Fallen Ambitions

by Vann, Eric J.

  Celia felt her cheeks heat up. She did not remember what she had been dreaming of, but it was safe to say her Master was involved. Having someone to snuggle up against again would explain why she’d had such a restful sleep.

  Celia sighed. “Fine, you’re here, that’s great!” she said as she took a seat in a nearby chair, crossing one of her legs over the other. “Master was getting worried about you. I was getting worried.”

  “Hmm?” Melody slid back into the bed and wrapped the sheets around her like a cocoon, leaving only the top half of her head—from her nose up—out in the open. “Worried?” she said, her voice muffled by the fabric.

  Celia raised an eyebrow but couldn’t hold back a smile. “Yes, worried. You were gone for so long… What happened?”

  Several moments of silence passed.

  “Melody?” Celia asked, frowning. “Are you—Melody!” She bellowed the name this time, throwing the seat cushion at the sleeping Beastkin’s head for good measure.

  “Ow!” Melody yelped as she curled up protectively under the sheets.

  “Don’t go to sleep when I’m talking to you,” Celia scolded. “Tell me exactly what happened after you left.”

  Melody pouted again, her ears flattening against her head unhappily. “I’m so tired,” she complained. “I only got an hour’s sleep before you kicked me!”

  Celia kept her gaze level on the Beastkin, this time successfully holding back her smile.

  “Oh fine,” Melody said as she turned in place to unwrap herself from the sheets. “Well, I went to Tijar, just like I promised. I visited every merchant house I could, trying to find a buyer for aranite. If not for the shard I was given, I don’t think people would have believed me. Even so, things didn’t go as planned. Someone looked me up and discovered that I was a debt slave, so the guards nabbed me and took the shard away!” She puffed out her cheeks, her tail stiffening before she glanced away. “I was imprisoned,” she mumbled, her voice so low Celia almost missed it.

  Celia would have laughed at her antics, if not for the seriousness of the situation. She hadn’t even known records of slaves were kept. But it made perfect sense: of course they would keep track of the debt involved.

  “So, how are you here?” she asked.

  Melody grinned. “After a few days in prison, I got a visit from the head of the Crone Company! Can you believe it? The actual head of one the great merchant houses just walked into my cell and gave me back the shard.”

  “Crone Company?” Celia asked, puzzled.

  Melody was taken aback. “It’s the second largest merchant house in Tijar. How do you not know this?”

  “Hey, have you heard of Ila’s bakery?” Celia asked, irritably.

  “No… Who’s Ila?”

  “Only the best baker in the town closest to my home village. She made the best Jannatin sponge cakes. How do you not know this?” Celia asked, with a raised eyebrow.

  Melody laughed. “Fine, fine, I see your point. The Crone Company is one of the three houses which have a permanent seat on the board of the Bank of Tijar. The board is what leads the faction of Tijar, and each of the three heads receives a term as Faction Leader. The three companies specialize in and monopolize different trades, so they rarely compete with each other. The Crone Company specializes in construction, ores, metals, and weapons. They are extremely powerful.”

  Celia leaned back against the chair’s armrest and propped her chin on her hand. “So you made contact with a big merchant house, well done. Did you get the trade deal Master wanted?”

  Melody grinned, hey eyes practically glittering with anticipation. “I did far better than that!” she exclaimed. “I came back with a representative of the bank. He is here to meet Lord Aziel personally and discuss a long-term partnership between the Fallen, the Crone Company, and the Bank of Tijar!”

  “Oh?” Celia said, cautiously. She had little idea what deal a bank might make with a faction; though Celia liked having gold, finance was not her strength. But Melody certainly seemed excited about it. “That sounds… good? But I’m surprised the Jannatin Empire let you through their border.”

  Melody laughed again. “Oh, they tried to stop us, and I’m sure they would have—but even the Jannatin Empire doesn’t want to sour their relationship with the Crone Company. Certainly not the bank.”

