by Jason Kenyon
‘Your Radiance, what…’
Salestis tilted her head. ‘I can smell it on your breath and see it under your nose, Mal. We have discussed this before.’
Malthanes coloured red, and he rubbed the red mark below his nostrils again. ‘Your Radiance, I didn’t…’
Salestis struck him again, harder this time, and it was enough to send Malthanes stumbling a few paces in a daze. While the nearby prisoners murmured amongst themselves (and were promptly commanded to shut it by nearby paladins), Salestis grabbed the front of Malthanes’s tunic and dragged his face close to her own.
‘I told you to stop with vistarium,’ she said, teeth bared. ‘You dare to ignore the orders of your Supreme Commander? You are to leave that uncleaned, and you are not to use healing on it either. If anyone asks, you will tell them why your cheek is cut, and you will explain how you persisted in using vistarium against my command. Is that clear?’
‘Yes, Your Radiance,’ Malthanes replied, defiance flashing in his eyes.
Salestis let him go, and then smiled at him. ‘Oh poor, poor Mal. You must hate me so. But you cannot be a leader like this. I do it out of love.’
Malthanes nodded and automatically reached up to wipe his cheek.
‘Uh, uh,’ Salestis said. ‘You leave that there. Honestly, Mal, your memory.’
There was a long and awkward pause, until finally Malthanes spoke up again. ‘Your Radiance, did you decide on what we should do with these prisoners?’ He clenched his teeth after speaking, while a trail of blood steadily made its way down his cheek and under his jaw.
Salestis looked back at the assembled prisoners. ‘Take the mages to the Citadel and store them with the Servants of the Light. As for the rest – there is only one remedy for vandals other than death, and that is to put them to work. Take them to Stornis Hold. We have plenty of quarrying to be done there.’
‘As you wish, Your Radiance,’ Malthanes said.
‘Hmm.’ Salestis pursed her lips. ‘Mal, over here. I need a word.’
‘Uhm..?’ Lyssina asked, looking between the two other paladins.
Salestis gave her an encouraging smile. ‘Boring business, the clerk’s duties. Only the best for Mal.’
‘Right,’ Lyssina said, hugging Salestis’s helm as though it were her own child.
Salestis indicated for Malthanes to turn by gently pushing at his arm as she came alongside him, and then poked him in the back to start him walking. Once they’d gone a fair distance from Lyssina, she looked up at him, eyes questioning.
‘Mad?’ she asked.
Malthanes looked away from her. ‘I am your servant, Your Radiance,’ he replied.
‘That’s good,’ Salestis said with a wry smile, but then her expression darkened. ‘This operation is a waste unless we find our target. I don’t believe for a moment they’re dead in the water.’
‘Most likely not, Your Radiance,’ Malthanes said.
‘Stop calling me that all the time,’ Salestis said. ‘You only do it when you’re annoyed.’ She patted him on the arm. ‘Now, I don’t know if you’ve heard of the man, but there’s a tracker around these parts who I believe we can enlist to handle this problem. He lives not far out of the city, so you can go hire him while I handle the Council here and declare Ferrina at peace.’
‘I’m not familiar with the area, Supreme Commander,’ Malthanes said.
‘Come on, Mal, you’ve had three months,’ Salestis said. ‘Very well, I’ll do your job for you – again. He goes by the name of Zillon, and he’s a shadow hunter.’
‘You want a Shield Commander to hire a servant of darkness?’ Malthanes asked.
‘Oh, he’s a dabbler but it’s not like he’s a cultist,’ Salestis replied. ‘We can kill him when he’s done if you feel like it, I doubt anyone would complain. He’s supposed to be good at tracking, and knows some anti-mage tricks that are certain to help.’
‘If Your Radiance believes he will help, then I will do my duty,’ Malthanes said.
‘My Radiance does,’ Salestis said. ‘I’ll give you directions for it tomorrow – you did well tonight, in spite of some mistakes, so I think you deserve some sleep in a bit.’ She grinned. ‘Glad I dropped by, I forgot how much I enjoyed getting into the action. Let’s try not to take three months next time, though, eh?’
‘Yes, Your Radiance,’ Malthanes replied.
