The Archon's Apprentice

by Neil Breault

  Of the nine stones in the ring, only four were unmarred and remained complete. Mikol walked up to the remaining stones and inspected them. Only one of the stones became activated. It was anchored to a stone in Whitecliff. The other stones showed no signs of damage and still held power, but did not otherwise work.

  “Well, I guess we go to Whitecliff after all,” said Bayle.

  “The travel stones were set up to be a web of interconnecting portals throughout the land. There will probably be another one or two in Whitecliff. Hopefully ...”

  “We don’t have much choice,” said Nilo. He had brought up the rear of the group. “Somehow we attracted some of the city guard. They are following us. I can hear them down the way.”

  Mikol activated the travel stone again and a doorway opened in front of him. The landscape through the door was dark but he could see some sunlight streaming in the background. Mikol ushered them through the doorway. Mikol hesitated, looking back toward the sewer. He activated the other stones and created another rune linking them. He stepped through the doorway as the hum of power reached a crescendo. Mikol deactivated the stone in Whitecliff as the room exploded in Silverhall. Everyone dodged out of the way as dust and dirt flew from where the doorway had been. All eyes were on Mikol.

  “We don’t want anyone following us.”

  After a moment there was some muffled laughter and hushed curses, followed by groans.

  They looked around the room they were in. The roof at the far end had a large hole and provided the only light. There were no windows and only one door. Mikol felt a magical tingle as he opened the door and cold air assaulted him. The door led directly outside. He peered around through the doorway. They were in some sort of ruins. Snow covered much of the building. Surprisingly, they were not actually in Whitecliff. Mikol could see the city itself a few miles down the mountain. He pulled his head back inside and shut the door. He felt another magical tingle as a rune somewhere activated and normalized the temperature. Someone had created a light rune and the others were inspecting the travel stones in the room. Of the three that remained intact, one lead to Highbarrow, another to Greymount, and the third to Alderden.

  “Greymount is in the wrong direction and not very accommodating to Ternians,” said Dervo. “Highbarrow would be my first choice, but since we haven’t heard from Arceri, we have no way of knowing if the Sibilovan army is still there.”

  “The situation in Highbarrow doesn’t matter. I tried that stone first and it doesn’t connect to the stone there,” said Nilo.

  “Alderden is at least closer to Ternia. But how do we get home? The Crystal Sea would be between us. We would have to ride north through Casparan or ride south toward Silverhall, which, while easier, would waste a lot of time,” said Dervo.

  “We take a boat,” said Mikol.

  Mikol activated the stone to Alderden and walked through the portal. Bayle and the others followed. Mikol thought of destroying the stones again but decided against it. Nilo deactivated the stone after he brought up the rear once again. The room they were in had been dark, but when the portal closed, sconces along the wall lit up.

  Unlike in the previous chambers, all of the travel stones in Alderden were intact. Unfortunately, none of them led to Ternia or any closer destination. Mikol wondered how long it had been since there had been any travel stone that had linked Ternia with the Savage Kingdoms. Dervo called from the other side of the room. He had found a rune switch that opened a door. The room beyond was in what looked like an abandoned warehouse. When they all stepped through the door, it closed silently behind them. If Mikol had not been on the other side of the wall moments ago he would not have believed there was a room beyond.

  “How do we find a ship that will take us to Ternia for free?” asked Nilo.

  “I never said free.”

  Mikol reached in to his sack, pulling out several gold coins. He was surprised the magic still held when he saw the royal doves of Alderden. He flipped one to Dervo, who grabbed it out of the air looking puzzled.

  They exited the warehouse without raising any alarms. They found themselves on the bustling streets of Alderden. Mikol was glad no one paid them any attention and was happy to see not all of Sibilova held to the flamboyant fashion they had seen in Cobinstil. It took them some time to navigate the streets and find the docks. Even though Mikol had studied Alderden, it was different actually being on the streets. The docks were full of ships, but they did not see any flying Ternian flags, much to their chagrin. They approached many of the vessels and found none of them were taking on passengers.

  They were quite confused by the refusal to take on paying passengers. They had to pass out a fair amount of coin before they were given the full story. Almost all of the ships were out of business at the moment. The war had put a stop to most trade. The only good business to be had right now was with the tavern owners. Mikol, Bayle, and Dervo set off to the taverns to find out if anyone would be willing to take them across the Crystal Sea.

  They found most of the taverns full of drunken sailors. They were bought not with gold but with drink, though they tended to break out in to song rather than answer any questions. Dervo almost got in to a fight when he asked where the captains drank. Luckily, Bayle was close by and ordered another round to quell the riotous crowd.

  They were given the name of the tavern where all of the captains drank, but it was another hour before they found the tavern called The Captain’s Barrel. The atmosphere inside was somber. No one was talking or carousing. Many of the tables were unoccupied, and the three of them took a seat around one. They were quickly brought a round of drinks. When Mikol paid for the drinks the waitress took the money and waited. He and Bayle exchanged glances and shrugged. The waitress slowly turned and walked away.

  “That was weird,” said Dervo.

