Lightfoot

by Joe Kuster

  Rachel whispered, “Do you think there are more?”

  “This was just laying on a shelf, I bet there’s a good chance. We might find something that’d be even more useful,” he replied in muted words.

  He handed off the book to Kallista then nodded to her bottomless bag. Getting the idea, she slipped it inside. While he had it committed to memory, there was always the chance he’d forget, or they might have an opportunity to share it with someone else. Failing that, it was probably worth a fortune if he sold it.

  After the women exchanged a few cautious glances, he received a round of nods. Taking a slow pace, they moved down the rows while he stretched out his magical senses. They moved methodically but were careful to avoid being seen.

  After they had finally run out of obscured shelves, TJ peeked carefully around the corner and spotted eight robed figures casually chatting on red velvet upholstered chairs that were arranged around a large stone circle. It seemed that the back of the library had been converted into a reading lounge of sorts, complete with a wet bar and little plates of food.

  While most still had their hoods up, the group seemed relaxed and informal with each other. One young man shifted and knelt on the floor and worked a piece of chalk around an intricate circle of symbols. Every few moments, he scrubbed away a swoosh or swirl, then redrew it.

  TJ was about to turn and suggest they retreat to another door when his magic pinged. Focusing, he narrowed in on a book that lay the floor unattended. Unfortunately, it was only six feet from the nearest person and at least thirty feet of open ground from where they hid.

  As his magic studied the feeling, it began making a low gurgle, then twisted slowly as though it was trying to figure out what sort of magical field it had run into. It wasn’t familiar at all. As the feeling in his chest twisted back and forth, it progressively became more excited until it was dancing in his chest. Whatever it was, it was something worth having.

  Sliding back around the corner, TJ whispered to Kallista, “Feel up to a bit of larceny?”

  She gave a wicked grin that showed off the tips of her fangs. “Do I get something out of it?”

  TJ rubbed his chin. “What do you want? I already promised to buy your gear and fix your body. That and you’re carrying a fair bit of gold now.”

  “Do you think we could get away with killing that guard before we leave the city? Skippy has been haunting my ass for two years, and I’d love to take him down a peg for the bullshit he pulled. Maybe cut off his cock and watch him bleed out. I know I wasn’t the only one he tried that shit with. I was just one of the few willing to fight back,” she said.

  TJ’s magic flared in his chest at the reminder. It crackled with the heat of a blast furnace, and he had to look away before it began to cool.

  He nodded gravely. “I’ll figure something out, but I can’t kill him. The Duchess would know.”

  “Could we bribe her? She doesn’t seem the sort that’d mind instilling loyalty through beatings if the reason were right. I’m sure there’s plenty of sketchy shit he’s involved in. If we knew what she wanted, we could have her find him guilty of a capital offense,” she said.

  TJ replied, “Uh, that’d be tough. The only thing that I know that she wants is my kids. She’d probably do a lot if I could promise to make that happen.”

  “She wants what!?” Kallista hissed out in a startled tone.

  Rachel coughed into her hand as her mental switch flipped back to her noble bearing. “Dear heart, don’t be so dramatic.”

  Rachel turned to Kallista. “The Duchess wishes to incorporate TJ’s cumulative offspring into the nobility. Since I already had plans to have children after being wed, this changes nothing for me. Any other descendants that TJ has will be of the noble lineage of as well. However, I suspect promising to bear one of TJ’s children and raise them within her duchy would grant considerable flexibility with her. From what TJ said, you and Abby will qualify as Dame-Magus on power alone, so they will be considered noble-born as well.”

  Abby frowned. “Mistress, I’d prefer to wait, unless you or Master require it of me. Perhaps after a few years, but I do not wish to make commitments for such bargains at zis time.”

  “Haggling using children as currency? You can’t be fucking serious,” Kallista said.

  Rachel sighed. “Welcome to high society, I suppose. Honestly, I planned to use my firstborn to leverage help in rebuilding Larton’s economy and expanding House Lightfoot’s control. Skyridge is little better than a barony. The county is mostly unimproved lands that are full of threats. If you want something from the Duchess and were willing to offer something along those lines, I suspect she’d be stringing up anyone you wished to invoke her wrath upon.”

