The dust was still settling as Justin surveyed the battlefield. Their victory had been hard-won, the Sphinx having already faded into the air in ethereal motes. The constructs moved methodically through the scarred rock, their metal limbs shifting through debris of their fallen brethren.

  “Where’s that blazing gate key?” Emberlyn asked, her flames flickering in agitation.

  “Maybe it got knocked over the side of the island during the battle,” Lila suggested.

  “It’s hard to imagine that,” Emberlyn said. “The Creator wouldn’t make a Vault impossible to solve. We did what we were supposed to, so I don’t get it!”

  Justin frowned. Emberlyn was right. should have been notifications, rewards—something to mark their success.

  Yet nothing had happened. He had missed something vital.

  “Spread out,” he ordered the constructs. “Search every inch around the World Gate.”

  Eldrin knelt where the Sphinx once stood. After several minutes, he rose with a troubled expression. “Nothing. Are we sure the Sphinx even had it?”

  “It wanted to make a deal with me to give me the key,” Justin said. “I couldn’t have done that unless it had the key, right? Honor and all that.”

  “Hmm,” Eldrin said, stroking his beard. “Maybe it didn’t necessarily have to have it. It just had to know where the key was.”

  “So, it hid it somewhere,” Lila said. “Figures.”

  Emberlyn shook her head. “According to Ignis, the Sphinx made a deal with him for the key. That’s why he survived when the others didn’t.”

  Justin paused, remembering Ignis’s nervous energy, the way his flames had flickered erratically when telling his story. He had told him to be quiet, to stay out of the way during the battle so he wouldn’t mess anything up.

  Justin really didn’t want to talk to him again. But he needed answers.

  “Ignis,” he called, turning to where the Scholar had been standing a few moments ago. “Can you confirm—”

  But the pile of rubble he had been next to was empty.

  “Ignis?” Emberlyn called, her head snapping up from her search. “Where is he?”

  “He said something about searching back there,” Lile said, pointing.

  But “back there,” there was nothing. No sign of the Fyrspawn.

  Justin’s eyes narrowed as the pieces fell into place. The Vault wasn’t ending because they hadn’t actually completed the objective.

  “Did he find it and…run away?” Lila asked.

  “How long has it been since anyone has seen him?” Justin asked.

  There was an uncomfortable silence. It had been at least five minutes since the Sphinx had gone down.

  “That traitorous bastard,” Emberlyn hissed, her flames flaring hot enough to make the air shimmer. “Why would he steal it to begin with?”

  “I don’t get it either,” Lila said.

  Justin turned to a nearby Guardian. “Find Ignis, but don’t harm him. He can’t have gone far.”

  The Guardian clicked mechanically, and within moments, dozens of constructs bounded back toward the city. Unfortunately, enough time had passed that he had certainly reached as far as Zanthera’s main boulevard.

  The guy didn’t have a hope of escaping, so why even bother? Why not come clean?

  It came to Justin in a sudden burst of realization, and it made his blood run cold. “I know where he’s going.”

  “Where?” Lila asked.

  “The Keeper Crystal. He can speak to it. And if he passes the Founder Test with a perfect score, he might even outrank me.”

  Eldrin’s face paled. “He could turn the constructs against us.”

  Justin sprinted back toward the city, shouting at the constructs, “Cut off all the elevators. Go, go, go!”

  The constructs scuttled with renewed intensity.

  As they ran, Justin tried to piece together what was really going on. He was missing important details, but there was one insight he could have deduced earlier if he’d had the mind to.

  It had to do with how Vaults were created. There were various mechanisms. The first, like the Vault of the Guardian Pass or Eldareth, was simply a scenario conjured from the magical energy of Eyrth

  Others, like the Crypt of King Alaric, had been triggered by a hostile force taking over a location—in that case, the Cultists of Morvath. And the Fyrspawn Vault in the cavern had been similar.

  The third type, like the goblin murder mystery, was a Vault where someone needed help with a hopeless situation.

  Justin had originally assumed this Vault was of the third variety—Ignis trapped and needing rescue.

  But what if it were the second?

  What if Ignis, not the Sphinx, was the real boss?

  It would explain so much. Why he had acted like such a bumbling fool. Why he had answered that Keeper’s question wrongly, when he knew well he needed to stay silent. Why he had wasted so much time with the Lexicon. Why he wanted to learn English, spending hours accruing knowledge.

