by P. S. Power
They did help him carry a large box filled with an assortment of amulets down the stairs. It wasn't even a magical one, since he was out of those now, he realized.
He looked at the assembled people and then the thing being carried between Sara and Ali, since they were of a similar size now. Both taller than he was, blonde and pretty, each in a different way.
"Gather around. This is the chest. It has all the magical items I can give you for now. There should be magical clothing for each of you and other things, some buildings and the like. The rest will have to come the old fashioned way, so unless any of you are able to make magical copies, please use this wisely. Keep tabs on it too, if you can? Make sure Karen gets it. If you can make copies of things, please let her know that too. These don't have templates however." Then he started to leave, only to have a rather dour looking tall man stop him. He was painfully thin and reminded Tor a bit of a stork.
"You're just going to leave this with us? I don't know the value of the contents, but at a guess I'd say more than should be entrusted to a group of strangers. Even noble ones."
He was about to make a speech, but Sara smiled at the man and brushed her hair out of her eyes, even though it was still in a short military style cut.
"That would be true, if you weren't High Servants. While you hold that title you are completely trustworthy, because you have to be. The whole world needs you to be, so you are. Yesterday you might have been a thief, or a liar, or possibly even a Doretta. As long as you hold the title of High Servant though, you're better than your flaws, no matter what they were. It's part of the job. Notice that Tor didn't even bother to tell you that? It's something everyone already knows. A High Servant isn't called that to humble them. It's a sign of pure devotion to task."
Then, as the people gathering looked shocked, more coming from the next room to see what the interesting talking and muttering was about, they actually made their escape and got back just before the Fast Carriage flew in from the West. It was all pink and looked remarkably cheerful, glowing a bit, since it was getting dark out now.
Only three people got out, Judith Kerry, who was the pilot it seemed, Alphonse and of course, Tor's old nemesis, the Royal Guard Captain Wensa. She looked younger than he remembered her. Not a lot, but it was enough that he realized she was using a disguise amulet. She looked like her, only a bit better.
So, all friends of his.
"Rolph!" Tor called it out loudly, knowing that it wouldn't fool anyone for long. He was the Prince and everyone knew it, if only from pictures. He wasn't in disguise or anything either, which was stupid, if he was going to be out and about. Except, of course, it wasn't, since people turned to look and even in the gloom a large crowd started to gather.
So much for his lame attempt at misdirection then.
For his part the man before them, with his distinctive red hair and golden tan skin waved to everyone, as if they were all old friends. Then he lied to them. A bit.
It was a good day for that after all.
"Hello everyone! Lord Torrance Baker asked me to come out and make certain that you were all being taken care of properly. Within reason of course. We aren't bringing girls in for you." He chuckled at his own joke, but no one else did. They were Elite Forces after all. If they were a rowdy type they didn't get into the program, most likely.
A man from the back did call out though.
"No need to worry about us sir! It's only been a day and we've been fed twice, have clean water, and a wizard came around and gave us magic fires and toothbrushes. Anyone here complaining doesn't know how good they have it. Best field conditions I've ever heard of. I half expect to be put up in the Palace for the night at this rate!" That got a laugh at least.
It wasn't happening of course, but they did have some magical houses for them to use. Instead of saying that himself he passed two of them to the Prince. After a second, without more than a glance, he got what they were and held them up.
"Well, a palace at least. Or two it seems. Thanks Tor. Now they're always going to expect this kind of treatment." There was a big smile though, one that was probably practiced in a mirror. The men cheered and Tiera came over and took the things, having made it back already from her room at the school. Without waiting to be told she waved to the General and then started walking away from the wall by a good bit.
"Military men in the river side house, everyone else on the Wildlands side. Let's set up the Guide-fires for the people on the night watches. The military knows how to do that. Someone needs to help the Lairdgren kids with it, I think." She sounded like she knew what she was doing, so everyone just assumed the tiny girl was in charge or something. It was a trick that Trice used a lot too. Come to think of it, he'd done it a few times that day already himself. High Servants? Seriously, that was a ridiculous name. Even if it did kind of grow on him, over time.
"Here, let's take a quick peek inside the cells while I call the Palace and see if we can negotiate enough of a shield drop to get through." Tor gestured with his left hand as he tried to get the communications device out.
Wensa was scouring the assembled people with her gaze, looking for a threat, which was possible, being exposed like they were, but she wasn't worried about the Prince going inside the prison at all. That was a bit strange, until she explained it, seeing the look on his face.
"We can't let the prisoners have access to the Prince, but they're safely secured for now. In the open anyone could infiltrate. The military has been well cleared of traitors for now, but someone could be turned, and for all we know those from Lairdgren are actually on the other side altogether. Family ties and that sort of thing. Unless they've been truth tested?"
They hadn't been of course, since everyone had been too busy, actually fighting and then trying to recover from that. Even Wensa didn't push the matter though, after mentioning it. That would be rude. After all, they'd come to the aid of the Capital from over two thousand miles away. No one would have blamed them for taking more time to do it. Or even not coming at all. It was a school, not a battle group.
