Once the guards were out of sight, Ray let out a sigh of relief. He didn’t bother looking back. Now that they were in the tower, he could see the mages walking around with their research papers. From what the Ranger had stated, they needed to get a certain level of clearance to make it to the upper levels.

  “Now that we’re this far, how are we going to move to get access to the other floors?” Ray asked quietly.

  “Just follow my lead,” Tucker mumbled. “We’re just here as builders trying to finish a job.”

  Ray fought his inner demons while listening to Tucker. On one hand, he wanted to scream and shout, but his sense of duty held every fiber of his being back. To say he wasn’t scared would be a lie. This was the first time he had ever done a proper espionage mission without conflict.

  They calmly walked through the lobby until finally reaching their next checkpoint. The reception desk of the Emerald Tower. Tucker approached the wide, smooth garnet table where the receptionists were and offered a polite smile. Just enough to catch the attention of the brown-haired receptionist sitting behind it.

  She looked up from her stacks of paper and put down the pen in her tanned palms, rising from her seat as her amber eyes met Tucker’s.

  “Welcome to the Emerald Tower of Gravecourt,” she said politely. “How can I help you?”

  “Hey there, we’re builders from the guild. We received a commission that there was a water leak of sorts on the upper floors,” Tucker replied, pulling on his vest so she could see his identification badge. “Could you tell us what floor we need to go to?”

  She tilted her head in confusion. “I… don’t believe we have anyone scheduled to come in today.”

  Tucker stared at her before noticing the nameplate on the left side of her chest. “Sam… is it? Would it be alright if I pulled out the work order we got from the guild?”

  “Of course, by all means,” Sam said.

  Tucker glanced over at Ray and tilted his head at the ladder. “Do you mind?”

  “Ah right, let me get that for you,” Ray said, moving to the center of the ladder.

  Tucker released the ladder and reached into his leather pouch before pulling out a closed piece of paper. He unfolded the work order they had crafted and laid it on the table. “This is what we’re here for, but we were told to ask the front desk for the finer details.”

  “Hm… everything seems in order, but I honestly don’t know which floor it would be on.” Sam read through the details several times, brushing the ink with her thumb. “Whoever submitted this order must have forgotten to include the floor. You would have to walk the halls and see if there’s any water damage.”

  “Do you know where we could start?” Tucker asked.

  “You would need an ID card to access the seventh floor and above,” Sam replied. “But we’re short on staff with all the mages sent to the front lines.”

  Tucker glanced at the other receptionists. “Could one of you escort us as we find the leak?”

  Yet none of them seemed interested except for Sam.

  “I can help you, but how long will it take?” Sam asked.

  Tucker fell silent with a troubled look. “I’m not exactly sure, to be honest. If it’s a minor leak and we find it quickly, then it shouldn’t be too long.”

  “It’s ok, let’s see if we can find it first,” she replied with a smile.

  Sam grabbed the metal ring from under the table. A series of gold plates jingled, and at a glance, Tucker could see inscriptions marking each floor. He picked up the ladder and glanced back at Ray. Now they just needed to reach the top without raising any suspicion.

  The first few floors went as expected with little to no conversation and a silence as the trio walked through the grand corridors. The layout was typically the same on each floor, with an emerald carpet going down the center of the halls and potted plants on each side of a doorway. Occasionally there would be an artwork of sorts, either a painting or sculpture, to add a variety of class and color to the stark white walls.

  Yet once they reached the fifth level and were about to ascend to the next level, Tucker stopped in place, causing Ray’s body to jerk forward.

  “Hey man! You can’t just suddenly stop like that!” Ray said in an annoyed tone.

  “Ah, sorry. This painting just caught my attention.” Tucker stood in front of a beautiful portrait of someone he had never seen before. He was a man with a sturdy frame, with broad shoulders and emerald hair that reached the center of his chest. His emerald eyes met Tucker’s.

  He had memorized all the faces of renowned mages and instantly recognized the man before him.

  “That’s our Tower Master, Thomas Victor Redfield,” Sam said with a torn look in her eyes. “You know, I actually had the opportunity to meet him in person.”

  “What was he like?” Tucker asked.

  Sam stood there facing the portrait with a faint smile. “He was kind. Far too kind for anyone to believe.”

