The Hero's Sidekick

Experiencing the sewer firsthand went a long way to explaining why my people had probably never bothered trying to build one for themselves.

Kuro's description of the sewer didn't do it justice. It wasn't until the smell hit me that I fully understood what we were walking into. While I had an iron stomach and could take a hit better than anyone in our group, my nostrils were not ready for the assault that came at them the moment we entered the underground tunnel.

After returning to the graveyard shrine to pick up Monaco, we filled her in on the situation, including the news that the writ Guunzel had was written in Ishratan. Whether it was either the greatest forgery of all time or the result of some grand conspiracy we still hadn't figured that out. Letting Monaco in on what we saw back in Ishmar seems like a bad idea. The idea that our first king turned against our god and vilified magic to cover it up so he could seize power for himself shouldn't be told to some common thief, but without context she won't understand.

"If it helps, Alicia, it's not like it matters that much to me." Monaco tried to reassure me as we crossed the narrow walkway that elevated us above a river of foul-smelling slurry. "No offense, but the events that led to your kingdom being what it is doesn't really concern me when my father's life's on the line. So I've got no reason to go spreading it around."

"Well if you change your mind, just know there are dozens of overzealous Legionnaires in this country who would be more than happy to bury you for knowing it. Not that they apparently need another reason."

Kuro had wrapped his cloak around the lower half of his face to keep the smell at bay, and the cloth muffled his voice when he spoke. "Can we maybe have this conversation after we leave the sewer? Talking means we have to breathe more and I prefer to use my nose for that." I rolled my eyes, but a part of me did agree with him.

I didn't want to know how Monaco knew exactly where to get into the sewer or how it would get us in. Assuming it comes from her years of thievery is a safe bet. It didn't take her long to find some out of the way manhole to pry up. The part about mental-mapping as we moved away from the Repository was impressive, though.

We had started our journey outside the walled complex where the towering Repository reached high into the sky standing well above the other buildings that surrounded it. The wall itself was forty feet high and was absolutely sheer with nothing to grab onto or dig a tool into for climbing. After observing the streets and how they curled around the Repository's outer wall, Monaco turned and started walking away while mumbling to herself.

Twenty minutes of following her as she weaved through passerby led us to a street that ended in a dead end. A few buildings with darkened windows surrounded that end with a circular cul-de-sac made of stone set in the middle. At the very center of that circle was a heavy metal lid embedded in the ground, the top of it glazed with layers of bronze-green streaks.

Leaving Kuro and Sheena to watch the street behind us, Monaco pulled a few crowbars out of her equipment bag. The hefty bag had been purchased in the Silken River and was nearly half as long as Alverd was tall. She passed two of the crowbars to Alverd and me, then thrust the curved end of her own into the edge of the metal lid. "Alright, you two dig in here next to me. Wedge it in tight and wait for my go." I did as I was told, placing the curved head into the space between the rusty lid and the street. "Alright. On three. One. Two. Three!" We pushed down hard on our crowbars. There was a loud groaning noise as the lid popped free, scraping against the stone. Immediately a blast of sickening air emerged from the opening and I nearly retched when it washed over me.

"Sorry. Should've warned you about that." Monaco waved her hand, pointing her face away from the opening.

"Holy Evros, what is that smell?!" I doubled over as my gut spasmed. The nausea came back for a second shot at making me throw up.

"Sadly, it's the combined waste of pretty much everyone living in this residential block. Suck it up, princess. Thievery tends to be a dirty business." She chuckled to herself before coughing, her face turning slightly green.

Kuro was already weaving his hands in a tight circle in front of him, a ball of light spinning into being at the tip of his staff. "Can't use torches. Not after the last time I went into a sewer. The last thing anyone wants is to ignite a methane pocket or saltpeter deposit." He mimicked an explosion with his hands, making his ball of light expand to emphasize his point. "There's only one place for all that heat to go and it's right in our faces. That's not how I want to die."