The prison had been redecorated a bit, and had a nice front area with wall to wall gold and purple carpet and ten very large and comfortable looking cream colored leather chairs along the left hand wall. Also a very finely designed crystal light feature that hung from the ceiling. To the right of the door, where there had been a table before, there was a very nice, but official looking desk. The slightly grumpy Countier Peterson sat behind that, but it was in front of a door now, that said "Chief Warden" on it.
The man stood and bowed.
"Officer in sight!" It was slightly wrong, since not one of them actually was an officer at all, unless Wensa counted that way. It served to get the others to look around without the man shouting about the Prince being present however. There were four big guards in the front of the space, and Gerent popped his head out and smiled.
"Visitors!" He stopped when he saw the Prince and bowed low, which given his very small stature looked like he was almost groveling. That meant that, since it was an official visit, that the Prince had to bow back, and that lead to everyone else doing it again. Protocol chains. Tor had seen it before. The one that had really been instructive had set in motion seven bows, one after another. This one wasn't nearly as bad, since they only had the one dignitary with them.
"Hey Gerent." Tor stepped to the front, so that his brother wouldn't have to be presented with a scary giant right off the start, even though he was pretty much floating in them at the moment. All the Elite soldiers were tall people. "Prince Alphonse is here for a brief tour. To see how the prisoners are being treated. We can't let them talk to him, not yet, but would it be alright to take a peek at the various facilities? It's your call of course..." That was true, but if he didn't let them in it would look like they were hiding something.
"Certainly. Let's go this way. The first floor, to the left is where we're keeping people. The first room is being left empty. All the other spaces are identical to it. E
ven the rooms upstairs for people to sleep in, the guards and others. Those have doors though. I can show you how it works?" The demonstration took about half a minute and the Prince frowned, along with Wensa as the wall turned into a door and then back to an open rectangular hole.
"Can't the prisoners just walk out? These things are remarkably easy to manipulate."
Tor covered his mouth to hide a smile, then cleared his throat.
"Really? Remember the City Guards in the small house when I did it?" They'd been stuck for hours, until Alphonse himself had figured out how to turn the whole thing off. Anyone here could do the same. If they knew too and could focus enough, away from the amulet the whole thing was attached to. Making a new door was easier, but no one knew to try it seemed. Not so far at least.
"Ah, point. Still, a bit of entertainment and I can't see anyone wanting to leave. Could we have some music brought in, do you think? Or is that too much?"
It was a bit too much, but hiring some people to play in the streets, after a few days of rapid rebuilding, might help keep spirits up. That, or rub the loss of loved ones in for some people. He'd have to think about it.
Gerent was awkward, and trying almost desperately to act like he was in charge, but it was pretty clear he didn't believe it. The large Peterson and the others went to see the facilities while Tor connected with the King. Or tried to. He actually got Connie instead again, though she was no more than warm and regal sounding.
"Torrance?"
"Hello! We're in the Prison right now, Alphonse, Wensa, Sara Debri, Ali and I. We were wondering if you'd get the shield dropped for us in about ten minutes? That way we can visit in person, before we go off to my other house for the night. The one in Lairdgren. We should have my sister Tiera and possibly my brothers Timon and Terry with us. Maybe not." He meant at the house with him, but the Queen misunderstood, or pretended to.
"Very good. I haven't spoken much with Terry as of yet. I wasn't even aware he was visiting the Capital. Is he here for the season?" She actually sounded baffled about it. It was, he realized, possible however. He had a house there and so did Tim, Gerent too. Or he might have been staying with the Thomsons, since they had a great house in the city itself, Terlee having married the Count and all. In fact, given all of that, it almost made sense for a boy his age to be going visiting like that, if he had tutors that were willing to travel at least.
"No, he and some others from Two Bends came to deliver supplies and lend a hand. The homemaking section from Lairdgren sent down food and came in with some of the others to do cooking for those in need for the duration."
There was a deep breath from the room on the other side of the device, but it didn't sound like Connie at all. Who it was Tor didn't know, but the Queen seemed pleased enough by the news.
"That's incredible, Tor. I'll have the guards stand by to lower the shield for you in ten minutes. We have a lot to discuss, I think. All of us. I'm not planning on needling you personally. Not overly. See you then?"
"Be there directly, at the front gate."
As soon as the device deactivated, he started to run around, calling out, not certain where they all were.
"We need to get to the front gate of the Palace in nine minutes!" That got the others to run out of an empty cell, followed at a fast walk by the tiny Chief Warden and his glowering giant warrior.
It took about six minutes to locate the others, but they were, handily enough, all together. Outside too, near the front of the second house away from the river, near an outdoor bonfire. Near Guide even, who had clearly been providing things for people himself all day.
"Hi everyone, we need to get to the palace. Tiera, Timon and Terry. Um, better clothing for this than what we have on."
Sara made a face and looked down at her decently nice, but plain clothing. They were, he realized, real. He didn't have a spare clothing amulet on him at all. Why Sara didn't have one he wasn't absolutely certain. Had he forgotten to get her one? That was, he realized, the likely answer. He was a jerk that had forgotten his friend and now she was going to be embarrassed.
