Chapter 74 Plans and Preparations.
A seeker of knowledge should have many teachers.
A seeker of power should have many enemies.
A seeker of creations should have many tools.
A seeker of devotion should have many followers.
A seeker of the heart should stop trying.
The heart can’t be acquired, only given.
Tukado, the Creator.
“How many sorcerers has the King defeated already?” I ask with a frown.
“He doesn’t always fight himself, he sends his apprentices to fight. He has two of them. Prince Reynold, and Princess Drusilla.” The giddy girl explains while leading the way. She moves ahead of me and spins, walking backward half the time.
“You did not answer my question. How many did his apprentices beat already?”
Zoe counts on her hands. “Princess Drusilla beat two challengers in the last two years. And Prince Reynold beat three, but he doesn’t like to fight…”
Great… The ‘King’ is well established in here, while I waltzed into his territory like Kilako’s own peacock… so much for subtlety… These ‘sorcerers’ are experienced in ‘magical battles’ while I don’t have much experience in that field… Saving those women was a mistake… Maybe so. But I don't regret that! Regardless, I can’t turn back the time, I need to find a way to deal with this mess…
“Who ruled here before the King took over?”
“The Queen. Queen Althea, but the King won against her, and now she’s called Princess Drusilla. It was five years ago, I was sixteen back then, and I remember their magic battle. It was something to remember! The King froze half of her grace Drusilla’s body and forced her to surrender!”
“Is Prince Reynold also someone the King has beaten? Was that the man who picked a wife for the King?”
“No. that was the Lawmaker, Lawmaker Garion Gemhand. He’s not a sorcerer, just a rich man working for the king. Queen Althea beat Prince Reynold a long time ago. But I don’t remember that battle, I was too young.”
Explains why you aren’t afraid that I’ll lose… or at least not as afraid as you should be… or do you simply believe I’ll win? “Did you watch the magic battles the King had in the past? Why do you believe I’m going to win?”
“Yes! The King can summon ice and water, he then freezes his enemies. He can throw swords and spears made of ice, but he can’t summon multiple elements like you can. You were incredible back there! I’ve never heard of a sorcerer who can control more than two elements. You made that screaming sorcery, then you set them on fire, then you made this blinding sunlight sorcery that Prince Reynold does! And then you used sorcery to make a lot of weapons fly and attack people like Princess Drusilla! And there were sorceries I’ve never seen before. Like the vines from the ground and that weird water that melted that man’s face!”
“Kaka… the chief is a strong shaman.” Lezere who’s been quiet until now comments proudly from the side.
I feel the heat covering my face. I just slaughtered twenty armed men by myself without even breaking a sweat… I’m not sure if I should celebrate or… They were pretty dumb, if they only threw the spears at me I’d be forced to defend myself… the only reason I won is a combination of surprise, their fear, and luck...
Focus. If Luard can only control ice and water to that degree, he’s a 2nd stage apprentice… or at least very strong with water… they just don’t have the enchanted amulet I do, they don’t have such a large general mana reserve… or maybe they never thought of learning spells of other elements…
Let’s assume he’s a 3rd stage… I can’t afford to underestimate him…
“What do you think King Luard will do?” I ask her.
“He’ll probably send Prince Reynold to recruit you. Prince Reynold can summon sunlight and lightning bolts.” The giddy girl doesn’t even bother lowering her voice, but her information is useful to me.
“And he never uses any other elements?!”
Zoe shakes her head. “Nope. Never! At least I never saw him using something other than these two elements.” The way she talks about them with reverence and awe… these people indeed worship mages… but if that’s the case, why is she talking to me without any fear? This is too different from Axero…That’s a question for another time, I’ve got bigger things to worry about…
Zoe points at a large four-story building made out of gray stone. I can hear the laughter and music inside even out here on the muddy street. “That’s the only large inn in the city. Your friends must be here.”
I enter the inn, and the spacious common room turns silent. Barmaids freeze with their trays in hand, men and women cease their conversations and everyone turns to look at me. Only now do I realize that I’m covered in gore.
The inn is rather cozy, the gray walls are decorated with shelves of yellow and red flowers along with brass candleholders. The statue near the fireplace is foreign, doesn’t belong to any god I recognize. It features a short stocky man with a long white beard. He wears the iconic brim hat of a wizard. Both the hat and robes are painted blue and are covered in golden stars. There’s a small cannery perching on the very tip of his hat.
