by Unknown
“No, no… we don’t have a large enough army to occupy Dorma while defending our own borders. The beast should be under my control once I release it, but I don’t want to risk being wrong. If I become the Dark Lord, excellent. If not, I’d rather have the chance to retreat and enjoy our victory,” Alethus said, his tone turning more mischievous. “You plan to be there to enjoy it with me, don’t you?”
“Of course I do, Milord,” Minna replied, smiling broadly in response as she dipped her head courteously.
That prompted another laugh from Alethus, since he knew better than to believe her public persona.
Instead, he watched the border fort for another moment before murmuring. “To the fall of Astonia… and my rise.”
Chapter 7
“Ah, Ethan? You might want to see this,” Laila said, and Ethan looked up from his book, raising an eyebrow skeptically.
His sister practically had her eye glued to the telescope, which he could understand. They’d both been confined to the palace since word of what was happening had reached their father, and they’d both started going somewhat stir-crazy. He’d occupied himself with trying to study more about magic, to see if he really wanted to progress further as a Mage or not. Unfortunately for Laila, all of her usual instructors were too busy to give her additional lessons, so she didn’t have much to use up her immense reserve of energy. She’d always been the more physically inclined of them.
“What is it? Not another column of knights, or a messenger from the capital, I hope?” Ethan asked, considering the angle of the telescope thoughtfully. It was pointed generally to the southeast, which gave him a thought… but no, Captain Wilbert had gotten there earlier that day, as had the majority of the adventurers.
“Nope. There’s an entire swarm of apis headed toward the east gate!” Laila said, her voice bright with excitement. “I can’t tell how many of them there are, not with how they’re flying about, but…”
“Apis? Swarming apis?” Ethan demanded, jerking to his feet and almost dropping the book. “They aren’t going to attack the city, are they?”
That drew Laila away from the telescope, and she stood, putting a hand on her hip as she looked at him in exasperation.
“Really? That’s what you think, after everything we heard about Bearton?” Laila demanded, glowering at him. “I said there was a swarm, because what else am I supposed to call it? They were bees! They’re just coming down the road.”
Ethan flushed, then rallied as he retorted hotly. “How was I supposed to react? You just said there was a swarm of apis heading for the east gate, and that they were flying all over!”
Laila sighed loudly and gestured at the telescope, her voice pointed. “Well, if you didn’t constantly have your nose in a book, maybe you’d have noticed that Sir Wilbert told Father that we’d be getting a delegation of apis in the near future. So go ahead, take a look! You might have to adjust the telescope.”
Ethan felt his flush grow a little deeper, but he had to admit Laila was right, even if he wouldn’t give her the pleasure of admitting it aloud. He’d been distracted, and after the first half-hour of the report Wilbert had given, Ethan had opened his book and ignored the rest of it. There was an advantage to being third in line for the duchy, behind Laila and his older brother.
Instead, he simply moved over to the telescope and leaned down to look through it. Unfortunately, all he saw was an open field, and he scowled, realizing that Laila had likely bumped it when straightening, so he panned around until he found the road, and adjusted the telescope to zoom out a bit… and stopped, stunned by the movement he saw. It took a moment for him to make sense of what he was seeing, with how much movement there was in his line of sight, so Ethan adjusted the scope a little more to bring the picture into focus, and internally he gawked.
Dozens of apis were flying every direction, and he thought he saw one of them smelling a bush of flowers. They were striking, with their primarily black armor and yellow stripes, along with yellow and black hair that drew the eye. He’d known that they were striking from the descriptions, but those were nothing like seeing them in person. It took him a few more moments to notice that a core group was walking on the ground, and that they weren’t all apis. Some of them were, ones who were mostly men, but there were also a group of what he guessed had to be adventurers. To him it looked like they were composed of a noble, his entourage, and a group of servants, from how low-level the equipment on the last three was. A moment later he realized who the noble was, though.
