Andoran's Legacy

by M. Gregg Roe

  “I’ll bring you something.” Kora stood up. “You also need to stay awake. After you were stabbed, it looks like you hit your head on the edge of a table.”

  Kora brought both bread and water when she returned. The water tasted wonderful. She drank half the pitcher before turning her attention to the bread. Her stomach felt queasy, but she was also desperately hungry. She compromised by taking only small bites, chewing each one thoroughly before drinking a sip of water.

  It turned out that she couldn’t have slept even had she wished to because people kept stopping by to check on her. Eventually Lieutenant Eomera came by, but Cinda still didn’t remember what had happened. And she wasn’t sure if she really wanted to remember whatever horror had befallen her.

  That evening, as she lay in bed trying to get to sleep, she remembered that she had been scheduled to service a client that evening. But there was nothing for it. Desires was closed for business, and it might be for some time. And things would never be the same again.

  27

  ‡ Lancia ‡

  Only after they were safely inside Lancia’s walls did Marryn finally relax. It was all Hankin could do to not burst out laughing at her smile of relief. In addition to the trolls, they had suffered one attack by bearcats (in the woods), and an attempted robbery by a band of orcs with trained wolves (on the road). Marryn had been shaken by the sheer violence of the first encounter, then struck by a spell and knocked down by a wolf in the second. She hadn’t been seriously hurt—Audrey had dealt with the wolf—but she had good reason to be nervous.

  The guards at the southern gate had asked many questions, but Hankin had been prepared. He stepped forward and wove a web of lies that included enough truth to ring true. They were going to spend two nights in the city, then hopefully take a ship north, possibly even most of the way to Hamsa along the Jumna River. Marryn was very much in favor of that option.

  “Half the city really is underwater,” marveled Audrey, staring east. In fact, the city’s stone wall still extended around that half, rising nearly ten yards above the surface of the water.

  “That’s where the name comes from,” explained Hankin, walking up next to her. “Land-Sea City became Lancia. But the enchantment that allowed breathing underwater in that part is long gone.” He found himself wondering about the state of the buildings that had been underwater. The wall protected them from being eroded by waves, so they might be in decent condition.

  “Maybe Albert or Oljot could restore it,” she mused. “I still can’t believe how much water is out there.”

  Audrey and Marryn had both been enthralled by their first view of the Sea of the East, which was simply part of the huge ocean that reached all the way back to their home continent of Thren.

  He saw that Marryn had pulled out what looked like a map of Lancia, showing the oval shape of the wall and major streets. “Let’s go to The Gold Lantern and get rooms,” she said. “We can even get dinner there before exploring this evening.”

  They let Marryn lead the way. Most of Lancia’s buildings were currently unoccupied, but it could hardly be otherwise. Once home to over ten thousand inhabitants, the population was now less than three hundred. The events that led up to the Great Cold had devastated many of Kaldir’s cities, but Lancia had survived nearly intact. Its buildings had, anyway. The people had either stayed and frozen or fled north.

  Like the Firewater Inn in Hamsa, The Gold Lantern had no shortage of rooms, so they were each able to have their own again. After changing out of his armor into casual clothing—all black, of course—he decided to do some exploration of his own before dinner. He was surprised to find Audrey already standing outside, frowning down at a map held in her left hand with her right hand or her hip.

  “Hello,” she said, glancing briefly over. “Grasapa wanted me to bring back some things.”

  “From where?” he asked, feigning indifference but now very curious. Maybe the woman and her husband had left behind valuables when they had fled.

  “From where she used to live. I think it’s that way,” she said, pointing north.

  Hankin moved up next to her and scanned the map. “It looks like it’s two major streets north and then west just past that. Would you like company?”

  She smiled winsomely. “I was planning to beg you to help, but yes. I’m worried someone might be living there. Or that it burned down or something.”

  Unless it was one of the nicer houses in Lancia, he doubted that anyone had bothered with it. And he really couldn’t imagine either Grasapa or her husband living somewhere expensive. It just wasn’t their nature.

