by Steven Drake
“Alright, it’s been a rough trip, but we’re finally on the borders of Golden Shield territory.” Jerris clasped his hands behind his back to prevent himself from fidgeting, then paced back and forth as he spoke. “We need to get from here across the Golden Plains and into Trinium. I don’t know enough about the area to know the difficulties, and I don’t think we should take our entire force across, not until we’ve secured the cooperation of Lady Barris, excuse me, Empress Sarenna. We need to decide how many, and who, will go.”
“We’ve already discussed this, Jerris,” Nia said with a combination of frustration and understanding. Jerris felt the same combination of emotions. They had been discussing the issue each night of the journey before falling asleep in each other’s arms. “It’s best if I go alone. No one else knows the inquisition as well as I do.”
“I know we have discussed it, but I want to get opinions from everyone here,” Jerris said. “Danek, what’s your opinion? Of everyone here, who knows Trinium the best?”
“Well, a few of those who came with us have families in Trinium, but no one worked directly with the inquisition,” Danek answered nervously. He was not used to meetings like this. Just a few weeks ago, he had been a relatively minor mid-ranking mage several ranks below the Archmage with only modest magical talent. At least I’m not the only one who’s uncomfortable, Jerris thought. “No offense, but that’s why I came. I left my wife and two daughters in Trinium. I didn’t know all this was going to happen, and I fear for them.”
“Well, I don’t blame you.” Jerris tried to smile. “This is our chance to show the new Empress we are not enemies. Anyone with family in Trinium should go to them, make sure they are safe, then turn themselves in. Tell them everything that happened, and hopefully if they hear the same story enough times, they’ll believe it.”
“Th-Thank you,” Danek stuttered. “I think there are several who will go. I believed in the Archmage, but now that he’s gone, I just want this to be over. Geoffray is wrong. We shouldn’t be fighting. Everyone here believes that.”
“Do you think you can get an audience with the Empress?” Jerris had to ask again, just to be sure.
“Honestly, no,” he answered. “None of us here have a high rank and most of us have been out of the city for months on this assignment. I know how you must feel, but Niarie has the best chance.”
“Alright, then that much is decided,” Jerris said. “Would anyone object if I accompanied her?” Every face frowned.
“I certainly would,” Tzia said. “This expedition depends on your leadership, and you are needed here. Have faith in your mate. She has demonstrated her skill. She will succeed.” Ceres only nodded sternly. Jerris knew they were right.
“Kesz will accompany Niaries,” Kesz volunteered. He had been sitting quietly, almost invisible, for the duration of the meeting. Tzia eyed him with marked disapproval, no doubt regarding the lower-class dragon as unworthy.
“I appreciate the offer, Kesz,” Jerris said, “but a dragon in Trinium will attract attention. We don’t want to frighten people.”
“Kesz is very good at hiding,” he said. “Only Kesz can hide from magic, very important.”
“I already asked Kesz to help,” Nia said. “There’s an enchantment field that surrounds the city, and detects intruders. We need Kesz’s ability to disappear, so we can hide from that.”
“Will that work?” Jerris asked. “Surely he can’t keep that up for long.”
“Kesz just has to get us through the perimeter,” Nia explained. “Once we’re inside the perimeter, we only have to worry about our individual auras. The other mages still have their aura suppressing clothes. I can use those shackles that Nielas had on me.”
“Is that safe?” Jerris asked.
“I’ll have the key, and once I’m inside the city, it won’t matter. There’s so much magic there, it’s hard to pick out anyone individually unless you are familiar with the aura.”
“I’ll be going too,” Skarn added.
“What? Skarn what are you talking about? You can’t hide yourself.”
“I have my own connections in Trinium. I don’t need secrecy. I plan to walk in the front door.” Skarn smiled confidently and crossed his well-muscled arms against his chest.
Tzia shot Skarn a suggestive glare as her tail twitched slightly. “I see,” the dragoness said. “A shame I will miss the show.”
“I don’t plan to fight unless I have to,” Skarn added.
“What are you talking about?” Jerris interrupted.
