by Rick Brown
"Now take down the shield and put it up again. Practice this over and over until you can do it quickly." Doing as he suggested I worked on my speed. With the idea of it shaped like armor I had a ready form to put the energy into. I practiced this till he said to stop. I sagged a little as I rested. This constant practice was using what power I had at an alarming rate.
Suddenly Alynon spun and threw a rock at me. Hells. I tried raising my shield but wasn’t fast enough. I took the rock right in my gut. At least this time I was able to hold my levitation. “You’re dead," Alynon said matter of fact. “You are to continue practicing this until you can bring it up without thought. Your life WILL depend on it.” With that, I found myself once again in my room feeling exhausted.
Chapter 13
(Lee)
I woke up feeling stiff. I eased my legs over the bed and stood up. Time to test using this magic in the real world. I felt my energy and pushed through my feet. I easily rose into the air just like my practice in the dream world. I couldn’t help but smile to myself. I lowered myself back down and went to breakfast.
No surprise after spending a night using magic that I had slept in. I arrived at breakfast just as everyone was leaving. I quickly ate some eggs and ham then followed them out to the training yard.
I started with my usual routine alongside Father Pild. I could tell my strength had improved since we started this exercise over a month ago. My arms would no longer shake when I held my sword out at full extension. I could now also keep my balance in a squat position. The meditative quality of the exercise was something I looked forward to each morning.
Once we were finished, I joined the others in practicing what Alynon had called Chakaran style. I was impressed by how the new tools functioned. The practice dummy allowed Brianna to take out her anger on someone other than Barad. He was appreciative of that. We still had to spar against one another, but doing that surrounded by straw helped. Lenux and Brianna had practiced speed and agility since they joined the guild. They excelled with the matching characteristics of Chakaran fighting. Barad and I were trained that brute force was the way to win. Hammering through a shield wall took a lot of strength. Our movements were more cumbersome. Still, we were adapting to this new style. In the end, it helped us with our swordplay, as we were now much faster than we once were.
Afterward, I went to the library and found the book Alynon told me about. Turning to page eighty I found the drawing of the suit. It had black slacks with what the author labeled ‘royal blue’ coat. The coat had silver buttons and trim around the collar and cuffs. Much like the robes the priest wore. I took the book and went to my room to collect the gold. I sadly stared at my sixteen gold pieces. It was more than I had ever owned in my life. Until today, I had felt rich.
Sighing to myself I took the gold and the book and left to find Crowler’s Tailor shop. It was just where Alynon described. Two blocks down from the temple. We were still in the older part of Coneer, and as I entered the shop, it had the feel of age to it. Likely the store has been handed down for generations. They had mannequins inside the store with very dated looking designs. Great. I sighed to myself. Along the walls of the room were bolts of material to pick from. There was a service counter in the back of the room with a door behind it. On the counter was a bell that I promptly rang. A man around my age came out from behind the counter. “Yes sir, can I help you.”
“Yes, I am looking for Mr. Crowler,” I answered.
“Then you are indeed lucky sir, for you have found him!”
“ Uhh... I understood Mr. Crowler was a seasoned suit maker.”
The man noticeably sagged. "You mean my father. He has retired leaving the business to me. Do not worry though, I was trained in his techniques. Truthfully I've made some improvements to them. You will not be disappointed."
I thought for a moment but decided to go ahead with it. Alynon told me to come here, but he didn’t specify whom to hire. “I would like to have a suit made.” I hefted up the book and showed him the picture.
"I see," Crowler said as he looked over the drawing. "It's a worthy suit for a gentleman like you," He stated, ignoring the fact that I was dressed much more like a pauper than a gentleman. He took a deep breath. "Yes, there is much to work with here. I would recommend tweaking the suit so that it more matches the modern style. No one is wearing coattails anymore. Instead, I would recommend the hip level style popular now. Also, It is obvious from the sword you carry that you know how to fight. I would recommend loosening the shoulders to allow flexibility." I thought buying clothes would be boring, but once you start adding elements of fighting into it, it was much more interesting.