  Once again, Celia found herself lacking enough information to understand Melody’s account. She could see how it might be important to preserve a relationship with a powerful merchant house which provided metals and weapons, but why the bank? The Jannatin Empire must have their own bank, surely?

  “Melody?” Celia called as the Beastkin once again slid under the sheets.

  “Mm?”

  “What does the Bank of Tijar actually do?”

  Melody’s ears perked up at her question, and she once again unraveled herself from her sheet cocoon. The Beastkin seemed to think for a while before replying, sucking on her lower lip. “Well, they make the money,” she said simply.

  Celia didn’t respond immediately, waiting for more. “Make money?” she asked when she realized Melody wasn’t going to continue.

  “Yes, they make the coins. My guess is they want to establish a branch in the Fallen’s territory. They have one in the Jannatin Empire, Odana, Archigal, and many other places outside the Eastern Peninsula. The coins might look different, but they all have the same value and magical protections, since they are all in fact made by one organization: the Bank of Tijar. The Ejani Empire have their own bank, but their eastern provinces accepted Tijarii coins.”

  Celia had already known that the coins they used were minted by the Tijarii; everyone did. But she had never actually considered what that meant. Now, she thought it over: they made the actual coins. How much power did that give them over the factions who used their coins? Why would a faction even accept such a thing? The Free State of Tijar was officially neutral, but that did not mean they could be trusted.

  At least the Jannatin Empire not intervening with Melody and the bank’s representative at the border made much more sense now.

  Melody must have noticed Celia’s reaction, as she tumbled off the bed and fetched an overstuffed leather backpack from the corner of the room. The Beastkin must have brought it with her when Celia was asleep. Melody reached inside and pulled out a small pouch before emptying its contents on the dresser table. Celia got to her feet and came closer, curious.

  They were coins. Three coppers, two silvers and one gold. Although they all shared the same circular shape, each had different designs on their faces.

  Melody began separating them, pulling one copper, one silver and the gold coin to one side. “I expect you know these.”

  “Those are Jannatin,” Celia said, picking up the gold coin. All their coins bore faces of past emperors on one side and a depiction of the grand pillar—a monument to great military victories of the past—on the other. Celia returned the gold coin before placing a finger on another copper coin and separating it from the rest. “This is Caelian,” she said.

  “Technically, it’s Tijarii now. The bank originated under the Caelian Empire, but after its fall, the coinage was renamed as Tijarii.” Melody flipped over the coin. “There are still old Caelian coins around which bear the Phoenix on their faces, but these days, the central bank only mints coins with the Tijarii dragon on one side and a depiction of the bank’s entrance on the other.”

  Celia nodded thoughtfully before making her way to the cabinet and retrieving her dimensional pouch. She plunged her hand into it and thought of the coins she had looted from the noble family’s carriage. They materialized in her hand with a satisfying weight, and she drew out several gold and silver coins and placed them on the dresser with the rest.

  Melody’s eyes widened at the sight of the wealth Celia had so casually produced, but said nothing.

  “So,” Celia said as she sifted through the coins, which were the same as the Tijarii ones. “Maiv doesn’t have their own coins?”
r />   “Maiv doesn’t have their own branch, so no, they don’t have their own coin. They still use the Tijarii coins.” Melody pointed to the remainder of the coins. “Those are from Odana.”

  Celia picked up an Odanian coin and examined its face. On one side was a depiction of a horse and rider, while the other bore an image of what appeared to be a large manor. “So the Bank of Tijar makes all of these?”

  Melody nodded. “As I said, the central bank in Tijar only mints Tijarii coins, while the other branches do the same for the faction they are in. They all share the same weight and value, though. A Jannatin coin is the same as an Odanian coin. It makes trade easier between the factions and the peoples in them, since it is essentially one standard currency.”

  It certainly was easier. Celia could only imagine how complicated things would become if each faction had its own coin with its own perceived value. How would people keep track of it all? It made sense now why a faction would do such a thing, but it still gave the Free State of Tijar a lot of power.

  “The bank also issues enchanted lenses,” Melody continued. “It allows people to detect a counterfeit coin.”

