The Paladin Order Reformed 40 Unearthed

Still, I was sweating with worry the entire wait, I glanced at Jake and asked with a hushed tone.

"Did you bring identification? Otherwise, we'll have to sneak around this entire visit."

Jake smiled proudly before brandishing two leather-bound parchments. Then said.

"Thankfully I thought ahead, I have some skill in... "Fabricating" identifications. This should be as authentic as a fake can be, the seal was off memory so it might not be completely identical. It should be enough to get us through."

I examined the parchment, on it was my generic information. It included my age, approximate date of birth, and other important bits of information. It even had my Paladin Crest, something you get after becoming a knight. He must have a really good memory if he can remember such small details like that.

With newfound daring, I waited until the guards got to us, then handed them my information confidently. The bored-looking watchman treated my enthusiasm with disdain. He flipped through my pamphlet mindlessly before returning it to me. He did the same with Jake's, only after he returned his identification did he look at Jake's face.

At that moment both he and Jake truly examined each other, recognition dawned on the watchman's face. He quickly glanced over to the other guard and said.

"Aah.. I need to take these two in for questioning. It'll only take a moment, cover for me Jenkins, will you?" He nodded with a curious glint, but not curious enough to ask questions.

Fear shot through my body, a hundred different thoughts fought for precedent. I discreetly glanced at Jake, he looked just as surprised as I did, but he didn't look scared. He looked enamored if anything.

The guard escorted us through winding stone corridors until we arrived at a secluded room, empty of anything barring a couple of chairs and a desk. Jake plopped into one of the chairs and propped his feet on the table carelessly.

I stood in confusion as the guard locked the door before finding his place in the chair in front of Jake. I began to steel myself for a barrage of questions, possibly even torture, but the guard's indifferent expression softened, he wore an expanding grin as he held out his hand to Jake saying.

"I never thought I would see you again! Man, what're the chances? So what are you doing all the way down here Jake?"

Jake took his hand as he spoke and matched his expression with a similarly elated smile before saying.

"It's crazy isn't it, honestly I thought I'd never see you again." He looked at me and said. "This is Cody, him and I go way back. He used to be my right-hand man when I used to....." Grief flashes momentarily before he can regain his composure.

Cody intercedes for him. "When I was hooked on skoom and did some questionable things, he helped me. He got me on the first caravan to the south while he faked my death, I eventually ended up here, the temples here have amazing addiction recovery facilities if you'd believe it."

Jake's gaze settled on Cody's careless eyes. "So what did you want? I doubt you would take us to a secure location just to catch up on old times, right?"

Cody lifts his hands in defeat. "You're right, although I did want to catch up, I need to warn you. Things have been changing here, the king is trying to keep the Forsaken Order from writhing their way into the capital, but still... I don't know, we got orders to watch out for disguised Forsaken, but it's not easy to keep them out. Anyway, I've had my ears to the street and what I've heard isn't good."

Jakes's expression darkens, before asking. "Have they infiltrated the castle? We need to get an audience with the king."

Cody shrugs and said. "Probably, I don't know. I doubt the king is going to meet with two random guys at a time like this. Why do you need an audience?"

Jake just shook his head and said. "We need to see the king, or Christian does. That's all you need to know. Can you help us out?" He looks down in thought for a moment, before his expression lights up.

"We're supposed to look out for some kind of officials from the King's Council. There's a copy of their paperwork that we use to verify their ident.i.ty, you could theoretically copy them and take their place, pretty good plan right?"

I ask Cody skeptically, "How do you know about such important visitors? Aren't you just a watchman?"

He smiles roguishly before stating. "I've always seemed to hear things I wasn't meant to, I guess old habits die hard. That suggestion might just be impossible, you would have to get into the captain's office and find the papers. His office is guarded and the information locked away, so if you are going to try that, then you have your work cut out for you."

I guess I could do it, Cody explained the layout of the room and its location. He also gives me a rough idea of what the papers look like, with all the information I needed, I made my way through the winding corridors in search of the office.

I cast [Light Refraction], [Enhanced Senses], [Sound Dampen], [Soft Step], and [Scent Dampen]. With all of those enhancements, I should be virtually impossible to detect, unless someone is actively using [Magic Dectect]. I would be found instantly since there's no real way to suppress mana when its in use.

I approach a largely weathered oak door that looks as if the stone was built around the door itself. The hinges were rusted, I could see that from this far away, I would have some trouble opening the door without alerting the guard.

I crept up soundlessly next to the bored-looking guard that stared blankly down the corridor, I cast [Detect Presence] to confirm there was no one in the room before I entered it. Thankfully the only presence I detected was the guard next to me.

I cast [Greater Sound Dampen] and opened the door, without taking my eyes off the guard as I did. He was oblivious to the ordeal, I was able to enter the room and close the door and dismissed the spell before he could suspect a thing.

I looked around the well-furnished office, seeking a possible location of the papers. The only article of furniture I saw with a lock was his liquor cabinet, I walked around his mahogany desk and sat in his ornate chair.

I found what I was looking for, integrated into his expensive desk were several locks baring his drawers shut. This excited me somewhat, over the weeks of traveling, Jake taught me the basics of lock picking. I was able to pick it up pretty easily, with the help of a bit of magic that is.

I took out a small tension tool and a pick, a set that I borrowed from Jake to practice with. I tapped the lock a little and used my [Enhanced Senses] and some [Auditory Mapping] to help me better visualize the location of the pins.

I put my tension tool on the top of the keyway and gave it a bit of tension. Then I put in my pick and got to work.

I began quietly mumbling to myself. " click out one...two is binding....click out of three...four....five is binding....back to two.....click out of two..... five..."

Just like that, I was able to open the drawer. In it were various doc.u.ments detailing the influx of people, invoices of local merchant caravans, and other mundane information. I searched until I found the two doc.u.ments I was searching for.

When I had both of the doc.u.ments in hand, suddenly the door opened and a pudgy man with a handlebar mustache and slicked hair stormed into the room with a scrawny soldier trailing behind him whining.

"Captain, the other garrison commanders are becoming suspicious. You can't keep taking all of those brib..."

The pudgy man retorted. "Shut up Joseph! You're getting your cut, why are you complaining?"

I start slinking away from the desk, thankfully I'm still cloaked. They continue their arguing, oblivious to the desk drawer closing itself.

"Get me some of that whiskey, will you? Its time to celebrate, I got quite a large sum from those...who did they say they were? The Partaken? Whatever, they gave me enough to live the rest of my life in luxury and then some." He points his fat fingers towards the bottom of the liquor cabinet and said.

"You can take some of that cider I suppose, don't take anything good! When you do, see yourself out, and tell our friends that those King's Cabinet posh trash will be delayed."

He smiles a sinister grin then said. "Indefinitely, as requested."

Joseph looked around worriedly, twitching slightly before saying. "Just be careful, if you start spending a large amount of money, then you'll be the prime suspect whenever they fail to show. I'll make those bandits take the fall, that'll keep suspicion off you for the most part." He moved to leave, but stopped and turned back asking.

"What are those men going to do?"

The captain shrugs indifferently and said. "I don't care, why should we? Those bigwigs in the court deserve what's coming. Just be sure not to be in the castle when it happens, I'm not going to stick my neck out for you if you do."

He then urges Joseph out of the room, I slip out the door as soon as he opens it. I wait until Joseph is far down the corridor before I carefully move back to Jake and Cody with the doc.u.ments and information in hand.