Chapter 4
Two Steps Behind
Ladrieu, Arielle, Bonaventure
The roads leading to the barracks were blocked off with armed soldiers standing guard to ward off any curious citizens. That did not stop rubberneckers from loitering around the barriers. This made it easy for Giger and Mordekai to avoid drawing too much attention to themselves.
With the barest flick of his finger, Mordekai pointed to a building across from the barracks and said, "We'll get a better look from there."
As the main entrance was inaccessible, they went around back, where a convenient fire escape was waiting for them. They found an unlocked window on the third story and used it to get inside. It would seem the resident was out, which made things all the easier for them. They then headed up to the top floor and picked a room that would have a window facing the barracks. Mordekai tried opening the door and when he saw that it was locked, he placed his hand over the keyhole and it promptly clicked.
Once they stepped inside, a middle-aged man sitting on the sofa in the living room sprang to his feet.
"Who the he—!?"
Mordekai waved his hand and the man swooned and crumpled onto the floor.
"You did just put him to sleep, didn't you?" Giger asked.
"Yes, Giger," an exasperated Mordekai replied. "I know you have not been quiet about your concerns about me, but I am not so far gone that I'm going to start killing innocent people without a second thought."
"So once you've given it a second thought, then you'll kill them?"
Mordekai gave him a nasty look.
"Giger... Honestly, you test my patience..."
Giger was not particularly eager to find out what would happen if he tested that patience further, so he let it be.
They looked out the window and saw what remained of the barracks compound. There were five buildings arranged in a U pattern. The two on either side had large holes cut into the walls facing the central courtyard, while the one at the end had collapsed entirely.
"Someone beat us to the punch," Mordekai said.
"I can see that," Giger replied, "but who?"
"We'll take a closer look once it gets dark, but clearly it was the work of someone out of the ordinary."
"Coming from you, that means something."
"Giger."
Mordekai took a breath to let go of his annoyance and pointed out to the building at the end.
"They completely destroyed the headquarters building, but it was no ordinary explosion. There's hardly any scatter to the debris."
"Why would they just destroy the headquarters building?" Giger asked.
"If I had to venture a guess, I would say because there were no Ancients inside. Wipe out the regimental command and any surviving soldiers will be left to flounder."
"How do you know about army stuff?"
"Did I never tell you? Back when I was in the Basilisk Guild, I was loaned out to this very regiment."
"I thought militarizing mages was illegal."
"I was an 'advisor' helping to develop the regiment's anti-magic protocols... and to test magic integration just in case this nation ever found itself in the position where flouting the Belmond Accords was deemed expedient."
"Did the Phoenix Guild ever do anything like that?"
Mordekai shook his head and said, "Not while I was a master, no. I didn't want it to be used against us. Also, the research into combat applications was much less developed than what it was in Montreuil."
"Why was the Basilisk Guild researching combat applications so much?"
"For combat, obviously. Ever since the War of the Thirteen Thrones, the governments of the world lust after combat magic as much as they fear it. You can be reasonably sure that every other nation was researching it as well. It was definitely the case in Nylos. Having two guilds here in Bonaventure made it easier for the Prince to hide his intentions. The Phoenix Guild was the shield and the Basilisk Guild was the sword."
"Are you thinking it was the sword that made this cut?"
"Possibly. Once we get to investigate the scene more closely, I should be able to tell from the residual magic who did this."
"And what are we supposed to do until then?"
Mordekai looked to the sofa where the apartment's resident was slumped over the arm.
"You can always take a seat. Perhaps you can find a decent book to read."
Giger also looked at the sofa and did not feel that inclined to be keeping the sleeping resident company.
* * *
An hour or two after sunset, the front door to the building opened and out walked Giger and Mordekai. They were met by the sound of boots clapping on pavement as a pair of soldiers ran up to them.
"Get back inside!" one soldier shouted. "You were told not to—!"
Mordekai waved his hand and the soldiers toppled over. To be running and suddenly keel over like that, they were sure to feel it whenever they came back around.
Feeling a prick of conscience, Giger said, "Isn't falling asleep on guard duty a shooting offense?"
"And where did you learn that?" Mordekai asked.
"It was in the decent book I was reading."
Not looking particularly concerned, Mordekai replied, "Well, let's just hope for their sake that nobody finds them before they wake up."
That was not too terribly comforting, but Giger was not prepared to stick his neck out for the two men, so hope would be what they were going with.
They proceeded to the barracks compound. Mordekai held his hand over the brick fragments from the piece of wall that appeared to have been sheared right off the side of the side of the building. The lines of the cut were perfectly straight. What on earth could have done this?
"This wasn't the work of magic," Mordekai said. "Some sort of powerful energy was used, but it wasn't magic."
"If it wasn't magic, what was it?"
Mordekai did not answer Giger. He was holding a piece of brick that had been cut and was just staring at it as if mesmerized. Giger put his hand on Mordekai's shoulder and shook him.
"Mordekai? Mordekai!"
Even with Giger shaking him and calling out to him, it took a while for him to respond. He had a bit of a glassy-eyed look when he turned to Giger.
"I think the people who did this are paying our friends in Nylos a visit."