Aaron

I poke a hole through the door and slide my hand inside to unclasp the latch. I've never been one to skirt away from getting my hands dirty doing the seemingly ordinary tasks of roughing up a few people to get the answers I seek but this is low even for me. I've been reduced to petty burglary to steal an orb from a wizard of the nether realms.

"Ouvrir," I say to the door putting every ounce of will I have behind the spell taking no chances against this opponent.

"Des sorts clairs ," clearing any spells that might be sprung when I enter.

"Rèvèle la magie," aiming to reveal any residual magic that may be hidden from the precautions I've already taken.

"Pièges claims."

"Les esprits dorment ."

I cast spell after spell even before the door fully opens so no surprises come barking at me unaware. This is more a snatch and grab type of situation that one with any reasonable expectation of stealth anyway, no one enters a wizards domain without them knowing it even if they are a world away.

I walk gingerly into the tower pulling my mana around myself and casting a mana/spirit spherical shield around myself with a thought. I would be lying if I said running around killing the enemies my son has left in his wake and dealing with all the other messes I could find hasn't been good for the growth of my repertoire.

Consorting with spirits has given me a foothold in an avenue of magic I had so for disregarded in my single-minded pursuit of the wizard arts. But this spirit magic called sorcery has many uses and doesn't actually need a contract with a spirit for me to be able to tap into it. Simply harnessing the energy of the realm or plane or wherever it is that spirits reside is enough to be able to manipulate the spirit energy onto this realm as a kind of replacement to ether.

Which explains how some people can use sorcery without first Awakening to mana. I use no other spells or casting in the foyer of the tower but cast my eyes around the simply decorated but homey feel of the surroundings. Its rare for a wizard of Castro's age and power to have a tower this well used and clearly loved. Buy those that do don't take kindly to intrusions of any kind.

I walk deeper into the receiving foyer and am surprised to meet a young woman bowing before me before standing to face me. I came here now because I had to make sure that Castro wasn't around first, I spent a good 30 minutes disarming the outside wards so I could have more time to search the place. I had everything planned out to a ''T' except the possibility that he may have a servant or a daughter...? Yes, a daughter present in the tower.

"How may I help you, sir?" She says smoothly but I can see the slight sheen of sweat on her forehead.

"I am looking for a black orb that shines with darkness and makes any that come near it I'll. Might you know what it is I speak of?" I ask trying my chances if the girl sent out a communication or distress signal to her father I have much less time to mundanely look around for that which I seek.

"Right this way sir." She says and starts leading me around the place up a set of stairs through a corridor and down another set of stairs.

"I believe what you seek is in there." She says then steps back. I've been questing me is senses for traps this entire time and I do so at the wood door before me.

There are words and traps all over this door, and its new impregnable in the time I have without resorting to extreme force and that may not even succeed either.

"Any way you know to open this without exerting myself"

"No sir but I suspect it would be easier to use the key." She says producing a key from her special ring.

"A key, of course, how quaint."

After finding the orb also known as the 'Eye of Darkness' or 'Stealer of Souls' by the more superstitious type in Castro's study in a protective warded case and got out of there as quickly as humanly possible. At the exit, I'm accosted by the girl blocking my way and I slow as I prepare to end her quickly.

"Take me with you, sir, please." She says and I notice the desperation in her voice.

I notice the scare that could have been easily healed by Castro but still evident and ragged on her face. I notice the slight scent of blood and the collar on her neck preventing her from leaving. She may be his daughter but that doesn't mean he doesn't have other uses for her.

"Sorry love but I don't have time for another charity case at the moment but I could give you a quick death if you want."

She starts sobbing and shaking, I have no time for this and this psycho might be back at any moment.

"Here, use this on yourself or on him," I say placing an ornate jewel-crusted dagger on the table. "He probably won't die unless you take him in the eye or the heart but a single scratch will be enough for you," I say as I start to go around her.

"I...I can't,.... harm myself.." She says between sobs as she stops at the threshold of the door. More a prisoner than most, I've paid her back enough for the key I think.

"Don't worry about compulsion with that dagger, you should be fine,'' and with those words, I'm out the door. I run casting 'fleet foot' travelling at a fast pace through the velt.

*

Joseph

The unbinding is torturous and I take back every nice thing I've ever thought about these people for their refraining from torturing me before. I'm strapped down on a stone altar of some sort inside a cave deep underground. The is barely any light to see by and these fucking mages turned out to be blue-skinned red-eyed vampires. I nearly pissed myself then and there sure I was to be used for some sort of sinister experiment or as a blood skin and drank till dry.

