Hellion Mage

by James Green

  “It seems the catacomb gates were unlocked,” he said. “That part of the keep is infrequently visited, and the gates are never used. The catacombs beyond are fractured, near useless for their original purpose. It’s unclear whether that area even connects with the rest of the catacombs any longer. If she went through those gates, then we may never find her. I have sent two squads to secure the entrance.”

  As a group we excused ourselves, no longer needed now that the immediate threat had been dealt with.

  Once we were clear of the crowds of Guardsmen I spoke up. “We need to go have a talk with Lord Jancier.”

  Chapter 13

  We retrieved our horses from a pair of Sergeant Ajax’s men just outside the wall. Fred had treated the soldier’s wounds with his salves and then rode to Mianya. Ajax himself was gone, having been called away to help the effort inside the keep. The wounded soldiers gratefully gave us our horses and left to return to their duties.

  Ramses had been nibbling on something expensive looking in a decorative planter but was happy enough to get moving again when I mounted up.

  “Do we really think that Lord Jancier had something to do with Grimjaw being missing?” Ulmar asked to break the silence. “Or Lord Mercer’s disappearance for that matter?”

  “He was the last to see Mercer in the palace, wasn’t he? Maybe Mercer never left.”

  “What motive would he have for any of this?” Anastasia asked. “Lord Jancier was a loyal servant of Amber’s father, and from all appearance continues to serve her faithfully.”

  “I don’t know, but we need to talk to him and ask him some questions don’t you think?” I asked.

  “Perhaps, but before we do that we need to talk to Amber,” Anastasia said. “We can’t go stepping on her toes like that. If her servant was involved, we need to talk to her first before we confront him.”

  I was completely ignorant of any etiquette that might be involved here, so was happy to take her word for it.

  “Sure, we talk to Amber first.”

  The city streets were busy, full of chattering and excited people all talking about the attack on the garrison. Palace road was busy this time, with groups of people making their way up the switchbacks. Everyone, rich or poor, was wearing their finest clothing.

  “Excuse me, ladies, what are you going to the palace for?” I asked an elderly woman in a bright blue gown. She was walking beside a younger woman with a strong family resemblance.

  “The same as any of us, young man,” the old woman replied. “We come to petition the Duchess. It is Petition Day after all.”

  The old woman seemed to consider the question fully answered and didn’t elaborate, so I looked to Anastasia.

  “Once a month the Duchess sets aside some time to hear petitions from her subjects,” Anastasia offered. “Forgive a debt, commute a sentence, that sort of thing. I didn’t realize it was today.”

  We slowly wended up the hillside, passing the walking groups one by one. At the top the palace gates were wide open, the petitioners streaming in past alert guards who made sure they weren’t armed but otherwise didn’t impede them. The guard in charge looked up as we crested the hill and recognized us.

  “Lady Anastasia, we weren’t expecting you,” he said and waved some stable boys over. “It’s a busy day today, forgive the delay.”

  The stable boys took our horses and led them through the knots of citizens moving through the gates. A moment later and Renault was there, looking a tiny bit harried.

  “Lady, honored guests, welcome back,” Renault said. “The Duchess is occupied with her petitioners at the moment. If you’d like I can bring you to a sitting room and provide refreshment while you wait?”

  “Thank you, Renault, but I believe I’d like to observe the petitions,” Anastasia replied. “We’ll need to speak with Amber immediately after she is done.”

  “Of course, milady. Please, follow me.“

  Renault led us down a broad hallway thronged with groups of petitioners coming and going. Just before the hallway ended and opened up into a cavernous hall I hadn’t seen before he veered left past a vigilant servant and up a narrow set of stairs.

  “This way, if you please,” he instructed.

  At the top of those stairs was a gallery overlooking the hall I’d seen the petitioners enter. Luxurious chairs were scattered in groups, and a table with bottles of wine and snacks stood nearby. Other than us and a single servant standing at attention near the middle of the back wall, it was empty.

