Chapter 1 #4
“For a lawyer, I assume. Someone who can navigate the Assembly’s tribunal system and potentially secure your father’s release.
” He picked up a small crystal from his desk, turning it in the light.
“That kind of expertise doesn’t come cheap.
You’d need at least five thousand sovereigns. Probably more.”
My stomach dropped. Five thousand. I’d known it would be expensive, but hearing the actual number made it feel insurmountable.
“I can get you that money,” Gideon continued. “But the job I have in mind isn’t for the faint of heart.”
“We’re not faint of heart.”
“No, I don’t suppose you are. I need someone to retrieve an artifact from Nytheris.”
Kora went very still beside me. This wasn’t new information, but the reality was slowly sinking in.
“Nytheris is a death trap,” I said. “The portal there is unstable, and even if you make it through, the realm itself is crawling with creatures and unstable magic.”
“All true. Which is why the artifact I need is still there, unclaimed.” Gideon pulled a folded parchment from his desk drawer and spread it flat.
It was a map, hand-drawn but detailed, showing a cluster of floating islands.
“The Genesis Codex. It’s said to contain the original Nytherian blueprints for portal travel and realm manipulation.
With it, one could theoretically create new portals, stabilize collapsed realms, even terraform dead worlds into habitable ones. ”
“If such a thing existed, the Assembly would have claimed it centuries ago.”
“The Assembly doesn’t know it exists. Or more accurately, they know the legends but believe them to be just that—legends.
I have reason to believe otherwise.” He tapped the map.
“The codex is in the Reliquarium, in the royal archive. But getting there requires navigating not just the unstable portal, but the ruins themselves. And for that, you need a wayfarer captain crazy enough to take the job.”
“And you have one?”
“I’ve made inquiries. There’s a captain who might be interested, if the price is right. His name is Cypher. He commands a wing ship called The Night-Piercer.”
I’d heard of Cypher. Everyone in the scavenging community had.
He was a legend, a wayfarer who’d survived expeditions to some of the most dangerous realms in the Gallery.
Rumor had it he was a spirit elemental with power that made even the Assembly nervous.
He was also notoriously difficult to work with, accepting only jobs that interested him and turning down even lucrative offers if he found them boring.
“Why would he take this job?” Kora asked.
“Because money talks. Here’s the arrangement. You two will join Cypher’s crew for this expedition. You’ll help navigate the Deep Gallery and the ruins. I’d send Cypher’s crew alone, but I bet he’ll be more agreeable to take the risk if two expendable scavs do the leg work.”
I didn’t try to hide my scowl. Gideon was a prick, living up to his reputation.
“When you find the codex, you bring it to me. In exchange, I’ll pay you six thousand sovereigns. Enough for the best lawyer in the city and your mom’s medicine for a year.”
Six thousand. More money than I’d ever seen in my life.
But something was wrong. He shouldn’t have known about mom’s illness. He had too much information already, and if we declined his offer, I had a feeling we wouldn’t just be walking out of here.
“And what do you get out of this?” Kora asked. “Besides the codex?”
“The codex is enough. With it, I can revolutionize portal travel. Break the Assembly’s monopoly on realm access.
Level the playing field for people who weren’t born with the right magical abilities or the right family connections.
” He smiled. “I’m a businessman, but I’m also an idealist. I believe power should be distributed more fairly. ”
I didn’t believe that for a second. Gideon Pike wanted the codex for profit, pure and simple. But his motivations didn’t matter as much as the money he was offering.
“When would we leave?” I asked.
“As soon as I can arrange a meeting with Cypher and convince him to take the job. A few days, perhaps a week.” He pulled out a piece of parchment and began writing.
“In the meantime, you’ll need proper equipment.
Void mantles, climbing gear, weapons. I’ll provide everything you need and deduct the cost from your final payment. ”
“How generous,” Kora said drily.
“I’m a businessman,” Gideon repeated. “But I’m practical. I want you to succeed, which means I want you properly equipped. Dead scavengers can’t retrieve artifacts.”
He finished writing and held out the parchment. I took it, scanning the list of items. It was extensive. Two void mantles with crystal reinforcement, rope enchanted to hold in unstable gravity, daggers with elemental cores, medical supplies, rations designed for extended Gallery travel.
“This must cost a fortune,” I said.
“Do we have a deal?”
I looked at Kora. She gave a tiny nod. We’d discussed this possibility last night, war-gamed every scenario we could think of. This was dangerous, probably suicidal. But it was also our only real option.
“We have a deal,” I said. “But I want half the payment up front.”
Gideon laughed. “You have nerve, I’ll give you that. I’ll offer you five hundred sovereigns now, as a sign of good faith. The rest when you deliver the codex.”
“One thousand.”
“Seven-fifty.”
“Done.”