The Archon's Apprentice

by Neil Breault

  Mikol did not sleep that night. When he was on the verge of sleep he started to cough. This continued through the night. After awhile he sighed and lay awake, thinking only about what Wondat had said. Unless Wondat knew someone with a failing business, he could only have meant someone inside the city would die. Mikol had almost nothing to go on, only a feeling about who this was. Eventually his thoughts wandered to Ternia. He had been so involved in his own life he could not remember any of the merchants in Valefort. This was not something he would be able to live with. He vowed to himself to make sure the Savage Kingdoms was left to these savages.

  ***

  The next day played out similarly to the previous one, but Mikol felt exhausted. The guard gave him a sidelong glance when Mikol could not control a coughing fit throughout their exchange. The guard went on to say their names had been accepted and they were on the list to access to the city tomorrow. They had one more night in the throng of people. When they made it back to their camping spot they saw Wondat was indeed packing his camp, or rather his entourage of guards was packing. Wondat left them the hitching post when he took his horses.

  The evening came on quickly. As his coughing grew worse, Mikol could not sleep, preferring to watch out over the crowd. The Savage Kingdoms revealed themselves to him as he saw several slowly moving figures at the fringes of the masses. He watched as they moved quietly around the sleeping bodies. He saw a few dart quietly in to tents and back out almost as quickly. He was not sure what they stole but knew they were thieves.

  Mikol had been so focused on the edge of the mass that he almost missed someone making their way though the inner part of the group. The ragged clothing hid the man’s features. He only knew it was a man because of beard protruding from beneath a hood. The man carried a small satchel that he held very gingerly. Mikol could hear a faint jingle every couple of steps. The man took a few steps toward Mikol and Bayle. He stopped as he saw Mikol looking at him. There seemed to be some sort of challenge or exchange that happened in that moment that Mikol did not understand. The man nodded slightly to him and turned away. Mikol still stared after the man and watched him work quickly at another group. He felt something strange and found he had been holding his breath. When he let out his breath it only caused another coughing fit that hurt his sides and made the thief looked back in surprise.

  ***

  The next day they were indeed let in to the city. They were instructed to leave their horses in a stable near the front of the city. The nearest inns were located in the center of the city. They took all of their gear except for saddles with them. Neither of them trusted their gear to still be with their horses if they left it. The city was packed with people. Even with the restrictions from the council, Mikol could see why there was a wait to get in. Every street had barely enough room to maneuver and was full of people walking about. Almost every building they came across was a shop of some sort. People even hawked their wares as they walked the streets. Even as large as the city was, Mikol could not see where all of these people had homes. When they passed a few alleys he found that not everyone had been granted residency, it seemed. Mikol was beginning to give up hope of finding an inn for the night after the seventh inn turned them away rudely. But at the next building they were lucky to find a room that had been recently vacated.

  The room was very small but still had two beds. Mikol’s cough had become worse, and the innkeeper was hesitant to let them stay until Bayle handed him another three Tarens. They were shown to the room. Bayle immediately put some logs in the small stove in the corner of the room. It did not take long for stove to light and begin heating the room. Bayle began to unpack their items to lay them out to dry. Mikol attempted to help but was easily pushed into bed by Bayle. Mikol tried to stay awake but was asleep before Bayle had fully turned back to their equipment.

  ***

  Mikol jolted awake in bed. He reached for his sword but it was not where he had set it. He fumbled around, growing more frantic when he could not find Raythrael. In the dim light of the room he saw a figure standing near him. Mikol looked around for Bayle, then heard his voice. It took several deep breaths before Mikol was able to tell Bayle was standing in front of him.

  “Did you get everything set out to dry?”

  “Yep. I did that before I went out for more supplies.”

  “Out?”

  Mikol coughed hard and Bayle waited for him to stop.

  “Yep. I was gone for several hours. Came back after it was dark.”

  “Oh. Well, I guess that takes care of that. You should get some sleep then. I am still tired.”

  “I can’t. We need to leave tonight. I let you sleep while I packed the bags.”

  Not fully awake, Mikol took a moment to understand what Bayle had said. He tried to get out of bed quickly but ended up sliding out of bed.

  “Why do we need to leave?”

  “While getting supplies I thought I would ask the guards if anyone strange had been let in recently. Before I got to the gate I saw a group of mounted horsemen enter the city.”

  “I’m sure that can happen. Maybe we should have paid the guard more.”

  “I don’t think they paid off the guard. I think they were let in. As soon as they were let in they split into three groups. They immediately started to ask people questions. I was going to make my way back right then but saw one of the men go in to the shop I had come from. When the man emerged from the shop he had the shopkeeper in tow and they were looking around. They didn’t see me, but I know it was one of the groups that was looking for us.”

  Bayle had finished packing the bags and handed one to Mikol. It was noticeably lighter than before. Mikol started to protest but found it hard enough for him to carry the bag. He buckled Raythrael on and marveled again at its feather weight. Bayle made sure they had everything and led Mikol out of the inn. The common room of the inn was empty, to Mikol’s surprise. Then he realized the time.

