by Scott King
"He knows, and I'll look out for him." Gideon leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "Be safe, please."
Carter grumbled something under his breath.
Gideon insisted Alex keep all the travel supplies. He needed only his sword and the clothing he wore. They shared goodbyes a second and a third time. Then finally, Alex and Carter headed out of the chamber, leaving Gideon alone with the Sisters.
"To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?" Clothu said in a grandmotherly voice.
"Cut the bull," Gideon said. "What game are you three playing?"
"You lost the privilege to know such things," Atropos said.
"You know the reasons why I left your service. I had no choice," Gideon said. "Edgar demanded it, but that's no reason to keep me in the dark."
"Like you have kept Alexandra in the dark about Medrayt and the kind of threat he poses?"
"There are some secrets that aren't mine to reveal. A chunk of them are yours," Gideon said. "For starters, I recognized the dragon and the boy."
Clothu flexed, as if showing off massive muscles. "Ohhh big man."
"Big words." Atrops tapped her temple.
Lachesis crossed her arms. "You dare threaten us?"
"I'm keeping many secrets," Gideon said. "My point is it's probably best for all involved if I keep my mouth shut, but if there is something you can tell me, please do."
"Can't we give him a little something?" Clothu stuck out her lower lip. "He did serve us longer than anyone else ever has."
"He has earned a tad of information," Lachesis said. "I suppose."
"Go ahead, Gideon." Atropos clasped her hands, in a grandmotherly fashion, that didn't seem quite natural to her. "Ask us what you wish to know."
"The end of the world is coming, isn't it?" Gideon said. "That's what it has to mean if Doug and Carter are here."
"This is not the end," Clothu said. "Only the beginning of the end."
Atropos shook her head. "Our plans may yet blossom."
"True," Lachesis said. "But which plan? Right now the threads are in conflict."
"What can I do to help?" Gideon asked.
"So sweet." Atropos laughed. "But your time has passed. There is another we have tapped as our champion."
"He's a good one too," Clothu smiled.
"He wears glasses." Lachesis curled her fingers, forming tunnels, and peered through them, as if using a double spy glass.
"And where is this new champion?" Gideon waved across the room. "Guiding Alex and Carter should be his main priority."
"Oh my poor poor gosling," Atropos sighed. "You forget there are many worlds and some in far worse shape than this one. We have many seeds that we have planted. For now, we have to hope they take root."
"There is nothing you can do to stop Medrayt's dragon army?" Gideon asked.
"There is a thing or two more we can attempt," Clothu said. "But for the most part, we can do nothing now but wait. We have done our best to not alter the course of lives, but to highlight choices that may have been overlooked. Let's see if our ducklings make the right choices."
"Free will?" Gideon laughed and rolled his eyes.
"Quite right," Cloth said.
"The decisions have always been theirs." Atropos nodded.
"They forge their own paths," Lachesis said.
"Don't forget our history," Gideon said. "I know how you manipulate the threads. Take this as a warning from an old servant, be careful how much you push Doug. You wouldn't want what happened to Medrayt and Kane to happen to him."
The women were quiet and looked at each other. They then floated to the floor and nodded to Gideon.
"Your advice is noted,” Atropos said.
"Also, my loyalties now lay with Edgar and Alex. I'm not sure where your games are leading, but if they mess with my obligations, I'll have no choice but to oppose you."
"My pet, do you not understand?" Clothu giggled.
"Your working for King Edgar has always been part of our game." Lachesis smiled.
Goosebumps formed on Gideon's arms.
No more words needed to be shared. Not even a goodbye. He bowed his head in respect and left.
Upon hitting the streets, Gideon toyed with the idea of getting supplies and extra boots, but, within the city, there was a flourish of activity, more than normal, and he realized it was Sahene Eve. Best to be gone while the bridges were still open.
He reached the Freelands bridge in time. Already it was packed with locals preparing for the night's festivities, but he was able to slip out of the city without any complications.
