In total eleven people had died in the fight between the Copper Prince and the City Guards. Renee, Koralyn, the Copper Prince himself, and eight more of his subordinates. The Guards themselves had endured a number of injuries that had needed attention but suffered no loss of life.

When Aiden finished tending to Renee's body he placed her in a bath of holy water. Then he moved back to the pile of bodies and worked his way through them one at a time. The crime boss had ended up at the bottom of the pile, either by coincidence or as a symbol that the corpses atop him were his fault. Aiden placed the Copper Prince onto the table. His face was unrecognizable after what the Pain Bearer had done to him. The man in gray pulled out the silver dagger and ran it along the corpse's arm the fingers twitched. That wasn't a good sign.

The only life forces in the room that Aiden could detect came from his Familiar and himself. Vagrant technically wasn't a living being as he was a spirit creature from the Ethereal Plane. But Aiden could still detect his spiritual essence which was very similar to a life force.

The Corpse Hunter set the knife down and activated his Soul Barrier ability. A dull green light filled the garage as the body jolted up into a sitting position before falling back down. Aiden looked to Vagrant while wiping the blood from his nose and the bird met his gaze.

Too little time had passed for the Copper Prince's body to succumb to any undead corruption on its own. Which meant that he had to have been exposed to something prior to his death. As Aiden looked back to the body he saw a thick black liquid dripping out of the crime boss's nose. Or more accurately, out of the hole where his nose had been before Koralyn had smashed it to bits.

Grabbing an empty vial Aiden collected the dark colored goo. It looked like tar and had the consistency of tree sap. When he held the liquid up to a nearby candle to see it better the substance immediately began to bubble.

"Strange," he said to Vagrant who squawked in agreement.

It wasn't like anything he'd come across before so he put a cork in the bottle and placed it on his shelf. That was something worth looking into later on. Then he picked up the body and placed it in a tub of holy water.

When the Corpse Hunter finished tending to the bodies he took the bottle that Landon had left and walked into the greenhouse. Vagrant followed after him, walking rather than flying. One of his wings had been broken when the Pain Bearer had ripped him off her head and threw him into the ground.

Aiden wanted to resummon the bird into a new healthy body but he was drained from tending to the dead. Instead he picked the bird up and placed it on the armrest of their favorite chair before sitting down beside his feathered friend. The man in gray looked up at the false stars in the illusionary night sky as he drank straight from the bottle before offering it to Vagrant. The vulture drank heartily.

***

Rudy was more than happy to cooperate with the City Guard to avoid the repercussions of his boss's actions. Murdering Ascenders while they tried to reach the top of the Dungeon was the highest form of heresy one could commit. Even if the Copper Prince had surrendered he would have been executed for his crimes.

While technically an accessory to the murders, Rudy's compliance had guaranteed his safety. With his Mental Abacus Fate he knew precisely where to find the poison used to mimic Soul Fatigue. Naturally the Council of Plinth seized it and had the poison destroyed.

Poisons in general were a useful tool for clearing levels in the Dungeon. Quite a few Ascenders liked to coat their weapons and projectiles with it prior to fighting monsters. Therefore neither the Council nor the Ascension Academy had prohibited their use, possession, or creation. However it was agreed by all that an untraceable poison that was being used to assassinate Ascenders was grounds for a city wide prohibition regarding that particular formula.

Elder Councilman Donovan was quick to praise the City Guards for eliminating the Copper Prince and uncovering his crimes. Which was ironic considering they had been aware of his presence and rising criminal enterprise for years. Only when it came to light that he'd been behind the murders had anyone cared what he was up to.

While the Corpse Hunter wasn't publicly credited with taking down the Prince, rumors had spread of his involvement. Of course most assumed that meant he'd been called in to properly dispose of the bodies, which was true. Only those present at the time were aware of what Aiden had contributed. Not that he cared. He was a boogeyman to the other Column Dwellers and no amount of credit or praise would change their minds as far as he could see it.