  They found the house after only a few minutes’ walk. It was small, but with an all-stone exterior and a slate-tiled roof. And it appeared to be in good condition. Audrey went straight to the sturdy oak front door, and knocked. When no one answered, she tried the door.

  “It’s locked,” she said, chewing her lower lip. “Someone probably does live here.”

  “No,” he countered. “There’s no sign of that. I don’t see any footprints nearby, and the windows look like the shutters have been closed for a long time. I can get us inside.”

  She waved at the door. “Then go ahead.”

  He extracted his lock-picking kit from his belt pouch and set to work with Audrey watching. It took him a while. The type of lock was unfamiliar to him. It was of high quality, crafted from steel and probably designed to foil thieves. He smiled as he finally heard the sound that signaled success. The hinges groaned when he pushed the door open.

  Audrey walked in first and looked around. The sitting room was dusty, but still fully furnished from what he could tell. Pointing left, she said, “Ariel’s room is at the end of that hallway. Gather up any toys you find. Crap. I should have brought a sack.”

  “I’m sure we can find something,” he assured her.

  The room was small and the bed tiny. But Ariel had been a toddler at that time. The toys were in a beautiful cherry chest with Ariel’s name carved into the lid. It wasn’t especially large or heavy. Inside were a variety of wooden children’s toys, all of high quality from what he could tell. There was also a small bookshelf in the room with books that were mostly simple drawings and colorful pictures. He put them inside the chest as well. Grasapa clearly intended to give the toys to Ariel for her own child.

  Using the grips carved into the side, he carried the chest back to the sitting room. The small table there was now piled with books that Audrey was in the process of sorting through. He set the chest down next to the front door and went over to look.

  “Four of these are Shorinken manuals,” she explained. “Nice ones, complete with illustrations. That’s what Grasapa wanted.” Then she started pointing. “This is a journal of her training, or part of it anyway. That one is a history of Lancia, and that monster of a book is a history of Kaldir, complete with maps and drawings. I really want to read it.”

  Hankin wouldn’t mind reading it himself. “The smaller books will fit in the chest. See if you can find something to wrap the others, maybe a blanket from their bedroom.”

  Audrey promptly left through the doorway opposite the front door. By carefully rearranging the toys, he managed to get most of the books into the chest. When she returned, she handed over a lightweight blue blanket that he used to wrap up the remains books into a bundle that could easily be carried. But then he noticed she was already holding a small canvas bag.

  “You would not believe the underwear I found,” she said with a devilish grin. “I’m taking them to Grasapa just to see how she reacts.”

  After carrying everything outside, he locked the door again. It would probably be years before anyone showed interest in the house, and maybe there were other things there that Grasapa would want to retrieve in the future. In hindsight, they would have taken things like coins and jewelry with them.

  Back at the inn, he carried the chest to Audrey’s room and then went to lay down before dinner. Before they left, he was going to find a locksmith
shop and get one of those locks to take back. And who knew what other things of interest might have been left behind?

  Going down early to the bar and restaurant area of the inn had been a mistake in several respects. The one drink that Marryn had allowed a handsome young man to buy her was already making her tipsy. And he seemed enchanted by what he referred to as “her bewitching accent”. (To her, he was the one with the weird accent.) But her big mistake was to tell him her parents’ names.

  “Your father is named Mardan?” he asked, flicking his eyes downward to her chest for the umpteenth time. “Why I, Sven Oe’br Harvald, am a member of the Legion of Mardan. We travel throughout the land, helping the needy and meting out justice to villains of every stripe. How wondrous it is that your own father is named after the very hero, nay, practically a demigod, whose great works we continue.”

  “Yes,” said Marryn, desperately trying to appear calm, “that’s who he’s named after. I hear there was a whole city named after Mardan.”

  That lie worked, launching Sven into a description of the city of Mardan that she knew was wildly inaccurate. The barkeep pointed at her cup, and she shook her head. Whatever she was drinking was incredibly strong.

