Chapter 2: Chapter 2: The End of the World as We Know It

The Human seemed to like to talk, so I let them. It was easier to learn when the Humans thought you were going to let them take charge of the conversation. 

I marked the space below Robin’s comments to start adding my own commentary. I also dictated our conversation. Being a city guard was a relatively new position for me.

They began staring at my goldenrod colored menu screen intently. It was nearly impossible to read someone else’s screens. Even Lead Inspector Raim’s rank eight [Inspect] shouldn’t have the ability. “Oh hey, you have a hud too! They always yelled at me in Sanctum when I used mine.” 

Sanctum was an isolated mountain town that pretended to be unaffiliated with the Sumar Empire. It was notable only for its isolationism and rumored miles of secret underground tunnels where they keep their children and elderly as prisoners of their culture. 

I asked as I wrote notes, “A hud?”

“You know.” They gestured to the screen floating on the left side of my periphery, where I could see my dictation scrawling along. “A heads-up display. The menu screens.” 

As well as I could, I kept my soft, light voice neutral, “In spite of what you might have been taught in your… town, all sentient beings - not just Humans, Elves, or Dwarves - have been gifted with the Deities’ Guidance.” I paused to let them catch up. “You may address me as Officer Fortuna, and I prefer she/her pronouns. What name and pronouns should I use for you?” Robin had indicated that Justin was a male Human but Humans just assume these things based on guess work. I always asked.

They looked at me like I’d said something alien. “I know your name, Scaleen. Didn’t you Inspect me for mine?” That burning sensation again, right at the back of my skull again, as I was Inspected. “Oh, no, you don’t have that skill.”

My crown of feathers flattened against my skull, my irritation getting the best of me as I straightened my outfit. 

This time, my naturally gravelly intonation slipped into my normally professional affect. “No, my cohort Inspector Robin did that. My capacity is not as an Inspector, so it is not among my skills. I also believe I said it was rude to do that in civilized society. Would you prefer I leave you here alone again? It is within my… limited skills to recommend that you be kept here without food and water. My companion upstairs is also more than eager to exceed the recommended treatment guides for prisoners, and you may Inspect him to see how much his Improved Brutality feat increases the amount of pain he can inflict.”

I clamped my jaws shut, frustrated that I let myself be antagonized by a child.  It was a terrible stereotype that Kobolds got more verbose and energetic as they got angrier. I hated when the benefit of the doubt I extended was so quickly stomped on by people who’ve never been punished for being casually rude.

Still, my words seemed to have some effect on the Human who, after several seconds staring open mouthed, they seemed to regain control and swallowed. “Ah. I have so not made a good impression have I? I never worked on the Persuade skill. It is more useful in the end of the game, and no one in Sanctum… well.” I made a note to follow up regarding what ‘the game’ meant. “I’m sorry Scal- er. Officer Fortuna. I’m Justin Stormhollow, h-... he/him pronouns.” 

I watched him through narrowed eyes, before saying, “So, Justin, you are from Sanctum, correct? How old are you?” Another question I knew the likely answer. When I’d first requested to become an inspector, I’d been in a class taught by one of the prison interrogators, and I’d taken notes. I always take notes. The rest of the town guard thought I was a joke. I made notes on who thought that too. 

That last bit wasn't true. Mostly.

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“Yeah, I’m from Sanctum. I’m um… Nineteen.” Twenty was when Sanctum officially allowed their youth to leave their community, it was forbidden to leave earlier. The children were kept inside their mountain cave fortress until they were eighteen, when they were first allowed to see the sun. Did Justin escape his community as soon as he saw daylight? His Agility and [Clandestine] suggested he could practically vanish in an open square at high-noon. Something rang false but I didn’t know why he’d lie about his age. He looked younger than that.

“I see. When did Sanctum start training child assassins?” 

He laughed at this, though his skills told a different story. “I’m not- those stodgy elders hated me. I did try to explore the undermountain but they wouldn’t let me leave early. I had to wait for my Initiation To Daylight, and now I have so little time. What day is it? Is the Coronation yet?”

I considered whether to answer that honestly or not but instead ignored it. “So why did you try to sneak into the Princess’s empty chambers?” This was a calculated lie, but given that Robin didn’t mention any spectacular [Discern skill], I was willing to risk it. 

“Empty? But Talina- I mean...” He looked shocked and confused.

‘Talina’ was the Princess’s current name. It was largely suspected that she was going to become “Dawnbringer the Second” when she was given the crown and heiress title during the coronation, given her aptitude for light magic. It was expected that this would end the political squabbles regarding relative would inherit the Sumar Empire when her second aunt - the current Empress - passed away. 

I knew Humans leaders well enough. It would end no squabbles.

“I wasn’t trying to sneak to get at her. I needed to warn her before the Coronation. The Drakenguard Ambassadors that come to the coronation, they’ve been replaced by dissidents that are trying to frame the Drakes as the instigators and they are going to kill the king-regent and Talina to start the war, when Talina goes missing, her uncle, Roginor, is going to steal the throne from behind while the queen is ailing from a wasting disease, and then during the chaos of war, the Eighth Chain will shatter, which releases the horrautomons, who are going to start to rise from the south and everyone will be too busy fighting each other to realize the threat they pose.”

I went very still as Justin’s story grew, but words kept filling up my goldenrod colored Notes panel. When I didn’t say anything, Justin seemed to look at me closer through the bars, but then gave up, and sighed, pulling his hands back through the gate to pace back and forth. 

“Forget it. You won’t believe me. No one in this world believes me.”

I didn’t believe him. Everything he said was absolutely catastrophically dangerous. Even the hint of me reporting this to someone, when tensions are so high between the empires, would be enough for me to have to quit the guard for potentially treasonous speech. 

[Discern] told me that either Justin was a flawless liar, or he believed every word he said.