Phantom Campaign

by Eden Redd

Dax eyed the mage, “Lyla, you have to tell me what you know, all of it.”

  Lyla nodded. “I was part of a secret cabal to plant the seeds of mistrust in Kinarth Academy. At least, Nuria was. It’s so difficult to untie the strands that hold us together. Her memories are my own and not my own.”

  The mage seemed to collect herself and continued, “They didn’t have names, just locations to send ravens or meeting their agents in town. Nuria was supposed to gather like-minded students, offering gold and knowledge if they joined the cabal. The pacts were signed in blood with magical bindings. This was to ensure no one would go to the High Dean or the faculty of the academy.”

  Lyla gave a small smile, “Since Nuria died and I took over her body, the binding no longer had an effect on me. I kept up the charade for my own survival, but I could see the cracks as it went along.”

  Lyla’s smile faded away. “They pushed to increase recruitment, but I couldn’t go through with it. When membership slowed, they questioned me. I gave them excuses, but they simply told me to keep trying. When I sent my last raven for further instructions, they didn't respond which is unlike them.”

  Dax’s eyes filled with clarity as he absorbed Lyla’s words. “What is the aim of this cabal? What are they trying to do?”

  “They want to destroy Kinarth Academy from the inside,” Lyla said in a defeated sigh.

  Dax’s brow hardened. “You have to tell me who is part of this cabal? I need names, students we need to watch.”

  Lyla shook her head, “I can’t. If I tell you one name and you act differently around them, they will know that you know.”

  “Clive is one of them, isn’t he?”

  Lyla bowed her head.

  Dax mulled it over for a moment. A good portion of mages in his very own class enjoyed spending time with Nuria and Clive. Dax wasn’t sure who else was part of it, but it didn’t sit well with him.

  Dax put his hands on Lyla’s shoulders, “Listen to me very carefully, we need a list of names. We can send it anonymously to some of the professors and they can investigate it.”

  Lyla shook her head, “We can’t! They will know I’m involved and when they find out I’m not Nuria, they will execute me.”

  “They won’t. That is the good news I wanted to tell you. Everything is all set. A date and location have been made and prepared. In two weeks, you will meet a contact in Hydale and they will take you someplace safe and far away.”

  Lyla’s eyes glistened. “You did it?”

  Dax nodded. “But we will still need those names. They can’t hide in the academy anymore. I can’t allow enemies from within to destroy what Kinarth stands for.”

  Lyla tilted her head forward, shadows covering her eyes. “I’ll give you the list, when we return to Kinarth. If I give it to you now and someone discovers it, it will put many lives in danger, not just my own. We have to keep the secrets until we get back.”

  Dax’s eyes narrowed as the words cut at his heart. He could see Lyla was still trying to survive, using any means possible to keep the truth at bay. It clawed at him, the chance that other students were actively working against the greatest academy in all of Ikkudran. Bile churned in his stomach, urges whispering to him, trying to convince him to demand names.

  If I force this, she’ll never trust me again.

  Dax’s inner world cooled as he pulled his hands from Lyla’s shoulders and they fell to his sides.

  “There are two things we must agree upon. First, we will have a detailed list of those who are part of cabal the first night we get back. Understand, if there is no detailed list, it will take one raven to stop the arrangement for your safe disappearance. They will not be able to do it again and will wash their hands of me and you in the process. There is a lot of work involved to make sure you can disappear safely and they will not do it again, no matter how much gold we throw at them.

  “Second, I need to know if anyone else in our coterie, aside from Clive, is part of this cabal? If you will not tell me, I will march to Professor Frost and tell her everything I know. They will turn the ship around and we will be back at the academy so they can sort this out.

  “Agree to those terms and we will continue with the plan,” Dax finished with a dark edge.

  The mage watched Lyla as she stood silent. He could see the gears working behind her eyes, trying to plot out her moves. He waited for her to tell him that she would turn him in for his past crime so she could gain leverage in the agreement. The tension grew thicker with each passing moment until Lyla bowed her head again, lips parting.