  Did he know that knowledge would help when it came to taking control of the Zantheran Defense Grid?

  If the guy had sabotaged them any harder, he would have tipped his hand. He had counted on the Sphinx wiping the floor with them.

  For what reason, though? How was the Sphinx a part of it?

  His thoughts spun as they arrived at the transit station. A Champion construct approached him, its chittering almost panicked.

  It was easy to guess what it was saying.

  “He’s gone back to the Ether Foundry,” Justin said. “We can’t be far behind.”

  As the others drew up beside him, Justin approached the elevator. The crystal pulsed with energy as it descended.

  He explained his theory to the others.

  “So, he was trying to play us all along?” Emberlyn asked, her flames subdued. “I would have never guessed. Ignis has always served the tribe faithfully.”

  “I’ve got nothing else,” Justin said as the elevator emerged from the underside of the island. The Ether Foundry was fast approaching. “He’s a smart guy, but you have to admit, he’s done a lot of ‘dumb things’ since we’ve encountered him.”

  “So, they weren’t dumb at all,” Eldrin said. “They were calculated.”

  Justin nodded. “Dumb enough to not make us underestimate him, but calculated enough to potentially foil our plans entirely. He counted on the Sphinx wiping us out.”

  “But why?” Lila asked. “That’s what no one is explaining. Did he find the key and run off, or did he have it the whole time?”

  “If my theory is correct, he’s had it the whole time.”

  “We could have ended the Vault early by shaking him down.” She blew a frustrated strand of hair out of her eye. “Unbelievable!”

  “Well, we’d still have to deal with the Sphinx,” Emberlyn said. “But without his sabotage. I have to say, I still have difficulty believing Ignis could do such a thing.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “He lied to us about something,” Justin said. “If I’m right, it means the Creator gave him the option to create the Vault, but not as a victim crying for help. As the ‘Boss’ who was supposed to come out on top.”

  “Yes,” Lila said impatiently, “but why?”

  The elevator slid into its alcove, opening with a soft hiss. “That’s what we’re about to find out.”

  They raced across the vast foundry floor, which was thankfully empty. If Ignis were capable of setting up traps, he probably didn’t have the time. His only chance was to pass the Founder Test, gain full Founder privileges, and turn the constructs on the party.

  Justin didn’t think this was likely. But if the Founder test drew some of the same questions from the pool, it upped his odds a bit. And Ignis also had the context of Justin’s answers.

  Of course, if he got the exact same test, they were all in serious trouble.

  Lila was right, though. Ignis had to gain something out of this. There was the knowledge of the city, of course, all for his use without restraint. Perhaps that was enough motivation.

  But maybe if he “won” the Vault by eliminating them, he’d get something specific in exchange.

  Justin didn’t have much more time to speculate, because they reached the stairway to the Keeper’s chamber. Through the doorway, they could see Ignis’s fiery form facing the glowing Keeper Crystal, his flames dancing excitedly as he shouted in English.

  “Marilyn Monroe!”

  Justin’s eyes widened. How did he learn about her? He must have power-read all night and come across some truly ancient Earth lore. The Scholar class’s ability to absorb knowledge was truly formidable. Far more formidable than he would have guessed.

  No time to pull punches. He drew his cane, pointing it directly at Ignis.

  He unleashed a blast of Drake’s Breath. Ignis screeched, dodging just in time and landing on the railing, his flames flickering wildly as the cold air rushed past him.

  “I yield, I yield!” he screeched, his scholarly demeanor completely abandoned.

  “Keeper, stop the test,” Justin commanded.

  [Of course, Founder. I have ceased testing.]

  “What question was he on?”

  [Seven out of ten. Perfect score.]

  They had arrived with mere seconds to spare. “Please tell me you asked him different questions.”

  [Yes. Each test is uniquely tailored to the individual.]

  Justin breathed a sigh of relief, but really, a perfect score? How the hell was that even possible?

  He turned his attention back to Ignis. Already, the Fyrspawn was being surrounded by Emberlyn, who had her staff raised threateningly, and Eldrin, who had his Sunrot Longsword out. Lila had her knives ready to throw.

  Eldrin frisked him, his Ashralok’s Flame protecting him from the Fyrspawn’s heat. Ignis tried to wriggle away, but he was no match for the Ranger.

