Sinclair resumed barking out orders, sending the sailors scurrying about the ship. Seeing Sinclair crossing the deck toward them, Brock pulled his hood up over his head. He’d been careful to keep his new rune out of sight during the voyage. It was something he would have to remain mindful of in the future.
Parker took two strides as he greeted Sinclair with an extended hand. “Good morning, captain. True to your word, you got us here safely and on schedule.”
Sinclair took Parker’s hand and gave a deep bow. “T’was my pleasure good sirs and pretty lasses.”
The man was smooth with his words. A little too smooth for Brock’s liking.
“My men will have the ship ready for you and your mounts to disembark in moments,” Sinclair said. “You should retrieve your things so you are ready to depart.” He followed the words with a small bow and spun to retreat across the deck.
Parker turned to the group. “You heard him. Let’s get our things and get off this ship. Once the horses are unloaded, we’ll head into the city.”
They followed Parker, descending the stairwell leading to their cabins. The six boys crammed into their tight quarters, collecting their items from the six bunks. Brock stepped out into the narrow hall, pausing to wait for the girls to exit the room next door. When they returned to the deck, they found that planks had been set for them to cross to the pier.
After the sailors opened the cargo doors and set planks for the horses, Puri blasted a loud whistle. Her white stallion poked his head out the door and crossed the planks to where she waited. Shortly after, the other six horses followed across and down the pier as Puri escorted the animals to shore.
Sinclair watched the process, shaking his head in wonder. He turned toward Parker, still shaking his head.
“I’ve heard stories about the Tantarri, but I always thought them to be exaggeration. I now believe that they may have been understated. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Parker smiled. “Yeah. It makes for interesting travel.” He shook Sinclair’s hand. “Thanks for the hospitality and the safe passage.”
Sinclair smiled, bowing his head slightly. “Thank you for the gold. It made the trip one of profit where we would have otherwise merely broken even.”
As the group began walking toward shore, Sinclair called out. “We’ll be here for a few days. Come see me if you need passage back to Wayport!”
Brock was happy to be back on solid land. He didn’t hate the sea, but he didn’t like being trapped in such a small space for three days. The smooth way that Sinclair spoke also irritated Brock, making him feel as if the man was trying to sell him a bird promised to lay eggs of gold.
After traversing the length of the long pier to the dockyards, they came upon Puri and the horses. She stood in the middle of the small herd, speaking quietly before emerging to address Parker.
“You must find us a place with food and water for the horses. The access they had on the ship was limited, and they are hungry.”
Not even showing surprise at Puri’s statement, Parker nodded and waved for the group to follow. The brick storage buildings along the waterfront soon gave way to tightly packed houses lining the road. People and carts filled the street, traveling in and out of the city. After a few hundred feet, they passed through the west gate and into the walled portion of Sol Polis.
The streets inside were even busier, bustling with activity. In fact, every street in this city seemed to be as busy as the busiest street in Kantar. Within minutes, Brock caught site of four different steam carriages. After seeing two others in his entire life, four in such proximity seemed amazing. He wondered how many others there were within the city.
The shops and homes inside the walls appeared larger and in better condition than those at the outskirts. Brock’s gaze drifted beyond the nearby buildings to land on the cylindrical towers of the citadel, which reached toward the morning sky. The citadel was located in the heart Sol Polis, similar to Nor Torin. Unlike Nor Torin’s squat rectangular design, this citadel resided upon a hill and had a gloriously elegant appearance.
Distracted by the beauty of the citadel, Brock realized that he had fallen behind the others. He hurried along, careful to keep his hood over his head as he searched the crowded street. When he spotted Cameron’s blonde hair above the throng of people, he weaved through the crowd and caught up to the group as they entered a narrow alley.
Parker led them into a gated yard just off the alley. A walking path cut through the yard, passing a stable as it led to a large three-story house. A boy a few years younger than Brock emerged from the stable, whose wide doors were hanging open.
“Welcome back, Master Parker,” the boy said before addressing the group. “Hello everyone. I’m Niles. I’m here to care for your horses. Welcome to the Thanes Household.”
Parker clapped the boy’s shoulder. “It’s good to see you, Niles. We’ll be staying for a few days. Please care well for our steeds.”
Niles smiled as he pocketed the silver Parker handed him. “Yes, sir!”
He stepped toward the first horse, confusion crossing his face. “Um. Where’s the bridle?”
Puri loomed over the boy, looking serious. “They are never to be bridled. Do you hear me?”
Niles backed away, nervous. “Yes. Sorry. I just haven’t seen a horse without a bridle before now.”
Parker stepped between them. “It’s okay, Niles. If you want the horse to follow you, just put your hand against its neck, like this.”
Parker placed his hand on the horse’s neck and began walking with the horse in tow.
Niles smiled, nodding. “Okay. No bridles. Got it.”
Cam stepped close to Puri, whispering something in her ear. Her look softened and she nodded.
Niles put his hand on one horse, leading it to another and walked both toward the stable. The other horses followed behind, causing the lad to giggle.
