Tiberius sat behind a small wall of his grandfather’s journals, painstakingly translating the contents according to the cypher Enzo and he had pierced together. (Mostly Enzo, were he being honest.) It was painfully slow going, making even the revelation of forbidden magical secrets into a boring chore. Just what Lukios would have wanted.
He was feeling quite cheerful about the interruption, at least until his perpetually dour and grumpy armsman started speaking.
“Oh.” Someone by the name of Konstance Adamo was dead. He didn’t even recognize the family name. Verax, on the other hand …
Not too much better, to be honest. They were very new among the Houses, without much of an established culture or identity yet. Just dangerous ambition, with the hint they might otherwise be for sale. Not entirely a criticism – Umbra was not above similar tactics.
“Do we have the body? I could come with you and ask Adamo what happened to them.” As long as the death was recent, and it sounded like this was. Otherwise, the spell might call a spirit or demon to fill the guardsman’s vacated flesh. Potentially more difficult to get rid of when they were done, if it was a powerful example of either. Tiberius slid a bookmark into the diary and pushed up from the desk.
He was learning so many new things about Tacitus. Mainly, that he liked to work alone and that the quiet dramas which played out on his face when he was put-upon were very entertaining.
He was feeling quite cheerful about the interruption, at least until his perpetually dour and grumpy armsman started speaking.
“Oh.” Someone by the name of Konstance Adamo was dead. He didn’t even recognize the family name. Verax, on the other hand …
Not too much better, to be honest. They were very new among the Houses, without much of an established culture or identity yet. Just dangerous ambition, with the hint they might otherwise be for sale. Not entirely a criticism – Umbra was not above similar tactics.
“Do we have the body? I could come with you and ask Adamo what happened to them.” As long as the death was recent, and it sounded like this was. Otherwise, the spell might call a spirit or demon to fill the guardsman’s vacated flesh. Potentially more difficult to get rid of when they were done, if it was a powerful example of either. Tiberius slid a bookmark into the diary and pushed up from the desk.
He was learning so many new things about Tacitus. Mainly, that he liked to work alone and that the quiet dramas which played out on his face when he was put-upon were very entertaining.
06-15-2024, 06:37 PM
