All Gio had wanted in the present moment was sleep. Sweet, glorious sleep. It seemed that his undying, inhuman mentor had other plans.

  In the grand entrance hall, Chandrika was currently reporting to the Headmaster and a team of Inquisitors about the attempt on their life. At the same time, Sapphire and Professor March escorted Jean to the infirmary, as the healing instructor apparently didn’t trust that the spirits of the dungeon would have healed him in a way that wouldn’t lead to complications down the line. Already, the tall woman who had pieced Gio back together from nothing was ranting about how taking shortcuts to heal the human body never came without drawbacks. She had Jean sucking on some sort of nutrient-rich candy designed to replace the biomass that had been pulled from his already thin fat reserves to generate new tissue for the wound on his back.

  Escorted by a black-masked Inquisitor, Gio stepped through the astral corridor, emerging into the familiar light of the dungeon seal.

  His mentor’s personal ‘office’ doubled as the beating, undead heart of the whole academy. The reflected light of the full moon overhead beamed down upon crystalline walls, pleasantly illuminating the carved lines of the stone dais, and an artfully crafted tea table, at which sat his mentor, who wore… a slightly muted smile.

  In the center of the table, Baphelus placed a lantern. The lantern was a simple thing of glass and iron, but it stuck out to Gio. He had seen others like it, in Baphelus’s memories.

  Several more inquisitors stood behind the Lich of the Manse, in masks of varying colors. One stood out to Gio immediately.

  That one… the gold mask. The mind magic user.

  Gio frowned.

  “Greetings, Saint Baphelus… and Inquisitors,” Gio bowed.

  Baphelus nodded his head.

  “Good evening. Come, Giorgio. Please take a seat.” Baphelus offered, “I apologize for the… abrupt nature of this meeting, but I felt it prudent to get this out of the way sooner rather than later. I’ll be direct- this is about the man you met in my memories.”

  Gio winced. Ah, yes. His non-consensual trip through his mentor’s memories. He made his way to the table, feeling an odd weight settle upon him. Baphelus seemed to quirk an eyebrow, which Gio took to mean that he should offer some sort of token apology. Just how upset was his mentor?

  “I… I’m sorry, again, for that intrusion.” Gio said, lowering his head.

  Baphelus waved him off, filling Gio’s teacup with something that smelled strong and faintly of vanilla.

  “It was… unexpected, for certain… but I am not mad, and you are not in trouble. However, I unfortunately need to ask that you submit yourself to a thorough examination by the inquisitors.” Baphelus said.

  Gio cringed. His eyes went to the golden surface of the mask worn by the Inquisitor standing directly to Baphelus’ side. His stare did not go unnoticed.

  More mind magic?

  Baphelus sighed.

  “I know, it is unpleasant… but I must insist on this. I have detected no trace of foreign influence upon your soul… but I need to verify that he hasn’t…”

  Baphelus paused with a sigh, running his fingers through his immaculate beard and closing his eyes.

  “Let me provide you with some context. I told you previously about vulgarities… and that some of them are truly not worth the trouble of knowing. There is one particular vulgarity that I mean above all others, at least from my own experiences, when I say this. I’ll tell you what it’s called, but only so that you never seek to learn it, as it is a foul and cursed thing to know- one of precious few pieces of magic that I regret knowing, and I know a great deal of magic.”

  The lich cleared his throat- an oddly human affectation for a being of such immense age.

  “There is a vulgarity that is referred to as “The Rule of Infection”, or, more commonly, the contagion heuristic,” Baphelus said. “ I will never teach it to a student, and I desperately plead with you to not seek out information about it, as I am certain that you would find it, if you go looking for it, I’ll instead let you know that it is a marvelous boon to those who cast curses, or even those who use blessing magic. It allows a magic user to pervasively inflict their essence upon the world around them… like a disease. It is also the reason why I need to be certain that every trace of Viniculus the Vile has been scrubbed from you.”

  So he thinks that some trace of Viniculus has stuck with me?

