Maybe he should have followed her.
The tracking enchantment intrigued him, but he could have Wrenlow look into it. While Gavin was gone, he might as well have Wrenlow keeping tabs on the girl.
Before he left, he had a few other things that he needed to accomplish. One would be gathering supplies. He could have Gaspar do it, but there were a few supplies that Gavin thought he would be best equipped to acquire. And, besides, he wanted to have some choice in the matter.
It didn’t take long before he stood before the Captain’s fortress. It didn’t look much different than it did when the Captain had been alive, though more lights glowed in windows. Sculptures arranged around the outside of the wall looked simply like decoration, though Gavin knew they were all enchantments. Incredibly detailed as well. If he made the wrong move, or came off the least bit threatening, he had little doubt the enchantments would turn on him.
He approached the gate slowly. Gavin called upon the energy of his core reserves, thankful that his power had started to restore, knowing he had to be careful here.
The enchantments turned toward him. One looked like a massive dog, and another looked something like a cat, though with an unusual appearance. It had overly large ears and a tail that curled around it, with a level of detail that made it seem like a real creature had been turned to stone.
As soon as they saw him, they swiveled their stone heads back to look out at the street. He smiled to himself as he passed through the gate and headed up to the doorway, where a dark-haired, young-looking woman stood watching him.
“You keyed them to recognize me?” he asked Zella.
She made a motion, and he followed her inside, closing the door behind him.
“I figured I would see you again,” she said.
Gavin chuckled. “It’s good to see you as well.”
The entrance of the home had changed far more than the exterior. It was warmer, for one. Lights glowed everywhere, most of them enchanted, and all of the animal heads and weapons the Captain had used to adorn his home had been torn down, leaving the interior of the building almost welcoming. A pair of enchanters stood down one hall, though Gavin didn’t recognize either of them.
“You keep making a habit of visiting,” she said.
“I’m not after anything in particular.”
She arched a brow at him. “We know that’s not true. Otherwise you wouldn’t have come.”
He shrugged. “You’re right. That’s not entirely true. I do need something.” He looked around the home, glad that the enchanters had claimed this space. It suited them. Not all of them lived here, but enough did. “I presume you have your own way of ensuring access to magic through the shield?”
She stared at him, saying nothing.
“I can’t imagine you would have been willing to place enchantments around the city without some way to bypass them.”
“They would not be effective if they could be bypassed,” she said.
He frowned. “But I can still use power here.”
“The only exception is this structure.”
He started to smile, but she shook her head. “I don’t disagree with Davel on this,” Zella said. “There have been dangers. When the Fates presented themselves, they posed a very different threat. Then your sorcerer friend and his most recent attack confirmed our suspicions. We need to protect Yoran in a way we have not before.”
“I see.”
“The Chain Breaker can’t be here permanently,” she said.
Gavin stiffened. He knew she was right, but hearing someone say it so bluntly still surprised him.
“What did you need?”
“I’m going to be leaving for a little while,” he said. “I was hoping you might provide me with some items that will make the journey easier.”
She snorted. “You want enchantments again.”
“This is for Gaspar and Imogen. This is for—”
“Your request is enough. You can take what you need. I’ve labeled many of them so others can find what they need.”
That would be useful. “Thank you.”
It might have been his imagination, but it seemed almost as if she was irritated with him. Gavin didn’t think he had done anything to warrant that, but then again, they felt Yoran was in danger because of those that had come to the city for him.
“Take what you need. I assume you need transportation, or else you wouldn’t have mentioned leaving the city. There are several different items that Mekel has made recently. I suspect any of them will be satisfactory.” She turned to him. “When you return, I would like to speak with you about a few other details.”
“We can talk now.”
She hesitated. “No. I think I would prefer to talk when you return. Travel safely.”
She turned away, leaving Gavin alone.
He would’ve objected, but he knew where the storage room for enchantments could be found, and he knew exactly what he needed. She had also started to label the enchantments, so he would not need her help identifying their purpose.
After gathering the usuals—different enchantments for speed, strength, and enhanced eyesight—he grabbed a handful that would help them travel. He couldn’t be certain, but they were a variety of creatures, including what seemed to be a lizard. He would’ve left the last, but there didn’t appear to be many other alternatives. They were all stationed outside and around the fortress.
By the time he headed back out, he didn’t see any of the enchanters in the main part of the home. He had made his way through the courtyard and back out of the gate when Gaspar’s voice crackled through the enchantment. The stone creatures surrounding the wall looked in his direction briefly, annoyed that the enchantment would intrude upon them.
“You ever coming back?” Gaspar asked. “We’re fixing to go. Didn’t want to leave you behind, but we will if we need to.”
“I figured we’d wait to leave until morning.”
“Sure. But how long you plan on wandering tonight?”
Gavin chuckled. “I was getting supplies. I’ll be back in time for us to depart.”
“Good. Not doing this without you.”
