“As you’ve probably figured out already,” Kerra said, “the first floor of the citadel is a communal area. We have gardens, walking paths, reflection pools. The southern wing is filled with suites for visiting dignitaries and traveling Arbitrators. There are also basic services such as the mess hall and the Library Supreme, which are accessible to anyone visiting the Citadel—even those outside the ranks of our vaunted order. Travelers from all over the world come to the Citadel to seek answers that cannot be found anywhere else. Only the Custodian’s Athenaeum contains more secret knowledge.”

She guided me toward a sweeping staircase carved from white marble that ascended to the second floor.

“As an Adept in our order, this is the only floor you are allowed to visit within the main complex. But rest assured, you’ll find everything that you need—pubs, restaurants, armorers, smiths, alchemists, merchants of every kind.”

We marched down a broad hallway flanked by shops and stalls. It was like an upscale, indoor flea market. Most of the places were small and cramped, selling everything from fabric and boots to plates to silverware. Non-Vigil merchants in plain robes and simple doublets smiled at us as we passed. A few even motioned to wares displayed on long wooden tables, but they didn’t yell, shout, or generally harass us like the hawkers on the streets. The atmosphere was far more reserved and respectful.

“Unlike the markets and bizarre you might find out in the city, the vendors that operate within the Citadel have all been thoroughly vetted and offer the best deals you’re likely to find,” Kerra said. “None of them will cheat you—they all know better than that. The Vigils of Truth would sniff them out inside the hour, I’d wager. With that said, it is against the rules to use Honeyed Words to negotiate for a better price point. A little haggling is fine, but our magic should be reserved for ferreting out evil.” She paused and stole a look at me over one shoulder. “Not that I expect you to be some sort of degenerate rule breaker.”

Eh. A rule bender. Definitely not a rule breaker. Unless it was a really fucking dumb rule. Like the kind of asinine rule a butter-bar lieutenant might pass down to a Master Gunnery Sergeant with twenty years of experience. Those rules existed for bureaucracy’s sake and not only deserved to be broken but set on fire with an arc welder.

So fine, maybe I was a slight degenerate rule breaker. Whatever.

We kept walking and headed into a section with more established sellers. Instead of open stalls, these were actual shops with wide frosted windows, thick doors, and dangling wooden placards that gave the name of each business. A glance into The Elder’s Quill showcased a thousand different varieties of writing quills, pots of colorful ink, reams of creamy parchment, blank book bindings, and sealing wax. Faerie Fire specialized entirely in Fae Artifacts—cloaks, talismans, runes, the whole nine yards.

There were so many more. Embers and Ashes. The Wise Seal. The Hourglass.

Kerra paused in front of an enormous shop of carved marble with a bronze scale hanging above the entryway.

“This is the Junior Chapter of the Goldleaf Trust,” she said, gesturing toward the shop. “They’ll also have an altar you can use to access your Soul Vault.”

“Goldleaf Trust? Are you telling me you have your own bank?” I asked, eyeing the entryway wearily.

“We do, along with our own currency. Out in Wildespell you can trade in whatever coinage you like, though Kelkadian Crowns are the most common. Within the confines of the Citadel, however, only Custodial Marks are accepted. That and barter. There are several shops run by Vigils. The Steel Griffin deals in weapons and armor. Portal Apothecary will be able to meet your alchemy and potion needs. For Affinity Scales, Transformation Tokens, or Arcanum Tokens try Impish Affinities. Relics and Rarities sells an assortment of odds and ends and is probably your best chance at finding Legacy Scrolls. Any of them will deal in Scales, Weapon Skins, or Fabrication Ingredients if you have some you’re willing to part with.”

“This place is wild,” I said, running a hand through my lank hair. “Makes me wonder what’s up on the other floors.”