“Skarn used to be an arena fighter,” Danek said. “I grew up in Trinium and watched him when I was a boy. He was never beaten. He’s practically a legend among arena champions.”
“Though he lacks wings, he has a dragon’s heart,” Tzia added. “Tales of the half-dragon champion have always intrigued me.” Jerris blinked wide-eyed, surprised at the normally haughty dragoness’s interest in one of the lesser dragons. Tzia stared back uncomfortably, clearly understanding Jerris’ reaction. “Not all our kind dismiss the abilities of the lowborn.” Tzia explained as she crossed her arms over her chest “It is not coincidence I was chosen for this command. I am the only female to rise to the rank of sub-commander in over a century. Some called me weak, because I am a woman, but I taught them better. I am even impressed with the skills of this… pashka.” Tzia looked over and down at Kesz. “A pity he chooses to lurk in the shadows like a coward. His abilities could surely make him a great dragon if he possessed courage to match his skill.”
“Kesz thanks the honored dragoness for her praise.” The little dragon cowered and bowed repeatedly. “But Kesz is not so strong, only very clever. Fights only when he must, only for his friends.” Tzia turned away and growled, a sound like a jungle cat ready to pounce, but said no more.
Surprisingly, it seemed Tzia’s disapproval had more to do with Kesz’ tendency to run and hide rather than his status as a lowborn. Jerris suddenly felt immensely better about Tzia’s presence on their mission.
“Then it’s decided. Danek, let everyone know the plan. Anyone with family in Trinium is allowed to go.” Jerris sat back down and rubbed his head. At least he would have one more night with Nia by his side. Then, there would be nothing he could do but worry, and hope.
Chapter 22: An Awkward Return
Nia rose early the next morning. She watched the sunrise hand in hand with Jerris, then they exchanged painful goodbyes. The tears they shed into each other’s shoulders privately made the formal sendoff seem easy. Nia beamed at Jerris over her shoulder, marveling at how quickly he had become a worthy leader. Like his mentor, her brother, the young man had learned to control the storm of his emotions, to hide his weaknesses and to project strength. She could already see the respect in the eyes of Ceres, Skarn, Kesz, and even the cold and aloof dragoness Tzia.
Still, alone in their tent, during the night, Jerris poured his heart into her, all his fears, his doubts, his insecurities. She felt it all, as often as he would allow himself to open the bond between them. Nia wanted to enjoy that feeling as often as possible, but Jerris worried too much about formality, about how intimate they had become, whether it made him weak to rely on her. Though they had shared a tent, and a bedroll, they had only held each other, and slept. He was too noble, and their bond was already so much more intimate than the most passionate lovemaking her innocent mind could imagine. It had been difficult, for both of them, but she had respected his wishes, and the reasons he had to maintain some level of respectability.
As she turned to ride away from Jerris, Nia wondered if she had made the right decision. Part of her, perhaps the greater part, wanted to remain at his side forever, no matter the cost. Still, there was something else, a lingering restlessness that nettled at her mind, a proud, fierce, dogged determination to face her own challenges. She had first felt it when she had summoned the golem, a moment of sublime anger, like a madness, that called her to fight against any who opposed her. Now, that same needling sense of defian
ce demanded she succeed, if for no other reason than to prove herself worthy in the eyes of the father she dearly missed, the grandfather who raised her, the mother she never knew, the brother who died at the hands of a traitor, and most of all, in the eyes of the half-elf who had saved her life twice already, the one she loved. She would go and face the destiny that was hers alone.
About a dozen golden magi, including Danek, accompanied Niarie on the journey to Trinium. The expedition had barely enough horses to haul the supplies, so the travelers were forced to walk, adding a few days to the journey. Even on foot, after the difficult terrain and constant bad weather in the hills, the journey across the plains seemed like a vacation. Green pasturelands near the hills gave way to the fields of wheat that gave the golden plains their name, the fruits of the year nearly ready for harvest.
