The Wandering Inn_Volume 1

by Pirateaba

  Magnolia eyes me sternly, as if I’ve missed the point.

  “Everyone loses. Don’t you understand? If it becomes an issue of numbers, then the most numerous races will conquer the others. If the balance of power is upset so far, then it will be a war where guns become the only meaningful value. As it is, an army with guns would be a significant threat, but one any world power would be able to deal with.”

  She sighs.

  “But only if it were an army. If guns were commonplace? In time, guns would dominate everything. In time. A nation able to manufacture more arms of a better quality would inevitably defeat the others. It will lead to a war to end all wars, where the victor will stand upon the corpses of all.”

  My blood goes cold as I think of that kind of war. That’s what I envisioned as well. True, there might be ways to change such a war, but in the end it would just be an arms race, and countless battles where people with guns fight people with swords. A bloodbath.

  Lady Magnolia seems to agree. She shakes her head.

  “What a pointless war. It will occur if word of this technology spreads. A war with your world is one thing; if it occurs it will be inevitable. But if I can, I will prevent this world from seizing such dangerous weapons.”

  Can I trust her? I don’t know. But Magnolia seems to have thought this through. She looks at me, and I feel the weight of her gaze pressing down on me, trying to force me to tell the truth, to speak.

  “So, here is my most pressing question, one which I believe you will answer. How long will it take for these dangerous weapons to be developed? If one of the people from your world were to cooperate—or give up such information to a powerful individual or nation, how long would it take for them to engineer such inventions?”

  The question catches me off guard. For a second I’m not sure if I should answer it. But from what Magnolia’s said—I do some quick calculations. I’m obviously not an expert in firearms, but let’s think about it rationally. If someone needed to find all the ingredients of gunpowder, sulfur, saltpeter, charcoal—and secure them as a long-term resource…testing…building prototypes…

  “You could probably have a prototype gun ready in less than a month if you had a kingdom’s worth of resources at your disposal. But a gun that’s ready for war? A proper gun? An army? That would take years.”

  The more dangerous route would be a cannon. That’s easier to make, honestly. I share that with Magnolia and she nods thoughtfully.

  “A cannon? Intriguing. But if that’s anything like a trebuchet, it’s not as much of a problem.”

  She’s so…calm about this. I just stare at Magnolia, a woman unafraid of guns or cannons. She stares back.

  “Well, a year is more than enough time for me to locate any signs of manufacturing. But just to be sure—name one of the components of this ‘gunpowder’ for me, if you would.”

  Instantly, I shut my mouth. Magnolia just sighs loudly.

  “Don’t be obstinate. I said one component. I am hardly inclined to go around searching for how to make the stuff if I could just torture it out of you. And since I am not going to…”

  She’s right. I have to trust her. Reluctantly, I open my mouth.

  “Sulfur.”

  Both of Magnolia’s eyebrows shoot upwards. She exchanges a glance I can’t read with Ressa.

  “Ah. That’s troubling.”

  “What? Why’s that?”

  The woman just stares at me and raises an eyebrow again.

  “If I told you, could you even help? No? Then I won’t.”

  That—she knows something, doesn’t she? Someone’s already making a move on sulfur! Does that mean the secret’s out? Can she stop it? My head’s racing, but the cooler part of me doesn’t panic. Magnolia’s right. I can’t do anything. I have to…trust her.

  Trust that she’s telling the truth. So reluctantly I put that out of my mind and stare at Magnolia. Everything seems, well, good so far.

  That’s worrying. I can’t have been called here just to talk about weapons and how useless they might be right now. No—there’s something else.

  “Is that it? If you don’t want weapons, then why am I here?”

  Magnolia pauses as she reaches for the tea pot. Ressa, gently pulling said pot out of Magnolia’s reach, meeting her mistress’s gaze.

  “Was that a foolish question, do you think, Ressa?”

  “It seems reasonable to me. She does not know you.”

  “Ah, well, we’ll let it slide.”

  Magnolia turns back to me and gives me a beaming smile.

  “Of course you’re not here just to talk about weapons, my dear idiotic Ryoka. But I thought it would be best to set your mind at ease first.”