Except that Sam Builder came around the fire, digging at an amulet under his shirt, and handed her one.
"Here. Farlo Ross made it. I traded her some flowers for it. Magical ones, it was a fair trade. It's on metal, but the work is quality." He presented it with a courtly bow, since the boy had been acting Magics Counselor in Tor's absence, for nearly three months. He'd actually lived at the Palace the whole time too. It was a big step up for the boy, who was, after all, still in school. His light brown peasant hair was shorter now, and well kept and he looked sharp in his Lairdgren Group uniform. Short though, but the man would end up taller than Tor, from the look of it. He was only fifteen and was already close enough that he might have a half inch on him.
Sara blinked and bowed back.
"Thank you, I'll return it directly. I need a place to change..." Which they didn't have at all. Not in the amount of time they had. So she just stripped down in front of everyone that was gathered and ended up in a few seconds later in a brown workman's outfit that was worse than what she'd had on. It was clear that she'd worn the things before though. On the boat to Afrak. He remembered her having one. He was certain of it now. Her clothing shifted easily into a pretty, but understated dress that looked like something a rich merchant would wear to visit the Palace and allowed herself to be stuffed into Tor's magical carriage, which got them there almost too late.
The Royal Guard were not amused by it, that was clear, but they let them all inside the shielded space at a jog and had it back in place before everyone had stopped running to be checked by Truth amulet. The Prince strode over to George and took the activated one from his hand, transferring the pale cream and goldenrod glow to himself as Terry looked on, clearly amazed, and a little scared.
"Wa'sat?" It was in home tongue and horribly thick in accent, but Timon answered, in very good Noram standard.
"That's a magical amulet that Tor made. If you clear your mind enough and think about it, you'll notice it feels a little like Tor. This is a device that can tell if you're lying. If you do a black streak comes across the glow, and then the large men and women will thrash you for it. I suggest only telling the truth." He didn't smile at all and was clearly teasing the boy, but George asked his questions somberly, which got first the Prince, and then Wensa cleared. They weren't in disguise, which Tor knew, and didn't plan on harming anyone in particular inside the shield. Not that night at least.
Tor and Ali went after that, followed by Sara and Terry. The last one to go was Tiera, who was totally blank, but shrugged.
"Tiera Baker. Conserina Fifth, Lairdgren. I have no plans to perform violence here this night. I may, outside these walls however. At this time I do not plan harm to either the King or Queen, since they're family, or any of the personnel here, because so far I actually like you. Alphonse either." It was good enough, but so clear that she was choosing her words carefully that Tor very nearly stopped her and insist she leave.
He didn't though, because it would be rude, and if it was actually nothing, Tor didn't want to start a fight. The girl was still so sad that it leaked from her constantly. It didn't show on the outside, but it was there, even when she forced smiles and made her voice firm and pleasant. They were led, on foot, to the front door of the Palace, as if they were important or something. He normally came in from the left side, which was the north door, he thought. One of them at any rate. The walk, once inside, was actually shorter however and only half as winding and meant to baffle as normal. Not five minutes later they were led to the small dining room, which was, of course, huge by any real person's standards. Lovely too, with a lot of smooth and polished stone and a new, very decorated, focus stone table. The chairs matched and had lovely gold colored cushions on them.
Connie actually stood, her gown a lovely emerald green, wearing a nice necklace of complicated gold work and shining stones that were a light and glinting pink. There was a crown on her he
ad, made of gold, resting on top of her still short auburn colored hair. It was collar length now at least, which helped her look a bit better. Short hair didn't really suit her very much. Her movement got both Counselor Smythe and Johansson across from him to stand as well. There was no one else in the room yet.
Alphonse stepped forward and broke the mood easily, striking a heroic pose with his fist going to hips and looking off into the distance.
"I have successfully hid from the danger!" The voice was both regal and overdone, making it kind of funny. The finance minister smiled at it at least, but Smythe didn't. He just looked at the much younger man who stood in front of the table very seriously.
"As you were supposed to do. Trust me, no one thinks you a coward for it. If they do... Well, unfortunately I fear that that sort might very soon be in battle against us. If they aren't intelligent enough to realize what happened here today."
That got a grunt from the Prince at least, who didn't seem convinced, but let it go, waving his right hand back at the people with them.
"I think most of you know everyone?" Johansson shook his head however, which got Alphonse to bow toward him. "Of course. I'll short hand this one, if no one minds?"
No one insisted on the full introduction at least, which would save time.
"Queen Constance is the lovely lady in green, to her right is our kingdom's Finance Counselor, Johansson. The man in black to mother's left is the Military Counselor, Smythe of Westend. Great people all." Then he shifted, a balanced and smooth thing that Tor found himself envying really. He couldn't have pulled it off, he didn't think. "You all know Tor... Which means he really should be doing this, not me, but too late for that now. Let's see, these others are all Countiers and Conserinas, so I can skip that part, Tiera Baker and her younger brothers, Timon and Terry. Given who they are I suggest we just give the land over to them and run for the hills. I could take up farming and horse taming perhaps?" It was a joke, but the King walked into the room in time to hear it and started to nod more seriously than was called for really.