Aiden watched the crowd from the shadows of a nearby alleyway. As the Councilman gave his speech the man in gray crossed his arms and leaned up against a building.

"The Council of Plinth can trace its lineage back to the very foundation of the city for which it was named. It was created to protect and care for the people of this Column and that has remained the Council's highest priority through to this day. This can be seen in the efforts of the City Guard who act on behalf of myself and the other Council Members to keep our streets safe and our people in good health."

He paused to allow the crowd an opportunity to applaud the city's history. A modest round clapping came from the spectators.

"One man in particular has shown us all what it truly means to be a Protectorate, as a Fate Holder and sworn guardian of each and everyone of us. Captain Landon of the Seventh District, while investigating the recent murders in the Dungeon, tracked a suspect to the city's underground reservoir."

Aiden rolled his eyes as he listened to the exaggerated retelling of recent events.

"With the aid of his subordinate and six Guards of the Ninth District he descended into the basement," Councilman Donovan continued.

"Together these eight brave souls faced off against a criminal organization that outnumbered them four to one. After a lengthy battle against a slew of powerful villainous Fate Holders, our heroes were victorious. Now I would like you all to help me welcome the fine men and women whose heroism and courage has brought safety and stability back into our lives."

A stronger round of applause came from the crowd as the Guards walked out in front of Councilman Donovan. One by one each of them were given a medal as well as a promotion in rank. Aiden shook his head as he watched.

Every politician had a way of turning a tragedy into a public spectacle. He was content now more than ever to literally be standing in the shadows. Better to be lonely than paraded around like a prized show horse in front of a group of gullible idiots.

Vagrant squawked with displeasure atop Aiden's shoulder.

"Agreed," the man in gray replied. "Fools the lot of them."

The bird's injuries were gone. He'd been resummoned in the greenhouse shortly after the Corpse Hunter woke up from his hangover. Not caring to stick around for the rest of the award ceremony the vulture flew off. Aiden followed suit not long after, on foot of course.

Turning down another side street the Corpse Hunter made his way south. Eventually he came to a signpost that read, "Ascension Alley," which was actually a main street despite its name. Whoever had given the road its title obviously cared more about alliteration than accuracy.

As Aiden stepped through the door of a shop he was immediately greeted by the owner.

"Corpse Hunter, it has been some time," said an older man in sixties.

He was sitting at a table with his back to the door working on something. Aiden never liked the man's uncanny ability to always know who was walking through the door.

"How was the Councilman's speech?" the man asked, not bothering to turn around.

"You didn't miss out on much," the man in gray replied.

"Oh I was listening while I worked, that's why I left the door open. I was just curious what you thought of it."

"Right you're a Hearkener," Aiden said, not bothering to give his opinion on the ceremony.

With his Fate the shopkeeper could probably hear the speech if it were clear on the other side of town.

"Indeed I am. That's how I always know when you're about to come strolling into my shop."

"You can tell people apart by their stride?"

"Yes, you more easily than the rest."

"And why is that?"

"You're the only one who never makes a sound when he walks in. Is that part of your Fate so you can sneak up on the bodies before they have a chance to run away? Reginald was the same way now that I think about it."

"If that was a joke I'm not amused."

The old man let out a chuckle as he turned to face the Corpse Hunter. He had short blonde hair and well trimmed goatee that accented his smile.

"You know you may be Reginald's protege but you certainly didn't inherit his sense of humor."

"We weren't related so there wasn't much to inherit."

"Well you certainly look like him. Dress like him too. Is that his outfit? Good to see that my stitching was top notch even back then."

"Yes, I had to...borrow it. That's why I'm here, Husk."

The man's frame was rather gaunt and even Aiden couldn't help but admit how well the name fit him. He wondered if the shopkeeper came from a long line of thin men and women.

"You know you can call me Damian, Reginald always did. So your overcoat was destroyed and you need a replacement. Tsk, tsk. Your predecessor took better care of his things."

"I'm not Reginald," Aiden reminded the shopkeeper.

"No, if you were you wouldn't be wearing someone else's clothes. So how did you ruin the outfit that I so painstakingly crafted just for you?" the older man asked.

