by Pirateaba
Oh, that smile. I smile back at Magnolia and notice hers wanes a tiny bit.
“Not Erin or adventurers. I have to convince the Antinium not to go to war.”
For a second—oh, for a lovely, wonderful second, I have the pleasure of watching Magnolia’s smile vanish. Her eyes widen, and she stares at me.
The one upside to verbally sparring with someone who can sense your intentions? They know when you’re not lying.
The glorious moment of seeing Magnolia Reinhart uncertain lasts for a heartbeat. Then she looks over my shoulder.
“Ressa.”
I don’t even see the woman. I don’t even get a chance to react. Her hand grabs mine and suddenly I’m in an arm-lock that’s an inch of force away from breaking my arm. I can feel my tendons tearing.
“Don’t break her arm yet, Ressa. But be wary.”
I barely hear Magnolia over the pain. Arm lock. I’m in—I know how to counter. But if I do—
Gah! I don’t move. After a second that feels like forever I see Magnolia step back from me. I know she’s staring at me.
“Please explain that sentence, Ryoka Griffin.”
Arm is agony. Pain is—all consuming. But I force the words out, nearly choking on them.
“The Antinium are not your enemy.”
Pause. The pressure on my arm isn’t reduced. Can I hear my bones creaking?
“Go on.”
Maybe it’s the pain, but I let my mouth do the talking.
“What do you mean go on? I said, they’re not your enemy? Don’t you understand that you id—argh!”
Ressa twists my arm up a bit more. I shout in pain, but I’m afraid to move. Magnolia sighs.
“Ressa, she’s not lying. Let her go.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am. She’s not lying. And if she’s telling the truth—”
The pressure releases all at once. I stumble forwards, feeling at my arm. The pain isn’t gone. It’s—
I’ve got a potion at my belt. I wrench it out and unstopper it with one hand. Some goes on my shirt, the floor—the rest hits my arm. Instantly, the throbbing, burning pain ceases. I turn and stare at Ressa.
And…a dagger. She has one in her right hand. It looks very sharp. And magical. I’m assuming the green tint to the edge of the blade is magic. Maybe it’s poison. Poison magic?
“Put the blade away, Ressa.”
Magnolia sighs as she stares at both me and Ressa. Slowly, very slowly, the maid tucks the blade up the sleeve of her uniform. She stares at me. I watch her.
“I’m sitting down.”
Magnolia’s voice makes both of us start. She steps over to the couch and sits down in it. Then she swivels, and puts her feet up on the edge of the couch as if she’s on a therapist’s couch. She stares at me.
“Well? Explain.”
I don’t need to be told twice. Rubbing at my arm, I take a seat. Ressa silently walks behind Magnolia. Both women stare at me, waiting for me to speak.
“The Antinium aren’t your enemies. Not necessarily, at any rate.”
I look at them. Nothing. Well, they’re good listeners when things are serious. I take a deep breath.
“The shortest way to explain this is that the Antinium’s true enemy isn’t you. They fought two wars here, but to them, this is only a—a skirmish. A lull before the larger war. They don’t want this continent, I think. They’re just getting ready for their real enemy to emerge.”
“And what’s that?”
“A god.”
How easy it is to say. How…easy. And it slips off the tongue as if it means nothing. Perhaps it does to most people in this world. I can’t even begin to understand what it means myself. But Magnolia Reinhart hears this and the look on her face changes again. This time, I think I see fear.
“Impossible.”
Magnolia says that word flatly. Her eyes are locked on mine.
“The gods are dead.”
I shake my head.
“Tell that to the Antinium. Tell that to the Queens. They fled Rhir because they were fighting something they believed was a god. Or do you think the Antinium would run from any other opponent?”
Pause. Stare. Ressa’s looking at me now, not with hostility, but something approaching genuine worry. She looks at her mistress. Magnolia closes her eyes for seven seconds. What she thinks in that time I don’t know. But when she opens her eyes—
“How do you know? This must have come from a credible source. And I don’t believe the Queen would talk to you. If this came from a Worker—”
“No Worker.”
