by BJ Hanlon
Dwiral seemingly held the prince’s confidence as much as any man, even more than his wife. Or so Edin heard from someone in his last few days. Though it wasn’t his name that was spoke, he had been referred to as ‘that one.’
Also, the ominousness of how the spy master had said the last words seemed to be enough to get the prince to agree that they could keep their ships in the bay for now, though they only let a few people on shore as there was little room with most of Resholt in the city.
Along with the three already on the dock, Dorset, Henny, and Berka descended the gangplank.
Edin greeted them with great, hearty forearm shakes. All of them, though Berka was looking bitter. “Can’t believe you left me,” he said as Edin shook his arm.
“You couldn’t make the hike, you needed to rest.”
“For a bit I thought I’d die. There isn’t much rest in there,” Berka said and Edin raised an eyebrow. “The fog,” he said as if it were obvious. “The entirety of that lake and all of the animals and monks below disappeared. It was like the fog had eaten them.”
“I know.” He thought of Monk and the abbot. He remembered picturing the very old man descending the stairs into the yellow fog. What would’ve happened to him?
Then Edin went to Rihkar with Arianne, “Father, this is Arianne,” he said, “Arianne this is—”
“Come on, we do not have all night, do we?” said Le Fie.
With guards surrounding them, they walked back up through the dock and the portcullis to a room on the western side of the castle. It was short and squat and people were packed around the edges. Soon more of the Prince’s advisors began to enter.
“I think this is enough,” said the Prince, “shut the doors and everyone in here will take a vow of silence on these matters.” He said looking at Edin. “For as long as you can.”
Apparently, the spy master had already told him.
“Master Edin de Yaultan had an encounter tonight.” He looked at Edin and nodded.
Edin stepped forward, there was a circle at the center with people standing all around, the prince was in the center and Edin stood next to him. “Using a Callto Stone, the same type of stone Diophin had used the night he was killed, I was sent somewhere.”
“Sent somewhere? Now, what the bloody hell type of magic is this?” someone said.
“Ancient magic,” said Tor. “The stones were from before man ruled the world.”
“Continue.”
“I believe I was up north somewhere in a forest clearing, and I saw dematians. A lot and it looked like a ritual.” Everyone was quiet now, the few whispering people who’d stood near the door had shut their mouths. “For some of you this will be news, for others, it has happened. Yio Volor has risen. He has escaped the underworld and is now in our world.”
“Bull sh—”
There was grumbling by some, but most, had already heard. “I thought we’d have more time. I do not know how long until he gets here, how long until he attacks but I fear that anyone outside of the city, or any walled city is vulnerable.”
“How do you know he’ll come here? Why doesn’t he attack a Dunbilstonian city? Maybe Frestils.” said a man, another military guy, and Edin was certain that there was fear in his voice. “Or what about Galara, I know some refugee ships have been seen but—”
“We believe that Galara is completely destroyed,” said the prince. “And we believe that they are moving from west to east. Pulling a blanket over the entire land.”
“As do we,” said Le Fie.
“We cannot hope that our enemy does not come directly for us.” Then he looked back to Tor. “Are you the leader of the magi?”
Tor nodded. “This expedition I am. Another one went to Carrow, that is lead by Casitas. He is a member of the Praesidium.”
“You have many ships, is there a way that we could borrow some? I’d like to evacuate as many of our citizens as we can to the southern islands.”
“As many as you need,” said Tor.
“You’re going to allow more magi into the city?” someone gasped. “Isn’t… however many are here enough?”
“How many magi do you think it will take to kill a god?” said the prince.
“One,” said Tor looking meaningfully at Edin. Edin swallowed. “But it isn’t just the god, it’s his army, it was said that before Vestor came into his own, the world’s monsters were worse than anything we could’ve made up on our own. The seas will be covered in kraken, great beasts will cover the skies, wyrms and other lizard-like beasts called terrors, giant spiders and snakes and even beetles. It is said that once he rises, the rest of them awake and they will follow his command.”
“We cannot hope for any more aid then we already have,” said Prince Feracrucio. “Can you perform spells to protect the city?”
“Some,” said Tor. “Young master Dorset is a wizard with spells.”
Dorset was pushed forward and he bowed his head.
“We have strong walls and stronger men,” Feracrucio said, “everyone back to their duties, let us prepare as much as we can.”
Ten ships filled with magi pulled into the half-empty docks pressed between a few fishing and a half dozen navy vessels. Edin was tasked to join other soldiers to start escorting people to the ships for their escape. Arianne and he were grouped up with a handful of men.
First, they were to go to the Garden District which was the noble quarter. It was fancy and there were guards patrolling the streets. Edin followed the head guard that’d first directed them through the streets.
They passed families. Poor ones with small children lying on laps or suckling on breasts. Arianne squeezed his hand as they maneuvered through the masses. In a dimly lit corner, Edin saw one dirty kid, coughing and with blood on his chin leaning against his mother who was just as ragged and dirty.