  Gio thought for a moment before responding. He stole another glance at the Inquisitors.

  “Okay,” Gio said.”I’ll do it. But there is something that I would rather you hear from my mouth, rather than be extracted from my memories.”

  Baphelus took a sip of his tea. “Oh? If it isn’t direly urgent, surely whatever you wanted to tell me could at least wait for the morning, could it not? ”

  “I was told that I need to tell you and your wife that the Prophet of Chaos is headed to the Ringed city… to interrogate me.” Gio grimaced.

  Baphelus sighed to match Gio’s grimace. “And when, pray tell, did you become aware of Lamentable Lot?”

  “...on my way back from Hart’s Casino. He projected into the mirror dimension and did something to me that prevented me from fusing with Rio. Oh, also, we fused again, but this time-”

  “One thing at a time, please. What do you mean, the prophet of chaos projected into the mirror dimension? He can do that?” Baphelus asked, leaning forward. An inquisitor shifted slightly.

  “Uh… here’s the note that he left me,” Gio said, producing a copy of the note that he had memorized.

  “To Giorgio and Rio,

  I apologize that it took me so long to find you both. My projection cannot stay in the mirror realm for long, so I’ve left you this note instead of making a half-cocked attempt at an introduction. I will travel to the Goldwatch Empire so that we may meet on the Primary Plane.

  Allow me to be very clear! Chaos’s blessing is an immaculate gift. The many voices of the eternal choir sing grandiose songs of your virtues. I will judge you formally once we meet. Until then, stay safe, stay effervescent, and do as you will.

  - Very Respectfully,

  Lot, the prophet of chaos.”

  Before Gio had finished handing it over, Baphelus frowned, likely having read it with his domain awareness.

  “Go fetch your mother.” Baphelus quietly intoned, staring directly at Gio’s chest, or perhaps his stomach?

  Gio scrunched his face in alarm. “My… mother, sir? Is she in danger?”

  Baphelus froze momentarily, like a puppet paused mid-performance. This particular reaction was one that Gio had only seen on a few occasions- a sign that his mentor was genuinely surprised - a rare feat. Gio tilted his head in confusion.

  “That wasn’t directed at you. I’m actually surprised that you heard it. ” Baphelus said.

  “Wha-?”

  A strange weight left Gio. Before Gio could voice his forming questions, an ephemeral doorway appeared. Headmaster Vespertine stepped through, wearing a curious expression- one that Gio took to mean that she was calculating something internally, which he wasn’t sure boded well for his survival.

  “Good evening, Mister deGloria. I hear that your venture was a success and that congratulations are in order. I was hoping to catch you in the morning, after you had a chance to rest. I take it that you had something to tell me? I have not yet had the chance to extract the full tale from my own disciple, as by the time she was done telling me about assassins, she was nearly too tired to stand.” Eudoria said.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  She sat at the table with a fluid motion, the picture of grace and dignity. Curiously, both her and her husband were looking at… something, as the same weight settled back on Gio’s lap.

  “Is… everything alright?” Gio said.

  “Perfectly fine. I was just noting that my familiar seems to have gotten… friendly with you.” Eudoria noted.

  Gio blinked.

  He looked down, and sure enough, he was petting a pitch-black cat.

  “Oh! Hello!” Gio said.

  Two starry, purple eyes lazily opened, meeting Gio’s gaze. The cat was a cloud of black fur, with a fluffy tail that swished from side to side in a flicking motion.

  Although he was a little surprised to see that he was already petting the cat, why stop now?

  “And who might this be?” Gio asked.

  “That… is a fiendishly tricky beast who took me no less than fifty years to befriend. These days, he usually spends his time with me when his mother is otherwise occupied.” Baphelus said.

  “His official name is Gone-in-a-wink, or in some cultures, It-that-vanishes, or perhaps, it-that-is-gone-in-a-wink. I usually just call him Wink, or Mister Winkles.” Eudoria explained.

  “Mister Winkles,” Gio said, in rapturous awe.