  Ray scoffed in response once he heard this. Just quiet enough for Sam not to hear.

  “That’s amazing…” Tucker said. “We’re quite lucky to have him serving the Empire.”

  “Serving the Empire?” Sam repeated. “What do you mean?”

  “Huh?” Tucker raised a brow at her sharp words. He hid his confusion and quickly examined her. Sam’s nostrils were slightly flaring as her torso shifted towards him. “Was it something I said? I thought all Tower Masters took an oath to swear allegiance to the Emperor.”

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “That’s what you mean!” Sam smiled. “That’s right, not to brag, but ours was one of the first to do so in the new generation of Tower Masters.”

  “That sounds like a brag though,” Ray muttered.

  “Sorry, what was that?” Sam tilted slightly to the side, staring at Ray. “I couldn’t hear you from back there.”

  “Nothing, ma’am,” he replied quickly. “I’m just a bit frustrated we haven’t found the leak yet.”

  “Are you two in a rush?” she asked.

  “We’re a bit on a time crunch,” Tucker answered. “Paul’s been overworking himself lately.”

  “Oh, that’s not good.” Sam held out a hand and pointed at him. “You need to make sure you get proper rest or else you’ll burn yourself out.”

  “Easier said than done,” Ray replied. “I’m just trying to make as much money as possible before I get drafted. You wouldn’t understand. I have those I hold dear to take care of.”

  “Come on, you can’t take it out on her.” Tucker forced a smile and stared at Sam. “Don’t take it to heart; it’s been a rough couple of days, so let’s just try to get this done.”

  “No, it’s alright. I get that,” Sam replied. “In this job, I’m used to people getting upset with me, so let’s just see if we can find the leak on the upper floors.”

  Together, they checked each floor, scanning for any signs of leaks and fixing the few minor issues they found. It wasn’t anything too complex, just faucets with slight drips. But not a single issue that would require a work order to be issued to the guild.

  Tucker put his hand on his chin while falling deep into thought. “That’s odd,” he muttered. “There isn’t anything so far that would need us to come out.”

  “Yeah… it doesn’t make sense. Why were we told to bring this ladder as well?” Ray asked, looking at Sam.

  She shrugged her shoulders. “You guys are the experts here, not me.”

  “I know, but my arm is getting so sore carrying this up twenty flights of stairs!” Ray cried out. “We could have just left this in the lobby and it wouldn’t have made the slightest difference!”

  Tucker chuckled. “You think that’s bad? We also have to bring this back down.”

  “Oh, fuck me.” Ray laughed dryly. “Sam, is this the last floor?”

  She shook her head. “The only floor above this one is a single room reserved for Elder Pyron.”

  Both of the Watchmen kept their composure while hearing the name. They faked their expressions and continued to grip the ladder in their hands. Hidden in the wooden frame were their swords, and now they were just one floor away from their target.

  Tucker remained calm at the pleasant news. The Candlewick Demon was right, and their blasphemous act had paid off in the end. Somehow they had won the fifty-fifty gamble, and Pyron was only one stone floor away from his grasp. There was nowhere for the bastard to run.

  They just needed to act out their last part.

  “But do we really need to go up there?” Ray asked. “I can’t imagine that the leak would be there.”

  “Well, it’s possible,” Sam replied. “There is a fountain up there.”

  Ray’s jaw dropped. “What?”

  Sam chuckled softly. “We get that reaction a lot, but there is indeed a fountain in the Elder’s office.”

  “Is this a concept I’m too poor to understand?” Ray asked.

  “It’s more of a miracle that there hasn’t been a leak,” Tucker replied in disbelief. “How long has this fountain been here?”

  “Months at least, maybe a year?” Sam guided them to the last floor. “It wouldn’t hurt to see. The Elder hasn’t been here for weeks now.”

  This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

  Tucker thought to himself, but before he could say a thing. A voice drew his attention.

  “What?” Ray’s voice cut through the air in sheer disbelief. “He hasn’t been here for weeks?”

  “Yes?” Sam blinked several times. “Why? Does that seem weird to you?”

  Tucker quickly chimed in. “It does, because that means this leak has been around for a while now. Usually one of us would have investigated the issue, or else there would be major structural issues.”

