Null Negotiations

[Ceidon]

Closed to Logan“They took what?” Ceidon asked, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. Born in the dry heat of Alerar and raised in temperate Corone, the young adventurer was having a difficult time adjusting to the humidity of the Q’Dosh jungle in Dheathain. However, his struggle was a necessary one. The tidings of war in Corone, Eiskalt and Raiaera had reinvigorated interest in the ancient artifacts, forcing the Order of the Golden Dawn to procedure, contain and protect them at a ridiculous pace. Given their increased workload, the only option was to expand the secretive order by initiating new members and to build a larger containment facility. The facility, where Ceidon was currently stationed, was known as the Eastern Temple and it was built upon ancient runes in Q’Dosh, far away from the prying eyes of the western world.

“A null stone,” replied Dalton Desmond, Ceidon’s assistant. One perk of the move to the forest was that Ceidon, now one of the most veteran members of the Order, was made Chief of Procurement and given his own assistant.

“Ah crap,” Ceidon replied, “Cohen knows?” he asked. Dalton nodded and Ceidon mouthed an expletive. Null stones were rare items on Althanas that were created during the Golden Ages to combat magic originating from the Tap. When used properly, they create an area around the stone that dispels all magic. Prior to the destruction of the Tap, null stones were so valuable that entire wars were fought to obtain them. However, after the Tap was destroyed, their usefulness weaned. Though they no longer incite wars, the stones are still used for individual protection and can be worth a significant amount of coin to the right buyer. Through various dealings, Cohen Ephraim, the Grand Chief of the Order, had acquired four stones to use primarily for containment of magical items. “How did it happen?” Ceidon asked.

“Our best guess is that they just walked out with it.” Dalton replied, causing Ceidon to raise an eyebrow. “It’s a null stone and we vetted all of the workers with magic!” His assistant explained. “As you know, we originally hired elves to remodel the temple. They’re not as effective at building as humans or dwarves, but they are generally uninterested in our dealings. But when we got behind, we hired a human guild out of Talmhaid to assist. Cohen thinks one of them took it.”

Ceidon shook his head. “And I suppose he wants me to go find it?”

Dalton nodded again. The young adventurer sighed. There was never a null moment in the life of the Chief of Procurement for the Order of the Golden Hand.

**

It didn’t take long to find the stone, but it was not in Talmhaid as Cohen expected. By using his contacts in the various bazaars and black markets across Althanas, Ceidon was immediately notified when a null stone was put up for auction at the infamous Auction House in Radasanth. Alma Waterson, head of the spying and subterfuge arm of the Order, reported there were no other hints of null stones outside of the Red Forest, so Ceidon was fairly certain this was the stolen item. Either way, he would be able to obtain a stone to complete the set. Upon receiving the news, the young adventurer traveled alone as quickly as he could from Dheathain to Corone, arriving only a day prior to the auction.

It was the adventurer’s first visit to the Auction House, and immediately he realized he didn’t belong. Whereas most patrons donned their Sunday best, Ceidon wore his typical adventurer’s garb: dirty slacks, an old white tunic, a ratty leather jacket and his trademark tan hat. Also unlike the rest of the Auction House’s upper class clientele, Ceidon had absolutely no gold. His plan was to sit towards the back, find out who purchased the stone, and then confront him or her after the auction, taking the stone back by force if necessary.

There was a sharp rack of wood on wood from the podium and the patrons quickly took their seats. As planned, Ceidon found a seat near the back, patiently waiting for his item to be called.

[Logan]

"For the last time, Lily, no," his reply wasn't intentionally harsh, but there may have been a small hint of frustration in his voice. The two had been discussing for quite some time her desire to follow the lead on the Salvar slavers she dug up not long before. The conversation meandered from her need to find her family or at least information on them to her desire to travel with Logan on his myriad of adventures. Once she dug in her heels on something, he knew he was finished. Thankfully, that was not one of those moments.

She conceded whispering, "I still want to go, you know...but I know this is more important."

Word of a very special antique artifact put up for auction had reached the psion just a day or so prior to their conversation. A null stone was a rarity in and of itself, especially when combined with how much time had passed since their period of proliferation, but one available via auction was simply asenine to him. Who in their right mind would put such an artifact up for auction unless they had an ulterior motive, perhaps to suss out someone hunting them. The interest for Logan lie not within the stone itself, but in the curiosity of someone hunting them down.

Logan's hand caressed her cheek as he leaned in for a soft kiss and ending with a whisper of his own, "I know, Lily. Thank you." He opened his mouth to say something else, but she gave him no quarter for further dialogue pressing her finger to his lips.

"Logan, I understand completely, probably more than I should. I will be here when you return. In the meantime, I can focus on finding more about these leads on those slavers and maybe have something significantly more concrete to follow up with," she stated quite matter-of-factly.

There was no surprise at how easily she conceded to him, but there was at how mature she seemed once she did. Their time together, especially with Lily learning how to truly be free to be herself, clearly had an immense impact on her. When they'd met at the hands of unsuspecting slavers in Berevar, neither had any idea how much they needed the other and not just for intimacy but for survival. Logan was glad to have her, and she kept him grounded.

He kissed her one final time and stroked her cheek gently, "you could come with me, you know."

Silence followed, but only for a moment as Lily ran the thought through her mind. She nodded, not wanting to break the sudden realization she could come and go as she pleased, and in that moment she knew he trusted her to join him on his adventures. She kissed him back, though a fair bit less soft and gentle.

***

The trip to the Auction House wasn't exactly unpleasant for either of them, though at times Lily's constant insistence she wouldn't get into any trouble or break anything made Logan cringe inwardly a little. While she was beyond her adolescence in age, her time with the slavers had left her in a state of mental and emotional disrepair. She wasn't completely broken, and it was rare for anyone beyond Logan to notice how far she could regress in a short period of time. Eventually, they would have to address it together.

Their horse-drawn carriage stopped at the stone steps leading into the Auction House. He was the first to depart as he held his hand out and helped Lily from the carriage. It was a simple gesture, but even the simple act made her blush. "You should probably get used to that, Lily," he said through his smile.

She inhaled deeply then exhaled to calm herself before taking his hand once more. The pair climbed the steps and entered the building. There were plenty of useless treasures lying about, some on pedestals and others framed on the walls or on shelves. Logan's eyes shifted around the room as he gave a once over to each and every attendee. He suspected the slightly busty, younger lady closest to the auctioneer was his assistant. There was also the heavier-set man in a full suit made of either silk or some other high quality fabric. Off to his right sat a young man with a pair of thick glasses and some mechanical device he clearly had an affinity for by the way he almost seemed to stroke it.

Nobody really stood out to him, but then Lily tugged on his arm and motioned toward the man at the back of the room. While everyone else was prim and proper, this guy seemed well out of place. He was more fit to be a traveler or adventurer than an auction attendee, though Logan knew from experience looks could also be somewhat deceiving. He made a mental note to keep tabs on the young man just as the gavel came down upon the wooden podium.

Lily pulled Logan to a chair on the right side of the crowd, and then proceeded to sit down next to him. As attentive as he was to the crowd, she was to the artifacts on display. There were various pieces of Althanas history, from art tapestries to ancient weapons and armors. They all possessed an inherent intrigue of varying levels for her, especially considering how little of the world she had seen by then.

The auctioneer took to the podium as the crowd quietly hummed and then silenced itself. Something felt off about the whole thing, and that kept the psion and his escort on high alert.