by Guy Antibes
“Weren’t you having problems with your army?” Trevor asked. “You left Bassington in a hurry when I met you for the first time.”
“I was. Who knows? I might be back with something bigger and better. What will you do then?” King Worto asked.
“Circumstances change,” Trevor said. “You might end up sending your army elsewhere to fight another foe.”
King Worto merely nodded. “Where will you go now?”
“Back to Collet,” Lissa said.
“From there probably to Jarkan,” Trevor said. “Doesn’t it seem that Maskum is fomenting all the unrest?”
“And I haven’t seen it,” King Worto said.
“Circumstances change, and when they do, our perceptions do as well. I read about that in the Presidonian army.”
“Keep reading.” King Worto put the charm back in the bag. “If I need more of these?”
“Just ask,” Trevor said. “If your seer can communicate with seer headquarters, we can get more sent to you.”
“Do you want to join me on my way to Bassington?” King Worto asked.
Trevor thought for a moment. “I will go as far as Parkintown,” he said.
“Don’t we need to get back?” Volst asked Trevor as they took up a spot just in front of the rear guards.
“We will follow the king for a bit and then head cross country to Listenwell.”
The king gave them a tent to spend the night. Lissa would have to join them.
When Trevor woke in the morning, a soldier brought a tray with breakfast.
“I’m from Parkintown,” the young man said. “I know who you are, and I was wondering if I could ride with you?”
“I don’t have an objection. We will be moving fast once we split from King Worto’s entourage.”
“The army is already losing men. We have the option of leaving and not getting paid or traveling to Bassington. I’d say those heading home make up half the army, especially the Fulerians.”
“Then you can join us. Are you an officer?” Volst asked.
“At a low level,” the young man said. “I was wondering if you ran into my father in Parkintown.”
“His name?” Trevor asked.
“Jacob Stoolage. He used to be the mayor until the regent deposed him.”
“You have a wife and child waiting for you.”
“How did you know?”
“I’ve been to your house,” Trevor said. “Jacob was instrumental in getting my domain.”
“Ha! I knew I needed to catch up with you,” the young man said.
As they ate their breakfast, Trevor asked Stoolage’s son-in-law about life in Parkintown. It wasn’t as good a place once Regent Summer took over. A bugle sounded, and it was time to leave. Trevor said goodbye to the king and apologized he wouldn’t be going to Bassington but heading to Argara from Listenwell.
Trevor could tell the King was relieved to let Trevor go. Former enemies, Trevor thought, had a struggle getting used to the lack of hostility.
~
The first stop in Parkintown was the son-in-law’s house. Trevor knocked on the door.
“Duke Trevor,” Stoolage’s daughter said. “I didn’t think you would be back so soon.”
“I helped end the military buildup in Fuleria and brought something along with me that I thought you might like.” Trevor stepped aside to watch a very tearful reunion. “I’ll be heading to the city residence. If you see Jacob, tell him that I won’t be in Parkintown more than a day.”
Lissa wiped away a few tears, and so did Volst, surprisingly. Trevor maintained control of his emotions, but he felt good when presenting one of his subjects to the soldier’s wife.
They rode to the residence. There were still renovations going on, but Keith Garman was in his office.
“You are back? That was quick,” Keith said, getting to his feet.
Trevor told him to sit and introduced him to Volst. “We will be leaving tomorrow. I don’t have time to do anything other than rest for a bit.”
“I’ll have my wife fix some dinner and bring it to the residence. You can tell me what has kept you busy for the last weeks,” Keith said.
“That would be nice. Volst would like to try out Parkintown ale. He is more of an aficionado than I am.”
“Indeed,” Volst said.
Dinner was a pleasant affair made more so by the arrival of Jacob Stoolage. There were some problems getting the citizens to accept Keith as the new regent, but both Jacob and Keith claimed that they were making headway.