I wipe the blood off my face with my sleeve when I spot Salik and Berthold, but not the rest of my group.
“Aahem… chief? Mind if go talk to that guy?” Lezere points at a large orc who sits in the common room corner.
“Not at all. Go ahead.” I dismiss her and make my way to Salik and Berthold’s table, buzzing conversations and excited whispers erupt all over the common room.
Salik and Berthold lift their eyes from their mugs and cut their conversation short. “Berthold. Gather everyone for me, will you? We don’t have a lot of time.” I say as I approach.
Berthold gets up with a nod, while Salik remains seated, chugging down his ale. I take an empty seat gesturing for Zoe to sit down. My giddy guide offers Salik her hand for a shake. “Hello! I’m Zoe! Are you a sorcerer too?”
“A sorcerer?! Not in a million years, kid.” Salik ignores the offered hand and gulps another mouthful of ale.
Zoe takes her hand back as if she put it inside a fire, her brown eyes dimming.
“Inara, you look like pea rot, how many have you killed?” Salik asks me from over his mug.
“How dare you?!” Zoe calls out angrily like she hadn’t been casual with me until this very moment.
“Twenty. Rapists.” I reply curtly, taking the wet towel from the barmaid who offers it to me.
He nods in understanding and takes another gulp.
“Tell me something, Salik…”
The man frowns at me silently.
I wipe my face and hair slowly. “How does a smart man like you, get himself under the hag’s… the Maven of Mysteries’ whip?” It's something I've been wondering about for a while now.
“That’s not much of a story. Are you sure you'd rather sit here and listen to an old tale rather than take a bath?”
I take another towel from the barmaid when the first one gets too bloody. “I'm not sure if we have the time for that. I’m gathering up everyone, I’d rather listen to something interesting until they all get here,” I reply with a shrug.
“You should really look up a cleaning spell in that fancy book of yours, you look like faeshit. I guess there’s no harm in telling you if you must know…” He empties his wooden mug and knocks it down on the table. “Do you know what that glitter you're throwing around every day actually is?”
“Some kind of addictive drug? I never asked, the hag doesn’t like questions about it…”
He laughs mirthlessly. “Of course she doesn’t like questions about it. You see, this is who I am: An axe for hire, ready for the endless adventure and battle. I’ve fought in countless battles, and slew many monsters. I worked for all kinds of people, from noblemen and emperors to mages and priests. I never thought of settling down, never wanted to marry.” He pauses and shrugs. “Only married once, didn’t end well, but that’s another story. I always thought this life will kill me eventually, didn’t want to leave a widow behind. This life took plenty of my friends, yet I survived somehow. Maybe the twelve above and their fates have a sense of humor…”
“It’s the thirteen!” Zoe interrupts him angrily.
“Whatever you say, tulips,” Salik dismisses her without care and continues his story. “At some point, I reached an age where the strength had left my arms. My swing had weakened, and I wasn’t as quick on my feet, but I still did my best to keep fighting. I expected to die the way I lived, maybe save a youngling in the process. Yet, I couldn’t die. And there I was in my seventies, still trying to make a living as a mercenary.”
“You’re not even forty!” Zoe interrupts him again with ridicule on her face. Salik sighs and raises a bushy eyebrow at me.
“Zoe, let the man speak!” I let my irritation enter my voice.
“Yes, master!” She twirls a strand of her hair around her finger distractingly, her brown eyes still narrowed at Salik with disdain.
Salik continues his story. “So… everyone told me to retire, my best friends and my team—who were all younger than me of course. Retire, find a beautiful young girl who’ll care for me, give me a child, and inherit my riches. Teach the youngsters how to fight. You see the ground of the matter. But I was a stubborn old fool who wouldn’t give up on his way of life…”
He heaves a heavy sigh. “A good friend of mine had told me about the Maven of Mysteries. Said she was a powerful witch of old, an alchemist who could return the strength to my arms. Make me young again in exchange for gold. And me?”
He snorts and shakes his head. “I had plenty of gold to spare. After the first time I took glitter, I could already swing my axe again. Even my missing teeth grew back.” He chuckles mirthlessly. “I’ve taken this potion for over twenty years now, I’m still as fit as I was sixty years ago in my prime. You understand now? Although drinking it gives an extremely pleasant feeling, better than any drink or girl I’ve ever tasted or been with. Yes, you want to drink more, Glitter is addictive. But it’s the life and youth that are truly compelling you to keep drinking that thing.” He raises his empty mug, “barmaid! Another ale!”
