“We’re here.” Alex stood before a pair of steel doors with scriptures scattered across the surface. Their grey characters reflected the watchmen’s principles on the metal surfaces. Almost blending seamlessly against each other. Yet, out of all the passages, one sentence stood out.

  We serve with loyalty in silence, and honor in deeds.

  Their old motto that was like a creed. One that they followed to the bone, yet now it rested, forgotten. Nothing more than mere letters decorating the scholar’s chambers. Alex pressed his palm against the cold steel, sending forth a surge of spirit essence that resembled flames. Soon, the door slid open and the light from the chamber pierced into the hallway. The radiant glow was nearly blinding, and in a few brief moments, their eyes adjusted to the brightness. Revealing a room with countless bookshelves along the walls and many work desks lined up row by row in the center.

  Alex couldn’t help but smile at the familiar sight with each step they took towards the center of the chamber. As the steel doors slid shut, the sound reverberated in their ears, but once the doors were fully closed, only a comforting warmth remained in the room. In front of them was a single old man who was meticulously examining several books at once as they drifted into the air. He looked up at Tucker and Alex. His expression brightening as he brushed his long, grey beard. His wrinkles seemed to have reversed in age, and the blue robe he wore brushed against the edge of the table. The free-flowing, straight hair covered most of his pale face except for the area where his round glasses were.

  “Is this the reinforcements the Administrators promised?” Charles asked.

  “Reinforcements is a strong word, my old friend.” Alex stood before Charles and smiled. “Though I suppose we could lend a hand.”

  Charles grabbed hold of Alex’s outstretched hand and vigorously shook it with a delighted expression. He couldn’t help but notice Tucker, who was behind Alex, before focusing back on the old man. “Oh? That’s interesting. You usually head to your quarters after a mission. It’s rare for you to visit the scholar’s chambers.”

  “What can I say? It’s been a rough few days, so I figured a change of pace would be nice,” Alex replied.

  “To be fair, I thought you two were dead once I received these.” Charles held out their pouches and tossed it towards them. “Watchmen don’t tend to leave their pouches unless what’s in them is more valuable than their lives.”

  “In this case, I hope it’s true. Whatever’s in those pouches almost got us killed.” Tucker pulled out a chair and took a seat, causing the other two to stare at him. “What?”

  Alex glared at him before sighing. “Apologies Charles. It seems like my rookie hasn’t learned any manners.”

  “No no, it’s fine. Please take a seat as well.” Charles gestured at the chairs. “It gets lonesome here these days. I wouldn’t mind some company… maybe you could retire and join me as a librarian?”

  Alex let out a small chuckle. “You wish. Maybe you can convince our self-proclaimed greatest rookie here instead.”

  Charles glanced over at Tucker, whose face contorted at the idea before forcing a smile. “It seems like the child isn’t too fond of the idea either. Funny enough, he takes after you quite a bit,” Charles said with a grin. “If you told me you two were related, I’d believe it.”

  Alex’s deadpan expression made Charles chuckle. Despite their different appearances, their personalities were very similar to each other. Yet soon, Charles’s smile faded. He glanced at the candles and thin pieces of cloth evenly spread out on the table and sighed. Until now, he had achieved few results. With little to work with apart from what laid in front of him.

  Seeing the troubled look on his old friend’s face, Alex leaned forward and took off his gloves. “We’ll provide some assistance. I can’t vouch for Tucker, but he did graduate top of his class if it means anything.”

  “Hmm… that would be handy.” Charles tapped on a piece of paper and turned it around before sliding it towards them. Each one had several characters written out to form a jumbled mess of a sentence.

  Tucker stared at the page and raised his brows. To call the sentences coherent would be a stretch and, at first glance, he didn’t know what to make of it. As Tucker was about to reach for one page, Alex grabbed hold of his wrist, firmly stopping him.

  “Gloves off. It’ll make it easier to handle the paperwork,” Alex said.

  Tucker stared at his worn leather gloves and nodded. “Ah, right, my bad.” He pulled off his gloves and placed it in his pockets. Then, carefully held the page in his hands and scanned each sentence line by line. “Did you make these combinations by lining them up with the other fabrics?”

  Charles nodded in amazement at Tucker’s guess. “Indeed. It was the best approach I could devise of but it seems that approach only leads to gibberish.”

  “Maybe we could try to solve what these characters mean?” Tucker asked.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  “It would be a decent starting point. Has there been anything meaningful in the documents we retrieved?” Alex pointed at the stack of pages beside Charles, but he simply shook his head.

  “Not that I can recall. Most of it was information regarding items currently stored in the depot. Like an inventory count of sorts,” Charles answered.

  “Inventory count? Like swords, spears, and bows?” Tucker asked.

  “Precisely. I compiled a report and sent it to the Administrators for examination. Besides that, there wasn’t anything else of grand importance that I could see.” Charles gently pushed the stack of documents towards the two. “Please feel free to take a look yourselves. It helps to have another set of eyes on the matter.”

  “Hmm, we destroyed the supply depot, so I doubt the report would have much value besides letting the administrators know the Empire had enough equipment to field a small army.” Alex scanned through the papers one by one and passed the ones he finished to Tucker. “Dates in the corner and small reports on trade routes going between the Empire and kingdom. Apart from that, there is not much else recorded.”

