Quests Volume Two

by Barbara G. Tarn

  He closed his journal after writing down what history he could remember. He'd better bring it tomorrow, so he could jot down dates and places, and then go looking for a map. Maybe there was one or three at the library...

  Keshav blew out the lamp and lay down on his cot. The miniatures of the manuscripts came to life in the darkness, acquiring a new meaning after Aagney's storytelling skills. Sleep won him rather late that night, but he was up early as usual.

  He dressed, shaved and went downstairs to the kitchen to find his landlady.

  "Mrs. Jaya, can you tell me where I can find maps? If I wanted to purchase one, I mean."

  "You reached Godwalkar without a map, what would you need one for?" the woman replied.

  "I traveled with seasoned people on the trade routes, but now I need to see what the world actually looks like to decide what to do next."

  "Oh. I think Babita has maps."

  The woman explained to him how to reach the shop in a nearby street while offering a tray of freshly made biscuits. Keshav ate one as he listened and took one for the road.

  "Thank you, Mrs. Jaya, I'll try to come back on time for dinner tonight."

  It was early, but shops were already opening. The university wouldn't let anyone in for another hour at least, not even if he knocked at the back door. The monks had their morning prayers to the God of Knowledge, Vedas, and the Sun God, Surya, and the chief librarian had never given Keshav a copy of the library's key.

  Keshav looked at the brightly painted signs until he found the shop he was looking for. The shop specialized in maps but also provided potions, trap components and adventuring supplies. It was of average size with the interior sparsely decorated. It was peaceful and smelled of incense, probably because of the morning hour. Maybe the owner cleansed it with incense every morning before starting the day.

  The shopkeeper was a highly attractive woman with light brown hair and blue eyes. She was talking with a male apprentice and sneezed twice as Keshav entered the shop.

  "Open all the windows and get rid of this smell," she grumbled, glaring at the assistant who bowed and obeyed. She turned towards Keshav and smiled. "I'm Babita. What can I do for you?"

  "I'm looking for a map of the lands, all of them, north included," he answered while the young man opened the two front windows and the back door of the shop to let air circulate.

  The shopkeeper sneezed again. "Sorry, I can't stand such smells," she muttered. "They give me headaches."

  "I didn't know, ma'am!" the apprentice apologized for probably the umpteenth time.

  "Right, get out of my sight now," she retorted. The young man rushed out of the back door. "Sorry, sir." She turned to Keshav again. "Maps of Varia, is that what you're looking for?"

  "A map of the world would be great, if such a thing exists," he said.

  "Ah, no, I'm afraid you can find that only at the library. They have big maps of the world somewhere."

  She looked at a shelf and headed straight for a stash of parchments. The smell of incense was soon covered with the scent of dusty paper that Keshav had learned to love. Still Babita sneezed two more times before she stopped altogether.

  "Here it is." She pulled out a big parchment with what looked like a big island and a few smaller ones. "This is Varia." She pointed at the main land on the map. "We are here."

  "Where is Delen? And the Islands Empire?" he asked, leaning over the counter to give a closer look at the map. Luckily a ray of sun entered the shop and reached the counter where Babita had put down the maps.

  She pointed and he marveled at how small the Islands Empire looked, compared to what she called Varia. As he studied the big map, she pulled out another that was a closer look at the continent, mostly the southern kingdoms and the Central Massif.

  "Do you have anything of the north?" he asked, since he was familiar with maps of the south, having seen a few in the libraries he'd visited in the past five years.

  She raised her eyebrows and nodded. "Where are you from? Delen?"

  "Yes, well, my father is from the Islands Empire," he answered while she shuffled parchment in search of what he was looking for.

  "I thought so," she said. "I can't find it right now, but I know I have one. I do trade with the north and speak their language. What are you looking for up there?"

  "The Genn cities."

  "You mean the ruins of the lost Genn cities? I doubt they're on any map." She shook her head. "Those kingdoms fell over four centuries ago."