Parker clapped his hands. “Okay, then. Let’s go inside and get some food. Cam is starving.” He flashed a grin at Cam.
Lars and Benny burst out laughing as they followed Parker into the house.
PART III
THE BREAKING STORM
CHAPTER 34
Parker Thanes had mixed feelings about returning home. While he had never been close to his Father, Parker had never outright defied him either. His mid-year departure from the Academy had changed things. After years of dreaming about living his own life rather than the one his father defined, Parker had finally done it. Since coming to the decision to flee the school with Brock and others, he had enjoyed every moment, feeling free for the first time. However, in returning to Sol Polis, he would have to face the consequences of his decision.
When he led his friends into the building, he found Agatha in the kitchen. After a moment of shock at seeing him unexpectedly, she greeted him warmly and set to making a meal for the visitors. Parker was confident that she was up to the task, having dealt with large groups of surprise guests countless times during her tenure as the household cook.
Passing through the other kitchen door, he led his friends to the dining room, urging them to seat themselves around the large table while he exited the dining room and headed toward the study. A smile lit upon Parker’s face. Here was a man he was quite happy to see.
“Hi Pockets,” Parker announced. “I’m back.”
The man spun about to face Parker. True to his name, he had one hand tucked into a pocket of his long black coat. The other adjusted his rounded spectacles as he focused on Parker. The man’s bushy gray eyebrows furrowed briefly before a smile spread across his rounded face.
“Master Parker! You’re back.”
Parker crossed the room to shake the man’s hand. “Thanks, Pockets. I believe I just said that, though.”
“Well, yes, sir. I believe you are correct.” The man nodded. “However, must you continue to call me Pockets?”
“Sorry, Pinkus. I’ll try to remember.” Parker smiled, knowing that the name irritated t
he man. “Is he around?”
Pinkus shook his head, the sunlight from the window reflecting on his bald pate. “No sir. He’s at the citadel, not due back until this evening.”
Parker felt relieved to have a few more hours before he had to confront his father. Perhaps the extra time would help him determine the best approach.
“In that case, I want you to come and meet my friends.”
“Friends, sir?” Pinkus asked. “You brought others?” He escorted Parker from the study.
Rather than respond, Parker crossed the receiving area and opened the door to the dining room. He stepped inside, holding it for Pinkus as he watched the man’s face.
The room was abuzz with conversation. His companions quieted when they noticed the newcomer at the door. Pinkus’ eyes grew wide, blinking a few times before he recovered.
“Welcome to the Thanes Household.” He bowed to the room. “I’m Pinkus, Master Thanes’ manservant.”
Parker introduced the group and Pinkus nodded with each introduction.
“We need a place to stay while in the city, Pinkus,” Parker added. “I was hoping to stay here. Assuming that father will take us on, can you prepare rooms for us?”
Pinkus nodded. “It would be my pleasure, Master Parker.”
As the man exited through one door, Agatha entered through the other with a large tray filled with food. The smell was wonderful and Parker’s mouth began to water. After three days on a ship, a cooked meal would be a treat. He just hoped that his father would take the news well, or they would have to find another place to stay.
. . .
With the others safe in their rooms, Parker descended the stairs to the main level. Resigned to the task, he stepped into the study to wait for his father. His timing was perfect, hearing the man enter through the kitchen just moments later. Parker scooped up the glowlamp from his father’s desk and shook it vigorously. The room lit up with the blue glow from the lamp. He set it back down just as his father entered the receiving room.
Coming into the light, Parker noticed that his father wore the white and red cloak of his office. The man’s hard eyes stared at Parker, showing no reaction. After a long moment, Parker spoke.
“Hello, Father.”
“What are you doing here, Parker?”
“Something has come up. Something more important than my career in the Hierarchy.” Parker hoped that he sounded confident.
His father snorted. “I can’t imagine what that could be.”
Parker nodded, aware of his father’s belief that Parker’s career was everything. After all, he had made it clear that he thought his own career was everything.
“I’m on a mission, Father. Something is coming. Something that could be the end of us all.” Parker tried to sound convincing. “My mission is to prevent that from happening.”
His father stared at him before responding. “You really believe that?”
Parker nodded, somewhat surprised that he did believe it.
“It still doesn’t answer why you are here.”
“I need your help, father. I need to get a couple friends and myself into the citadel basement. We’re looking for something.”
“Friends?” The man asked.
Parker nodded again. “Yes. They came with me from the Academy. They’re upstairs. I was hoping we could stay here a few days, just until we retrieve what we came for.”
His father stepped closer. “What then? Will you return to the Academy and finish your training?”
This was it. Parker could feel that the outcome of this conversation hinged on his response. Should he confront his father and tell him that he was finished living under the man’s thumb? Or should he tell the man what he wanted to hear? He swallowed hard, prepared to do what he must.
“Yes, Father. Of course, I’ll return to the Academy.” Parker smiled through the lie. “What else would I do with my life?”
The man’s eyes narrowed before he nodded. “Okay, then. You and your friends may stay here. I’ll see what I can do about getting you inside the citadel.”
