by Guy Antibes
Ricky turned and saw Mirano Bespa talking to Siria.
“Can you help here?” Ricky said to the sorcerer-healer.
Mirano turned and beamed at Ricky. “You must make the journey to Duteria. Flying at your age. That’s astounding, but dangerous.”
“I know all about the depression.”
“Flying is the worst.” Mirano grabbed Siria’s hand and squeezed. “I am needed.” He looked at Siria with such intimacy that Ricky felt himself turn red. “Where should I start?”
“The inmate underneath that red cape,” Ricky said, pointing to Gil.
Bespa squeezed Siria’s hand and rushed off.
“Surprise, surprise,” Siria said, hugging Ricky. “I love your surprises!” She kissed him on the cheek. “Who would have thought to combine performance sorcery with battle sorcery?”
“It worked, didn’t it?”
“It knocked me over,” Siria said.
“It did?”
She patted him on the shoulder. “Your destruction spell knocked half the square on their back-ends. If you had been down here, you would have been howling in pain. Mirano watched the show from a safe spot. He was impressed. It’s hard to do. I know, I’ve tried.”
“I think he’s impressed enough with you, Siria.”
“You think?” she said, blushing. “I think I still have more to do here.”
Ricky let her go. He didn’t know enough about healing to help. He walked, encouraging inmates as he went, and entered the barracks. Soldiers and militia both were on the ground, being seen by military healers.
Ricky spotted Merry and Saganet talking to a senior-looking officer.
“You are all right?” Merry said, giving Ricky another hug.
“I am, but I’m getting beaten up by all the hugging,” he said.
“Oh,” Merry giggled. “I even got to help.”
Saganet growled at his sister-in-law. “You shouldn’t have been up on the wall. I told you it was dangerous.”
“Ricky helped shield me from the blast.”
The officer put out his hand. “I’m going to recommend a citation from the King,” the man said. “I’m General Farlotti, Royal Army of Paranty.”
“I’d rather you didn’t, General. I’m Ricky Valian, an inmate of the Applian Juvenile Home, and I don’t want the notoriety.”
“I’m sorry, boy. There were hundreds of witnesses.”
Ricky sighed. He had killed with his magic and without it. He shoved the metal switch that he still held into the general’s hands. “This was Antino Pacci’s.”
“Was?”
Ricky cleared his throat. “A casualty on the battlefield, General. I didn’t kill him; someone with a sword did.”
“You used a sword?”
Ricky took a breath to calm down. “Another man with a sword killed Warden Pacci.”
“Oh, that. We saw it from the wall. Saganet suggested that I follow you through the battle.” The general put out his hand for the switch. “I know of Antino, and I’ve heard of this switch. Can I keep it?”
“That’s why I gave it to you,” Ricky said.
“Your restriction using a metal switch only applied to Tossa, Ricky,” Saganet said. “Anything you did today was in defense of the Crown.”
General Farlotti gave Saganet a shrewd look. “Indeed.”
Ricky could tell both men knew each other well. “I have two requests to make,” Ricky said. “First, the man you saw kill Antino Pacci was forced to fight today. His name is Nemo Mattia, and he did not fight alongside the Duke’s militia.”
“I know Mattia,” General Farlotti said. “If he turns himself in, I’m sure we can work something out. What is the second request?”
Ricky could feel his face heat up with embarrassment. “You heard me promise that the inmates who turned and fought with your soldiers would be freed from the Juvenile Home.”
“Do you think you exceeded your authority?”
Ricky nodded. “I had a different strategy in mind, and I needed something to get them motivated to work with you rather than against you.”
“It obviously worked,” Saganet said.
General Farlotti nodded. “We could see few of the blue coats fighting our soldiers. I will take that up with the King. For tonight, they will remain under guard, but you can spread the word that they can expect shortened sentences, at the very least.”
“Anything you can do,” Ricky said.
“Some will go free, I can assure you.” A messenger gave the General a note. “I believe the Duke has barricaded himself in his palace. Would you like to join us in rooting him out?”
