Rise of the Retics

by T J Lantz

  “And over to your right,” Gnemo continued, “just past the guard tower, you’ll see Flak’s Fire Roasted Meats, that’s where that nice smoky pork odor is coming from. You’re going to love that place. Nothing locks in flavor better than meat cooked with dragon’s fire.”

  “Did you say . . . dragon’s fire?” asked Tyranna excitedly. “There are dragons here?”

  “Yea, there are a few. Most of the dragons left in the world preferred to live on their own after the war, but a few moved here to make their lives.” Gnemo leaned close to Tyranna’s ear before continuing “You know . . . the little ones. The ones that couldn’t really protect themselves. But never say that to their faces, or they’ll burn your eyebrows right off with one breath.”

  There was something about a gnome calling any dragon little that made Tyranna chuckle. Dragons had always fascinated her as far back as she could remember. Almost every traveler that visited Lipkos had a story about one. Usually in their stories knights slayed them and always proved victorious, but in her head every now and then, the dragon would win. She figured there was no way all dragons were evil, and certainly not all knights were good. It would just be far too convenient that way.

  “Back over on your left is the produce store, called Flavors of the Forest. You can buy most of your fruits and vegetables there. Berries, nuts and seeds too.”

  Tyranna noticed a plump green-skinned woman singing to the apples. She appeared very happy, but her voice was so shrill that it was painful to listen to.

  Next to that was the bakery, owned by a group of elves, and an apothecary, run by Gnemo’s aunt, Gnaomi.

  While she knew Gnemo pointed out far more stores than that, she was feeling a bit overwhelmed and couldn’t remember what each one was. Everything was just so much bigger and crazier than she had ever experienced before. Her biggest concern was not getting run over by all the creatures rushing up and down the road past them. She figured she would have plenty of time to learn where everything was after she had settled in a bit.

  After about a half hour of walking through the gigantic city with Tyranna desperately trying not to stare at the more unique looking retics, they arrived at the Alabaster Tower, home of Lord Laszlo. It was an impressive white marble building, centered directly on a piece of land that sat in the middle of a small, crystal clear lake. The building stood far taller than the city walls and the guard towers, peering out over the entire island. Coming from each direction, four stone bridges connected the city to their main government building, where the singular entrance was guarded by two small, furry gray creatures, each with gigantic bushy tails. Both guards wore a long white tabard with a symbol Tyranna had never seen before—two silver handled rapiers, crossing through a large brown acorn.

  “Those are Florensians, but we call them squirrel-kin. They serve as Lord Laszlo’s personal bodyguards. Be careful around them, they are a proud people and are quick to anger. Whatever you do, make sure you don’t make any rodent jokes . . . they’ve been known to kill for that.”

  The guards stood stoically at their post, paying little attention to the two visitors until Tyranna took a step too far. Just before her foot came down on the stone bridge that led across, Gnemo grabbed Tyranna and yanked her back. Both of the Florensians were now staring with their paws resting tensely upon their swords.

  “I probably should have told you, we’re not allowed to step on the bridge before we present ourselves. Please, keep in mind before we continue that the Florensians are not like the guards we met at the entrance. They are smarter, faster, and a lot more dangerous. Not to mention that they take their job very, very seriously. They stab first, second, and third, and if they have time, ask questions fourth.” Gnemo turned his attention back to the guards, who were eagerly waiting to draw their blades. “No need for violence gentlemen. I’m Gnemo Gnogglebottom from the Wild Rover. Admiral Brownstache sent me in his place. I bring with me Tyranna Wolfskin, a new citizen of Rosehaven. We were not due in for several weeks, but we are expected.”

  The Florensians relaxed their muscles before the taller of the two squirrels responded. “You may enter. Lord Laszlo is already aware of your arrival. All weapons stay here.” Tyranna raised her hands to show she carried nothing on her. She was surprised to see her companion removing a variety of knives from hidden places around his body—inside pockets, boots, even one under his hat. He handed them over to the shorter guard, while the taller one patted them both down to ensure that all had been relinquished.