  Within moments, Eldrin had produced a glowing red amulet set in a gold chain. “This it?”

  Emberlyn’s eyes burned brighter. “Yes. The gate key!”

  As for Ignis, his flames flickered wildly, his composure completely shattered. “You don’t understand what’s at stake! The knowledge here—it changes everything! It’s worth anything!”

  “Even our lives?” Emberlyn asked, taking the amulet and hanging it around her neck.

  At this, Ignis was silent for a long moment. He lowered his head. “I...don’t expect you to understand.”

  “So, what’s the deal?” Justin asked, stepping closer. “Were you the boss all along?”

  “The Vault Master? Yes. It’s me. The Sphinx...was my accomplice.”

  “Why was it helping you?” Lila asked. “Why not just kill you and take the key?”

  Ignis looked at her coldly. It was strange to think of that fiery gaze as “cold,” but there it was. “Because I had something it wanted. As long as you have that, you have power. We Scholars are often called weak. But when you have knowledge that others want, as long as you guard that knowledge, respect it, you have control.”

  “You aren’t weak,” Emberlyn said softly. “Those who would say that are...misguided.”

  “He’s manipulating you,” Justin said, recognizing the tactic. “Don’t let his self-pity distract from what he tried to do.”

  Ignis watched him with something like respect. “Ah, the Socialite. It’s fitting that you would be the one to see through my veneer. And yet, I fooled even you for quite some time. Perhaps proof that we only see what we’re told to see.”

  “You were sabotaging us the entire time,” Justin said. “You insisted you needed to learn English. You answered the Keeper’s question wrongly on purpose. You could only afford to do that once before I got too suspicious, and you were praying I’d get at least one more wrong on my own.”

  “Very good,” Ignis said, a hint of pride in his voice. “I also called the constructs on you in the library. I thought it would be an easy way to eliminate you.”

  “Rude,” Lila said, twirling one of her knives.

  “Which leaves one question,” Justin continued. “One of motive. What did you stand to gain if we died?”

  “Me? Unfettered access to the city. The Vault promised me understanding of the Ancient Tongue and Zantheran in exchange for helping, as well as access to the gate key.” He blinked. “You gave me the first two, but the Sphinx wasn’t going to let me go for nothing.”

  “You made a deal with it, too,” Justin said, finally understanding. “But it wasn’t what you originally said.”

  “Yes. It allowed me to keep the key, as long as I shared what I learned here. Sphinxes, after all, cannot resist the lost knowledge of an ancient civilization like this one. With my back against the wall, I had no choice but to accept.” He shrugged. “So, it was a mix of my Scholar’s curiosity, and self-preservation.”

  “And if we died?” Justin asked. “Would the Vault go away, or perhaps grow more powerful?”

  “I would be allowed to leave,” Ignis finished. “To go home to Solanis with the gate key. And I’d be the only one with control over Zanthera. As for the Sphinx, it would become the new Vault Master in my place. And hopefully, serve as a loyal guardian for years or even decades to come.”

  Justin frowned, finally putting all the pieces together. Ignis had survived the initial expedition to Solanis, but contrary to his story, he’d never lost the gate key to the Sphinx. Instead, he’d struck a bargain with it. The Sphinx would guard the gate while Ignis was allowed by the Creator to create a Vault to trap any would-be rescuers, and block the Fyrspawn above from investigating easily. In exchange, the Sphinx would get access to the ancient knowledge of Zanthera, and Ignis would return to Solanis with newfound power and respect.

  He had played the role of the helpless Scholar perfectly, using his apparent weaknesses to manipulate them. Every “mistake” and roadblock had been calculated—his wrong answer to the Keeper’s question, his insistence on learning English and Zantheran, even calling the constructs on them in the library. All designed to slow them down, exhaust them, and ultimately deliver them weakened to the Sphinx.

  When that plan failed and they actually defeated the Sphinx, Ignis had made a desperate gambit for the Keeper Crystal, hoping to override Justin’s Founder privileges and turn the constructs against them.

  “Now I understand why you tried to sneak off during the battle a couple of times,” Eldrin said. “It would have gotten you killed.”

  Ignis nodded glumly.

  “You never expected us to actually defeat the Sphinx,” Justin said.

