“What kind of man are you?” Aedyn asks, jabbing his finger into Marius’s chest. “You gloat about training knights who fight for their kingdom while you lack the courage to fight for your wife and child. If you had a backbone then you would have tried to save mother!”
“What do you know of courage?” the elf contends, smacking Aedyn’s hand away. “You ran away from your life because you hated me. I ran to defend the stability of this kingdom.”
Aedyn grits his teeth and clenches his fist. “You ran to save yourself and you constantly hide your cowardice behind your obsession with your status.”
“Be careful, child. You are going too far,” Marius warns him.
“I have faced monsters that would make you cower under your bed. Nothing you can do will scare me,” Aedyn scoffs with a challenging grin.
“Are you really willing to test your courage against me?” Marius asks. He draws his slender rapier and points it at Aedyn’s throat. A few of the nobles gasp while others drunkenly chuckle at the display. Aedyn can see Nyx about to step in when a hand drops on her shoulder and pulls her back.
“Lord Delone!” Kellia shouts, stepping out of the crowd. “I hope you have a good reason for this. Drawing a blade on one of my personal bodyguards is grounds for an arrest if I choose to do so.”
Marius curses under his breath before sheathing his sword. “My apologies, your majesty, but my son and I have never gotten along. It appears that we never will. Old wounds do not always heal.”
“At least, we agree on something,” Aedyn mutters.
“Enough!” she yells, giving both men a cold, angry stare. “The events of Lady Delone’s death are well documented. You received a public reprimand for your actions and it was written that your status within the kingdom could never increase. That is why you will never be allowed to train the elite guards of Serab and will always be a trainer of beginner knights. I believe your son should be made aware of this since you prevented him from attending the declaration ceremony.”
“I already knew,” Aedyn admits.
“As you can see, he takes some amount of joy in my downfalls,” Marius says bitterly.
“Wrong as usual, old man. I take nothing from your downfalls,” the half-elf states in disgust. He finishes his drinks and casts a spell that sends the empty glasses to the nearest servant holding a tray.
“This is going nowhere,” Kellia sighs, turning to the crowd of nobles and raising her hands for attention. “I request that everyone ignore the situation here and continue to enjoy the party.” The other guests obediently go about their business, leaving Aedyn and Marius to deal with each other.
Minutes pass in silence until Aedyn asks, “Why did you approach me tonight if you knew this would happen?”
“I was asked to relay a message to you from our superiors,” Marius whispers, handing a red stone to Aedyn with a scroll that is sealed with wax. “You are to use this stone of transport at sunrise. Tell nobody what your business is. Be aware that our superiors have some issues with your current actions. Up until yesterday, they were willing to let you go about your business, but it appears that you have done something to annoy them.”
“I was wondering what was keeping them,” Aedyn mutters with an amused, crooked smile. “Another few days and I might have gone searching for our superiors in hopes of getting attention.”
“See that you treat your interviewer with respect,” Marius sternly suggests. “You can insult me all you want, but he deserves your best behavior.”
“I will be as polite as I normally am. Is there anything else?” Aedyn inquires, tucking the stone and scroll into his shirt.
Marius looks Aedyn in the eye and clears his throat. “I wanted to congratulate you on your success.”
“Excuse me,” the priest whispers.
“Things will never be right between us. I admit that I never try to understand why you act like you do,” Marius uncomfortably admits. “So, it is difficult for me to say that I am proud of you. The stories of your battles at Hamilton Academy and along the L’dandrin River have already spread through our organization. I have recently heard that you talked down a Spurge to avoid a battle that would have ruined the town of Vorgabog. It was certainly an impressive feat of cunning and bravery.”
“Thanks, Marius,” Aedyn responds, surprised by the words of praise.
“Well, I must say hello and apologize to Lord Gideon,” states the elf, his discomfort becoming more than he can handle. “Enjoy this party and good luck in the future. I look forward to hearing your tales.”
“That’s your fatherly advice before you leave?” Aedyn questions wryly.
