Published at 21st of April 2026 6:39 am

Chapter 146: Smoke Sans Fire

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I drop my body back down so that only my fingers are visible, hanging onto the ledge and racing through thoughts. Not an Anar cultist. I just smelled blood and assumed it was related. I should leave and let them do their job that doesnt make any sense.

Certainly, I mistook the source of the blood smell, but the building was still under concealment Although, I suppose its possible that the effect isnt as exclusive to Anar as I thought. In fact, there are a number of trickery type deities that I would expect to have the spell associated with. Besides, how would that work? Just one Anar cultist among them, which the rest are happy to help hide?

Theres more than one, isnt there? I nearly bash my head into the wall in frustration at my stupidity, though stop myself, knowing those inside might hear. Why did I assume that there was only one killer? I knew there were seeming contradictions in the accounts, but just didnt piece together that they meant different killers with different knowledge levels of the section.

I suppose I just assumed there was one because Vithal assumed there was. But I knew she was wrong! That there was at least one other Anar cultist in the city. She was clearly motivated to assume that I was the only cultist in the area, so that when she catches me, all the woes of the world would be put right, or something. But I didnt have any such motivation. Why didnt I realize that if there were already two Anar cultists, then why not more?

Well, because Anar cultists are extremely rare. The odds of two independent cultists operating in the same area are already staggeringly low, so the odds of three independent So theyre not independent. Im not looking for lone killers but a cult.

Chance dancing leaves Okay, good news, this explains the dispersed disappearance pattern. Some of them arent victims, but initiates. The reason they couldnt be found isnt because they no longer have a body to find, but because theyre hiding away in a concealed building while performing anthropomantic counter divinations. The reason why theyre dispersed is that they werent all recruited by the same person, but by a network of people whose relations are naturally spread over a greater area.

This would no doubt be a great revelation if I were working with the guards who have the personnel and authority to question the relatives with the aim of figuring out who the recruiters are. Unfortunately, it doesnt really help me much.

The other good thing about this, though, is that it incidentally means my assumption that they would need a minimum-sized building to hide in has only been reinforced. Some cults to other reclusive gods will have their initiates remain in their community, which they use as a constant example of impure living via fiery rhetoric. But the Biblio recommends (only in the Patriarchs copy, obviously) to move all the initiates into a central lair to cement the othering of the outside world and facilitate a sense of non-initiates being non-people.

This has several benefits, including making it easier for the initiates to sacrifice the others, creating a sense of familial bonds within the cult and making it nearly impossible to betray the cult. Since, any betrayal requires there to be a person to whom the cult is being betrayed, which is impossible because only those in the cult are recognized as people.

All of this is overtly stated in the Biblio, rather than something I figured out for myself. A fact that only shows how effective it is that I needed it to be literally spelt out for me.

This revelation will no doubt be vital in finding the killers, but it doesnt help me decide what to do right now. I find it doubtful that a cult would include both beastkin and non-beastkin, since the vectors of recruitment would become complicated. I havent encountered many chimeric humans, in fact, only two, but they are known for being insular. Forming packs that, now that I think about it, likely operate rather like an Anar cult.

So, if a beastkin was the first one to acquire a copy of the Biblio, then they wouldnt recruit from outside the pack, and vice versa. So, these likely arent cultists. That is, of course, assuming that any of the missing people have been initiated, but thats an assumption Im willing to make as it helps explain other things.

So why is a beastkin building under concealment if they arent cultists? They may have contracts with another god who provided the effect. More likely is that while they arent in the cult, they are allies of it. That theyre providing a disposal service for it, as the girl in Vithals group suggested.

So, what am I hanging around for? Ive been suspended from this windowsill for minutes now. I may be under concealment with my clothes matching my surroundings, but beastkin are known for their high baseline senses. Eventually, theyll finish their meal, then look up and see my fingers. I need to decide now.

Why do I feel awkward? I suppose it would be embarrassing if they were completely unrelated, and I just burst in and disrupted them doing their job. I mean, theyre providing a service that I myself have used through the Mud Hares. But thats silly. Its not like theyd be the first people whose work Ive interrupted violently.

I suppose its decided then. Ill start with asking questions and see where it goes from there.

Of course, if things do go badly, it will be a tough fight. Beastkin typically have baseline abilities somewhere between a squire and a page. The only good thing is that their enhancements make it harder for them to become knights, but there are no such restrictions on being mages. Though I suppose I would have heard of a beastkin mage from Jack, given how unusual mages are in general in this place.