  "I think I can find them by studying some manuscripts at the library," he said. "Please, when you find that map of the north, take it either to the library or to the Sour Stallion. I'm Keshav, the Amrendran scholar."

  "Will do, Keshav," she said, staring at him.

  "Thanks." He left the shop and headed for the university, pondering.

  Since there was no trade between Amrendrans and Gallians, he was surprised to hear there was some between the Gajendrans and their northern neighbors. He'd have to find a guide or someone who could take him there – maybe Babita herself.

  The southern kingdoms were well connected, but that wasn't really the case with the lands north of the Central Massif. Between an artery of roads and waterways, goods and people circulated widely in the south, but not so much in the north. He had used mostly waterways, but had seen the main paved roads leading away from the cities.

  Keshav was more and more curious to learn something of the northern countries, and wondered if there was anything about those places in the library. He entered the university compound, heading for the library.

  Maybe the chief librarian could help him once more in his research. Gajendra was close enough to the north to have at least heard rumors... otherwise he'd go back to Delen and try to find out something on the Gallian border.

  ***

  Babita stared at the back of the first customer of the day, thoughtful. Funny how some people suddenly found an interest in the north. The foreign scholar seemed to be looking for a treasure trove, as if he was certain there would be artifacts and other interesting traces of the Magical Races in whatever was left of their cities.

  Babita had seen the north – at least part of it – in her travels, and never saw anything that even remotely reminded her of the Genn culture. There was more in Godwalkar than up north. But she wasn't going to deter a prospective customer.

  She sighed and realized the smell of incense was finally gone. Good. She shuffled the maps again, looking for one of the northern territory. She even went back to the shelves, but she must have misplaced it. Or maybe sold it?

  "Vikram!" she called.

  The apprentice appeared from the back door, still looking guilt-stricken. She wished she could find a less devoted assistant who wouldn't spray her shop every morning for good fortune. The young man was smart and a very good accountant but his bigoted family had trained him to pray too much. He should probably enter a monastery instead of bothering with business.

  "Did you sell a map in the past week?" she asked.

  "Yes, ma'am, two, actually," he said. "It's in the books."

  He pulled out the accounting book and showed her the entry. The purchase included the map of the north. She cursed under her breath.

  "If it wasn't for sale, you should have told me!" he complained, expecting another scolding.

  "No, no, it's fine," she grumbled. "What's this sudden interest in the north anyway?"

  "It was a merchant who wanted to try a new trade route," Vikram said.

  "Makes sense, but what does a scholar want from the north? Going looking for ruins seems like a wild goose chase to me!"

  "Maybe he's a treasure hunter," Vikram said, relaxing slightly.

  She snorted and shrugged. "I might have another, but it will take all morning to find it. Take care of the shop, will you?"

  "Yes, ma'am."

  Babita went to a wooden chest of papers and started rummaging in there. Born thirty years earlier in Delta City, Gajendra, she had inherited her late husban
d's shop in Godwalkar and swore she'd never obey any man again – except it wasn't so easy to get rid of her husband's family.

  Her mother-in-law still dictated much of her life and she had had to hire her nephew as assistant after her husband's death. Maybe the handsome scholar was right. Maybe the ruins of the Genn cities of the north hid some treasure that would allow her to buy her own shop and get rid of her mother-in-law's influence...

  If she didn't find another map, she could surely draw one herself, at least up to Konigtown!

  CHAPTER THREE

  Keshav entered The Sour Stallion Tavern still lost in thought. For three days he'd been studying all that he could find about the elusive Magical Races, both with the help of the chief librarian and by listening to Aagney's stories. He'd seen a map of the world at the library but he wasn't sure he knew enough to start the journey.

  Not many merchants traded with the north. The roads weren't safe. Mostly there were no roads. It was easier to trade with coastal towns, but the Genn kingdoms had been inland, therefore in mostly hostile territory.