Ricky nodded. “He caused a lot of unnecessary deaths.”
The general cleared his throat. “As well as other things.”
Saganet patted Ricky on the shoulder. “Lots of other things that I’ll tell you about later. I’m tagging along, too, as long as I don’t have to run very far. Let’s get something to eat, first. I believe we missed lunch.”
Ricky looked around the barracks courtyard. “But what about these?”
“You’re a worse healer than I am,” Saganet said as he and Merry limped together. Saganet’s leg hadn’t gotten any better, and Merry’s wound at the hands of Lord Taranta wasn’t fully healed either.
Ricky followed them into a hall. Ricky had expected them to enter the dining hall, but the general led them along a side hall and into a more intimate and private dining room. Seated at the table were Effie Asucco and Nania Sarini, the former warden.
“I’ll let you reunite. I think Saganet told me something about coming to Applia to visit young Valian on Winter’s Day.” He bowed to them and left.
Food came, but all Saganet, Merry, and Effie wanted was Ricky’s report of what had gone on at the Applia Juvenile Home. Warden Sarini filled in some of the blanks, but Ricky ended his report. He looked at the warden.
“Now, something you must promise not to tell anyone,” Ricky said. He looked at Nania who nodded.
“I found a hidden library in the Home’s basement. It served in ancient times as the ducal castle of Applia—”
“Half a millennia ago,” Saganet said.
“The ducal library was in the basement. Somewhere along the way, someone walled off a section of the library. That library contains history texts and sorcery texts.”
“Long before the king’s ancestors burned the old books?” Saganet said.
“Warden Sarini has seen them.”
She nodded and leaned forward. “They are genuine. If they are left where they are, the King will take possession and destroy them.”
“Do you suggest that we steal them?” Merry said.
Ricky nodded. “Tonight before someone is appointed warden. The only other people who know are the other two battle mages. A guard knew, but Pacci had him killed.”
“Should we?” Saganet said.
“Can we?” Effie looked at Nania.
“You should. Keep them at your academy. They belong in a learning institution, not in a home for wayward children,” Nania said.
“So we will cut our stay short. I’ll arrange for a wagon.” Saganet said.
“Two wagons,” Ricky said.
Saganet coughed. “That many books?”
“That many,” Nania said.
~~~
CHAPTER FORTY
~
R ICKY STOOD BY SAGANET AS THEY GAZED upon the barricade the Duke of Applia had set up in front of the palace moat. He had shed his extra clothes and had the gash that Pacci inflicted sewn up. His bottom still hurt the worst.
“Is that too much for you?” General Farlotti said, pointing to the barrier.
“No, I just will need to duck so the sparkles won’t burn me. I can use that wall over there. You can get your troops positioned.”
Ricky walked to the short wall that ran along the moat. A hail of arrows began to descend on him. He shouted protection as the missiles began to hit, and then Ricky immediately cut the spell off before it drained
more energy.
He hummed to get the right pitch and then shouted and threw a gout of flame at the barricade. The result duplicated what had happened at the barracks. Ricky had ducked behind the wall before the globe of flame exploded.
He passed a few birds on the pavement, casualties of his magic. One of them stirred, got to its feet and wobbled a few steps before taking off, hitting a branch of a tree.
Ricky watched as black-uniformed soldiers stormed across the ducal bridge to the palace. Green-clad militia retreated into the palace.
“Let’s go,” General Farlotti said. He passed Ricky, who joined Saganet, jogging with his limp towards the Palace.
Inside, they could already see evidence of the Royal soldiers’ fight with the Applian militia.
“You can go on ahead,” Saganet said, picking up a sword and handing it to Ricky.
He swung it around a bit to get a feel for a very common blade. He nodded to Saganet. “Barely adequate.” He took off towards the fighting.
A cupola crowned the palace, but the floor of the thing started one level up from the ground floor. Ricky ran up the stairs into the vast open room. An arrow slammed into the wall behind him. Another stuck in the cloth of his coat, grazing his left arm. Another cut thought Ricky as he moved back.