He held the glowing orb over the opening, and the light was able to pierce the murk enough that we could see a sturdy stone platform below. A metal ladder crusted in Evros only knew what reached down to the platform. Taking a deep breath, Alverd flung his cape around his face and descended, his armor scraping against the sides of the opening as he eased himself down into the hole.

Kuro went next, his light spell hovering over his head. Once he reached the bottom, I was able to see his surroundings better. The platform was at a crossroad of various waterways, where sludgy green-brown water was flowing from two different directions before meeting in the crossing, then flowing down into two more directions and out of sight. Countless holes in the walls with metal grates over them spewed more waste into those rivers. Mercifully, the platform had metal awnings to prevent the wastewater from falling on anyone walking under the streams from the holes.

After Kuro made it to the bottom, I climbed in after him. I didn't even make it a few feet down the ladder before I felt an urge to puke. Mother Evros I can't even breathe! As soon as I stepped off the ladder my hands were over my mouth and nose.

By the time Sheena and Monaco were down in the sewer with us, my eyes were practically watering. Monaco moved to the front of our group and started walking under one of the awnings. "Hurry up. If you think you're miserable, remember that beastmen have stronger senses of smell than you do."

With her in the lead, we retraced our path towards the Repository. From what I could tell, it was far more difficult than navigating the streets above. While the streets had alleys and paths that allowed movement between them, the sewer had fixed passageways that followed the street structure. I gotta give her credit. I would've gotten lost down here. Her sense of direction must be perfect if she can figure out exactly how to get back through all of this.

Having come from a culture that valued strength more than anything, I was still coming to terms with the idea that other skills could be of equal use outside of Ishmar. Monaco's abilities might not be used for legal acts, but I can't deny they are useful. She may not be able to fight a berserker at close range, but as I've learned not everything is about a straight up fight.

Thanks to the light from Kuro's spell, no one had any issues maintaining their footing, even though several sections of the walkway were slick with things I didn't want to think about. We hugged the wall the best we could, trying not to touch anything or breathe in through the nose. Never again. Never again. If I ever enact a policy to build sewers in Ishmar, the people responsible for their upkeep will be paid a king's ransom. It's the least they'll deserve.

By the time we reached our destination, we were all reaching our limit. I could feel my stomach churning with the effort not to throw up. In front of us, a massive opening covered by a huge corroded grate let a river of putrid slime pour into the sewer. A ladder next to the grate stretched up towards the ceiling.

"I'll go first. Once I grab hold of the manhole cover, douse the light Kuro." Monaco said as she climbed up the ladder and pushed her hand up against the manhole to test its weight. When she saw that it could move, she nodded to the mage. He waved his staff and the light spell extinguished, plunging us all into darkness. A moment later, a ray of moonlight shone through the ceiling as Monaco uncovered our exit and poked her head through.

Hoisting herself up, she climbed out of the hole. "Come up, one at a time. And keep your heads down. We're inside the wall, but we're a lot closer to the barracks than I'd like." As he was closest, Kuro pulled himself up the ladder and out through the manhole.

Alverd motioned to Sheena and I. "You go before me. I'll bring up the rear."

Sheena practically dashed past me to get to the ladder and was up and out in a flash. Even from the bottom of the ladder I could hear her gasping loudly after she made it up. I can hardly blame her. Still, she could've at least asked if she could go first.

Fighting back the urge to sigh, I climbed up. Emerging in the clean night air, I fought back the urge to do what Sheena did and instead took a controlled breath. Pulling myself free of the opening, I moved behind Kuro and Sheena and took in my surroundings. The four of us were beside a two story building nestled against the outer wall. Pipes attached to the wall of the building fed into the ground behind us. Untended bushes gave us some cover between our current position and the corner of the barracks, and Monaco was peeking out to look around.

I reached down into the hole to help Alverd get through. His armor snagged on the opening, requiring me to hold him in place while he angled his body to get one arm through and then rise up the rest of the way so he wouldn't fall back down. Once he was through, I gently placed the manhole back so the smell of the sewer wouldn't leak out.