  “Sadly,” said Sven, his expression glum, “the city of Mardan was reduced to rubble. But someday we will restore it to its former glory. And we will erect an enormous statue of Mardan in the center of the city.”

  “That sounds fabulous,” said Marryn, putting her unfinished drink down on the bar. But she was looking forward to telling her father about it.

  “Do you have plans this evening?” he asked, again staring at her chest. “I can show you around, tell you of how this city was before the coming of the Great Cold.”

  Glancing around desperately, Marryn saw her salvation. “I already have plans with my brother,” she lied. “But you might want to ask her.”

  Siljan walked up smiling saucily. “Who’s your friend, Marryn?” She waved at the barkeep. “Give me something fruity and strong.”

  Forcing herself to smile, Marryn said, “This is Sven. He’s a member of the Legion of Mardan.”

  “Ooh!” said Siljan, as she sidled up to the bar. “Tell me all about it.” She made a dismissive gesture toward Marryn.

  Marryn was halfway up the stairs when her brother appeared at the top and waited for her to ascend. She quickly explained to him what had happened. “I recall hearing of him,” he said. “He was with several others, including a druid.”

  “That would be me,” said a woman who had just emerged from a nearby room. “I assume that you’re talking about Sven.” She was a tall half-elf with a plain face but lovely chestnut hair.

  Gabriel hesitated. “You previously encountered Bjarni and Mina?”

  “Yes. Near the ruins of that monastery. I’m Arnora.”

  “I am Gabriel, and this is Marryn. We are Mardan’s children.”

  “I see.” Her expression showed surprise, but not disbelief. “It’s an honor to meet you, but don’t mention that to anyone else. Here, Mardan is just a legend.”

  Marryn waved her hands. “I told Sven my father was named after Mardan.”

  “That should work; Sven’s not exactly smart. Does your father know about us?”

  “He does,” replied Gabriel in all seriousness. “And he does not mind as long as you do good.”

  “That’s our goal. We’re escorting some traders tomorrow who are headed west.”

  The two of them ended up having dinner with the woman. Siljan dined with Sven, flirting all the while, and then left with him afterward. Arnora wanted to speak to Saxloc, seemingly interested in the half-elves where he was from. (Marryn had noticed that nearly everyone in Lancia was human.) They ended up leaving the two at the bar when they set off to explore.

  Marryn found it kind of depressing. And a little frightening. Entire sections of the city were unoccupied, including a street that was lined with temples to more deities than she knew existed. Most of the population had apparently settled into one area that had houses that were large, but not excessively so.

  Even though Siljan’s room was next to hers, Marryn didn’t hear a sound and slept well. It was her brother who complained the next morning, because his room was next to Sven’s, and that was where Siljan had spent the night.

  It was a wonder that someone hadn’t claimed the building and started charging admission.

  The Museum of Beasts and Monsters was large, nearly a hundred yards square with a high roof supported by dozens of thick stone columns. The wood and metal roof incorporated skylights, none of which seemed to be broken, although some were so dirty they barely passed any light. The displays inside, however, were not only intact, but appeared to have been recently dusted. They had found the entrance door for guests closed but not locked.

  Saxloc waited by the creature’s mouth as Audrey walked around it. If anything, the century of cold had helped to preserve the exhibits. Whoever had created them had obviously been skilled. They looked remarkably lifelike, and were placed in realistic poses. And each was accompanied by a wooden plaque that gave information about the creature. Audrey had been able to read most of them without assistance.

  After reading the wooden plaque for a second time, Audrey turned to face him. “Why is it called a worm?” she demanded. “Worms are small, but it’s huge. It could swallow someone whole.”

  “It does say they tunnel underground.” But purple worm did seem like a ridiculous name for what was obviously a fearsome predator.

  Audrey pointed to the names at the bottom of the plaque. “It was the old group that brought it here. I’ll ask Grasapa about it when we get home.”

  “Or Medea,” he suggested. “Hagen wasn’t part of the group then, but Jethro’s namesake was. And Roho was still alive.”

