Finn's House

Silas had wondered where Finn was taking him. It turned out to be a dilapidated street a few blocks away from Tirash Commercial Corner. The cobbled roads were battered from use and muddy with occasional puddles forming in deep potholes. Silas nimbly avoided each one, but when Finn noticed, he hissed at him to stop.

Finn slowed and stopped before a house with a red roof. He pushed the gate open and dusted his hands on his clothes as the paint was already peeling. "It needs to be repainted," Finn declared, pulling a key from his pocket.

Silas wondered why Finn mentioned that. He hadn't expected Finn to live in a house; he had imagined Finn living with his sister under a bridge in a makeshift shelter of wooden beams and abandoned sailcloth.

The interior of the house was in the same condition as the gate. The peeling walls reminded Silas of his own room. At the center of what could have been a living room, he saw two round tables. One was empty except for two chairs, while the other was piled high with books of different types, threatening to collapse under the weight. He hoped it wouldn't break because it seemed Finn still plan on putting more books to it.

'How many of those books are stolen?' Silas thought, remembering Finn's habit of stealing from bookstores.

"Wait here," Finn said, touching one of the empty chairs as he headed into another room.

Silas looked around, wondering about Kara's whereabouts.

Soon, Finn returned with a black wooden box. He placed it before Silas and unlatched it, revealing three amber bottles with familiar white wooden stoppers.

"What are these?" Silas asked.

"I don't know, but two of them belonged to my father. This one," Finn said, separating one bottle, "I found it a month ago. And this is what we found earlier."

Silas inspected the bottle that Finn had found. He removed the cork, revealing the same parchment which he suspected was made out of human skin. He brought out the bottle that they found earlier and compared the words written on the parchment.

"They are the same," Silas said.

"Yes, they're repeatedly using the same words."

Silas put down the bottles and parchment on the table, frowning. "But why do you have them? Don't you think you're affecting the investigation by keeping these clues to yourself?"

Finn's face darkened. Silas knew Finn had his reasons for conducting his own investigation, but withholding crucial clues could hinder Thaddeus's efforts.

Finn's face darkened at what he said. Silas knew that what he told him that he had his reasons for conducting his own investigation. But keeping a lot of clues which appeared to be detrimental to the case might affect the investigation of Thaddeus.

He wondered if Thaddeus had any of these amber bottles. He wasn't sure how rituals worked, but there was a tribe in the game that specialized in rituals, using talismans and amulets to ensure their success. Perhaps these bottles function like a talisman to ensure the rituals success. He put the bottles back in the small chest.

"Will the Peacekeepers know how to decode what is written here? I bet my house that they don't." 

Silas shook his head, "it's the same for us." 

Finn averted his gaze. Silas wondered what fueled the boy's hatred for the Peacekeepers and its investigators.

Ping! The sound made him flinch. The wizard stood and feigned turning around, scanning the content of the new quest.

[Quest II: The Caverns of Flesh]

[Description: Remember the boxes in the library you checked? Go to the Great Archives and search for clues on transcribing the meaning behind the script.]

[Chests Investigated 0/5]

Silas cleared his throat and turned to face Finn. "That leaves us room for discovery. Why don't we try transcribing it ourselves?"

Finn held his gaze for a moment before chuckling. "And how will we do that?"

"The Great Archives. Surely there are resources that could help us."

"You don't think I've tried? I've searched every shelf for months."

"Shelves… but you haven't tried looking into those mysterious chests," Silas said excitedly.

Finn frowned, his lips quivering in disbelief. "No, you shouldn't touch those."

"Yes, we will open them. The dead will understand that we're only trying to save this city. Knowledge is meant to be shared, not hidden. Believe me, your dead scholars would be proud if we use what they left behind."

Finn's eyes twitched. The red-headed boy looked at Silas like he was a lunatic who had escaped an asylum. He ran his hand through his hair. "Okay, but we do it at night. I can't risk getting banned from the Archives."

"Come to my place when you're ready and bring Kara. She can stay at my place while we go to the library."

Finn opened his mouth to object, but Silas didn't give him a chance and walked out, waving as he left.

----

A hotel staff knocked on Silas's door.

"Sir, someone is waiting for you in the lobby."

"Tell them I'm coming."

Silas looked at the clock hanging in his room. It was past ten in the evening. Finn must really hate the idea of getting caught.

After dressing, Silas went downstairs to the lobby. He found Finn and Kara in a corner. Finn sat cross-legged in light-brown trousers and a darker vest. While Kara sat beside him as she played with the hem of her green dress.

"Delightful evening," the wizard greeted.

"Delightful to you too," they returned the greeting. Kara smiled brightly, but it only made Silas feel guilty, remembering their escape and how harshly he had treated her out of his own frustrations.

Silas sat beside her, and she shied away. "Are you okay staying alone in an unfamiliar room?"

She nodded. "Yes, I am to stay in your room while you two go somewhere."

"That's right. The staff here will tend to your needs while we're away. Make sure to sleep early so that the three of us can have breakfast tomorrow."

At the mention of breakfast, Kara's face lit up with a warm smile. She looked at her brother, who nodded.

Before leaving, Silas approached a hotel staff. "Please tend to the little lady's needs. I'll pay for everything tomorrow."

She bowed. "Would you like me to hire a carriage, sir?"

Before Silas could agree, Finn interrupted, "There's no need. We're fine walking."