I shake my head.
“Klbkch. He’s a Prognugator in the Antinium Hive based in Liscor—”
“Klbkch the Slayer.”
The word escapes Magnolia’s lips. She sits up on the couch and stares at Ressa. Something unspoken passes between the two, and then they look back at me. Magnolia’s voice is serious when she speaks next.
“You have my full and undivided attention, Ryoka Griffin. For the moment I’ll believe everything you say. Do not waste this chance.”
“So you believe me?”
“Oh yes. At least, I believe you are telling the truth. And if it was Klbkch the Slayer who told you this…”
Magnolia’s voice trails off. Ressa looks at her, worried.
“Does this change the plans?”
The other woman nods, shortly. She even laughs, but not with any pleasure.
“Of course. It changes…everything. It changes the entire world.”
She looks back at me, about to ask another question. Then someone knocks. The door opens.
“Lady Reinhart? The [Mage]—”
This time Magnolia doesn’t wait. She grabs the tea pot and hurls it at the door.
“Get out!”
I see the tea pot shatter, but before the pieces even hit the floor, the maid has fled. Calmly, as if nothing happened, Magnolia turns back to me.
“You were saying Klbkch the Slayer told you this?”
“You know him?”
Magnolia’s face is grim as she nods.
“I know him. I have seen him on the battlefield. Perhaps before that, but we met for one brief moment during the Second Antinium War.”
“The Second Antinium War?”
I only read about the first one. Damn. The second one was mentioned, but I think I lost the book that talked about it. Magnolia frowns at me, and then looks at her maid.
“Ressa, fetch the book for me.”
It’s clear which one she means. Ressa walks out of the room, and Magnolia turns back to me.
“Tell me the rest.”
I do, as concisely as I can in the time it takes Ressa to return. Magnolia keeps interrupting me, but when her maid is standing by her side with a slim book in her hands, she sighs and accepts it. She looks at the book before handing it to me.
“What’s this?”
“The history of the Antinium, all the information known about their culture, and a history of both the first and second Antinium Wars.”
Magnolia taps the cover as I hold it in my hands. I read the title. The Antinium: A Brief History by Krsysl Wordsmith. The name is familiar to me.
“Wasn’t he the one who wrote about the First Antinium War?”
“He was.”
Lady Magnolia nods as I tuck the book into the bag of holding at my side. She notes it, but makes no comment. I guess the Antinium really do trump all other concerns.
“I funded his research and the book. I would advise you to read it, the history of the Second Antinium War in particular, especially if you are going to be working with Klbkch.”
Huh. I look up at Magnolia, surprised.
“So you’re going to let me go?”
“Didn’t I say I hated stupid questions?”
The woman scowls at me, but weakly. Her heart’s not in it any longer. Ressa looks at her and Magnolia nods wearily.
“That’s right, Miss Ryoka who knows too much. You win. If there is a
slight chance—however slight!—that there could be a way to avoid a war with the Antinium, I would take it. And the knowledge that there is dissent within the Hives—from a Prognugator no less? Invaluable. Even more invaluable is the knowledge of what the Antinium fear. If there is a god—”
She breaks off and shakes her head. Then she fixes me with a gaze like diamonds.
“You have changed everything I seek to do, Ryoka. Do you know that?”
I meet her gaze.
“I do.”
“From this moment on, you and I must be allies. We must be, because I must pursue peace with the Antinium and find out more of what they know, and because you will not live with me as your enemy. I promise you that.”
Magnolia’s eyes are hard as she captures mine. I can’t help it. I swallow, but that’s all. I don’t look away.
“So, what should we do? As allies? I trust you won’t be keeping me here or extorting information against my will?”
Lady Magnolia smiles.
“On the contrary. If we’re allies you should be giving that to me for free. But we can…negotiate that later. For now, you are officially my guest. That means I feed you, in case you were wondering. I’ll even allow that Winter Sprite back on my estate, if you can find her. I would like to talk to her as well, if that is possible.”