“Is that James Viermont? I didn’t know he was in the area!” Ethan asked incredulously. “What’s he doing with the apis?”
“How am I supposed to know?” Laila demanded, glaring at him. “I didn’t recognize him, so I’ll have to take your word that it’s him.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s him. I didn’t know he was around… and with the apis, he must’ve gone to help Bearton,” Ethan mused, then shrugged and grinned, pulling away from the telescope. “Either way, we should be able to find out more. I wonder what he can tell us?”
Laila shrugged, elbowing Ethan, which caused him to yelp as he staggered to the side and she took the telescope back. When she spoke, her tone was complacent. “I have no idea, and I don’t know if we can even get him to come to the palace. There is a war brewing, you know.”
“I know,” Ethan said, his smile fading as he regained his feet and his tone turning unhappy. “Believe me, I know that much. I just don’t see what we can do.”
“Nothing, as long as Father is intent on keeping us confined to the palace. He doesn’t think we’re anywhere near the point of being able to participate in a real battle,” Laila replied. “Though if he never lets us experience any danger, we won’t ever get to the point we can.”
Ethan shrugged, not bothering to reply. She was right, but answering would just convince her to belabor the point. Instead, he made a mental note to bring it up with their father the next time he was in a good mood. It might even work.
For the moment, he went back to his book. Hopefully they could get ahold of James and find out what the noble had been doing. That would be exciting.
“See? It’s a really big rock wall!” Joy exclaimed, gesturing at the wall as the attendants shaded their eyes, looking at it closely.
“Definitely rock,” one of them agreed, her head turning back and forth. “But I don’t recognize the stone between the rocks. It looks odd. Like chalk?”
“Something similar. It looks harder, though,” the second attendant agreed, and both of them looked at James expectantly, which prompted Joy to giggle in amusement. They’d learned that he was the one who knew the most about stone and metal, so looked to him first, now.
“Ah, it’s mortar. A mixture of different types of rock and water, which then dries into a hard material,” James said, looking at Eda with a helpless expression on his face. “It’s not as strong as most other types of stone, so they try to use a thin layer of it between stones to join them together… which pretty much exhausts my knowledge where it’s concerned.”
“Interesting!” the attendants chorused in unison, and Joy heard laughter from the guards at the gate ahead of them. They weren’t approaching too quickly, and there were several wagons ahead of them. She’d noticed that the guards had visibly relaxed when all the apis had landed and lined up to wait.
“So, what’re you going to do? Once we’re in the city?” Joy asked James, practically bouncing in place as she waited for the line to move. It was taking longer than she wanted, especially with how easy it would be to fly over the wall… but that would probably get her shot, so she didn’t.
“Let me think…” James began, only for Helen to speak up.
“First we need to see if our new weapons are available, then we’re going to be heading to the Crimson Rose to arrange lodging. Then we need to get our payment from the Adventurer’s Guild, and based on prior experiences, a few nobles are going to come calling,” Helen explained briskly. “I don’t
know if we’re going to get involved in the conflict around Clarion, though.”
“Thank you, Helen… I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t keeping track of things,” James said sheepishly, and flushed at Joy’s smile. “Though I suspect we’re going to get involved either way. The idea of fighting an entire army makes me nervous, particularly that bastard Alethus, but if we don’t the entire kingdom could be in trouble.”
Jean nodded, her smile fading as she spoke. “I entirely agree. We might not be able to do much against Alethus or his lieutenants directly, but we’re stronger than most soldiers in the region.”
“Yep. From what my parents said of their adventuring days, even in higher-level regions most soldiers don’t tend to get above level twenty. Most of them top out around level fifteen instead,” Brianna interjected, nodding in approval as she glanced at Joy and grinned. “It’s mostly adventurers like us that push ourselves beyond that.”
“Or crafters. If they’re pushing the limits of their skills, they can get surprisingly high-level,” Stella added, prompting a nod from Brianna.