  “Enchanted lenses? How does that work?”

  Melody pursed her lips. “Umm… I don’t have one with me, but it’s a piece of glass, and when you look through it at a coin minted by the bank, it should show a mark on the coin you otherwise can’t see. If there isn’t a mark, then the coin isn’t real. I think the Ejani coins are the same, though they’re square, not round.”

  Celia gathered up her coins and returned them to her pouch, then placed a hand on Melody’s head and began combing her hair absently with her fingers. “It’s good to have you back, Melody,” she said, meaning it. She had felt strangely comfortable around the Beastkin from the very beginning.

  “Can I go to sleep now?” Melody asked, looking at the bed longingly.

  “Soon,” Celia said with a grin. “After you tell me what kind of deal you struck for the aranite.”

  Melody sighed, but was enjoying Celia’s grooming too much to show any real annoyance. “I couldn’t settle on a price,” she said, her eyes closing as Celia began to scratch the back of one of her ears. “Lord Aziel didn’t tell me how much aranite he had for sale.”

  Celia knew the answer to that, but if her Master had not shared that information, then it wasn’t her place to do so. “You don’t even have an estimate for a standard ingot?”

  It wasn’t an exaggeration that the faction’s survival depended in large part on what they could get for the metal. At the moment, it was the only possible source of enough wealth to fund their growth, if it was going to happen even close to the pace her Master wished.

  Melody grinned. “I told Lord Aziel he might get around three thousand gold for each… but the Crone Company bought the shard for twenty gold, so I might have underestimated its value.”

  Celia stopped scratching Melody, her breath catching. “Twenty gold for that tiny thing? That’s unbelievable.”

  “Mmhmm,” Melody said excitedly before ducking back down to rummage through her bulging pack. She made joyful noises as she pulled out a never-ending stream of colorful pieces of fabric.

  “What’s all this?” Celia asked as she knelt to pick one up. It was a long form-fitting black dress with a small diamond-shaped cutout over the navel.

  “Clothes! My father used to buy me all kinds of outfits when we were traveling together,” Melody said, before pointing at the black dress Celia held. “That one is yours.” The Beastkin looked more thoroughly happy than Celia had ever seen.

  Slowly, Celia picked up another piece of clothing, this one a soft white shirt, flowers embroidered along one sleeve. “You bought these? With the gold?”

  “Yes!” Melody chirped, completely missing Celia’s accusatory tone. “It’s all made of Archigal worm silk and Odanian cotton,” she added as she rubbed what appeared to be a flowing dress of deep blue across her cheek. “It’s what the nobles wear!”

  “Melody!” Celia said, exasperated as she bunched the shirt into a ball and threw it at the Beastkin. “That wasn’t your money to spend!”

  Melody ducked under the shirt easily, even from this close range. She then actually glared at Celia, baring her tiny fangs as she pulled all the clothes close to her chest, like a beast pulling in its young to protect them from a predator.

  Celia raised an eyebrow at this sudden aggression. “I’m not going to take them away from you.”

  As if flipping a switch, all Melody’s hostility evaporated, and she went back to examining her clothes. “Here, these are a few more for you,” she said, tossing several dresses Celia’s way. Celia caught them, not knowing what else to do.

  She unfurled one, appreciating the feel of the fabric. Celia had only one article of clothing at present—a highly impressive one, true, but even so. She held this new dress against herself and looked in the dresser mirror, imagining her Master’s reaction. Absently, she traced the link between them: he was north, probably still in Soul’s Rest, and bored out of his mind. That was something she was looking forward to rectifying.

  A wide grin spread across Celia’s lips. She supposed some new clothing was not a bad investment. She pulled out another, much less appropriate article of clothing. Its thin red fabric would barely cover her underwear.

  “Oh,” Melody said. “That’s the new fashion in Odana—I think the tailor called it a nightgown? I don’t know why anyone would wear anything like that to a ball, but I thought it might look good on you,” she added, looking Celia up and down. “Anything would look good on you.”

