The Abandoned Sorcerer

by Nefarious

  In the middle of the hall spun a large boar, its skin golden-brown with a honeyed lustre. Orion could smell oregano, tomato, marcona almonds, chilli powder, cinnamon, walnuts, and roast pork wafting around him. It was while he was tuning into the orchestra in his nose that someone sat beside him.

  He looked over and saw Kora beaming at him. She wore her maroon cloak except over her head, and while she attracted a few glances, her simple type of beauty wasn’t enough for anyone to make a fuss about. He put on a smile and made small talk with her, asking about her tour of Visgamar. Half an hour passed and the two of them went to the counter, asking for Flynn’s room number.

  The owner swiftly directed them before rushing around the inn again. Outside Flynn’s door, they knocked and shouted. Kora then pushed Orion aside and turned the knob, opening the door. She stepped away and let Orion see.

  Inside, Flynn sat on the floorboards with his head collapsed over the bed. His hands were by his sides and there was Gajoi powder brushed on his clothes, but none on his face. There was a small pool of blood and saliva beside him, trailing from his nose and mouth. While Orion stood with his throat in his stomach, Kora put her fingers around Flynn’s wrist, then his neck. She shook her head a moment later.

  9. Temple

  * * *

  Orion staggered into the room and knelt. Flynn’s eyes were half-open and his chest was still - he had been dead for a few hours. His mouth open, Orion looked at Kora and saw her staring at him, her eyes tinged with worry. Why was she looking at him like that? He put his hand over his face and felt his fingers dampen: he was crying…

  He shook his head. “I’m alright,”

  She placed a hand on his shoulder before walking out. “I’ll tell the innkeeper,”

  Orion got up and followed her. “No, I’ll come with,”

  They went downstairs and found the innkeeper. His face was tinted red and glimmering with sweat.

  Kora got his attention and beckoned him. “Um, our friend, the one in the 12th room, overdosed and died,”

  The innkeeper’s face paled. “Flynn? No, surely not.” He looked at the floorboards and rubbed his forehead. “Look, I’m busy so if you clean out his room, you can have whatever he’s left,” he said, before bowing his head and dashing to another customer.

  They went back upstairs and moved Flynn’s body to the side. Orion searched the drawers but found nothing except the longsword. Flynn’s bag and gold coins had disappeared, maybe bartered for the Gajoi powder. They picked up his corpse and carried it with the sword, exiting through the front door. Some of the inn’s merry-goers seemed shocked but most ignored them, and one bouncer even poked Flynn’s head as a joke, before bursting into laughter with his friends.

  Kora piggybacked the body and Orion held the sword as they headed to the Temple. The moon and stars poorly lit up the inky sky, but luckily, Hexham’s road was well-lit and allowed them safe passage through the city. During his tour, Thimble had mentioned the Temple was close to the Palace, but he hadn’t revealed anything else, most likely not the praying type.

  While treading the stone-laid path, a thought entered Orion’s head.

  “Don’t you think it’s a bit fishy?” he said, wiping away the dried tears.

  “What?” she said.

  “The innkeeper didn’t ask us any questions, and the guards acted carefree about his death,”

  Kora smirked. “You are a bit slow, aren’t you?

  When he faced her with confusion, she continued.

  “Flynn was a Seeker, but his room was basically naked. Nothing there, and even if he had traded his gold coins for powder, where was the rest of it? A gold coin can get you a bagful of Gajoi powder, more than enough for several uses.”

  Orion wondered how she knew such a fact but didn’t comment. Maybe she used to be an addict.

  “Who’s got the best access to Flynn’s room? All the innkeeper had to do was check up on him, see him dead, strip the room of valuables, leave the door unlocked for his friends, and then act shocked at his death. Damn boy, how did you not notice the nutty smell in the inn? Clearly a meeting place for addicts and dealers, probably the innkeeper himself. How did you not even smell the blood on him?” she finished.

  Orion couldn’t bear his curiosity anymore. “How do you know all this?”