Trevor left a few charms behind, and they left early in the morning before most of the city had risen. They traveled for most of the day until they reached Trevor’s mansion. The place looked unkempt, and that brought a frown to Trevor. The door was locked, but as they looked through the windows, Trevor could see that the steward had cleared out the furniture.
Volst was able to open a locked window, and they toured the place. Not all the rooms were stripped of furniture, but what remained had little value. They found enough beds to spend the night. In the morning, they stopped a carriage heading to Parkintown and sent a message to Keith, telling him he had a little more work to do, and that included pursuing the caretaker and the missing staff.
The ride to the Okoran border wasn’t the happiest trip Trevor had ever taken. Trevor had wanted to trust the steward, but that was a wrong decision. They retraced the route that Lissa, Mara, and Trevor had taken on the first trip to Brachia. Okora seemed unaffected by it all.
Trevor and Lissa showed Volst the monastery. There was quite a bit of work done to clear the site, and workers had planted stakes to outline the new monastery’s shape. Building materials blocked off the ancient room, so they continued into Jarkan.
“I’m not so sure I like this spiced beer,” Volst said at their first inn.
“I tolerate it,” Trevor said. “What about you?” he said, turning to Lissa.
“I’ve always liked it,” she said matter-of-factly.
The rest of the ride into Jarkan was very familiar. Lissa and Volst filled their travel time with stories, and when they reached Jarkan, they rode to Mino Kawis’s house. The focus was out.
“You can see if Akku is home. You were friends, weren’t you? It would be better than an inn,” the maid said.
Trevor nodded, and by the time they arrived at the Manusa mansion, Akku was just stepping into a rickshaw. He jumped out when he saw Trevor riding Snowflake.
“When did you get back to Argara?” Akku asked.
“Just now. We tried Mino, but he was gone.”
“He is renovating his old smithy. You can stay with me if you can handle plainsmen food,” Akku said with a grin.
Trevor knew Akku didn’t eat the stuff when he was in Argara.
“Sure,” Trevor said. “I have something for Mino and your father, and then we might head south to the Maskumite border.”
“Nothing good happening there, I’ve been told. You might want to talk to General Henkari.” Akku looked at Volst. “This is one of your friends?”
“No, I’m one of his enemies,” Volst said.
Akku laughed. “Does he like to go out?”
“Out as in getting drunk in local establishments?” Volst asked. “I can be persuaded under the proper circumstances.”
Trevor groaned. “Akku is a big one for nightlife. You are getting an early start this evening?”
Akku shook his head. “Change of plans. We have stories to swap, and my father has a wine cellar that needs thinning.”
“Wine? That sounds good to me,” Volst said.
The horses were put into the Manusa stable in the back, and servants showed them to their bedrooms. The cook had been summoned, having left presumably to take the night off. She grumbled as she made her way through the house to the back kitchen.
Trevor was first with his story about fighting for Listenwell and traveling through Okora, fighting the robbers, and discovering Maskumite magicians at the Okoran capital and another in Gi
nster. That was the exciting stuff, so Trevor stopped there to give Akku a chance to perform, but they quickly found that the conflict had settled down soon after Trevor and Lissa left the Jarkanese capital.
“Your turn,” Akku said, looking a little disappointed he didn’t have the action to talk about that Trevor had.
“Lissa, Reena, and two of my Viksaran friends invented a charm that can detect invisible magicians. I can’t be everywhere at once,” Trevor said. He then launched into the second part of his story, where he exposed Gareeze Plissaki and the other Maskumite magician hiding out with King Worto’s column returning to Bassington.
“You have all the luck,” Akku said a little petulantly.
“I wouldn’t call it luck,” Volst said. “Who else could withstand the onslaught from either of the two magicians. Trevor is the only one in the world who is fully immune to magic, and the rest of us have to make do with whatever charms we can afford.”
Akku’s face broke out in a wide grin. “And I can afford many charms!”