“What about the pants?” I asked. “Can they be altered for fighting?”
“How do you mean?” Crowler asked looking up from the book.
I demonstrated one of the Chakaran kicks.
“That is wonderful! Do many fight like that now?” Crowler asked, obviously intrigued.
“No, it is an ancient fighting style.”
"Yes, well now I see what you mean. If I make standard dress pants, they will split after your first kick. Some lords are wearing their pants looser now. With a little pleating, we can make these pants appear like those. Just like how we do the shoulders. Until you kick someone, of course. Then the elegance of the design will shine! Yes, I like the idea.
“This will make a handsome suit. I’ll have to have the cloth dyed to get this color, but that shouldn’t be a problem. Now the price. Personally, I believe my work is better than my fathers, but I have to convince people of that first. That’s lucky for you because my father’s reputation allowed him to charge exorbitant fees. I’ll have to pay the dyer and for the silver in the buttons. How about six gold.” Hide your glee, Lee, I thought. Don’t let him see.
I sighed. “Yes, six is acceptable.”
Crowler looked pleased. “Very good sir. I don’t have any other projects so I can estimate this being ready in ten days.” I paid Crowler and allowed him to take my measurement. He also sketched out the design and returned the book to me. As a bonus, he agreed to make another set traveling clothes out of the material he already had. I left feeling elated that I still had most of my gold and a second suit as well. It’s not my fault if Alynon’s suggested tailor had retired. Besides, I liked his son.
The ten days passed quickly as the four of us kept to our routine of practice. I still enjoyed my afternoons in the library. I had started reading books on politics. It seemed like a good idea, my being king and all. There were books on the intrigues of the court as well as books on being an excellent servant to the people of the kingdom. It seems that some kings forgot that it was their job to protect the people and offer them situations where they could thrive. Instead, they overtaxed them leading to an untenable economic environment.
Knowing from Alynon that we would be traveling to Vennean I paid particular interest in their court. The current King of Vaelin is Kendrick. The most current book the temple has is about his grandfather. Still, knowing the families in the court would be helpful. Also in the book was a map of the city and the layout of the palace. I spent some time each day trying to memorize them.
On the tenth day, I returned to Crowler's. This time he was in the salesroom. He had two mannequins set up with my suits. The traveling outfit looked good. I definitely needed the upgrade in clothing.
The Royal suit was amazing. I could see now what Alynon was talking about. It would be hard to ignore a man dressed in this fashion. “It’s fantastic,” I said as I walked around the mannequin.
Crowler beamed with pride. "It's the finest thing I've ever made." He took down the suit, and I tried it on. The fit was perfect. I could feel the looseness around my shoulders that allowed me plenty of movement in the arms. The pants were the real marvel. They looked like any pair of pants, but they allowed me to squat without issue. The Scrollwork on the collar and cuffs looked just like I would expect a king to wear. Even the buttons shined brilliantly. I thanked
him profusely as he wrapped them up for me. I returned to my cell and placed the suits in my chest.
Alynon's prediction proved accurate. A week later Father Yagen found me in the library. "Lee, I am glad I found you. I'm afraid I have found some disturbing information in the ledger… Yes, very disturbing," I could see Yagen get lost in thought. "We will need to go to the capital to alert the king. I would like you and Barad to come along as guards. I'll need to talk to the priests of Ayisha as well. They have representatives in the court that could be helpful."
"Father, I would recommend bringing Brianna and Lenux as well. You already have them on the payroll, and if you are concerned about any palace intrigue, they could be useful."
“Yes yes. Very well. Yes. More hands the better I suppose.” In the time I’ve known Father Yagen, I had never seen him this distracted. I started to wonder what he and Alynon had seen in that ledger. “I’m going to talk to the priests of Ayisha and make arrangements. Make sure the four of you are ready to leave in a weeks time.”