  He had discovered the Genn had been present when the kingdom of Gajendra was founded, but had vanished since. Obviously they still felt burned by the Moren Empire and the spell they had helped create for the succession. Gajendra had a dynastic succession not based on any spell, but still, the Genn must have had enough of monarchy.

  Keshav was curious to hear about other forms of government. The southern kingdoms were similar in their traditions, and he wondered what happened in the north after the collapse of the Moren Empire. His father had told him how things worked in the Islands Empire – the bureaucracy was similar to the one enforced in the southern kingdoms – but apparently things were done slightly differently in the Moren Empire.

  And there were the lost cities and their treasures – artifacts, books, things that could tell the story of a race that looked mostly Human but could handle magic as if drinking water. The chief librarian had showed him a book with reproductions of paintings and tapestries that were inside the royal palace and represented the Genn mingling with the first royal family.

  "Again looking for information?" The bartender shot him a mischievous smile. "When will you pay me?"

  "How much do you want?" he asked.

  She pretended to think about it. "I want a kiss on the lips for every new piece of information I give you," she answered leaning over the counter to show off her cleavage.

  Keshav gulped and looked away.

  "Ah... I see... what's your name?"

  "Zoya."

  "Zoya, don't you think you're behaving like a whore? What would your father or husband say about it?"

  She raised her eyebrows and straightened, putting one fist on her hip.

  "My, aren't we uptight, my noble scholar! You must be used to virgin brides, even if you've never had one yourself, am I right?"

  Keshav cleared his throat and glared at her. Obviously the lower classes didn't make such a fuss about the bride and groom being virgins on their wedding day.

  She shrugged and crossed her arms on her bosom. "My father doesn't care and I don't have a boyfriend at the moment, so who's going to complain if I kiss someone? But if you feel ashamed to show such intimacy with a woman in public, you can always come with me to the stables, where nobody would see us."

  "I'd rather not," he snapped, jarred. "I don't need any information today, I just came here to meet someone."

  "Mm, more non-paying patrons." She snorted and shooed him away. "Well, go sit somewhere and wait for your someone! I'm busy here."

  There wasn't anyone at the counter, but Keshav got the hint and looked around for a table where he could wait for Babita. The shopkeeper had sent him a note saying she had found a map of the north and would bring it to the Sour Stallion at lunch time.

  Aagney was still telling one of his stories to a cheerful audience and Keshav listened in, pulling out his journal to check his notes. The smell of food from the kitchen made his stomach rumble. He hadn't eaten, too engrossed in his research, and wondered if he had enough money to buy one of the dishes.

  He signaled the scrawny teen boy who served tables and asked him for the menu. It was written in an ornate hand and had limited variety, but the pricing seemed fair and the smells... He wasn't going to order a boar like Aagney had done, but maybe he could try the lamb with rice. Or maybe just bread and cheese, since Mrs. Jaya's cooking was probably better than the tavern's.

  He ordered his cold meal with water and watched other patrons drink their soup from cups or eat from wooden dishes. Every person had their own knife, including him. Zoya brought him a tray of bread and cheese and shot him an approving look. It was the first time he ordered something at the tavern and he hoped he wouldn't have to pay in kisses.

  "Two coppers," she said. "Would that be all?"

  "Would you have some honey?" he asked, testing the smelly cheese odor.

  She seemed about to say something but closed her mouth and nodded. She brought the honey without further attempts at seducing him.

  Babita entered the tavern and he waved at her with his knife in his hand. He finished putting honey and cheese on the bread as she sat in front of him with a huff. She put a folded parchment on the table and pushed it towards him before turning to the bartender.

  "Zoya, can I have some sweet cheese and bread?" she called.

  This time it was the teen boy who brought Babita's food.

  "Thank you, Sachit," Babita said. "Won't you look at it?" she asked Keshav.

  "Not while I'm eating," he answered. He hated seeing drops of food on manuscripts and other written papers.

  "Oh. All right."