Trevor smiled and shoved Akku’s shoulder. “We are friends. Remember, my name is now Trevor Arcwin. Do you want to join us going south? I’d like to personally see the border with Maskum, at the least.”
“If the king allows,” Akku said. “He is a bit more protective of me, but I’m still one of five sons,” Akku said, “albeit the oldest, strongest, and the smartest.”
“Old and strong,” Trevor said. “I’m not so sure about smart.”
“I don’t need to be the smartest when I’m around you,” Akku said.
They all laughed. “I think we all agree on that,” Lissa said, “with the possible exception of Trevor.”
“I’ll not be the one to admit it. I believe in humble dukes.” But after Trevor said it, he realized he had almost said, humble princes. Trevor realized the emotional wound that he had suffered at the hand of his mother hadn’t fully healed. Perhaps he could put a stop to that when this was over.
Chapter Twelve
~
“I
t’s Reena,” the former focus of Jarkan said to Trevor when he communicated in the morning.
“We are heading south to the border with Maskum probably tomorrow morning. We have an audience scheduled with King Turgul for this afternoon,” Trevor said. “Did you find out anything about the cuirass?”
“Yvan and I found the best description in a history of the Ginsterian kings.”
“But Ginster doesn’t have a king,” Trevor said.
“They did when the book was written,” Reena said. The ancient history has a smattering of the old language that no one can read, but the rest explains that the cuirass was lost in a final battle in Fuleria. There was a cataclysm that changed the world. People turned from Dryden, the old language was lost, and Selara-worship ascended in Jarkan. The ancient sites became hidden, and the world changed.”
“So, that proves that the messenger was defeated,” Trevor said, “and everyone paid for it.”
“If there was a cataclysm, it looks to me that everything didn’t happen overnight. It takes time to turn away from Dryden or any other faith. We will probably never know the details,” Reena said.
Trevor shrugged his shoulders, but Reena wouldn’t see that. “I’ll contact you when we get closer to Maskum.” Trevor laid the ring on the table to break the connection and told the others about Reena’s research.
“And how does knowing that affect what you will do?” Akku asked.
“I now have some perspective. The forces we are dealing with aren’t the same. We don’t have an ancient language or ancient sites. I’m the only one who can teleport, and I need external help to do that. I wanted to know that history wouldn’t repeat itself because of something I did.”
“Or are about to do,” Volst said.
Trevor nodded. “The knowledge doesn’t take away from the danger any of you face if you follow me.”
Their discussion was interrupted by the arrival of Mino Kawis.
He was introduced to Volst and then chuckled. “You keep showing up at interesting times,” the focus said to Trevor.
“I’ll be disappearing again after we talk to King Turgul.”
Mino nodded. “He can see you now. Is there anyone else you want to talk to?”
“General Henkari, but after we talk to Akku’s father,” Trevor said.
“I was assigned to escort you to the palace. Turgul is ready for you now,” Mino said, urging them to stand. “You are good as you are.”
“I am not! A few minutes, please,” Lissa said, running upstairs. In a bit more than a few minutes, she returned, looking a bit fresher with more vivid makeup.
“You look pretty,” Trevor said.
She brightened and took his arm. “Now we can go.”
They took rickshaws to the palace and entered the small courtroom that Trevor had been in before. In his mind, he was still fighting Maskumite wizards and Lord Banjee’s assassins. The king was sipping some wine and reviewing a document from a stack of them by his side.
“Ah, Des,” King Turgul said, standing up from his chair.
“I go by Trevor again.”
“Back to being a prince?” Turgul asked.
“No, a duke,” Trevor said.
“That is right. You have a Brachian domain. If you hadn’t gotten that, I might have given you Banjee’s lands. Sit, all of you. Mino said you might have a gift for me?”
Volst placed a small bag of tokens in front of the king and sat down looking at Trevor.
“Can Mino make more of these?” the king asked.
“Perhaps. Lissa can give him instructions. Not everyone has the power to create them,” Trevor said.