‘Oh, you are a bore sometimes, Mal,’ Salestis said. ‘Come on, let’s go do some fishing before bed. But I expect we’re only going to catch more rats.’
Chapter Six: A Hire Purpose
Archimegadon sat in a shadowy corner of the upper floor of a former general store, wishing that he could light at least a candle to illuminate the gloom. Mellara had given him strict instructions not to do so, though, and far be it from him to defy one of her commands. Ithalna was quietly sitting nearby, her eyes fixed on the windows a short distance away. While Archimegadon himself was certainly afraid of what they’d watched, it was nothing compared to Ithalna’s own fear, which had seemingly rendered her silent since.
That was not to say that Archimegadon was not afraid, but his was a different sort of fear. Since they’d watched the inexplicable destruction of the escaping Blade ships, Archimegadon had felt sick with worry about what may have happened to his friends.
He, Ithalna, and Mellara had been too late to get on the ships, so Mellara had led them to the edges of the docks and they’d hidden inside this store. From there, they’d watched the ships destroyed by some unknown force, while the paladins assembled around the edges of the harbour. Mellara had taken a more positive view of events, theorising that Obdo, Neurion and Tharanor may have survived and been captured instead. She’d left Archimegadon and Ithalna maybe half an hour ago, promising to find out if the three were amongst the prisoners the paladins had taken.
‘Do you think she will be coming back soon?’ Ithalna asked, shivering in the cold.
Archimegadon, who tended to wear thick robes since settling in Ferrina, was not so affected, but he still felt quite shaky after what they’d witnessed. ‘Mellara is good at sneaking about,’ he replied, though even he had his doubts given how many paladins were nearby right now. ‘I suppose she is just taking extra care not to be caught.’
‘What do you think they did?’ Ithalna asked. ‘To destroy the ships.’
Archimegadon looked back over at the windows, and thought about the vague shapes of the ships he’d seen in the darkness of Ferrina, dimly illuminated by the moonlit sky beyond the harbour. Mellara had seen it all perfectly, as she was blessed with a special form of night vision after being exposed to the magic of the Sideslip realm for too long. Those who were stuck there for long periods were marked by red irises, and usually ended up with some form of unusual capability. The only other person Archimegadon knew of with such eyes was his former companion Valia, whose eyes had changed since her time entering the service of Marr.
What Mellara had seen had essentially confirmed what Archimegadon had thought he’d witnessed – that the ships had been turned over and dragged through the water by some strange force. Whether it had been magic or otherwise, she could not tell from that distance, but they all agreed that the movements were far from natural for ships of that size.
They were also all certain that the paladins had expected it. They’d assembled around the harbour in preparation, without a moment’s pause. It had given Archimegadon quite a fright when they’d marched into view, after all, but they’d never turned to look at the shop windows. After the business was done, they’d wordlessly departed with their prisoners, leaving a few token guards who’d thankfully been positioned a distance away from this particular shop.
‘I have no idea, madam,’ Archimegadon replied, feeling comforted at least to have somebody to talk to and wait with in this infernal darkness. It was just a shame it had to be someone he barely knew.
‘The whole affair seems wrong to me,’ Ithalna said. ‘I worry about what sort of powers the paladins hold if t
hey are able to deal out such judgement from afar even to ships.’
It certainly made the question of handling the paladins a tough one. They could no longer flee to Ta-Shiang (Archimegadon was half-grateful), and if Tharanor, Obdo, and Neurion had survived, then this gave Archimegadon the difficult task of breaking them free from the assembled army of holy knights.
Just thinking about the entire affair was starting to infuriate Archimegadon. Why could the blasted paladins not simply leave him alone? They’d ruined his campaign against Marr, messed up his city, potentially killed his friends and cut off all options for him going forwards. But how on earth was he supposed to take revenge on an army that currently controlled Valanthas?
‘You look angry,’ Ithalna said.
Archimegadon blinked and looked over at her. ‘Ah, yes, pardon me. It is not at you.’
‘The paladins have taken much from you,’ Ithalna said, her blue crystal eyes glittering in the darkness.
‘Yes, they have,’ Archimegadon said. ‘I only hope they have not taken as much as I fear.’
