Hadespera

The 22nd of Thargelion

The Year 4631 in the Era of Mortals

Sisyphus’s accommodations were more than Arche had expected. A runner had fetched Helwan, Cora, and Basil’s entire family, each of whom was brought to the palace as guests and given their own rooms. It had apparently caused quite a stir in the city as none could recall the last time the front gates of the palace had opened. Aima’s identity as a vampire was either unknown or uncommented upon, but she held true to their bargain. It wasn’t trust. She couldn’t directly work against Arche without breaking their Oath and that was good enough for the time being.

The king wasted no time settling his affair with the boulder and stepping into the shoes of a proper ruler. News rang out all over the city that the fabled king would deliver a speech at a surprise festival, the first public appearance for as long as anyone could remember. In truth, it was likely the first public appearance by the king for several generations. A figure such as Sisyphus was legendary, but hardly contemporary. Not to even mention Hippokrates. Somehow, both figured out a way to bypass the normal rules of this afterlife. Perhaps it was Hermes’s fuckery, perhaps there were aspects at play Arche simply didn’t know.

Rumors fluttered about the city like flocks of birds. Some posited that the emergence of a new recognized city was a threat to Ship’s Shape, given the proximity, and that the king was marshalling to send an invading force. Others said that by putting on a lavish show, the king was hoping to entice Enyalius, though none knew what a Shrine of Ares was or if it was a good thing that it had been destroyed. Some of the more pessimistic merchants suggested that it was a way to introduce new taxes and levies, while some of the more optimistic openly hoped it was to announce some grave illness and the need for a successor. Rumor also said the sharp-eyed woman who ran the administration for the king had been driven out of the city.

Arche heard all of these as he walked through the streets, arm in arm with Tess, on their way to Bits & Baubles. He fought, and failed, the urge to look at her every time they passed a group of muttering pedestrians, each with their own outlandish theories. She met the look each time, his own ill-concealed amusement reflected back from her face. This continued all the way until they reached the unadorned steps of Rune’s shop. A small bell over the door rang as they stepped inside and Arche once again found himself in a space much larger than the outside would suggest. A young woman stood before them, eyeing a pair of gauntlets seemingly made from brass. Arche caught her eye as they approached.

“Nice to see you again,” he greeted her.

She looked up at him and beamed.

“I’m glad you came back. I was hoping you would. I reckon you’d like to speak to the owner?”

“If it’s not too much trouble.”

The girl nodded and ran off, quickly obscured by the plethora of shelves.

“Who was that?” Tess asked.

“The proprietress, in a different face. I met her last time. She convinced me to come inside instead of waiting for Helwan.”

“Strange,” Tess muttered. “But I suppose everything here is strange after one fashion or another.”

“All strange and all for sale, with some exceptions.”

Arche and Tess turned toward the new voice to find Rune Oyl, dressed in strange clothes of yellow and olive, much the same as the last time Arche had seen her.

“Rune, meet Tess. Tess, Rune Oyl.”

“A pleasure,” Tess said, extending her arm.

Rune gave a soft bow and took Tess’s hand, twisting it slightly in a decidedly masculine fashion, then raised an arm and gestured to the side.

“Shall we speak further in my office?”

“I think that would be wise,” Arche said.

She escorted them past rows and rows of artifacts, some of which seemed like mundane household objects while others were so alien in design that Arche couldn’t begin to guess what they were used for. A door nestled into the wall between the rows and Rune ushered them through. On the other side was a small office with a writing desk, a meeting table, and several chairs. On the wall stood a window but it wasn’t the salt-stained sight of Ship’s Shape on the other end, but rather the view from the peak of some great mountain, an enormous plain displayed below, large enough to rival any European country Arche could recall, except perhaps Russia.

“Interesting window,” he commented as he took a seat by the table.

“Tricky bit of business,” Rune replied. “Figuring out how to visually connect two objects wasn’t difficult, but being able to transport the window from the mountain to here without breaking the link was a feat that will go down in the legend of my autobiography, whenever I get around to finishing it.”

“Where is it?” Tess asked, peering curiously at the window.

“A long distance north from here, in a land called Thessaly. I went there many years ago, chasing an old legend for a powerful artifact that I hoped to study. I didn’t find the artifact, but I fell in love with the view from Mount Koios so I learned how to take it with me.”

“I’ve never seen such open land,” Tess murmured.

“And you won’t, unless you travel many times farther. Most of Tartarus is water, after all, and much of what isn’t is still wild and covered in forest or obscured by other means. Koios stands tall amid the flatlands, like a pillar holding the sky.”

Arche watched Tess stare wide-eyed at the window, a smile playing at his lips by her sheer wonder.

“Perhaps we can visit, some day,” he offered.

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Tess didn’t respond. She stared at the view for a few moments longer, then took a seat next to him. Rune sat opposite the table and leaned forward, steepling her fingers as she rested her elbows on the dark wood.

“Now, I believe we have a deal to close, don’t we?”

“Indeed.”

Arche held out the Golden Fleece. The pelt caught the strong light of Rune’s office, making the wool and skin sparkle. Rune’s eyes widened as Arche laid it on the table, drinking in every detail. Hesitantly, almost reverently, she touched the golden wool with a finger, then tilted her head to better see the writing. Her lips moved as she scanned it, though whether she was reading it or simply muttering to herself, Arche couldn’t tell. Finally, she broke away from the Fleece and turned her attention once more to Arche.

“You have far exceeded my expectations, I must admit,” she said. “And because of that, I am very sorry to say that I will need to renegotiate my end of our bargain.”

Arche’s heart quickened. His muscles clenched, ready to spring into action.

“Explain.”

