Turns out that the destination was not to the actual destination. They were now standing in a hidden room carefully disguised underneath the tile of an abandoned warehouse. It was filled with various clothes, accessories, and other bits and bobs one would find in a medieval town. It was all practical but nothing seemed very valuable to him.
“This is one of our safe houses,” Casper explained upon entering. “It serves multiple purposes from giving shelter to those on the run, tribute for those that get noticed by the law, and quick changes of clothes for those that need to be someone or somewhere else. Pick some clothes that fit you and put what you are wearing in this.” At this, he threw a thick canvas sack at Jack. “After you change we can finally go onto the major streets and thoroughfares.”
Jack pondered on his words a moment before giving the young man a point-blank glare. “You still haven’t told me where we are and where we are going. It’s time you gave me some answers.”
Casper opened his mouth, then hesitated.“I can’t say much. We are in the orphan ward. This is where the children are rounded up and put out of sight. I am from here. It was only by sheer luck that Mother Siobhan and Master Felix were kind enough to take me in and get me an education.” He lifted his hands and a gust of wind came out of it and blew across Jacks's face.
“I am only a novice mage and barely was able to make it into the arcade-“
Jack reached over and grabbed his hand. He was panting and his eyes were dilated. “Was… was that magic? How did you do that? How do I do that?”
Casper put a hand over his mouth before asking. The gesture seemed to surprise both of them as he quickly withdrew both hands, stepping back defensively. “What do you mean you can’t use magic? I saw you use fire magic to put out the torch in the tunnel.”
Jack frowned and let the other man retreat. Physical contact didn’t appear to be welcome. “That wasn’t magic, at least it wasn’t me doing it. The blasted thing tried to bite me. Only it didn’t hurt.” In the end, his words shifted from annoyance to wonder at the experience.
“Well that explains why you haven’t been reacting to me using my wind spells to scout the area, I suppose.” His eyes turned inward as he paced back and forth across the chamber. “You don’t know anything about magic?”
He gave an exaggerated shrug. “Nothing concrete or substantial. There is no such thing as magic where I come from. I have seen a little since coming here, but I have no idea what’s going on.”
“Well, there are three branches of magic. Sigil magic, cultivation, and mystic magic. You are in the Eternal Empire. Though most people just call it the Empire. We practice the former form of magic. It allows us to bind a sigil of power to ourselves so that we can use the sigil power to create spells.”
Jack frowned. Didn’t the sentinel say that he was different from the people here? It said that he was the embodiment of power or something.
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He considered his options. He had no idea what to do or how to support himself. Following Casper seemed to still be the best idea, but he couldn’t wait to get to wherever they were going to learn this stuff. So without further ado, he walked over to the nearest torch and stuck his hand inside the cheery orange glow. It promptly went out. It didn’t hurt. I’m not even burned. There was a slight tingle and he could think a little more clearly, but that was it.
Casper took the torch from his limp fingers and prodded the previously lit sections. “It’s… cold. How is it cold?” With a frown, he lit it again before handing it back. “It is not safe to experiment too much in this kind of place. There are no protections in place to conceal active magic and yours is very loud to anyone that knows how to listen. There are very few Magi in this district so any flashy displays attract the guard like flies to honey. Wait till we are in a safe zone before doing more.” He lectured with a stiff demeanor.
Jack was conflicted. On one hand, he wanted to play with his torch but on the other, he knew what kind of people ended up on top when given a chance to beat down others with their power. He did not want to call any crooked cops or the ‘imperial guard’ as Casper called them. So he picked an outfit and changed quickly behind the nearest stone slab.
It was a drab outfit. Dun beige pants and an off-white tunic. It took him an embarrassing amount of time to figure out how to lace the thing. Laces are for shoes and dresses, not shirts. His fancy robe, which he was able to finally see depicted a Phoenix, went into a canvas satchel that he slung over his shoulder. It saddened him to stick the most beautiful thing he had ever seen into something so dirty but pragmatism won over sentiment.
Casper gave him a once-over to make sure he was presentable. “You still look like a foreigner, but at least you look like a normal one and not a noble. We will be taking the major thoroughfare for this next part. It will be dangerous due to our being adults in a town of children, but I am a familiar face around here. Just let me talk if a guard comes our way. Okay?”
Jack nodded. He just wanted to be done with all this cloak and dagger nonsense so he could get some answers. And oh boy am I going to get them.
A quick doubling back down two alleys brought them to the main thoroughfare. It was the strangest thing he had ever seen. First off there was no trade, no business, no commuters, no vehicle, and no adults. Instead, clusters of young emaciated children were all huddling in various alcoves and crevices. One on watch while the others slept. Jack knew what that meant. He had been to several homeless camps over the years and knew that no turf war was more vicious than one where no one had anything to lose. Sleeping at night unguarded was just asking to get shanked for your can of tuna.
At least he could see the sky now, and the sun. He was half expecting for them to be some funky color but the only difference was that the sky was two shades darker, more cobalt than sky blue, and the sun had an orange tint at the edges. Ok, I can deal with that. At least I know that I am not on Krypton or something.
Casper gave a kid directly across the way from us some hand signals. The kid looked both ways before beckoning us onto the road.
They turned left and slogged down the road. It did not appear to have ever been acquainted with cobblestone in its long, muddy existence. Which was strange to Jack and he said as much to Casper.
“The ‘cobbles’ we were stepping on in the alleys were once the roofs of the old capital. There are dozens of passageways and basements under our feet just like the ones we used earlier. This road however is less than a century old. The old emperor ordered it made so that they could cart war orphans here on mass. Back during the last war against the Cultivators. Needless to say that they did not maintain it once they finished carting all the war orphans here.”
“Sounds about right,” Jack replied snarkily. “The rich and powerful never spend more than they have to on the poor and destitute.”
At the end of the lane, Casper signaled another prepubescent squatter. The kid started to peek around the corner and did a double-take. They turned around immediately, panic all over their face. The kid started to signal the young men in a way that even Jack understood meant that they were in trouble.
Jack and Casper started to backpedal before a loud and very obsequious voice came from the direction that the lookout had been spying on. “MAKE WAY FOR THE LORD REGENT POMP. LORD REGENT OF POMPADOUR, AND GOVERNOR OF THE ORPHAN WARD.”