by Allan Joyal
"Back up this road?" the man asked gruffly.
At my nod he shook his head. "At least two bandit groups are fighting over that wilderness. They left me alone because I was flying my trade union flag." He pointed to a banner that was dangling from a pole set in the front of the cart. It hung limp in the wind, but I could see some colorful embroidery on the fabric.
"What are the groups?" I asked. "Is there a way we can try to punish them?"
"Can't really do much unless you are leading an army," the merchant said. "As for the groups, I can think of a couple that I heard were in this area. One calls themselves the Wallen Forest Hoods. No one is sure who their leader is, but they had a lot of fairly good archers in their group. Someone said that many are descendants of the villagers from around Lakverd. The dragon didn't kill everyone, but no town accepted all of the refugees. The other group was probably Paublin's group."
"Paublin?" I asked.
"He was a noble. From the Danute Dukedom if I remember correctly. Small holder, had a tower keep and was in charge of a village. About three years ago Duke Jestin Danute the Fifth declared him outlaw for failure to pay his liege-geld. Paublin summoned his men-at-arms and used his troops to sack the village before vanishing. Since then, his army has been fiercely trying to find some unclaimed land they can conquer."
"And with the region we were travelling through having been turned into wilderness by the dragon's visit, it's perfect for his needs," I said with a nod. "Either group establish any villages?"
"Nope," the old merchant said. "They have camps, but nothing permanent yet."
Heather looked confused. "So why did we get attacked?"
The merchant glared at her. "Inquisitive, I see. You should sell or trade this one. In the small towns the men don't like talkative doxies."
"Why you!" Heather screamed. I grabbed her around the waist as she lunged for the merchant.
"Heather! Calm down!" I shouted. "Al, Steve! Get over here!"
The two men arrived quickly. Heather was clawing at my arms, trying to force them apart so she could charge at the merchant, who watched the fight with an amused smirk on his face.
"What's the problem?" Al asked.
"Take Heather behind the cart and keep her there until she calms down," I said as I pushed her toward Al.
Al wrapped his arms around her. She fought him as he stopped walking and held her. I dashed off to catch up to the merchant, who continued to walk down the road.
"What happened?" Steve asked as we approached the cart.
"The merchant made a comment that Heather didn't take very well," I said. "I thought it best if she not listen to him more."
"She's going to be mad at you," Steve said.
I shrugged as we finally caught back up to the merchant. The amused smirk returned. "That's a fine and spirited doxy. I'm surprised you haven't worked harder to break her."
I shook my head and put a hand on Steve's arm. My friend hissed and made a fist, but calmed down a moment later.
"There are reasons I would never do that," I told the merchant. "I do want to thank you for the information you provided."
"You going to pay me for the information?" the man asked.
"The only payment I'll offer is to help pull your cart," I said. "And that can only work if you stop insulting the ladies in my group."
"Ladies?" the merchant asked as he looked over his shoulder. The women in our group were now walking some distance behind the cart. "Those are ladies? I've never heard of a lady being part of a trading party. Not unless she was some noblewoman and was riding a horse."
"We come from a land beyond your oceans," I said. "In our land, women are considered the equal of men. They own and operate their own trading companies. They even serve in our army. These women with me are ladies in every sense of the word."
The merchant looked surprised. "Well, it makes no difference to me. I got a widow friend in Academy City who will be putting me up for the winter."
He looked over at Steve and me. "Why don't you run along? I can get to the city by myself. But you might make it before lunch if you push the pace a bit."
I nodded and then waved to the rest of the group. "We're about two hours from the city!" I cried. "Let's see if we can be there in time for a hot lunch at one of the taverns."
The girls gave a ragged cheer as Steve and I sped up and left the merchant alone. The others surged around the merchant. I noticed that Al had his arms around Heather, and he kept between her and the merchant as they moved to join me ahead of the cart.
The merchant nodded to Henck and Al, but ignored the ladies as they caught up to Steve and me. With him clearly unwilling to accept our help or say more, I sped up our pace and we continued down the road.
Chapter 25: Academy of Do Nothing.
My stomach was just starting to grumble when I noticed movement ahead on the road. I slowed slightly only to realize that the movement was a flag fluttering in the faint mid-morning air. The road was cresting a small rise, and it soon became clear that the flag was flying from the top of a stone tower.
"Is that the city?" Heather asked.
The base of the tower came into view and we could see the stone walls that spread out behind it. "The city or a very out of the way fort," I said.
"Hot food and maybe a bath!" Esme cried. "That's what I want."
"I want to go home," Lisa mourned as the pace of the group picked up.
I tried to gauge the distance. The road was following some undulating hills, and I could see at least two more rises before we would reach the gate. "We've got more than a mile to go," I warned the girls, who were starting to sprint forward. "Let's go slow; we'll be there in a short time."
Jennifer and Lydia both stuck their tongues at me, and I heard a raspberry from behind me where Al was walking, but everyone slowed back down. Steve moved up to my left as we started down towards the next hill.
