89th of Dusk, 102
"You, you may be Sentinels," Archbishop Kallo spat, "but this is unacceptable! You cannot barge into an Archbishop's home no matter who you are!" Kael finished tying the man's hands together.
The sun was setting, pale orange light barely escaping through the armies of clouds that stood above Tairos. It shone through the windows, lighting up the wall Ovince Kallo leaned against. They were in the corridor before the kitchen, where the Sentinels had fought off a blood puppet.
"It may be unacceptable, but it was the right thing to do," Marcus said. "To be honest, we had suspected you had something to do with what happened, however, I would have never thought you were a blood mage."
"I am not a blood mage!" the Archbishop pleaded. "Aemir strike me! I promise!"
"So that—don't ever speak our Lord's name again—so that puppet just appeared in your home? Pretended to be your maid?"
"I…They gave her to me! It was for my protection!" It's always 'they'.
"Who are they?" Marcus demanded.
"The…it's the…"
Marcus knelt down and swiftly struck the Archbishop across his face. The Archbishop fell to his side and shriveled up. "Stutter one more time and we'll skip the questions!" Marcus shouted. "I'd rather kill you right now." Kael had never seen him this animated.
Ovince's nose started leaking blood down his cheek. He tried to get up off his side, but couldn't with his hands tied. He looked up at the Sentinel's, blood coursing down the side of his face. "The Red Covenant. It's them," he muttered. How are they still alive?
Marcus rose from his knees and brushed his graying hair back. He scrunched his eyes, turning away from the Archbishop. After a few seconds of silence, Marcus brought his leg up and slammed his foot through a piece of furniture in the hallway. "Shit!"
"They forced me into power! They told me I had to be—"
"Shut up!" Marcus snapped. He turned around and faced Ovince once more. "What is the Red Covenant doing back here?"
"T-they never left! K-Kamvel was never their home…here is!" Just like in the Wartimes.
"Why did they want you in power?"
"Because—I don't know—because they wanted to use the Hall. They needed it for some day."
"Which day?"
"It's…it's three days from now. Th-three nights from now. On the 92nd."
"The Tairos Hall?" Marcus furrowed his brow. "They're using it for what?"
"For…I don't know."
Marcus took a step forward. "Cara Amsat, did you have her killed?"
The Archbishop arched his head down. "They knew you spoke to her, and they knew she told you the truth. It was them."
"Do you have any names for us?"
The Archbishop paused, hesitated, then spoke. "I…I can't."
"I understand. Let's get to your punishment, then." Marcus unsheathed his blade and positioned it by Ovince Kallo's throat. "Ovince Kallo, your crimes against the church include: murdering an Archbishop, conspiring with blood—"
"Wait! I...please! If you kill me, they'll just go through with it anyway…I can—I can be your person on the inside."
"You want to be our person on the inside," Marcus said, bringing his blade closer, "yet you can't give us a name."
"F-fine.... It's Baron Vale," the Archbishop admitted.
Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Who is…?"
"He's their leader—the Red Covenant—. He's the one who gave me my orders, who threatened me!"
"I see." Marcus sheathed his blade. "And where can we find Baron Vale?"
"He runs the Merchant's Guild here…" Kallo grunted. "he's their leader…as far as I know, the whole guild are blood mages. He'll be in the guild house."
Marcus blinked twice. "Kael. Do you need to write?" he asked.
"It's in my head." I wouldn't forget this.
Marcus turned back to the Archbishop. "How did they hear what Cara said?"
"Your innkeeper, he's Baron's nephew or something, they're related." The innkeeper?
"How is that possible?" Kael blurted. Marcus turned to Kael surprisingly. This is a fault on my part. I was fooled.
The Archbishop sniffled, his bloody nose slowly clotting. He inched around on the ground, confidence growing. "He's been running that inn for a long time…used to belong to his mother. Works night shifts—though probably full time since he's seen you. Let's him keep tabs on the city, also makes him coin. He—he's not like Baron, you can talk to Baron—you can't talk to him. Some kind of demon, that boy."
"And his name?" Marcus asked.
"Draven Vale."
Draven Vale.
"Baron is civil, I can bring you to him. He will listen if I'm there."