  She chortled and bent over, holding her stomach while she shook, precariously tilting Flynn’s corpse. A lifetime later, she stopped and wiped at her tears, before facing Orion. “You’re too good. Where have you been living, some castle? Just spend time without your head up your arse and you’ll learn some common sense,”

  He glared at her, then frowned. She really was laid-back around him, and now he knew why. She believed she was stronger, and apparently more pragmatic, so she didn’t have to worry in his presence.

  “I’m kidding, Jax. Put that pout away,”

  He harrumphed and looked away. They walked the rest of the distance in relative quiet, eventually arriving at the Temple’s gates. A patrol of guards stood at attention by the ornate gates.

  “What is your business here?” a guard asked.

  “We want to cremate our friend,” Orion answered.

  “And the sword?” the guard asked, furrowing his brow.

  “He was a Seeker. We thought it was only right,” Kora said.

  The guard nodded. “A Seeker, eh? A good man then,” He stepped out of the way, allowing the Seekers in.

  The Temple was as grandly decorated as the gate. Large torch fires were scattered every few metres, lighting up the area like in daytime. Pillars of marble stood as tall as dragons and as long as horses. The roof and floor were made of polished marble, reflecting and distorting their faces from many angles. Around the temple were two small waterfalls and oasis-like pools filled with emerald plants. Gold tinted statues were spread over the grounds, mostly small ones of great people, but also larger ones of Kings and Gods embellished with jewels.

  Kora and Orion soon discovered the Temple’s domain was much larger than they had imagined. The building they been in awe over was the Temple’s facade, and through its mouth they could arrive at the actual temples of the three gods praised in the East.

  Orion followed Kora through the right-most corridor and reached Asarte’s temple. In the open hall, scantily dressed priestesses danced in a ceremonial way, hips shaking and steps flowing like water. Behind them stood barely clothed priests, waiting for their turn in the centre. All of them were alluring, their bodies seducing and their speech charming.

  Around the hall, there were clay jugs of wine and bowls of fruits, honey, and cheeses. The side walls led to various rooms, some of them lavishly decorated and soundproof. On the furthermost wall was a statue of Asarte. She was voluptuous, her figure naked, and her legs open. She was the Goddess of desires, and for a small fortune, her clergy would drain your impure cravings and itches, your thirst and hunger, your aches and yearnings, and leave you virtuous and sinless.

  Orion glanced thunderstruck around the hall for a long time, feeling his desires aroused and arrested. This was his first time at an Asartean temple, and now he understood why their creed was the wealthiest and most powerful: they dominated and controlled the mages’ hearts. Even now, he could see various obese mages around, lecherously slobbering over the eye-candy while being pampered by Asarte’s clergy.

  He broke from the spell with a pounding heart and saw Kora beside another corridor, shaking her forefinger at him with a grin plastered over her face. Gulping down his shame, Orion caught up and followed her to the next Temple. While Asarte’s Temple fit Flynn and his death well, they agreed to give him a cremation in honour of his other accomplishments in life.

  They entered Fexa’s Temple, took a quick look, then left. Although her hall was embellished with jewels and silks, it wasn’t half as gaudy as Asarte’s. Her Clergy were robed men and women reciting prayers and listening to the common folk, of which there were many in the hall despite the late hour. Fexa herself was on the furth
est wall, her statue kneeling with her robes flowing around her, her eyes made of diamonds and her hands clasped in prayer. She had a gentle expression and a noble aura.

  She was not a good fit for Flynn.

  The last hall was for Kovas, God of glory, but mostly of violence and destruction. In the middle of the hall was a large pit, stained black and red with blood. It was an arena for the faithful to prove themselves. The clergy wore thin and tight-fitting clothes, their figures toned and slim. All of them had injuries of some severity, and they were almost matches for the Western God Vastya’s clergy.

  Almost.

  Orion and Kora walked past the arena and went to the furthest wall. The statue showed a thinly dressed man holding a sword. He looked plain and unimpressive, unfitting for a God but that was simply the way Kovas had looked. Anyone who had underestimated him for that had died long ago.