  They drank slowly and watched the room. Besides the waitress, no one moved around the room. After a half hour a well-dressed man entered, walked to an occupied table, and sat down. After a hurried conversation the well-dressed man left, and the captain turned over a second mug. He called out for another ale. When the waitress brought over a new mug, she left the turned-over mug and took the one he had been drinking from. Awhile later a ragged looking man entered and walked over to the captain. He hesitated at the table for a moment before sitting at a nearby table with a mug that was still upright. Mikol looked about the room and noticed every one in the tavern had two mugs, one for drinking and another left empty. After a few minutes the captain shook his head, and the ragged man proceeded to go to other tables around the tavern. All of the patrons turned him down. The man stopped at the first captain’s table again. He started talking to the captain. Mikol could only hear snippets of the conversation, but what he did hear made him think the ragged man was desperate for something. The captain was not looking at the man or anyone else in the tavern. When the ragged man started to speak louder and draw attention to himself, the captain withdrew a knife and laid it on the mug. The man yelped and raced out of the tavern.

  Mikol thought he understood and walked over to a captain with an upright mug.

  “Hello. I am looking for a ship that is taking passengers. I have gold and am willing to pay.”

  The man nodded.

  “Where to?”

  “Ternia.”

  The captain’s eyebrows raised for a moment before he grabbed his mug and moved to another open table. The situation enfolded almost exactly the same at the remaining tables. Mikol returned to his table defeated. They were out of options again.

  “Now what?” asked Mikol.

  “Can we steal a ship?” asked Bayle.

  “We could. Do you know how to sail?”

  Bayle opened his mouth but shut it quickly. They sat back in their chairs while the waitress brought them another round. All of the captains were avoiding looking at Mikol, except one. Mikol was not sure how he had missed the man sitting in the corner. It was evident that if the captain had a second mug he was using it
to drink from. He stood up wobbling. Some of the captains had to move to the other side of their tables to avoid looking at either this man or Mikol. The captain moved forward with a stumble. He used the backs of chairs to keep himself upright. As he passed the other captains he greeted them loudly with a slur. When he came up next to Mikol’s table he stood up straight, took off his hat and started to bow. Midway through the bow Mikol knew he was actually falling. Mikol tried to catch him but the man fell on the floor even so. The man tried to get up but ended up getting caught in the chair legs. Mikol reached out and grabbed the man’s hand. He hoisted the man up. As he regained his feet, he fell into Mikol for support.

  “Meet me in the alley behind the harbor smith in an hour. I will take you to Ternia,” whispered the man without any hint of slurring or impediment.

  After that, the captain remarkably found his footing. He thanked Mikol loudly for the help. As he turned to leave he spilled Dervo’s drink. He tried to help clean the spill but the waitress came over and escorted him out. She came back and cleaned up the mess, then gave Dervo another drink. When she was behind the bar and the tavern calmed down, Mikol relayed what the man told him.

  “Can we trust this man?” said Dervo.

  “It’s not a matter of trust. He’s the only one who is willing to take us home,” said Mikol.

  “We can always buy some horses and ride to Ternia.”

  “That would take us more than a month. Through potential enemy occupied territory. Taking a ship across the sea, we could be home in a week.”

  “All right, but we should be wary. This seems too good to be true,” said Dervo.

  They left the tavern and found the other Wardens. They reported nothing helpful and did not have an alternative to Mikol’s plan. What they did report was that there was a large contingent of Sibilovan soldiers in the area. They hastily made their way to the harbor smith. The alleyway behind the shop had several overhangs and was dimly lit even though the sun was still up. Neither building on either side had any windows facing in to the alley. Mikol slowly moved into the alley even though he did not see anyone. It occurred to him he had not even gotten the man’s name. When they were halfway down the alley a man stepped out from a shadow. Raythrael was almost out before Mikol recognized the man. He sheathed his sword but left his hand on the grip.

  “Sorry, I had to be sure you weren’t followed.”

  Mikol raised an eyebrow at the man. He looked back and saw Dervo looking nervous.

  “That was some act in there. I wasn’t entirely sure you weren’t actually drunk,” said Mikol.

  “Some days it’s not an act, but luckily I overheard you talking to Captain Oshal before I finished my first ale. I thought it would be worthwhile to hear you out. Captain Thranik, of the Crystal Glory, at your service.” He bowed to Mikol. “I believe you wanted to book passage to Ternia.”

  “Yes, and we have money to pay. But it didn’t seem like the other captains were interested.”

  “Oh, some of them were interested, but they didn’t want to deal with the soldiers.”

  “What about the soldiers? We’ve seen a lot of them wandering around. It seems pretty extreme, even for a port town.”

  “It is. When the army passed through they left a large contingent of soldiers to secure the town. They use it to supply the troops.”

  “The other captains didn’t want to deal with soldiers, but you do?” said Dervo.

  “No. I don’t want to deal with them either but I want to go home even more. I don’t even want any gold to take you.”

  “Ah, you want our help to deal with the soldiers?”

  Thranik nodded.

  “Why would we help you with your soldier problem and not just find another ship?” asked Dervo.

  “Two reasons. One, no other ship would risk going to Ternia for any bit of gold. And two, there are no other Ternian captains in the city.”