Wow. Suddenly, everything’s changed. I shift in my seat. What should I explore first? Does this mean what I think it does? If I have an ally—
The wall explodes. Mortar and stone blast outwards in a single thunderous impact that sends the couches, tables, and me flying. I windmill through the air, trying to curl and reduce the impact. No good. I hit something hard and then I think the world stops for a second.
I don’t know. All I do know is that when the pain and shock stop long enough for thought to shakily resume, I’m pulling myself up. Something in my thigh. A fragment of stone. Deep. I don’t feel anything broken—but everything hurts.
“What…?”
I look around. The room is in ruins. The wall’s gone—and a huge stretch of corridor gapes at me. But what I see in the center of the room is more important.
Lady Magnolia and Ressa are standing in the center of the room. Untouched. Even their clothes aren’t ruffled. It’s like…the explosion didn’t hit them. I see a radiant nimbus around both of them.
Shield spell?
But someone else is standing there too. A man in robes. He’s…tall. I feel like throwing up. But magic shines around him, so strong I can see it. He blew up the wall.
And he’s talking. I hear his voice dimly over the ringing in my ears.
“Magnolia Reinhart. The Circle of Thorns seeks your life.”
He must be the Great Mage Nemor. I try to get up and collapse. My leg—
Magnolia Reinhart stares at the mage. She looks around at the destruction. Her eyes linger on me for a second, and then she stares back at the mage.
“Well.”
It’s just one word. She’s not afraid—rather, her eyes are full of cold fury. But aside from Ressa she is alone. And even as I watch I see a shadow move. An [Assassin] steps out of the darkness as if he’s a ghost. And more—they flit towards her. Surrounding…more…
I can’t breathe. I have to warn her. Ressa’s standing with her back to Magnolia, tense. But—there’s too many. And yet Magnolia is not afraid. She looks at the mage. Looks down at him.
“The Circle of Thorns? You have my full attention.”
3.14
I think I have a concussion. The world is spinning and I want to puke. Then again, maybe that’s just how being thrown across a room by an explosion always feels.
I don’t know. I haven’t had much experience with that up until now. And I hope it never happens again.
“Ah.”
I try to move and just sort of flop over. I’m partially covered with bits of fallen masonry, so no one in the room notices me twitching. Which is good in this case, because it’s sort of tense right now.
Lady Magnolia and Ressa are standing in what used to be her sitting room, surrounded by assassins. Excuse me. [Assassins] and one assassin who happens to be a mage. He’s dressed up in colorful yellow robes with green slashes down the sides. He glows with magic. But the [Assassins]—
Shadows, some of them. Others just look like blurs and I’m sure there are more I can’t see. Only a few even look remotely humanoid. Best guess? They’re high level and they’ve got magical items as well.
And they’re all armed. I’m sure of that. They’re backing up the mage, but they haven’t attacked yet. The idiot—the Great Mage Nemor I think is his name—is talking. He’s actually gloating, like a movie villain.
“—Never thought I’d live to see the day when I would finally humble the arrogant Reinharts once and for all.”
“I don’t think you’ll live to see that day either. But one can always hope, I suppose.”
That’s Magnolia for you. Surrounded by death and she’s got more attitude than anyone I’ve ever met. It makes me almost like her.
I look groggily at the scene. Lots of badness over there. That’s my general assessment. I could…use a potion? Smokescreen bag? Flour bomb?
All of my instincts tell me that trying anything will get me instantly killed. So instead of doing anything stupid—like usual—I just lie on the ground and watch things play out*.
*Yeah, not my most heroic moment. But in my defense, I did just get tossed into a wall. It hurt.
“—Arrogance will do you little in the end.”
Oh, they’re still talking? Don’t assassins generally make less noise? But this Nemor guy seems to want to get the final word in. He juts out his chin—he’s got a small goatee which looks immaculately oiled and groomed. It suits his narrow, pointed face. He clearly wants to look like a great mage, but aside from the blowing stuff up part, he doesn’t really look that impressive.
