with a deep dweller

Alex found his way into the guild sub-levels easily enough. It helped that Vickary met him at the desk and lead the way. Down here were most of the rooms for the guild members, and more importantly the vaults and work-rooms. Space in the city was limited and you could only build so far upwards before people took notice of your guild size, so in turn many of the more profitable guilds decide to dig further down into the layers of bedrock under the city, some ambitious thieves guilds of the past had woven an elaborate web of tunnels that guilds often discovered in their expansion efforts. The street had marked territory in this literal under-city and very few tunnel crawlers were willing to tread on their turf without a **** reason. Many of these tunnels also stretched out well past the walls of Grumen 'Kal and were used for smuggling in goods for trade.

You would think that the orcs would have problems with this under city, but they weren't the least bit interested in it. As a nomadic culture they didn't hold any serious attachment to the city and only took it in day gone by because they had issues with the human garrison that had previously been installed here. So as long as the humans and other races didn't make war with the many Orc tribes then the orc chiefs didn't care what the outsiders did in their city.

And down here among the tunnels of the under city the mages of The Street had their magical laboratory and workshop. Vickary spent a decent portion of her time down here, both to hone her magic and also to insure the mages didn't accidentally blow themselves to pieces trying something new without proper preparations.

Vickary introduced Alex to the lead wizard, a surly Dwarf named Thorik. Thorik had been trying to get Demon to hold still so he could put her in a holding circle for study, and Demon was being very uncooperative.

Alex watched the chase scene unfolding before him for a minute before asking (Why didn't you call my for assistance?)

(Because I don't need it. If he wants to test our automatic resurrection he'll have to catch me on his own, and his traps are pathetic so the sooner he realizes it's futile the sooner we can find something more productive to do.)

Alex found her nonchalance only added to how much the thought bothered him, (He's trying to experiment with your ****?)

(Aye, that he is.)

"Stop at once," Alex grabbed the dwarf by the collar, "What exactly do you think you're trying to do here?"

"Pursuing knowledge!" Thorik retorted, "Do you have any idea how much value there is in an automatic resurrection magic? If we could construct a device that did this we could make a fortune!"

"I do not permit you to **** my cat over and over until you learn the secrets of how she comes back to life."

"That's fine," Thorik patted Alex on the chest, "I would be much more interested in experimenting with you."

Vickary stepped in at that point, "You are not permitted to harm our guests, Thorik!"

"But the money?"

"There are things in this world more valuable than money!"

"You mean knowledge?"

"NO I MEAN TRUST!"

"Oh," Thorik thought a moment, "So you trust me to find you both more knowledge and money?"

Vickary made a shrill sound of exasperation and stormed out of the room. But Thorik seemed quite please with the response.

Thorik put his hand forward, "Master artificer Thorik of the House of Clendestan at your service mister Alexander the Lionheart."

Alex had a very brief moment of hesitation before shaking the extended hand, "I'm just Alex these days, but it's a pleasure to meet you. I did some work for Matriarch Hellrigh back in the day."

"And until the day she died she never forgot it."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"She's an ancestor now, so her honor has only increased. I don't know if you remember her cousin Feilax, but he was elected the new Patriach."

"The one who replaced his eye with a gemstone?"

"That one!" Thorik laughed, "Says the stone is imbued with luck. But it seems to be dumb luck. He's never been bright, but he is lucky so even though we can't imagine why he got elected no one has objected so there's no investigation into the voting numbers."

"Odd for a dwarf to worship any god that isn't gold."

"Yes, but Fortisa is the goddess of luck and wealth so...it's somehow logical." Thorik shrugged.

Alex shrugged as well, "In that case may Fortisa keep her right hand upon him."

"Thank you." Thorik found a stool and took a seat, "Are you sure I'm not allowed to test your immortality? We don't have to tell the mistress."

"I...I'm sure I don't enjoy dying."

"Pity," Thorik sighed, "My hypothesis is that you and the demon Xendromus aren't technically living in your flesh, but more just wearing it, like a coat. So any time you die you just mend the flesh garment and then put it back on."

Alex was both confused and intrigued, "How did you come to that conclusion?"

"Mistress asked me to read up on it after your possession, it's actually why I left Glita-Himinn, and how I ended up here. There are old journals from the people who tried to slay her in the past about how when mortally injured a black smoke would exit the wound and she would possess one of the party members, leaving the body of an unknown person behind."

"Her vessels," Alex remarked, "When she possessed me she called me her new vessel."

"So I understand it. Much older writings in the Library of Praenomen suggest she was once a general of a Sun god I've never heard of before. She won't answer any questions about that, but if true then she didn't become a demon until after the divine wars ended. So where she got her demonic powers or even what they are is undocumented."

(In this part of the world it is.) Demon had obviously been listening.

(Care to share how your possession ability works?)

(Why? Are you thinking about getting yourself a younger body?)

(No, I like the one I have thank you.)

(Then the knowledge is pointless. At this point our resurrection ability is a glitch.)

(Glitch? So its broken?)

(Awwww, you remembered a new word. Yes, the possession ability is supposed to move you into a new body, not send you back into the old one. I don't care to learn why this happened, dying hurt no matter how many times you experience it and I'm not fond of the feeling.)

Alex chose to change the subject, "So how did you and Vic know each other before she sent you the request for information on Demon?"

"The Lady Yumi was a student of mine. Brilliant girl, shame she liked blasting people to dust as much as she did. She would have made an excellent research assistant."

"And Yumi taught Vic."

"Quite so. Apparently Yumi figured that at some point you'd lead her to her **** because she wrote me letters about her student before her ****."

"I am sorry," Alex still felt guilty about that, "I was arrogant, and Yumi is dead because of it."

"Honestly I'm impressed."

"What?" Alex was surprised, "Yumi is dead and you're impressed?"

"I'm a dwarf boy," Thorik wagged a finger, "We're a practical people, not a sentimental one. Yes she's dead, and that's a talent lost. But you did what dozens of parties before yours had tried and failed to do. Moreover the demon Xedromus is now stripped of her threatening powers. She's harmless and over all that is a net gain."

"I will scratch your eyes out shorty!" Demon screamed as she leapt onto the table.

"Try it and I will bind you! Then at last you will be still for my autopsy!"

Demon retreated, "Challenge accepted half-pint!"

Thorik laughed again, "I'll chase you later. I believe Alex here wanted me to study the demonization corruption. Ah so much to learn from you two, and only a month to study."

Alex ungloved his hands and held them forward for the mage to examine.