The Syndicate - 16. Chapter 16 - Taran

"Ok, walk me through the plan one more time."

"Got it," Maya's voice responded in Taran's earpiece. He was perched on a roof across the street from the Liberty City Natural History Museum, peering through night vision binoculars at the museum's glass roof. "This is a typical Track or Take mission. Our target is a necklace known as the 'Jewel of Katar.' Currently on tour, and outside Katar for the first time since 1922. Tonight is our only chance to investigate it before it's flown back home and hidden away again. First, we need to get inside the museum. I'll portal us in while you deactivate the alarms. Second, we study the jewel and determine if it's magic or not. If the enchantments are minor or not life-threatening, I'll put a Seal of Tracking on the artifact. That'll allow us to keep an eye on them from headquarters."

"Right. And if it's something not so minor?"

"If I sense major dark energy, that's a different story. In that case, we take the jewels to lock in the Syndicate vault for safekeeping, and I'll leave behind a duplicate. No one knowingly lets a major magical artifact go on tour, so the owner of the jewels won't even notice they've been switched."

"And then we both get out of here before any security shows up."

"Exactly!"

Taran smiled. He was so proud of Maya. For the past few months, she and other Syndicate magic users had been developing a worldwide registry of magical artifacts. While owning mystical objects wasn't explicitly illegal, the Syndicate liked to know where such items were located in the event something sinister occurred. If a registered artifact was ever stolen and used for nefarious purposes, a Seal of Tracking would allow the Syndicate to hunt it down and return it to the proper owners.

This was Taran's first time on such a mission, and even though he had studied, he admittedly felt out of his league. His powers were genetic, and not the result of spells or mystical items that broke the laws of nature. The Syndicate magic division dealt with a whole other level of threat than his more straightforward cases and understanding the complexities of arcane objects was still something he had to get used to. Maya had invited Taran to be her sponsor tonight so he could learn more about it. She also went to great lengths to warn him the evening would likely be pretty dull. The Track or Take missions were being run on a regular basis, but thus far had only encountered a few minor charms. Many of the items investigated had turned out to be completely ordinary and had no magic at all.

"Alright. let's get started, shall we?"

Maya signaled to Taran from her spot on the opposite building. He could barely make out her long black coat in the shadows but heard a flutter of fabric as she leapt from her perch. Her beaded necklace pulsed with a faint blue light as she levitated across the street towards the museum. Taran jumped from his rooftop to meet her, the winds carrying him softly through the air. As he approached, Maya crouched down and started drawing a series of strange symbols on the roof in chalk. She worked for a few more moments and then enclosed her markings inside a wide circle.

"Step one is about to begin," she said, taking a few steps back. Her fingers deftly felt the beads of her necklace until she found the one she was looking for. It glowed between her pinched fingers as she threw her other hand out at the chalk drawing. The symbols on the roof illuminated briefly before the circle flared with energy. Then, it was merely open air to the museum below.

Taran unclipped a small case from his belt and flipped the switch on the side. There was a fast, high-pitched whir as the device warmed up. After a few moments, a small green light blinked at the top. "Security cameras are set on a loop. Let's get going."

Maya gestured to Taran, and he approached. She took the strand of her necklace and looped it over his head. It once again began to glow with faint blue energy. "You ready?" she asked.

Taran nodded, and they stepped together over the edge of the circle into the museum. The levitation spell felt warm and tingly as it lowered them deeper into the building. The museum's collection was delicate, and each gallery case came equipped with sensors. Taran's flight ability was too cumbersome for a room of priceless artifacts, and he couldn't risk accidentally blowing something over. They silently touched down on the marble floor. Taran pulled a small flashlight from his belt and switched it on. The thin beam of light crossed over a long row of glass cases, each one holding a multitude of glittering gems.

"The Jewel of Katar should be at the end of the row," Maya said softly.