“Is it a single archer?” he asked.
The royal soldier nodded. “Giving us fits, he is.”
Ricky hummed and then sang. He stepped out into the circular chamber and looked up after he intoned the spell. The hiss of an arrow reached Ricky’s ears. The arrow was repelled by the spell and hit the archer hard enough to throw him off balance and over the railing, landing on the floor opposite from where Ricky had been pinned.
He let out a laugh and said to nobody in particular. “I didn’t expect to use everything I’ve learned.”
He looked up and saw the Duke of Applia gazing down at him four levels up. Fighting seemed to be taking place on every floor. Ricky held the sword tightly as he invoked another song and flew to the level where the duke stood. It would take too long to move as he flew, so he floated straight up and climbed over the railing directly across from the Duke.
“You vicious criminal!” the duke yelled across the space as Ricky ran towards him. He shook his sword at Ricky.
“Pacci is dead,” Ricky said.
“So what? I own a dozen Pacci’s,” the duke said as Ricky drew closer.
“Reason enough for a death sentence,” Ricky said, staring at the duke.
“And are you boy enough to carry out the sentence?” the Duke sneered. The coarse manners and arrogance together made the man ugly in Ricky’s eyes. Were all nobles so evil? He thought of the noble father he never knew. Was he this bad, too? Would he become like Pacci? Like Pisan?
Ricky recognized where the discouraging thoughts came from, and threw off the creeping melancholy caused by the flying. He glared at the duke as he stalked closer.
Suddenly, green-jacketed militia surrounded Ricky by approaching from the hallway in front and behind him. The duke laughed and tossed his hand casually. “Kill him.”
Ricky had to shout. The world stopped. He pushed the militiamen in front of him down. He did not need to kill them. He looked at the frozen figure of the Duke of Applia; his face seemed too unaffected by the deaths he had caused on Winter’s Day and before. Ricky took a deep breath and ran the mediocre sword through the duke’s chest. It killed him just as dead as something elegant.
“For Henni,” he said, recalling Mattia’s comment as the teacher finished Master Pacci. It didn’t feel right to use his magic to finish the Duke, but his thrust felt just. He didn’t remove the sword. Ricky leaped over the railing and flew to the bottom of the circular hall.
By the time he reached Saganet, he said, “We are finished here, I think.”
“The sword?” Saganet said.
“It found a home.” Ricky walked past his guardian out of the palace. He drew in the chill winter air. A flurry dusted his dark hair as he felt his promise to protect those in the Home fulfilled. It was even worth cutting a few corners with a song or two to do it.
~
Siria sat with Mirano Bespa looking very pleased. Master Mattia appeared and sat next to Warden Sarini, who didn’t seem to mind his presence. Saganet joked with Effie, leaving Ricky to talk with Mistress Merry. As they ate a Winter’s Day meal at Saganet’s inn, Ricky rolled the tastes around in his mouth. He had forgotten how good food tasted.
His guardian had found rooms for all, and Mirano Bespa even had time to work on Ricky’s wounds. Ricky thought that merely sitting at the table spoke to the healer’s skill.
“Isn’t it grand?” Merry said, leaning over to Ricky. “You are free months ahead of time, thanks to the pardon by Warden Sarini, countersigned by Genera Farlotti. Many of your friends survived the day, and Doubli Academy awaits your arrival with great anticipation.”
Not all the inmates were Ricky’s friends, but today was not the time to correct anyone. “You played your part, Mistress Doubli,” Ricky said. “If you couldn’t have linked with me, today would not be one of celebrations, by us anyway.”
The dean giggled a little and patted Ricky on the shoulder. “Of course, of course. But you truly saved your friends.”
“I’ll admit to that,” Ricky said. He looked around the table. None of them paid any attention to his conversation. He shrugged and took another helping of Applia’s famous savory pudding, something Ricky had never tasted before. “What happens now?”