“Really? That’s good to know!” Joy said, looking at the attendants, whose pheromones showed that they were very intent on the conversation.
“The question is what we’re to do, once in the city. From what James has said, we will need to wait for an audience?” one of them asked, looking at them curiously. “We would just set up a camp, but we aren’t certain what to do. I don’t think that the inns could fit all of us, with how few rooms they have. And their objection to us all being in a few rooms.”
“If I were you, I’d speak to Guildmaster Silverhoof,” Cora spoke up at last, leaning on her staff as she looked at Joy. “He knew you were coming, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he and Sir Wilbert arranged for housing of some type. We’re planning to stay at an inn near the guild house, so we could show you the way.”
“That would be very helpful!” the other attendant said happily, smiling at Cora, then at Joy. “We might be able to find our way there eventually, but I suspect it would take longer than we’d like. Your cities are strange.”
“For you, maybe,” Cora murmured under her breath, barely loud enough that Joy could hear her, which prompted Joy to giggle. Cora blushed, then nodded. “Then we have a plan. All that’s left is to wait.”
“Yep! I wish we could just fly over the walls,” Joy said regretfully, bouncing on her toes again. “This takes so long!”
“Pheromones make it much easier,” an attendant agreed, sending a chorus of laughter through all the apis behind them.
“I’ll take your word for it,” James said, flushing slightly.
Fortunately, they didn’t have much longer of a wait, Joy noticed, her eyes brightening as the caravan that had been in front got moving. That left just one wagon between them and the gate guards, and as the man in the wagon got out to speak with the guards, another guard approached, his gaze fixed on the apis as he did so. When he was in easy talking distance, he spoke, looking at James.
“Sir Viermont?” the guard asked, causing Joy to blink in confusion. Beside her Cora’s breath hissed inward, but she didn’t say anything.
James winced, replying with a nod. “I’m James Viermont, yes, but I’m afraid that ‘Sir’ is inaccurate. I haven’t officially been knighted yet.”
“If you say so, but I was told you’re a noble, which is reason enough to call you sir,” the guard said, a smile on his face as he saluted and gave a half-bow. “Sir Wilbert told us to expect you. I’m told that you were helping escort the apis, so may I assume that this is the delegation?”
“That’s right,” James said, relaxing as he gestured behind him. “There are one hundred and two apis, and I’m accompanied by my four adventuring partners, and another adventuring group, made up of Brianna, Cora, Joy, and Stella.”
Joy waved at the guard at her name, grinning broadly. “Hi!”
“Ah, hello,” the guard replied, blinking at her, then nodded. “In that case, I’m supposed to pass you through. I’ve also been told that you should expect an invitation to appear in the palace, sir.”
“Of course I should,” James said, letting out a slight sigh. “Thank you, good man. I just have been trying to avoid letting my birth influence my life as an adventurer.”
The guard chuckled, smiling broadly. “I don’t believe there was much chance of that, sir. Please, go in through the center of the gate, but keep an eye out for wagons on their way out.”
“Thank you,” James said, and led the way around the first wagon.
Joy followed him, and she could smell the apis quickly following in an orderly line. She was curious what had prompted Cora to speak and considered for a few seconds, trying to hold in her curiosity.
“What does Viermont mean?” Joy asked after about five breaths, and Stella laughed.
“I’m fairly sure that it’s his family name,” Stella said, glancing at Joy in amusement. “I’m afraid I don’t know much more than you beyond that.”
“The Viermont family is famous throughout Astonia,” Brianna replied, crossing her arms as she glanced at James speculatively. “They have several holdings in other countries, so despite only being a barony, they have an enormous amount of influence and wealth. I’m told they make some weapons that are over level fifty.”