  “You may observe the Hall of Petitions from this gallery,” Renault said. “Please let Louis know if you require anything. I regret that I must leave you to return to my many duties.”

  “Wait, Renault, is that Sir Keyris down there?” Ulmar asked. I hadn’t immediately picked out the huge man without his plate mail on, but it did look like him. He was standing against the wall, looking relaxed as he sipped a goblet of wine.

  “Yes, he also expressed a wish to observe the petitions but declined the gallery,” Renault replied.

  “Thank you, Renault,” Anastasia said, and Renault left.

  On the far side of the hall on a dais I saw Amber sitting attentively in a chair—it was too comfortable to be called a throne—listening to a solemn young man tell her his story. It was a tale of woe about his father, about how he was a good man and wasn’t responsible for his actions when he was drinking. From what I gathered the young man’s father had got into a fight while drunk and then fought the Guard when they had arrived. The young man wanted his father released so he could return to his family and promised he would ensure that he never drank again.

  When the young man had run out of steam, Amber spoke. “Thank you. I will consider your petition.”

  The young man bowed his head respectfully and moved away, escorted by a liveried servant. The next group of people moved up, a wealthy looking family with their fancy hats in their hands. I moved to the table with the food on it, joining Ulmar.

  He handed me a goblet with some wine in it and poured his own, taking a drink.

  “That’s good stuff,” he said and slumped onto a nearby couch. “At least they’ve provided something to while away the time with.”

  Anastasia joined us at the table and poured another goblet for herself. “We’ll be waiting for some time, I’d guess. Might as well get comfortable.”

  Mithra sat nearby, eyeing the food hopefully. I began feeding him chunks of meat and cheese. He’d effortlessly snatch them out of the air when we threw them to him. Snatcher would simply dart in, steal something off the plate and be gone. The hellions had their fill as the servant on the back wall—Louis—would bring more plates when we emptied the large one on the table.

  The petitions seemed endless and after an hour they all began to sound the same. I finished my goblet and set it down. Ulmar made to fill it again and I waved him off.

  “I’m going to go for a walk,” I said.

  “I’ll send a servant to find you when Amber finishes,” Anastasia said.

  Down the narrow staircase and through the hall and then I was wandering randomly through the palace. The servants all seemed to recognize me—how could they fail to do so? I was the spearman with the hellion wolf companion. Most of them didn’t notice Snatcher at all, running on the walls and ceilings above their heads. His camouflage was near perfect.

  I had been wandering twenty minutes and was totally lost when I saw Renault. I met his eye and he came over to greet me.

  “Master William, how may I help you?” he asked.

  “I’d like to speak with Lord Jancier, can you direct me to him?” I asked.

  Sure, I’d agreed that we should talk to Amber first, but maybe I could shake him up a bit if I met with him by myself.

  “Of course, sir. I believe milord is in his office. Please, follow me.”

  Renault led me down some halls and when we crossed the main entry hall, I once again had my bearings within the palace. A minute later we were at a closed, unmarke
d wooden door. Renault rapped on it smartly.

  “Enter!” I heard a voice yell from the other side.

  Renault opened the door and stepped inside. “My lord, I have Master William, Queen’s Beast Mage to see you.”

  “Really? Well, please enter, Master William,” Jancier said.

  Renault stepped aside and I entered, Mithra following in my wake. The office was cramped and warm, a large wooden desk with a high-backed leather taking most of the space. On one wall was a fireplace, small fire burning in the hearth. The other walls were lined with shelves all the way to the ceiling, each seeming to groan under the weight of all the books.

  Jancier looked up at me, meeting my eyes over his spectacles. He set down the book he was writing in and closed it.

  “Master William, what can I do for you?” he asked.

  Renault closed the door behind him as he left.

  “My lord, I had some questions I wanted to ask you.”

  “By all means. I believe you are due thanks for your actions at the garrison earlier today. I read the report from Malek just minutes ago.”

  “Yes, my lord,” I said. “The Saprophytes seem to be a problem although it is a mystery as to why they attacked the garrison.”

