Savanas watched the two carefully. She said, “I can’t speak for Silver, but Rathal at least looks more back to normal. I’ll have to remember not to be too hard on him.”
I made a mental note to ask Retanei what happened. If this was what the two were like under normal circumstances, I shuddered at the thought of what the arcane remnants might have turned the city into.
~*~
After a couple of hours, we took a break for a late midday meal. Savanas ordered Brad, Darius, and Retanei to get some rest. Artemis was again left with me. I was not sure how well that was going to work. If I had another reaction Artemis was too scared to come near me.
Yet her presence was why I did not at the cafe. She was able to use her gift before anything manifested. I still wondered how it worked exactly.
The extra weight from the pistol strapped to my thigh was bothering me and I thought about begging to be rid of it. I was pretty sure if I had to shoot someone, I could, but I was no marksman - I could just as easily graze them as I could kill.
It was early evening when Savanas got off the phone and announced, “Retanei’s up. You two call it a day.” She pointed in our direction without looking up from what she was writing. “And be prepared for a possible wake up call.”
Silver looked at me and then back to Savanas. He said, “I don’t understand.”
This time Savanas stopped and leveled a look at Silver. She snapped. “It’s simple. We’ve got a lead, and Retanei is following up. If she finds something, we move. You’ll need your armor if she does.”
“What about the Director?” I asked. It seemed strange after the last call we would not wait for him.
Savanas said, glaring at me, “I don’t want to miss any window of opportunity we get. Now go.”
Chapter 18
Leaning against the cold window in the backseat, I yawned, still tired. I actually got more than enough rest when Savanas knocked on the hotel door, but the nightmares kept it from being effective. More than once Artemis nudged me awake. I was grateful for her vigilance - the last thing I needed to do was wake up Silver.
I was also relieved Silver had not tried a repeat of the previous night. Savanas was in such a rush I did not have the chance to put my hair up in its normal bun. I simply bound it in a loose ponytail over my shoulder. Silver finished braiding his hair on the drive.
When Savanas picked us up, she swapped vehicles. Silver’s armor was not going to fit in the back of her car and she wanted as few vehicles as possible.
Silver sat in front of me. Big Black laid on the seat next to me and the very large dog still made me nervous, though Artemis somehow managed to squeeze between us, half of her body across my lap. She was heavier than I thought, though I could not complain about being cold.
Savanas told us we were going to meet the others at a farm outside of the city. She knew the owners and it would put us slightly closer than the road to our first destination, but it was still going to be a lot of walking. She left out where our destination was.
When we arrived at the farm, Retanei was no where in sight, but Brad, Darius, and Rathal were working out of the back of another vehicle. They were busy donning their armor, arming themselves, and testing their communications equipment.
As Silver donned his own armor, I found a certain level of fascination between the armor everyone wore. So much had changed in armor with technological developments and yet, it was all based on the same concepts.
Darius held out a thinner vest from the ones the rest of the Ocean’s Edge team wore. He told me, “Put this on under your coat to conceal it. It shouldn’t hamper your movements if you need to cast, but stay behind us - it can’t take a hit like ours.”
Taking the garment, I did as I was told, shivering as the cold took a bite at me the moment I opened my coat. Silver had still been wearing my TIO coat until he put his armor on and Savanas tossed it at me. Guess I was not going to get the extra coverage on my legs from the length of mine. I quickly folded up my personal coat and stored it. Then I started trying to figure out how to put on the armor I was given. Shivering made it harder.
Savanas came over to help. She also checked to make sure I was armed and helped me put on an ear piece. She was a little rough when she put my issued gun back in the loaned holster wrapped around my thigh and I grabbed the truck to keep my balance.
She finished by putting a necklace with a small tear drop gem around my neck. “I hope this will work if we need you to copy information on the fly.”
It was too dark to make out what the gem was, but I doubted there would be much information to copy. I said, “It shouldn’t be a problem.” I was fairly confident in my ability to make it work.
My tablet was also in my bag and I could go straight to it if I had enough time. It was not the best solution as it bogged down the system, but it would work. Though depending on how much there was and if I had a network connection, I might not have enough space either.
I pulled my hair out of the loose ponytail, pulling it back behind my head. My hair elastic broke when I tried putting it back in. Any spares I had were back at the hotel. I knew it was getting worn out, but I thought it would last a little longer. I hoped this was not a sign of how things would go this morning.
Savanas still stood next to me, securing her own gear and took a moment to spread my hair over my ears. “If we had taken my car, I’d have an extra hair elastic that you could borrow. At least you’ll be able to stay warmer this way.”
As we set out, I used the light from the building we were parked next to so I could observe the others. Savanas had two swords with curved blades slung on her hips. The one on her left side was significantly longer than the other. Big Black followed at her side. Rathal carried what looked like a fat arrow, but the head was more like a dagger. Darius seemed content with the large gun he was carrying. I could not see anything more than the standard sidearm on Brad. Artemis followed beside me. It felt weird having Retanei’s animal companion constantly at my side. It also made me worry for Retanei being out here alone.
