Prologue: First Cause

Humbert breathed deep as he moved along the south hall and considered his next obstacle: the lock on the door of the duke’s office. For years, he’d practiced his hands at picking any number of different locks, and although he had a fine touch, there were certain styles that still gave him trouble. As luck would have it, the duke employed a well renowned lock and one admittedly difficult for most thieves—but Humbert was not one of them. With a grin and deft hands, the thief slid the tension bar and rake into the keyhole and shuffled the pins that held the lock secure.

The lock gave with an audible click. Humbert cringed and looked about the hall to see if anyone may have heard it. He was alone.

Since the duke was away, there was only a skeleton crew of servants and guards on the grounds—few people in such a large house. Humbert pulled the door open and slipped inside.

For several seconds, Humbert stood silent as his eyes adjusted to the dark of the room. He dared not spark a light. The curtains were thin enough to let in light from the bloodless sky, which meant they were doubtfully thick enough to block the light of a match. Oblarra, the red moon may still be below the horizon, but the children of Luna—a thousand times a million shards of the old broken moon—danced across the sky, brighter than stars by a hundred fold.

Able to make out the shadows of the room, Humbert stepped behind the duke’s desk. He worked on the drawer locks and pulled them open one at a time. In the first drawer, he found a great deal of correspondence. He glanced at the names of the senders, but could not make them out in the room’s dim light. He wondered what secrets the documents might hold and figured the duke’s enemies would pay a minor fortune if he should nab the right letter. Of course, selling letters was a tricky business, and the duke employed a good number of spies to deter such behavior. Humbert felt he was just as likely to get his throat slit and have his body dumped in a shallow grave if he wasn’t careful about such things—not that he’d get much better treatment if he were simply caught in Creigal’s office... Having already risked so much, he stuffed several envelopes into his shirt, in case he couldn’t find more immediate riches.

In the top right drawer, Humbert found what he was looking for, and it was a heavy purse indeed! Despite the dim light, he could see a healthy mix of silver and gold. Though he’d hoped to see less copper, there was more than enough coin to see him north in search of the ancient mystic, Lasitus. Indeed, it was more coin than most men made in a lifetime!

Humbert fiddled with the lock on the last drawer and wondered if he wasn’t being greedy. The lock clicked. The drawer slid open in a smooth, quiet motion. Among several pens and ink wells, Humbert found an elegant dagger with a filigree handle and a musket with a pearl hilt—pricey treasures for sure! With a grin, he stuffed the pistol under his belt and put the dagger in his bag.

With such fine weapons and so much coin, Humbert felt he ought not press his luck any further. He gently pushed the drawers closed and stepped around the edge of the desk.

There, on the corner of the desk, sat a fine wooden box. Humbert stopped and considered it. For a long second, he stared at the fine pattern carved into the wood. He felt bold with victories already won and couldn’t resist, so he held his breath and lifted the lid. Inside the box was a simple silver chain with a delicate silver locket. With a grin and nary a second thought, Humbert lifted the necklace and slipped it over his head.