"One more question," Marcus said, deaf to his offer, "and answer truthfully. The guards, are they compromised?"
"They are. Yes, they are. I—I paid the captain of the guard to vacate the Hall on the 52nd—the day Baron needs the place—but that's it."
"I understand," Marcus unsheathed his blade, "now, for your sentence."
"W-wait! I thought you wouldn't kill me!"
Marcus snorted. "What made you think that?"
"I answered your questions! I can work with you!" Kallo pleaded.
"How can you help us from here on out?"
The Archbishop's eyes darted about, searching his brain for ideas. "I—if you kill me…then…"
"Then they can't use the Tairos Hall, and their plan fails."
"B-but no! I already paid the guard…they have orders to vacate it!"
Marcus kicked the Archbishop's leg lightly. "You don't think we can revoke that command?"
"No…but…listen. If you keep me alive…I won't be able to run…you'll know where to find me. I can help you…I can bring you to Baron Vale! If I'm there, it will be of no risk to you! He wouldn't dare do anything to an Archbishop…" Kael eyed the begging Archbishop, eyes narrow. We could just kill him after we stop the Covenant.
"You take me to him tonight."
"I…that's fine. We can go now."
Marcus turned to Kael. "You go to the Maiden's Wing. I want that innkeeper questioned and—if necessary—restrained."
"Understood."
"Remember…this could be a blood mage—your first encounter…right?"
Kael motioned to the cellar where the maid lay. "That was my first encounter."
"Not with a puppet. A blood mage is completely differen—just remember your training. These people are tricky to deal with when things get sour." It should not be too difficult.
"I will try to restrain him before he suspects me of suspecting him," Kael said.
Ovince Kallo tried to sit up again, failing and falling to his side once more. "Be careful with Draven…that boy is dang—"
"Quiet!" Marcus snapped, giving the Archbishop another kick. "Kael. Be careful."
Kael nodded. "Where will we meet after? Surely not the Maiden's Wing?"
"At the guardhouse. We'll sleep there."
"Understood." Kael started for the door.
Marcus knelt down and picked the Archbishop off his feet, setting him standing. "Let's go, you pig."
***
The Merchant's Guild guild house sat on the northeast end of Tairos. One of the few spots in the city where the terrain became quite undulating and jagged. The house sat upon one of the many hills in the area, arguably the tallest one out of them. As Marcus and the Archbishop—untied and cleaned up—made their way up to the doorstep, the Varus river could be seen stretching out of the Tairos walls, passing grasslands and marshes, eventually feeding out to the Bayor ocean. The fog had lifted from earlier, leaving the view plain in sight; the sun was only a sliver, setting in the west, along the wetlands, lighting up the ocean orange, glinting on the rivers. The view caught Marcus's eye. Beautiful. And the rain—the rain! No more rain! Marcus appreciated the absence of the rain, he appreciated the smell of the slightly thicker, humid air, a refreshing scent he could not discern.
"You can just knock," the Archbishop said beside him, snapping Marcus out of his trance.
"I know how doors work," Marcus snapped. He stepped up to the entrance and thudded the knocker against the wood. They waited.
The door came open, answered by a bald man with a scar running down across his left eye. "A Sentinel," he remarked, "and Archbishop Kallo…What can I do you for?" He had a strong southern accent, not unlike the blood mages of years past.
Marcus stepped aside and beckoned the Archbishop forward. Kallo nervously approached the man. "Villam, we would like to speak to Mr. Vale." An Archbishop calling a guild master Mr.?
The bald man smirked. "Which one?"
"Baron Vale," Marcus said.
"Yes, him," Kallo echoed.
Vilam didn't respond. His eyes fell on Marcus, sizing him up, before he nodded, closed the door, and left. Marcus walked back down the steps leading up to the door, placing distance between himself and where his suspect would be coming out of. The Archbishop followed him down as well. The two waited a good bit—in silence—before the door opened once more and a man with straight black hair answered. He was a good bit taller than Vilam and seemed to have a more filled-out frame. This is Baron Vale…head of the Red Covenant.
"Good evening, gentlemen." Baron Vale said, eyeing Marcus with a calculated stare. "Would you like to come in?"