by David Ekrut
The torches extinguished, pitching them back into impenetrable darkness. Whispers filled the space, and the figures vanished. Light flooded in from behind. Turning, Elwin could see the alley. He motioned for Daki to leave first. As soon as Elwin stepped out from the doorway, the way closed off once more.
“So,” Elwin said, “The heart of the—”
“Not here,” Daki said, moving as swiftly as the confined space allowed.
Elwin trailed him back to the street. Daki did not slow for several blocks, and even then, he looked over his shoulder several times.
“What’s wrong?” Elwin asked.
“It is precisely as Malekia said it would be.”
“That’s good, right?”
“Yes and no. I know where we are to go, but there are those in the order who would see you fail. Those same people may see my aid as cheating.”
“About that,” Elwin said, “you lied.”
Daki flinched as if struck. “I do not give false words.”
“You told them I mastered the dimensional folding and that your people gave me the incantation. None of this is true.”
“You showed your mastery in the hall. Malekia told me you would succeed. And she is the one who showed you the way to your will.”
“That’s true,” Elwin conceded, “but you told her your people gave me the incantation.”
“I said my people gave you training. I did not say we gave you the dimensional folding.”
“It was implied.”
“It might have been assumed. I am not responsible for such false thinking.”
Elwin considered arguing but seeing the set of Daki’s jaw decided against it. He began walking again, ambling toward the center of the city. They would need supplies.
“So,” he mused aloud, “I have one month to get this sword, or I’ll have yet another hostile group trying to hunt me down and kill me. I don’t imagine the Keepers will just hand the blade over if I ask nicely?”
Daki only smiled.
“So where are they hiding?”
“Have you heard of Abadaria?”
Elwin seemed to recall Jasmine mentioning such a place when speaking about the dragons. He’d never had a penchant for history, though he’d seen the marker on her map in the study.
“It’s a ruin, right?”
“Of a sort,” Daki said. “Save the inner sanctum, the city which once thrived beneath the aeries has fallen, but to the regret of many would-be treasure hunters, Abadaria is not abandoned. It is known that dragons covet their treasures. They hold many artifacts of power. Several nests reside atop nearly insurmountable pillars extending from the mountains, where their occupants sleep above the ancient city. These are no ordinary columns of stone. The Keepers live below and preserve the dragonkin who slumber there. Their traps ensure the safety of the dragons, and their artifacts are well-protected.”
“What sort of artifacts?”
“The most prized are artifacts of power, called the heartblades. As the magi mentioned, there are two, both owned by Althimorphianus, himself.”
“Althimor—what?”
“He was the dragon’s voice, the one who led the charge against Abaddon during the dragon wars. His treasures will be the most difficult to acquire.”
“Am I supposed to take one of these?”
“I do not know.”
“And what if the dragon is awake? I cannot imagine he would just let me run off with his coveted blade.”
Daki gave him a broad smile. “You will find a way.”
“I suppose I don’t have a choice.”
“You do not. The Order of the Sun and Stars will be happy to open their doors to you if you succeed. They will also hunt you and kill you without mercy if you fail.”
“I gathered as much,” he said, dryly. “Thanks.”
“What do we do next?” Daki asked.
“If I remember Jasmine’s map correctly, Abadaria is several hundred leagues east of here.”
“Just over three hundred,” Daki said, amicably.
“Dragons take me,” he swore. “It’ll take two tenday to get there on foot. We’ll need horses.”
“It will not be safe to bring horses into the city.”
“Which brings us to another point. How are we going to find our way through this city?”
“We must seek aid from the Farseers, an order of clairvoyants in Iremine. They have a tome that will guide us past some of the dangers in Abadaria.”
“Only some?”
“We can circumvent the traps, but we cannot avoid the magi. They kill anyone who enters their city, and let us not forget, the dragons will devour your essence if they discover you are an elementalist.”
“Is this tome really worth our time?”
“With the incantations, the magi have the power to leave wards that will turn your bones to ash or stone. They can trap your soul within gems or cause your blood to boil. We will need guidance to get past them.”
“Iremine it is, then. And, I’ll need a sword,” Elwin decided. “And you are certain these Farseers will help us?”
“No. They will most certainly not help. We will be forced to enter the compound in secret and escape with their knowledge.”
“This is what Malekia told you?”
He nodded.
“What else did she say?”
“It is not time.”
Elwin stopped at the crossroad and let a wagon pass. He glanced up at the sign post. West pointed toward the market, and east would take them back to the gate.
“I need to see about horses and supplies,” Elwin said. “You should get back to Taego. It’s getting late and …”
Elwin looked to the horizon. The sun was coming up in the east.
“It is morning? How in the abyss is it morning? We were only in there for a few moments.”
“The jaunters are masters of time and space,” Daki said, clearly troubled. “They only wished you to observe their strength. It is a glimpse of the power you will harness or the weapon used against you, depending on the results of your trial.”
“So, did we go forward in time?”