  “Follow me,” said the shorter one, as he handed Gnemo’s cache of daggers over to his partner. He turned and walked into the tower. Tyranna followed, trying hard to keep the fur from the guard’s tail from hitting her in the face. He seemed to either not notice or not to care.

  The first floor of the alabaster building was sparse—no furniture, tapestries, or people. All Tyranna could see was a set of winding stone stairs leading up into higher levels of the tower. The Florensian guard led them up the stairs, his hand noticeably close to his sword hilt at all times.

  Tyranna felt as nervous as she had at any point since boarding the Rover, and that was including the few minutes cannon balls were flying right at her and when gargoyles were trying to claw her face off. The most important person she had ever met in life was the abbot at the monastery, and all he did was lead a group of monks. Today she was going to meet the ruler of an entire civilization!

  As they climbed the endless stone steps, Tyranna’s legs began to ache. She assumed the exhausting steps were another defense against any armored men getting up here. They would pass out and roll back down long before reaching the lord protector. Tyranna looked over at Gnemo and saw that he was struggling with the steps even more than she was. His short legs had to battle to complete each level. The Florensian seemed to be having no trouble at all, bounding lightly from step to step like it was flat ground.

  After a grueling few minutes of climbing, they arrived at the top floor. As Tyranna entered the room she noticed there were no walls, just an array of white marble pillars holding the roof up and exposing the room to a flood of sunlight, a light breeze, and a breathtaking view. As she looked out she could see for miles—the busy city surrounding the tower, a large dense forest to the North, farmlands to the west, the harbor in the south, and a rocky hilled area to the east. Each was surrounded by the clear blue water of the ocean as far as the eye could see. As she looked down at Market Row, the retics she had just passed looked like ants scurrying around the ground. Heights had never bothered her, as she had shown on Melvin’s back, but this was a different feeling. Her heart pounded with a strong yearning to fly out into the open air and soar across the beautiful island nation.

  “Jaxon Miniheart, what are we to do with you?” The words grabbed Tyranna’s attention from the view. She peered over at four men talking among a ring of stone chairs. Two of the men stood up. The first, a small one with red skin and a long pointy tail. and the second, a much larger creature with short powerful legs covered in fur. She couldn’t see either of their faces from where she was standing. The third man was sitting in one of the stone chairs, on a raised semi-circle platform in the center of the room. The platform was made of the same white marble that the pillars and floor had been constructed from.

  “That’s Lord Laszlo,” whispered Gnemo. The man he indicated was quite tall with clean chiseled features. His skin was light, though not quite as pale as hers. His hair was long and draped over his shoulders, grayed to sharp silver that glinted in the sunlight. He wore a long, well-groomed beard, its silvery color a perfect match to the hair on top of his head. The three men appeared to be in a serious discussion.

  “I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to return to Sir William’s home.”

  “But, Lord Laszlo, the boy only took a few oranges. Surely—” Lord Laszlo raised his hand for silence and Sir William cut off his own words mid-sentence.

  “This is not a punishment, Billy. I believe you have done as good a job raising J
axon as anyone on this island could have. Circumstances have changed though. The boy has powers that you cannot possibly hope to control or to teach him to use responsibly. It has been many years since Rosehaven has been blessed with a child with the ability to control the elements. It is a rare gift indeed, and one that cannot be left unchecked. For that reason, I have decided that the best place for him is at Thales.”

  The looks on Sir William, the red-skinned boy, and the Florensian guard all turned to shock.

  “School! You’re gonna make me go to school?!” Jaxon screamed his words at the lord protector. Upon seeing the angry outburst, Laszlo’s guard jumped from behind the stone chair to position himself between the riled young boy and his lord. The gray fur on the Florensian bodyguard stood at attention.

  “Relax please, Alastar. The boy’s just letting off some steam. I did the same thing often when I was his age, many, many years ago. The instructors at Thales will help him work on that temper.” Sir William placed his large hand over the boy’s shoulder, half as a comfort and half as a restraint.