The room was tall and dark, with the faintest bit of moonlight pouring in from the skylight. Taran looked around over the jewelry cases, sweeping his flashlight in wide arcs. Each piece glittered for just a moment as Taran and Maya made their way across the exhibit. Shadows stretched from the far end of the hall, where polished stone columns supported the massive archway that led to other wings of the museum. Taran felt for the air around him, and it was still. He couldn't detect anything interesting: dust and wood, which made sense given their surroundings. And under that, the faintest whiff of smoke and embers. As soon as Taran noticed, it faded away, replaced once again by the musty smell of old things.

"Here we are," Maya said triumphantly. She stood before the largest showcase at the end of the row, flashlight shining on a beautiful pendant resting on a velvet cushion. The center stone was a huge, blood-red square cut ruby. It was sunk into a flat disk of gold and surrounded by four dazzling sapphires the size of blueberries. It was held by a thick, claw-like clasp at the top and connected to a woven gold chain. Even in the faint moonlight, the ruby shined. When Taran peered into its center, the facets inside seemed to stretch on forever. It was the most magnificent set of jewels Taran had ever seen. They were clearly the prize of Katar.

"Wow," Taran said, still astonished. "No wonder they don't let this thing leave Katar very often. You could sell it and buy your own country!"

"It's absolutely beautiful… but is it magic?" Maya crouched down eye level with the pendant and stared at it intently. She closed her eyes and fell silent. Taran looked around the room again, careful not to make any noise as to disturb Maya as she worked.

"Taran, we have a problem," Maya's eyes snapped open, and she quickly turned to him.

"Wow, that was fast. So, it's crazy bad magic, huh?" Taran felt a twinge in his stomach. He really didn't like strange arcane stuff, and Maya acting alarmed sure didn't help his nerves.

"Not it's not that… it's nothing. There's nothing on the jewels. No magic, but also no memories. These jewels are centuries old and have been in the care of the Katari royal family since the 1600s. I should be getting the echoes of generations off of them, but they're blank."

"How is that even possible?"

"These jewels are fake, just like the ones I would have left. Identical to the real things, but without their memories. Someone got here before we did."

That was all Taran needed to hear. Finally, a chance for him to feel useful. He quickly turned toward the heavy wooden door behind them. Pushing the door open revealed a short, window-lined hallway that connected to the main wing of the museum.

A window in the middle of the hallway had been smashed open, the cold night air wafting into the building. On the floor against the wall was the crumpled form of a museum guard. Taran knelt close to the body. The guard had scorch marks across the front of his uniform, but Taran was relieved to find that he was unconscious but still breathing. It appeared that whoever had beaten them to the jewels wasn't looking to leave a body count.

"Maya, call for an ambulance!" He called back down the hallway. Maya was still at the jewelry case, muttering over the fake necklace. Taran moved away from the guard and examined the window. It had been broken from the inside, the jewel thief was trying to make a quick escape. Taran jumped down from the window and into an empty courtyard. It was dark and quiet as he pulled the air towards him. A thick tendril of smoke drifted from the other side of the yard. Taran sprinted towards the source and found a black, charred patch of ground. A few embers at the center glowed a flickering orange.

Maya approached from behind. "Paramedics are on the way. We need to get out of here unless you want to explain to the museum why we're sneaking around in the middle of the night," Her eyes caught the burnt area that Taran was investigating. "Woah. Major vibes coming off of that spot. Someone used magic to portal away."

Taran winced. Charred remains were a bad sign, as fire-based magic was considered particularly dark and destructive. He tried to recall what he had studied before the mission. His pulse quickened. "Maya... please tell me this isn't what I think it is..."

Maya put a hand out over the burned area. She flinched and pulled back immediately, shaking her hand as if she had been burned. Taran heard a soft rattling sound and noticed that the beads on Maya's necklace were vibrating. They calmed down as she gently reached for a few of them.

"I wish I could, Taran," Maya sighed. "But, this is definitely hellfire."