By night, he was more than ten leagues outside of Compitum. He rested in a dusthole of a town, where he resupplied with water, and hit the road again.
There were limits to how hard he could push himself. On a good day, he might be able to cover sixty leagues. At that pace, he might be able to reach Elene before the end of the month. He hoped it would leave enough time for Edgar to prepare for the dragon army.
18
The Queen-in-Waiting
Ulesday, 27th of Hearfest, 1162.111
Alex knew that the Arwyn embassy was located in the southwest section of Compitum, near the Freelands bridge, but she had rarely been in the city on her own, and so maneuvering through the tangled streets slowed their travel. She stopped and asked directions to Council Way, one of the main roads through the city, twice. When they found it, she had no problem leading Carter to the embassy.
She picked up her pace when she spotted the grey stone of the embassy's towers. It would feel nice to bathe and sleep in her own bed. Plus, it was the day before Sahene. That meant there would be all kinds of pastries and cakes made in preparation.
"It's big." Carter said. "Like big-big."
The embassy took up four city blocks and had walls higher than all the buildings around it, but both Kelsam's and Gara's embassies were equal in size, and all three were designed to be fortresses. In comparison, she knew that Saul Western was more than ten blocks wide, and the other university on the north side of the city was bigger. "The palace in Elene dwarfs the embassy, but my room here is way bigger."
"I'm excited for someone to wipe my bum for me. 'Cause that's what they do in embassies and–"
She punched him. In the shoulder. Hard.
It shut him up.
The only entrance to the embassy was through a fifty-foot metal portcullis that remained closed and manned with Arwynian soldiers. When her father or Gideon weren't present, the embassy was run by Jintzy Bardock, a former high ranking baron. Bardock was a decent guy. His family had died in a flood when Alex had been a kid. He gave up his lands and was going to kill himself, but somehow, her father had convinced him to serve as ambassador instead. Her father had a way with people.
Alex approached one of the two soldiers at the embassy's gate. "I need to speak with Jintzy. It's a matter of emergency."
"Go away," the man barked. "No refugees allowed here. Go find the Registrar."
Alex knew she and Carter looked travel worn, but to be accused of being a refugee was a bit too much. Her cloak was dirty, but it had no rips and was clearly made from Ralkan fleece. Straightening her back for maximum height, she placed a hand on her hip and pointed to the portcullis. "I am Alexandra Eos, the queen-in-waiting. You will open the gate."
The second soldier, a lean woman with a crooked nose, laughed. "If you are the princess, then I'm King Edgar himself!"
"Get lost." The first soldier shooed them away. "We see at least three Princess Alexandras a day, and every one is more convincing than you."
"There is a ding on the right side of your breastplate." Alex circled the man, inspecting him. "Your surcoat is frayed at the bottom, clearly not tailored to your height, and I believe those are food stains on the bottom corner."
"Mind your own business and get going, or I will call the City Watch!" The man reached out to grab Alex, and she ducked under his arms, using the opportunity to draw the long sword from his waist.
&
nbsp; "This is interesting." Alex held the sword level and close to her face. "It's not been properly oiled, and it looks dull."
The female soldier drew her own sword. "Drop it now."
Alex was a bit unused to the weight of the longsword. She didn't have the height or arm length needed to use it properly, but she made do and swung it with both hands. Alex struck the female soldier's blade right above the hilt to cause maximum vibration. The female soldier dropped her sword, and Alex swooped in to catch it.
"Let's review, shall we?" Alex laid both swords on the ground to make it clear she was not being an aggressor. "A woman shows up at the gates. She says she is your queen-in-waiting. She easily points out your dress code violations and the lack of care for your weapons, and she disarms you both with little effort. I know neither of you are university students, but this should suggest that the woman might be who she claims to be."