By the time I was finished, Monaco had come back from her recon. "Okay, so unfortunately this was the easy part. The area is covered in patrols, and we aren't going to be able to get in just by stealing uniforms." She took out a piece of parchment and a quill and started sketching a map of the inner courtyard for us.

I wasn't reassured by what I saw. We had limited room to move about, and there weren't any shrubs, planters, or even statues to use for cover. She'd also marked no fewer than five groups of guards with four in each squad, even though she didn't have their patrol patterns figured out. Still, it was enough to know that we weren't getting in the front door.

"So what now?" Sheena asked. She took off her hat and chanced a look around the corner. "From what I can see, the entrance to the Repository is more than eighty feet away and there aren't any other points of entry. So how are we supposed to get in?"

Monaco pulled a rope with a metal hook on one end out of her bag and handed it to Alverd. "Kuro and I came up with a plan, albeit one that relies a bit too much on pre-established bias for my taste. We climb to the top of the barracks and look for one of the spires flanking the main tower. Besides, once we're on the barracks we can see the whole area more easily."

Alverd threw the hook up, watching it snag. He put his hands together and bent his knees, nodding to me. "I'll boost you up, then you climb. Once you get to the top, you'll pull Kuro up. He'll get the rest of us to the top." I didn't need to be told twice. I stepped up off his hands and grabbed the rope, planting my feet against the wall and climbing up at a steady pace.

Once I got to the top, I hauled Kuro up. He'd tied the rope around and under his arms so it looped around his chest and shoulders. Thankfully he wasn't heavy; I braced my feet against the lip of the rooftop, extended my body to its full height, and then leaned back while pulling hand over hand. I got him up and over the edge of the roof in less than two minutes.

After he pulled the rope free, he tossed it back down. Sheena was next. After she'd finished, Kuro waved his staff while I pulled the rope. This time it was significantly easier to pull. It was almost as if Sheena weighed less than half of what Kuro had. "I'm manipulating air currents under her to help lift her up. Not exactly flying, but it works."

After we got Monaco up, there was only one thing left to do. It took all three of us with Kuro reducing Alverd's weight via his little magic trick to help Alverd climb the side of the barracks. I'm not sure how much Sheena and Monaco are contributing to this. One look at their noodle arms and I'm guessing I'm doing the lion's share of the work here. Sheena had her teeth clenched as she pulled with all her might, not that she was doing much on her end. Monaco might've been actually contributing but probably not by much. Still, we were able to get Alverd onto the roof.

From our vantage point, things were much clearer, although I still wasn't sure how we were getting in. The massive walls flanking the Repository were shaped like a diamond, with the Repository itself nestled inside the wall against the far point and the barracks across from it at the other side. At the two other points of the diamond, twin spires reaching well above the wall. The spires looked to be about seventy feet tall, and each had an ascending bridgeway that connected them to the Repository, which was even taller still. The spires had additional walkways built on pillars reaching down to the walls, with metal railings in place for the safety of those traversing them. Those walkways extended all the way along the wall to the are above the barracks, looping around to the other spire.

From our twenty foot tall roof, I could see the courtyard below. Monaco had been right; there was next to nothing to hide behind, with open lines of sight across the entire area. A gate in the wall next to the base of the Repository tower was the only way in or out of this enclosed space, with an opening that had to be uncovered by several guards working in tandem to slide a heavy door aside to create a path barely large enough to accommodate a single wagon. And this is all nonmagical. All of these defenses were concealed behind the wall. No wonder Monaco's crew couldn't figure out anything about the defenses. The only way they could've is if they had the ability to fly.

Then I saw the ballistae. Emerging from holes near the tops of the spires were the points of ballista bolts, their gleaming tips catching the lights from below. Safe bet says there are men with crossbows in those spires, too. Maybe even mages. So the ground is impenetrable from conventional means, while the air is guarded by heavy siege weapons. I had to give it to the Kierhaians, they were indeed paranoid, but it served them quite well.