“If you want advice then I don’t have any. All I have is a simple request. Be the man of courage and honor that you thought I was when you were a child,” Marius says before stepping into the crowd of nobles.
Aedyn watches him walk away until he vanishes from view. The priest sighs as he turns his head to look at the detailed picture on the domed ceiling. A mural of elves dancing in a forest below a flight of dragons holds his attention for a few minutes. Another sigh escapes his lips before he reaches for a glass of wine. He takes a final look at the party and slowly makes his way up the marble steps. Only Nyx and Fritz notice him slipping out the doors and into the night.
*****
“Nobles sure know how to throw a party. The food, the wine, and the music are always a delight,” Fritz happily announces.
“I prefer a party with less social purpose and extravagance,” Nyx admits, letting out a small yawn. She fixes her dress as she walks down the hallway with Fritz. “Nobles always find the need to discuss business at these things. Just give me a group of friends and a keg of ale. That’s a real good time.”
“I have to agree,” the gnome states with a laugh. “Nobles can be rather petty and catty, too. That incident with Aedyn and his father being a good example.”
Nyx shakes her head and smiles. “I never imagined that Aedyn was a noble.”
“You and me both,” the gnome says before his voice becomes serious. “I hope he’s going to be okay. That incident brought out a very angry part of him. I have never seen him that angry. Even when he fought the Lich, he was emotionally restrained.”
“Where did Aedyn and Luke run off to anyway?” Nyx asks.
“Aedyn went to cool off, so I’m not going to hunt him down. He will come back when he’s ready,” Fritz calmly answers. “As for Luke, if he is a man of his word then he’s sleeping in a tree instead of his bed.”
“I should have expected that from him. Luke didn’t seem too happy about staying in the mansion. Our trip through the forest probably has him yearning for nature. Forest trackers can be such headaches at times,” Nyx claims, suddenly stopping to fix her dress again. “Much like this damn dress.”
“Having some trouble?”
“These dresses always begin to slip and shift on me by the end of the night.”
“Then, why wear them?”
Nyx gives the top of her dress a violent tug. “They seem to be the only style that I look good in.”
“Maybe you should get a specially ordered dress that doesn’t shift around,” the gnome suggests, already knowing several gnomish seamstresses that Nyx can contact. “You tend to move around more than most nobles. They dance stiffly and stand around while you put actual motion into what you’re doing. By the way, that slap to Sebastian’s head when you spun around was truly a masterful act of subterfuge.” He can see a proud smile appear on Nyx’s face, which she quickly hides behind her hand.
“It was an accident. He spun me without warning and I flailed to avoid falling,” the caster contends defensively.
Fritz gives her a knowing glance, which makes her blush. “Sure you did. And the Lich only wants to take over Kellia’s body for the perk of wearing pretty dresses.”
“You never know,” Nyx states with a silly grin. “The Lich seems stupid enough to make all of these plans around a dress fetish.”
“
Nyx cracking jokes and smiling?” Fritz asks in mock surprise. “Either the end of Windemere is upon us or you had more wine than anyone realized.”
Nyx feels a wave on unease pass through her, but manages to keep her friendly, goofy smile. “It could be both.”
“Given our luck the last few weeks, it wouldn’t surprise me,” Fritz admits, looking tired and old. “I’m starting to miss my days of the classroom. I’m too old to keep up with you youngsters.”
“So, what are you going to do after all of this?” Nyx casually asks.
“I will probably return to the academy. The work is good, I get professional freedom, and it would be a laugh to see Selenia’s face when I tell her about our adventure,” he answers with a happy chuckle. “Besides, it will be a nice change of pace from the chaos and danger that follows the rest of you.”
“No more adventuring for the old man,” Nyx teases him, playfully sticking her tongue out.
“We all settle down at some point, young lady,” the gnome claims, his eyes staring into a distant memory. “I’m sure it will happen to you before you know it.”
Nyx blushes and gives the gnome a warm, friendly smile. “You know, it won’t be the same when you leave.”