  “I am sure we will find out in due time. Now, if you have some questions for me please ask. I am a busy man.”

  “As you know, the Queen personally charged me to recover Grimjaw, but she also asked me to enquire about the whereabouts of Lord Mercer. I have begun to suspect that those events are linked in some way.”

  “I also suspect that Lord Mercer somehow managed to steal the Frost Tortoise after her grace denied him,” Jancier said. “I have no proof, of course.”

  “No, that is not what I mean,” I said. “Myca herself led the Saprophytes in their assault. I believe she is now in the Catacombs. Lord Mercer went into the Catacombs and only you ever saw him again. Grimjaw disappeared from his chambers there.”

  “Are you implying something?” Jancier asked mildly. “Lord Mercer was well after his visit with Grimjaw. I cannot be held responsible if he returned to steal Grimjaw for whatever nefarious purpose he might have had.”

  “I am not implying anything, my lord. I do have a question, though. Did you ever visit Grimjaw’s chambers yourself?”

  “Not since the Duke passed on. The Tortoise doesn’t much like me. Why?”

  “Perhaps you can explain why we found one of your empty bottles of Fred’s Tonic in the chamber?” I asked.

  “I am afraid I cannot,” Jancier replied, unfazed. “Perhaps Lord Mercer also uses the tonic? He is an older man, after all. He may have consumed it prior to dominating Grimjaw and making off with him.”

  “Of course, that seems possible. Apologies, my lord.”

  “I completely understand, William. Be assured I had nothing to do with the disappearance of Grimjaw or Lord Mercer.”

  If he was lying, I sure couldn’t tell. The man was either being completely honest or he was a flawless liar.

  “That’s good to hear,” I said and smiled. “As a matter of courtesy I want to inform you that I will be organizing a thorough search of the Catacombs later this afternoon. I’ll be asking her grace to loan me some of the city Guard to aid in the search.”

  “Oh? What do you hope to accomplish?” he asked.

  “I believe that Lord Mercer may still be in the Catacombs, either alive or dead I do not know. Grimjaw must be—how could you remove such a large creature without someone noticing? Finally, Myca. I think she is also in the Catacombs for whatever reason. With luck we will find one or all of them.”

  Jancier hesitated, something other than perfectly cool for the first time. “A bold plan. I wish you luck, William. Now, if there is nothing else, I need to return to my work.”

  “Of course, my lord. Good day,” I said and left his office.

  I considered the result of my conversation. I hadn’t got him to break down and confess his guilt, but I’d poked the bear, so to speak. I just had to see if the bear would react.

  The idea I’d had was to wait outside his office in concealment and follow him when he left, but my brilliant plan was undone when I realized there was literally nowhere to hide. The hall was straight and well lit without anything to hide behind.

  Snatcher was where I’d last seen him, nearly perfectly invisible on the ceiling above Lord Jancier’s door. I knew that the only reason I could pick him out so quickly now was our shared bond. I always knew where my bonded hellions were.

  “Snatcher,” I instructed the lizard in a low voice. “Follow Lord Jancier when he leaves. Don’t let him see you.”

  I projected a mental image of Jancier and felt the lizard acknowledge the order.

  It only took a minute to find a nearby storage room filled with disused chairs. I sat down on one to wait, concentrating on Snatcher’s position. Mithra lay down on the floor nearby, clearly bored but willing to tag along.

  About forty minutes later I felt Snatcher move, and then move again. He was moving away from me. When he’d got some distance away, I opened the door a crack and peeked out. A servant looked at me strangely, but the hall was otherwise empty. I left the storage room behind, walking in Snatcher’s direction.

  Knowing which direction your hellion was in and how far they were was very helpful in the outdoors. Inside a huge palace it was less so. At least once I rounded a corner and had to backtrack as I realized I had no way to continue in the direction I needed.

  Moving quickly, I rounded a corner and then had to duck backward as I saw Jancier’s back in the distance at the end of the hall. He had stopped and was chatting with a pair of guards posted on a thick steel door. I could hear their voices but not the conversation and I didn’t dare stick my head out to listen. Snatcher was still stationary, so I was confident he hadn’t moved even if I couldn’t hear what they were saying.