  Tucker turned the pages and held them to the light. Then he brushed his fingers along the corners of each, catching the attention of Alex and Charles, who watched from the side. Once that was done, he stared at the lantern on the desk and then at the old man beside him. Charles silently sat there and watched as Alex slid it over.

  Soon, Tucker held the page carefully before the magic orb. Warming each section of the page at a time and after he was done, he placed it on the table and sighed.

  “Well, did you discover anything?” Alex asked.

  “Nope. Nothing at all,” Tucker replied.

  Alex leaned back and closed his eyes before rubbing them, causing Charles to chuckle. He released a deep exhale. “Are you taking this seriously?”

  “Of course! I’m just covering the basics.” Tucker retorted. “You never know. Sometimes, it’s the most basic things we miss.”

  Charles watched as the two argued back and forth. Reminiscing about the past for a few brief moments before dryly coughing. Catching the duo’s attention. “No need to be so hard on the child, Salamander. It’s the same steps I went through as well.” Charles moved the seven candlesticks to the center of the table. “If I had to guess, these are a key part of the puzzle we seek to solve. We just haven’t figured out how.”

  “Has there been any correlation between the fabrics and the papers?” Alex asked.

  “Not that I’ve noticed. I have my apprentice investigating that as we speak. But… she’s a tad bit slow, so it’ll take some time,” Charles answered.

  “Have we tried wrapping the thin pieces of cloth around the candles?” Tucker asked.

  “No, but it wouldn’t make much sense to wrap fabric around an object that’s usually set aflame,” Charles replied.

  “Unless… it’s like that on purpose to dispose of any traces,” Tucker countered.

  Charles and Alex both locked eyes before staring at the candles. Alex took one in his hand that was only a few centimeters long and then looked around. Seeing this, Tucker grabbed a blank piece of paper and handed it to the old man as he wrapped it around the candle to create a larger surface. “We’ll use this one as the starting point and repeat the same action with the other objects.”

  “Seven cloths and seven candles. We’re looking at forty-nine different combinations. About sixteen for each of us, assuming my guess is right,” Tucker said.

  “It’s a start, which is better than what we currently have.” Alex stared at the characters that were before him and pointed at the pencil on the table, which Charles swiftly handed to him. “Mark down each character, line by line that you see. It could lead to something.”

  “What could it lead to?” Tucker asked.

  “Perhaps their old encryption method, if I had to take a guess. Back during the first war, they had a simple method that had us pulling our hair out,” Charles answered, sliding a pencil across the table to Tucker.

  “We only found out how to uncover it after the war, but we would have been able to decipher it sooner if it hadn’t been for the circumstances.” Alex clicked his tongue and began organizing his space on the table. “If we’re lucky, it’ll still follow the same principles.”

  “Alright… this sounds good on paper, but does the Empire know we solved it?” Tucker asked.

  Alex’s eyes narrowed. “We? You weren’t even born when we solved it.”

  “You know what I mean,” Tucker shot back.

  Alex smirked as Charles held back his laughter to the side and said, “The Empire probably doesn’t know we solved it, but they could have swapped it for something else. Regardless, we should try give it a shot.”

  “Might as well. Who knows, maybe they still think it’s invincible,” Charles added, brushing his long grey beard.

  Tucker watched as his seniors began their work and then glanced at his papers. They were efficiently fulfilling their tasks, and the soft scratching of their pencils filled the room. It reminded him of his days back in the academy, where he studied in the library for upcoming exams. Yet now the stakes were much higher, and the work vastly different.

  He examined the interior of the chamber. Taking in the sight of the evenly spaced chandeliers adorning the ceiling and well-maintained stairs leading to the next floor. The scholar’s workplace wasn’t bad by any means and Tucker could see himself working here while staying in the order. But a sense of unease grew within his chest, like a bundle of wires that tightened around his heart.

  Even if this is a choice, is it the right one?

  Tucker wrote the characters row by row. The duty of a scholar was honorable, and to say otherwise was disrespectful. It was a role that was necessary within the Order, and he understood that. They were record keepers and renowned researchers within the kingdom. However, he knew Alex wasn’t the type to do administrative work or one to sit at a desk. The only reason the veteran had brought them to the scholar chamber was so that he could see how they operated. To see if it was another option for him if he wanted to change his mind and retire from the field.

  He glanced over at Alex, who quietly continued his work. Everyone treated him with respect, and the way they addressed him was vastly different compared to how he did. Even though it was nosey of him to bring them here, Tucker knew the old man meant well. If anything, this was so that he could broaden his perspective. That there was more to being a watchman than being out on missions. That he could still be a part of the organization without crossing any lines.

  But Tucker knew he wanted to do more than just this. He felt his heart steadily beat while recalling Alex’s words. To draw a line for himself. One that wouldn’t move, no matter what the circumstances were. He couldn’t change the past or the dark history of the watchmen, but he could learn from it. And by doing so, forge a new standard of what it meant to be a member of their Order.

  Wish me luck folks for I may not return.

  I'll keep you posted.

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