  They both ate in silence while Aagney finished his story to thundering applause. Then, to Keshav's surprise, the Storyteller declined all invitations and came to sit next to him, with a bag full of parchment that ended up on the floor.

  "Mind if I join? I wouldn't mind listening to your stories while I eat," he said, winking at Keshav.

  "I don't have stories..."

  "Of course you do. What else did you discover today about the Magical Races?"

  Keshav gathered his ideas and glanced at his notebook while Aagney called for a couple of rabbits for lunch, quick since he was so hungry he could eat them raw. Babita wrinkled her nose at hearing that and Keshav almost choked on his last bite of bread.

  After drinking a full goblet of water, Keshav told Aagney what he had found while opening the folded parchment Babita had brought: the map of the northern kingdoms, although it looked quite empty.

  "I drew it from memory," she said with a shrug. "I've been to Konigtown a few times with my late husband, and I could take you there, if you want. We have an associate there with whom we trade every year, and he can take us around what used to be Rayheart."

  "Sila maps are more accurate," Aagney commented, checking over Keshav's shoulder. Then Sachit brought his food and he concentrated on the wooden plates filled with chopped meat mixed with vegetables.

  Babita glared at the storyteller, and Keshav shook his head, amused.

  "Maybe you could copy a map for me?" he suggested to the merchant. "I tried, but I don't seem to be very good at it. I found a Sila map in one of those manuscripts, but I can't pull it out of the book for my purposes."

  "Oh, I'll be delighted to copy from somewhere," she answered, brightening. "But what does Sila map mean?" she added, frowning again.

  "The Sila are Air's people," Keshav explained. "They have wings and see the world from the sky, so they can draw very precise maps."

  "But they don't write, so any writing you see on there is done by Genn," Aagney added between bites. "Or Humans sometimes."

  "Would you by any chance know where those cities stood?" Keshav asked him.

  Aagney pretended to be too busy eating to answer. Keshav had noticed the Storyteller could be very mysterious when he didn't want to answer. Sometimes he talked in riddles. Keshav had learned more by talking with the chief librarian than with Aag
ney.

  "That's what I thought," he muttered, staring at the map again.

  "That's a long trip and it's not safe," Babita said, serious. "There are no highways, no patrols. No tolls or borders either, but still... we should probably hire someone to protect us."

  "What are you looking for and where are you headed?" The voice startled Keshav and Babita.

  "Outside of our borders, your highness," Babita answered with a curt head bow.

  It was the elegant mercenary Keshav had already noticed in the tavern. So his assumption that the young man was actually a prince was correct. The warrior rolled his amber eyes and sat next to her.

  "Please, Rohan is enough," he muttered. He looked Keshav in the eye. "You seem very interested in Genn history," he said. "How come? Where are you from?"

  "Amrendra. I saw the manuscripts the royal family donated to the university library and was fascinated by the Genn miniatures and the reproductions of paintings hanging in the palace."

  Rohan scoffed. "Ah, yes, there's one in my father's great hall too. We seem to be very proud of our origins, although I doubt we have any of their blood left."

  "You still have some," Aagney said absentmindedly. "It's very diluted, of course, but you all show your Genn ancestry."

  Rohan shrugged. "They're long gone, why do you want to find their lost cities?" he asked Keshav.

  "Because I think we could find treasures of art in those ruins," he answered. "And maybe answers to some questions. Even though we have moved on without them, maybe they can teach us something?"

  "They're definitely more long-lived than Humans," Aagney commented without looking at anyone in particular. "Which doesn't mean they're as long-lived as Fajrulo, so you won't find the original Genn who founded Godwalkar anymore, but their grandchildren are probably still alive."

  "Fine, I'll come with you," Rohan said.

  Babita stared at him wide-eyed and the bulky guard sitting at a nearby table cleared his throat, obviously disapproving.

  "What?" Rohan glared at the guard. "I need to get away, all right?"

  "Your father won't allow you," the guard warned.