He then turned and walked to the stairwell, disappearing into the darkness. Parker could hear the man’s footsteps as he ascended to the second floor and entered his room.
The conversation had gone far better than expected, but it left him feeling that he had missed something in the exchange. Whatever it was, he hoped that it wouldn’t to come back to haunt him.
CHAPTER 35
“What are we doing here, Brock?” Lars complained, pushing his empty plate aside. “I still don’t understand why we’re doing this. We fled the Academy to no longer be pawns of the Ministry and now you have us acting as pawns for the Tantarri.”
Brock sighed and set his fork down on his plate. He absently adjusted the strip of cloth tied around his head as he considered his response. Knowing that the question would come eventually, he had put some thought into how to approach it.
“Don’t you think I realize how crazy this seems? Don’t you think I’ve questioned the whole thing over and over?” he asked, looking Lars in the eye. “Why should we listen to an outlandish vision that some random Tantarri recorded hundreds of years ago? Why should we follow the man’s directions and embark on a ridiculous quest to find some unknown secret hidden in a throne lost destroyed centuries ago?”
Lars nodded as Brock spoke, likely having those same questions himself. The others remained quiet as they watched the exchange from their seats at the dining table. Brock’s gaze swept around the room, searching their faces before continuing.
“It’s quite possible that the quest will be pointless and we are chasing our own tails for no reason.” Brock said with a slow nod. “However, what if the prophecy is true? What if we are teetering on the brink of destruction, the end of humanity? If it is true and we do nothing, it could be the end for us all. What would you have us do, Lars? Do we not at least try?” He paused, letting the question hang in silence for a moment. “On the other hand, if we are near the end and we do nothing, at least we won’t have to live with the guilt for long.”
Lars’ face clouded, clearly not liking what he was hearing.
Benny interjected. “What else have we to do anyway, Lars? When we left the Academy, we left the defined path behind. From that moment, our future has been wide open. This quest will fill our future for a short time. If it turns out to be pointless and there’s nothing to fear, we can go on with whatever life we choose for ourselves.”
Parker nodded in agreement. “I agree. I say we continue with the quest for a bit yet and see what the future holds. Whether the Tantarri prophecy is real or false, we’ll soon find out.”
Lars looked at Parker, his eyes shifting to Brock before he nodded. “Fine. You win, Brock. We continue on for a while and see what happens.”
Brock smiled, reaching over to clap Lars on the shoulder. The motion of the door opening caused his eyes to flash upward as a middle-aged man entered from the kitchen. The man had a bundle of black cloaks with blue piping in his arms.
“Hello, everyone,” the man said, his eyes scanning the room. “I’m Cedric Thanes, Parker’s father.”
As soon as he said it, Brock could see the resemblance. The man had the same tall, thin build as Parker. His graying hair still held some of the dark brown that pervaded Parker’s scalp. Though there were lines about the man’s eyes, they were an older version of Parker’s own brown eyes.
“Hello, Father,” Parker stood to greet the man.
Cedric pushed the bundle toward Parker, who reached out to take it.
“What’s this?” Parker asked.
“Clerk cloaks. Three of them,” Cedric replied. “It’s the best I could do. These should get you into the citadel. I suggest that you go just after sunrise, when most people are entering. What you do once you get in is your own problem.”
Parker smiled, nodding. “Thank you, Father. Would you like to join us? We are just finishing up dinner.”
Cedric shook his head. “No. I
’m off to my study. I need to finish drafting a document that must be ready for the Archon by morning.”
The man gave them a brief nod before departing.
Parker turned to look at Brock. “This will be risky, Brock. In order to get in, we’ll will have to be unarmed. We have three cloaks. Who comes with us?”
Brock nodded. “You guys heard him. It will be dangerous, and I expect the penalty for trespassing in the citadel will be stiff.” His gaze swept across the table, meeting the eyes of everyone seated. “I believe that this job requires us to look the part. If we are to be city clerks, I think Benny best suites the role. Plus, his over-sized brain might be more useful than muscle for this outing.” He looked at Benny. “Will you join us, Benny?”
Benny gave a grin. “You know I will, Brock. We’ll find that throne and whatever is inside it.”
CHAPTER 36
Brock followed Parker outside, descending the steps to the cobblestone street passing the front of the house. Turning east, they walked toward the tall towers looming above the city. Still covered in shadow, the streets were coming to life as skies above brightened. Dawn would be breaking soon, marking the moment when the citadel doors opened.
With just two blocks to travel, they soon approached the citadel. They climbed the tall set of stairs below the walls to join the people assembled outside the gate.
A distant bell tolled. Moments later, a bell in the towers high above them rang in response. The gate swung open and guards called for those entering to do so in single file. Shuffling his feet as the line inched forward, Brock’s pulse began to quicken and his stomach took a queasy turn. Four long minutes passed before they reached the front of the line. A guard standing beside a scribe waved them closer.
The Emblem Throne (The Runes of Issalia Book 2) Page 17