Within a week, they reached the magical perimeter that surrounded the city. The fields of wheat abruptly ended, and the ground sloped upward towards the city. According to the history books, Trinium had been raised artificially by means of earth magic, hundreds of mages working slowly over many years. Trinium was meant to shine across the surrounding plains, and more practically, the slight elevation ensured proper drainage for the pristine white stone streets of Trinium. They counted upon the city’s drainage system as their means of entering the city undetected.
They waited for the cover of darkness, then followed the perimeter until they found one of several dozen drainage trenches that extended radially from the city. The trenches ran nearly full for much of the year, but in late summer through the autumn, they dried up almost entirely. The deep trenches, now almost dry, gave them a relatively safe path into the city, deep enough to conceal them from patrols on the plain, and leading straight to the sewers that would serve as their entry point. The only downside was the smell, about what one would expect from any sewer runoff trench.
When they reached the magical barrier that surrounded the city, Kesz escorted them safely to the other side, two by two, using his invisibility spell. Nia put on the shackles once again. The dampening effect it had on her magic felt just as stifling and uncomfortable as before, but there wasn’t much choice. Nia’s aura was simply too powerful for any of the usual suppressive clothing, and Kesz could not conceal her longer than a few minutes. They hurried along the trench, and just as the first light of morning brightened the eastern sky, they reached the edge of the city, where Nia was finally able to dispose of the shackles.
From there, they ventured into the sewers themselves, a nearly forgotten part of the city. None of them had much experience navigating the dank underground tunnels, and they got lost many times, but finally they found their way to a suitable entry point, a large drain at the end of a steeply sloped blind alley. From the position of the larger buildings, the Hall of Judgments, the Hall of Histories, and the Grand Arena, they reckoned they were on the northwest side of the city, farther from the outer edge of the city than they had intended, but that didn’t really matter.
At that point, they went their separate ways. As the city of Trinium woke to its daily routine, the mages of Nia’s party left to see their families, while Nia set her mind to the mission she had been sent to complete. Kesz would remain in the sewers, learning the layout of the tunnels in case she needed to escape. Kesz had brought plenty of extra supplies, not that he needed them, as Nia had little doubt that the little dragon would have no difficulty stealing whatever he needed.
Nia’s task was simple enough. She simply had to get an audience with Lady Barris. The hard part would be convincing the new Empress to listen to her story. Nia already had a plan, though. Nia’s best friend in the inquisition had been one of her coworkers, Lura Durnett, another junior magus just a year older, who also worked on cataloging enchanted items. Lura was Nia’s best chance to get someone to listen. Hopefully, Lura would be able to get Nia an audience with Lady Barris, or at least know who could.
It felt almost surreal, walking through the streets of Trinium once again. Everything looked the same as it always did, the white stone streets were immaculate and well-polished as always, the golden domes shone like beacons in the morning sun, and the citizens dressed in their fine clothes went about their daily business. Everything looked the same, but felt different, because she felt different. Though it had been just a few months, it felt like ages had passed since she left. When she had last walked these streets, Nia had been a different person. She sighed deeply, unable to keep some part of her regretting the loss of her simple, easy life in the golden city. So much had changed, so much lost, so many illusions shattered. Then she thought of Jerris, and the bond they now shared, and how nothing in her former life could ever match that experience. Everything she had gone through, horrible as it had been, she would endure again, if it meant meeting and falling in love with Jerris.
It took less than an hour to reach her former workplace, a building formally called the Hall of Enchantments. Most of the Golden Shield simply called it the repository, a name derived from the underground vault beneath the building where all restricted enchanted items were kept. No one paid her any notice, as she looked like any other low-ranking official of the Golden Shield. She avoided making eye contact, just in case someone noticed her. Going inside the hall was out of the question, as it would mean talking her way past a guard who might well recognize her, and then talking to Lura in a crowded room where a dozen minor mages working at long tables identified, described, and catalogued enchanted items from all over the world. That was too risky, and Nia had a better idea.
