by David Ekrut
Elwin followed his escort through the gates of the city, trying not to let the relief show. Likely, she had seen his bounty poster somewhere. Eventually, she would realize who he was.
The windows in all the shops and houses were dark. The only lights came from the lamps alongside the cobbled road and those the guards held. Eleven guards surrounded Elwin, Jax, and Daren.
At the crossroads, the procession turned right, giving them little choice but to follow. Elwin sensed more than saw movement from the alley across the road. Two elementalists were crouched in the shadows. Opening his mind’s eye, he could see their essences come forward. He nodded to them, and they returned the gesture.
One of them, the woman, mouthed, Do you need aid?
Elwin shook his head and mouthed, We will be fine.
Once the guards passed, he sensed their essences move swiftly in the opposite direction. Whatever they were about, he sent a silent prayer for their safety.
The road veered around a block of buildings, back toward the western edge of the city, ending at a guardhouse. To the side of the wide structure, a gated ladder led to the top of the city wall.
“Sit,” the man said, pointing to the short wall that separated the street from a practice yard. “The captain will be along, soon.”
The woman from the gate came down the ladder. She pivoted and walked toward the wall as if this was standard routine.
“Well,” she said, studying each of them in turn. “You do not look like vagabonds. Why are you here, again?”
“Supplies and passage on a ship,” Jax said.
“Bound for where?”
“Delcoa.”
“Why?”
“That is our business,” Jax said in a firm voice.
“We are fleeing this war,” Elwin offered. “We heard it is safer in Delcoa.”
The captain snorted. “Not likely. There’s an Alcoan lord and his slave army moving on Delcoa from the desert. You’re better off going to Norscelt. Their laws limiting taming seem more prudent now than it did a few months ago. Anyway, let me see your coin purses, and I’ll let you on your way.”
“Why do you need to see our coins?” Elwin asked.
Jax answered, “To make sure we can pay our way.”
“Aye,” she said. “Can’t take in vagrants. There is no tax. Just show us what you have.”
Elwin reached for his purse and jangled the coins. Daren and Jax dug theirs from inner cloaks. Elwin just stopped himself from guffawing. Both were four times the size of his own, and here they had acted as if they were all but impoverished.
The captain raised an eyebrow. “Are you lords then?”
“No,” Jax said.
“I’d ask if you are merchants, but you have no wares. Are you mercenaries?”
“We play at cards.”
“A gambler with a full purse, eh? You must be decent players.”
“We get by,” Jax said in a way that made him somehow appear both modest and arrogant.
“Right then,” the captain said, motioning for them to stand. “You are free to go. Try not to take all my citizens’s coins. All right?”
“No promises,” Jax said with a smirk. “Recommend any inns?”
“Aye,” she said. “I’d owe you a boon if you were to take a room at Red River Inn. It’s my brother’s place. It’s clean and modestly priced. Just down the main street here on the right. Can’t miss it.”
“Our thanks, captain.”
Elwin wanted to go back toward the entrance to check on those other elementalists, but he couldn’t justify it to the guards or his companions. So, he followed Jax and Daren away from the guardhouse.
Once they were out of earshot, Jax said, “Nice play, kid.”
“What’s that?”
“That bit about Delcoa,” Jax explained. “I think that’s what really sold the ruse to her. My doing all the talking had her on guard.”
“We cannot stay in that inn,” Daren said.
“We have no choice,” Jax said. “The captain will check on us. We’ll rent the rooms then get to work.”
“What if there are bounties of us on the tavern wall?” Elwin asked.
“The lights will be low at this hour. Daren and I have been doing this for a while. People are far less observant than you would think. Most don’t even look at the postings. Just follow his lead, while I pay for the room. It should all be fine.”
Elwin took a deep breath and let it out slowly. If anything went wrong, he would use the dimensional folding to get them back to the camp, but they needed the tome first. Maybe he could find some quiet place to familiarize himself with an alley or hideaway inside the city. That way, they could come back if forced to flee.
“Ah,” Jax said, coming to a stop in front of a four-story building. “This is it.”
Daren opened the door. Inside, there was a dim light just near the bar. A man raised his head from a table and blinked at them wearily.
“Oh,” he said, standing. He stumbled the first few steps. “Uh, would you like a room, young masters?”
Jax stepped forward. Daren walked toward the stairs at the back of the room and made as if to study the board on the wall to the left. Elwin followed the warrior. There were postings, but the sketches of Jax and Daren were terrible. Elwin’s was marginally better. No wonder the guard hadn’t fully recognized him, but he’d wager a copper to a farm she’d seen this.
Daren frowned at it and whispered, “We’ll need to cut your hair short. We can use lime and lead to make a paste to color it black.”
“It might help,” Elwin agreed.
Jax stomped toward them, muttering curses. “Supposedly, all the crook had left was the thumping lord’s suite on the top floor. Ten cursed gold per thumping night.” Jax marched up the stairs, cursing the captain with every breath.