  Celia looked at Melody with no small amount of amusement. There really was only one purpose such a piece of clothing could be intended for, and she doubted it had anything do with balls… and everything to do with the bedroom.

  She dropped the dress back with the others, realizing how tired she still was. “Alright, let’s get back to bed. We have a long day’s travel in the morning.”

  As if on cue, Melody let out a long yawn. She shoved the mountain of clothes back into her pack before sliding into bed. “You’re not going to cuddle with me again, are you?” she asked as Celia lay down beside her.

  “Are you asking me not to?” Celia replied, pulling the sheets over them.

  “Mmmmm, I guess I don’t mind…”

  Celia laughed as she pushed her arm under the Beastkin and pulled her close.

  * * *

  It took a lot of effort to rouse her bedroom companion at dawn, and even more to coax her to get dressed. Finally stepping outside the inn in the early light, Celia stared.

  A massive assembly of carts and carriages awaited them. There were so many that they clogged the entire main road of Fes—hundreds of them, all saddled and ready.

  “Lady Celia, Melody,” Duren said, a wide smile spread across his face. “It’s a beautiful morning, don’t you think?”

  Melody gave him a dazed look, still not fully awake, but Duren didn’t seem to notice. “It is,” Celia replied dryly. “But would you mind telling me what it is I’m looking at?”

  “Oh,” Duren said, as he turned to take in the convoy. “Well, you have mine and Issac’s delegations, of course. You also have a delegation from Tijar.”

  “That still doesn’t explain why there are quite so many. There must be over a thousand humans here,” Celia said, still unable to comprehend the amount of people who would be traveling to Soul’s Rest.

  “Well… many folks want to meet their future Faction Leader. They also want to see Soul’s Rest. It is the seat of power. Can’t blame them for that.”

  “No, we can’t. But some of these people are from Maiv, I see?” Once again, Celia wondered what her Master was going to think of this. Not only a refugee crisis, but a wave of humanity descending upon his place of power. She could only hope he and the Grauda did not think they were being attacked. Actually, now that she thought about it, that was a valid concern. She should send a message warning them beforehand.


  “Indeed.” Duren beamed. “There are some former Maivans mixed in. Then again, almost everyone in the Wilds was a former something at some point.”

  Celia supposed he was right, but it still made her wary. Who knew who might be mixed with these people… But what choice did she have? Unless she wanted to start attacking them with the few Grauda she had, these people were coming along.

  “Miss Melody,” Duren said, turning to face the drowsy Beastkin. “The guards informed me of the arrival of yourself and Master Grendel of the Crone Company.” He offered a hand in greeting. “It’s always a pleasure to meet one of your kind, and Master Grendel is quite the character.”

  “Just where is Master Grendel?” Celia asked, scanning the convoy. She could easily identify the Tijarii carts and carriages, which were far sturdier and well-built than the others.

  “He is by the gate, preparing for the trip. I’m sure you will meet him on the way, Lady Celia.”

  Celia was just about to respond when Melody pushed herself forward, glaring. “Why not call me a lady?” she demanded.

  Duren pulled back, astonished. “Oh, I… I meant no offence of course, Lady Melody.”

  Melody twisted her lips in thought, then shrugged, her face suddenly pleasant again. “Never mind, it sounded better in my head. Just Melody for me.”

  Duren glanced at Celia and chuckled. “Of course. As you wish, Melody.”

  Celia sighed. This was going to be a long trip.

  Chapter 22

  “I grow impatient,” the Empress Nevani complained as Valery gently brushed out her hair with a comb.

  “They will be here any moment now, your Highness,” a well-dressed vampire replied, his tone cultured and respectful. “Your loyal agents must be taking every precaution.”

  Valery stiffened as her hand lifted a section of Nevani’s hair, feeling for any knots to untangle. All she wanted was to rip the hair clean out of the Empress’s head. But just as her fingers began to tighten, she felt the magic within the slave band around her neck flare, and she lost control of her body once more. Valery cursed inwardly, but could do nothing.