  Mikol wanted to admonish Bayle for letting him sleep as long as he did but he was too exhausted. Although the street was dark, there was still enough light from the street lamps to see clearly. He paused as a moment of vertigo passed over him. He looked up at the flickering light to see the lamps were using fire for light. He knew runes were not used outside of Ternia but for some reason he had only thought it applied to people using runes. He was pulled out of his own thoughts as Bayle dragged him forward.

  The city was laid out in a straightforward manner, but Mikol took out the pendant to be sure of their direction. They followed the arrow north to the outer section of the city. They started to see more people on the streets as they progressed. The larger streets of the outer ring of the city were packed. Mikol frowned. There would be no easy way for them to see whether they were being followed now.

  “What about our horses?”

  “I checked that first. There was someone posted at the stable.”

  “We could take him.”

  “Maybe if you were feeling well. But we need to escape unseen.”

  Mikol’s neck began to itch. He looked around frantically at the people on the street. No one gave them more than a passing glance. He took a deep breath. This only caused him to cough, which drew curious looks from several passing people. He closed his eyes as his coughing passed. The feeling went away. Mikol looked at Bayle to crack a joke when the feeling came back suddenly. Bayle dragged him to the side of the street and indicated the pendant. When he looked down, Mikol saw the pendant was glowing, something it had only done when he was holding it. The arrow that had been pointing north was now flashing, and pointing to a nearby alleyway. Mikol looked at Bayle to make sure he was seeing the same thing. He received a shrug in response. Mikol saw no reason to doubt the pendant, since they had followed it this far. They hurried to the alley.

  The alley was about the quarter size of the road. Boxes, crates, and barrels lined the buildings on either side. They had to walk carefully to avoid toppling anything. When they had progressed halfway down,
the flashing arrow split in two, pointing to either side of the alley. They split up to both sides of the alley and waited. The arrows became a flashing dot. Mikol wondered how many other times the pendant had tried to give him directions.

  Bayle set his bag down and readied his crossbow. Mikol also sat his bag down and drew Raythrael. He started to cough but was able to keep the sound to a barely audible rumble. Looking up, he saw Bayle scowling at him. The pendant had changed again and now showed three smaller arrows moving from the top of the pendant to the bottom. Mikol was not sure what to think until he heard soft footfalls near the front of the alley. He put the pendant away and held up three fingers to Bayle.

  They waited long enough that Mikol felt another cough coming. He tried to hold back but it burst forth loud enough to bring the men running. Mikol was helpless as the first man rounded the boxes he hid behind. The man fell forward as Bayle shot his crossbow point blank at the man’s head. The second man was only a step behind and had turned to face Mikol as well. Raythrael glowed faintly and Mikol barely registered his arm moving. The second man fell backward from the blow and did not move. They could not see around the boxes but heard a gasp from a third man. Mikol stepped out of the shadows, making certain Raythrael was visible. Bayle rounded his boxes and fired his crossbow. The man had already started running, and Bayle’s bolt flew wide.

  Enough light illuminated the alley to allow them to see the scars covering the two dead mean at their feet.

  “Maybe we should have given Erash his year,” said Mikol.

  “Maybe we shouldn’t have used their names at the gate. That’s probably why they were let in so fast. They were pursuing Erash’s killers. How lucky for them, they found someone gave his name to the council to enter the city.” Mikol tried to think of a retort but found none that were not childish.

  Bayle dragged the first body behind the boxes into the shadows and had to help Mikol with the other dead body. The pendant had returned to the regular arrow Mikol was used to and it pointed north again. They picked up their gear and walked back to the street. It was still crowded but there were no disturbances. Mikol knew they had to move fast and get to the north gate. The man they had not killed would return with his partners. They soon passed out of the heavily trafficked thoroughfare to the long, quiet road leading to the northern gate. They made it to the entrance of the northern courtyard before they stopped short. Mikol had expected someone to be guarding the gate, but the men standing in front of the gate were clearly not guards.

  Mikol looked over the men for a moment, but could not tell who they were. It was too dark to make out any scars or other signs of blood magic on them. Mikol and Bayle took a step forward as they heard horses coming up the road behind them. They slowly moved into the courtyard, aware they were being cornered. Mikol could not see anything they could get behind. Not that it would have made a difference, as both sets of men had seen them. They were now in the center of the courtyard. Bayle faced the horsemen and Mikol faced the men at the gate. Something felt familiar about the men blocking the gate, but he did not have long to wonder before they stepped forward. He did not remember re-drawing Raythrael, but it was in his hands. He stepped into a defensive stance, ready to act. To his surprise, the men separated and walked around him. They only drew swords when they were past Mikol and Bayle.

  Mikol turned around, confused. He lowered Raythrael, looking from group to group. Mikol did not see where the first blast came from, but the explosion threw him off his feet. Bayle grabbed him by the shoulder and helped him to his feet. He looked toward the groups of men but could only see chaos. Magic was being used, but he could not tell what kind or by whom. He coughed hard as they made it to the gate. He was curious why there were no guards but did not question their luck. When they had made it through the gate Mikol saw evidence of a fight. The dark stains on the road gave them the encouragement to run.