“Where’s Retanei?” I asked as the forest loomed closer.
“She’ll rendezvous with us,” Savanas said.
I bit my lower lip. That was not answering my question. Why did they have to keep doing that?
Silver, who walked next to me, was only focused ahead. I had not expected his armor to be so loud. Or maybe it was just the dead silence of the night.
I wished I had more information. I also hoped the walk would warm me up. My TIO coat still contained some of Silver’s residual warmth when I put it on, but my legs were freezing. Had I thought enough ahead, I would have worn tights underneath. Though I was not sure I had packed any. I preferred to wear them when I wore my slipper-like shoes, but I had been wearing boots while I was here, which meant socks.
Then I wondered why I was thinking about any of this. I should be focused on the task ahead. We would not be here, walking in the cold and dark without reason.
As we walked, no one spoke and I was too afraid to break the silence. I tried to busy my mind with what I should be expecting, but I did not know what to expect. Would there be another arcane bomb? The Archmage himself? Who would be there with him? How fanatical were they?
At some point Silver decided to take a position a few steps ahead. It took a moment for me to realize his armor had taken on an unearthly glow - as if it was reflecting the light of the moon. Perhaps it was some type of enchantment. I filed the thought away to ask him later.
The others spread out. Savanas and Brad were far to the front on either side of us. Rathal and Darius had fallen back.
The forest was thick and eerie and I itched to cast a light spell. The moon above barely provided enough illumination to see where I was going. The sounds of the forest and things I could not see made me uneasy.
Savanas kept us moving until we reached a clearing that looked familiar. On the other side, a shining set of silver-colored eyes were watching us. I started to back away, bu
t then she stepped forward enough to be seen.
“Retanei…” It came out as a breath of relief.
Artemis trotted to her. I forgot Retanei’s ability to see in the dark also changed her eye color, which the moonlight illuminated.
Here there were signs of a camp. Trash littered the area around a fire pit.
The other thing that caught my attention was the arcane spells used. They gathered here and then teleported. It was a big group too. The arc was the same, telling me it was a mass teleport.
Kneeling down at this end of the remnant, I touched the ground with my gloved hand, gently moving the tall, snow-covered grass for the hidden element. I gently shifted the arcane mites out of the way.
“What do you have?” Savanas asked and knelt next to me.
“It’s the Archmage’s signature. He tried to bury it.” Not many mages were even aware they created a signature when they cast. It must have been him watching us the first time at the Waking Dawn. He directed his cast directly against the solid ground to try and hide it. It was a good attempt, but obviously not enough.
I started to think the Archmage did not know before observing us that I could literally see the arcane. However, because of Silver’s power to cover an area from scrying, he likely did not know about my ability to follow a teleport line either.
Savanas pulled the camera out of my bag and was waiting for me to point her at the signature.
Making my fingers into a V shape, I surrounded the small signature for her and said, “Mass teleport heading that way.” I pointed in the direction of the arc.
“Gods…” I heard Silver whisper and turned my attention to him. “The church is in that direction. How far?”
Closing my eyes, I tried to follow the arc, but was unsuccessful. I repeated the process, using more of my power to follow it as if I was teleporting, but failed at the same point again. I shook my head this time because the extra power bounced me back off the barrier and it took a moment longer to re-orientate myself.
Taking a deep breath, I looked up at him and said, “I don’t know. It cuts off after a bit. There is some kind of barrier.”
Silver started to move, but Rathal grabbed his shoulder. Rathal said, “No, we stick together, and more importantly, you stay with her.”
Some part of my mind thought it was the most rational thing I had heard out of Rathal yet. I just did not like being the one he was pointing at.
I took my camera from Savanas and started documenting. It gave me something else to focus on for the moment. What changed between the two of them, I did not know nor did I have the time to find out.
Savanas scratched the back of her neck - an unusual movement. She said, “Things are starting to make sense and I wished to the Gods they weren’t.”
Darius asked, “How far to the church?”
Retanei looked in the direction of the place in question and considered for a moment. “A couple of miles.”
“Alright, enough chatter, let’s move,” Savanas ordered and did not wait for anyone to respond. “Retanei, once we’re back in the forest, scout ahead.”
The moment we hit the tree line, Retanei and Artemis were gone. Savanas set a grueling pace. After a while, I had to stop and lean against a tree, trying to get some air.
“Hey, guys,” Darius said, stopping by my side.
The ones ahead turned back toward me. Reaching into a pouch on his vest Darius handed me a bottle of water.
I wondered how on Terra Silver could move at such a pace in his armor and the others were carrying far more than I was. I was only slowing the group down. My bag felt like it weighed at least double what it should. Skipping physical training was catching up to me.
I gladly accepted the bottle of water, downing half of it quickly. I said, “Thank you. Sorry.” I was still trying to catch my breath.
Savanas approached, her arms crossed. I could not make out the expression on her face. She said, “It’s as good of time as any. We’re getting close to the church and I want a plan of action in case we find something.”