  “I’m going to ignore that. Once.”

  “How intelligent. Now, would you like to ask the obvious question? I promise I won’t order Ressa to hit you.”

  “Fine. Why am I here? What do you want to know?”

  Magnolia smiles at me. Her eyes sparkle, and she sits up, the very image of a dignified [Lady]. Her reply is quick, decisive, insane.

  “Ice cream.”

  “What?”

  There must have been something in the pot. That’s why Ressa’s engaged in a silent tug-of-war with Magnolia. Or else she just doesn’t want her boss’s teeth to fall out. But Magnolia abandons the tea pot to look seriously at me.

  “I just want ice cream. And cake. We have some types of cake—not nearly as good as yours, mind you, but something similar to what I have heard described. But the other children tell me it is possible to make an ice cream cake. I would like to try that, and frosting. And whipped cream. And cotton candy.”

  Oh my god. She’s got a sweet tooth. I mean, I knew that already. But she brought me—here—over four hundred miles—

  I put my head in my hands. This can’t be happening. But it is. And when I think about it…

  I look up sharply.

  “No.”

  “No?”

  Magnolia looks hurt, and offended.

  “Whyever not? This is hardly a secret worth keeping, Ryoka Griffin. Compared to a gun, what is a mint, chocolate chip, cookies and cream, caramel ice cream sundae with sprinkles?”

  I want to vomit just listening to her. But I read past her trite words to the deeper meaning below them.

  “It’s not just ice cream and desserts you want, is it? It might start that way, but after you ask for recipes, you’ll ask me about other technologies from my world. Little inventions and innovations that can help everyone.”

  Lady Magnolia pauses. She looks at me, sighs, and then looks at her maid.

  “Ah. She figured it out.”

  “She is not a complete idiot, milady.”

  I stare at the two of them, filled with grim certainty all of a sudden. Now I get it. Their tones are light, but I know they’re watching me. Lady Magnolia still looks genuinely disappointed, though.

  “You are correct, intelligent Miss Ryoka Griffin. In truth, I was going to have you explain to one of my [Chefs] how to make all kinds of treats before I got to the rest. I have a larder stocked with countless ingredients if you’d want to…? Ah, it’s too late. How tragic.”

  She sighs dramatically.

  “At least the other girls know how to make cake. But no one can tell me how cotton candy is made! But you are quite right. That would only be the start of what I ask of you.”

  First comes cotton candy. Then comes steam engines, or crop rotation. Or the periodic table. Plastic, sporks, bicycles…

  None of this is bad stuff. In fact, I think if I could introduce this kind of technology to the world I would. But not through her. Not through this woman.

  There’s more than one kind of power. And giving Magnolia Reinhart a monopoly on every invention from the medieval ages to the modern one? It might even be worse than teaching her how to make a gun.

  “You want me to help you become even richer than you already are, is that it?”

  “Rich enough to buy a Wal
led City. That would be a nice start.”

  Magnolia smiles at me, like a proud parent watching over a child. I want to kick her in the face, but Ressa’s watching me.

  “You figured it out—well done! Guns are an unstable bit of technology, but it is hard to take over the world with—what did the others call it? Parfait? It sounds delicious, and I’m sure it will earn me tens of thousands of gold coins when one of them finally figures out how it is made.”

  It’s sick. It’s stupid. It doesn’t sound right. But the scariest and most powerful person in this world right now isn’t a general with an army of tanks. It’s a business magnate who wants to orchestrate the biggest monopoly and buyout the world’s ever seen.

  Money. If Magnolia Reinhart is known for one thing, it’s money. If she had unlimited funds—she could buy out every mercenary on the continent, fund unlimited armies. Money is power, and even if the power of money isn’t unlimited, it’s scary.

  Now you know, Ryoka. You know her twisted, wicked, sugar-based schemes. Now how are you going to get out of this?

  “I wonder. How indeed?”

  It’s like she can read my mind. I stare at Magnolia, but her face is innocent. Did she really…?

  No, she can sense my intentions. She can probably sense that I want to leave and extrapolated from there. But…that’s still really scary.