“He would have complained if it had been a silver,” Daren said, moving up after him. “He does not like spending coins on anything except cards and ale.”
“Speaking of,” Elwin said. “I thought you two were short on gold. By the looks of those purses, you could buy a large farm between you.”
“Jax had a good run at the tables at Wiltshire, but this won’t get us far. We’ve been all over Alcoa these last few months, and the price for goods varies from five pence for a loaf bread to ten gold for a slice. And we need to raise an army.”
There was a long hall on the top floor, but only two doors, one on each side. There was another set of stairs on the other side. Jax opened the door on the left. It reminded him of his Poppe’s best room at the Scented Rose, only bigger.
“Don’t get comfortable,” Jax said, putting his pack on the sofa by the fireplace. “We need to scout out this order of magi.”
“But you said the captain would be checking on us,” Elwin said.
“She won’t come to our rooms,” he said, going into one of the four bedrooms. A few seconds later, he came back out. “But she’ll ask that thief downstairs if we gave him half our gold.”
“How will we get outside?” Elwin asked, as Jax went into a different room. Elwin raised his voice. “He’s probably good and awake now. And what if the captain comes when we try to sneak past?”
Jax went into a third room and came out before saying, “There is a second set of stairs on our hall. It’ll likely exit near the stables in the rear.”
“What were you doing in there?”
“Making it look like we slept. There won’t be time to actually do so, but it’ll look suspicious if the captain’s brother found the place unused. I’d rather it look as though we rose early and moved on. Where’s this magi compound?”
“Southeast of town.”
Jax opened the door. “Lead the way.”
As Jax had said, the stairs led down to a door in the back of the inn. Elwin removed the latch and s
tepped outside.
“This should go without saying,” Jax whispered, “but stick to alleys. When you see anyone, hide.”
“I’ve snuck about before,” Elwin said, neglecting to say that it was to swipe unattended pies and sweetcakes from windowsills. And he never would have done that without Feffer’s influence.
“Just go, already. I mentioned it would be light soon, right?”
Elwin moved back to the road to get his bearings, then he moved south and east, going down alleys when he was able. He only had to stop once. The pair of guards carried a torch. They might as well have shouted their coming. The moment the light spilled into the road ahead, Elwin hid behind a crate. Once the flames disappeared, he returned to the road and continued toward the edge of the city.
The southernmost road ran from west to east. Similar to the order of the Sun and Stars, the entrance to the estate was buried in the wall of a narrow side-street.
“That’s it?” Jax asked with a deep frown. “Are you certain?”
Elwin pointed to the symbol where the doorknob should be. The etching was that of a long spyglass with the broad end looking at an orb with the map of Alcoa on the surface. “Yes. I’m certain.”
“Right. Let’s get a better look then.”
Jax kicked off one wall to the other, jumping back and forth until he reached the top. He could have been running in a field for the ease at which he moved.
“He practices that,” Daren explained. “I’ve seen him spend hours trying to improve his speed. After you.” He gestured toward the roof.
Elwin climbed up in a similar, albeit much less graceful, fashion as Jax had. Once at the top, he took Jax’s hand to aid in passing over the lip of the roof. Turning to the building across from him, he could see into the compound.
A thick wall separated the order of magi from the rest of the city. It wouldn’t keep out elementalists who could fly, but aside from the size of it, the estate did not look extraordinary. The compound covered much more area than it appeared possible on the outside. The entire length of northern wall facing the city was comprised of false homes, complete with doors and windows, but the buildings stopped after a few feet. Inside the magi grounds was an entire city of houses and shops, complete with a town square at its middle. The largest structure was the one against the southern wall. Though well-maintained, the red-brown bricks looked ancient.
“It’s that one,” Jax said. “I’d wager my father’s estate on it.”
Elwin couldn’t disagree. “How do we get in? There is only the one door.”
“And no ground windows,” Jax added.
“We could hide in one of the homes,” Daren said.
Elwin flinched. He hadn’t seen the massive warrior come up.
“No,” Jax said. “I have a better idea.”
“What is it?” Elwin asked.
Jax knocked on the roof of the building they sat upon. “Do you know what this is?”
“It’s a building,” Elwin said.
“Right. It is also a bakery. I saw the sign when we came into the alley.”
“How will that aid us?” Daren asked.
“Do you smell that?”
Elwin sniffed. He could smell nothing. He shook his head.
“I do not smell anything,” Daren said.
“Precisely. This will be how we get in.”
Elwin and Daren exchanged a puzzled glance.
Jax sighed. “You two haven’t a lick of imagination between you. Come on. We need to get our gear before sunrise. I’ll explain on the way.”
As they climbed back down, Elwin could see the first pink rays coming from the east. “Might be too late for that.”
“Dragons take me if it is,” Jax said. “Let’s move.”
Chapter 46
A Fool’s Quest
Partial Spending, Day 591 of experimentation.