That evening over supper I spoke to my friends. “I saw Father Yagen today. Apparently, there was information in the ledger that is very disturbing.” That got everyone’s attention. Brianna had almost died to steal that ledger. We had all hoped the information inside was worth the risks we took. “So disturbing in fact, that we are making an emergency trip to the capital.”
“Did he say what he discovered?” Lenux asked.
I shook my head. “No, I got the impression he didn’t want to talk about it. He did say however that he wanted the four of us to come. Barad and I are for protection while Brianna and Lenux will do what they do.”
Brianna nodded. “We can help gather information while we are there. I recommend that Lenux and I travel as servants to the priests. It will give them an air of gravitas while it will give us the opportunity to nose around.” That’s why I liked Brianna. Some would see being cast as servants as insulting. She saw it as an opportunity.
“I like where you are going with the gravitas. Maybe Barad and I should pick up a couple of uniforms to add to the drama. That would go over well in the court. I know a guy, it’s short notice, but maybe he can make something work.”
The next day Barad and I went to Crowler's. He was sitting behind his counter when we came in. “Well,” he announced, “how’s my favorite customer?”
“Favorite customer?” Barad asked, looking at me. I turned and stared hard at Crowler.
“Yes,” I emphasized. “He made me a travel outfit. I look forward to getting to use it.”
Crowler's expression said he didn't understand, but he would go with it. "Yes sir, some fine travel clothes. What can I do for you today?"
“My friend and I will be acting as guards for some priests who will be traveling soon. We would like some uniforms that may be fitting for guarding people of rank in court.”
“I see,” he said in a way that told he didn’t see at all. Why would a man purchase an outfit good enough for a king then return a few days later and buy a guard’s outfit?
“I am afraid we are leaving in a week. Will you have time to make something appropriate?”
“Yes, so long as you can find a material in stock. I have your measurements already. Maybe you can pick out the material while I measure your friend.”
I started looking over some of the bolts. Crowler kept many colors and patterns in stock. I felt an impression from Alynon as I passed a blue bolt. The coin on my chest grew warm as I touched it. This god really likes blue, I thought. Still, he was right about the royal outfit. It wasn't the same ‘royal blue,' nor did it exactly match the priests blue robes. Looking at it I guessed it might be a nice complementary color to each. For the pants, I picked out a tan. Soldiers had a tendency to get dirty. I figured tan would show it less. Alynon didn't seem to mind. I pulled the two bolts and placed them on the counter.
Crowler finished his measurements and walked over to me. “Will you require the same range of motion in these clothes?” I had to smile. He was obviously trying to hint at the alterations we made in the previously outfits. He was just unsure as to what was secret and what could be discussed openly.
“Yes, please. As guards, we will need your skills to make the outfits as flexible as possible.”
“I see, yes. I can do that. I can have them ready in five days. Let’s say ten silver each?” That was pricey for a regular suit, but I knew Crowler was worth it and agreed.
“Couldn’t we have gotten a better price?” Barad asked as we left.
"Crowler has designed an outfit that allows us the flexibility we need in our hand to hand fighting while appearing dressy enough for the court." Barad thought for a moment and nodded. The idea of your pants ripping while defending yourself was not ideal. The clothes we wore daily were loose and allowed a lot of movement. To look like a guard worthy of the court, it would not be appropriate.
When I returned to the temple, I checked the book on Alsselya. Sure enough, Alsselyian guards had uniforms in the blue shade Alynon directed me to and tan colored pants. It seems our god is rather predictable.
Over the next week, we made our plans. Lenux and Brianna came up with their custom servants outfits. They also found creative ways to conceal their daggers.
Five days past and we returned to Crowler's. After trying on the outfit, Barad was impressed by the modifications. He went through some of his moves almost knocking over one of Crowler's mannequins. We happily paid his price and took our uniforms back to the temple.