Granted, that last bit does a lot for him, but even so. Words are not his strong point.
“Grovel, Reinhart. If you do, I may make your end quick.”
“Oh please.”
Magnolia rolls her eyes heavenwards.
“Do us all a favor and shut up, Nemor. You always were insufferable even when you were just casting ward spells for me. If you’re not going to tell me what this Circle of Thorns wants, kindly die without speaking, would you?”
The mage’s face turns red. He opens his mouth—but he never gets a chance to retort. One of the shadows standing in the ruined hallways moves. The [Assassin] charges at Lady Magnolia fast—faster than I could ever move. He’s got a dagger in his hands as he lunges as Magnolia’s chest.
But the blade never touches her. I see a blur, and then Ressa’s in the way. She blocks the strike with her own unarmored chest. I nearly shout as I expect to see her body pierced by the thrust.
But that doesn’t happen. Instead, I see the shimmering aura around her body—the magical shield that protected both her and Lady Magnolia—brighten. I hear a man scream, and the [Assassin] suddenly stumbles back, clutching a stump of a hand already spurting blood.
What was that? His hand vanished as it approached Ressa’s body! And now Ressa moves—the unfortunate [Assassin] chokes as her fingers go into his neck. She pulls her hand back and he folds over. I feel my stomach heave as I see what happened. Part of his face is just gone, vaporized by whatever magical shield is on Ressa.
The other [Assassins] move even as the first one dies. Two lunge at Ressa, but she blurs and they retreat as I hear metal clashing. One tosses the remains of a blade to the ground—all but the handle is vaporized. The others attack from a safer distance. Darts, throwing stars, knives—they hurl them at both Ressa and Magnolia. All the projectiles vanish before they touch either woman’s body.
Ressa flicks her hand and I see dark blurs speed at the [Assassins]. At least one hits, but even the blurred shape I see stagger doesn’t fall. They blink backwards as Ressa immediately steps back to Magnolia, guarding her back.
&nbs
p; Standoff again. The [Assassins] pause and then wait, as if nothing happened. Nemor stares at them, and his face only now goes red as his mind catches up to what just happened.
“You fools! Hold until I command it! I must bypass her protection spells first!”
He shouts at the others around him, not even seeming bothered by the magical disintegration field. Magnolia sighs calmly, not even ruffled by the sudden burst of violence.
“A proper mage would have done that first rather than sending that poor man to his death. But then again, a proper [Assassin] wouldn’t have attacked so recklessly to begin with.”
She points at one of the shadows, and they shift, as if they’re afraid to be directly addressed by her.
“You have some rather showy magical items and Skills, but none of you are master [Assassins]. Believe me, I can tell the difference. Who sent you to die here?”
No response. I just see the shadows and blurred figures flitting around Magnolia, as if suddenly unsure. She scowls at them, impatient and not afraid.
“Well? Answer me.”
“We were—”
The words come out of one of the shadows unwillingly. I hear a female voice, and then she gurgles as one of her fellows strikes her in the throat. She chokes and falls back, but says no more.
Magnolia scowls again. She points at Nemor, who’s gone red again with rage.
“Who ordered you to work with this fool? I was under the impression your Guild didn’t collaborate with amateurs.”
“Fool!? For the last time, you insult me. Magnolia—”
“Be silent, Nemor.”
I see the man recoil as if struck. Nemor’s hands go up to his throat and his face goes red, then purple. Calmly, Magnolia turns back to the [Assassins].
“Was it your Guildmaster? Or someone else? Tell me who sent you.”
This time they’re ready. I see a few of the [Assassins] shift, but none of them speak. But the idiot—Great Mage, rather—sneers and answers instead. His face is regaining some of his color. Looks like he also shook off the charm spell. Damn. Is it really that easy?
“There are more factions that seek your life than you know, Reinhart.”
She pauses, and looks at him.