James visibly winced, shaking his head. “See? This is why I don’t tell people, if I have any choice in the matter. Everyone thinks that I get whatever I want, and that isn’t true. I have to earn all my equipment and pay for it the hard way. The only help I got from my family is in getting Eda and Helen their advanced jobs! I’m not even going to get knighted unless I earn it legitimately. The only reason I have the knight job is because I was made a squire when I was younger.”
They filtered around a wagon that’d gotten stuck about halfway through the gate, and as they did, Joy considered, then asked, “That isn’t the case normally? I’d think everyone would have to work for things…”
“Not for nobles,” Cora said, smiling. “Oh, some do have to, but in a lot of cases, the question is whether they’ll get knighted as soon as they’re fully mature, or if it’ll happen earlier. Having to earn it is a little unusual.”
“If it weren’t for how wealthy they are, and how many of the family are relatively high-level as well, I suspect that James would have had to deal with a lot of sneering, growing up,” Eda said, smiling at him affectionately. “Instead, they had to act like he was higher rank than he is.”
“Oh, don’t you even start,” James warned, glaring at Eda. “I don’t want them treating me differently because of this. I’m an adventurer, just like them. Sure, I might be able to arrange for better gear a little more easily, but it isn’t like I can call up a group of high-level bodyguards at the snap of my fingers. I want to be treated like everyone else.”
“But… but you are different. You’re you, and you have your own pheromones and everything,” Joy said, growing a little concerned by his comment. “If you didn’t tell us about that thermal shock thing, we wouldn’t have been able to rescue your friends!”
Jean snickered at that, and laughter rippled through the others as well. Then Eda teased. “See, James? If you ever want people who’ll treat you like you’re just you, obviously you need to visit the apis.”
“Apparently. Thanks, Joy,” James said, smiling warmly at her. “It’s just… you wouldn’t believe how many people decide to treat me differently when they find out I’m a noble. It doesn’t help when I just want to advance on my own merits.”
Joy shrugged and grinned, looking at the attendants as she spoke. “It’s alright! I hope you get to do that, then. I don’t know enough about the nobles to really understand, but I’ll treat you the same way. Promise!”
Her reply prompted another laugh from the others, just as they emerged into the city once more. There were a couple of guards talking to a merchant to their right, a man who looked distinctly unhappy to Joy, but otherwise the city looked a lot lik
e it had the last time Joy had seen it, though some of the flowers she’d sniffed before they’d left the city had wilted at this point. That was a little disappointing, but Joy didn’t let it get her down.
There were plenty other flowers to smell, after all.
Chapter 8
“Joy, what are you doing?” Cora asked, resisting the urge to put a hand on her hip. They’d just gotten the attendants in to meet with Silverhoof, and in the several seconds she’d taken to point them in the right direction, the apis had darted over to the quest board.
“Looking at quests!” Joy said, grinning as she looked over her shoulder at them. “That’s what we do when we come here, isn’t it?”
“I don’t think we need any quests right now, Joy,” Brianna commented, letting out a soft laugh. “If we’re going to Clarion, then coming back again, I don’t think many would be appropriate. We also don’t want to get slowed down by a caravan or something like that.”
Joy nodded, stepping away from the board as she grinned. “Alright! I didn’t think of that part.”
Cora smiled and shrugged, glancing over at Viper, the lizardfolk secretary as she spoke apologetically. “Sorry for dropping the apis in your lap, Viper. If I knew where to take them, I would’ve done so.”
“It isn’t a problem at all, Miss Cora! We were warned they were coming, and I believe that there’s a defunct estate which the duke is planning to offer to them for a temporary embassy,” Viper said, smiling at her toothily. “I do appreciate the concern, however. These are trying times, with everything that’s been going on. I’ve also put in a good word in your file for other branches of the guild, should you ever travel beyond the borders of Astonia, as your actions kept a bad situation from becoming even worse.”
“How so?” Stella asked, her arms folded in front of her as she frowned unhappily. “We didn’t stop them from taking the seal piece, so I don’t see how we made it better.”