  “I agree to your terms. I will provide a list of cabal members the first night we come back. As for our coterie, no one else is part of it.”

  Dax gave a strong nod.

  Isani, Ressa, and Noss aren’t a part of it, thank the gods.

  A knock at the door cut the tension. Dax and Lyla looked to it as a voice came through.

  “Dax?” Zarra said from the other side.

  Dax slipped past Lyla and opened the door. Zarra’s golden eyes shined until she saw Nuria in the room. Silence filled the space between all three for a long moment.

  “I was just talking to Dax, voicing my concerns about the campaign,” Nuria said simply.

  Zarra stepped into the now crowded tiny cabin and closed the door behind her. “Nuria, I’m sorry about before, at the party. My past shouldn’t be used as an excuse to inflict harm on others.”

  Nuria nodded. “I can understand why you attacked me, but know that I don’t want any harm to come to you and or anyone else. I just want to live my life in peace, what’s left of it anyway.”

  Zarra looked to Dax, “I’m sure Dax will keep all of our best interests at heart. He is a good man.”

  Dax simply stood, heat climbing his neck.

  Nuria gave a faint smile. “I should go. I put my pack on my bed and I should stow it in the chest. I’ll see you both at dinner?”

  Dax and Zarra nodded.

  Nuria stepped past the pair as Zarra slid open the door. When the beautiful mage stepped out and away, Zarra closed the door behind her and eyed Dax, his expression a touch grim.

  “Are you troubled?”

  “No more than normal,” Dax said with a weak smirk.

  “You don’t wish to talk?”

  Dax lifted his head and looked into Zarra’s beautiful serpent eyes, “I want to, but the more I talk about certain things, the greater chance of it coming back to harm us.”

  Zarra stepped closer, hands reaching up and touching Dax’s hips. The cleric pressed her body to Dax’s frame and she eyed him like a fine meal.

  “I understand. It seems you must keep some secrets so we are all safe. I wish you knew how important it is that I hear that. Know this, I trust you, Dax Sage. I trust you with my heart and my life. I trust you to do the right thing by all of us and when you're ready to tell me, I’ll be there, waiting.”

  Dax stared into Zarra’s eyes for a breath before he reached up and ran his fingers through her golden blonde hair. When he took hold of her head, he brought her close and the two kissed deeply. Tongues slathered over one another as bodies molded to each other. The heat in the small cabin grew, but the two were lost to the sensual kissing. When lips parted, Zarra licked her lips as if savoring the mage’s taste.

  “Let’s go on deck. I want to enjoy this beautiful day,” Zarra smiled.

  ***

  Ocean mist flew up as the Sea Witch plowed through the small waves. The sun arced across the sky as the wind maintained full sails. As time flowed on, the sun sank lower and lower until it touched the western horizon.

  Dax hung out by the railing, taking in the majesty of the sea. Many other students did the same, some in groups and others by their lonesome. The magic of the journey was not lost on the students as they drank it in with mystical wonderment. Despite the difficulty of the campaign to come, hearts were in good spirits and enjoying the wind in their hair and sun on their faces.

  Dax often looked down to the dark wate
rs, the magical moment falling away to inner dread. The time spent with Zarra earlier had kept his mind occupied, enjoying light conversation and holding hands. After an hour, her protective nature took over and she went to go check on Noss to make sure he was okay. After she left, Dax spent most of the day on deck, trying to calm his mind as thoughts warred.

  Knowledge cut at his mind knowing that Clive was part of something sinister from the very start. Paranoia crept in, concern touching the mage’s brow as he didn’t know who was a genuine student to the academy and who was part of a secret cabal to destroy it.

  The sun had half set when Dax’s stomach made a gurgling sound.

  Spent the whole day thinking about what’s happening to all us. I need food and lots of it.

  Dax stood straighter, ready to turn around when a figure stepped to his side and leaned against the railing.

  “Evening, Dax,” Jonas said as he looked out to the vast ocean.

  Dax remained silent, seeing the smug smile on the berserker’s lips as strands of long hair flowed in the wind. The berserker was wiry with defined muscles along his neck and arms. His shirt was loose as it flapped in the wind, but the berserker seemed completely at ease, staring out across the sea.