“I know. Then again, we don’t know who will be staying together after we get to Gods’ Voice,” Fritz points out. He can feel Nyx slow her pace, but he continues talking. “Nimby might return to Freedom and stay with Myilia. Aedyn might stay at the Durag temple in Gods’ Voice. Fizzle might return to Visindor Forest. It could end up being you and Luke returning to the road by yourselves.”
Nyx looks slightly shocked as she stubbornly argues, “I can see Nimby staying with us since he’s having a lot of fun and he has a close bond with Luke. A thief would never do some of the things that Nimby has done unless there was a deep friendship involved. I can’t speak with confidence on Aedyn after tonight. He might continue with us in order to get away from his old life again. Finally, there really isn’t a way to predict Fizzle. He could leave, he could stay, or he could follow us without our knowledge. For all we know, he is with us more for apples than friendship.”
Fritz sighs and pats Nyx on the hand. “I’m sorry for upsetting you.”
“You didn’t upset me,” Nyx quietly states. “Okay, the thought of all of you going away at the end of this has me worried. I finally have good friends who, apparently, have accepted me, even though I’m a powerful caster. It’s not easy for me to acknowledge that within a few weeks, it will only be me and Luke on the road.”
“Are you happy that Luke is definitely going with you?” the gnome asks curiously.
“Of course, I am. We work very well together and it feels like a strong friendship has grown between us,” Nyx answers with a happy smirk. “Some days I wonder how we got so close, but then I realize it’s just the way he is. Something about Luke eventually puts people at ease and brings out their fun-loving nature. Even that Hellfire Elf acted strange due to its rivalry with Luke. The demon sounded almost mortal in the way it talked to him.”
“I have met many people who can influence the mood and behavior of others without trying. Your little brother is certainly one of them,” Fritz states, a slight mocking tone to his voice.
“You may think that nickname is ridiculous, but it suits him,” Nyx proudly declares, crossing her arms to attempt a subtle dress adjustment. “I think Luke acting like an annoying little brother has helped me avoid being homesick. He’s very sweet and protective when he wants to be.”
“I see Kira has some competition,” Fritz teases her with a lecherous smile. “I hope I’m around for that fight.”
“I’m sure Luke and I becoming more than friends would result in total disaster,” Nyx claims, her fists nervously clenched. “Gabriel only knows how many times I have wanted to set him on fire, especially when he acts like a sacrificial hero. Do you know how many times he’s been a few cocky words short of getting an ass kicking? I think I need to hit something just thinking about it.”
“I was just teasing you. Lighten up, Nyx,” Fritz requests. He gives her a small smack on the hip before he can stop himself. Nyx’s eyes widen and she turns to him with a scary sneer on her face.
“You little . . .” she growls, unable to finish her sentence.
“I forgot who I was talking to and got carried away with the camaraderie. I swear it will never happen again,” the gnome apologizes, stumbling away from her.
Nyx takes a step toward him, but catches her foot on her dress and trips. She flails as she stumbles backwards and hits the wall with enough force to knock the wind out of her. A deep, metallic slam is heard in the walls before Nyx falls through a secret entrance, which opens behind her. Fritz can hear her cursing in multiple languages while she tumbles down the carpeted steps. He watches crystal lanterns light up as she rolls past them.
“Are you hurt?” Fritz calls from the top of the stairs.
He barely hears Nyx whisper, “Come down here, Fritz.”
Fritz starts to walk down the stairs and notices that the walls of the passage are more weathered than the rest of the mansion. Deep grooves appear on random sections of the walls and a foul smell wafts from below. His mouth goes dry when he gets to the bottom of the stairs and sees a large room full of magical components. Shelves and cabinets of arcane supplies line the walls of the circular room. He can see Nyx crouching on the far side of the room staring intently at the floor. It takes him a few seconds to recognize what has her attention. He moves around the edge of the room until he is next to her.
“Is this what I think it is?” he nervously asks.