“More of the same,” she replied with a shrug, “just better. As I mentioned before, the Citadel has a strictly enforced hierarchy. Everything you’ll find on this level is appropriate for your station. The third floor is reserved for Masters and Sages while the one above that is for Saints and Fatemarked. There is a fifth level, much smaller than the rest, used only by the Custodians and the Exarch—that’s also where the Athenaeum is located, though that entire area is strictly off-limits to you.” She paused, her lips pressed into a thin line. “Just to be abundantly clear, every level other than this one is also strictly off-limits to you. Regardless of your celebrity status as an Inkarnate, I don’t want to hear you’ve ventured any higher into the Citadel, is that understood?”

I offered a polite smile and nodded.

To me it was dumb, but the Marine Corps had been no different. Troops didn’t mingle with Non-Commission Officers, Non-Comms typically avoided the Staff NCOs, and everyone left the brass alone to do whatever the fuck it was they did. Mostly push papers and type up reports. And there was a good reason for that. As a commander or platoon sergeant, it had been my job to not only fight but to direct and disperse troops across the battlefield. Sometimes that meant commanding a Marine to take a critical strategic objective, knowing full well they might die in the process.

Having a little physiological distance made it easier to issue those difficult orders.

“Excellent. There’s just one more thing I need to show you.” She waved me on as we left the bank behind and entered a section filled with an assortment of pubs and eateries. In the center was a wide courtyard with a burbling marble fountain. Beside the fountain was a large board covered with notices. “This is the Bounty Board.” She pulled down a sheet of paper and handed it over to me. The notice was handwritten in intricate flowing script on thick parchment.

Bounty

A Sickly Harvest: Over the past six months the people of Stagpoint have seen their crops wither and die for no apparent reason. Healthy fields blacken seemingly overnight and an entire orchard has contracted inexplicable blight. The local Arbitrator, Juliette de Vaal, suspects a brood of Rot Slims have moved into the area. With Winter’s heavy hand upon Stagpoint, starvation is setting in and the Arbitrator fears impending violence. Find and eliminate the Mortka responsible and provide the townfolk with aid to see them through to the next harvest.

Contract Rating: ۞۞ — Two-Man Team Recommended

Reward: 5 Gold Custodial Marks, payable upon completion

After I read over the parchment, a new notice appeared in front of my eyes.

>>

Would you like to accept the Bounty, A Sickly Harvest? Yes/No?

>>

I hit no and handed the paper back to Kerra.

“Although there are several thousand Vigils, we are spread far too thin to be everywhere at once,” she said, pinning the notice back on the board. “Arbitrators act as our eyes and ears. We train them to handle trivial matters and to adjudicate when the need arises, but when Mortka attack that are outside of their abilities to handle, they use an altar to pray to Raguel. Those prayers are then passed onto the Exarch, who has them transcribed by the Keeper of the Books. The Keeper, in turn, assesses and evaluates each bounty and assigns them a rating.”

She tapped at the two symbols next to the contract rating.

“Two Star means it is appropriate for Disciple Class Vigils and above. The Keeper of Books always adds a manpower recommendation, and you would be wise to heed her warnings. Many a young Vigil has wound up dead thanks to overconfidence. It’s important to remember that the details for these bounties come from local Arbitrators who are themselves often passing on second or third-hand information. The details are notoriously unreliable, and it is easy to find yourself facing off against a Mortka far more dangerous than the one originally reported.”

I absently rubbed at my lower back, remembering my mangled spine. The Hexblight had taught me that lesson the hard way and I didn’t intend to make the same mistake again.

“What about the bounties that come straight from Raguel?” I asked.

She squinted and canted her head to one side.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” she said.

“This is all great,” I said, waving at the board, “but when I get a bounty directly from Raguel am I supposed to report it or what? Like just last night I got tasked with hunting down the monster that’s been killing people here in Wildespell. Seemed strange to me that there weren’t other Vigils already on the case, but I figured it might be one of those all-hands-on-deck type situations.”