  “Evening,” Dax said after a long moment.

  Jonas nodded. “How’s the arm? I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that.”

  Dax’s eyes hardened as he glared at the berserker. Memories rushed back of that night during their trials where they stumbled upon a dead sprite and face covered berserkers surrounded them. They came to hurt him for being humiliated during the Trial exam and a simple sprite died because of their jealousy.

  “I had a feeling you were part of what happened that night,” Dax said with gritted teeth.

  Jonas continued to stare out, not bothering to look at the mage. “Some aspects of that night didn’t sit well with me. Breaking your arm though, that was sweet as berry juice.”

  “Killing a sprite to get to me is fucking low if you ask me,” Dax said with a menacing edge.

  Jonas pushed off the railing and stood, facing the mage. “That is part of what doesn’t sit well with me. It’s so hard to get some time to just talk.”

  “Then talk,” Dax growled.

  Jonas nodded. “Between us, what happened needed to happen. You took advantage of me and my fellow berserkers during the exams and it needed to be balanced. We came to make it right and we did. You were honorable. Despite the numbers against you, you stuck to your honor of no weapons. The ice blast to my chest hurt, but it didn’t kill me, so there’s that.”

  Jonas tilted his head slightly, memories filling his mind’s eye. “We were angry and ready to take our pound of flesh, but we didn’t kill the sprite.”

  Dax’s anger cooled as he raised an eyebrow. “But you said you did to get our attention?”

  Jonas shook his head, “You have to understand, the whole point of our class is inciting fear and dread in our enemies. If we can’t do it with our bodies, we have to do it with our words. I don’t expect you to understand everything I’m trying to say, but know this, we didn’t kill that sprite. We were told where you and your coterie would be and we showed up to even the score. You all put up a hell of a fight and some of us still have some well-earned scars, but the debt is paid and balance is restored.”

  Dax’s eyes narrowed. “Who told you where we would be?”

  Jonas’s smug smile returned. “No can do. Honor is honor and we promised not to speak of it to anyone. I did, however, think to ease that little mystery. It wouldn’t have been right if you held onto something that wasn’t true. We came to hurt you. We didn’t come to kill anyone.

  “Now, if you think to inform our professors of what happened, the blame falls squarely on my shoulders and I will take all of it, but I won’t take the blame for the death of that sprite. She was dead before we even arrived.”

  Dax’s hard gaze softened and he looked away.

  Jonas’s smile grew wider, “Fern loves you. We see it when she talks about you and how she lights up in your presence. We love her like family and we know she is with a strong, honorable man. We know you both will do right by each other. I thought the truth would be good for all of us.”

  Dax looked to the berserker and smirked. “I don’t need to say anything to the professors. Debt was paid and balance was restored. It seems we are even.”

  Jonas gave a toothy grin, “I knew I liked you.”

  “We done here?” Dax said simply.

  Jonas eyed the mage, “We are, for now. We’ll see how it goes during the campaign. My coterie is going to get one of those crystals and all your fancy cards won’t make a damn difference. I just had to say it out loud so we’re on the same level.”

  “To the victor goes the bragging rights,” Dax smiled.

  Jonas nodded.

  The two men clamped forearms and shook before they let go.

  “See you on the island,” Jonas said as he turned and walked away.

  “See you on the island,” Dax smiled with hard eyes.

  The wind picked up and a chill came with it. The last rays of sunlight disappeared behind the horizon before a burst of light pink and orange light filled the evening sky. The light dimmed and soon, it was gone, swallowed up by night’s cool embrace.

  Dax made his way to the stairs, the tension gone and hunger rearing its ravenous head. The mage made his way down to his coterie section. Legs moved with urgency as hunger sharpened his senses. When he reached the dining suite, he stepped in to see smiling faces.

  Lantern light filled the medium-sized room with a warm glow. Everyone in his coterie sat, shoveling food onto plates and pouring wine. Dax didn’t see Clive as he closed the door, made his way to the table and sat down in an empty seat.

