by David Ekrut
By the time one of the current players vacated a seat, his drink was stale, but he held it aloft in a gambler’s salute and asked, “Mind if I join you?”
He sat before anyone could disagree and placed his meager stack of coins on the table. Several of the men frowned. They’d try to bully him with their larger stacks, but that’s exactly what he wanted. He only needed to survive the game until it was his turn to deal.
Each hand dealt to him was worse than the next, forcing him to fold. By the time he got the deck, he’d lost a quarter of his pitiful stack. It was risky to chicane the deck on his first deal, but desperate times and all that. Still, he only dealt himself a set of guardians and gave the rest of the players weaker cards, such as stones or foreign daggers. He gave the second best hand, a pair of warriors, to the man with the largest stack. When it was Jax’s turn to bet, he pushed all of his coins in and tugged nervously at his beard. Not too hard, of course. The glue would hold well enough, but not from a hearty tug.
Everyone folded except the wealthiest man, who pushed in ten times the number of coins already there. “Raise.”
It was bad form to bet more than another man could pay. Unless Jax could come up with the rest, they’d split the pot. However, the number of coins in this take were more than he could have hoped to gain this night and more than ten times what he and Daren would need, even with the level of inflation.
Jax pointed to his saber. “This is a touched weapon. Even before the dragons set prices awry, it was worth a thousand gold. The value doubles your wager. I raise.”
The man leaned back, studying Jax, who squeezed his fake beard in a tight fist and held his breath.
“Fine,” the man smiled. “I’ll call your thousand.” He placed several gems in the center and flipped over his hand. “Just a warrior and a small weapon, but you’re obviously bluffing.”
Jax released his beard and dropped the nervous act. He threw his cards on the stack and said, “A pair of guardians conquer up to three warriors with any weapon. I win.”
“Well-played,” one of the other men said.
Another one laughed. “Took a chunk out of your earnings, didn’t he, Lord Thernin?”
The man across from Jax, presumably Thernin, did not look amused. When Jax reached across to take his winnings, the man grabbed his wrist.
“Don’t be a sore loser,” the man next to Thernin said.
“I just want to see up his sleeves.”
“I do not appreciate your tone,” Jax said in a calm voice. “Release my arm, or I cannot promise not to give you my blade after all.”
“Is that a threat?”
“You have three seconds.”
“Do you know who I am?”
“Two seconds.”
“I will have you flogged.”
Jax cocked his free hand, ready to flick the hidden dagger into his palm. The man flinched at the movement and released his grip. Jax continued staring at the man, not daring to be the first to avert his gaze. Thernin folded, looking to the barmaid who was walking by.
“Another ale,” he barked. “For my new friend here as well.”
“No thanks,” Jax said, gathering his coins. He shoved all of them, minus a small stack about the size he’d begun this game with into his purse. “I think I’ll find a different table.”
He stood and found another game and played long enough for the others to forget about him. Well, everyone except Thernin, who never stopped sending baleful glares in Jax’s direction. When Thernin got up and walked toward the privy, Jax folded a winning hand and stood.
“I’m out of coins. Thanks for the game.”
Before they could reply, he hurried from the table and out the door. Outside, the sun had already set. There were a few people in the street, but he held no qualms with running. By Thernin’s tone, he was certainly a high-ranking noble. The last thing he needed was another thumping lord to wage war against him. With any luck, Jax would be long gone before the man got back from the loo.
Jax sprinted until he reached an alley that would lead back to the market. Slowing to a brisk walk, he yanked off the beard and scrubbed at the glue. Once he emerged on another road, he moved at a leisurely stroll. No one pursued him, but he still took several turns and followed a meandering course to the inn.
The cobbled road led to a square courtyard with a circular fountain at its center. The statue on the top rung was that of King Alcoa standing tall. His hand was outstretched with a flame balanced on his palm. A large stretch of cobblestones separated the fountain from the shops. During the day, the empty space would be taken by mobile booths and wagons of traveling merchants, or those without the funds to rent or purchase the permanent structures around the square.
On the other side of the entry to the market was a raised platform. He’d never seen such a large crowd here this time of night, but there were dozens around the stage holding torches. Three miserable-looking people in plain robes stood between ten or so armed guardians with their heads bowed. One of them was crying loudly. Behind them were crudely constructed gallows.
Jax would need to push through the onlookers to reach his inn, so he opted to wait next to the Mountaineer, in the alley between it and the baker’s shop. He leaned and looked on as if only mildly curious. In truth, he was extremely irritated.
He’d chosen this inn for two reasons. One, the narrow alley behind him led to the Lord’s Road. A short crawl from where the alley exited would take him to the Lord of Wiltshire’s manor home. Secondly, there were rarely any people here after hours, because the one tavern in the quarter was inside the Blazing Hearth Inn. During the best of times, the ale was overpriced.
“We have a room,” a deep voice said from behind Jax. “I had just enough for one night.”
