Looming Shadow: Journey to Chaos book 2

by Brian Wilkerson

  Inside the Dragon’s Lair lobby, Mia stared dreamily at her computer screen.

  “Mia!” She jumped, startled. “You're watching Siron's honoring ceremony again, aren't you?”

  “Yeah,” she admitted sheepishly. “Wanna watch it with me?”

  On her screen was a video of Kasile standing before a kneeling Siron. A cleric stood to Kasile's left and showered him with praise for his heroic deeds the other night. The list included: fighting fires, rescuing civilians, administering first aid, organizing a volunteer rescue team, shielding a family from debris, taking a shit...At this point, the cleric paused to double check if that item was truly on the list and a peal of laughter rang from an invisible somebody that everyone nonetheless recognized. Kasile spoke as if she hadn't noticed.

  “Lord Siron Esrah, First Duke of Esrah.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty?”

  “I commend you for these deeds. Your bravery and noble spirit have brought honor to your house and to your country.”

  She extended her right hand. He took it in both of his and kissed the back of her palm.

  “I live to serve,” he said with his head still bowed. “Your Majesty.”

  Mia sighed. “I wish I had a knight like that...”

  Eric smiled. This will certainly improve Siron’s reputation. Was that Tasio’s plan all along?

  The doorbell dinged and Basilard walked in. He looked the same as always and he greeted student and niece as usual. His fortune didn’t appear to be overturned yet. Figuring out what that could mean had been a fun puzzle for Eric thus far.

  The doorbell dinged again and Nolien walked in with a backpack full of supplies. It was lightweight and fit snugly about him, but was easy to remove. The young healer explained that Tsilear had advised him on the equipment he should bring to a place like Ceiha.

  “It’s not crazy prepared, but reasonably prepared with an eye to encumbrance.”

  The doorbell rang a third time and Tiza walked in, followed closely by Sathel. With all the fawning and cloth, the older mercenary looked like a mother hen and Tiza an annoyed chick. On the latter's back was a pack bulging with miscellaneous items.

  “– memorized it.”

  “What about your mana juice? It's empty there.”

  “Yes, Spider Daylra, I have it.”

  “Remember to keep all three eyes open, but don't rely on any one of them.”

  “Yes, Spider Daylra, I know.”

  “Do you have the earth amplifier ring and wind negator ring? I know you think they’re useless and you don’t like jewelry anyway, but it’s really important that you –”

  Tiza waved her hand to show that she had them.

  “I’ll keep them out of sight but always within reach and especially in an emergency. Spider Daylra, you’ve checked four times since I left.”

  “They’re that important! And if Professor Haburt does anything suspicious...” For just a moment, her eyes turned red and fangs grew in her mouth. “Gut him like I showed you.”

  Tiza shivered at the name but nonetheless said, “Yes, Spider Daylra, I will.”

  Suddenly, Sathel grabbed her dominant hand, placed a dagger into it, and posed as if to throw it. “This is the proper form when –”

  “Mom, no matter how many times you put a dagger in my hands, it won't improve my aim.”

  Sathel froze. Tiza tilted her head.

  “Wh-what did you just call me?”

  Tiza looked genuinely confused. “‘Spider Daylra.’ What else would I call you? Other than your name, of course, but I like the nickname. Don’t you?”

  It was heartbreaking to watch Sathel's face fall. Eric looked to Mia, who put a finger to her lips and shook her head. They didn’t like to talk about Tiza’s amnesia. Her memory only extended a month or so before she joined the Dragon’s Lair. Everything before that was fuzzy or blank. Naturally, this included the identities of her parents. Thanks to Sathel, Eric knew more about Tiza’s past than Tiza herself did.

  Basilard and Nolien gave Sathel a reassuring smile. All of this annoyed Tiza. It was also thanks to Sathel that they didn’t say anything. She wanted Tiza to remember on her own.

  “Why is everyone acting like I pointed out the elephant in the room?”

  “Mia,” Basilard said, “do you have the official mission bill for round two?”

  Mia reached into her coffee cup and pulled it out. “Here you go. Professor Haburt says you'll be taking M.S. Margret to the port of Yebo.”