Today, the incanters have delivered an artifact of vast power. The Orb of Incantus will heighten the essence to 5 times the base Berats. Doing so uses up the essence instantly, so one must be prepared to use the Berats the moments they are heightened. I believe with some work, I can replicate the effects of this artifact, possibly improving the output of Berats.
Further, I have divined the Incantation of Severance only requires 561 Berats, which is attainable through the orb with even the weakest of elementalists. I have sent these results along with a request for assembly tomorrow evening. We will form a circle and incant the Severance on Argiantilus, a minor dragon of Althimorphianus’s order, who rests in the square. If all goes well, the Awakening will begin tomorrow.
~Ricaria Beratum, 2996 A.S.
~
Standing at the bow, Zarah marveled at the speed of the ship.
The width of the King’s River made the Serene back home look like a stream. She could feel the Elements beneath the deep waters propelling them forward. The entire riverbed had been crafted into an artifact. The current beneath her flowed east with calmer waters on either side of the speedway, as they called it. An opposing current on the other side moved just as swiftly to the west.
She had read of this, of course, but the description on a page could never adequately substitute the feeling of the powers in use. This was easily as fast as flying. No, it was faster. They had covered hundreds of leagues in less than a tenday and would reach Delcoa within hours.
The general had been unsure of who controlled Delcoa. It was possible they would be met at the docks by the guardians. Another fight from a ship, only this time she would be blind.
Her essence had recovered, but her new-found ability had not returned and likely would not before reaching the city, or Abadaria for that matter. It had taken a month of not taming to manifest the first time. She had considered resting until the ability came back to her, but she couldn’t sit by and do nothing while her kingdom was in turmoil.
“Hands off,” a deep voice demanded. “I said let go!”
She turned to see several guards pushing a man onto the deck. All the hopes of circumventing the fate she’d foreseen was crushed beneath each step he took toward her.
“Feffer,” she accused. “How?”
“It was pretty easy, actually,” he said, not hiding an ounce of smugness.
“You said you would carry my message. Lying to the crown is a serious offense.”
“I did not lie. As per usual, you heard what you wished to hear. When I left, I said I was going to find supplies.”
“This is not a game, you idiot. You cannot be here. Do you not understand? We will both be killed.” She turned to address the soldiers holding him. “Stop the ship. Put him ashore.”
“I’ll just find another ship and go it alone.” It was not a bluff or bravado.
As they began to take him away, she said, “Wait.”
The fool would find a way there without her. Was this how her Vision came to pass? Would he go to Abadaria alone and find Elwin while she was off getting turned to stone? The Lifebringer save her, but what should she do? Maybe she needed to keep him close to her. That was it. If Feffer was near to her, he could not run off and get both of them killed. That’s how she would save him. It was the only way.
“Release him.”
“Your highness?” the soldier asked.
“Let him go, and give his sword back to him.”
Feffer jerked free of the surprised man’s grip and snatched his sword from the other. As he buckled it on, he said, “Told you I knew the princess.”
“Please give us a moment alone,” she said to the men.
Everyone of them scowled at Feffer as they walked away. Two of the soldiers remained on the deck. Neither looked in their direction, but both paid close attention to Feffer’s movements. He walked up to the bow and looked over.
“Well isn’t that something? How fast are we going, do you think?”<
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“You disobeyed a direct order and lied to me.” She raised a hand to forestall his protests. “No. A lie by omission is still a lie. You led me to believe you would stay. Then you stole away with the cargo.”
“Why are you so sour? I’ve done nothing wrong. In fact, you did the same for your own principles. The difference is, I am still following the orders of my king. I’ll be honest. I’m surprised that you are surprised.”
“We both die in Abadaria. The Vision showed me our deaths.”
“And you sent me away? What in the abyss where you thinking?”
“You will mind your language, Feffer Madrowl. I sent you away in an attempt to alter the future.”
“Yeah. You die alone in those thumping ruins. And you think I’m the worthless fool?”
“I never called you that.”
“Close enough.”
She took a deep breath, hoping to dispel her irritation. But when she opened her eyes, Feffer was still standing there, staring as though he expected an apology.
“You are certainly not worthless most of the time,” she admitted.
“Oh, but I’m the fool, eh? I’m not the one who called a dragon down on us.”
“You are insufferable.”
“And you are infantile.”
“Oh good for you.” She made her voice as condescending as she could. “Such a big word for a simple farmer.”
“I was a thumping merchant. Elwin was the Life-cursed farmer. Or let me guess, all us peasants look alike to your royal pain in the—”
Her knuckles stung before she’d realized she had punched him. He stumbled back a step, eyes wide. Lines of confusion creased his forehead, and he stared, mouth agape. He worked his jaw up and down, moving it back and forth with his hand. “You … You punched me. Hard.”
“I told you to mind your tongue.”
“But you didn’t have to strike me.”
“I think I did. Nothing else seems to penetrate that thick skull of yours.”
“Is everything all right, your highness?” Both soldiers stood on either side of Feffer, looking as though they might throw him overboard on her word.