  “Where’s Clive?” Dax asked as he grabbed a plate.

  “He took his food to his room. He said he was tired,” Nuria spoke like she was at ease with it.

  “Not a very team thing to do,” Symon muttered as he slid a full plate of food closer.

  “Let’s just enjoy our meal and first night at sea,” Fern said with a hard tone before she poured some wine.

  Heads nodded in agreement. Dax filled his plate with cuts of meat and vegetables. A full wine glass slid next to him. Zarra had a plate of food with just meat, using a fork like a hunting spear and putting large pieces between her full lips. Vance sipped his wine between bites while Fern poured more wine into everyone’s glasses. Noss sat, eyeing his food. The kobold’s scales were black and brown, but the necromancer was incredibly pale and not taking a single bite.

  Isani and Ressa sat side by side, whispering and giggling with each other before the shadow elf looked to the sea sick kobold.

  “I still have something that could help,” Isani said across the table.

  Noss gulped some air. “I don’t think anything will help.”

  Symon eyed the kobold, “You have to keep up your strength before the campaign.”

  Noss lowered his head in sad disappointment.

  Isani smiled as her hand moved to the necromancer’s wine glass. Dax glanced up just when something slipped from her hand and into the wine. The sound of knives and forks on food cut through the suite as Isani leaned over the table and held the wine glass before Noss.

  “Have a sip and you will feel fine,” the shadow elf smiled, her cleavage in full view of the kobold’s eyes.

  Noss was stunned, unable to break his gaze on the shadow’s elf’s inviting bounty. A small clawed hand reached up and took the glass from her. He seemed to not be as sick as before, his focus on the shadow elf’s chest. Without thinking, he took a long sip.

  Isani kept her smile as she settled down back in her seat.

  Dax looked to the shadow elf with warm eyes as she picked up a strawberry and bit into it. Noss on the other hand seemed to instantly regain his appetite. The kobold began scarfing food down, his fork moving in quick blurs. Zarra eyed the kobold like a proud mother as Symon nodded in
agreement, seeing the necromancer eat like his life depended on it.

  The dinner moved on, bodies relaxing and bellies full. Isani and Ressa continued to talk to each other in hushed whispers and small giggles. Fern leaned on Dax, her cheeks rosy and her hand on his thigh. Zarra talked with Noss, the kobold very much at ease and talking up a storm. Symon leaned back in his chair, breathing heavy and sweat touching his brow from the large meal. Vance sipped his wine as if deep in thought and Nuria’s cheeks glowed pink, a warm smile on her lips.

  Dax stayed where he was, enjoying the moment. The suite swayed slightly to the sea, but hearts glowed with a comforting warmth.

  I wish I could have this moment painted, so it can last forever.

  The happy thought soon drowned in dark waters. Everyone here was going into a dangerous exam. Flashes of memory stabbed at the mage, remembering the sea monster that attacked them during their trials. The phantom void spawn when they were in the crypt colored his thoughts as did the mind maze where their fears and pasts came back to haunt them, questioning their spirits if they wanted to become champions.

  “Dax…” Fern said in a sleepy tone, her eyes closed.

  The mage looked over and her body flashed with light. Hand out, he caught the eight-inch-tall fairy in his hands as she snored.

  “I think the day’s excitement caught up with her,” Symon smiled.

  Zarra turned her attention to Dax and Fern. The cleric reached over and picked up the sleeping fairy.

  “I’ll be sure to put her to bed,” Zarra smiled and stood up.

  The group watched her leave with Fern in her hands.

  Vance stood up. “I’m going to retire and enjoy my bed while we still have them. I simply don’t rest as well out in the woods.”

  The group said their goodbyes to the mage as he left.

  “I need my sleep too,” Nuria smiled and stood up.

  “It’s been a great evening, being with everyone,” the beautiful mage said with a small bow.

  Symon picked up his napkin from his lap and threw it on his plate. “Time to rest. Don’t stay up too late,” the spellsword addressed the remaining group before he too was up and left the suite.