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“Coming right up!”
“Still waiting to die the way you lived?” I ask.
He nods silently, his brown eyes following the barmaid.
I guess this is the only way out for him…
By now the party had assembled. Except for Sharla and Lezere, everyone is here. I eye the corner of the inn. Lezere seems to be having a heated argument with the other orc, they both snarl and growl at each other. “Just a minute everyone.”
I make my way to their table. “Lezere? Who’s your friend?”
She clacks her teeth. “This wolf is called Balgrum, chief.” Balgrum... the name sounds familiar…
“Dogs can’t be chief. Only shaman.” The other orc snarls. “That bitch is too small to be grand chief. I snap her hands like birdbones!”
“She’s my grand chief!” Lezere says angrily. “That bitch can rip your entrails and feed on them!”
The orc shakes his head and replies calmly. “al gah’ sugly ik. a’arj neh’a gruh’lar, iela’arj potasi, gah’ oko.”
Wait! Lezere. Daughter of Balgrum, daughter of sheep… that guy is her father! What is he doing here? It doesn’t matter… we’re pressed for time! I pat her shoulder. “Good luck with your father, Lezere, I’ll brief the others in the meantime.”
She growls angrily. “How did you know?”
“You told me his name a while back. Lezere, daughter of Balgrum, daughter of sheep. I have a good memory. Take your time and enjoy this reunion instead of fighting over technicalities, ok? Whether I’m your chieftess or shaman shouldn’t matter.” I pat her shoulder and go back to my group.
“ik ko shuka’a potasi.” I hear her father remarking behind my back, his tone is admiring.
“La’aoko!” Lezere growls at him.
I take my seat at the group’s table again. “Ok, here’s the deal! I may have announced our presence to the ‘King’ by saving a group of women from being violated. Yes I know it was foolish, but…”
“I wouldn’t call it foolish. That’s what every decent human being should do!” Kolag interrupts me. Zoe and Berthold nod sharply, while Salik raises his mug at me with a proud smile.
It makes me feel odd, it makes me feel good. And the fact I feel so good about it catches me by surprise. What happened to my apathy? My lips form an uncontrollable smile.
“Ahem…” I clear my throat trying to ignore the heat on my face. “Fact is. The King knows we’re here, or that I’m here. That means we’ll soon see one of his followers. As far as I understood, the common folk here—including the guards—won’t challenge mages… or sorcerers as we’re called here. Sorcerers dish it out with magic battles, not sure how organized these battles are yet…” I glance at Zoe.
“I’m sorry, but I have no clue how sorcerers organize the magic battles. They just meet in some place with a crowd and fight…”
“Then we figure it out. In the meantime: Salik, find the local mercenaries and recruit them all to our cause. Sorcerers may dish it out with some unwritten laws, but I can't say I trust unwritten rules so much, a good army at my back is safer. Promise them the fat pay of one magical gem per fighting hand, the contract is for two years… Zoe, you guys use magical gems as money here, right?” I take out a gem.
“Oh, a sorcerer’s stone!” Her eyes light up when she sees the diamond in my hands.
“Focus, Zoe. How much is this worth in terms of gold?”
“Five hundred gold coins. Only sorcerers can give you these stones. And they’re the only ones who buy them.” Her glittering eyes follow the glowing diamond.
I grab a few handfuls of gems from the small sack in my belt pouch and fill a purse with it. I slide it over the table toward Salik. “That works for us.”
“That’s a lot of money, I’ll need some protection.” He adds.
“Yeah, take Lezere with you, once she’s done with that guy over there. I’ll give you a contract. Make them sign it with their blood, make sure they understand that they’ll die if they break their word.” It’s not real. But if they get paid ahead of time, best if they believe in some unknown magic that binds them to the contract… we need all the spears we can get…
Salik frowns at me. “I don’t aim to undermine you, but is it okay if you let me handle that? I’ve already been to the temple of Tonisha and made some acquaintances.” He raises his mug with a wink toward Jerro of all people. Jerro just hugs himself, visibly shaking. “I can ensure their loyalty without such… drastic measures,” Salik continues.
