by Rick Field
The Pillar dipped her head low enough to allow it to be seen, even with her hood up. “I will accept the assignment's extension, My Lady.”
“Good luck, Pillar,” the Overseer said, breaking the connection. Nadia sighed, climbing back on the horse with considerable difficulty and pain. The horse remained quiet, letting the silly human clamber up onto it. It snorted when she fell into her saddle a little harder than was normal.
“Silence,” Nadia told the animal, before taking the reins, and turning it toward her new destination. She had a high-ranking Lord to investigate and interrogate without making it appear so. It was going to be interesting.
********
By the time she reached the country mansion of the General of the Imperial Army, Nadia was beyond sore and her mood was correspondingly foul. The mansion itself was protected and defended, sitting on a large plot of land ringed by a high wall, obscuring the main house from view. Slipping from the horrible horse was both agony and sweet relief to the Pillar, and she took a few moments to stretch out her back and legs.
When most of the pain was gone from her overworked muscles, Nadia approached the closed gate leading to the protective compound. The head of her staff struck unmoving wood, producing a low, clear note that rang across the surrounding countryside. Once. Twice. Thrice.
A human-sized door in the oversized gate was unbolted and opened. A groundskeeper, startled at the sight of her, his disposition turning from sour to shock when he noticed who had come calling.
“May I be of help?” he asked, somehow managing to sound polite as he did so.
Nadia produced a blank card from the depths of her robes. Magic burnt across its surface, engraving her cover name and occupation.
Nadia of the Black Marsh
Voice and Hand of the Emperor, Pillar of Kiria.
“Please notify your Lord and Master that I apologize for the unannounced arrival and that I would speak to him at his earliest convenience,” Nadia told the groundskeeper. It was a Decorum veiled half-truth, of course. She was Pillar, she needed to see the Lord of the Manor, and he’d better be with her as early as possible. It was merely impolite to say it out loud. She knew it, the groundskeeper knew it.
The startled man accepted the card with a trembling hand, and nodded mutely before remembering his manners.
“Yes, My Lady. Of course. I will open the gate. Please enter,” he said, stepping back and fumbling with the locks of the gate proper, before pulling one side of it open, allowing her to lead her horse through. By the time she was inside, a stable boy was already present to take her horse and care for it.
The groundskeeper handed her off to a manservant, who showed her inside the mansion proper, and made her comfortable in a drawing room that looked remarkably like the one she had on the ground floor of her own house. She asked for some Iron Belly tea, she felt she could use it.
The Lord of the Manor let her wait for almost thirty minutes. When he arrived, he was dressed in full Warlock robes, his sword at his hip. Despite it being sheathed, Nadia could feel the power coming from the blade; it was a permanently enchanted sword that must be hundreds of years old. After centuries of drawing power from various wielders, it was a tremendously potent weapon. One day, DawnBreaker too would be so powerful.
The Pillar's hidden eyes went from the sword to the Lord of the Manor himself. Not only did he make her wait, but he appeared with his weapon while indoors. As a good guest, Nadia had placed her staff on the rack at the front door, hospitality demanded that a guest be disarmed and a host provided sanctuary. To make a guest wait, and to appear armed, was both an insult and a warning.
Nadia refrained from showing reaction, waiting for his excuse. Nominally, she was his superior, a Pillar on assignment. In practice, he was General of the Imperial Armies, and in his own home. His thirty-minute delay merely accentuated that. His weapon was a far less subtle warning. He didn't like her here, he didn't want her here, and he wanted her to know that, despite her title, he was her superior.
It was a play for power, and Nadia didn’t care for it. There were reasons she disliked politics.
“Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, My Lord,” the Pillar said, keeping her voice carefully neutral.
“Not at all, My Lady. How may I assist the Empire today?” he requested, motioning for the chair she had left upon his entrance.
She sat, feeling her temper boil. He hadn’t even bothered with an excuse. She would have to do something to regain control over the situation without becoming impolite. She couldn’t come out and call him on it, thirty minutes was long but not that long, nor was wearing his weapon indoors insulting.
“I come to you with unsettling news, My Lord,” Nadia spoke. “One of the anchors of the Great Barrier, located near the edge of your property, was sabotaged. I have come to both inform you of this fact and to request whether you have witnessed any unusual activity upon your lands within the last few weeks.”
His eyes burned at her, as if trying to penetrate the anonymity charms of her robes. They were permanent enchantments, bound by blood to her. It would take more than a glare to determine who she was. “That is indeed unsettling news, My Lady. Unfortunately, I have not seen any suspicious activity.”
Under her hood, Nadia scowled. He was not going to make this easy for her, and would stonewall her at every turn. He appeared to answer the question without saying anything; did he dislike her or her status, or was there something else at play here? He was a general in the armed forces, Kiria should be his main concern. Why was he playing politics with her, rather than see to his duty?