  “We want to cremate our friend here,” Orion said to a priest.

  “What right does he have to enter Kovas’s favour?” the priest replied.

  “He was a Seeker,” Kora answered.

  “What rank, strong woman?”

  “2-stars,” she said.

  “But still a Seeker. Do you have payment for his cremation?”

  Orion handed the longsword.

  The priest brought the sword close and sniffed it. “Good. He will die again in our hall,”

  The two of them bowed and left the Temple. Orion was thankful he hadn’t known Flynn well, otherwise, he knew he would have reverted to a weeping fool. They returned to the cold dark of the night and stood in silence for a few moments.

  “Do you want to do a contract tomorrow?” Kora asked, her back to Orion.

  He considered it. While Kora was temperamental and rude, if she actually was strong, then it meant he could jump up the ranks much quicker. Moreover, he doubted she could be as useless as Flynn had been.

  “Us two in a group? Sure. In the building, tomorrow?” he said.

  “Fine, I’ll join you since you asked so nicely,” Kora said while patting his head. She left him there gritting his teeth, reconsidering his choice.

  10. Mission Impossible

  * * *

  Orion spent the night at The Little Sip. This time he didn’t wake up to grunting from the room over, though still groggy from the outside reek. Struggling up, he decided that he would no longer spend his nights at this Inn: although it was the cheapest, he figured he could live more lavishly now that he was a Seeker. Dim light beamed through the window, reflecting his mood. It wasn’t midday yet, so he’d done better than yesterday at least. Within five minutes, he had washed and was ready, his maroon bag slumping over his butt. In it were his finger knife, a med-kit, two gold coins, and a few silvers.

  He slinked through alleys and reached a foggy Hexham’s road, through which he walked to the market. After restocking his dry rations, Orion sold his shortsword for a longer, lighter one, costing six silvers.

  He sat on a bench and wondered whether he should work with Kora. His intuition told him her attitude wasn’t an act meant to bluff, rather she believed herself a dragon and him a sheep. He smoothed his messy black hair and remembered her patting him - the audacity of that girl! Regardless of his peevish mood, he got up and headed to the Seeker’s building. He couldn’t waste any chances he got considering his astronomical goal.

  * * *

  Easing away his creases, Orion walked through the doors. After some thought, he wore a poker face to give Maya no joy in teasing him. If she knew his identity, she wouldn’t even dare think of such provocations. Likewise, if she knew his identity, he was sure to be shackled and sent to the capital in no time.

  “Oh goodie, it’s my favourite Seeker,” she shouted, putting down her book. “Don’t forget humble ol’ Maya when you become famous, young buck. Your lady-friend is upstairs by the way,” she said as he walked past, ignoring her.

  He quickly spotted Kora in her maroon cloak despite the heat inside. Maybe she had some sort of disfigurement? He took the seat beside her and scanned the contracts on the table.

  “One hour,” she said.

  “What?”

  “I thought you wouldn’t show up after asking me here so persuasively,”

  He exhaled and shook his poker face. Maya and Kora were two peas of the same pod; all he had to do was bore them with a blank expression, then he’d be winning.

  She stole his other viable reaction and stared at him unamused. “This is how it’s going to be, eh?”

  When he didn’t break, she nodded her head and acted like nothing had happened. “So, I skimmed through the contracts while you snored in bed and found these. Any which catch your fancy?”

  Orion stopped her. “Too fast. First of all, which of these can you beat?”

  “All the 2-stars.”

  “Then let’s do a 3-star contract. What about this one?” he said, pointing to one for a Spotted arachese. The difficulty in killing them came from their webs, and a simple bit of Szu, albeit disguised as another magic for Kora’s sake, would solve that.

  She looked at him incredulously, then covered her eyes and began to sob. Orion glanced around and saw a few Seekers frowning at him. He had misjudged before; Kora was on a different level to Maya - she could crease his brows a way the other never managed.

