The Jackal's Song
Chapter 11: Draconic Mysteries

Senu had no trouble on the way home, and the next few days were relatively uneventful. He earned more gold, and though his muscles were sore and he was growing tired of always wearing his armored vest, he found the work somewhat satisfying. He'd even taken to telling stories, jokes, and singing songs around the warehouse when things were slow. He felt like he'd made some friends thanks to the incident with the snakes.

Despite the good feelings at work, however, Senu couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered as he walked home early most mornings. He'd been avoiding the Royal Stag ever since that awful night he'd lost his job. However, the large building was located on one of the largest, most well-lit intersections in the city, and directly on a path to his apartment. After the incident with the bear, he feared to venture into the darker alleys and side streets at this time of night. Plus, the occasional song or peal of laughter from inside was often a comfort, even this late at night. So, he came to accept that he couldn't avoid it. One night, as he walked past, he was startled to hear hushed voices echoing down an alley near the Stag.

Recognizing the flamboyant accent of Andrus and the gravelly aristocratic tones of Count Alaric, he paused, ears perked more out of curiosity than anything else. Even holding his breath, he couldn't quite make out any of their words despite his best efforts. Curious and a bit concerned, he tried to get closer without either of the others noticing his intrusion. He moved so slowly he thought he might miss the entire confrontation, but he did manage to catch a few choice words.

"...manuscripts are too valuable... no, we can't...."

Biting his lip, he tried to move closer, but the heated argument suddenly escalated into a physical confrontation. From his position behind a stack of empty barrels, he couldn't tell who had thrown the first punch, but Andrus seemed to be on the defensive, while Alaric's movements were precise and confident. The fight was intense, with Andrus growling in frustration as he tried to lash out with quick slashes of his rapier and the occasional flash of draconic magic. Alaric, skillfully dodged most of the attacks, and though he wielded only a dagger, he soon moved in close and delivered a series of impressive counterattacks that cut down the length of each of Andrus's arms.

The alley was narrow, and the flickering light of a nearby lantern made it difficult to see fine details. Andrus's copper scales reflected the dim light, and he moved with the grace and agility Senu had been so jealous of just a few days ago. They were speaking more loudly now, still arguing even as they tried to strike at each other.

"You've gone too far, dragon."

"Too far? I've been doing my job!"

"I hired you to gather information, not to steal from me."

"Bastard, I didn't steal anything. These are my ancestors' writings!"

Alaric snarled. "I paid for it. I will have it." The older wolf suddenly moved with such speed that it could only have been aided by magic. Despite the difference in size, the wolf had Andrus pinned against the wall in less than a heartbeat, his glittering sword clattering uselessly to the hard stones.

"Now, I am only going to say this once. Remember your place, Andrus. You are useful to me, but only so long as you know your limits."

Andrus's expression was one of rage and confusion, and though his tail lashed and his wings fluttered, he didn't struggle against the wolf's hold.

"I have been nothing but loyal to you, Alaric," the dragon said through strained, partially restricted vocal cords. "I was studying them to see if I could learn where the others were. I wasn't trying to steal the manuscript, I swear it."

Alaric narrowed his eyes. "Where is it?"

"In my room at the Stag. I planned to return them in the morning."

Alaric growled and tightened his grip on the dragon's neck. "You had better not be lying, dragon."

Andrus struggled against his captor. "I swear! By the Ancestors, I swear it."

Senu considered interfering directly, but if this wolf had defeated the dragon, he doubted he'd be able to do anything to threaten him. So he held his breath and watched. He then used a small burst of illusion magic to make it sound as if his lyre was playing on the other side of the alley, where the light was darkest.

Alaric was so surprised that he loosened his grip and stepped back, glancing around, and Andrus took the opportunity to break free. He stayed where he was though, massaging his neck while trying to catch his breath.

"Who's there?" Alaric said in his raspy voice. "Show yourself."