“Luckily, the saboteur was an amateur who didn’t know the Great Barrier anchors as well as they thought they did,” the Pillar said, letting the questions roll round in the back of her mind. If the man before her was involved, the insult might get a reaction. “I was able to correct the problem before it compromised the Barrier. We caught on this time. Next time, we might not be so lucky. I am sure that a man in your position realizes the dangers involved.”
His face may well be a stone mask, but his eyes were tight. “Of course, My Lady,” he said, coolly. “That this happened on my very lands is an insult. I shall send out messengers to the settlements to determine any suspicious activity.”
“Thank you, My Lord, for your cooperation,” Nadia said, managing to keep from smiling. He had backed down and pledged assistance. Playing on his position had left him no choice. She regretted having to use such a low tactic, but he had started by keeping her waiting. If not exactly an insult, it had been a subtle warning. Of course, he could pledge servants, then claim nothing had happened. She hoped he would play it straight with her.
“Of course, My Lady. Everything for the Empire. Please remain as my guest until my messengers return,” he offered, already standing up. It was obvious the offer was made half-heartedly, more out of politeness than any real desire to help her, but she chose to ignore it.
“Thank you, My Lord. Your assistance is greatly appreciated and will feature prominently in my report,” the Pillar replied. He dipped his head, turned, and left. Nadia watched him go, and tapped her collar.
“Epter,” she instructed, the tiny fly-construct immediately, and silently, flying after her target. She followed a handmaiden to a room on the top floor. A room, she was assured, would be hers for as long as she needed it.
Nadia thanked the girl, instructed that she wouldn't need any service that she couldn't provide for herself, and asked for privacy instead. As soon as she was assured she was alone, Nadia called her Overseer for an update on her progress. The subtle and the not-so-subtle implications of Lord Marcel's actions were as unsettling to the Overseer as they were to the Pillar.
The call did not last long, and ended with her superior promising political protection should the general make good on his implied threats.
Nadia sat down on the ground, crossed her legs, and sunk into a halfway meditative state while watching Epter. She was deep enough not to fee
l boredom from watching the general's life, but not deep enough to miss anything, should something happen.
Nothing happened. Lord Marcel seemed to lead a boring life. He went through his estates, rode his horse, talked to his wife in lyrical Decorum-filled verses, and generally did whatever he could to pass the time. Nothing seemed to indicate anxiety over the news Nadia had brought him, and that concerned her.
She kept watching until she was called to dinner. Having been watching the lord of the manor, she was well aware dinnertime was approaching; she had seen him start to prepare, after all.
Dinner was an incredibly formal affair with close to ten different courses. Being an orphan and raised on the food the Academy provided, Nadia had never learned to appreciate fine dining, and by the time she could finally make her getaway from the dinner table, she was exhausted, both physically and mentally.
She returned to her room, raised her privacy wards, sunk back into a relaxing half-meditation, and watched Epter follow Lord Marcel. The general luxuriated in his luxurious dinner, and spent two more hours with a digestif. The Pillar was his only guest, so the man spent the time with his digestif alone, in the company of various newspapers.
Finally, hours later, she watched him get up. Expecting the man to go to bed, Nadia started to perk up at the thought of being able to stop her monitoring and have some sleep herself. The large and heavy meal sat like a brick in her stomach, her body felt weary and worn-down. She needed the rest.
To her surprise and disappointment, Lord Marcel did not go to bed. He walked out, instead. The Pillar hoped against hope that this was merely a walk before going to bed. She frowned when he asked a stable boy for his horse. It was near midnight, where could the man be going at this late time?
Taking control over her spying fly-construct, she managed to get Epter attached to the Lord's clothes before he set off. Her construct was good, but it was not fast enough to keep up with a galloping horse.
Her target of investigation rode sedately out the gates of his manor's grounds, and followed the road until he was sure he was out of sight. Then he gave his horse the spurs and drove it to incredible speeds. The vision Nadia received from Epter bounced and jarred and blurred with the speed and sudden movements created by the fast-pace, furious actions instigated by Lord Marcel.
The Pillar closed her eyes against the wave of nausea that dropped from her head. She would have to build some form of image stabilization into Epter. Humans subconsciously corrected heavy movements with their eyes, her construct did not do so. It had never been a problem until now.
When she heard the frantic clopping of hooves slow down, she risked re-opening her eyes. The general had reigned in his horse, and was now pulling it to a complete stop. He tied it loosely around a tree. Epter followed the man, remaining hidden as it did so, and coincidentally taking a look at the man from various different angles.
The Pillar recognized a small stretch of the road, it had been the same road she had followed when she approached the manor earlier that morning. Her spying construct continued to trace Lord Marcel, who took another furtive look around and disappeared into the trees. With its target's speed now considerably reduced, and ample room to hide, Epter had no trouble following the man.