A stray thought occurred to me. "Hey, Monaco. If the Kierhaians are known for their pragmatism, then why were there no traps in the sewer?" She gave me a blank look, then sighed. "Right, you wouldn't know. Nobody ever puts booby traps in a sewer, princess."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because no one wants to do maintenance on traps while wading waist high in shit." Kuro said for her. "No sane person would consider a sewer a logical or practical entry point. Luckily, or maybe unluckily for us, we're not sane people." He gave a slightly demented chuckle, and I felt the hair on the back of my neck prickle.

I was still confused. "So wait, then what's to stop the crazy people from using the sewer to get in?" Sheena tapped me on the shoulder. "If you use the sewer to get in, that means the sewer is your only way out, too."

I scratched my head. "I still don't get it. I thought we had a different exit strategy."

Alverd ruffled my hair, which strangely didn't feel as condescending as I thought it would. "Consider it a good sign that it doesn't make sense. It means you're more on the sane side of the scale. We can let Kuro and Monaco make up for the rest of that."

The two of them looked up from what they were doing with fake shock and indignation on their faces. "Wow. How many years have we been friends and that's what you think of me. Oh, that cuts deep," Kuro said in a completely deadpan tone.

Monaco put an exaggerated quaver in her voice. "Oh, my heart, how it reels from your cruel words. Alas, playing hard to get simply makes me want you more."

Then they dug back into her equipment bag, pulling out a number of tools. Kuro stood up, then waved his staff at a piece of rope Monaco held up for him. Before my eyes, the rope unfurled, revealing it to be a rope ladder with twin metal hooks attached to the end of it. Staying as far away from the edge of the barracks' rooftop, he levitated the rope ladder up towards the top of the wall.

"I can only hope the distances were measured correctly. This will be very awkward if the ladder isn't long enough." Monaco scoffed. "I made sure to ask for the ladders to be at least fifty feet apiece. I'm more worried about someone losing their balance once we're on top of the wall."

"That's why I'm going first. Once I'm on top of the wall, I'll place the second ladder. We climb up to the walkway and get into one of the spires. From there, we sneak past a few guards and enter the Repository from one of the upper bridges. Hopefully that means we bypass everything the Repository had on the floors below."

The rope ladder zoomed up into the air, the hooks flickering as they moved away from the torchlight of the courtyard below. When they snagged onto the top of the wall, Kuro gave the ladder a firm yank to make sure it was secure. "Okay, once I get the next ladder up, make sure you come up one at a time. I'd rather not test how strong those hooks are. Oh, and make sure you get a cloak from Monaco."

"Cloak?" I asked. I flinched as my finely honed berserker instinct sensed something coming at me, only to have a cloth drape itself over my face. "Here, princess. It's the same color as the wall and extra long. Put the hood up and it should let you blend in with the scenery while we're climbing. Just try not to draw too much attention and we should be fine."

I wrapped the cloak around my body, fastening it at my neck and putting the hood over my head. Several extra clasps helped close it over my torso, and it had sleeves for my arms. By the time I had it on and was ready to go up the ladder, Kuro was near the top of the wall. He secured himself to the ladder with some extra rope, then used his staff to take his second ladder and carry it up to the bridgeway above. The bottom end of the rope, however, was slightly out of his reach.

How is he going to reach the rope? The way it's hooked onto the bridgeway, the bottom end is flapping around and maybe five feet out over open air. He'd had to guide the rope out and under the bridge to get it to where it needed to go. Even if the mage could jump out and grab the rope, he'd be facing away from the ledge he'd be climbing towards and on the wrong side of the ladder, with no foothold to secure himself.

He didn't jump. Instead, he waved down to us. Monaco smacked me on the shoulder. "You first, princess. Consider it proof of concept. You probably weigh the least of us." Off in the corner, Sheena pouted, mumbling to herself about how she doubted that. That woman. Like now is the time to worry about stupid crap like that. Although I'm not sure I like being lighter than everyone else.