The male soldier kicked Alex in the chest. She landed on her butt and skidded backward. Both soldiers picked up their weapons, and Carter defensively stood in front of Alex with his arm raised as if to cast a spell.
"Carter, no." Alex stood, dusting herself off. "I have this."
"Let me blast them," Carter said. "Then you can call the Jitsy man and get this straightened out."
"His name is Jintzy and no." She made sure to use the same stern tone her father used when telling his barons something they didn't want to hear. "I can handle this. I don't need your help."
Carter narrowed his eyes and grunted. He didn't like it, but he stepped aside, deferring to Alex.
The moment he did, the female soldier grabbed him from behind and held her sword to his neck. "Stand down girl," the soldier ordered. "Or he will be the one paying the price."
"You are lying," Alex said.
"Am not."
"I spent my whole life memorizing every rule, law, and policy of Arwyn. Right now, the proper thing for you to do is to call for backup."
The woman glanced over her shoulder to the closed portcullis and then back at Alex. "Who are you?"
"I told you. I'm your queen-in-waiting, and I'm growing annoyed. This is your last chance to appease me before I embarrass you in front of every soldier stationed here." Alex spoke with a calm voice, being sure not to appear a threat. "Decide."
The female soldier kicked Carter in the back of the knee, knocking him over. She then raised her sword.
Alex drew her dirk in time to parry the soldier's longsword. She took a firm stance while watching the soldier's legwork. They traded blows, but Alex kept her attacks light and testing. The soldier was stronger but slower and relied too much on her strength so that, with every swing, she left herself open.
"Hurry up and end this," the male soldier said.
"I'm trying, Donny. She's too bouncy."
Alex parried another slash and for fun smacked the female soldier on the thigh with the flat of her dirk. "You are putting too much into your swings. Which means that, when I dodge an attack, you leave yourself overextended."
"I'll handle this." The male solider raised his longsword into an attack position, but before he took another step, Carter summoned a gust of wind, lifting the soldier off his feet and bashing him against the portcullis. A sharp ringing of metal on metal echoed off the walls of the nearby buildings.
"You killed him!" The woman soldier turned her attention away from Alex and to Carter.
"He's fine," Carter said. "Maybe a bit concussed, but he'll be fine, I swear."
The female soldier swung her sword wildly at Carter's head. He dropped to his belly to avoid the attack and then rolled away as she slashed at him.
"Alex!"
"Idiot." Alex sheathed her dirk. She sprinted at the female soldier and bashed her shoulder into the woman's hips. The woman toppled over, and Alex grabbed the soldier's arm and pinned it behind her back. Alex jammed her thumb into the armor's joint at the woman's elbow pit, being sure to hit the pressure point. "I'm sorry. This escalated further than I wanted."
The woman grunted and spit out a glob of blood.
"Thanks," Carter said.
"Thanks?" Alex gritted her teeth. "I told you I had it. I told you I didn't need your help."
"I disagree. I could have taken them out without risking either one of us being cut to pieces."
"I wasn't trying to fight them."
"Then you suck at trying not to fight people."
"I maybe misjudged how much I was provoking them, but that doesn't change the fact that until you got involved, I had things under control."
"Doesn't matter now." He bent down and touched the unconscious male soldier's neck. "He won't be out for long, I don't think. How do we get to the people who might recognize you?"
"Left side of the gate," Alex said. "There should be a chain. Give it a hard pull. It will ring a bell in the guardhouse."
Carter rang the bell.
A moment later, a soldier appeared on the other side of the gate. He looked at his downed comrades and then bolted out of sight. Alex heard some shouting followed by the sound of metal boots on stone. The portcullis shook and rose, allowing ten fully armored soldiers to pass beneath it.
"I am Alexandra Eos." Alex let go of the female soldier's arm and stood.
"Your highness." An older soldier with dusty sideburns bowed his head. "We were not told you would be arriving."
"This is Arwyn land, is it not?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Do I need to announce when I will walk upon my own soil?