  Wink looked up at Gio with a yawn. He flexed his claws, metallic blades that looked deadly.

  “Although he seems to be… drawn to you, I must warn you- he’s no less of a harmless kitten than I am. He’s a centuries-old mythical creature that most people cannot even perceive. If he earnestly tries, he can evade detection while in my domain, which is something that very few can claim.” Baphelus said.

  “Well… I am honored to be able to perceive and pet his Majesty, Mister Wink.” Gio said, with sparkles in his eyes.

  Headmaster Vespertine chuckled. “How rare. I must say, seeing my dear friend so… attached to you has taken a bit of the wind out of my sails. I was preparing myself to hear something rather dire. Tell me, dear husband, did you only call me here to show me that Wink has taken a shine to your protege? I did have other things to attend to.”

  Gio’s smile faltered.

  “Gio, why don’t you start from the beginning?” Baphelus asked.

  Wink’s purring acted as a mental shield, allowing Gio to summon courage that he did not feel.

  “When I was on my way back from my… misadventure in Hart’s Casino… my reflection, and I fused together briefly, although it left us unconscious. As I became an Aspect of Chaos, a man who claims to be a Prophet of Chaos appeared and left me that note. He then used something on me that I recently learned was called an Intercession, which separated Rio and me back into our original forms.” Gio said.

  Both the Headmaster and Baphelus wore schooled, stoic expressions.

  “Lamentable Lot… troubling. He has not advertised that he can travel between dimensions, and I speak for many when I say that I would feel more comfortable if he didn’t have such a capability.” Eudoria carefully said.

  “I later learned, in the Dungeon Shop, that I should report this to the two of you. In the words of the Shopkeeper, to ‘reduce casualties.’ I… really hope that my presence here isn’t putting anyone in danger.” Gio said. His face fell as he once again contemplated the Shopkeeper’s words.

  “I thank you for bringing this to our attention,” Eudoria said. “I will be forthcoming with you, Giorgio. I could see a different version of this conversation taking place, had you attempted to hide this from us, or if you were prone to causing trouble for the school… but you’ve already earned yourself quite a bit of goodwill from us, with the sacrifice that you made to kill Axarandamaias the Traitor…”

  Eudoria Vespertine was many things. Headmaster of the Crystal Ring Academy and a notoriously vicious Archmage, feared for her reputation as a frightening political force that nobody in the Ringed City, including the Royalty, dared to cross. She leaned in with a sharp smile.

  “...to that extent, I would like to propose a bit of a deal with you.” She said. Her eyes focused in on Gio, and even her husband regarded her with a sidelong questioning glance.

  Gio gulped.

  “What… what kind of deal, Headmaster?” Gio asked.

  “Please, Giorgio… formalities are unnecessary in private dealings such as this. You see, I have a little snag of my own that I would love your help with… and I confess, I’ve been searching for quite some time to come up with a way to incentivise you to help me with it- and it must be you.”

  What?

  Eudoria clicked her immaculate nails against the table, hidden mechanisms of her mind churning out a diabolical offer.

  “My offer is this- you will help me with a little… diplomatic tiff, and in return, I will take full responsibility for whatever happens as a result of the Prophet of Chaos journeying to the Ringed City. I will, of course, provide not only protection from him, in the unlikely event that he initiates hostilities, but I will also work to minimize the damages of whatever his… unique constitution brings us. You will suffer no consequences, politically, physically, or even academically, for this unfortunate occurrence.” She finished.

  Gio’s mind raced. Wasn’t this the perfect out? But wait… surely it couldn’t be that easy.

  “Pardon my… uh, insolence… Professor?… but it almost seems too good to be true. Could I ask what sort of… You called it a diplomatic tiff? What does… that entail?” Gio cautiously asked, struggling to piece together any coherent thoughts.

  Eudoria smiled. “It is too good to be true, isn't it? It’s like the stars are aligning for our little school. It’s nothing major, really… I just need you to act as a bit of an emissary for our interests. Tell me, Gio- can I call you Gio? -What do you know about Arcane Dragons?”