“A question you’ll have to answer along with me. You still have some rather deep gaps in your schooling. Those need to be taken care of.”
“Maybe I can learn Fisttian.”
“Oh, the girl. Corla?” Merry said.
“Kela, Kela Torris.”
“She has spent the afternoon reporting to one of General Farlotti’s men. I haven’t forgotten about her. I sent a message for her to sleep in my room tonight,” Merry said. “The General wanted to treat her to a Winter’s Day dinner with his troops. She did work for the King, after all,” Merry said.
“So you’ve agreed to let her study at the academy?”
“I have. The girl might have to work a bit as you did, Ricky, but she agreed to join us.”
Ricky sighed.
Merry leaned over. “Are you soft on the girl? From what I hear, Loria has spurned you. I asked her if she had anything to tell you when we left for Applia five days ago—”
“Five days? Not six?”
Merry gave him a puzzled look. “We had to fly like the wind since we were a day late leaving, why?”
“I linked with Loria six days ago. I told her to warn Saganet about what was going on. She told me you had already gone.”
“I’m surprised she even talked to you at all. Her full focus is on her boyfriend, I’ve been told.”
Ricky sat back. He could never trust Loria Mansali again. Did she try to punish him by not relaying such an important message? “I feel betrayed,” Ricky said.
“You know you’re not the first.”
Ricky nodded. “Me, then Benno, and then me, again. Who knows who she dumped before she came to the academy? No wonder she didn’t have friends. She is incontinent.”
Merry laughed. “You mean inconstant.”
Ricky realized what he said. “That, too!”
~~~
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
~
N O ONE STOPPED THE TWO WAGONS AND A CARRIAGE rolling through the open gates of the Applia Juvenile Home. Warden Sarini and Master Mattia walked out of the Home together. They walked to the carriage and put their heads in the open window.
“Everyone accepted the temporary assignment to run the Home?” Saganet asked.
Warden Sarini nodded. “The only guards still left watched over the younger children. General Farlotti hasn’t permitted the older inmates back, so other than Building 3 and the kitchen supporting the younger people, the Home is empty.”
“I have nothing I wish to take b
ack from my room.” He looked at Kela seated across from him in the carriage.
“Anything I took with me would be burned when I arrive at the academy.”
Ricky opened the door and jumped out. “Let’s transfer the books.”
Warden Sarini laughed. “That is a much better term than steal. Since my reinstatement isn’t official, I feel okay about this.”
Ricky guessed that she felt a bit of guilt, but both of them knew the books would find a good home in Tossa. He uncovered one of the wagons to reveal boxes. They would be easier to carry down to the library than they would coming back up filled with old books.
He led the way through the doors, down to the library. The four wagon drivers, men recommended by General Farlotti, helped Mattia and the women bring the boxes down while Saganet’s men, the two on the carriage, kept guard.
Ricky opened up the library. He lit a sorcerer’s light and sighed. He would miss this place. He looked at the empty front desk and sighed. Whenever he touched one of the ancient books, he would remember the murdered guard. At least the two men responsible for Henni’s death, along with other innocent guards, were gone, as well.
“Where is the secret door?” Merry said, clapping her hands in anticipation.
“Behind this shelf,” Ricky said as began to remove the books from the bookcase that blocked the entrance.
Once pushed aside, Ricky opened the door and smelled the thicker aroma of old leather, old paper, and old dust.
“Behold,” he said. He half-expected an emptied room, but row after row of old tomes greeted them.
He lit a bright sorcery light.
Saganet picked up a volume and carefully opened it up. “This was written six-hundred and fifty years ago. It’s all like this?”
Ricky nodded and looked around to see if the hired men were in earshot. “It is. We think the King of Paranty wouldn’t hesitate to burn these if he found out.”
“You have that right,” Mattia said. “The quicker we empty this out, the sooner you can be on your way.”
It took them two hours to empty the library and cover the wagons securely again.
Ricky walked with Nania Sarini back down into the library. The bookshelf covered the hidden room again.