“Most likely, yes. Going backward is strictly prohibited, maybe even impossible. I believe we passed through a temporal warp. It jaunts a target into the future. Did you see the incantations etched into the door frame?”
“No. I was a bit distracted.”
“It would be a useful tool to have. When next a dragon attacks, think of how much more useful it would be to simply step outside the flow of time rather than fight it.”
“If a dragon comes, I cannot not step aside. Not again. With the incantations, I will not have to. I will get this sword and learn how to defeat them. When the dragons come, I will fight.”
“You finally see your path.” Daki grinned.
Elwin frowned. That hadn’t been what he’d meant, but he didn’t feel like arguing about fate and prophecies again. “Go check on Taego. Wait near the river, and I’ll find you.”
Still smiling, Daki pivoted and marched along the cobbled road without so much as a backward glance.
Elwin continued toward the market. He looked ahead for busy roads but not many people walked the streets. Several of the shops were closed, a few with broken or boarded windows. The door of one building had been broken down and propped up. The stones alongside a bakery were blackened, the crate next to the side door half-burned.
He slowed as he reached a narrow corridor with a sign that read, To Market. The path was large enough for three or more abreast, but a pair of men walked in the middle, filling the entire space.
A giant of a man strode with a purposeful gait, face grim with determination. His arms and broad shoulders dwarfed anyone he’d ever seen, even Zaak Lifesong. His green tunic and brown jerkin were tailored to fit him, but his ta
n travel cloak was far too small. His dark features marked him as a Kalicodian. His sword hung over one shoulder, and was easily as tall as the man walking next to him.
Elwin was more of a height with the Kalicodian’s companion. His dirty blond hair hung loose and wavy and did not quite match the light color of his short beard. His steps were graceful and full of confidence. His hand rested on the pommel of his saber, swaying with his strides. His red cloak was embroidered with gold and latched with a ruby pendant. He wore a black doublet over a tailored tunic. Several small dirks lined his belt. He carried a sack that smelled of cooked meat.
Neither wore a house sigil or guard colors, but they exuded the self-assurance of those who knew their way around their weapons. Were they mercenaries?
Elwin stumbled, stepping aside to let them pass.
“Sorry, kid,” the smaller man said. “We’re in a hurry.”
“Yeah,” Elwin said, annoyed at his tone, “me too.”
The man cast Elwin a look over his shoulder, “No ale spilt here, kid. Keep moving.”
“It’s just that the path is large enough for everyone. And I’m not a thumping kid.”
“Come on, Jax. We need to go.”
The man had stopped and half-turned toward Elwin. The mischievous gleam in his hazel eyes reminded Elwin of Feffer.
A coin appeared in his hand. Jax flicked his thumb, sending the silver flipping toward him. Elwin snatched it from the air.
“For your troubles, kid. Have a drink on us.”
Then he spun on his heel and continued on his way.
Elwin shoved the coin into his purse and walked the opposite direction, through the corridor to the market.
Chapter 22
A Little Trust
Lendantis,
I assume you read the last correspondence with Beratum and understand the folly of sending a letter in my stead. Do not destroy all we have accomplished with such hasty decisions. Trust with Beratum is already fragile due to our opposing views in this war. The council is sharing Beratum’s correspondence via the book of sending to minimize the risks, not so that you can presume to speak for me. What if I had sent a letter while traveling? Had you thought of that? Never again, lest you destroy the rapport I have so carefully built. Now that I am settled in Churwood, please be so kind as to share details of your letter to Beratum, so that I may fix the blunder you have created.
Have you reached out to Galivant yet? If you wait much longer, our time to avert this disaster will have passed.
~Anetia, 2995 A.S.
~
Zarah stumbled through the trees, the burden across her shoulders getting heavier with every stride. After their retreat from the ship, they had encountered more of the bandits in the forest. Hundril and the others had held the line for her to flee. And they would die. Every one of them would fall, so she could live.
“Stop,” Feffer groaned. “Put me down.”
She came to an abrupt halt and plopped him down, immediately energized by the lack of extra weight. Feffer held his footing but clutched his head.
“What happened?” he asked.
“Can you run?”
His eyes widened in the direction of the distant fighting. The shouts and clangs were faint now but could still be heard through the forest.
“I can fight,” he said.
“No,” she commanded. “There are too many. Hundril is holding them off so I can escape. Follow me.”
His cheeks were pale and expression grim, but for once, Feffer obeyed without argument. Feeling a hundred stones lighter, she sprinted through the forest, dodging trees without slowing. Once the sounds of battle vanished entirely, she still pushed on, only slowing for Feffer to catch her. Despite his assurances of perfect health, his legs were shaky. He was probably concussed and needed rest, but stopping was not an option. With her own legs protesting, she slowed to a swift walk.
After several minutes of heavy panting from both of them, Feffer asked, “What happened?”
“You saved me,” she said, “but that beam hit you pretty hard. How do you feel?”