"Worried?" he asked me.
I nodded. "There is a lot that can go wrong. And we have no idea what kind of reception we'll get."
The road was descending into a gully before it crested the next hill. The hill started to block the road as we continued forward. We were just about to lose sight of the gates when they opened and several men on horseback rode out. They disappeared behind the hill as they followed the road.
"Incoming!" I warned as I dashed to the front of the group. I gripped the spear with both hands and dropped it from my shoulder, angling it so the blade was head-high in front of me.
Steve and Henck joined me in the front as Lydia paused and strung the crossbow. She did not immediately load it as she ran to catch up with me.
"Should I shoot first?" she asked.
"Against men on horseback?" I asked in shock. "Not unless you want the rest of them to run us down. Let's see if they are even after us first."
We continued on the road, dropping into the depression and losing sight of the men on horseback. Everyone was silent as we listened for the sound of hoof beats. Finally, the road reached the bottom and started back up. Ahead, the hooves of the horses could be faintly heard.
Lisa gave a terrified sob behind me. I looked back to see Victoria putting an arm around the frightened woman. She whispered in her ear and encouraged her to keep up with the rest of us as we climbed the hill.
At the top, I put my hand in the air. We halted on the road and then moved off the road to the left. The hoof beats were growing louder. Ahead, we could see the horsemen crest the final hill before the city and continue to advance on us.
"Here we go again," Steve muttered.
We waited and watched as the horsemen continued to advance. As they got closer all but one slowed up so that the leader was nearly one hundred feet ahead when he approached us. He was carrying no weapon as he pulled his horse to a halt.
"Who among you was brought to this land by a magic box?" the man asked.
I stepped forward. The rider looked at me and then looked over my shoulders at the others.
"Only you?" he asked.
"No," I said. "Most of us came to Jord through the magic box as you call it. But if there is to be a punishment for it, I'll take responsibility for my friends."
The man snorted. "Punishment? I know nothing about that. I was merely ordered to bring you before Grand Wizard Cerlonin."
"About?" I asked.
The man drew his sword and pointed it at me. "Such information is not important. Cerlonin said he wanted to meet with any who came through the magic box. Since you won't indentify who in your group belongs, you will all come with me."
The other riders spurred their horses, encircling us and drawing their swords. Behind me, I could hear Lydia slam the crossbow into the earth.
"Don't bother, Lydia," I called out. "They already have us surrounded. Let's go with them and see what this Cerlonin wants."
I looked back and watched as my friends shifted uncomfortably. The riders behind us moved their horses forward, pressuring everyone to start walking. Shaking my head, I turned around and stepped forward onto the road under the watchful eye of the lead rider.
His horse snorted and sidestepped out of my way as I resumed the walk towards the Academy. Once I was clearly moving, he spun his horse and guided him off the road.
I could feel the presence of the riders as we walked the last mile or so to the Academy. They kept away from the group, riding close enough to be intimidating without coming into contact with us. I tried to look at a couple, but the unyielding stares I received in return were unsettling, and I finally turned to concentrate on the road ahead.
Our path took us down through one final set of hills. As we crested the final rise, we were finally close enough to get a good look at the tower and what it hid.
The tower stood several stories tall, rising well above the plains. A few narrow windows could be seen on the upper half of the walls, but the only opening at the base was single archway. I could see a series of metal spikes protruding downward from the stonework at the top of the archway. On the ground, two uniformed guards stood in front of the walls, examining people as they approached.
I felt a hand on my right shoulder, and then a body pressed against my back. I looked back to find Heather cowering against me. "What happened to the spitfire from earlier?" I whispered.
"She didn't have a dozen men carrying swords staring at her," Heather whispered back. "Ron, what's going to happen to us?"
"I don't know," I admitted as we approached the archway.
Two of the riders suddenly shot forward, their horses galloping through the archway. The guards stepped out and blocked one side of the opening, guiding people through the other side and looking at us with considerable interest.
Gasps could be heard from the rest of the group as the other horses sped up and crowded us. I increased the group's pace slightly. As we continued forward, the riders used their horses to shift our path to the right, until we had left the road and were walking on the verge. A few people stopped to watch us.
One of the guards lowered his spear and shifted his stance. He appeared tense, and I noticed that I still had my own spear lowered. I pulled it back and placed it over my shoulders behind my neck. Behind me, I could hear some grunts.
"Henck and Steve just put their weapons away," Heather told me as the guard relaxed slightly. He kept the spear down and waved us towards the wall as his partner continued to watch people pass through the archway.
We lined up against the wall. The one guard walked over to one of the horsemen. "Orders?" he demanded.
The horseman looked down at him. There was a moment of silence and then with a loud rasp the man spat at the feet of the guard. "None of your business, but Grand Wizard Cerlonin wants to see them."
"They are travelers, approaching my gate with weapons. That is my business," the guard snapped.
"They are four men accompanied by a bunch of bitches," the horseman said. "They aren't threatening your precious gate."
"Bitches?" Heather hissed threateningly.