It took me far less time to get to Kuro's height than he did. When I got to the top of the wall, I found him holding onto the pillar in a death grip and breathing hard. "Took you long enough," he growled at me. "Seriously. Take your time. I love it here. I lose my grip and the view will literally be to die for." There was a shakiness in his voice despite his sarcasm.

I got to the top of the ladder, but given he was now clinging to the pillar there was nowhere for me to go from there. "Don't tell me you're afraid of heights," I scoffed. He grumbled.

"Oh no, I got over that thanks to my childhood of learning how to ride dragons. Oh wait. That wasn't my childhood." He shivered probably as much from the cold air as his fear.

"Alright, I got it. Just tell me what to do." I said.

He pointed at the ladder now swinging out in the empty air. "You're gonna have to climb up, obviously."

"Kuro, I can't make that jump." Looking down, the ground suddenly seemed so much farther than before. No. Don't do that. Your brain did that the first time you flew on a dragon. It's your mind, your fear, playing tricks on you. I blinked, slowing my breathing, and the strange elongating sensation that made the courtyard below seem like it was twice the actual distance away ended. It was still farther away than I liked, though.

"Yes you can. And you're not going to jump. When I give you the signal, you're going to walk out to the ladder, turn around, and climb up the other side. Not until I'm ready, though."

My eyes widened. "Kuro, that's empty air. What am I supposed to be stepping on?!"

He rolled his eyes at me. "I'll make it so you can walk. You're just going to have to trust me, okay?" He held tight to his staff, his other arm wrapped around the pillar. "But the important thing is that you have to do this slow and steady. Step only when I tell you to. This is going to take supreme concentration on my end so only go when I'm ready to move you."

Despite his fear, there was also determination in his eyes. He understands fully what the consequences are if he fails. I think he hates this just as much as I do because he knows he's not the one taking the risk here. Nor is he the one who'll suffer the consequences. I got ready to take my first step out. "I'm ready when you are."

The ruby on the end of his staff began to glow with a light similar to a blue flame. "Go."

I closed my eyes and put my foot down onto nothing, but was surprised to find it found purchase. Opening my eyes, I saw my boot planted on pale blue fire, bracing me and pushing upward. "Take another step." He said behind me. Taking a deep breath, I let go of the ladder and put my other foot out into the void.

This time, with eyes open, I watched my foot step down onto a patch of blue fire that sprang out of nowhere to create a flat "surface" for it to land on. It was firm enough that it didn't dip or move when I put my weight on it. "Step!" Kuro called out to me. I took my back foot and moved forward, finding another blue fire ready to catch me.

We did this several times, and Kuro had to rearrange the footholds each time I stepped to get to the point where I could grab the ladder. "Make sure it's secure before you put your full weight on it." He said. I tugged on it a few times. "Okay, it's safe. I'm going to grab it."

"Let me know. I don't want to let go too quickly," he warned.

"I've got it. I think I'll be okay no-" one of the hooks at the top of the ladder slipped off its mooring. Now only held by one, the ladder swung violently, and I had only a second to realize what was happening and hold on for dear life.

My heart pounded in my chest as the rope ladder swung left and right, twisting and spinning me as I tried not to fall. Adrenaline flooded my body as my world spun around me, a blur of motion and fear strangling any cry in my throat. Somewhere on the edge of my mind I could hear Kuro screaming, and then blue fire filled my vision.

Immediately, the spinning stopped. Beneath me I felt buoyancy, like I was bobbing in water. A cradle of blue flame was lifting me gently, slowing my chaotic movement and pushing me gently back toward the wall. Kuro's face was drenched in sweat, his teeth clenched, his arm fully outstretched, the ruby on his staff pointed directly at me. "Climb! I can't hold you forever!"