  As eyes turned to Kallista, her jaw dropped open, then slammed shut with a snap.

  “Yeah, maybe we can just beat him up or something then. Let’s not involve the Duchess,” she said after several moments.

  TJ nodded in agreement. “That’s probably for the best. As much as I want to burn anyone that would hurt you, she’ll know if we get carried away. Still, I’ll make sure you have your pound of flesh. If I see an opening to do something more permanent without it causing us problems, I’ll take it.” Shifting his attention, he nodded toward the occupied reading nook. “So, think you could get the blue book without being noticed? I’d pull it with telekinesis, but I’m pretty sure they’d notice a floating book. I think this needs a skilled touch.”

  She bobbed her head, looking more at ease as she slipped into her comfort zone. She glanced around the shelf and scrunched up her face in thought. “Just the one with gold trim?”

  He nodded.

  She stretched her neck, then cracked her knuckles. “It’s too bright for me to use the shadows, so I’ll have to do it the old-fashioned way. I’ll give it a single pass. If they try to talk to me or pay too much attention, drop one of the books here to make them look this way. I’ll walk a circuit behind the far shelf, then come back here. I’ll act like I’m returning something.”

  She plucked a book from the shelf, sucked down a deep breath, then settled into a slow walk aimed behind the chair of the closest robed figure. She turned her head, trying to keep her hood pulled low so they couldn’t see her face.

  She still had twenty feet to go when the man on the floor adjusted a chalk mark and yelled, “Found it!”

  Kallista froze in her tracks as the New Order disciples hunched forward, inspecting the chalk circle. She glanced back to TJ for a moment, then eased closer to the book.

  One of the men said, “Perfect, let’s light it up, boys!”

  “Ah, yeah!” one agreed. “Let’s do this!”

  Words of power flowed from the eight figures huddled close to the glyphs. The air crackled with blue light, then flames shot out of the middle of the circle. As the fire began to die down, a silhouette of a woman emerged. She was tall, with long legs and slender hips and a small bust on full display. Her nude form showed her brilliant red skin, black eyes, and a very familiar-looking set of horns and tail.

  As soon as her disorientation faded, she twisted left and right as a panicked shriek left her lips. As one of the men approached, the woman lunged forward, her fingers transforming to claws, but bounced off an invisible wall of power around the circle. She spun and frantically slashed at the air, trying to get away.

  “No! This can’t be happening!” She pounded on the barrier. “Please, you’ve got to stop this! We just want to be left alone. We’re not what you think we are. You don’t know what you’re doing!”

  “We know exactly what we’re doing. You’re either going to accept a slave oath, or we’re going to leave you in there until you starve to death,” one said as the others laughed.

  One cackled, “And once you take the deal, we’re gonna fuck you until you can’t stop begging for more.”

  “This isn’t right!” she cried out in a panic.

  One of the disciples raised their hand, and a glittery bolt of blue
magic smashed into her. The woman fell to the stone floor, screaming as she clutched at the ice that was expanding around her arm. It hissed against her skin as she fought against the growing spell.

  The woman slashed with her claws, carving skin and ice alike. Blood splashed across the stone, but she was able to break it free. Panting, she whirled, looking at each hooded figure, one at a time, and not finding any help. Finally, her eyes settled on Kallista, who was stunned in her tracks.

  Dark eyes going impossibly wide, the woman in the circle slammed her body against the ground, arms out in prostration. “Please, your Royal Highness, I had no idea you lived. Please do not do this. Forgive me for whatever I have done! I am yours to command!”

  Kallista’s jaw fell open as the woman continued to beg for her life. As she did so, all eyes turned from the woman on the floor to the slack-faced rogue.

  The book in TJ’s hand clattered to the floor, but no one even noticed.

  “Well, so much for stealth.” Sighing, he swapped out the bolt in his crossbow and leaped into the air, wings extended.