It was another rare moment from Gaspar. When Gavin tried to tease him, the enchantment remained silent. He laughed softly as he headed back to the Dragon. It was time for him to get ready. Imogen needed him, and though he didn’t like leaving Yoran in its current state, the city was as protected as it could be in his absence.
He tried not to think of all the ways it could go wrong.
Chapter Ten
Sun shone down outside the city.
They had moved beyond the borders of Yoran, and Gavin took a moment to glance back. From here, he could see the outskirts of the city itself, some of the buildings rising higher than others, including the Captain’s fortress. The black marble steeples arched sharply like the upturned wing of a bat.
Imogen stood with a small dark silver box in hand, frowning as she stared at it.
“The old academy,” Gaspar said, watching Gavin as he stared at the building.
“Sorcerers?” Gavin asked.
Theren shifted in the breeze, fastening his cloak tighter. Theren produced a cookie from a kerchief in his knapsack and threw half to Imogen.
She swiped it out of the air and stared down at it.
“They’re oatmeal,” Theren said helpfully.
Gavin snorted. Just when he thought he started to understand some of the El’aras.
“Back when the Triad ruled, they had an academy here,” Gaspar continued. “It wasn’t quite as impressive as the main academy, but they used it to screen candidates for that one.” He breathed out heavily before turning his attention to Gavin. “There was a time when everything within the city seemed funneled toward the academy. When the Triad ruled, sorcery was… well, it was everything in the city.”
“I’ve known other places like that,” Theren said. “Usually, the sorcerers lead with violence.”
“Sometimes, but not always,�
�� Gaspar said.
Gavin glanced over to him. “Are you second-guessing what happened in your city?”
He shook his head. “No, I know what happened here. I was here for it, you remember.”
“I would imagine you were here for the founding of the city.”
“Careful, boy.”
Gavin chuckled. “What happened to the academy after the Triad was expelled?”
Gaspar shrugged. “It emptied. No one wanted to get too close to it, and for good reason. Couldn’t risk anything there, and few had any idea what the sorcerers kept inside. They figure it was safest to stay away.”
“What did you think?”
Gaspar shrugged again. “I never bothered with the academy. Too many bad memories of sorcery, you know. Besides, I’ve seen dangerous enchantments throughout my days as a constable, and I wasn’t at all interested in risking myself for the possibility that some enchantment might be triggered. Now the other constables, on the other hand, well… I can’t say what Davel Chan did.”
Gavin frowned. He could easily imagine that Davel would have been all too eager to head into the old academy building. What would he have found?
He pulled his gaze away. There wasn’t any reason for him to continue staring. Instead, he had to focus on the task at hand.
Gaspar held two stone enchantments lightly in his palm, and Gavin looked at the other enchantments with them. One looked to be a small dog, and he recognized another as a tiger. A third reminded him of the wolf he had used before.
“What are these?” Theren asked, glancing from Gavin to the others.
He had a smile on his face, the way he always seemed to. It was as if Theren were in on some grand joke at all times, a far more lighthearted El’aras than any others Gavin had encountered. It was no wonder Anna didn’t mind having him around. It was a far cry from the dour expression Thomas often wore.
“These are enchantments made by some of the finest enchanters in the city,” Gavin said, motioning to the items he held. “At least, that’s what they would tell you.”
Imogen’s enchantment looked something like a lizard. What would happen with it once it grew, and how would it be used? The enchantment seemed to have a reasonable amount of power within it. The last time they’d had enchantments like these, Imogen had grown close to hers and had suffered when it had been destroyed.
“What are we supposed to do with it?” Theren asked. “Is it some sort of protective device?”
“You’ll see,” Gavin said, then glanced back at the city once again.
Even though they were outside of it, he could still practically feel the energy of Yoran. There was a certain level of it circling around that came from the city, but also seemed to emanate from elsewhere.
Yoran needed protection. It wasn’t going to be completely safe, and despite knowing that the constables and the enchanters were guarding it, Gavin couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more he needed to do.
“She will keep watch,” Theren said. “The Risen Shard. There is no reason for you to fear.”
“It’s not fear. It’s more a feeling. Too much has been taking place, and I would much prefer to make sure that I was there if it happened again.”
“Do you think you can do more than the might of the El’aras?”
Gavin resisted the urge to tell him that he was one of the El’aras and instead shook his head. “No. I think the city is as safe as it can be, then.”
In the distance, the forest stretched out before them, though it was still farther away than it was to the north. The southern side of the city was a rolling plain, with the occasional tree dotting it, and tall grasses growing. The cobblestone road that stretched away was bright, and almost vibrant enough that Gavin could practically feel the life that flowed here.
“Get on with it,” Gaspar said. He had a gray traveling cloak slung over his shoulders, and somewhere he had come across a long sword and had it sheathed at his side, though Gavin had never known him to use a sword. He didn’t even know if the old thief had any skill with it. Of course, Gaspar being who he was, he probably was an expert with the blade.
“Right,” Gavin said, setting the stone tiger on the ground.