  “It’s for the best, Jaxon,” whispered Sir William. Though his words said otherwise, his eyes showed that he wasn’t sure he agreed with his own advice. “Respectfully, Lord Laszlo,” Sir William began, “the students that attend Thales have been training for years. They have gone through numerous interviews and tests. Think of the backlash if Jaxon is accepted because he bested another child in the arena after being accused of a crime!” The Florensian guard sneered at Sir William as he spoke. Tyranna wondered why.

  “Sir William, one of the benefits and burdens of being in charge for so long is that sometimes I must make decisions that will upset some people for the good of the nation. This is one of those times. Jaxon will be a much greater benefit to Rosehaven after he has learned to control his emotions and his abilities. Without that training, he might be a danger to everyone.” The lord protector looked directly at Jaxon before he continued. “Young man, when we took you in more than a decade ago I made a promise to your mother that you would be safe. I’m not about to let that promise go unfulfilled.” Jaxon looked quite upset, but didn’t respond to Laszlo’s words. He kept his head pointed toward the floor.

  “Besides,” Laszlo continued “That beautiful young lady in the back of the room is going to need a friend at Thales. You wouldn’t want her to be lonely, would you?” Lord Laszlo pointed right at Tyranna as he spoke. Her heart nearly jumped for joy as she realized what Lord Laszlo had said. She was going to be living in a school, a real school! It was like a dream come true.

  chapter 13

  A new direction

  Jaxon

  Rosehaven: Thales Academy

  October 27, 1503

  School? I have to go to School! Is he serious?. Jaxon had never actually attended a school before, but he was positive he would hate it. Forcing children to be educated against their will seemed to be cruel and unusual punishment. Besides, who did Lord Laszlo think he was, especially after his thrilling victory in the arena? He was a hero now. He should have had a parade instead of a punishment!

  Sir William had attended Thales when he was much younger, like most of the Roune-Knights, so Jaxon had heard many less than exciting stories of its hallowed hallways. Thales was the only true school system on the island, and competition to attend was fierce. Jaxon wasn’t exactly sure why. He figured most kids would have been fighting not to go, but apparently that wasn’t the case.

  Most children in Rosehaven learned at home with their parents, or in small groups with other kids their age in the neighborhood, but Thales was a different experience altogether. Attending meant he would be living there almost full time under their rules and supervision. This was the part that scared him the most. It was easy to get away with breaking his parents’ rules, but teachers were a whole new challenge. Jaxon knew this was going to be far worse for him because unlike parents, teachers actually had training with children.

  Questions flowed through Jaxon’s mind like a raging river, which did not make him happy at all. He much preferred his brain to have desert like qualities, barren and peaceful. Ignoring Jaxon’s preference, the questions remained—what were they going to make him learn? How would he be able to get away when he wanted to? Were they going to let Rigby come with him? The questions seemed never ending, which for an thirteen-year-old boy was anything that made you think for longer than thirty seconds.

  “Don’t worry, son,” said William, interrupting Jaxon’s thoughts. “It’s the best place for you.” Sir William again placed his large hairy hand upon Jaxon’s shoulder, trying to comfort him. Jaxon found that the contact had the opposite effect. He had always hated being touched. Even as a baby he would cry in order to be put down and left alone.

  “And just think, in just a few short years you’ll be a trained sorcerer and able to make Rosehaven proud. You might even be able to gain your knighthood, just like me. ”

  Despite Jaxon’s desire to hate the idea, his foster father’s words helped put him at ease. Perhaps it wouldn’t be quite so bad. The prospect of learning to use magic, just like the demon hero Savnock in his mother’s tale, was very exciting. He could imagine how frightened people would be of him. Then they would have to respect him. He might even get to be lord protector one day, since everyone would be too terrified to vote against him. Lord Protector Jaxon Miniheart. I like the sound of that. His thought quickly turned from panicked questions about school to dreams of grandeur.

  “I guess that would be kinda fun.” Jaxon mumbled in response.

