Galen Vesa

“Your honor, I feel we deserve some explanation.”

Altina asked as we rattled inside the armored box, tossed around by the humps in the road. Whatever protection this wooden box offered I don’t think it included proper suspension.

“Orders.”

Fenella tossed us a bone without even looking our way. She held her face glued to the slit in the side, her eyes scanning the zooming roadside. It didn’t seem like she would offer a more elaborate explanation.

I let out the best fake sigh I made so far and spoke.

“Your honor, I’ll be honest with you. I have grown weary with the way this empire treats me so unless you want me to start acting like the beast your people have me for, I’d like to hear what is going on.”

I closed my inner eyelids and sent some mana to my eyes so they would glow brighter.

“And I’d like to hear it now because my patience is running low.”

Wind’s voice added an interesting rumble to that last line I spoke. It worked. To some degree at least. Fenella faced us with, I wouldn’t call it fear but her body betrayed some concern.

“Orders.”

She seethed through her teeth. Not the answer I wanted. As if reading my mind, Altina shook her head, and I felt her claws prick my thigh. I ignored it and placed my bandaged hand on the judge magister’s knee. I could see she wondered whether to bat it away or make me remove it. I gave her no time to ponder that choice.

“Since my employer insists, I’ll be polite one last time in my asking.”

I spoke, reaching inside me and poked the monstrous ball of my mana.

You can show her and only to her, a tiny bit of yourself. If she gets scared, you get a bonus point.

Oh!

The odd presence inside me squealed in joy of a puppy that just got a juicy treat and rushed for the surface.

“Why are we being detained?”

I asked and watched my mana spill out, showing off her pinky, if I were to describe the amount of power she let out. Not the brightest idea I had in a long while.

“And now we’re going to hang. Be cursed the day I set my eyes on you!”

The wolf whined like a beaten dog then cussed when Fenella’s eyes rolled up into her skull. The mage collapsed twitching and foaming from her mouth. Oops. I grasped her convulsing body and checked for her pulse when she went slack in my arms.

“She’s still alive.”

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I announced. Thankfully her heart did not stop.

“Praised be the gods! Now we’ll only rot in a dungeon for the rest of our lives! Where you even thinking what consequences, your little trick would have on us?! Merciful Shamuu, why did I bound my fate to yours!”

For some unexplained reason her words stung me. Why? I had no time to ask when the mage blinked herself awake.

Seeing my face above her, glowing eyes and all that, she sprang out of my reach and tried to meld with the furthest corner of our box. That and well, my mana won a point. Erm, a truckload of thousands of points and then some. The Judge got scared. Real scared.

“Mercifu Shamuu…”

Altina moaned, pinching her nose.

“You shmuck!”

The wolf’s claws dug into my ear as she used that in-built handle to pull my head towards her face and scream at me.

“Next time you try to intimidate someone just break their arm or foot! Now we’ll have to rot in this stench all the way to the palace! We’ll die if they see her like that!”

Oh. My bare foot felt something warm pooling about the bottom of the box. There was no reason behind Fenella’s eyes. Just horrible, horrible shock.

“How did I sin to deserve this?”

With her ears hanging low, the wolf spoke a name I knew all too well.

“What is that you desire my master?”

The queen of water appeared on the last empty seat and welcomed us with a gentle smile. Her eyes curious at my peculiar predicament.

“A, Sedate and clean her up. Let us be done with that stench.”

The wolf ordered, letting go of my ear. At once the mage’s head fell on the spirit shoulder. For all I could tell, she fell asleep.

“How is this possible?”

My eyes darted between the two. Something fishy was going on in here.

“She stole my servant’s contract and thus is bound by it.”

“That’s a thing?”

“That is a law, my love.”

Law-shmoo. More like another backdoor abused by this cheating bunch. The longer I deal with them the more I am convinced their law is nothing more than a rubber band. Stretched and pulled whichever way they fancy.

“Can you alter her memory? Wipe out this whole debacle?”

The wolf asked out of nowhere.

“It is possible, but I would caution you against such wish. Her employer will notice right away and she herself is powerful enough to know someone meddled with her mind.”

“What then? Can you at least keep her mind calm so we could speak with her?”

Water smiled then lay a kiss on Fenella’s forehead. The mage woke up and sat straight. Her empty eyes, gazing into a distance.

“Ask away. I’ll make sure she cannot tell lies, master. Ah, fear not, she cannot see or hear me. Nor can she move until I say so.”

“Why were we detained?”

Altina did not wait for any further explanations.

“Orders. I am to deliver you to the imperial palace as soon as possible. Land around the capital is no longer secure. Every day, people loyal to the emperor vanish without a trace. Maids, guards, serfs and nobles. All known for their loyalty, all gone during the night and never seen again.”

“What does it have to do with us?”

“The magistrate intercepted a message sent by the long-distance scribe, presumably from highest cult lord. Kill an elf traveling with a beast woman. Do not attempt to capture, kill both.”

“Sah, the circle of your admirers grows by the minute.”

Altina snarked at me.

“What kind of guarantee we have that the palace is safe?”

“All the remaining people serving inside the palace were put under geas. Nine swords of the empire also returned to emperor’s side. They will protect the palace. Nothing can happen under their watch.”

“All nine of them?!”

The wolf’s fur stood up.

“Yes.”

“Merciful Shamuu...”

Fear. I could see it. Altina emanated such strong fear I could see it.

“They never did that. Never call more than one at the same time. Unless there’s some calamity approaching. Why did no one notice it?!”

“People believe that the swords came to commemorate his lordships, the sun of empire by renewing their vows of loyalty during the emperor’s birthday party. On that day the empire will celebrate ten thousand years since its founding. All kinds of festivities and attractions will take place throughout the entire continent.”

Oh, yeah. I could name one such activity.

Kill the emperor.

Logic whispered in my mind.

Kill the emperor and blame it on the elf.