  I could smell smoke suddenly. Thin and weak, the mere hint of something burning. I looked behind me and saw it hanging in the air, barely visible. A light gray—nearly white—smoke. It didn’t drift upward or follow an unseen wind. It merely hung there, directly behind where I’d been crouching.

  I reached out my left hand and passed it through the cloud. With startling speed, the cloud shifted, rippling in the air. In less than a second it changed from a cloud of strange smoke to a beautiful redheaded woman. Duchess Amber. Mithra let out a whuff of alarm as she appeared.

  The palm of my hand was resting on the bare skin of her chest above her left breast. Her brilliant green eyes caught mine, a smile on her lips. I withdrew my hand.

  “Drat, you’ve caught me,” she said in a whisper. “It’s much harder to maintain that form when people touch me. Distracting, too. So fresh, William!”

  “Your grace, you surprised me.”

  “I told you to call me Amber,” she admonished. “Why are you following Jancier?”

  “I suspect he has something to do with Grimjaw’s disappearance,” I whispered. “The potion bottle was his, probably. I confronted him and now I’m hoping he’ll lead me somewhere or do something suspicious.”

  Now that I’d explained it to her it sounded really dumb, but she lifted my spirits with her next comment.

  “It seems your instincts might be right. That’s one of our Catacombs entrances ahead. I’ve never known him to go down there. I so hope he’s our traitor so I can have him beheaded. He’s never liked me, and I’ve never trusted him.”

  I raised an eyebrow at that. It seemed a little bloodthirsty for her, but I had to admit I didn’t know her that well. The Amber I’d seen patiently listening to her subjects’ petitions was a different one than the one I was seeing now. She had hidden depths.

  I heard the great steel door creak as it opened and felt Snatcher move. “He’s on the move, Amber. I’ve got to go.”

  “I’m coming with you. If he’s a traitor, I’ll need to see it for myself.”

  I couldn’t argue with that. We waited a few minutes for him to get ahea
d of us and then we came around the corner, Amber taking my arm as she had the first time we’d met. The guards perked up when they saw her coming.

  “Your grace,” the senior guardsman said, eyes forward.

  “Tell me, guardsman,” Amber said. “What did Lord Jancier say he was doing in the Catacombs just now?”

  “I’m afraid he didn’t say, your grace. My Lord Jancier rarely speaks with us.”

  He was lying, I knew it. He seemed uncomfortable doing it, but I was sure he was.

  “So that long conversation you had with him before you opened the door, what was it about?” I asked.

  “Uh, just idle chatter, sir.”

  “Is that right?” I asked. He was definitely lying.

  “Open the door, guardsman,” Amber ordered. “We’ll be entering the Catacombs.”

  The guardsman hesitated for only a second before unbolting the thick door and swinging it open for the Duchess. Mithra darted through the opening door, scouting ahead curiously.

  “Thank you, guardsman,” Amber said and with a dazzling smile she walked past the guards.

  I followed, a bit behind her to her right and caught the whisper of steel clearing leather. I lunged at the senior guardsman, ruining his traitorous stab at his Duchess’s back. I kicked the man in his breastplate, sending him staggering back. The junior guard looked stunned at the sudden violence.

  “Malfy, come on,” the senior guard hissed. “Now’s the time.”

  I pulled my spear free in a smooth motion, tucking it under my right arm with the point at my side. I could feel Mithra dashing back up the hall toward the fight. Both guards looked alarmed, backpedaling a step. With a whump of ignition both guards turned into pillars of white-hot flame, the heat blistering even six feet away. They didn’t even get a chance to scream before the fire seared their lives away.

  I backed away, looking over my shoulder. Amber stood with her arms wide, eyes burning orange as she directed her power. Choking smoke flooded the corridor, rising to the ceiling far above and streaming out the open windows. The melted, unrecognizable figures slumped to the ground, a mixture of charred flesh and melted steel.