  “And the worst part is, I am clearly an ally of sorts, aren’t I, Ryoka Griffin? I can stop the world from using guns. But as for the rest…”

  I still can’t trust her. That’s my conclusion. I stare at Magnolia Reinhart and feel my heart begin to beat faster. It’s like a drum in my chest, thunder in my veins, a knock at the door—

  “Again?”

  Magnolia turns towards the door, frowning in genuine irritation. I stare at the door too, and see the same unfortunate maid poke her head in. She looks pale—and she goes ghostly when she sees Magnolia’s frown.

  “I am so sorry—”

  “Get to the point.”

  Ressa snaps and the maid curtsies as if she were ducking a bullet.

  “The mage—he’s demanding to see you, Lady Reinhart. He won’t take no for an answer—”

  “Tell Nemor that if he does not sit still and wait for me to summon him, I will throw him out of my estate.”

  Lady Magnolia’s voice is impatient, and she clearly means every word. The maid gulps, but takes one look at Ressa and clearly decides that arguing with a mage would be a lot more fun.

  The door closes and Magnolia turns back to me with a sigh.

  “I believe dear Nemor will regret that when we meet. In fact, I am sure of it. I don’t even know why he’s calling on me today.”

  “Why don’t you talk to him? I was just leaving…”

  I stand up, making a show of dusting myself off. Lady Magnolia smiles at me.

  “Oh no. Sit.”

  It’s too fast for me. My legs fold up and I sit. I glare at the woman, but she just chuckles.

  “You can’t get away that easily, Ryoka. And even if my Skill doesn’t work—there are truth spells and even potions, you know.”

  This is bad. I eye Ressa, and remember the potions and bags on my belt. But those are good against enemies who can’t move faster than I can see. And I’m sitting in the mansion itself.

  No—I knew fighting was a bad idea. I take a deep breath.

  “You cannot keep me here.”

  “Oh? That’s a bold statement to make.”

  Don’t I know it. I meet Magnolia Reinhart’s gaze squarely. She studies me—not with arrogance and overconfidence like some helpful movie villain, but calculatingly.

  “Hm. You have a plan, don’t you? Well, go on. I like to be entertained.”

  “I won’t help you.”

  “Even if all I want are inventions that will help everyone?”

  “Even then. Because that would mean placing too much power in just your hands. Too much wealth.”

  “And this is a bad thing because?”

  “Absolute power corrupts absolutely. No one person should be entrusted with all that.”

  “My power is hardly absolute.”

  Lady Magnolia looks amused, but then her gaze sharpened. Her eyes prick at my skin like knives.

  “But I take your point. You don’t trust me. But tell me, Ryoka Griffin. How will you stop me from doing what I please? I already have many travellers from your world who know of wondrous inventions. I only need you to fill in the gaps, and then my [Blacksmiths], [Carpenters], [Mages], and [Alchemists] will do the rest. I even know [Engineers].”

  All the things she needs to reverse-engineer any number of gadgets. I swallow hard.

  “But you need me. What if I’m not here?”

  “Oh? And how will you stop me?”

  Legit question. My eyes travel to the window. I have three ways to get out of here. Three bargaining chips. The first—

  Is hovering outside, making faces at me. I grin.

  “I’ve got friends who bow to no [Lord] or [Lady] or even [King].”

  I point to the window. Magnolia and Ressa turn—and see Ivolethe. The tiny faerie waves at me, and taps her ears. She can hear us? Even better.

  “Um.”

  A voice interrupts me. I stare at Magnolia. She’s looking at the window and me with a blank expression.

  “What is it exactly that I should be staring at?”

  I open my mouth…and nearly swallow my tongue.

  She can’t see Frost Faeries. Suddenly I feel like an idiot. But then Ressa’s eyes narrow, and she tucks a hand into her skirt.

  “Magnolia, step back.”

  “What?”

  To her credit Magnolia vacates the couch even as she says that. She stands behind Ressa, suddenly wary as the maid stares at the window.

  “What is it, Ressa? Something invisible?”

  “No.”