Don't need to tell me twice! Hand over hand I pulled myself up the rope, scrambling up as fast as I could. When I got to the top I tumbled over the lip of the bridgeway and onto it, falling on my back. The flames dissipated as I did so, and I lay on the ground panting as I fought the urge to have a minor panic attack. Well, I'm definitely awake now.

Investigating what went wrong wasn't hard. The hook hadn't fully caught on the lip of the bridgeway; under normal circumstances, the curved metal heads would've dug in after landing, but this time the head had caught on a small cut in the stone. It was enough that a short pull wouldn't have dislodged it, but a full weight like a human body would've. Careless. But I'm alive and that's all that matters. Besides, it's not Kuro's fault. There's no way he could've seen this unless he got up here, and he can't fly.

It was fine, at least it was for about five seconds. My legs wobbled and I sank down, back against the wall, breathing hard. Why am I panicking? I've been up in the air hundreds of times. Why would this time be different? Taking in a deep breath, I willed myself to calm down. Worry about it later. For now, let's make sure nobody is around.

A simple look with my naked eye told me that there were no guards on the bridgeway, which was odd. Given how the spires at the end of the bridgeway were loaded with siege weapons, I expected several guards at least, but even after I craned my head out to look towards the spires I couldn't see any. That's incredibly suspicious. There's no way there aren't any guards up here.

To my surprise, there were not. I picked myself up and crept along the bridgeway in a half-crouch, to keep my upper body hidden from the sight of the soldiers below. I made it all the way to the spire and peeked my head in through the opening to the interior, and while I saw six ballistae and several racks of crossbows, there were no guards at all.

What in Mother Evros' name is going on right now?

I had enough time to pass through the spire to the other end and look towards the Repository tower when Monaco came over the edge of the bridgeway. She trotted up to me. "Hey, princess. Close call there, huh?" She still had that insufferably cocky grin on her face.

"That's all you have to say about me potentially falling almost fifty feet to the ground below and cracking my skull open?" I said disdainfully.

"Uh. I'm so glad you didn't?" She said to me with fake concern plastered on her face.

Gods, I hate this woman.

The two of us were looking at the door to the Repository tower, which loomed over us by at least five feet. The tall door was made of some kind of glossy metal and had a scene of some battle embossed on it, although I could make out two angels with their wings unfurled flying over the battle. The bottom half of the door was dominated by an image of a monster I couldn't properly describe, as it was just a giant blob with tentacles and teeth.

"That's ominous." I said. The monster in question was in the process of demolishing a city, buildings collapsing in flames around it.

"No kidding," Monaco said from next to me. She put her hand on the door. "I'm not seeing a lock or a keyhole here. I'm guessing it has to be magical. Once Kuro gets up here he can undo the enchantment on it and maybe we can get somewhere." The sound of her voice got quieter as she talked, and after a second I realized that it wasn't because she was lowering it.

Her voice was being drowned out by some kind of sound emanating from the door. It was like a low hum, like several people vocalizing together in some deep tone. It wasn't entirely unpleasant to listen to, but it also made my skin crawl for some reason. Instinctively, I felt my hand reach up and pull my maul off my shoulder. Before I knew it, the weapon was held out in front of me.

In the distance,or at least it sounded that way, Monaco's voice faded in and out of my perception. Instead, all I could fixate on was the sound of the door, and then the runes on my maul flashed. The arcane letters carved into them seemed to glow and buzz with a similar rhythm, and the more I listened to the sound the more it seemed like a song rather than some random noise. My eyes fluttered, my senses dulled, and then the two sounds overlapped.

In my trance-like state, the runes and door seemed to resonate with each other. I intuited rather than figured out what was going on. I can use the runes to open the door. If the door is sealed magically, then it means I can nullify the magic and then the door becomes a slab of metal. Simple as that.

Will gave intent to my thought, and intent became action. The runes flared, and the door fell silent. The droning noise ceased instantly, and the runes went quiet as well. When I opened my eyes, there was no longer any weird sound coming out of the door. I placed my hand on the cold, glossy metal and pushed.