"No, ma'am."
"Summon Jintzy." Alex waved a dismissive hand to the two downed soldiers. "And send these two back to basic training. Their swordsmanship is pathetic."
19
Hunger
Ulesday, 27th of Hearfest, 1162.111
Doug had no idea where to go. Sure, he knew Kale was his ultimate destination, but in terms of which direction or how to get there, he didn't have a clue. He couldn't even find his way out of Compitum. The blasted buildings all looked alike with its white walls and people scuffling about. The streets weren't laid out in any pattern that made sense. One would be walking toward the outer quarters of the city, and then the street would loop back for no reason. It was like trying to maneuver through a labyrinth.
The whole situation stressed him out, which meant he was sweaty, which meant the more he went in circles, the more he got into a funk. His usual method for dealing with stress was flying. He could fly for twelve hours or more without touching the ground, and when he soared above the clouds, any problems he had faded away.
Since he couldn't fly, he did the one thing he could do. He walked. He walked for hours, and by nightfall, he found his way to one of the many harbors on the outskirts of the island city. A cool breeze blew across the lake, causing the humans to pull their hoods up and tighten their cloaks. But Doug embraced it, allowing it to wash away the flush of his cheeks and dry the dampness under his armpits and in the small of his back.
From what he could tell, he was somewhere on the south side of Compitum. He didn't see any of the three bridges that led into the city. Swimming wasn't an option. White choppy caps raced across the lake, and even if they had not, his not knowing how to swim would have stopped him. He could try stealing a barge or boat, but he didn't know how to use them.
His stomach rumbled. That might be something he could fix. A problem that had a solution... except he didn't know how to get food. If he were in the forest, he could easily sniff out edible vegetation. But in the city, he would probably need human money, and Carter had all their money. It had been stupid of him to storm out as he had without taking any money or supplies.
The scent of roasting pecans flooded his nostrils. Without thinking, he locked on to the smell and followed it back into the city. The deeper he went, the taller the buildings got, blocking out the stars. Hanging from balconies and shop awnings were metal lamps. They glowed with the same quality of light as Carter's agyls. However these ranged in various colors so that, even at night, the city
felt bright and vibrant.
Doug followed the smell of pecans and soon picked up on a potato and squash soup with a touch of dill, grilled vegetables cooked right to have a smoky essence, and all kinds of breads. He broke into a run. Three blocks later, he found himself on the edge of a grassy park that was surround by a canal. Ornate lattice bridges crossed the waterway, and on the other side were dozens of bright booths. It reminded him of the spring festival back in Gwen. There was food for sale, but also art dealers and craftsman. Doug perceived a general sense of jovialness, something he hadn't felt since arriving in Compitum.
Every vendor Doug passed yelled to him. Some with a sultry voice, some with direct brashness, and others asking questions.
"Sweet treats from Kelsam that will make any woman or man fall in love!"
"Agyl-imbued mask to celebrate Sahene in style!"
"Embrace your inner demons with spiced whistlebugs! One stone for two points. Best deal you'll find in the Ivory Rainbow."
By the time Doug passed the second row of booths, he had figured out that eye contact only made the merchants yell louder, and the best thing to do was to stare at his feet.
Doug had hoped that, with such a crowd, he could slip in and steal a morsel or two of food, but the booths were set up so anything edible was on the inside, out of the reach of any passersby.
"Dragon?" Doug stopped dead in his tracks and turned to see a girl about Carter's age. She smelled of beans, though her curly autumn hair had a hint of sweetmelon. "Would you like a dragon sculpture?"
On the cart before her were nine sculptures of dragons made from shells. The dragons had various poses with wings unfurled and maws open as if ready to breathe fire, but what caught Doug's eyes were the types of shells. They had fat openings with spirals wrapping around them and ranged from no bigger than an ant to the size of apples. "What are these?"
The girl narrowed her eyes. "You aren't going to buy one, are you?"