Chapter 51 – The Corpse In The Catacombs

“Let’s go,” Cassius said.

Professor Torres cleared her throat.

“Right,” he said, clenching his jaw. He made a gesture, and the apprentices stood to the side like soldiers lined up for parade. Each wore the thin bronze chain of apprenticeship that went from their shoulder to a loop on their coats, dangling down across their right breasts like they were carrying a conspicuous pocket watch. They all looked identical, with the same short light brown hair and light brown eyes. If they had personalities that went beyond discipline, like Cassisus, they’d masked them. They also had five wand sheathes hanging off their belts, crisp and polished as the rest of them.

All of them watched as a priest from the Luminate Order came in, glancing about the room. “You know, I have a feeling the Academy could afford to increase its donations to the temple,” he said.

“Take it up with Archmage Luspire,” Cassius grumbled.

“Oh, we have,” sighed the priest.

Mirian had gotten plenty of wounds healed, but this time, she was paying extra close attention. Without a focus, she doubted she could sense much, but she wanted to try. She watched carefully as the priest put his hand to his chest. The pose of the penitant it was called–except he must have been pressing the focus hidden under his robes closely to his chest. Mirian closed her eyes and tried to meditate, but as the bandage was unwrapped, the lances of pain shooting through her broke her concentration. Then, there was that burning sensation by the wound, then blessed relief as the pain faded.

“Thank you,” she told him. What she wanted to ask was how does it work? Are there celestial runes on your focus? What’s an ‘elder reliquary?’ Is it like casting a spell? Can I borrow your focus? But she knew what the answer to those questions would be already. All of it was secret knowledge.

The priest departed, and then so did they. Her leg still ached slightly–healing was never perfect–but it was so much nicer to walk on.

They walked right down the stairs and into the second basement level. It must have been a strange sight for the other students studying there to see: A sixth year student, leading a gaggle of professors and apprentices through the shelves. “Make sure to return your library books on time,” Mirian told a wide-eyed first-year student as she passed by. She and Professor Seneca found it funny, at least.

“Let’s see… I got shot to death there, so it was… hmm… two shelves over. Here,” she said, standing them all along the blank wall.

Cassius made a face, the first chip in his stony mask she’d seen. How much did they tell him?

“There’s no record of a passage here,” Torres said.

Mirian adjusted the rings around the shaft of her spellrod, then concentrated. “Does anyone have a reveal iron spell? I haven’t had a chance to re-scribe it.”

“What is that thing?” Cassisus said, scowling at the scepter.

“Spellrod. Ask Torres, she has a nicer one. Nevermind, I got it.” With a grinding clurnk, her empowered magnetic spell caught the lever, and the section stone wall opened.

“Five hells,” muttered Seneca.

Mirian swapped her spellrod back to light and cast it, the steady glow illuminating the “Now does anyone have a mapping spell? Super easy to get lost in here.”

“I do,” Seneca said. “Ghostly trail should do the trick, no?” Seeing Mirian’s quizzical look, she said, “Illusion spell. Creates a trail of colored light as we walk so we can retrace our path.”

“Good,” Professor Cassius said. “Three, guard the door. No students in, no beasts out. Two, you’re on point with me. One, take up the rear.”

“Yes sir!” the apprentices chorused.

With Cassius’s back to them, Mirian made a face at the others. He calls his apprentices by numbers!? Apprentice Three shrugged. Seneca rolled her eyes and made a gesture she did not expect a professor to make.

Mirian cleared her throat. “This way,” she said, taking the lead.

She had to stop several times, backtrack once, and nearly had them walk right on by the room they were looking for, but at last they found it. The corpse looked like it had before.

“One and Two, guard the passage. Wards up, wardbreaker caution,” Cassisus snapped as they gathered in the chamber.

Mirian stood by the pile of ash just north of the body.

“Well that’s gruesome,” Seneca said. “Want me to date it?”

“I’d rather you just found out its age,” said Torres with such a straight face it took Mirian a moment to realize she did have a sense of humor after all. She bent over and picked up the note Mirian had described.