  “We're taking a boat?” Tiza asked. “Why aren't we flying?”

  Her teammates made to swat her, but Sathel was faster.

  “You're going somewhere you know nothing about?! I was worried enough before and now my Tiza is going to Ceiha without Retina?”

  A fifth ding announced the arrival of her husband. He walked in and pulled her into his arms. While appreciating the affection, she was still confused as to why he came. He didn't want to say goodbye.

  “Mia called,” he said while stroking her shoulders. “She said you were being an ‘obnoxious, overbearing, over-worrying, obstruction.’” She glared. “Her words, not mine. Her teammates can explain it to her; they're bookworms and Basilard will be with her.”

  “But what if –”

  Retina kissed her. Then he picked her up and carried her out. Tiza pulled her helmet over her eyes in embarrassment.

  “Alright then, about Ceiha...Tenderfoot?”

  Ceiha was an island nation southwest of Roalt, past the Latlis Ocean on the Haton Continent. It was infamous as the only area on the planet where magecraft and magitech did not function. Ten of the Eleven Mana Gates were closed to it due to an event that took place at the start of the Avatar Alliance. Because of it, there was precious little mana to be found in its territory and this was why airships could not fly to it.

  All the airships of Tariatla flew by drawing energy from the mana-rich air of Tariatla. They would fall out of sky if they flew near the Ceiha dead zone. The only way there by sky was to climb on a dragon’s back. The only way by sea was by boat. For the mission, they would use a fishing vessel because passenger ships would not take them. No one in that industry would face sea monsters for such paltry profit.

  Mia waved them to as they left.

  “Good luck out there!”

  Backtracking from the Dragon's Lair to Cutlass Bridge meant passing by the giant serpent corpse. Gathered around it was a crowd of young and old picking it apart and fighting over it like high schoolers at a sale. Those that noticed him waved as he passed.

  “Wow, that's a big snake,” Tiza said. “Don't tell me you killed it.” Eric grinned sheepishly. “Not bad, Dimwit.”

  “A creature of that size would be a challenge to any warrior,” Nolien said. “How'd you do it?”

  “I thought to myself 'what would Tiza do' and then 'how would Nolien do it?' The first answer was 'attack' and the second was 'complicated poison spell.'”

  “I'm more concerned with why it attacked,” Basilard said. “Something that size would never slip past the gate and, when we get there, you'll see it has no vulnerabilities.”

  They crossed the Cutlass Bridge and only faint indentations could be seen on its surface. Acid stains were also present, but they made as much of a difference as a splotchy paint job. Basilard stopped to examine these with a fond smile on his face, as if he were the architect who designed such a sturdy wonder. The Trickster's Clean-up Crew moved up and down and around the underside of the structure, looking for weaknesses, but found none. The Bladi mage sighed in contentment and continued to the harbor with a hand on his hilt.

  “Hey, Trickster's Choice!” one of the crowd shouted. “How about a bear next time?”

  Sailor Town was a community of boardwalks, as it extended over the coast and into the sea. The smell of saltwater and brine and fish was strongest here. The only people that lived here were sailors in their boats, so the only buildings that lived here were restaurants, fish markets, and a customs office. Team Four pushed th
eir way through the crowd to reach the wharf.

  As the ocean entrance to the nation's capital, it was appropriately fortified. The city's wall ended with the land itself, but a separate section extended to the end of the harbor. Royal soldiers patrolled on both. At regular intervals, they passed wide merlons, ten-foot signal crystals, and mana cannons large enough to make a whale's head explode. Built into the wall were sluice gates that controlled the influx of naval traffic and above each gate was a tower with a mounted canon and arching roof.

  “Either that snake was sentient or was brought here by something that was.”

  Professor Haburt was already present at the dock and waiting for them. Upon noticing them, he waved to attract their attention. Instead, Tiza backed away and took a defensive stance. Her hand strayed to the dagger hostler at her hip. Her teammates stood in front of her and sent death glares in his direction. When Tiza noticed this, she pushed them aside, marched up to Haburt, and declared, “I'm not afraid of you!”

  “G-good.”