There was no resistance. The door slid open without a sound, no grinding of metal on stone or the creaking of hinges. I didn't even need to keep my hand on it; without effort, it swung open until both Monaco and I could see into the Repository tower with no issue, and we were transfixed by what we saw.

A circular walkway with handrails made its way around the wall, all along the entire length of the tower. In the middle of the tower was a massive crystal, stretching up and down and filling the entirety of our vision. The crystal's length went from the ground below to nearly thirty feet above us, its glasslike surface refracting the light from the open door in a hypnotic pattern.

Perhaps a little too hypnotic. There was something about the way that the light sparkled, how it seemed to dance across the multi-faceted face of the crystal that enthralled me for a second. It's more beautiful than any gemstone I've ever seen. Flawless. I just want to reach out and touch it. Before I knew it, I had taken a step forward, into the doorway.

I collided with Monaco, who had taken her own step at the same time. The impact was enough to knock some sense into me, and I blinked as the residual hold the crystal had on me faded instantly. Monaco, however, had an eerily blissful look on her face, her eyes glazed over and her mouth hanging slightly open. Her lips were moving, almost as if she were trying to say something.

"Dad? I can hear you. It's me. It's little Mona. I'm here."

Oh no. Son of a bitch, it's a trap.

Moving on instinct I threw my arms open and wrapped them around Monaco's chest in a bear hug, pinning her arms to her sides and lifting her off the ground. I squeezed my eyes shut so I wouldn't accidentally look at the crystal again. "No, stop! It's affecting your mind! Don't listen to it, that's not your father!"

She didn't resist at first. She kept trying to walk forward, even though her feet were barely touching the walkway. "Dad, I'm coming! I just need to get your medicine. It'll just take a moment." Her voice sounded dull and had no inflection to it. Shit, she's falling further under its spell. If I don't do something she'll go completely cuckoo. Sorry Monaco, but it has to be done. I stepped back on my left leg and planted it, then drove the knee of my right leg as hard as I could into the small of her back.

Her reaction was immediate and sudden. Whereas before she had been docile, she turned feral instantly. She thrashed in my grip, teeth gnashing in her mouth. "No! Let me go! Dad needs me! Let me go, you bitch!" Where did all this strength come from? She's a skinny little thief and yet I can barely hold onto her! Despite her best efforts, I managed to keep her under control.

Then a pair of hands seized my shoulder and started pulling me back. "What's wrong with her?" Sheena's voice rang in my ear.

"The crystal! It did some weird magical shit to her and now she thinks she can hear her father's voice. Help me pull her away from it!" Together the two of us dragged the angry wolf beastwoman out of the tower, and as soon as we were clear of the door, Sheena slammed it shut. The moment she could no longer see the crystal, Monaco's body went limp. Then she whimpered.

"Ugh, what happened?"

Reluctantly, I loosened my grip. "I dunno. You saw the crystal, then started babbling about your father." She wiped sweat off her brow, licking her lips nervously.

"For a moment, I heard his voice. He sounded like he did when I left Margloom. I need to get his medicine…" She shook her head. "Right. It's not real. I'm hearing things."

Then she fixed her brown eyes on me. "Wait, how did you open the door?"

Sheena was still examining the door itself, and answered without turning around. "She used the nullification runes on her weapon. This door has some kind of magical lock on it. It can't be picked with physical tools. Although based on what I can see, opening it the way you did is what activated the trap inside."

Monaco swore under her breath. "So then the Repository has a momentum breaker set up. Gods be damned, I should've expected that."

"What's a momentum breaker?" I asked.

"It's a system of traps that works like a chain of dominos. Deactivating one trap just arms all the remaining traps in sequence. Which means by opening that door, every trap in the Repository is now ready to impede our attempt to get the Hand of the Usurper."

The three of us looked at the door, unsure of what to do. Tricks and subtlety were out the window now. The only way to solve this problem was to go straight through. Normally, that was the way I would've preferred things.

After what had happened to Monaco, suddenly I wasn't so sure.