He turned to see Daren coming toward him. The large man was forced to turn to the side and shuffle to fit in the alley.
Jax asked, “Top floor?”
“Yes. I saw you from our balcony.”
“I told you to get one facing the other way.”
“It’s on the corner. We can see both ways.”
“Good.”
“The inn exits onto Lord’s Road. Why do we need this little alley? I’m beginning to think you just like to stuff me into crammed spaces.”
Jax smiled. “That’s only part of it. This alley gives us quick access to the manor. Also, in the event of the plan going awry, this will be our choke point. It’s too narrow to draw weapons. I’ll hide crossbows behind these barrels.”
“These guards are simply doing their jobs. We will not kill them for that.”
“Who said anything about killing?”
“What else do you need a crossbow for?”
“You’ll see. Trust me.”
Daren sighed. “When do we do this?”
“We’ll set up my contingency tonight, then we scout. We hit the manor in the morning.”
“Why must you insist on changing the plan?” The large man frowned down at Jax. “The lord returns tomorrow evening. Our window to get the artifact is closing. We need to go now.”
“No. Too risky. And I’m not changing the plan. I am simply modifying a few of the details to accommodate the dynamic situation.” Jax gestured to the stage. The guardian was leading the first prisoner to the noose. He held an iron hot brand in his hand, ending in the letter A, for ‘accursed.’
“That will not last much longer,” Daren insisted. “We should just wait until the crowd disperses and go tonight as we discussed.”
“Nope. You aren’t accounting for the price of bread.”
Daren gave him a look of extreme skepticism. “I sense the birth of a nonsensical story that promotes your desire for escalated situations. This is an easy take. Why do you insist on making our job more difficult?”
“I don’t escalate situations. Just look at the crowd. Tel
l me what you see.”
After a few seconds of calculation, Daren said, “The guardians are going to hang those elementalists. The people are waiting for that man to finish his speech, so they can brand the man and watch him die. Then he will do the same to the others. It is not unlike the arena in my homeland. When it is done, the crowd will leave.”
“No. You are only seeing the obvious part. Take another look.”
Daren stepped up next to Jax to get a better view. His stoic expression never changed as he studied the scene. One guardian, an inquisitor by the shepherd’s crook in his hand, spoke the same rhetoric he’d heard throughout Alcoa, blaming the elementalists for the returning dragons and such. Towns and cities closer to the capital resisted the guardian’s message, but most of these people clung to every word, nodding their approval.
“They are angry,” Daren said at last.
“Aye. The guardians are controlling these people by manipulating their fears into anger. But why? There is more to this story. Look closer. Can you not see the guardian’s end game?”
“Just tell me.”
Jax nodded toward a pack of men close to the platform. “Those who are nodding along with that guardian are afraid of what tomorrow will bring. Hanging those poor bastards won’t change their fortunes. The price of bread will still be too high and rising, while their earnings are staying the same or getting less. They only want their way of life to go on as it has. But it will not, and they want someone to blame. Hanging the elementalists will not be enough. They do not wish to simply return to their frightened lives. They want blood.”
“And they’ll get it. But when the hangings are done, they will grow bored and go home,” Daren said. “We should wait them out.”
“You still are not seeing the bigger problem. The guardians chose this exact spot for a reason. That inquisitor keeps gesturing to the statue of our fair king and discussing how much better things would have been without an elementalist in charge. Why is that do you think?” When it was clear Daren would not answer, Jax said, “He is directing their anger at the king, hoping they will take action. And by their expressions, they are almost ready to do something. Do you see it now?”
“Aye.” Daren sighed. “They will riot.”
“Exactly. I should have accounted for this. Just like us, the guardians want to take advantage of the Lord of Wiltshire being gone. The first step in their coup is to gain the people’s trust by forming a common enemy. When the elementalists tame to resist being exterminated by the guardians’ hands, a dragon will come, causing destruction. Once it leaves, the guardians step from the shadows and offer to help clean up the very mess they made, all while pretending to be the savior of the people. They are already manning the gates, probably under the guise of ‘help’. This is a power grab, and it’s working.”
“Maybe we can use the chaos to our advantage. While everyone is distracted with the riots, we can make our move.”
“Like I said, it’s too risky. The moment the rioting begins, the guardians will vanish, but this entire area will be flooded with guards to quell the vandalism. This will further create the illusion of the Alcoan guards as their enemies. If we are lucky, the fighting will have dispersed by morning. Even setting up my contingency will be a great risk, but I’ll not do the job without a clear escape. We will just have to be—”
“NOOO!” One of the prisoners shouted. “I didn’t do anything! This isn’t right. I’m not even an elem—”
His protests were cut short by the snapping of his neck. He dangled, eyes staring at nothing.
“I was wrong,” Jax said, gripping his sword. “They aren’t even attempting to tame. Which can only mean one thing.”