Chapter 14
(Lee)
On the morning of the trip, I dressed in my travel outfit, which consisted of a white shirt, brown pants, and a leather vest. Packing my things, including my royal suit and the guards uniform, I went down and added my bundle to the wagon. Normally we would travel down the river when going to Vennean, but apparently, Father Yagen was not a fan of boats. The temple had rented two horses for Barad and I. We were acting as guards and would be moving around the caravan as we patrolled. The stable we rented it from had a sister stable in Vennean where we would drop the horses off to once we arrived.
Father Yagen and Father Pild would ride in the front of the wagon. Lenux and Bri would ride in the back since they were acting as servants. We loaded up the wagon and then we rode down to the Ayishian Temple. Father Yagen had convinced his friends there of the dire nature of the undertaking. Two of them agreed to travel with us. We met them out front of their temple. They were loaded in their own wagon and ready to go.
"Father Jameson, Father Ganes," Yagen said in greeting. "I'd like to introduce you to our fellow travelers. Father Pild you already know," The priests smiled to Pild. "I would like to meet our bodyguards Lee and Barad, and our servants Lenux and Brianna."
“Servants and bodyguards? The church of Alynon must be doing better than we thought. Good for you, Father Yagen!” Said Father Jameson. He was an older gentleman with a nice smile. Quite the contrast to Yagen’s more intimidating appearance. Father Ganes was a younger man. Maybe around thirty. Close in age to Pild. It struck me as funny. The two older priests chose two younger priests to travel with. Probably meant as someone to fetch things when required and possibly brew tea. After the introductions, Father Yagen took the lead and started us on our journey. It would take about a week to travel to Vennean in the wagon. Luckily there were many inns along the route. You wouldn't expect a delegation from the church to sleep under wagons, after all.
Once we exited the gatehouse and left the crowds of the city, I took a moment to look around. It was nice traveling again. Every big city like Coneer stunk heavily of humanity. There was no escaping the chamber pots and trash in a place with so many people. Out here there was fresh air. A crispness of early fall that seemed to have a smell to itself. It was still early, and you could see the dew clinging to the grass sparkle as the sun poked over the trees. Today gave joy to being alive.
By midday, some of that joy had fled as the saddle continued to jostle me around. It has been a while since I ha
d ridden this long. I feared these first few days were going to be rough. I glanced over at Barad and could see he was feeling much the same way. I stepped off my horse and decided to lead her for a while. She was a brown and white mare named Blinker. Named for a patch over her right eye. It wasn't a name one might associate with a great king's horse, but for all the jostling she was gentle and obedient. I was happy to have her. As I walked along, I saw Father Jameson waving me over.
“It’s Lee isn’t it?” He asked. I nodded in reply. “You appear to be a bit sore. I thought you might like a little soother leaf to chew on.” I thanked him as he handed over a few leaves from his bag. “Here take a few more for your friend.”
I started chewing my leaves as I walked over to Barad who gratefully took some. He too dismounted and we led our horses together. After a few minutes of chewing and sucking on the leaves, the ache in my legs started to fade. I spit out the rest of the leaf.
"That's better," said Barad as he spits out his leaf. It was a fine day, and we continued to walk together. "It's nice being on the road again." I had to agree with him. It took us over a month traveling on foot from the Plains of Alynon to Coneer. It was spring then, and it had often rained along the route. Now that we are traveling in the fall it shouldn't be an issue. Today we ate a lunch of cold rations as we went. By late afternoon we had moved further from the city than the city guards usually patrolled. I had grabbed my bow and remounted riding up the front of our caravan. That evening we found a decent inn to spend the night. Father Yagen paid for a room for himself and Father Pild to share, a room for Barad, Lenux, and I, and another room for Brianna. It seemed being the only woman in the group had its privileges.
The priests went inside while the bodyguards and servants saw to the horses and belongings. After everything was arranged, we all gathered in the dining room. The priests found some chairs by the fire and were enjoying some wine while warming their toes. Barad, Lenux, Brianna and I found ourselves a table. There were a few others travelers around the room. We would undoubtedly be seeing many familiar faces as everyone stopped at the same inns along the route.