“This thing is ancient and it smells like dragon blood was used to make it,” Nyx whispers, her eyes constantly scanning the floor. She winces as she rubs her bruised hip and limps around the red symbols, being very careful not to step on any of them. “I never got the hang of reading this language without a translation scroll. The swirling lines that make up the words always made me nauseous. Cyril once said that the feeling was caused more by what the words meant than the actual shape of them.”
“Is this what I think it is?” Fritz urgently repeats himself.
“Yes, Fritz, this is a demon summoning room,” Nyx answers, gingerly touching one of the runes and feeling a pinprick of energy grasp at her finger. “It looks to be done in the ancient tradition when a summoning altar was made to be used an infinite number of times. Modern summoning altars are designed to self-destruct after one use to cover the demon caster’s tracks. I really wonder why there is one below the mansion.”
Fritz struggles to avoid a panic attack before suggesting, “Maybe the Lich has taken over the family and this is part of his trap.”
“I doubt this was made by him. This abomination looks old enough to pre-date the mansion above us,” Nyx says, getting on her hands and knees to closely examine one of the outer runes. “Although, the symbols over here are more recent and look to be draconic glyphs of binding. They definitely smell of dragon blood and that stuff is not easy to get. Most casters have to get it directly from a dragon and the price for a dragon’s blood is nothing short of staggering. There isn’t any way to find it on the black market either. Nobody is willing to sell the stuff since other dragons might find out and get angry.”
“Then, why is this thing here?” Fritz asks.
“I don’t know,” she admits, looking up at Fritz with a worried expression.
Both of them jump when an open palm bangs on one of the shelves. They look up to see Lord Gideon standing next to the doorway. He is leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and the expression on his face is blank while he stares at Fritz and Nyx. After watching them for another minute, he crosses the demon circle and hands them a small note. Nyx looks at him in nervously as he stands among the symbols without any fear or concern.
“Your halfling friend sent a message,” Lord Gideon announces nonchalantly. “He will be staying with Myilia Sharpeye. He believes the manor holds too many items of temptation.�
��
Fritz gingerly takes the note. “Thank you, Lord Gideon.”
“How? What? Why?” Nyx stutters, pointing at the runes.
“This demon summoning room has been in my family for centuries,” Lord Gideon explains without hesitation. “It was here when Freedom was nothing more than an island of farmers who accidentally uncovered it. We believe that this place dates back to the time before the Great Cataclysm. This circle might have been here before the plane of magic crashed into the physical plane, but the point is that it is here and it works. The mansion was built to cover it and give my family easy, solitary access. You two are the first strangers to ever enter this room, which I must say is both impressive and worrisome.”
“Can you tell us why you keep such a thing?” Fritz asks, still avoiding stepping on the runes.
Lord Gideon thinks for a few seconds, carefully considering the gnome’s request. “I don’t see why I should keep it a secret from you at this point. Although, I am surprised a student of Rainbow Tower hasn’t figured out what this room is for.”
“It’s for demon summoning,” Nyx says, suspiciously eyeing the portly man. “This could be strong enough to summon and maintaining control over a Spurge.”
“Yes, but why would I have such a thing?” the noble asks with a smile. He appears to be having fun while Nyx looks around the room and scratches her head.
“Give the girl a hint,” Fritz requests, expecting steam to flow out of Nyx’s ears.
“What are the specialty products of the Silverstar Merchant Company?” Lord Gideon inquires, slightly upset that his guessing game ended so quickly.
Nyx thinks for a few minutes until she gently smacks herself in the head. “Of course! Your company is the top supplier of demon banishing equipment. This must be where you test your products. That explains the binding symbols that have been added to the rune structure. Even if the product fails, the demon has to fight against the bindings to get free. A Spurge would be kept busy for about an hour and a half in this room, which would be more than enough time to get a group of knights or a powerful caster to the mansion. You probably have a special force on the grounds every time you test equipment.”
Legends of Windemere: 02 - Prodigy of Rainbow Tower Page 38