Of course, its not just that theyre stronger and faster than a mundane that makes them dangerous, but their sporadic biology. The term beastkin is actually inaccurate. As far as we know, the mage who first made them didnt use any animal parts when doing so. No, theyre much stranger than that.

Redundant and extra organs, glands that produce deadly toxins by different vectors, and a healing ability rivalled only by knights. They are notoriously hard to kill, with two hearts working in tandem. Each one is smaller than a normal humans, but they collectively move more blood. If one of them is damaged, they dont die but go into a sort of death trance until their regeneration restores it. Likewise with most other fatal wounds.

Though on the other hand, that means I can be a lot rougher without worrying about leaving someone alive to question.

Regardless, theyre not foes I can take lightly. I presently am sustaining my concealment and multi-guidance spells, but this isnt a fight that I want to go into without a shield. Theres a splitting headache as I try to sustain all three spells at once, but that instantly fades a moment later when I drop concealment and jump in through the window.

Hello there. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions? Really, itd be better to just start attacking, but that would be rude, and I dont know for certain theyre related. I do, however, target them with the multi-guidance, increasing the brightness to the point where they flinch away from the sudden flare, but not so much as to make seeing difficult.

They snarl and go through all the tedious pleasantries. Who are you? What do you want? Howd you get in here?, Do you want to die? The usual greetings.

Listen, I say, hand raised plaintively, smiling in my best imitation of Allan (though they cant see it through my face covering.) I dont want to start a fight. I just want to know about the concealment effect this building is under.

This, naturally, starts the fight. All five instantly go into a fighting crouch and run at me, claws ready at the side. I notice they have fangs and clas (not all beastkin do), though I cant tell if they have the venom glands. Otherwise, they seem mostly human and could likely pass for such with the right clothes. The only other obvious feature setting them apart is a more angular and longer lower jaw and cheek tissue that ends farther back in the face, allowing them coupled with an altered bone structure to open their mouths wide enough to wrap completely around limbs or throats, and with the jaw strength to crush bone.

Something I am intent on not letting them do.

My raised hand blurs into a throw of the knife hidden up my sleeve, the invisible blade catching the lead one in the throat and staggering them back. Theyll live, but it should at least trigger their death trance.

My other hand darts to my waist, where I keep my smoke catcher and twist the cap fully open, sending a plume of toxic smoke into the second ones face taking advantage of their sensitive noses to make them pause for a heartbeat then dodge back to give the smoke the few seconds needed to fill the room.

Despite the mixture of toxic smokes, there unfortunately isnt any airborne toxin potent enough to instantly disable those with supernatural vitality, but at the very least they shouldnt be finding it pleasant. Theyre likely feeling a burning in their lungs, throats and nostrils, and their hands are likely beginning to shake.

I say likely, as I certainly dont know from personal experience. After all, the filtration effect on my face covering keeps me well safe from my own smoke.

They are, of course, still coming after me, and I dodge out of the way a moment later as I hear their footsteps barrelling towards me. Though I do use the brief instant of surprise to close the window. It wouldnt do for people on the outside to see a column of smoke, after all. Some will still seep out, but I should finish this by the time that becomes a problem. Besides, its not like anyone will notice a few wisps with the entire building under concealment.

Unfortunately, in the same way that I dont need sight to sense them coming, they dont need sight to sense me going. Still, I do have two major advantages. First, my boots are enchanted to be quieter, not to mention that Im smaller and therefore would make less noise anyways. Second, Im still getting input from my guidance spell.

Unfortunately, the spell doesnt let me just know where they are and what theyre doing. All it does is adjust my body when Im in the act of shooting or throwing. Still, as it turns out, that is more than enough. I just need to dodge far enough away, then throw my many knives and daggers at them.

I drop two more of them with precise throws, but only get flesh wounds on the remaining two. They are, after all, moving about erratically in a confined space. One corners me, and theres a bright blue flash as I feel my shield nearly shatter from a claw swipe. I swing my sword blindly and feel a strong contact and a spray of blood, followed by a howl of pain.

I dont know how good a hit I got, but it gives me room to leap away to one of the downed foes still glowing from guidance and retrieve the dagger in them, which I promptly throw into the final ones throat. A moment later, I hear a thump from the sworded one as they fall to the ground.