The place was creepy enough as is but the presence of a dead body belonging to Anies already lying on an adjacent altar had me digging my heels into the ground trying to stop my jailers from is sending me there. I didn't even know they had the little spy Assad had as our guide but apparently I don't know as much as I think about what is going on.

I'm strapped down despite my protests and biting, then a very uncomfortable bridle is inserted into my mouth to prevent the biting and spitting I assume. I'm almost immediately proven wrong, its to reduce the sound of my screaming as thing are done to my insides without preamble.

To the inside of my insides and I scream and scream and scream and buck as pain the likes of which there is no solace or refuge. No blissful release of unconsciousness, I do end up pissing myself, a lot of urine in fact as a number of my sphincters clench and release throughout the whole process.

I don't know how long it all takes but eventually, I'm a sweating mess on the altar and a familiar face steps into my line of sight. The relief I feel at seeing Brother Asriel is beyond expression and before he even asks a question I start to tell him everything I know and everything I've ever done wrong. I relieve myself off all my burdens and all the shit I've done in my life because I can feel that the oaths binding me have unravelled, but they aren't gone, even now they are working to reestablish themselves but I take this opportunity to tell Asriel everything I know about the Circle, about the 25 members of the Inner Circle and 25 members of the other Circle that I know of.

About the rituals, the kings we have in our control through blackmail, mind control or the promise of power. The member of the Order who took up the position I killed to create a vacancy in, our mission at the monastery all those years ago. I tell everything I can even think of, names, dates, weapons, caches of things, safe houses. But then a cup of water is passed to me and then darkness takes me into oblivion.

* *

Asriel

"Well, that was more than I burgeoned for."

"But it would explain so much," Yami says in thought.

"This information seems to affect more than just your Order but the entirety of life of Gaia." Forester Watanabe says, cooly.

"It does and I think its time I mentioned that we aren't here in the name of the Order but we are here in the name of another group and we call ourselves the Conclave. The time for secrecy amongst allies is at an end I think."

Forester looks at me intently before nodding and waving his hand at the empty wall, but the wall turns out not to be so empty as a Hito person I can't seem to sense at all walks out of it. I frown and activate spacial awareness , nothing. I activate examine and still get nothing even as I look at the man, he is as solid as I am. I activate battle sense and it's only then that I can feel him but only slightly, what the fuck is this guy?

"Allow me to introduce Hirohito Shushi the third Ronin. He is aware of the Conclave and has made us aware of the looming threat this one speaks of." He says indicating to the now unconscious Joseph Malagan on the enchanted stone slab.

"Its a pleasure to meet you," Yami says happily. "I always like meeting interesting people, would you be interested in a light sparring session sometime later?"

"Not the time." I admonish and watch the grin that slowly spreads on the face of this new arrival. I'm trying to remember in what context I've heard the title of Ronin amongst the Hito but I'm coming up blank.

"I'd love to spar with you sometime." He says smoothly in perfect Common and indicates for Forester to continue.

"We've been trying to gather our strength and prepare as soon as we heard but the Conclave has known for years I gather, which is why Malachi sent you and the other two gaikoku to learn some of our ways and acquire our greatest weapon."

"At the time I wasn't aware of the Conclave's mission either but I have since been made aware and am part of the team tasked with trying to safeguard and recruit from this part of the world," I say to the obviously peeved half vampire before me. "I have been tasked with trying to work with the local kingdoms and governments on this continent in order to work together to prepare for the coming g threat as best we can."

The recent arrival, Hirohito with the uncannily silent presence nods before looking straight at me using a skill I can't identify. "Well in that case in light of how closely we will be working together you should be aware of another threat looming over Gaia as we know it. Or should I say under Gaia?" He says as he takes his gaze away from me and outs it firmly on Yami, who frowns slightly.

"The Underworld is open, the barrier separating it from the surface has been broken for years now but our people and others like us have been holding most of the monsters back. But we can no longer do so, expect creatures of darkness to stalk the nights on Gaia in the next few years."

That complicates things in the extreme, the Underworld creatures are said to prey primarily on intelligent beings and are said to be hard to kill without light or fire.

"I will let my people know-"

"Oh, they know. I informed Malachi several months ago and I'm sure he will get this information to you when you are in a more conveniently reachable location. Enough of this for the moment, come, let's have tea and discuss the rules of our sparing match, Yami wasn't it?" I frown and Yami catches on as well.

"I don't recall giving you my name," he says with a raised eyebrow.

Hirohito just smiles, "I have my ways. One last thing, do you want the oath fully removed or should we kill him now?"

"Remove it please, I think he is still useful and besides, we will need all the help we can get in the coming days."

"Suit yourself."