  “L-Like the one I killed?” Gio hesitantly asked.

  “Exactly like the one you killed. Let me tell you about a nightmarish little thing called draconic politics.”

  _____

  At some point in the ensuing speech, Wink departed without Gio noticing.

  Gio felt that it was foolish to refuse the Headmaster’s offer once she finished selling it to him. He doubted that she would put him up for a task that was likely to kill him, and once she explained that there was a chance that he might stand to gain even more benefits from the arrangement, he accepted. Evidently, an emissary from the Arcane Dragonflight who was currently studying in the depths of the school would come to collect him at some point in the not-so-near future to discuss further details of what would be required of him.

  The gold-masked inquisitor then informed Baphelus that there was no trace of hostile influence in Gio’s mind- allowing Gio to experience equal parts of relief at the fact that no vestigial ancient mages were hiding out in his psyche, as well as existential horror that he hadn’t noticed so much as the flicker of a spell or errant gesture to indicate that the Inquisitor had been rooting around in his memories. With their business done, the Inquisitors followed Wink’s lead and disappeared without a trace, leaving only Gio, His mentor, and the Headmaster sitting in the light of the lantern.

  Gio supposed that it was unfair to be scandalized at the thought of the sanctity of his mind being invaded after subjecting his mentor to the same… but it still wasn’t his favorite thing to think about.

  “Dear, we should allow the boy to go to bed,” Eudoria said.

  The Headmaster gracefully stood, looping the offered arm of her husband around hers.

  “I suppose so,” Baphelus said. “I’m sorry to have kept you up so late. Thank you for warning us about Lot, and for indulging my paranoia about… Viniculus.”

  Gio yawned. “No, I think that I should be thanking you. Your mentorship means a great deal to me, and I hope that you know that I am grateful for everything you’ve done for me.”

  Gio thought back to what the Shopkeeper had asked of him.

  “The Dungeon Shop asked me for information about you. I informed the Shopkeeper that I wouldn’t be willing to betray you, even if I had the information that they were looking for.” Gio admitted.

  Baphelus smiled.

  “Your earnestness warms the cockles of my cold, dead heart.” Baphelus laughed. “That being… is impossibly sly. Likely, the knowledge of your character and morals revealed by your refusal of their offer was more valuable than the information that they were looking for. I am sincerely proud of you, Gio… and I don’t mean to be rude, but there really isn’t much that you could know about me that would give you the power to undermine me in any way. Out of curiosity, what was it that they wanted to know about me?”

  Gio frowned. While he was glad to know that he couldn’t be used by anyone to work against his mentor, it still stung to think that he might have been played by the Shopkeeper.

  So was everything that they told me just more manipulation?

  “Ugh. Now I feel silly. They asked about your phylactery.” Gio said.

  Baphelus’s smile fell.

  “Now that… is odd. I know for a fact that the Shopkeeper knows what my phylactery is. It is… somewhat public knowledge, though I don’t allow many to see it. Are you certain that you didn’t misunderstand?” Baphelus said.

  “...No, or at least…I don’t think that I misunderstood.” Gio answered. “They said that they could tell that I knew something about you that they did not, and asked if you had taken me to your phylactery. They said information about your core would sell for a high price.”

  Eudoria looked at her husband.

  “No… I would wager that the piece of information that you possess is related to what you saw in my husband’s memories.” She said.

  “Which would likely mean that whoever currently wears the title of 'Shopkeeper' doesn’t know about my past,” Baphelus added.

  “How very odd. There goes my theory that they are someone from the Tower of Roses. Just who is under that veil, I wonder?” Eudoria pondered.

  “A mystery, indeed,” Baphelus said. For a moment, he stood with his wife’s arm in his, staring up at the moon as if weighing his options.

  “I know that you are tired, Gio… but before you go to bed, would you like to see it?” Baphelus asked.

  Gio blinked.

  “Uh… see what, sir?”

  “My phylactery, of course. You have earned my trust… and there is something there that you should see, besides.”