Nadia watched him emerge into a clearing, where another figure was waiting. Epter followed, low above the ground, hidden in the long grass. It settled on a blade of grass not far from where Marcel was now greeting his mysterious friend. The woman was dressed in grey robes that were roughly styled after those worn by the Pillar Service, and boasted a rough copy of the Pillar's own camouflaging spells. Had she been there in person, Nadia might have been able to penetrate them. As she was looking through Epter, there was no chance of discovering the mysterious woman's identity.
“Your message sounded urgent, Lord General,” the woman said instead of a normal greeting. The large manor lord paced angrily through the clearing, as if finally allowed to release the day's pent-up frustration.
“The plan has failed, My Lady,” he returned. “There is a Pillar at my manor, reporting that the sabotage at the anchor was discovered and corrected, and that no damage has been done to the Great Barrier itself. She was not intimidated by myself or my position, and played on my position before I was able to achieve proper control over the situation.”
The general's mysterious companion was silent for a few long moments. “That is most disturbing. The changes made are all but undetectable. There are very, very few within Kiria who would be able to discover them, and even fewer that would be able to do so on such short notice. None of them would be tasked with something as menial as a small drop in an anchor's power level.”
“And yet a Pillar was sent, and yet the discovery was made,” the general snapped, all but abandoning Decorum. Nadia could see the mystery woman straighten beneath her robes in surprise.
“The Pillar Service recruits only the best and brightest. Need I remind you that they have the youngest legend in history in their ranks?” the woman retorted. Her voice sounded calm, but it had a simmering undertone of anger to it that made the larger Lord pause.
“The MagicWarper,” Lord Marcel said, sounding less sure of himself now. “Let's just hope it wasn't her that they sent after me.”
“It is easy to know whether a Pillar is the MagicWarper or not. Is she carrying her work of legend?” the mysterious figure in bastardized, copied Pillar's robes asked.
“No, she is carrying a regular Pillar's staff,” the general answered, suddenly looking and sounding a lot calmer. “Obviously the primary plan has failed. What is the next step?”
Nadia almost cursed. She wanted to know what this primary plan was, and the reasons behind it. She could infer that these two conspirators had wanted to weaken the Great Barrier – but to what end?
“We need to modify the original plan, it can still be useful,” the woman said. “You needn't concern yourself with the details, My Lord. We will take care of that. Your main concern is the Pillar that is currently staying at your residence. We cannot allow any interference in our plans.”
The man nodded thoughtfully. “I can make her disappear,” he said, and Nadia felt cold chills run down her back at the sound of his voice. It sounded dead flat, as if he were discussing a minor inconvenience instead of the murder of a member of the Pillar service. “When asked, I will report that the Pillar never arrived.”
“Be careful,” the woman admonished. “Even an unknown Pillar will be a powerful opponent. If I must repeat it, I shall. The Pillars recruit only the best and brightest.”
“I am a General in the Imperial Army, My Lady. I am trained in the arts of battle and warfare; the Pillar is in my residence, under my own wards.”
The woman seemed to nod. “All that is true. And yet a Pillar is the best and brightest. I urge you to be careful and not be overconfident.”
“Your advice is duly noted, My Lady,” Lord Marcel said, sounding dismissive of the woman's advice. “I will return to my residence and disappear the Pillar. Hopefully we can modify and instigate the new plans before the Pillar service comes calling.”
“We should, My Lord,” the woman replied, as if nothing had happened. “Soon, the Pillar Service will be too busy to come and investigate the disappearance of one of their own.”
Nadia's spine stiffened. He wouldn't dare. Not even a General in the Imperial Army would be able to get away with attacking a Pillar. She stood up, dispelled her privacy wards, calmly walked downstairs, and collected her staff from the stand near the front door. A Pillar's staff was a sign of their office, it was permanently enchanted, and could only be touched by the Pillar it was bonded to. She had no doubts it would still be there. Even if the Lord of the manor had tried to remove it, he would have failed.
As she walked back to her room, Nadia's mind was in turmoil. Not only had she heard the General conspire with someone to do something to the Great Barrier, she had heard him conspire to kill her, as well. It would be difficult to complete her miss
ion without revealing Epter's existence, or without resorting to violence. It was late at night, she couldn't contact the Overseer. More than likely, the stables would be locked and she would be unable to get to her rented horse.
Then again, judging from the amount of pain her body was currently in, the horse might not be such a good idea. She was a lousy rider. Lord Marcel of the Rising Trees lived remotely, too. The late night hour conspired against her, she had no choice but to remain. If she fled in the middle of the night, she would tip her hand at having listened in on the conversation.
The privacy wards went up when she was back in her room.
Despite the late hour, sleep failed her; her mind going over the conversation again and again, drawing conclusions and spinning scenarios. She hoped the Lord Marcel would come to his senses and refrain from trying to kill her. She did not want to engage him in battle.
********
She was awakened by the same handmaiden that had shown her to the room yesterday. Sleep had only come an hour or two earlier, yet Nadia felt a little better for the small amount of rest. She immediately tried to contact the Overseer. She failed. Perhaps the hour was still too early.