“I think you might,” Lissa said to Mino.
“Ah, you’ll be the one to give me instructions before you leave?” Mino asked.
“Leave? You just arrived in Argara,” the king said.
“We are heading to the Maskumite border,” Trevor said.
“Bringing help with you?” Mino asked. “The Maskumites are increasingly restless.”
“I’m here to find out what I can about the threat from the Maskumite magicians. The magicians are behind more than King Worto’s expansionary activities.” Trevor explained what happened in Okora and Ginster when King Worto stopped to talk to Trevor.
“Maskum is very similar to Viksar,” King Turgul said. “A country run by magicians, but they aren’t disciplined like the Viksarans.” Turgul nodded to Lissa and Volst. “There are secret factions that rise and fall.” Turgul shook his head. “I’ve never known anything about their inner workings. The Maskumites have a potentate, but he does little as the head of state. The real power rests with the magicians. Perhaps Henkari can shed more light on what they are like now. He spends most of his time managing our southern defenses.”
“My other stop before we go south,” Trevor said.
The king looked at his son. “I suppose you are going to go with them?”
“With your permission, O great king.”
“You can dispense with the ‘great king’ business. If I don’t permit you, you’ll find a way to join them, anyway. Go and observe.” Turgul waved his hand at his oldest son. “At least I know you are in good company.” Turgul glared at Trevor. “You are still good, aren’t you?”
“He is,” Volst said.
Turgul gave Trevor a report on the healing that Jarkan was experiencing. There were still factions that were upset Turgul was the king, but even resistance to his rule was settling down. Mino’s current job was to monitor that situation. The meeting came to an end. “Make sure Akku returns to me mostly intact.”
“Mostly? I’ll make that one of my priorities,” Trevor said with a smile.
Mino stood. It was apparent the audience was through. “I’ll take you to General Henkari.”
They walked to the rear of the palace and into the offices that Trevor had used to plan the palace defense.
“Is the general in?”
Henkar
i walked out of one of the offices. “I’d better be, with the warning you gave me, Mino.” He extended his hand to Trevor and looked delighted to meet Volst. He bowed to Lissa. “You look even more pretty than the last time we met.”
Lissa blushed. Henkari was a force, Trevor thought.
“I am planning on inspecting the border with Maskum,” Trevor began. He spent the next hour retelling his experiences and explaining what his new calling was.
“Dryden or Selara or whoever isn’t putting you to waste in Brachia, I see,” Henkari said.
Akku had left them early on to talk to some of Henkari’s officers and rejoined them. Trevor guessed listening to two versions of the situation was enough for the crown prince.
“I will go with you. It’s past time I did a little inspecting of my own. I haven’t been south since the insurrection, and I should be showing the troops my face.” He paused and met Trevor’s gaze. “They might be your armies before this is all over.”
“They will be working with allies, under your command,” Trevor said.
Henkari nodded. “That sounds like a strategy. You are leaving tomorrow?”
“We are. You can join us or come later.”
“I will join you. I’ll need the rest of the day to make arrangements. You’ll be leaving from the crown prince’s house?”
“How did you know we were staying there?”
Henkari smiled. “I’m paid to know.”
~
Akku, Lissa, Volst, and Trevor set out for Derwizul early in the morning. When they approached the south gate to leave Argara, Mino Kawis, General Henkari, and a squad of four soldiers waited for them.
“You are coming with us?” Trevor asked Mino.
“To Derwizul. I’m moving most of my workshop back to Argara, so I have to decide what to take. There are things to discuss along the way,” Mino said.
“Will you be speaking for King Turgul?” Trevor asked.
Mino only smiled at him and urged his horse toward General Henkari. It was clear that the focus did have information from the king, and Trevor looked forward to the discussion. If the Maskumites were behind the domination tactics for King Worto, if the Brachian ruler didn’t want to waste his country’s resources on war, then it made sense that they might have to make a move on their own.