possibly happen today..."

"Sir, do you know who that-"

"Of COURSE I know who it is!" Gabrial snapped. He studied the drawing again, and his smile widened. "It looks like winter has come early to New Venyce!"

"I don't understand," said Cellus. "Who is that?"

"Who is it?" said Gabrial "WHO is it? Do you not KNOW... no, of course you don't. You're just a mage; you're new to all this. This man, Cellus... is the most respected and feared criminal in every kingdom you're likely to ever visit. Rich enough to buy half this town.... hell, probably the WHOLE town. So powerful that, if he wants someone dead on the other side of the world, all he has to do is whisper it and its done by sundown. He is THE most cold-hearted criminal I have ever heard of... and trust me, I've heard of quite a few. His name is December. A very fitting name, in more ways than you can imagine. He is devoid of mercy or compassion... and is as intelligent as he is ruthless."

"You talk about this man as if you worship him," said Cellus.

"Oh, but I DO worship him!" said Gabrial. He was practically giddy now. "December is responsible for EVERYTHING that I am today! I met him but once, long ago... I was nothing then. A nobody... a common thug with no future except the gallows. Not even worthy of his notice... but he was worthy of MINE! I studied him and followed his exploits... his every move became my gospel! I learned from him... I strove to become like him! And I created my own little empire here in New Venyce, patterned after the grand master himself! I am to New Venyce what December is to the entire kingdom!"

"Well, that's all well and good," said Cellus. "But if he's that well known, why isn't he in prison?"

"Oh, HUSH UP and stop asking ridiculous questions!" said Gabrial. "You know NOTHING!"

"This is bad," said Dravian. "This explains the magic. It couldn't be coincidence that it happened when December arrived."

"H-he had these people with him..." Cordway held up two more rough sketches. Both were of women.

"I've never heard mention of these women before," said Gabrial. "They must be new. That one's a fighter, obviously."

"Then the other must be the mage," said Bershold. "December has come prepared."

"But prepared for what?" said Dravian. "Perhaps he is trying to expand his operation into New Venyce. That would be bad. Very... EXTREMELY bad."

"Nonsense," said Gabrial. "If he wanted New Venyce he'd have taken it a long time ago!"

"Or perhaps he's merely after his property," said a new voice. The shadowy figure stepped away from the corner and moved toward the mages. The man's voice was smooth and even... and had a sinister undertone that sent shivers down the backs of those who heard it. "The gem you stole could be his."

"I wish we'd have known that before now!" Dravian said. "Or we'd have sent it back to him with our blessings! But YOUR bodyguard had to KILL the only man who could tell us who's it was. An EMPLOYEE of December!"

"He killed Gabrial's men," said Thorne's deep bass voice. "And he killed Sebast... one of your students."

"Never send an illusionist to do a REAL mage's work," mumbled Bershold.

"I could have retrieved the item AND its carrier for you easily ," said the cloaked figure.

"But you were already busy with other things," said Gabrial. "And not even YOU can be in two places at once, Faction."

"Don't be too sure."

"But all of this is merely conjecture," said Gabrial "We really don't know WHY he's here, do we?"

"No. We don't," said Cellus.

"Well then... FIND OUT!"

"Pardon-"

"You're mages! You know where he is... find out what he's doing! You can DO that, can't you? Isn't that why I paid all that money to establish your little guild here in town?

"Yes, but-"

"EARN YOUR KEEP!"

The three mages exchanged whispers, then Dravian spoke again.

"I believe we can scry the inn without alerting any mages present."

"I should hope so," said Gabrial.

All three mages began making complicated gestures in the air above the giant crystal. The crystal's glow brightened, and it the image within it changed. It now showed a posh hotel room, with an enormous bed and antique furnishings, including a desk, a bookcase filled with books, and a sofa.

"That's the Golden Eagle, all right," Gabrial mused. "And there they are... our guests of honor!"

The image contained two figures, December and one of the women from Cordway's drawings. December was seated at a desk, busily flipping through some papers while the woman was unpacking their bags.

"They're... unpacking," said Dravian.

"I can see that. December is saying something... can we hear it?"

Cellus made another gesture while Bershold spoke some arcane words. Suddenly there was sound to accompany the image in the crystal:

"...several percent if we can ship our diamonds via the river instead of over land," said December.

"That's wonderful... I suppose," the woman replied. "But I do hope this trip won't be ALL business. You promised we'd have some fun!"