  “How long have you been here?”

  “Too many months. I had a lucrative trade agreement with several merchants here and then one day instead of the usual pleasantries it was threats and swords. My ship and crew were seized before I could do anything.”

  “So, you don’t even have a ship anymore?” asked Bayle.

  “I do.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Well, I had to show I wasn’t a traitor to the king. Not Raifaran, but Kagarin. I thought it would be easy enough to say some stupid pledge and then head back to Ternia once I was back on my boat.”

  “And I guess it wasn’t so easy.”

  “No. They put a squad of soldiers on my ship and supplied me with a new crew. Or mostly new.”

  “This is sounding more like we are helping you more than you are helping us. Is your crew willing to help now?”

  “My crew is ready to act when we need to act. But I’ve tried this before.... It did not go so well.”

  “Oh great,” said Bayle.

  “What happened?”

  “I was able to get back some of my original crew by telling the soldiers we were running constant supply runs. I told them it was common practice to change out the crew frequently. They seemed to believe me and let me change out the crew. But I still had soldiers on board. The plan was to overthrow them when we were at sea after we left Highbarrow. I don’t know how Kagarin found out, but when we arrived at port he came aboard and said he knew what we were planning.

  “The soldiers seized everyone on board and brought us on deck. He gave a long speech about saving the world and how everyone needed to know their place. He told me I was only a tool. He said even your best tools will dull with age and should be replaced. He grabbed my navigator and cut his throat in front of everyone before I could move. He had to know that he had just killed my son. I just stood watching the blood leaving my boy. I don’t recall if he said anything else but he left. No one brought up going back to Ternia.”

  “Why now? If your crew saw what happened, why would they risk going back to Ternia for some travelers?” said Mikol.

  Thranik looked Mikol in the eye.

  “There is another reason I want to help.”

  “Oh?”

  “I know who you are.”

  Mikol heard Dervo and Bayle shift behind him.

  “And who do you think I am?”

  “You are Prince Mikol. There is no mistaking it. My son and I have seen you fight in many of the tournaments. We even paid to watch you practice before. I’ve failed my son, and can’t save him. But if you’ll let me, I will save my prince.”

  Chapter 18

  Crystal Glory

  The plan was simple: Mikol, Bayle, and the Wardens would pretend to be more crew for the ship. They were to meet tomorrow morning to help load for a large supply run for Kagarin. With nothing to do but wait until the morning, exhaustion hit Mikol hard. He could not remember the last time he had slept well. They found an inn near the south of the harbor. Mikol was pretty sure the prices for the rooms were outrageous but he had no energy left to argue and handed over the gold pieces. It was early evening but Mikol went straight to his room and fell fast asleep. He jerked awake suddenly, reaching for his sword. The second time he heard his name he recognized Bayle talking to him.

  “Hey, I thought it would be good to get some breakfast before we head out to the warehouse.”

  “Breakfast? How long have I been asleep?”

  “Uh, a little more than twelve hours.”

  Mikol shook his head to chase away the sleep. He had meant to only take a nap but felt much better than he had in a long time. They went downstairs to get food. Mikol was not sure they could get food this early but when he saw a full room he guessed it would not be hard. They ate breakfast in a tense silence. When they arrived at the warehouse where they were to meet the other crew the sun was just starting to show over the horizon.

  While not as busy as it had been at the height of the day, the harbor was filled with people moving all about. They made sure no one was watching them as they entered
the warehouse. Once inside, Mikol rested his hand on Raythrael, ready to draw in an instant. They walked far back in the warehouse before they saw anyone.

  “’Alo, I am Grano. I am Thranik’s second. Quickly now. Lorvan set tight schedule.”

  Mikol relaxed and loosened his grip. He could not place the man’s accent. Grano was waving them over.

  “Who’s Lorvan? I thought we were meeting Thranik.”

  “First mate. You have more question?”

  Mikol shook his head.

  “This crate holds your things.” Grano indicated a half-empty crate. “We cover top with others. No one knows inside.”

  Grano grabbed a stack of clothing and tossed it to Mikol.

  “Put on. You look like member of crew.”

  They quickly disrobed and donned the new garb. The pants were loose fitting and were kept up with a wide red sash. The shirt was sleeveless, which left the tattoos visible on Mikol and all of the Wardens. Grano raised an eyebrow at the group as he surveyed them. This plan was not going to work. They had to get past the soldiers and get to Valefort. Thranik had said he brought supplies to Highbarrow. Why would he do that unless the warlord was marching to Valefort itself? Mikol felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Dervo. His smile was disarming.

  “Watch.”

  Dervo started casting spells Mikol had not seen before. Mikol paid close attention to what runes were being drawn and watched how they were lain on each of the wardens and then on himself. The tattoos that covered his arms and torso seemed to disappear but he still felt their effect. When he finished with Mikol, Dervo cast another spell, and his own tattoos disappeared as well.

  “This is not the first time we have had to be smuggled somewhere.” Dervo smiled at Mikol. “The spell will keep your runes hidden until you dispel it or use your runes. So, no making shields or anything. We appear to be mundane to anyone looking at us.”