  Taking advantage of the high ceiling, he touched down atop the shelves. That brought Rachel out of her confusion, and she charged forward, blade glittering with golden power. Abby sucked in a breath and began to belt out a song that reverberated throughout the room.

  TJ’s first arrow landed squarely in the temple of a robed man. He fought to reload as he dodged a glittering bolt of blue energy. He flapped to the side. Hovering in midair, he barely dodged the follow-up curse while he readied his next attack.

  Kallista managed to regain her bearings and whipped out a handful of daggers just before the nearest mage could target her. Her throw found its target as steel blossomed from the throat of the closest opponent.

  She rolled to the side, narrowly dodging a jet of ice. The mage adjusted his aim, only for her to disappear behind a barrier of inky shadow that Faith had put up. The shadow shield evaporated under the barrage, but Kallista had already slipped out of sight.

  Reaching melee range, Rachel jumped forward with a roar, cleaving two outstretched hands, and spearing one through the chest. She kicked off him, and her blade spun with blazing energy, whipping through flesh and furniture alike.

  In the confusion of the scrum, several magical spells detonated, missing their targets. One disciple put their back close to the nearby wet bar only to have a hand reach out of the darkness. Kallista’s dagger plunged in rapid succession into his neck. The man’s body slumped to the carpet as she disappeared yet again.

  Abby continued her song and her target’s eyes glazed over. The radiant energy from the disciple’s hand shifted, and he flung a massive flash of light into his former comrades. Tall, sharp crystals sprouted from the floor, severing limbs, and impaling bodies.

  Faith’s tentacle of shadow shot out, jerking Rachel backward from the spell’s point of impact. The swordswoman staggered under the force of glittery clear stone exploding from the floor and was nearly skewered in the process. Her hand was knocked aside by one of the crystalline daggers, jetting a spray of red into the air.

  The caster slumped to the floor, panting as the crystals retracted into the floor. He gave Abby a befuddled grin as though he were a dog hoping for a pat on the head.

  TJ didn’t even have time to pick another target before it was all over. The only thing he could hear over the flapping of his wings were the wails of the imprisoned woman. He glided toward the group, landing with a heavy thud as he spun left and right, searching for signs their fight attracted more attention.

  The bond to Rachel sung with pain as blood poured from her severed middle finger. She hissed as she cupped it to her chest. Not waiting, he pumped his magic over the bond toward the swordswoman. Since she was in a lot of pain, he started with deadening the nerves. He then poured the healing in, knitting the bone and flesh together as fast as he could.

  Seeing that she was utterly lost in rapid breathing as she paced, still hunched in on herself, he took hold of her by the base of her ebony braid. Firmly, he pulled her close and put her forehead to his. “I got you. It’s all ok. Focus on me; you’re going to be fine.”

  She sniffed and wiped at her watery eyes. Rachel blew out a slow breath and panted, “Fuck, that hurt.” She sucked down another lungful of air, seeming to regain bits of her composure. She looked down at the cleaved bodies around them. “Thank you, my betrothed. Damn, that spell was powerful. I didn’t have time to disengage.”

  TJ glared at the asshole who had launched the attack. “Abby, you still have him?”

  “Yes, Master,” she said with a strained breath. “But please ask what we need quickly. I can hold zis for a bit, but my magic won’t last forever.”

  Kallista picked herself off the floor, emerging from shadows of the chairs. “Borrow from me, Abby. I need some real fucking answers, and I might take a bit.”

  “Much appreciated,” Abby said. TJ could feel them exchanging essence between them as the strain on Abby lessened. She added, “Zat is much better. I’ll let you know if I begin running out.”

  Sniffling from the summoning circle pulled their attention back to the nude woman. Kallista sighed and knelt next to her. “Hey, there. Uhm… you seem like you know me.”

  “Yes, your highness. I… I’ve only heard stories, but a royal is unmistakable. There is only one not in the palace, so I assume you are our lost princess. Where are we? Are these not your servants?” the woman asked, then winced as she clutched at her bloody arm.

  Kallista pressed at the containment spell and grumbled. “TJ, can you heal her through this thing?”