  “I know this is not exactly what you dreamed of Jaxon,” William continued, “but I want you to promise me you’ll at least give it a chance.” The large satyr crouched down so he could look Jaxon directly in the eye. It made Jaxon feel like a little kid whenever he did that. Jaxon knew that Sir William just wanted what was best for him, there was no question about that, he just had no idea what was best for a demon of his potential. He was just a satyr, what could a satyr possibly know about raising such an important child? Jaxon began to think back through the years he spent with the Hoofstomps—Saan’s late night stories and early morning songs, the games Sir William used to play with him in the park, even the horrible cooking. As hard as it was for Jaxon to believe, he feared he might actually miss the place. Shutting out the memories, Jaxon forced a reply past his lips.

  “I promise,” Jaxon finally said, ripping his gaze away from William’s. Jaxon’s eyes began to well up with moisture. He was sure he must have been allergic to one of the plants adorning the outside of the tower, as that was the only logical explanation. He turned and wiped them clean with his sleeve.

  As the unwanted liquid left his eyes he noticed a man in long silk robes the color of crow feathers. He was walking at a rapid pace directly toward them. The stranger was tall and thin and had nearly a half head on Sir William, who was by no measure a small retic. As he studied the new subject’s jet black skin and bright white hair, Jaxon realized he had never seen this man before now..

  “You must be young Master Miniheart,” the stranger remarked as soon as he reached him. “I am Instructor Thaddeus Malverne. I will be your mentor at Thales. You and that beast of yours will need to accompany me to your new accommodations immediately.”

  “Good afternoon, Instructor Malverne. I am William Hoofstomp, Jaxon’s caretaker. He bowed, making sure not to lower his head too far[20].

  “Yes, Sir William, I am aware of who you are. Many of your wrestling trophies still adorn the great room at Thales.” Though he also bowed slightly in return, Malverne spoke without the slightest hint that he was impressed. “We need to be going Jaxon. Your personal belongings can be delivered to you.” With a quick nod to William, Malverne turned and walked away, not even bothering to wait for a response from Jaxon.

  Jaxon found him to be rude and snotty, characteristics he usually found entertaining in a person, but today was different. Today this man was here to take him away from the only life he had ever really been comfo
rtable in. He could at least pretend to be cordial.

  “I guess that means it’s time to leave.” Jaxon looked up at William not knowing exactly how to say goodbye. The Hoofstomps were the only real family he had ever known. He may not have liked living with them much, but some days he hated it less than most. Today was one of those days.

  “It’s ok, Jaxon,” started William “I’m not very good at good-byes either. Just make sure you listen to your instructors and stay patient. We’ll see you in a few weeks for the harvest break.”

  Though Jaxon was certainly excited at the concept of leaving to learn to become all powerful, something didn’t feel quite right. He was finally free of living with the Hoofstomps, away from their smelly home and disgusting food . . . yet he didn’t want to leave.

  “I don’t plan on waiting for you, Jaxon Miniheart. We have too much to do today to be held up with long, sappy goodbyes.” Malverne yelled without even turning to look. The instructor’s words came crashing into Jaxon’s head and helped him push his feelings down. It was time for him to go and become the demon he was always meant to be.

  Not knowing what to say to William, Jaxon just nodded, slightly of course to not offend the satyr, and turned away. Rigby was far less unsure of her feelings, jumping up on William’s chest and giving him a huge sloppy kiss good-bye, before running off to catch up with Jaxon. She had a panting smile on her face, obviously very excited to be going somewhere new.

  After a quick jog to catch up, Jaxon and Rigby reached Malverne. Eyeing the tall, dark-skinned man again Jaxon found himself wondering what race he belonged to. He had never seen another retic with nearly the same look. Normally Jaxon would have had no problem asking, but there was something about the man that made Jaxon think it was a better idea to speak only when spoken to. Jaxon couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but Malverne seemed to radiate a strange presence. Jaxon felt nervous just being near him, almost intimated.