  Ray nodded. “Has the water been shut-off?”

  “I… I don’t know,” Sam answered. “I honestly have never had any experience with this type of stuff.”

  “We should check it out just to be safe,” Tucker said. “We’re here to finish a job, so let’s get it done.”

  “Agreed.” Ray nodded.

  “Alright, let me guide you in,” Sam said.

  Tucker stared at Sam’s back as she led the way up the marble staircase lined with the emerald carpet. He glanced back at Ray, watching his comrade mimic the word sorry with his lips. It was a slipup but an understandable one. The fact that Pyron hadn’t been here for weeks made no sense at all. How could that snake of a villain elude them once more?

  “This should be it,” she said, pushing the wooden door open. “As you can see, the fountain is just in the center of the room.”

  They scanned the interior of the office. From the simple wooden desk at the end, and birch bookshelves spread out throughout the white walls. There wasn’t anything extraordinary about the mildly warm room. Only a few glass windows lined the left and right sides of the walls, but none were behind the desk. The only object that really drew their attention was the delicately carved fountain of a dragon staring at the ceiling with its wings spread out.

  “It seems like the water has been drained.” Tucker glanced at the empty basin. “Is the shut-off valve beneath the carpet?”

  Sam’s cheeks slightly turned red. “I’m really sorry, but I have no clue.”

  “No worries, it’s our job to take a check, so I’ll give it a sweep before we call it a day,” Tucker said. “Is there anything I should be worried about? Like a fireball striking me if I get too close?”

  She smiled softly. “Of course not! You’re guests here to help us fix this issue. Besides, I used the access key to enter this floor, so any traps should be disabled.”

  “Traps?” Ray lowered the ladder. “I don’t want to step anywhere in this godforsaken room.”

  “Oh, quit being a baby.” Tucker propped the ladder against the wall and sighed, seeing Ray not move a muscle. He walked on the smooth stone tiles. “Fine, but you owe me for this.”

  Tucker angrily grumbled to himself while doing a quick sweep of the fountain. Seeing his comrade at work, Ray nervously stood beside Sam.

  “Aren’t you going to help him?” She asked, wiping the small trickle of sweat with her hand.

  “I will, but…” Ray struggled to get the words out. He looked away from her and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small pink handkerchief from the sealed bag hidden in his trousers. “I’m sorry…” he muttered.

  Sam stared at him in bewilderment before recalling the earlier incident. Her lips slowly lifted. “Could it be you feel bad about before?” she teased.

  Ray clicked his tongue while holding out the cloth. “Are you going to take it or just have me hold out my arm like an idiot?”

  She exhaled slowly before accepting it and wiping the sweat off her face. “Thanks, I appreciate it. It’s usually not… this… hot—”

  “Sam!” Ray shouted.

  Before she could finish her sentence, Sam’s body fell back as the strength in her legs gave out. Ray lunged forward, barely catching in the nick of time as her arm was mere inches from the floor. He held onto her body and quickly shook her shoulders.

  “Hey—hey!” Ray shouted once more.

  Yet there was no response. He held two fingers before her nose to check for breathing by tilting her head slightly back. There was a pulse and air gently escaping her body.

  “She’s out,” Ray said.

  “Good,” Tucker replied. “It seems there is a bit of a leak in the fountain, but that’s mainly because the flexible hose connecting to the pipe has cracked.”

  “That means we have an actual alibi for when she wakes up.”

  Ray carried her like a princess towards the entrance and gently set her aside before shutting the office doors. He retracted the fire essence radiating off his body and locked the doors.

  Since fire contractors could emit a small wave of heat, Ray made Sam sweat and then offered the cloth mixed with anesthetics. The substance the Ranger prepared would take seconds to work, and all they had to do was create that one window of opportunity to begin their plan.

  “How long do we have before the effect on the cloth wears off?” Ray asked.

  “Thirty minutes,” Tucker said, pulling out the silver pocket watch with the Hearthfire Knight’s insignia. “Well done with your acting. I knew you had it in you.”

  “Let’s just hope I never have to do this shit again,” Ray replied. He walked over to the desk Tucker had moved to. “So what do we do now? Pyron isn’t here.”

  “Now.” Tucker smiled. “We look for clues.”