I grabbed Heather with my left hand as Victoria dashed over to restrain her. Heather calmed quickly, but I heard a grunt from Hencktor and looked over to see him wrestle the crossbow from Lydia's hands.
Stepping forward, I glared at the rider. "Look, we came peacefully despite the fact that we don't know your Grand Wizard. Could you do us the favor and not call the ladies with me bitches."
The rider spat at me. "I'll call them whatever I damn want. I only answer to the Wizard's Council."
"Then you'll listen when I tell you to go to the barracks and put yourself on report," a new voice rang out.
I looked my right to see the speaker. There was a tall man standing in the center of the archway. He wore a top hat and suit that would have fit in perfectly had the man been walking down Wall Street during the Civil War. The man had a bushy beard that was just turning gray and was carrying a staff of gnarled wood.
The man was staring at the rider, who sat silent on his horse.
"Well?" the man in the suit said.
The rider kicked his horse. With a trumpet of surprise and pain, the horse jumped forward and dashed through the archway, nearly unseating the man. A couple of the other riders laughed as he vanished from sight.
The man in the suit turned his gaze on the rest of the squad, who quickly decided to follow their friend. They kept a bit more control over their mounts as they vanished into the city. Once the last one was out of sight and the echo of his horse's hooves was fading into the distance, the man left the archway to approach us.
"Sorry about that," he said. "The troops we have are good when defending the city or a party of wizards heading out to gather materials, but they have become a bit arrogant. We merely asked them to bring you to the Academy."
I shrugged. "We weren't expecting a parade when we arrived. Why did they stop us?"
The man frowned. "The Wizard's Council was trying to avoid any altercations with the citizens of Academy City before they talked to you. There are some... problems regarding your presence on Jord."
Heather stepped away from the wall, a wicked smile on her face. "So you're saying that this Grand Wizard Cerlonin wants to meet us, and he's in charge of this Wizard's Council?"
The man nodded. "Yes."
I heard muffled giggles from the other coeds. Heather just smiled wider. "In that case," she replied sweetly, "take us to your leader."
Al and Steve fell over laughing as Heather smiled at the man. I just shook my head and moved away from the wall.
"Sorry," I whispered to the man as the laughter continued. "I can't explain our humor or why that has everyone laughing, but we'll be ready to go in a moment."
The laughter died down. Heather dashed over to throw her arms around me. "Ron! That was so much fun. Can I do that again?"
"No," I said firmly. I tried to frown, but Heather's mood was contagious, and I resorted to giving her a long and loving kiss while the rest of the group got to their feet and moved from the wall. Occasional titters continued, but it appeared that everyone had their emotions back under control.
"We're ready," I said to the man in a suit. "I guess we follow you."
The man sniffed. "If you'll follow me," he said as he turned and marched through the archway.
I led our group in, staying close to the official who guided us inside. The man was walking stiffly, his back ramrod straight, and each step almost measured. Heather noticed this and started whispering "Left, left, left, right, left" like a drill sergeant, her words in perfect time with his footsteps. A couple of the others giggled at this, but we managed to keep up with the man as he led us through the short passage and into the city.
To my surprise, the streets of the city were cobblestoned and clean. Four wide avenues led away from the gateway. Each one was lined with two story stone or brick buildings. The man chose the second street from the left and led us down it. People scrambled out of his way as we followed down the road.
As we left the gateway, merchants began shout
ing at us from the ground floors of many of the buildings. Many had small displays just outside the doors of their buildings. The pace we were maintaining prevented me from taking a closer look, but it was clear that many of the merchants sold exotic items. The man ignored these and led us onwards.
We had passed three side streets before I could see a large building on the left side of the road. The walls were taller than any other building. There was a corner tower that appeared to be about four stories tall, and the walls radiating from the tower were three stories tall. From the tower we could see sparks of light soaring high into the morning sky.
"I'm guessing that the tower is part of the Academy," I said to Heather.
She looked up at the sparks. "That or someone has some really lousy fireworks," she said with a giggle.
We were so entertained by the sparks that I missed the man turning to the left and walking to a door. He brought us to a halt by coughing loudly.
"Sorry," I said as we stumbled to a halt.
"If we can proceed," the man said poisonously. "We should not keep the Wizards Council waiting any longer than absolutely necessary."
With a sigh, I approached the door. The man opened it and stepped inside. I could see him say something before the shadows hid him from view.
I followed him through the doorway. As I did, I found a servant wearing a green tunic over black tights holding the door open for us. The room itself was dark and windowless. The only light in the room was provided by Arabic style oil-lamps that also produced billows of oily black smoke and a noxious stench. I covered my mouth and followed the suited man as he left the room through a doorway set in the far corner from the entrance.
Gagging sounds behind me alerted me to the fact that the others continued to follow me. I sprinted the short distance to the next doorway and stepped through.
The doorway led to a large courtyard. I stepped to the side and paused, watching the man walk toward a stone circle set near the center. I could see three men standing and waiting there.