Not wanting to waste the smoke, I twist the lid on the smoke catcher to the opposite extreme, clearing the room with a slight whoosh. Hopefully, I didnt lose more than ten percent of my supply. I look down, listening for heartbeats and breathing, but hear none. Which is expected from a death trance, though it does make it hard to know if I overdid it. Well, at least they wont be getting up any time soon.

I stab each of them once, just to make sure. As I do, I note that the sworded ones arm is hanging by a thread, in addition to a deep gash on their torso. Sighing, I hold the arm in place and cast the healing spell. I dont know if their healing will allow keeping the use of it, but no reason not to. I do still stab them again, though.

Hopefully, itll take at least an hour for them to regain consciousness, but I dont know, and I intend to leave well before then. I do a quick divination to see if theres anyone else in the building, but find nothing (the concealment shouldnt interfere while Im inside of it), then I assess which one I think I should question.

I end up just choosing the biggest and most bestial, with the reasoning that their traits seem least diluted by mating with the general mundane population. I dont even know if chimeric purity has any influence on social status in beastkin communities, but its as good a criterion as any. Besides, theyre also the best dressed of the group, though not by much.

Still not underestimating anything, I take off all of their belts and tie the selected ones hands and legs. I also pull the rests pants down to their ankles. Just enough of an impedance to make some noise when they try to get up.

Once Im ready, I remove my knife from his throat and cast the healing spell. He doesnt get up, though, so it seems that the death trance lacks an assessment mechanism, rather operating on a sort of timer. Which is good to know, though inconvenient for questioning.

I suppose I could try the standard waking methods. I cast gather water, making it as cold as I can (by which I mean just above freezing), then dump an orb the size of his head onto it.

He sputters briefly into consciousness, but quickly fades back, though manages to stay awake when I do it again. He still seems rather groggy, managing only to stare menacingly at me.

Now, I say with a smile that he still cant see, lets go back to where you rudely interrupted me. Tell me about the concealment on this building.

Why should I? He gasps, barely hanging on. The death trance likely isnt as simple as mere sleep, but a reduction of vital processes throughout the body. Likely, the only reason he woke at all is because the water triggered a drowning reflex, rather than the stimulus being near freezing.

Well, I say, glancing down at the sword I am of course holding to his throat, because the whole section is panicking about an Anar cultist, and concealment is associated with him. Your people are already ostracised. Imagine how much worse it will be if they hear that one of your pack is a cultist.

You dont know anything, he says, panic raising him slowly towards consciousness.

I know enough to talk, and will unless you tell me enough to convince me not to, I lie.

He goes silent again, though from his eyes darting around the room, I would guess his consciousness is building. Are they alive? he gasps out, looking at the others on the ground.

I shrug. I dont know the limits of your healing powers, but I didnt intentionally whelm it.

He nods and moves to speak, but coughs as he does. My throat your smoke burned

I nod and gather more water, though warmer than the last, which I place to his mouth to drink. The burning was from an irritant in it, not from heat. Washing it down should quickly improve it.

He nods, drinks, then speaks. We dont know about Anar, but someone did what youre talking about as payment for our services. He said this would be a place of safety for us. I guess he was wrong.

Or using them as a distraction. Where can I find this person?

Dont know. He brings the bodies to us.

How many and for how long?

Four, no five. He stopped a few months ago. Though he came back and took half the pack with him for a job. Dont know where.

You arent concerned that he may have sacrificed them, knowing now that hes an Anar cultist?

I dont know anything. Just your words. Hes been good to us. I trust him. I wouldnt give him up even if I could. Besides, Ive seen a few of them since, and they seemed fine.

Where did you see them?

Just around. Said they were back for family business. Wouldnt ay where they went.

I sigh in frustration, asking several more questions, but getting nothing good. All I know is that the cultists, or one of them, has been here before. Ill put eyes on the place, just in case someone shows up, but Im not getting anything more, though maybe Im just too tired to think of what to ask.

Look, he finally says, growing more hostile as he nears full consciousness, are you going to kill me, or just talk me to death?

I consider his question carefully. Letting him live might send the killer into hiding, but it might also cause them to panic and make a bad move. Besides is there a good reason to kill him? I wont sacrifice him. After all, I did promise Allan to be better, and its not like Id get anything good, otherwise the cult would have beaten me to it.

Just stay around, okay? I may have more questions, and I dont want to hunt you down.

Youre a bit short to be talking like a guard.

I roll my eyes at the comment and jump out the window.

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