She pulled out her phone and brought up a map. It was a satellite image of the region and I could see the parking lot and the road which sat between the church grounds and the ocean. It would make sense, I reasoned, for a Holy Church of the Sun to greet the dawn.
Savanas continued, “First, we’ll observe the grounds. Silver, you’re going to be the one who can tell us if something is out of place. If everything is fine, we’ll continue on. If not, we’re going to need your permission to search the grounds.”
Silver nodded. His face was hard in the glow from the phone.
“We’ll split into groups of two and search each building. We’ll be approaching from the backside of the grounds so we’ll deal with the cathedral last. Brad, Darius, you two will take the north side buildings. Rathal and I will go through the west and south. Silver, keep yourself and Ket out of sight. She’ll be able to hear if we need backup. Can you tell me what the buildings are so we know what to expect?” Savanas ordered, looking at Silver expectantly.
Silver stayed silent a moment. Then he pointed and said, “This large building in the center facing east is the cathedral. This one on the north side near the parking lot is where the offices are located. Behind it is the training center. The long one here to the south is housing - there aren’t many residents at this time. Only the first floor should be occupied - I’m the only one living on the second floor. And this,” he pointed at a small building to the west of the cathedral, “is where we prep the dead before the funeral and burial - unless something happened recently to one of the paladins, it’s likely empty. The graveyard is behind it. The docks are mostly empty at this time of year.”
“What do you mean?” Rathal asked.
Silver pointed at a small building that was nestled between the forest and the water. He said, “Paladin Parker keeps his boat in the water inside the boat house year round. He’ll usually go fishing after the first light service.” He looked up at the sky and commented, “We’re getting pretty close to dawn. There will be people moving about getting ready for first light service. Likely you’ll find my mentor in the graveyard before his wife’s grave.”
“This is the busiest service of the weekend, isn’t it?” Brad asked as he looked over the map.
“Yes,” Silver did not even hesitate. “The second day of week’s end has the highest attendance for first light. The parking lot will be full.”
I was really hoping the group had merely moved through the church’s grounds - otherwise this could be a repeat of what happened at the Waking Dawn and I was not sure I could handle another one.
~*~
When we arrived at the church grounds, I was grateful for the rest. The others took off the moment Silver said something was wrong and granted his permission for them to search. They moved too quickly for me to tell them I had found the tail end of the teleports, though the line was blurry as if I was looking at it through water.
Silver impatiently waited with me inside of the tree line where winter still had its grasp. He paced back and forth with his sword drawn. Occasionally he would flip his sword around in his hand - his eyes always on the church grounds.
At least he kept his distance so I did not accidentally get hit.
As I huddled to try to keep warm I could see what Silver said before about the grounds. Flowers bloomed radiantly even in the night. It looked like spring and more importantly, warm.
Why they would not let me wait where it was warmer, I did not know. The movement of me rubbing my legs to try to keep them warm was more likely to draw attention.
It was extremely quiet. Given what Silver briefly described about the activities we should have expected, there was not a soul in sight.
Silver stopped and stared at the graveyard. Following his line of sight, I saw a freshly dug grave and asked, “Did someone recently pass?” His mentor was not there either. I worried something may have happened to the man. While I may not have known Silver’
s family, I understood the death of any of them would affect Silver. In our conversations, I could hear how much he deeply cared for them.
In the back of my mind, I was glad I was given the ear piece I needed to push a button to talk. I would not have wanted to interrupt the other’s active communications with conversation. I gave up on counting how many times the others said “clear.”
Savanas and Rathal finished clearing the west building. It did not take long for Brad and Darius to clear the outside training yard, but they were still working their way through the attached building.
Silver turned to me, worry plain on his face. He said, “No one has been buried over there since Maria’s funeral. The only reason to disturb a lot in that area is if my mentor has passed.” I pondered that for a moment before he elaborated, “The lots are by family. Maria and my mentor were not able to bear children. My mentor’s father may have adopted me as his own, but because I am not related by blood, I wouldn’t be placed there either.”
This conversation had become morbid quickly. I asked, “Would there be a reason to disturb an occupied grave?” It was different than the customs of both Elves and the Arcane College who disposed of the dead with fire.
Then the all clear on for the training center came through.
“No,” Silver said.
The wait was maddening for me and I could only take a guess at how Silver must be feeling. It was so quiet. The predawn cast an even more eerie glow across the grounds than the moon in the forest.
“I found them.” The call was not from either of the groups - it was from Retanei. I did not know she was linked in our communications. She warned, “Prepare yourselves.” Her voice sounded hard and forced.
Savanas’ voice rang through next, “First finish off the searches in the outer buildings. I don’t want any surprises. Ket, how are things on your end?”
How did she know where Retanei was?
I was not expecting to be addressed. Pushing the button on the ear piece, I replied, “Quiet, I found the tail end of the teleports - they came in behind the west building. Silver says there is a freshly dug grave that is out of place.”
Twisted Magics (Terra Chronicles Book 1) Page 19