  Ignis’s flames dimmed slightly. “No, I didn’t.”

  Emberlyn let out a breath, closing her eyes. “I understand why you did it. But it was wrong for you to deceive us so. You could have just become the Vault Master and then told us the truth. But you were willing to let us die—let me die—just to have this entire place to yourself.”

  Ignis lowered his head. “At the time, I didn’t realize I would learn English and Zantheran for free.” His flames flickered a bit, what Justin understood to be an ironic smile. “The Creator can truly be cruel.”

  That made sense. All he wanted was knowledge, and at the time, he thought these two languages were the only way to get it. It was the perfect prize to tempt a Scholar.

  “Only one question left,” Justin said. “How did you get to question seven without a single mistake? I understand reading books really fast, but to read that many within such a short time, even for you, would be impossible. And it’s not like the Founders would have that kind of lore lying about. That would mean anyone, with enough study, would be able to become a Founder.”

  “Ah,” Ignis said. “The final mystery, eh? Well, I’ll leave that one for you to figure out, Justin Talemaker. As for me, though...I tire of this game. They say the Veins of the World contain reflections of all the knowledge and memories of all sapient beings who have tread upon the surface of Eyrth.” He paused. “What better end to the Scholar seeking knowledge than to join them?”

  Emberlyn stepped forward. “Ignis...”

  Eldrin held him firm, so that he couldn’t escape, even by suicide. Ignis’s eyes looked at Justin, turning strangely blue.

  He was using Identify Weakness.

  Justin readied Gentleman’s Sidestep, but nothing happened. Ignis merely looked at him questioningly.

  “Let me jump,” he said. “And I’ll tell you.”

  Justin frowned as he realized Ignis was doing exactly what he’d said earlier. Holding back knowledge for his own benefit.

  He had to admit, he wanted to know. What was his weakness? What could others exploit to take advantage of him?

  “This isn’t for me to say,” Justin said finally. “It’s for Emberlyn.”

  Emberlyn was silent for a long moment, her flames burning low, almost somber. Finally, she lifted her head.

  “For all your deception, Ignis, you were one of us. In respect of that, and of your Scholar’s spirit, I will allow you this choice.” Her voice grew firm. “In any court you would be found guilty. This way, you go out on your own terms.”

  Justin nodded. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it was a practical one.

  “Before you go,” Justin said, “tell me what you saw.”

  Ignis looked at Eldrin. “You can release me now.”

  “Not until you speak,” Eldrin said, his grip still firm. “On my honor as a Ranger, I will let you go after you’ve told him.”

  Ignis’s flames flickered. “A Ranger’s honor will have to suffice.” His eyes found Justin’s, which had resumed their normal fiery hue. “Your weakness, Justin Talemaker? You trust too easily.”

  Eldrin released him, and without another word, Ignis stepped to the edge of the platform and leaped without hesitation. His fiery form plummeted toward the swirling waves of ether below. There was no scream, no final words—just the silent descent of a flame into the cosmic stream.

  In the breath of silence that followed, a suspicion formed in Justin’s mind. Perhaps the answer to the mystery wasn’t that Ignis had to learn English from scratch.

  I tire of this game. Was he reading too much into it?

  One thing was for sure. There was absolutely no way Ignis could know questions as specific as Justin knew.

  No way, unless he himself was also a Founder.

  There was no other explanation. Ignis was from Earth.

  Yet something didn’t quite add up. Ignis truly did need to learn English; his fumbling with the language had been genuine, at least by Justin’s estimation.

  And if he truly knew English or Zantheran, he could have accessed the Keeper Crystal much earlier.

  The answer to this was simple. Perhaps whoever called himself Ignis had come from a country that didn’t speak English, so his need to learn had been legitimate.

  Justin mourned the fact that he would never learn the full truth now. That was as close as he could figure, but for now, it would remain another unsolved mystery of Eyrth. If Justin was right, it meant there were at least some cases where an Earther might not be human at all. That was important.

  He’d have to ask Emberlyn about Ignis’s origins when he got the chance.

  His thoughts were interrupted when the Keeper Crystal flared to life, bathing the chamber in brilliant blue light.

  [You have passed the trial of Vault of the Lost Expedition.]

  It should have brought a smile to his face, but all he felt was tired.

  Time to get on with the rewards.