  Chapter 13

  Escape

  The sound of fighting brought other guards running towards the gate. The guards paid them no attention, as Mikol had sheathed Raythrael and Bayle had put away his crossbow. The guards were focusing more on the explosion inside the city than on two men running away from the fight. The captain of the guard did stop and yell at them to get out of the road. They quickly obliged and waited for the platoon of soldiers to run in to the city. Mikol was glad to stop moving, as he had another coughing fit. They were becoming worse and Mikol had to catch his breath afterward. They started north on the road. It followed the curve of the mountain itself. They passed a few areas that narrowed and had to have been carved from the rock face. Mikol tried to keep his eyes forward instead of looking down the rock wall. There was almost no vegetation along the road and it would be easy to see if they were being followed.

  After an hour of walking, Mikol could take no more than a few steps before coughing violently. He was ready for anyone to find him and take him wherever, if only he could sleep. He began looking for a comfortable rock to lay his head on. Bayle stopped him and grabbed the pendant. Mikol growled. He tried to force Bayle away from him but was to weak to mount any real offense. Bayle dodged away easily and grabbed Mikol by the shoulders. He twirled Mikol around so quickly it was all he could do to stand upright.

  “Calm down. I just wanted to see what the pendant was indicating. I think it was flashing at me.”

  Mikol scowled at Bayle. Why did the pendant suddenly work for him? He thought Bayle must have done something to the pendant as he slept. He felt betrayed by Bayle and the pendant. Grabbing the pendant he saw it was indicating two directions again with a large and a small arrow. He wanted to throw the pendant away and never see it again. He closed his hand over it to rip it from his neck when he realized how exhausted he had become. He sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head slowly. Another cough forced him to hold on to Bayle for support. He was not thinking well. He shoved the pendant in his shirt and marched towards the direction of the large arrow.

  The road led them continuously upward but had been worn down to a slope that could be carefully driven by carriages. They came to a large flat area with a few buildings on it. Mikol pulled out the pendant to check where it pointed before tucking it under his shirt again. The smaller arrow pointed up the road but the larger arrow pointed toward the buildings. The moon was the only light available, which made identifying the buildings difficult. He moved to the large building, guessing it was an inn. He did not really care what the building was as long as he could sleep. They made their way slowly to the building. They had to walk even slower as a passing cloud over the moon blotted out any light. They were almost to the building when Bayle stopped Mikol again. Mikol was beginning to be annoyed at him. Bayle put a finger to his lips and pointed to the pendant again.

  The red glow of the pendant could be seen underneath Mikol’s shirt. He withdrew it to see the arrow pointing back the way they had come. They had passed what it had wanted them to do. There were two more buildings near them. Mikol moved the pendant around to see it was indicating the stable. Mikol kept the pendant out to be certain as they walked to the building. No one met them as they entered the stable. They heard horses inside. There was not enough light coming in to the building to see well. They slowly walked forward, hoping not to walk in to anything. Before they reached the end, the pendant grew brighter. Its two arrows pointed to two horses.

  “I think it wants us to take these horses,” said Mikol.

  “That’s a new one. I guess it did help us to ambush those scarmongers earlier.” Bayle scratched his head. “This is beyond me. How much do you know of that pendant? I thought you said this was going to lead us somewhere. Why is it giving us instructions like this?”

  “I don’t know. I know as much as ... well, no one ... I guess. Maybe Voletain knew about it. But I didn’t ask him. He went to the Sanctuary before I got it, but I thought he would take it away from me, so I wouldn’t have asked.” Mikol stared at the pendant. “Besides, we’ve gone too far not to see it through. No m
atter what happens, I owe it to Perim at least.”

  Bayle sighed.

  “Yeah. I don’t see another option. Not sure where you got that cough, but it is getting worse. I would say we should see what’s in the building over there, or even stay in the stables here, but I don’t know what would have happened if we hadn’t gone down that alley.”

  “Let’s get this over with. If we stand around any longer I won’t care what the pendant says.”

  With the light of the pendant Bayle found two saddles stashed nearby. He saddled both of the horses and transferred their gear to the animals. Without his pack Mikol felt better but still weak. Bayle had to help him mount the horse. Before Bayle mounted up he placed ten Tarens on the rail. When they left the stable and went onto the road, it occurred to Mikol that he had not heard a sound from the horses. He gently patted the neck of his horse and it neighed softly.

  When the sun began creeping up from between two peaks Mikol knew he had slept in his saddle. The road began to level out onto a large plateau. Mikol knew that this area had a name but could not remember it. There was more vegetation on the plateau than on the road leading up. He did not see any game, but he could see plenty of trails. The pendant kept them on the road for some time, but eventually it indicated one of the game trails. Mikol veered off onto the trail only to have another coughing attack. Bayle rode up next to him and grabbed the reins to calm the horse down.

  “Did you mean to go down this trail? It’s not part of the road,” said Bayle.

  “The pendant is pointing us this way.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I’m sure. Do you think I want to be gallivanting on a horse in the mountains while I’m sick?”

  Bayle did not answer, instead pulling out the spyglass. He looked back the way they had come and inhaled quickly.