  Ressa stares hard at a spot just to the left of Ivolethe. The faerie is just grinning, grinning at me. She’s got one hand raised and she points to Magnolia and Ressa. Then she draws a finger across her throat. Where’d she learn that? But for once I’m in full agreement. I nod slightly and she laughs outside the glass.

  “There is a Winter Sprite outside the window.”

  “A Frost Faerie? Really?”

  Magnolia squints at the window and then gasps. Instantly she looks at me, eyes narrowed.

  “Now isn’t that interesting?”

  I feel uneasy. She—shouldn’t be this calm. Ressa’s certainly treating Ivolethe like a threat. And for good reason.

  My tiny friend has been flying around the glass, making faces only I can see. But after I gave her my plea for help, she acts. She flies up to the window around head height, and puts her hand on the glass pane.

  Instantly, the window becomes frosty. Magnolia gasps—not really in alarm—and Ressa immediately tenses. But what can she do against a force of nature?

  The frost from the window grows deeper, and suddenly ice begins to form, thickening on the pane. Slowly, it begins to spread into the room, and I feel the temperature drop like a stone. More ice begins to spread from the window. Is Ivolethe trying to trap Ressa and Magnolia? What about me? If the window breaks—could I jump for it?

  I’m tense, my hand on the smoke bag Octavia made for me. I’m watching Ressa, ready to move. And she’s looking from the window to me. It’ll all be settled in a moment—

  “That’s quite enough.”

  Magnolia’s voice makes all of us pause in place. Even Ivolethe blinks as Magnolia steps out from behind Ressa. The taller woman moves to block her, but Magnolia just pushes her aside.

  “I will handle this, Ressa.”

  She steps up to the frozen window, where I can see Ivolethe reflected through the clear ice. Magnolia stares a bit past Ivolethe, but she shows not a tiny shred of fear in front of the faerie. But—she’s just a [Lady], right? And Ivolethe isn’t inside—

  I tell myself Magnolia’s powerless. But I can’t help but feel uneasy. A
nd there’s a twinge of uncertainty even on the faerie’s immortal face. She stares at Magnolia. Magnolia just sighs.

  “How on earth did Ryoka meet a creature like you? Well, I’d love to chat, but I’m told on very good authority that you lot are troublemakers. I can’t have that right now. Kindly go away or I’ll have to make you leave.”

  Ivolethe stares at Lady Magnolia incredulously. Possibly no one has ever talked to a Frost Faerie that way before—at least, not for long. She thinks for a second, then makes an unmistakable gesture and conjures a snowball.

  Ressa seems to blink in front of Magnolia as the snowball smacks into the glass in front of the woman. But Magnolia doesn’t even flinch. She sighs, and then she raises her voice. Gone is the normal tone, her light and friendly air. Her eyes are filled with that same intensity, and her tone booms and cracks like distant thunder.

  “I am Lady Magnolia. This mansion and the land around are mine. You are not welcome here. Begone.”

  I feel her last word in my bones. The effect on Ivolethe is immediate. She flies screaming out of Magnolia’s courtyard as if she’s been set on fire. I see her faint azure form flitting high, high into the sky until it disappears. Magnolia watches until Ivolethe’s gone and then turns back to me.

  “Well, that’s that. Did you have any other allies, or was that it?”

  Holy shit.

  I—

  Was that—?

  Uh oh.

  Ressa’s staring at me now too, and the look in her eyes says that she’s going to beat me into a pulp the first chance she gets. The ice Ivolethe conjured isn’t going away; rather, it’s beginning to melt off the walls.

  “I do hope you had another plan. I’ll admit this one is novel, but it’s rather short-sighted, don’t you think?”

  Magnolia smiles at me, eyes still filled with that horrible authority. Part of me wants to give in or run just looking at her.

  But the rest is resolute. This woman can’t have her way.

  Trump card. Trump card. I take a breath and pray like hell what Erin told me was on a level. I open up with my second trump card to play.

  “You can’t keep me here. I have something important to do.”

  “Oh? Something important? Running deliveries? Delivering a birthday message and a ring? Helping Erin? Do tell.”