  Her sobs turned to sniggers, and she pointed at Orion as if to clarify the situation to any onlookers. “Are you an idiot? Spotted arachese pop out babies like crazy when endangered. While they’re weak, the two of us can’t deal with them and their momma,”

  “I’ve got a crack propagation spell that can deal with that,”

  She patted his head but withdrew before he could slap it. “Unless you’re a Zakari with their Szu, I’m not trusting your weak-ass cracking spells. Otherwise, I’d only trust your magic if you got some serious meat on those bones.

  Orion shook his head. It was natural for him to cast Szu without draining fat through Giah that he had forgotten how the inferior breeds did it. He could disguise his magic, but he wouldn’t be able to mask its power considering his figure.

  “At least you have some sense. What about this contract?” She pointed to a contract about murders in Lesan.

  Lesan was a coastal town that had grown in the way Visgamar hadn’t – through canals. The whole town was passable by boat, but it also had many bridges for the walkers. It had a booming tourism sector, and being nearer the western Empire meant an inflated geographical importance, explaining how the seafarer’s outpost had exploded up so fast. But due to this, it also had a growing underbelly as sailors brought both goods and gangs along.

  “It says the rank rewarded is determined by the monster’s race, as is the money,” he said in a displeased tone. He stressed money, and she bit the bait.

  “Don’t worry, this is definitely a Korshi. Look here on the suspicious deaths: one woman discovered without a stomach and a fractured ribcage – its birth. Two days later, another body found but missing various cuts of meat. Another day later, another similar death. In fact, almost a week of similar deaths- it’s feeding. Then a sudden stop of corpses, so it either got smarter or stopped. I say it stopped; it had enough to make its mask. If we can catch it off guard, it’s an easy kill,” she said.

  He thought back to everything he had read about the Korshi. “If not, we’re in trouble. Especially in a town like that,”

  “We will, don’t worry,” She placed her hands over his and talked in the most pleasing tone. “Korshis are easy; don’t be a pussy.”

  Orion moved his hands. She knew something about it, and she knew something about him, which was why she was pressuring him. Was it that he was a Zakari? He looked at her head on.

  Her lips curled, and her black eyes smiled. “Trust,”

  No, she didn’t know. Maybe she just liked him, after all, he was an actual member of the four great Houses. They naturally had likeable dispositions.

  He nodded. “Fine, let’s do it,”

  She broke into a gri
n.

  * * *

  “Interesting contract,” Maya said, writing their names down on a register. “Two others left to do it two days ago. You’ll get there in time to help them if you leave today, and this contract has groups up to five so it’s fine. If it’s a Korshi, remember to watch for their face muscles – they’ll be all stiff and wrong. If it’s a Laeshi, unlikely, but if it is, retreat and come back here,”

  Her knowledge surprised Orion, altering his image of Maya.

  “And as long as you come back, you know you’ll be getting my naughty reward,” she said with a slow wink.

  His image re-altered. Kora tinkled out laughter. Maya bobbed her eyebrows up and down.

  * * *

  Since they were both ready, they left after buying supplies for the trip. Despite both places being coastal cities, the sea voyage took a month with many trade stops down the route unless you emptied your pockets. Thus, before dusk, they were on a carriage headed to Lesan.

  11. Journey of a Lifetime

  * * *

  The road was bumpy and unregulated, but the journey to Lesan was beautiful nonetheless. The verdant hills rocked hair made of ebony bark and emerald crowns. The sun lent its light to the lands, but the forest refused, the canopies contouring domes of shade. Countless animals thronged the forests and made silence a vain hope, chitters and calls enriching the breeze. The air was cool and scented with acorns, berries, and mud.

  Orion and Kora sat by the edges of a caravan, watching trees flicker past. Seekers received favourable treatment for the daily perils they undertook since the public knew of the forlorn reality they’d be living without these sacrifices. For this reason, and as unpaid protection, the merchant Zerabeil had invited them to travel the journey for no cost.