Then, the road cleared up. It was like there was an invisible and impenetrable barrier between the street with shops and apartments on them and then the nicer estates just east and north of the castle. “It is actually two cities,” Arianne said. “There’s the older city across the river. That is where the ancient keep is.” She explained. “It helped to hold the river’s mouth for thousands of years. Whomever held the keep, owned the Crystalline. Or so it was said.”
“Nice,” said Edin, really not paying too much attention to the history lesson. It wasn’t exactly necessary right now.
“Then the new city and the castle grew across the river.”
They stopped at the center of the street and at the back of a line of soldiers. Ahead, the guard was telling the soldiers where to go, whom to get, and to not say anything to anyone else.
Edin and Arianne came to the front of the line. “Right, you two go to the Creshtilor Estate. Three streets down, two over. The occupant is to be evacuated right away. No one else, got it.”
“Nothing like being a messenger,” said Arianne and then they headed that way. It was a bit of a hike and the road rose slightly. There were soldiers talking with people at the gates and in lit foyers of grand estates.
“You will never, ever, ever, tell me what to do in mine own house!” a man shouted.
Edin saw him standing in the doorway, his arms crossed and in a long nightgown. “I will not listen to you peasant. You are not my liege and unless the prince shows his face himself, I will not go.” He over enunciated the word himself and had raised a hand with his index finger extended as he spoke it.
They continued toward their target. Soon, the estates grew less dense and the wrought iron fences were longer.
They turned the road and saw fewer soldiers now entering the estate gates or arguing with servants who thought they were doing the good work of keeping out the soldiers.
They weren’t.
Arianne pulled him down the road. “That was my uncle’s estate,” she said pointing at one of the larger ones. “And my cousins over there.” She pointed at another. Though it was dark, there was a lot of fires lighting up the place from all over
. They stopped before the Creshtilor Estate. “This was my grandmother’s family,” she said and squeezed his hand a bit more.
Edin squeezed back and looked over to her. Arianne was staring up at it, not paying any attention to him. Then she looked and gave a wan smile.
“It’ll be okay,” Edin said.
“I’m not sure if you’re just saying that to make me feel better, or you actually believe that and are simply delusional.”
“I like option C: the I know we will win and everything will be fine one.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, their lips moved together, hers were warm and she pulled him in so their bodies embraced and he could not wait until later when they were back in the room.
Edin felt stirring and after a few moments, maybe a minute, of kissing, Arianne pulled back and said, “Edin, we’re in public.”
“Yes, and its making me feel rather awkward.” Edin turned toward the voice, it was behind the gate and it held a man of some years. A lot of years actually but there was a clever look behind the eyes. Cleverness, and smugness, Edin guessed.
“We’re here on orders of the prince. We must speak with Master Creshtilor,” said Edin.
“He does not have to speak with you, does he?” He paused. “He is free to do what they want as long as he has free—”
“Gods bless it, get them here now!” Edin shot an arm through the gate, grabbed the man by the lapel and pulled him closer. “I’m not here to play any bloody games you old piece of—”
“Edin.”
Edin stopped, but the rage was still inside him and he glared at the old man who was staring with an amused look.
“I am Master Creshtilor,” he said, “I was on my evening walk and I saw you two smooching, so I stopped.” He was brushing off his tunic, which did seem to be quite a bit finer than a servant’s, Edin saw upon closer inspection.
“I apologize, Master Creshtilor, my…” she paused, looked at Edin and said, “friend is under a fair bit of stress. Would you mind if we came in?”
“I know stress,” he said and then sighed, “and I know of yours as well. Please come in.”
He stepped back as a servant, a younger man with a thick head of hair and a weak jawline came running up and stopped just before the old man.
“My lord I saw—”
Master Creshtilor raised a hand. “Put some tea on. Black tea with lemon, for I believe it’ll be a long night.”
They followed the long, looping carriage drive into the front garden. Arianne was looking at everything like a child in a sweets shop. Like she was wanting a bit of this and a bit of that.
Then they went up the stairs and into the front entryway that was lined with paintings of people and after through a narrow hall toward the rear of the building.
“The sunroom,” Arianne whispered. “To the right was the parlor, the left was the smoking room.”
Edin saw the man tilt his head ever so slightly and hoped he didn’t hear her. That’d make this conversation weird. Well, weirder. Though saying, “the God of the Underworld has arisen and you now need to run from your home” was also going to be a difficult conversation.
They came into the room; it was open and airy with wind blowing through open windows. There were small lamps lit and white wicker chairs and sofas with floral padding around small knee-high tables. Master Creshtilor offered them a seat with an outstretched hand and smiled at them as he took his own seat across the way.
“The prince sent us here because—” Edin started but the old man just shook his head. Edin shifted in his seat. He saw books on shelves, others on the table and on the floor next to the old man. There were pencils and parchments scattered about as if for taking notes.
Then they sat in awkward silence for the next few minutes until the servant came. He was carrying a silver tray, a tea pot, and cups.
It was even more awkward as the old man watched the young servant with the eyes of an appraiser who is giving someone the very test that could define their lives.