  Basilard face-palmed. “I'm sure you're finding this amusing, but it's bad for business.”

  Margret was a moderate fishing ship made of fiberglass and materials that Eric didn’t recognize. At the rear was a motorized propeller attached to a second machine with probes in the air to drawn in mana for its fuel supply. Despite this, it also had an old-fashioned mast and holes in the hull large enough for oars. The captain jumped the railing and tapped Haburt on the head with his flipper in the customary greeting of turtle men. Haburt returned the gesture and started introductions.

  “This is Captain Kutho. He will take us to Ceiha. Kutho, this is Dragon’s Lair Team Four.”

  Kutho was a humanoid turtle. He stood upright like a man but otherwise he looked turtle; his skin was leathery, he carried a shell on his back, and lacked fingers. He wasn’t even following the human custom of clothing, except for an odd manner of footwear. Eric marched up to him and asked, “Is bi-pedal the only thing that makes you different from other turtles?”

  Instead of being offended, as Nolien feared, Kutho laughed.

  “What's so funny?”

  “Usually when I met humans for the first time, they ask me why I am ‘naked.’”

  “Oh. I figured that shell was your clothing.”

  “That’s what I tell them. Usually, it’s the elves that ask me your question.”

  “I’m nothing like Dengel.”

  “Dengel?” Kutho laughed again. “I’m only four hundred. Dengel was my great-great grandfather’s contemporary, not mine.”

  Eric walked up the gangplank, feeling shame for his outburst. Shadow Dengel walked on the air beside him. You are an inquisitive Dragon's Lair mage. You are favored by The Trickster. Eric forced himself to be calm, but his gait switched from walking to stomping. You like breaking into the lairs of other mages. You are vindictive. He walked faster and plugged his ears. The only thing you’re missing is golden hair and pointed ears. Finally, he threw his arms down and shouted, “Shut up!”

  The crew turned in his direction. Basilard face-palmed. Shadow Dengel sarcastically clapped.

  Congratulations. You've convinced them you're haunted by a trickster.

  “Eric!” Kutho made a beeline for Eric and put a flipper on his shoulder. “Why don't we go below deck and discuss the mission in greater detail? What do you say, Professor?'

  “Sounds like a good idea to me.”

  The three of them descended a staircase to the lower deck. None of the crew went back to work until they checked all of their equipment for sabotage. After they were sure it wasn’t greased or frayed or dripping urine, they continued working. Below deck, the trio entered a room and closed the door.

  “You have no idea how hard it was to find an agreeable captain,” Haburt said.

  “You have no idea how hard it was to convince my crew to accept the job,” Kutho said.

  Eric scowled. “They think I’m a doom magnet too?”

  “Your reputation precedes you. With the summit coming up and the storm the other day, they're worried that The Trickster is up to mischief and that your presence will put them in the center of it.”

  “Kutho is a chaosian; one who seeks the favor of Chaos. No other ship captain would consider ferrying the Trickster’s Choice so soon after a large-scale prank.”

  Eric scowled. “Sailors are a superstitious and cowardly lot.”

  “Are we wrong?” Kutho asked.

  Eric groaned. “No.”

  Margret started up and slowly chugged to the outer wall. At the exit, Kutho called the porter and requested an opening. Numerous bolts withdrew as the great bronze gate slid open. As Margret cleared the city's walls, a gust of late fall air blasted the deck, but to the hardened sailors, it was a balmy breeze.

  The fishing ship set a course to the southwest for the Haton Continent. It made this journey twice a year to fish in Ceihan territorial waters and estimated a faster time of arrival than any other ship in Ataidar. Kutho explained that the market was a prosperous one because these fish lacked mana. It made them popular among those who wanted the nutrition of fish but didn't like the taste or were on a low-mana diet. He went on and on about the varieties and market value and other minutiae like Dengel's self-important lectures. Even worse, hearing about the merits of mana-less food triggered memories of Eric’s exile on Threa.

  The thin air and tasteless food made him feel like a prisoner eating gruel at high altitude. He spared no expense to find another gate and didn't care if it dropped him on a random other world so long as he escaped. Yet here he was, traveling to a country just like it. Worse still, he was doing it to follow the shadow looming over him. He could feel the dead mage's presence at his back, taunting him and laughing at him.

