“Is there some sort of prophecy from Sanctum that mentions Crage, or did you see it in the Red Dawn documentation?” I threw Justice a bone, hoping that she could catch it. 

She did, managing to talk around her origins from the outside world. “Uh, Yeah. Crage was mentioned in some of the collections of material Sanctum has vaulted. She’s supposed to be a powerful Elven scout, who’s immortal - uh, she won’t die of old age, at least - and very into power by dark and secret means. She was said to be looking for a means to ascend to godhood.” 

I wondered how Fochet would process the first line being a lie, but the rest being true in Justice’s speech. 

“Immortality huh? How did an Elf manage that?”

Justice stuttered, seemingly a little nonplussed by Fochet Raim’s dismissive tone, “S-So far as I know, she found a deity’s physical anchor and blackmailed the god into granting the boon.”

Fochet seemed very incredulous, and I would have been too if I didn’t already resolved to believe Justice’s claims. 

“Was this a recent account of Crage’s motives and origin? Or has she been around for a while?” Fochet gave me a skeptical look, like he was asking me why I brought this nut job with me.

“She’s been around since before the rise of Sumar, if I recall the logs right. I think she was just starting out after the Daer unified under one king.”

So, short of a thousand years, more than five hundred. 

Even with the best magic and medicine, humans only lived to about a century and a half. Draken can live to two centuries, but their last years are mostly in hibernation as their bodies fall apart. Elven kings  can live for a century but rarely do their less noble brethren. Orcs often brush ninety years without unnatural causes, but I’ve never heard of one older.

Kobolds and Goblins tend to fall ill to bone rot that is resistant to traditional medication - i.e. medication that worked well for other races - at around seventy, if they were lucky enough to live that long. No one was working to cure that particular ailment like it had been for other species so far as I knew.

“Kid, I like your fighting, and you clearly have something going on, but that’s absolutely delusional. A driven person who could accumulate that many centuries of experience would rule the world.”

“M-Maybe she’s just biding her time?” She looked at me. I gathered that Justice wanted me to believe her alarm, and help her make Fochet believe. I couldn’t do the second, but the first, I’d already promised. 

“Crage Corbin is someone we know to be concerned with, at the very least. Because the city guard found one pocket of dissidents, the guard won’t be part of the coronation, I gather.” Fochet motioned agreement to my assessment of the original topic. “Even if her reputation is overblown, Justice, do you know if the documents and prophecies described her appearance at all?” 

Justice described her legend as well as she could, and while I could tell the guard Captain didn’t believe the story, he at least took the warning and description with some seriousness. 

“So, what is your plan?” Fochet turned his focus back to us, and I considered how much to tell him. 

“We believe we have means to get into the coronation the same way some of the assassins or troublemakers will. We will do what we can to disrupt them from behind.” Justice nodded, still onboard with the plan. 

Fochet nodded. “I’d ask where or how, but I can’t be certain that if I reported it to the City Guard, that it wouldn’t leak back out to whoever is helping the coup. Except for that one small pocket of troublemakers, we found nothing. A curious lack of nothing, except for a triple murder in WeSum that looked like a wizard hazing gone wrong. I think the new patrol routes got leaked as well.”

“That’s frustrating,” I added unhelpfully, keeping Fochet’s gaze focused on me, rather than the suddenly pale Justice. 

“Yeah. Well, I need to sleep. You two need to get prepared. At the very least, I can help you with that. I’ve asked the front counter to provide you with both your earnings, and mine. You earned it after I threw you into the lion’s den.” He added as I tilted my head, “ It’ll have to be in some gem-set coins, else you’d struggle to carry it out.”

“Much appreciated, Fochet. Get some sleep. It’s going to be a long ceremony tomorrow morning.”

He laughed. “And you as well, Scaleen. You’ve made my life interesting, to say the least. And… I am sorry again, that I let politics keep me from snagging you into my team earlier.” 

“All I ask is that you don’t let prejudice and politics keep another poor bright eyed and bushy feathered recruit from getting promoted in the future. And stop the war between Sumar and the Draken. Both of those, and I forgive you.” 

He laughed and directed us towards the cashier and showers, moving over to the cot to get his rest. 

Even Justice, who seemed to have a warped perspective on the value of items in the world, managed to look impressed at the earnings we made. I felt the muscles around my neck where my feather crown would be retract in no small awe.

It was time to shop for better equipment.