The tea poured easily and perfectly into the small cups which he handed out on saucers and then backed up and stood next to the door. He looked ready to leap at the next word his master said.
Master Creshtilor blew slightly on the top of the tea and looked up at them over the rim. He had deep set and dark eyes, a wispy white mustache with no beard, and a fading hairline. The crow’s feet around his eyes said he spent much of his day squinting.
“Now,” he said after taking a small sip and beginning to lean forward, “my dear prince has sent you here for a reason. I assume it is from the commotion at the docks earlier.”
Edin glanced up at the servant who was still standing near the door and looking straight ahead. Edin followed the gaze and found only a white wall. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
“Not exactly,” Arianne said and she nudged him.
“Prince Feracrucio’s instructions were to relay this to only those on this list,” Edin said turning from the servant. “He is not—”
“He’s my aide and companion. Other than the Prince and his children, I have few visitors. My own children, well…” He paused for a moment. “He has no other family but I, and I have no other family but him; so you see, we rely on each other. Anything you say to me can be said before him.”
Edin took a sip of the lemony black tea and he felt a slight headrush as if from strong coffee. Edin coughed into his hand. That was good.
Then Edin spoke. “Yio Volor has risen from the Underworld and is marching toward us.”
Master Creshtilor just nodded and his servant said nothing, so Edin continued.
“The prince wanted me to tell you so that you can be one of the first few to be evacuated from the city. They’re sending you down to one of the southern isles.”
“And then you’ll be safe,” Arianne added trying to be helpful. Creshtilor turned his attention to her with a look of mild amusement.
“My sweet girl, none of us will be safe if Yio Volor has risen. Fleeing is an exercise in futility.”
“Like you walking the grounds to get your strength back,” his servant said.
Master Creshtilor shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not on that, we have yet to see young Overa.” He turned his attention back to Edin and Arianne. “I will not be leaving the city. It is the place of my birth and will be the place of my death.”
“Master,” said Overa but the old man just held up his hand.
“But I do not see myself dying just yet.” He crossed one leg over the other and clasped his hands together on the crossed knee. “Young man, you have the look of someone who is ready to take on the world.”
Edin said nothing as he sipped the tea.
“Go now, do your work for the prince. Tell him I would love to see the kids before they leave.”
“But sir,” Arianne started. “You—”
“I will be where I am,” he said, “if you have time before the end, stop by again. I have many tales of old Calerrat, tales of the old town and words of wisdom passed down by generations though few have the time to listen anymore.” He winked at Arianne.
“Alright,” Edin said and stood. He was here doing this for the prince, why, he didn’t know but he wasn’t going to trouble the old man or himself anymore.
“Overa, you may show them out,” Creshtilor said. “Mistress, you are always welcome in my home. Former residents can tell you about the structure so much more than your own digging can uncover, can they not?”
Arianne said nothing but she looked shocked.
“And master de Yaultan, think about the balance of power that would need to shift in order to fight the god of the underworld. Think of the Oret Nakosu and where you place that balance.”
Edin raised an eyebrow, opened his mouth, and then closed it. The cryptic words meant a little more than nothing to him. He turned and followed Overa out.
Back on the street, Arianne asked, “What did that mean?”
Edin shook his head. He had no idea but he wasn’t goi
ng to go finding people to ship them off anymore. They had to talk to the prince and then he’d find something more useful to do.
The prince grumbled a bit when Edin told him what Master Creshtilor said about not leaving but he seemed resigned to letting the old man stay without much of a fight. Then Edin asked about going out and trying to help guard the lumberjacks for the wood or digging the trenches or delivering the oil to soak the fields. The prince said, “Kid, if you’re as necessary as you say you are, I don’t want you tired when he gets here.”
Edin stayed in the city. He watched the men, the soldiers including some of his friends, march off into the darkness guarding men with wagons and axes and shovels. There were people cutting beyond sight. Small flickering orange dots told him that there’d been no trouble out there yet.
The magi, for there were at least three hundred now in the city, were taking the places of the women and children, and sometimes, cowardly men who’d offer whatever they could, homes, money, jewels, even their kids to get on. The last was according to a group of soldiers who denied one weaselly looking man with an auburn mop on his head that was balding and combed over. The wide face, big teeth, and light spectacles made him look more gopher like but still, the soldiers called him a weasel.
Edin wondered why. Were weasels notorious cowards or notorious sneaks? What about snakes? They could wiggle and squirm their way out. So could eels Edin thought remembering the ones in Olangia. How nasty and gross and how strong their bites were. A phantom pain went into his ankle.
“Hey,” Arianne said sitting next to him on the parapet. It was still dark out. Heck it was always dark out and Edin didn’t know if he’d ever see the sun again.
She nudged him with her shoulder and looked over at him with a soft, and mischievous smile. “Was thinking about hitting the bed early,” she winked. “Unless you’re excited to stare off into the unknown and worry.”
“I’m not.”
“Of course you’re worrying. I’ve known you long enough to be certain. You wrinkle your brow and press your lips together. Once in a while, you’ll swallow, and your jaw will move up and down.”