"And we shall. However, setting up trade agreements can be tricky... and time consuming. We must-"

"They're talking about diamonds," said Cellus. The voices from the crystal faded into the background, but did not disappear entirely.

"They're talking about diamonds NOW," said Gabrial. "But who knows what-"

"They aren't talking about diamonds," said Faction.

"Eh? Are you deaf?" said Cellus. "You heard them. They're here to negotiate some kind of trade-"

"It's fake."

"I assure you, this image is accurate."

"I said it's fake." The tone of Faction's voice extinguished any further protests from Cellus, or any of the other mages. Everyone simply waited for Faction to explain. "Look here-"

One of Faction's gloved fingers pointed at the image. He wasn't indicating December or the woman, but the window behind them.

"It's a window," said Gabrial.

"If you were December, would YOU sit in front of a window with the curtains wide open?"

"Hmmmm..."

"Bah! That's just-"

"That's not all. Notice the rain hitting the window? It forms a repeating pattern... like a recording played over and over again."

"Gods, he's right," said Dravian. The elder mage was squinting at the image. "This image... the words...everything... its a fake! And what's more... there is a powerful anti-scrying field around the entire building. THAT is the magic pulse we saw earlier!"

"So, I would like to know," said Gabrial through clenched teeth. "Just why my ASSASSIN had to tell me that and not my MAGES!"

"The mage who made this is exceptionally talented," said Dravian. "But usually such mages are specialists... we shouldn't worry about-"

"JUST SHOW ME WHAT'S IN THE DAMNED ROOM! You CAN penetrate this field, can't you?"

The mages spoke privately again.

"We can," said Dravian when they finished. "With... with some effort."

"DAMN the effort! Do it! Now!"

The mages started again. With fevered gestures and arcane shouts, they probed the magical field around the inn. They searched for weak points, and found none. They tested it with dozens of different kinds of spells. The field did not falter. They tried and tried again. Five... then ten and fifteen minutes went by. Each mage was sweating profusely... dark stains spread along the collars of their robes. They continued, trying spell after spell. They nudged the field gently, then hammered it violently with their magic. While they were able to keep their efforts from setting off any alarms, they still could not penetrate to see what was happening within the inn. They kept trying for several more minutes, re-trying spells that hadn't worked before in hopes that they would work the second time.

Nothing happened.

"Well?" said Gabrial finally.

Dravian gulped and wiped the sweat from his brow.

"We... we can dispell the field," he said. "But that would immediately alert the mage who created it. Other than that, there is no way of piercing it."

"You saying this mage is better than you? Better than the THREE of you!?"

"Of course not," said Dravian. "But she's good. I'll give her that.. she knows her magic."

"So the great December is come to New Venyce and I have no idea why... despite my obviously OVER-PAID mages?

"We can still assume it has something to do with the gem that Mr. Fast was-"

"We assume nothing," said Gabrial. "December didn't get where he is today by assuming things! And neither did I! I NEED to know what's going on!"

Gabrial paced back and forth in silence for a full minute. Then he spun and addressed the mages.

"Lock it down!" he said.

"What?" said Dravian. "Are you sure?"

"Positive! LOCK the whole damned place DOWN! NOW!"

"Certainly."

The mages turned to the crystal once more. The model of the city reappeared within the large gem. Dravian spoke a long series of words, punctuated with gestures by Bershold and Cellus. As they did, a green haze appeared within the crystal. It blanketed the city, wrapping around it like a thick ocean fog.

"Done," said Dravian. "Now there can be no magical communication or teleportation into or out of the city. And only the most skilled of mages will ever be able to tell. Just as our magic cannot penetrate December's, December's mage cannot penetrate ours."

"Good," said Gabrial. "December can summon no reinforcements. He's a long way from home, and now he cannot call for help or communicate with anyone outside the city... not using magic. He's stuck with whatever support he brought with him."

"Now what? His mage is certain to notice eventually."

"Now I get what I asked for in the first place. Faction... this task SCREAMS for your unique talents."

"You want December dead?"

"NO! Not yet. I merely want to know what he's doing. Why he's here. And since these three buffoons can't provide that... we'll have to do it the old fashioned way. Go to the Golden Eagle and get me what I want."

"I will not disappoint you," said Faction. The cloaked figure shot a glance at the mages.

"I know you won't, Faction," said Gabrial. "I know you won't."

[To Be Continued]