Her face visibly pale as I spoke. “Gods, it’s one thing after another with you, isn’t it? First a new Boon, now this.” She rubbed at the bridge of her nose. “Look, bounties aren’t supposed to work that way. Individual Vigils don’t receive bounties. It’s just… Well, it’s not done. It shouldn’t even be possible. Raguel communes with the Exarch through divine augury. The Exarch relays that information to the Keeper of Books who transcribes them. We come to the Bounty Board and accept a mission appropriate to our rank. Once we complete it, we turn the bounty back in for a payout from the Custodians. That is the process.

“It is becoming readily apparent that you, however, are a special snowflake sent straight from Raguel to try my patience to its utmost limits.” She let out a long, resigned sigh. “Look, I need to go talk with the Custodians, but for now I would respectfully ask that you leave that particular bounty alone. You’re new here, but Wildespell is a tinderbox at the moment. Political instability. Food shortages. These killings are strange and have everyone on edge. It’s a big part of the reason I was so cautious when I brought you in.

“The deaths might be enough to spark a fire that can burn down the city if we aren’t careful. In light of recent circumstances, a new team has already been assigned to deal with the threat. It’s a five-star bounty, Boyd. Master Rank and well outside your paygrade. The team working it is more than capable of handling things and you should know that better than anyone, because it’s the same team that helped me apprehend you.”

“Wait, so Telent, Kol, Jori, and Amherst are the ones working the assignment?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said tersely. “They have indeed been personally assigned to the case.”

“Does that mean you’re leading the investigation since they’re part of your team?”

She shook her head. “I don’t have a team. The Justiciars work directly for the Citadel in an administrative capacity and thus fall outside the typical structure. Telent is the leader of that particular fist. They were just acting as my escorts on the mission since I don’t have a team of my own. Suffice it to say, the issue is in good hands, and I can assure you that they won’t appreciate some reckless outsider blundering into their investigation.”

I kept my mouth shut, but I was floored on the inside. Kerra was bound by the letter of the law, but Telent and the others seemed like guys who were far more concerned about the spirit of things. In that way, Telent was like me—the how didn’t matter quite so much, as long as the mission got done. He’d probably be ecstatic if I could turn up some dirt that helped point him in the right direction.

“Besides,” Kerra continued, drawing me from my thoughts, “this bounty has already cost us one Vigil. And, because you strike me as the reckless sort, let me emphasize that Dogan the Shieldbreaker wasn’t just any run-of-the-mill Vigil. He was Sage-Class and he also happened to be the Justiciar of the Seekers. I’m sure that means nothing to you, but the important takeaway is that you should be scared. If you get involved, you will end up dead. I can assure you that the Custodians will not want to compound the loss of one of its Justiciar by sacrificing the first Inkarnate we’ve had in over two hundred years. So please, for my sake and yours, stay well away from this mess. Are we clear?”

“Crystal,” I replied, shooting her a thumbs up.

“Good. Now, unless you have any other world-shaking revelations that will needlessly complicate my life, I have a great many things to do before I can turn in for the night.”

“Hey, don’t let me keep you from getting your beauty rest,” I said. “I’d hate to see you cranky.”

“I have never been so sorely tempted to stab someone in the kidney,” she said, hands curled into fists, “but I suspect the Custodians wouldn’t appreciate that either.”

She unclenched her hands and took a deep breath.

“I’ll be busy for the next few days,” she said after composing herself. “I’m setting up a training excursion for a group of newly initiated Vigils, who have just recently passed their Ascension Ceremony. I’d like you to accompany us as equal parts chaperon and trainee. I think some fieldwork, under a watchful eye, would do you some good.”

What she didn’t say was that getting me into the field also meant getting me away from Wildespell and away from this Bounty.

“We’ll be leaving the morning after next,” she said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “In the meantime, I’ll be making our travel arrangements, so you won’t see much of me until we depart. Niels will oversee your training in the interim. Until then, you have the run of the Citadel and city—but be on your best behavior, yes?”

“I’m always on my best behavior,” I replied, already thinking about how to get out of the Citadel without being noticed.