‘What will you do now?’ Ithalna asked.
‘I suppose that depends on what Mellara finds,’ Archimegadon replied.
‘You can ask her about that, then,’ Mellara said behind him, causing Archimegadon to fall off his chair in fright.
‘How the balls did you do that?’ Archimegadon asked, trying to reseat himself with some dignity.
Mellara smiled at him from the shadows of the room. ‘Experience,’ she replied. ‘Good news to start – the others are alive. They’re all chained up, though – I guess they swam to safety together but got caught.’
Archimegadon let out a sigh of relief. At last, something positive, even if they were captured. He didn’t particularly want to admit just how much their permanent loss would have meant to him.
‘There’s no way we’re getting them free,’ Mellara said. ‘Not now, at least. The paladins have pretty much an army guarding all the prisoners, and I can’t get close. I’ve got good vision, but even getting near enough to the prisoners to identify them almost got me killed.’
‘So what do you think we can do?’ Archimegadon asked.
‘They’re taking them off to a place called Stornis Hold,’ Mellara replied. ‘Doesn’t ring a bell for me.’
‘It is a paladin citadel,’ Ithalna said, making Archimegadon jump again. ‘They built it on the north-eastern border of Valanthas, overlooking Malthair to the north.’
Archimegadon shivered in spite of himself. He’d been to the icy realm of Malthair once before, during the Tarmunath War thirty years ago, when he’d been a wagon runner. While he’d not been one of the soldiers, he’d still suffered the loss of his two friends and companions, Berus and Kalissa, when undead dragons had attacked the army’s supply trail.
‘Ugh, that far?’ Mellara asked. ‘If we’re gonna spring them loose, it’s gonna have to be on the roads north or at the hold itself, because that army out there isn’t letting anyone close.’
Archimegadon felt some comfort that Mellara was already planning to help out. It felt slightly unusual, since she was still something of an enigma to him, but it was rather nice if she was considering herself a part of their band.
‘So we leave Ferrina, follow the paladins on the road, and then get the others free before they reach this Stormy Hold?’ Archimegadon asked.
‘It’s Stornis Hold, and yes, I’d prefer to free the others before they get locked away in a paladin citadel,’ Mellara replied.
Ithalna quietly looked between the two of them.
‘Something the matter, princess?’ Mellara asked.
Ithalna coloured. ‘I… I have a request.’
‘What would that be?’ Archimegadon asked.
Ithalna muttered some words and waved a hand, and Archimegadon started as what felt like a light breeze washed over him. He blinked a few times and then glanced over at Mellara, whose eyes were now narrowed.
‘Yes, I am a mage too,’ Ithalna said. ‘A wind mage, to be precise. I used to be a noble of some importance, in the Tyrfell family, but the circumstances we share forced me to seek solace amongst your group.’
‘Well, isn’t that a surprise?’ Mellara asked. ‘And you seemed such a common lass.’
‘I know you do not like me, Miss Nightshot,’ Ithalna said. ‘Nonetheless, I have a request. In the past, while you all spoke with Obdo and Neurion, you mentioned that Master Archimegadon here was a Mage for Hire.’
‘Oh, yes, I was at least, before all this,’ Archimegadon said. It was funny, really; he hadn’t thought about that in a long time.
‘Then here is my request – I wish to travel to the city of Arenfel, so that I might join up with the Knights of Valanthas and seek safety amongst their numbers,’ Ithalna said. ‘I have family in their ranks, and I believe that will be the safest place for me to stay. In return for acting as my guards and travel companions, I am willing to pay you a sizable amount of relorans.’
Archimegadon snorted. ‘What use are relorans to me now? Outlaws can’t spend them.’
‘You feeling alright?’ Mellara asked.
‘I am feeling just fine,’ Archimegadon replied. ‘It is simply the case that I have to rescue Obdo, Neurion and Tharanor – those fools cannot last without my aid. We do not have the time spare to go running about to Arenfel of all places.’
‘Are you sure?’ Ithalna asked. ‘I am willing to pay you a high fee – say, a thousand relorans?’