  “They had a big adventuring group, but judging by this place, it was pretty dangerous back then.”

  They continued to walk around, finding exhibits of both trolls and bearcats, and occasionally encountering one of the others. Siljan and Hankin were exploring on their own, but Marryn was clutching her brother’s arm. She hadn’t even wanted to go inside at first.

  “I counted fourteen,” said Siljan as she strode over to them. “The old group made a lot of money selling things they’d killed to this place. Somebody ought to do something similar in Andoran’s Realm, maybe in Rohoville since it’s fairly central. I’ll mention it to my father.”

  Saxloc could see several problems already, including that Danj would want to go off hunting for specimens personally. “Does anyone there know how to do this kind of preservation?” he asked.

  “There’s nothing else in this building but a small office area,” Siljan said, pointing off to her left. “But I’ll bet that whatever building is opposite those two big doors is where they did the work. Maybe we can find some manuals there.”

  Soon the six of them were in another building with a large space that had obviously been where the preservation work was performed. There were piles of timber and hundreds of different tools. There were even shelves with compartments that held glass eyes of all different sorts. (Marryn wouldn’t even go near it.) But there was no sign of any books or papers.

  “Crap,” said Siljan, after searching the last of a tall set of wooden drawers. “They must have taken all the paperwork with them. Who knows where it ended up.”

  They ended up eating lunch back at the inn, because the only other choice was to go to the city market and buy things, and there really wasn’t much selection. By the time they finished, the cloudy sky had finally produced the threatened rain. So instead of going out again, they all just went back to their rooms for a nap.

  It was the chest they had found at Grasapa’s old house that gave Audrey the idea. It was a beautiful piece of workmanship, and she was definitely going to show it to Conrad before handing it over. But now she wanted to take Conrad something made from wood, or even just pieces of wood that were unique to Kaldir, not that she had any idea of how
to recognize such items.

  “A gift?” said Marryn, when Audrey went to her room to talk. It was still raining, but it was also beginning to brighten outside. “I really should take Denis something,” she continued, creasing her forehead. “And something for my mother and father.”

  After Audrey explained what she was thinking, Marryn pulled out her map of Lancia and spread it on the small table. “Lancia had distinct districts,” she explained. “There was a whole street of weavers, for example. We just need to find the carpentry area. I’ll ask the staff here. Or,” she said, pointing at a location on the map, “we could go to where the really expensive houses are and start searching for things. But maybe I’ll ask if that’s allowed first.”

  The idea of finding a carpenter shop was appealing, but Audrey seriously doubted that Lancia had any carpenters at present. If someone needed something, they’d just search one of the unoccupied houses or buildings. That’s also where they probably got most of their clothing, because they certainly dressed well.

  Downstairs, they were told that visitors took things from houses all the time. They also found Siljan there, nursing a drink as she sat alone at a table near the bar. “I can open any door with magic,” she said with a scheming look that made Audrey smile. “I want some souvenirs too. And gifts, I guess. So, Marryn, do you think we can find underwear here like you’re planning to make?”

  Marryn’s reaction was comical. “Yes!” she said excitedly. “Maybe we can find a store that sold them. They don’t weigh hardly anything, so we can bring back lots of things!”

  And so, as the sun began to shine, Audrey, Marryn, and Siljan set out on a crime spree of sorts, armed with a map that the inn’s proprietor had thoughtfully labeled for them. In the northwestern part of the city, they found an entire area devoted to craftsmen, including blacksmiths, silversmiths, candle-makers, and carpenters. There wasn’t any silver to be found, but there was no shortage of wood. Audrey put small pieces of anything that looked unusual in a burlap sack she found. In the second shop, they found several partially completed items, including a tall bookcase and a massive table probably intended for either a restaurant or someone’s mansion. But they also found a number of small, oval-shaped boxes, each made from a different type of wood and lacking only hinges for the lids. Siljan found some small brass ones that looked like they would work, so Audrey took those too.