“The criminals are not even elementalists,” Daren said as if he wanted to spit.
Jax nodded. “They might not even be criminals. Probably, they are elementalist sympathizers or their distant relatives.”
The next ‘elementalist’ was pushed up to the second rope. She also screamed her innocence. But few in the crowd gave her looks of pity. Before she had stopped kicking, the guardian’s final victim was hanged as well.
Like a singular beast, the crowd took a breath. For a few heartbeats, there was silence. Then someone threw the first rotted cabbage. Then a tomato.
“It’s starting.” Jax turned down the narrow alley and motioned for Daren to follow. “We don’t want to be around when the guards get here. They will not discriminate between rioter and innocent bystander.”
As if signaled, fights broke out and guards moved in from the opposite street. The guardians, Jax noticed, were nowhere to be seen.
Chapter 21
Order of the Sun and Stars
Anetia,
Upon receiving your letter, I considered incanting to see if the missive was authentic. I never expected such a compliment about my work to come from you. I have asked Galivant if taking essences would be a way to defeat the elementalists. Your argument is valid—Why do we need the dragons now that we can take the source of their power? As you say, they will have no weapons to wield against us. After some deliberation, I agree with his assessment. There are simply far too many of them. As you have mentioned, training a single magus requires a lifetime of dedication, whereas an elementalist simply needs to be born—and they breed like thumping rabbits! Any loss we occur cannot be so easily replaced. This is why we never risked a full assault against them. However, there are other reasons as well, which brings me to your more specific question.
I have made no headway on understanding how the Spending is possible without damaging the elementalists. It appears, the part of the essence burned away leaves behind a residue of sorts. I believe this scarring allows them to continue living. I can see no way to reverse this damage, but never forget that they are the enemy. And yes, I have 11 subjects to study now, though half are depleted of essences. I am not sure where the others have come from, but I am almost certain Galivant is now hunting them. In all matters of war, he leads the Keepers.
Also, rest assured, the missing days in the logs do not have anything worth seeing. They report a complete lack of progress. I will, of course, send them if you wish to partake in my failures.
~R., 2995 A.S.
~
As the door vanished behind Elwin, all remnants of light were snuffed out. He could hear Daki breathing calmly beside him. Rather than asking the obvious questions over their safety, Elwin decided to stand in silence.
Several minutes later, lights burst into existence in rows to either side of him. It took several seconds for his eyes to adjust to the sudden change. Five figures in red robes stood at a V, right in front of him. Loose hoods covered their faces.
“Why have you come, friend of the Lady Nature?” a man asked.
“To vie on behalf of a worthy student,” Daki said.
“How has he been judged so?”
“Through strength of character and unparalleled skills, he has triumphed over enemies and circumstances that might fell men twice his years. His presence of mind has allowed him to persevere through many obstacles. Further, he has already mastered the dimensional folding and has proven himself capable of incanting under extreme duress.”
Elwin refrained from turning to Daki and staring. As far as he knew, the Chai Tu Naruo were forbidden from spreading false knowledge. The duress part was certainly true. Incanting while free falling had been the most difficult thing he’d ever done in his life, but he’d almost killed them from botching the incantation. He’d managed to get it right, but that was far from mastery.
“How has he come by such knowledge?”
“Elwin was bequeathed with training from Malekianarut wut Encartarian. She asked him to become her acolyte, but his nature and affinity draws him here. He rejected her offer, so she told him of your order.”
Several inaudible whispers filled the space. Daki did not twitch a muscle as the
magi discussed their fates. His hands sat unmoving on his twin blades.
At last, the woman said, “We require a demonstration of his mastery. He will speak the incantation and move three inches to the left. No more. No less. You have thirty seconds.”
Elwin felt instant sweat in his palms. Surely, they could hear his heart beating against his chest. Clearing his mind, he focused on the hall. Without taming or drawing in Air, he used his essence to study the space around him, constructing a better view of where he stood relative to the others. He imagined himself three inches to the left, gathered his will as he had before, pushing his emotions and thoughts into his center. He focused only on his desire and poured them into the incantation.
He felt the change as he had the other times. When his body rematerialized, he stood where they’d bid him go.
More whispers filled the space. When they stopped, the woman spoke. “What is your name, young one? ”
“I am Elwin Escari.”
There was a pause. One of the men whispered urgently. The woman in front inclined her head as if deliberating.
She lifted her head once more and said, “Very well, Elwin of house Escari. You are seen worthy for the trial for membership. Once you begin this journey, there is no turning away. You will return to us, or you will die. Would you hear your quest? This is your one and only chance to refuse us.”
“I will complete this quest.”
“Very well,” she said. “You will travel to the heart of those who keep the dragons. Three blades they carry. You must select the correct one and bring it back to us. If you complete this task, you may join our ranks. Fail, and you will perish.”
“It has been heard,” the voices echoed, “and so shall be done.”
“Return to us in one month.”