"I was blown up."

"Blown up? Is that all?"

"Twice."

"Well that's better, regarding the quality of my wards, not your health of course. I'd be ashamed if a single blast was enough to render them inert."

"Could we move this along?" the Corpse Hunter asked.

"Hmm? Oh yes, forgive me. Reginald enjoyed chatting almost as I did and..."

"How much?" Aiden asked, cutting the man off.

"Well, assuming your size hasn't changed, the same as before," Mr. Husk said.

"Good to know," the man in gray replied as he headed for the door.

"Are you so short on money that you didn't bring any with you?"

"Business expenses have caught up to me."

"You mean liquor expenses? I could smell it on your breath when you walked in. Not that I'm judging, Reginald had his vices too. You know I could offer you a discount in exchange for a favor."

"Like what?"

Aiden turned around in the doorway to look back at the Hearkener.

"I have a backlog of equipment that needs enchanting that I've lacked the raw materials to work on. If you could find the ingredients for me I'd be willing to reduce the cost of your new overcoat equal to the value of each item you retrieve. If you manage to find all of them it should cover the cost entirely. Might you be interested?"

"That depends on what you need," Aiden said as he leaned on the doorframe.

"Oh nothing too exotic. A pair of Minotaur horns, half a dozen harpy feathers, and some troll teeth to name a few."

"You know I hate running errands."

"Errands? Please, think of yourself as a heroic adventurer fulfilling a mighty quest for a humble shopkeeper."

"I'm not a hero, this isn't a quest, and you're not humble."

"Well forgive me for trying to provide you with some positive reinforcement to motivate you."

Providing equipment for at least two generations of Corpse Hunters had given Damian Husk a sense of familiarity with their Fate that Aiden found to be too...chummy. Compared to how Mr. Husk talked to him he preferred the scared blacksmiths and stuttering alchemists. Not that Damian was rude, quite the opposite. He was just too damn friendly for Aiden's tastes.

"Just write me a list of what you need and I can get started on it," said the man in gray.

"Always in such a hurry to leave. How many people in Plinth actually go out of their way to have a conversation with you, hmm?" Mr. Husk asked as he wrote the ingredients down on a piece of parchment.

"If I really felt like I needed someone to talk to I'd go dig up a corpse," Aiden said.

Once the ingredients were written down he snatched up the letter and walked off before the shopkeeper had an opportunity to say anything else that might delay his departure. Once outside the man in gray cleared his mind and focused on his surroundings. A few moments later Vagrant swooped down from the sky and landed on his shoulder. Aiden held up the paper for the bird to see.

"We have some errands to run," he said with a displeased tone.

The Vulture squawked loudly and flapped its wings with equal displeasure.

"I know, I hate going shopping just as much as you do. But unless you have a nest full of gold coins somewhere we're a little short on money."

There were a number of valuable relics and magical items in his custody but the Corpse Hunter wasn't going to sell his future to secure the present. Those items could very well save his life down the road and he'd be a fool to part with them now. Besides, much of what he had acquired was found on the corpses of the fallen and using them for anything other than collecting other corpses felt...unprofessional. Despite what some folks might think he wasn't a grave robber.

The dead respected him and in return he respected them. Any resentment that the man in gray had upon seeing a dead Ascender was for the mistakes they'd made in life that had led to their downfall. Corpses were simply the result of their previous inhabitant's poor choices, so he harbored no ill will against them specifically.

Hell, Aiden had more collective respect for the dead than he did for the living. The dead always answered his questions straight and to the point. They didn't waste his time with unnecessary chatter and they didn't need to be reassured that he wasn't going to harm them. Nor did they look at him like a creature that had escaped the confines of the Dungeon. But most of all corpses didn't send him on scavenger hunts.

With a sigh Aiden tucked the letter into his undercoat and began walking back to his home. If he was going back into the Dungeon he'd need his full kit. Afterall, it was his job to retrieve those that entered the Dungeon unprepared, not to join them in their follies.