There was actually a small café just a short walk from the Hall of Enchantments, a place she and Lura frequented on their noon break. It offered a view of the street, so if Lura didn’t stop in, Nia could still see her friend pass by and follow. It was still fairly early in the morning when she arrived at the cafe, so Nia settled in for a long wait. To avoid suspicion, she pretended to read a book she had brought specifically for this purpose, and continued to order coffee throughout the morning.
Sure enough, at around midday, a small crowd trickled in, mostly workers from the Hall of Enchantments, and sure enough, Lura was indeed among them. Nia recognized Lura’s long brown hair, friendly round face, as well as the ample chest that Nia had often envied. Nia kept her cloak pulled tightly down as Lura walked right past her and sat down at a booth against the wall. Nia took a deep breath and got up, then walked over and sat down quietly across the booth.
“Um, can I help you?” Lura asked in her familiar friendly voice, somewhat deeper than most women and far deeper than Nia’s.
“Yes, but before I show my face, try not to act too surprised,” Nia said awkwardly. “I don’t want anyone else to know I’m here.”
Lura looked over her shoulder and around the room, then nodded uneasily, and Niarie slowly raised her eyes and lowered the hood of her cloak, staring her friend in the face. Lura’s face went white and she gaped in surprise, but thankfully, she didn’t make a scene. Nia quickly drew the hood back over her head.
“Nia?” Lura asked nervously. “By the Seven, what are you doing here?”
“It’s a long story, and I don’t have time to tell you everything.” Nia begged. “I need to see the Empress.”
“Nia, you can’t be here,” Lura glanced around the café suspiciously. “There was a public hearing. They said that Darien the Executioner had been captured, and instead of putting him to death, the Archmage conspired to sneak him out of the city. They said your grandfather planned to use the Executioner to take over the Order. You were named as one of the co-conspirators.”
“You’ve known me for years,” Nia said. “Do you really believe I would be involved in that?”
Lura paused a long moment, then sighed. “I guess not, but I heard the rumors about the Archmage, same as everyone else. Everyone knew that the High Inquisitor and the Archmage hated each other, and that one or the other would be the next Grandmaster. I know you’re a good person, Nia. I should have known that Barris was lying.”
“I appreciate it, but that doesn’t matter now. My grandfather is dead.” Nia choked on the words.
“Oh,” Lura stuttered. She seemed genuinely concerned, and that gave Nia some hope. “I’m sorry. How did he die?”
“Nielas poisoned him, and tried to kidnap me.”
“Nielas, but why would he… He always seemed so fond of you.”
Nia’s nose crinkled in disgust. “He was obsessed with me, and I didn’t even notice. I… met someone while I was away, and Nielas tried to kill him too. We were lucky to escape.”
“And Nielas?” Lura asked. “What happened to him?”
“When I was rescued, he died in the battle.” Nia shuddered thinking of the horrible captivity and the realization that her oldest friend had betrayed her. “Lura, it gets worse. Nielas was working for the Demon King.”
“Nielas, really? I can’t believe it. Why?”
“He wasn’t the mastermind, it was Traiz Tiberius. Traiz tricked us all, the Grandmaster, my grandfather, the Grand Marshal of the Shield Knights, Nielas, everyone. Traiz found out a secret about me, and used that to get Nielas to help him.”
“The Deputy High Inquisitor, He was behind everything?”
“Yes. Fortunately, he was killed, but he had spies everywhere. I don’t know how deep it goes, but I know he still has spies here. I don’t think the Empress is part of it, so I want to tell her what happened. We have to find all of Traiz’s spies. Please, Lura, I need your help.”
“That will be difficult. Since the coronation, everything has changed. There’s a small army camped south of the city. They just showed up outside the city shortly after you disappeared, and the next day, Lady Barris was declared Empress,” Lura said. “Lords from across the Golden Plains, and most of the southern kingdoms’ monarchs attended. Even the High King of the Redstone dwarf clan showed up. Seems everyone knew this was coming except the Order. The Kings of Mintaka, Belleria, Noskrim, and Everlin are still here as her advisors. The Empress is reorganizing the order under herself. There won’t be a Grandmaster anymore. The Golden Shield is coming to an end.” Lura looked wistfully away.