His eyes darted around the room, looking for signs of an ambush. He hadn’t previously seen anywhere a person could have been hiding, but he hadn’t really been looking.

“One of my researchers has made a discovery that requires my personal attention. Because of this, I will not be available to give you the enchanting instruction we agreed upon. I hope we can still find a satisfactory reward.”

The tension in Arche’s body eased and he resettled himself in his chair.

“What kind of discovery?” he asked.

Rune shook her head.

“I can’t share that information. Suffice it to say it holds great personal value to me. Elsewise, I would not have broken my word to you. As a replacement, would you accept enchanting instruction by one of my senior enchanters for a period of two weeks?”

Arche considered this. The opportunity to learn from a skilled enchanter was likely a rare and expensive thing, but the deal of instruction had been struck before Arche had gained his Pathfinder feat, which severely limited the experience he would get learning from others. Even at the thought of sitting and studying, he could feel his attention slip away toward something more interesting, like the soft brown of Tess’s eyes and the gentle curve of her lips as they opened.

“What? Do I have something on my face?”

Arche blinked.

“Sorry.” He turned back to Rune. “I recognize that you have been put in a difficult position, but even two weeks of instruction by a lesser enchanter is not adequate for my needs. As your situation has changed, so has mine. I would accept, if it’s possible, any basic skillbooks on the subject that you would be willing to part with, as well as any enchanting tools or supplies that would be necessary to work Beginner or Novice enchantments. Would that be doable?”

Rune chewed her bottom lip as she thought.

“Are you saying that you don’t want instruction at all? Enchanting is a complicated trade and can be quite dangerous if mistakes are made.”

“I recognize that, but I have set myself on a journey that requires me to forge my own paths. Both the instructor and I would find the task, well, Sisyphean.”

Rune raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Tess frowned.

“I can provide you with skillbooks in the various basic enchanting skills,” Rune said. “But they will only be able to give you the most basic information. Your skills would start at Level One. Even with some beginner rune insignias, I don’t believe you would be properly compensated.”

Arche smiled. “This, coming from the woman who attempted to have me agree to a one-to-one swap for breaking the Agony of Psyche?”

Rune shrugged. “I was upset. I don’t like it when people break my things.”

“Fair enough. What would you suggest?”

“I have a suggestion, actually,” Tess said. “Why not have one of your enchanters come to our village, Myriatos, for a time. There, they can practice their skill and provide service to the village and to Arche, through instruction, at no cost to you other than the loss of a single employee. It may even provide some valuable experience. There will certainly be no shortage of practice.”

An amused glint shone in Rune’s eyes as she beamed at Tess, then at Arche. “How does a period of two months sound? Provided that all resources are provided by your village, they will perform their work for you free of charge. At the end of that period, they are to be given safe passage back to Ship’s Shape. In the meantime, I will ensure that you have the necessary books to cover all the necessities of enchanting along with a toolset that will allow you to enchant up to Novice and a few designs to practice. Should you stay with the trade long enough to progress past that point, I have additional tools for sale. Is this acceptable to you?”

“Oh, yes,” Arche said immediately. “Very much yes. Oh, one more thing. Could you throw in an Everlit Lantern?”

Rune raised an eyebrow.

“I’ve wanted one ever since I met Helwan,” Arche explained. “Ideally, I’d like to learn how to make one, but I’ll settle for just having one.”

“The design is proprietary. However, your request is easily arranged.”

“Then we have a deal.”

“Excellent. I will send for you when I have everything ready. I hear you’re staying at the palace.” Rune smiled knowingly. “At the king’s own request.”

“I wouldn’t trust everything you hear, these days,” Arche said nonchalantly, making a show of inspecting his fingernails. “Unless it makes me look good.”

Tess rolled her eyes and pointed at the Golden Fleece.

“What’s this writing, here?”

Rune clapped her hands together and smiled.

“That is the very reason why the Golden Fleece is so sought after. It is an ancient, coded, alchemical text.”

“Alchemy?” Tess asked. “Like the potion-makers?”

“Some make potions.” Rune nodded. “Others have much more interesting studies. There are said to be many secrets hidden in this text, not the least of which was how the Fleece was turned to gold in the first place. With it available for study, it’s only a matter of time before the secrets are known to me.”

“That’s it?” Arche asked, feeling a little let down. “I thought it was some incredibly magical artifact, but it’s just a weird book of lost knowledge?”

“Knowledge is the greatest magic of all. This discovery will do more to change the future of Tartarus than any spell taught in that stupid Lyceum.”

“I withdraw my disappointment.”

“As well you should.” Rune touched the Golden Fleece and it disappeared into her inventory. “Now, on to the next piece of business. There is someone I would like you both to meet.”

A knock at the door made Tess and Arche jump. Rune waved a hand and the door swung open. In walked an elf unlike any Arche had ever seen before. He had onyx skin and silver hair that hung down to his shoulders. He wore a long, black trench coat that smelled of salt and sea breeze. One fierce eye, colored entirely of amethyst, bored into Arche while the other was covered by a strip of leather fashioned into an eye-patch.

The elf held a slender, dark pipe to his lips with his left hand, puffing it above a glorious, braided, silver beard. The elf’s right hand was an intricate prosthetic of dark metal, inscribed with golden runes. A beautiful dark, leather scabbard hung off the belt at the elf’s waist, a swept-basket guard adorning the handle of the sword sheathed there. Most of all, however, was the presence that the elf carried with him. It was nearly a physical thing, pressing Arche back into his chair beneath its sheer weight. It was a familiar weight, reminiscent of a god, if not quite so powerful.

The elf watched them for a long moment, puffing his pipe.

“So, you’re the new god, are you? Name’s Ryan Blackdog.”