  Eric! The voice startled him so much he tripped on a coil of rope. He tumbled through the fall and was back on his feet in a heartbeat. When did you plan on telling me you were leaving the country?

  When I was safely out of the country. Despite their distance, Eric could see her scowl. Joking! Seriously, it wouldn't have made a difference. I can't pass on every long-distance mission because you might want to rant while I'm gone.

  No....But I can schedule a meeting just before you leave. I had things to talk with you about.

  Tell me now.

  I want to see you in person.

  For hugs?

  NO!...Not entirely. I want to know I have your undivided attention. For all I know, you could be fighting monsters right now. I have enough yes-men pretending to listen to me among my staff.

  I am on my way to a small cabin that Kutho hasn't used since you were a princess. I'll tell Basilard I'm meditating and you can unload all the details about how Governor Jutsette sets the business taxes too high or why Lady Boli needs to compromise with the janitor union or what Sir Kantneieho has to say about his son's jousting career and how it's inflating the market for axes.

  You really DO listen to me! If only Culmus was so attentive...!

  By midday, Roalt was a speck on the horizon. Team Four spent the day staying out of the crew's way and especially Eric. No one had seen him since the launch and the crew was grateful for it. He spent the time reading Introduction to Magecraft. Just a couple more chapters to go until he would be finished. Then he could move on to Intermediate Magecraft.

  Which I wrote, just like Advanced Magecraft and many other books.

  Eric whirled about and slashed the phantom. The crystal flashed and dissipated it, but it waggled its fingers before vanishing completely.

  Tiza stayed on the bow of the ship to read her fighter's manual with Third Eye. She claimed it was for practice, but Nolien could tell the true reason; she didn't want Haburt sneaking up on her. The professor couldn't make up his mind to stay in her sight or hide from her. Nolien studied alongside her in case he chose the third option.

  As darkness fell and the crew gathered for dinner, all were hungry and tired. The ship's cook brought out a big pot of stew and placed it on a dais in the c
enter of the mess hall. She dipped the ladle to scoop out the first serving when a hand shot out of the soup and grabbed it.

  “Lumins, did you cook a fiend again?” Kutho asked.

  The cook shook her head. “I purified it this time, I swear!”

  The soup bubbled and steam shot of the pot like a geyser. Slamming the lid back on was futile; the steam burst it off despite three sailors holding it down. It enveloped the pot like Fog over Mount Heios and a shadowy figure appeared within. Then, all at once, the steam dispersed to reveal him.

  His skin was sea blue and his hair was both golden-brown and seaweed green. Aside from an unbuttoned shirt, he wore swim trunks, flippers, and floaties. His ears were pointed. A trickster!

  “I didn't know humans liked fiend soup.”

  “What are you doing here, Poi?” Kutho asked.

  Poi jumped up into a cross-legged position. “See, I was havin' this convo with Waol and he said he could out-aerial me, and I was like 'Dude! You can't out-aerial me; I invented ariealing!' So he called up a bomb. Sure, the water dude's got some sick style, but he's still a barney compared to yours truly. After a few take-offs, he turned the waves into mush and axed me.”

  “How does that explain you coming out of our soup?”

  “It doesn't, but I wanted to see how much surfer slang I could cram into one paragraph.”

  If he wanted to attract chaotic attention, he's done so.

  Poi stuck a finger back into the soup and tasted it. “It's all right, but it needs something.”

  His belly expanded like a balloon and opened like a burlap sack. He reached inside and pulled out a dozen leafy plants connected to brown vegetable roots. This one joined with his other hand and melded into one golden-brown box. With a third hand, he grabbed an empty bowl and placed it underneath the taro plants. Then he did trickster-magic. When he opened his hands, purple goo fell into the bowl.

  “There's plenty for everyone!”

  Dinner was an orderly affair that night. There was no fighting or swearing among the sailors while they ate. Kutho was so happy about this that he ruffled Eric's hair whenever he passed the boy. Poi himself sat with Basilard and talked about this and that. Eric cast Magic Hearing to eavesdrop.