The music continued, and Andrus looked around, confused. "It sounds like someone is playing a lyre. I don't see anyone."

"Illusion. Clever, dragon. But you forget that I have the ears of a wolf. I can tell the sound is fake."

Andrus looked confused. "Illusion? It's not mine..."

Suddenly he stood up straight and looked back down the alley. Senu hunched down lower, and if Andrus had noticed him, he gave no indication. "We should leave, my lord. My room is warded against eavesdroppers."

"Hmm. Good idea." The wolf glared into the darkness. "We can continue this conversation there."

As the two men left the alley, the sounds of the phantom lyre stopped, and the only thing Senu could hear was his own thudding heartbeat.

***

Senu slept fitfully that night as his mind kept racing back to what he'd witnessed between Alaric and Andrus. He couldn't help but wonder if there was some connection between this "manuscript" and some of the other strange things that had happened over the last week, particularly with the cultists that had attacked him at the fortress.

When he awoke the next morning, still somewhat groggy, he decided to take the day off from the warehouse and spend some time in the city's public archives and library, hoping he might be able to satisfy his curiosity and learn more about what the pair were up to. He had a small breakfast (although it was nearly noon by the time he woke) of boiled oats, dried fruit, and molasses, then gathered his things and headed out.

Armor and weapons weren't permitted in the archive, so though he felt somewhat vulnerable without them after wearing them so much over the last week, he left them behind. He did bring his lyre, however, which he would be able to use as an Arcane focus, should the need arise.

The city's archives were located within the castle grounds, nestled amongst the administrative buildings that housed the city guard and the bureaucrats who kept Shimmer Bay running smoothly. The building itself was a curious mix of ancient architecture, with large stone columns and high vaulted ceilings, and the newer wooden structures that had been added to accommodate the ever-growing collection of records and documents. It was a busy place, with people coming and going throughout the day, but Senu found an unoccupied table near the back and settled in for the day.

It took several hours of browsing before he finally came across a section near a cobweb-filled alcove that seemed to be almost entirely focused on Draconic magic. Much of these were written in old draconic runes he couldn't begin to translate, but he did find some hand-written notes in the margins of one book that led him to several history tomes, and finally, some answers.

It soon became clear that the "manuscripts" Alaric and Andrus had been arguing about were likely ancient draconic spell scrolls originating from the Ancestral Homeland of the dragons. These scrolls were extremely rare, to the point of many believing they did not exist until very recently when a few began to be discovered in the Dungeon.

Each one known to have been discovered so far had been quickly purchased for obscene sums through known proxies of the few surviving Great Wyrms, suggesting they were closely guarded by the eldest and most powerful of dragons now living in the Beast World.

In his research, Senu learned that these scrolls contained extremely powerful offensive magical spells—the kind that one could use to destroy entire cities. However, non-draconic users attempting to activate the scrolls faced substantial risk. Mishandling it in any way would result in catastrophic blowback, potentially turning the spell back on its user or unleashing all manner of Arcane side effects. Scholars had debated about what these might be, but the most common consensus was that the raw magics involved might explode or misfire in devastating ways.

Interestingly, some scholars believed that this risk could be mitigated by the presence of draconic blood from multiple lineages. With all of them present, the magic might even be able to be stabilized by anyone.

Sometime just before sunset, a keeper approached Senu with a regretful smile to inform him that the archives would be closing soon. Senu thanked her and began packing up his belongings. He made a "suggested donation" to the archive of one gold piece, then left back into the balmy evening.

He was mentally exhausted from the research, but his thoughts were still swimming with unanswered questions. What would a wolf like Count Alaric want with such a powerful magical scroll? Who would he want to use it on? The Beast World had known relative peace since the end of the Invader War, and though there were always conflicts, mass destruction seemed unnecessary for any conflict of that scale.

He resolved to learn more about this supposed courtier. If Alaric had access to even one of these manuscripts, he might be one of the most dangerous people in the world.