There was a part of him that still missed the wolf he had ridden before, which felt as if it had belonged to him, even though he knew better. The wolf was just an enchantment, no different than the one he wore around his wrist to augment his speed or the one on his finger that enhanced his eyesight.
He opened himself to his core reserves. As he pushed out power, he let it flow into the stone tiger.
There was a faint stirring. It was subtle, but it was enough that Gavin could feel energy flowing into it. Gradually, the tiger began to elongate and increase in size, growing larger than a dog until it was nearly the size of a small horse.
Theren chuckled. “Now that is a trick.” He glanced over to the others. “Let me guess. Each of you has one of these?”
Gaspar grunted. “Are you going to keep going on like that the entire time we travel together?”
“Come on, Gaspar,” Gavin said. “You don’t have to give him a hard time about being who he is.”
“You’re right. I don’t have to give him a hard time, but I might.”
Gavin tapped on Imogen’s enchantment. The lizard gradually lengthened until it became large enough for her to sit on, though it was still low to the ground.
Amusement glittered in Theren’s eyes. “That one may not move quite as fast as the others,” he said. He tapped on the enchantment nearest him, and it quickly began to shift, growing into what looked to be an enormous dog. Theren leaned down, examining it closer. “A wolfhound. It even looks like one.”
“You’ve seen these before?” Gavin asked.
“We have wolfhounds in my land. At least, we did. Since I moved to the forest, I don’t see them anymore. They aren’t as common there. There are other creatures instead.” He nodded to the tiger. “Some that look like that. Massive cats that prowl through the trees, climbing along the branches, watching you. It’s almost as if the damn things hunt us.”
The comment surprised Gavin. He wouldn’t expect the forest creatures to hunt the El’aras, though given where the El’aras lived, he should have known there would be dangerous predators.
“We should get going,” Gavin said.
He hurriedly tapped on Gaspar’s enchantment. The wolf began to stretch until it was slightly larger than the wolfhound Theren had.
Gaspar looked over. “Mine’s bigger.”
Theren grinned. “Is that how this trip is going to be? Can’t say I expected that out of the Chain Breaker.”
“You didn’t get it out of the Chain Breaker,” Gavin said. “You got it out of Gaspar. And Gaspar has issues.”
“I don’t have issues, boy.”
“See? He has issues. He can’t even refer to me by my first name.” Gavin looked over to Gaspar and found the old thief glowering at him. It was almost enough to bring a smile to his face.
That urge to smile quickly faded. It felt as if they had too much they were still trying to do, too much left unresolved. Gavin had to think that Anna would protect the city, but if she couldn’t…
It might not even be that she couldn’t. Davel and the other constables might preclude it. Hopefully, if there were any issues, Gavin would hear from Anna or from Wrenlow. That was, if the enchantment worked from a distance like that.
“Let’s get going,” he said, looking at the others. “I don’t want to be away from the city any longer than necessary. I told you what we faced in the forest,” he said to Gaspar. “If the El’aras decide to battle one another…”
“Then it’s not on us,” Gaspar said. “Let the El’aras fight.” He glanced toward Theren. “No offense, but it’s none of my business.”
Theren flashed a broad smile. “None taken.”
“If they fight near the city, then it is,” Gavin said.
Imogen stared straight ahead, a worried expression in
her eyes. For all Gavin’s concern about the city and those within it, he had another person to worry about. Imogen needed to complete this bond quest, to destroy the hyadan as she had intended to before.
He climbed onto the stone tiger and tucked his legs around the creature. He had ridden the wolf like this before and knew what would be involved, including the jarring sensation he would feel. It didn’t make it any easier when the tiger began to gallop at a rapid pace.
“Not a lot of cushion with these things, is there?” Theren asked. He bounced with the wolfhound, a wide grin plastered on his face, as if all of this was some grand adventure.
And to him, maybe it was. Everything Gavin had seen from Theren suggested he enjoyed everything he was asked to do. When Gavin and Wrenlow had traveled through a dozen different cities and several different countries, most of the jobs Gavin had pulled had not involved much skill. As they’d made their way from place to place while he tried to come up with his strategy for how he would best use his skills, he’d never had a real sparring partner.
This man, though, could be what he had been looking for. This was somebody he could envision traveling with. More than that, Theren obviously had enough skill to challenge Gavin.
They rode quickly. Traveling this far to the south and east would be a long trip, and it was difficult for him to stay seated on the stone tiger. He leaned close, keeping his legs wrapped around the creature and trying to maintain his hold on it. There was a certain unpleasant energy with the way they bounced, but Gavin started to find a rhythm, letting the speed of the stone tiger carry him.
They traveled until dusk, and the landscape had changed dramatically. They’d circled around several smaller villages and a few other towns, and had flown by rivers and streams, all blurring past. Traveling atop the stone enchantments gave them far greater speed than they would’ve been able to achieve in any other way. They found a copse of trees, and they guided the stone creatures off to the side of the road, where Gavin and Gaspar quickly began to make a camp.
The Paper Dragon (The Chain Breaker Book 5) Page 12