Archimegadon let out a sharp laugh. ‘Oh, I’ve been offered that before, and I most certainly did not receive it. No, I am not available for hire right now, madam. I have other concerns to which I must attend.’
‘Please, sir, I do not believe I can make it across Valanthas all by myself,’ Ithalna said. ‘You and Miss Nightshot here are Godslayers – you are certain to succeed. I do not know who else I can turn to – my household abandoned me once the paladins arrived looking for mages, and my family are, as I mentioned, all at the city of Arenfel. Will you not help me?’ She scrabbled through her pockets and then withdrew a pouch, which she tossed over to Archimegadon.
He grabbed it and quickly checked inside. What must have been at least a hundred relorans glittered back at him. He swallowed hard and looked back up at her. She smiled timidly back at him.
‘I appreciate the offer, madam, and in days of old I would have accepted right away,’ Archimegadon said. ‘However, I have no idea what I’ll be doing in Valanthas now that I’m effectively outlawed, and I need to rescue my friends.’
‘I – I will help you!’ Ithalna said. ‘We can rescue your friends and then travel on to Arenfel together.’
‘Bah, no, madam, I really don’t have time for that sort of pointless excursion,’ Archimegadon said. ‘Once I’ve rescued my friends I believe it’ll be time to set sail.’
‘You would need to pay for passage!’ Ithalna said. ‘Arenfel also has the biggest harbour in Valanthas. You could go anywhere – even the Isles of Filikis!’
Archimegadon felt a slight tug at the thought of those fabled islands. He’d always dreamed of visiting them, famous as they were amongst Valanthians for their apparent beauty and peace. Travelling to them was infamously expensive, though, as sailing there required travelling through some dangerous waters, and only a select few crews operated journeys between there and Valanthas.
‘I think you already had your answer,’ Mellara said. ‘We need to get our friends back, and we’re hardly in the condition to be hiring our services out – especially not to pampered princess-mages.’
‘I would do anything,’ Ithalna said. ‘Please, just think of something and ask it, and I will do all I can to help you out with it. Just please help me get to Arenfel. I am afraid to travel across the country alone.’
Archimegadon regarded her quietly, uncertain how to deal with her request. She certainly looked sincere enough, but he had his own worries right now, and if she was a mage she could probably get across Valanthas fine without his help.
After all, he wasn’t much of a mage himself, and he got by just fine.
He blinked.
‘Ah, wait, madam,’ he said. ‘How knowledgeable are you in the arts of magic?’
‘I have trained in the academy in Arenfel itself,’ Ithalna replied. ‘My family would only accept the very best training for me, so I undertook a full course in magecraft, and reached the First Eld.’
Archimegadon had no idea what that meant, but it had the word “first” in it so he assumed that was a high rank, potentially the best.
‘Well then, how about this?’ Archimegadon asked. ‘If you will pay me a thousand relorans, assist me in freeing my companions, and teach me some of your magic, I will assist you in reaching Arenfel.’
‘Archie, we don’t have the time for that,’ Mellara said.
‘We have plenty of time now we’re filthy outlaws,’ Archimegadon said.
‘You drive a hard bargain, sir, but I will accept that offer,’ Ithalna said. ‘I am puzzled, though – you are a Godslayer, so why would you need training from me?’
‘Erm, a couple of holes in my knowledge,’ Archimegadon replied.
‘You both done?’ Mellara asked, looking sour indeed. ‘If you are, I suggest we get moving. Unless the paladins are completely stupid, I’ll bet they’re going to scour the docks for any stragglers soon.’
‘You’re absolutely right,’ Archimegadon said. ‘Let’s get out of Ferrina.’
As they left quietly, Archimegadon felt a strange rush of excitement. Now he had a plan, the promise of money, and perhaps he’d pick up some handy magic tricks as well. It was also comforting to consider himself as a Mage for Hire again after so long. If the paladins thought they’d won, they were going to learn a thing or two themselves!
*
Leaving Ferrina was an easy business compared to everything else they’d done so far. This particular area of the docks was pretty much empty of paladins, so they’d found the handy warehouse where the Blade kept one of their hidden routes out of the city. Uncomfortably thin as the passage was, they made it through, and from there headed out into the forests surrounding Ferrina.