  He pressed his hand against the barrier where the woman’s foot was on the edge of the circle. He shoved his magic against her and began squeezing and pushing it through the field and into the unnamed woman. It was harder than healing through armor, but he managed. Slowly, the slashes on her arm sealed shut, and the blisters from her frost burns faded, leaving unmarred red skin in its place. The move confirmed that whatever the woman was, she was the same race as Kallista.

  “Can we have a moment?” Kallista asked once the golden glow had faded.

  Rachel nodded. “Of course, Kalli. I need to find out what the New Order asshole can tell us.”

  She then pulled at the disciple’s elbow. He trod along without question and toward Abby’s position amid the stacks of books. TJ paused to snap up the blue tome that had started it all. The cover read, ‘Portals for Dangerous Mute Lunatics — By Glados Potato.’

  He glared at the man that had cast the spell. Even if he was charmed and no longer a threat, TJ seriously debated beating the asshole to death. Abby had commanded him to help in the fight. Unfortunately, the shithead’s personal concept of helping didn’t bother to factor in friendly fire. It was the type of attack he would have fired off, even if it hit his fellow disciples, and that pretty much summed up the man’s mentality and worth in TJ’s opinion.

  Picking up on the tension, Rachel offered, “Betrothed, how about Abby and I ask the questions? You look like you’re going to use your fireball spell on him before we know what is going on.”

  TJ grumbled a non-committal response.

  “Dear, it hurt, but you were able to fix my hand. He might know something worthwhile. Why don’t you memorize your new spell? We’ll take care of this trash. He’ll never hurt anyone again after today,” she said with steel in her voice.

  Faith let out a meow of agreement and licked her lips. Knowing the little hellion wouldn’t balk at what needed to happen, he nodded slowly.

  He blew out a frustrated breath, then angled toward one of the puffy red chairs. He landed with a plop and cracked the cover. Time seemed to slip by without him noticing as he leafed through the dense chapters. It seemed like only moments when Kallista returned.

  “TJ, I… I need you to send her back. Please, it’d mean a lot to me. Can you do that?” she asked.

  Her eyes were puffy as she wiped at her nose. TJ assumed getting the answers she’d sought ha
dn’t been easy to hear.

  He pursed his lips in thought, then eyed the summoning circle critically. He’d covered the first half, but the book hadn’t mentioned hopping between other realms yet. Everything he’d found assumed portaling between places on the same world. Given its abstract nature, he wasn’t sure if the dungeon qualified. However, Serina had said it was anchored, which was the part that should matter.

  He’d leafed through the glossary but hadn’t found a reference to the type of unanchored portal he’d arrived through. Perhaps it was in a more advanced book or was divine magic beyond what was known in this realm.

  Assuming that the dungeon was anchored made things less complicated, and the ritual had obviously worked, so that narrowed things down.

  He flipped back and reread the section for return travel. “I think so. I don’t know how to break the shield safely, but the portal I think I get. It’s way more complicated than my other magic. This is more of a ritual. It’s not something I can just memorize and cast, but… honestly, it looks like the dungeon itself is their power source. There’s no way those eight powered that spell in a few seconds. This book makes it sound at least as hungry as making space folding bags. Thankfully, since she hasn’t crossed the circle, the tear they created should still be there. There’s a section here that should poke her back through that hole.”

  “You’re uh, not going to grill me with questions before you return her, are you?” she asked.

  He sighed. “No. Part of me wants to, but I kind of get why you wanted to talk in private. If you don’t remember your family, it’d be a lot easier to hear it without us looming over you. She also might not have been comfortable talking around other races. I’m guessing she confirmed some things you suspected, right?”

  There was a vulnerability in Kallista’s eyes as she peered into his face. He didn’t need to push against her soul to know that whatever she’d learned had shaken her to the core.

  “Yeah. It’s… just like Serina said, but worse,” she replied. “Izzala also told me that hundreds of our men and women have disappeared recently. It’s been several a day, plucked from the air, leaving behind their clothes where they were taken. I’m guessing the church and dungeon have been using them as… monsters.” Her voice shuddered as she added the last bit.