Did Jerro tell him to? That guy is useful… if only he wouldn’t predict Kolag’s death all the time… I should let Salik handle it. I don’t need to have direct control over everything. Leading mercenaries is something he did for his whole life... “Be my guest. No need to be afraid to hurt my feeling, just speak your mind next time.”
“Oh is that so?!” he asks, bushy eyebrows raised high. “You’re a rotten, pea for brains kid, whose way in over her head.” Not wrong… but this rotten kid will become very powerful one day… I’ll show you! If you even survive that long!
Berthold gasps and distances himself from Salik. It makes me realize why Salik said what he did. Berthold is still afraid of me, huh… At least the others don’t overreact about it.
Ryon bursts into wild laughter, spitting out some of the food in his mouth. “Ye! She has small jugs too. But they clean. She wash.” Breasts, food, and power are all you care about… Life is so simple for you…
“How dare you?!” Zoe jumps up to her feet, “she’s a sorceress! A…”
“Yeah yeah, tulips!” Salik dismisses her, he stands up and pats Berthold’s shoulder. “See that, kid? She doesn’t bite.” He then heads toward Lezere’s table, throwing the small pouch of gems in the air and catching it as if it's filled with copper bits instead of gems.
“Calm down Zoe. These people are my friends. You can also say to me whatever you want, ok?”
“Someone might die,” Jerro says ominously. “The hunter, the brute, or the old man. The hunter should’ve listened to me and killed the spy. It is too late now.”
“I see. Ok. I’ll tell Salik to call it off, and we’ll leave the city,” I answer.
“No. It is too late. If we leave now without a plan, hundreds will die. The knight will die. My soulmate dies. We cannot call off your plan. We cannot let her die!” Jerro is only anxious for Sharla’s life, not Kolag’s.
I sigh. “Are you sure one of those three will die if I continue this plan?”
“No. It’s a possibility.”
“And if we leave?”
“My soulmate dies for sure. The knight, maybe,” he replies.
It makes sense. Sharla is alone in the king’s palace, all it takes is someone who connects her to me and he kills her off… “Ok. I can’t entertain possibilities. If leaving leads to a certain death, and staying our course is a maybe, I’ll take a maybe. Now, Zoe, do you know where the King’s palace is?”
She nods rapidly, eyeing the group with open hostility. “It’s near the south western wall, you can’t miss it.”
“Ryon, you and Berthold will go with Zoe here. She’ll show you where the King’s palace is. I want you to find a way into his palace after nightfall. Can you do that?”
“Her name’s Zoe?” Ryon’s eyes are focused on Zoe’s chest in a way that makes me feel uncomfortable.
“Yes! Her name is Zoe, did you listen to what I said?”
He keeps chewing on a piece of meat, his eyes aren’t leaving Zoe’s chest. “Ye! Go to da’ King palace an’ find da’ way in. I listen, don’ worry, I’ll find ya a good balco! Zoe, you have big jugs, you wanna snake later?”
Zoe wrinkles her nose. “No, thank you.” She gives me a worried look.
“He won’t touch you if you aren’t interested,” I calm her down. “Now get going you three.”
Salik drags Lezere away. She snarls at her father, leaving him with a sneer on his face. Ryon’s group follows them out of the inn, leaving me alone with Jerro and Kolag. “I don’t know what you have in mind for me, but I’m not leaving you alone without protection,” Kolag exclaims.
“Kolag. I’m not defenseless. You know that I…”
“I know. Jerro said I’m to stay by your side if you are to survive. I’m not leaving. Even if he’s wrong.”
“I see… what’s going on, Jerro?” I turn to the prophet who’s focused on the doorway.
“We have a visitor…” Jerro says in a low voice. “Make sure he doesn’t leave this inn alive!”
I follow Jerro’s eyes to the brown-haired man who enters the inn at this very moment. He wears white robes decorated with gold, he looks like a radiant priest of Noxi. The crowd parts before him making a way to the middle of the inn where Kolag, Jerro, and I sit.
“What happens if he leaves the inn alive?” I mumble the question under my breath.
“The apprentice dies for sure, the brute dies for sure, the old man dies for sure, the hunter dies for sure, the…”
“Ok. I get the idea. Thank you,” I say, getting up to my feet to meet the approaching man.
*~*~*
Interlude 74.1
Shar-La-Fyn-Wyn-Yeslun
Shar-La-Fyn-Wyn-Yeslun
Do not try to poison the enemy, he will notice.