“My head is a bit tender, but I’ll live. Hundril? Yearnig? Captain Vesper?”
“I saw Yearnig fall, and the outlook did not look promising for the others.”
“Did you see them die? I mean, in the future.”
“No,” she lied. “They could possibly make it.” Few of the futures she had seen showed their survival, and those were the most faint.
Tears welled in Feffer’s eyes. “Why did those men attack us? What in the abyss is going on?”
“Father said Alcoa was the worse for wear. Their society revolves around taming. The dragonkin’s return has devastated their entire economy. I imagine the people have rebelled. I would not be surprised if this was the guardians’ doing.”
“How do we get to the castle if the guardians and their zealots control the streets?” Feffer asked. “What if the king no longer controls the castle?”
“If I remember my mother’s map correctly, there is a great wall separating the commons from Alcoa Proper. We can only hope that King Alcoa still possesses his own castle, but it appears his city is lost.”
“We need more than hope. What do we do if he’s dead?”
“Our quest remains the same,” she said. “Regardless of who controls the castle, we must get into the king’s library and search for information about the heartblades. There must be a journal or records of how to unlock their secrets.”
“We still don’t know if Zaak’s sword is more than a bonded blade,” he reminded her.
“Which is why our secondary mission is to seek out Tesithine Melcoa. It is on record that she possessed the heartblade at one time. If we can get our hands on that weapon, we will definitely be able to fight back. But first, we need to find some more common clothes. Your uniform and my travel dress will stand out.”
“That was my idea, if you’ll remember, but how? I don’t imagine we can simply go to a shop, and even if we could, I left my purse in my pack on the ship.”
“Well, if the Lenders are still operational, which is highly unlikely, my family crest will gain us access to coin; however, I do not wish to make my way through the city dressed like this. It is too risky.”
“There,” Feffer pointed. “A farm. Maybe we can trade our clothes to them. Our fabrics are worth more than any clothes they might have.”
Zarah stopped walking. Through the trees, she could just see a modest house made of stone, next to a very large barn. Now that she was looking, she could also make out a dirt path just south of them.
“You are assuming that law-abiding citizens still live there. It is possible it has been taken as well.”
“Nope,” he said smugly. “Look. The crops are still well-tended. And the till is properly stowed in that lean-to off the barn. The tools on the rack look cleaned and polished as well. Bandits wouldn’t properly care for them, and I doubt they could keep those orchids flourishing like that.”
As loathe as she was to admit it with his self-satisfied expression, Feffer was right. “We should still be cautious. I will do the talking.”
“Of course, princess.”
“And even though I have already told you this a thousand times. Do not call me that. Especially now. Until we find King Alcoa, I am just as common as you.”
“Does that mean you can’t order me about anymore?”
Ignoring the question, she gestured to the dirt road. “You first.”
“Guess not,” he said, stepping over the vines.
Once on the road, she walked beside him to the house. As they neared, a man stepped out onto the covered porch.
“You can turn right back around,” he called. “We don’t have room for more farmhands.”
“We are not looking for work,” Zarah called back, not slowing a step. “We wish to b
arter.”
“What’ve you got?” he asked, eyeing their attire.
“These clothes, and my companion’s sword.”
“My what?” Feffer said. “I don’t think s—”
She jammed her elbow into his stomach. Ignoring his glower, she continued. “Are you interested?”
“I don’t want the trouble that comes with the sword, and we have clothes.”
“Please,” Zarah said, moving up to the first step. “We will give you a good deal. These fine fabrics can be traded for a fair amount of coins.”
“I wish I could help,” he said with sincerity. “I assume you want food, but my crops are already promised.”
“We only need new clothes.”
The farmer raised an eyebrow and looked them over once more. He studied the white hand on Feffer’s breast. “Who are you? Not from here by your accents. Don’t lie. I’ll know. I have four daughters and six sons.”
“I am a noble from the island nation of Justice. This is what is left of my escort.”
“Island Nation, eh? Bad time to travel.”
“Aye,” Feffer said. “Bandits attacked our ship before we could port.”
“Not bandits,” the farmer said. “Those are Dalthumas Carpeci’s men.”
“Carpeci?” Zarah asked.
“He’s the infamous crime lord. Before the dragons came, a hefty reward was offered for his capture, dead or alive. They own the wharf now and the rest of Seaside, all the way to Northwall and the King’s River. This here,” he pointed to his crops, “belongs to the guardians. I have their protection, so long as I give them the dragon’s share of my yield.”
“What about King Alcoa? Do you know what’s become of him?”
“Aye. Last I heard, he’s holed up in the castle. The guardians control the rest of Alcoa Proper. I suppose you came to speak with the king?”
Zarah only nodded.
He sighed. “All right, lass. I’ve always been a king’s man. I’m only giving to the guardians for my family’s sake. Come on in. I’ll make a trade with you and your escort. I can give you a meal and a bite for your travels.”
“Thank you,” she said, following him into the common room of his home.