33 Stedore Estate
The Magistrate Sanctum was a very wide area designated to shelter the magicians of the Arcane Watch. It was already winter at Stormfall, but the Magistrate Sanctum remained the tranquil place it is. It had its own climate within but it was never as harsh as the inclement weather outside.
Alamid had already covered almost half of it, but the source of the disturbance was yet to be found. Frustrated, he decided to rest for a bit near a small pond. He began to wonder if his search will eventually turn out fruitless. He was kind of embarrassed right now that he even sent High Magistrate Kiri that message. He was acting impulsively, again. Memories of his past failures started coming back to his mind but he brushed them away. 'I need to focus on the mission. Right now, it is the top priority. But how do i search for something so elusive?' he asked himself, as he stared at the glimmering pool beside him. Just then, a gust of wind blew past him, causing some leaves from a nearby tree fall to the pond. The leaves, as they made contact with the water, caused a few ripples. 'Ripples...', Alamid wondered.
"Ripples! That's it!", he suddenly burst out. Chiding himself for not thinking about it earlier, Alamid sat beside the pond and started chanting the words for a spell called the Seeker. Pulses of arcane waves began to emanate from Alamid and ripple outward covering large areas around him. After a few seconds, the ripples returned to him relaying all information obtained. Most of it was just ordinary but then Alamid felt a large amount of magical residue that was detected at a house just a small distance from where he is. He stood up straightaway, gaining back his determination. He was finally on to something.
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The Stedores were still at their basement laboratory, thinking carefully about their next plan. They had been very impatient in their experiments that almost cost them everything they had worked for.
"We need to administer conditioning, both to Sera and to Lerica as well.", Agaven began, as he slowly got up.
"The minimum duration for a conditioning require at least 6 days, and we're talking about a rushed conditioning here. If we want an optimum conditioning, it will have to take longer that that.", Rhael replied.
"Six days will be enough.", Agaven guaranteed. "We don't have much time anyway, that's the only choice we have."
Rhael nodded in agreement. "It's settled, then. Tomorrow, we shall commence with the conditioning."
Just then, Agaven and Rhael tensed as a feeling of apprehension washed over them. This only meant one thing: someone has activated the security wards they set up inside their house.
"Damn." Agaven cursed. They were too occupied with their experiments that they had not bothered to even check if their wards were working. The intruder had gone past their gates without them noticing and is now prowling in the very house they were in. This person probably has seen enough evidence of their activities here to condemn them for eternity.
Rhael and Agaven looked at each other; words were not needed, it was very clear what must be done. They could not let this person step out of their house alive.
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Alamid stood at the gates of the Stedore estate, disbelief written all over his face.
'There must be some kind of mistake.', he considered. The Stedores were a well-known family in Stormfall. They were part of the original reasearch team before the Surge and were also close to becoming Magistrates themselves. They had the respect of the entire Arcane Watch. "Perhaps the Stedores can explain why this is happening.", Alamid thought to himself.
Suspiciously enough, the gate was not locked so he let himself in catiously. "I must investigate more on this matter."
Upon reaching the house of the Stedores, Alamid felt the air become heavier, saturated by the magical residues. Something was definitely at work here. After briefly scanning the exterior for any anomalies, he approached the main door slowly and tried to knock, "Mr. and Mrs. Stedore? I'm an investigator from the Arcane Watch, I just have a few question to ask you." He was only responded to by dead silence. He tried the knob and the door creaked as it slowly opened; just like the gate, it wasn't even locked.
Numerous scenarios started to play in Alamid's mind. He feared that some rebel magicians might have breached the Sanctum security and attacked the Stedores. For what reason, he did not know yet. But if that was the case, then the Stedores need all the help they can get.
He began chanting a spell and his hands began to glow a bright gold, this will allow him to retaliate immediately if ever he was attacked.
The house was filled with magical residues, but some areas have high concentration of it; two areas in particular. One was just below him, indicating that the Stedores have a basement. The other one was a room at the floor he is in. He carefully traced it until he came upon a closed door with a personalized sign on it: "LERICA".