J
She doesn't even have access to poison, how would she poison the king? She shrugs and eats the crumpled note, chewing slowly on parchment. Hopefully, that much leather won't cause her a stomachache. She has to focus on the task ahead. Her face forms a mask of fear and accepting one's doom, as appropriate for a dul-aim-an
"My King." Lawmaker Garion kneels before an imposing dan-na
"Why isn't she kneeling?" a blond dul-aim-an
"I-I'm sorry, my King." Shar-La-Fyn-Wyn-Yeslun
"Garion!" the blond dul-aim-an
"That's enough, Drusilla," the dan-na
Drusilla rolls her eyes. "As you command, my King." Her curtsy is theatrical and sarcastic, Shar-La-Fyn-Wyn-Yeslun
The dan-an
The blond dul-aim-an
*~*~*
Arigor’s Lesser Vines
Names: Arigor’s lesser vines, lesser vines, lesser vine control.
Element: wood
Sub element: growth
Level: 0
Words: Rod’en’a
Translation: Vines
Quicken: X
Patterns: 3
Gestures: X
Offering: X
Requirement: standing or touching earth or wooden surface.
Range: 15 meters
Target: any point with earth or wooden surface.
Duration: instant/channel.
Effect: The spell will grow three vines out of the chosen surface. The vine will move to the caster’s will for the duration.
Cost: 6 wood gems for the initial cast, 1 wood gem per five seconds to maintain.
Bound cost: X
Altered cost: 1 gem per five second for each alteration pattern.
*~*~*
Power level: 3rd stage apprentice.
Mana pools status:
Crown-knot: Affinity 10: formed: 1 gem replenished per five minutes.
Neck-Bridge: Affinity 6: formed: max amount of gems drained per day: 66
Abdomen-storage: Affinity 5: formed: 6 gems. Conversion ratio: 6:1
Air: Affinity 4: formed: 18 gems
Fire: Affinity 2: formed: 9 gems
Light: Affinity 3: formed: 14 gems
Water: Affinity 6: formed: 27 gems
Earth: Affinity 1: formed: 4 gems
Wood: Affinity 2: formed: 9 gems
Gravity: Affinity 9: formed: 40/41 gems
Cantrip known:
Air: Shavi’s Breeze, Shavi’s Sword. Shavi’s Hair Dryer, Aria’s Enhanced Hearing. Aria’s Sonic Scream.
Fire: Nuriss’ Flame. Effrat’s Firefly, Effrat’s Fire Breath. Sorladika's Lesser Heating. Nuriss’ Ignite.
Light: Noxi’s Light. Lako’s Blinding Light. Rika’s energy hand.
Water: Water Evocation, Water to Ice, Ice to Water, Water to Vapor, Vapor to Water, Mayan’s Icy Spike, Ayla’s Water Jet. Ayla’s instant freeze.
Earth: Alice’s Oil Summoning, Reiko’s Acid Spray.
Wood: Arigor’s Lesser Vines. Kolosu’s Vegetable Summoning.
Gravity: Lumina’s Kinetic Burst. Tukado’s Repulse. Tukado’s lesser shield. Imari’s Minor Telekinesis. Imari’s Jump. Leo’s Pull. Leo’s Grounding. Alino’s Light Body. Alino’s Heavy Body.
Spells known:
Gravity: Alino’s Weightless Bodyb.
Life: Brigit’s Lesser Cure Poison.
Focus capability: 12 patterns
Social status: Inara, Daughter of Mysteries. Apprentice to the Maven of Mysteries.
Wealth: 1498 Magic Gems. 1421 Golden Peas, 17 Silver Scales, 37 Copper Bits.
Items:
Magical necklace. Contain a 100 gems of general mana, can be drained like a mana pool. It’ll recharge by itself at the rate of five gems an hour.
1 potion of lightning body.
1 potion of mana, medium grade.
An enchanted belt with eight pouches, the enchantment keep the pouches’ content fresh.
Fresh rose petals, 22g
10 empty soul bottles. Glass with a diamond stopper, put in scaled leather wrapping.
The Great White Egret grimoire. Dedicated by the Maven of mysteries to Inara. 10/100
Companions:
Kolag of house Befar
Jerro
Languages:
Toml’a
Sinteo
Myrsha
Felul
Injuries and scars: