Refusing to explain the situation did not go down well with the receptionist. They knew that out of all their sponsors, Lloyd would be the most likely to be available on such short notice, and they were not disappointed.
“So what is so urgent? Were you unable to fulfill the appeal?” Lloyd started questioning.
“Is there somewhere private we can talk?” Yaric asked.
He had expected Lloyd to lead them somewhere for breakfast, or at least some kind of staff lounge, but Lloyd simply commandeered the nearest office. Sitting on the only desk, he looked at the students expectantly.
“It’s going to sound dumb, but what we found in Stathmore was…” Yaric began, explaining the whole situation with the recently passed laws and how they affected the town. He also went into the issue they were facing with firewood, a simple commodity that most people never gave a second thought, but one which they had to bring upriver for basic needs such as cooking.
“That’s not a difficult issue to solve,” Lloyd said. "The local Baron can look into the costs of supplying the town, add a reasonable markup, and set a maximum price.”
“It’s more complicated than that. The merchant selling the firewood was fairly aggressive at the mention of competition, and we tracked the supplier down…” Yaric continued, relating the events that had occurred. Lloyd’s eyes grew wide when Yaric explained the ambush, though he didn’t say anything. He did seem concerned when Yaric described Ira’s actions, however.
“That isn’t a lot to go on. This trading company is easily sorted out, even if it’s just their attack on you four. But I don’t know this Ira, and you have no evidence linking him.”
“So we can’t do anything?” Li Na asked, sounding upset.
“I didn’t say that. If anything, the way forward is simple. Charges against Terrell need to be laid, that’s beyond doubt. Other crimes would likely be brought to light when we look into his business. And based on the nature of their crimes and the event you’ve described; Ira would be at fault if nothing has been done about them. He took a stupid risk by trying to bluff you four.”
“But that would only be negligence on his side,” Sven protested. “We think he might be involved in taking over the fur trade for the region, using his role as advisor.”
“True, but one, it’s negligence in an attempted murder of Lekton students acting in an official capacity, and two, it’s more than enough to begin an investigation into his background. You four should get back to class today and I’ll send for you once I have everything organized on my end. This is going to be fun!”
Li Na seemed to be mollified, and Lauren and Sven were smiling at the possibility of charging Ira. Having Lloyd behind them changed everything.
Despite arriving so early in Lekton, getting to the campus and then waiting for Lloyd had taken up a lot of time, so they had to run to drop off their things and get cleaned up for class. Lauren suggested that they keep their bags packed as well.
They missed their combat training, but were still in time to join their class for the magic lessons. The entire lesson was held at the range now. Everyone could summon a stream of flame, and most could do the same with air, but a lot of practice was needed for the other two, particularly the air blades.
“You’re improving, but you could do better if you slowed down,” Emil admonished Yaric as his fireball flew slightly wide of the target.
“Sorry Instructor. I’ll slow down, but is there a way to practice for speed? I want to be able to use these spells without spending a few seconds concentrating first.”
“Of course,” Emil chuckled. “That mostly comes with practice. But the first thing you should do is slow down and focus on doing it properly. You’ll find it’s actually faster in the long run.”
Yaric focused on forming the spell as quickly as he could while still staying calm and composed. He realized that he had been feeling a sense of urgency when he’d been casting earlier. Lauren looked like she was feeling the same way.
“How long do you think it will take us until we can cast these spells instantly?” Yaric asked her.
“The sooner the better,” was her only reply as she focused on summoning another fireball.
Yaric did have some success though. He found that he could project a stream of flame significantly more quickly than what he had managed in his fight the day before. And that was from his very first casting at the range.
Air blades were the worst. Casting the spell wasn’t a problem, aiming it was. He struggled even when he took his time, but if he rushed the spell his air blades would curve unpredictably in flight and go wildly off target.
“Concentrate, Novice!” Emil said, seeing his performance. “I expect better of you. Take your time, make sure the spell is fully formed, and only release the spell once you are sure you can hit the target.”
Emil’s advice didn’t help much. He was certainly better when he went slowly, methodically checking the spell structure and filling the arcana at a slow and consistent pace, but he still only hit the targets half the time.
“That could be useful,” Sven said out of the blue. Yaric’s latest air blade had just passed to the left of his target but veered right once it had gone past.
“For digging ditches?” Yaric asked with a self-deprecating laugh. His air blade had continued tilting as it turned until the end dug into the soft dirt. He didn’t mention the fact that it was traveling almost perpendicular to them when the spell ended.
“If you can work out how to do that on purpose, you can fire around corners or hit targets from the side,” Sven pointed out, making Yaric pause.
‘Can I do that on purpose though?’
Sven followed up by casting his own blade at an angle, aiming to the side of his target. It curved in the right direction, but he didn’t time it right. He was close enough for it to clearly be deliberate, however.
“Perhaps you should master hitting your target head-on before attempting tricks, hmmm?” Emil asked, shaking his head. “Focus on the basics!”
Li Na was struggling just as much as them, but when she hit her targets she had a surprising amount of power behind her spell.
“How are you doing that?” Yaric asked.
“Doing what?”
“Hitting so hard.”
“I’m stronger than you,” Li Na shrugged.
“No, seriously. You’re cutting pieces out of the wood.”
Li Na turned to look at him with her eyes narrowed. “I’m stronger than you.” Dropping her voice, Li Na leaned forward so only Yaric, Lauren, and Sven could hear. “My power rating was 17.2”
…
Silence fell over the group for a moment as they took that in. While her rating was far from someone like Lloyd, it was also significantly higher than the average, and it could easily be the highest in the class. It was certainly higher than Yaric’s slightly above-average 14.6.
“Are you serious?” Lauren asked.
“Of course,” Li Na replied, shrugging again. “I’m the strongest in the class.”
“It’s very high,” Lauren acknowledged, “but that doesn’t mean that someone else isn’t stronger than you.”
Li Na just smirked and turned to fire off a stream of air, knocking one of the barrels back.
“Sandy told you!” Yaric accused.
“That’s Council Head Ivers to you,” Li Na smirked, wagging her finger as she did. “And she didn’t tell me what anyone’s scores were, just that I was highest. Maybe someone is just behind me, but second isn’t first.”
Yaric shared a glance with the others and lowered his voice. “I had 14.6 when I was checked,” he whispered.
“14.3”
“14.8”
Yaric was shocked to hear that Lauren had the lowest rating of all of them, even if it was very close to his and Sven’s. Her spells tended to be cast slightly slower than Yaric, but she was usually right behind him in learning new spells and always formed the spells better than any of them once she had it figured out. She was also the most consistently accurate in the entire class.
“All fourteens,” Li Na snorted teasingly.
“All above average,” Lauren pointed out, since most people sat between twelve and fourteen.
“Yeah, well, watch and learn.”
Li Na formed another air blade, but she clearly pumped as much arcana into the spell form as she could. Yaric was shocked to see that she managed to manipulate the size slightly as well. The 3m blade tore across the range, propelled by what must have been double the power Yaric had put into his. Dust trailed in its wake as it blasted toward the tall pole Li Na had been using all morning.
Curving after traveling halfway to the target, her spell smashed into a barrel with enough force to drive halfway through, splinting the sides and leaving a gaping hole.
“Hey!” Chelsea shouted, "that was my target!"
Li Na completely ignored her and turned to the others instead. “See?” she asked with a straight face. “Power!”
The others just snorted, but quickly turned to practice their own spells when they saw Emil hurrying over.
“Novice Jakobson! What was that?”
“An air blade, sir,” Li Na replied innocently while the other three tried to hold back their laughter.
“And why was it bigger than the spell I taught you?”
“You explained how it was formed when we were learning. So I adjusted the sizing component by widening the channels and adding more arcana.”
…
“Excellent! Very well done! But perhaps you should focus more on accuracy, like your friends, hmmm?”
Yaric felt his jaw drop. Far from upset, Emil congratulated Li Na enthusiastically, as if she’d pulled off some great feat instead of casting a dangerous spell with a modification she didn’t properly understand. All to show off.
“Like I said,” she whispered, forming a more reasonably sized air blade once Emil had moved on to other students. “You should respect my power.”
Yaric continued to focus on casting his spells quickly, but once he had, he put a lot of effort into actually hitting his target. His accuracy was embarrassing for someone known as a good archer.
‘Not that it’s the same thing.’
“You push your hand when you cast,” Lauren suddenly said from beside him. Yaric looked at her quizzically, then back at his hand. Trying again, he kept his hand still and cast another air blade. It curved off to the side.
“No, like this.” Lauren took hold of Yaric’s elbow and raised his arm again, as if he were casting another spell. She stepped forward and turned to face him, holding his wrist in front of his shoulder.
“Remember, the spell is long enough that we aren’t using only one anchor. The middle of the air blade is anchored here,” she said, touching the center of his palm. “And each end is anchored separately, here and here.” Lauren touched each side of his palm in turn.
“You’re pushing your hand out like this.” Lauren took hold of Yaric’s hand with both of hers, her thumbs on each side of his palm with her fingers wrapped around the back of his hand. She pushed gently with her thumbs, making the small cup in the center of his palm disappear and start to protrude slightly out.
“The anchor point on this side is smaller than the other side,” she explained, touching the edge of his palm below his pinky finger. “When you push your hand out you are warping the shape of the air blade. Only slightly, but it’s making your air blade unbalanced and messing with your aim.”
“So I have to pull back?” he asked, very aware of how she was holding his hand up.
“No, just relax. Don’t push forward, but don’t pull back either. Just hold your hand naturally. Remember, you aren’t pushing the blade forward with your hand. The spell does everything for you.”
Yaric noticed Li Na watching them intently from the side, but she snickered and turned away as soon as they made eye contact, continuing with her own spells. He didn’t miss her clandestine glances from the corner of her eyes, which she apparently thought were subtle and stealthy.
Trying again, Yaric focused on keeping his hand relaxed. Lauren had turned to look down the target range, but she was still holding his wrist up, which didn’t help him with relaxing. He also wasn’t going to be able to take a minute and run things through in his head, as she was already watching the target, as if he were about to cast. Taking a deep breath, Yaric did his best to relax his hand, closed his eyes to focus on the spell form, channeled, and released.
His air blade struck dead center.
Lauren hopped in victory and turned to face him, beaming. Yaric couldn’t help but smile back.
“See? You just have to relax more,” Lauren said, walking past him to go back to her own spot by walking behind everyone.
Yaric bumped her shoulder as she walked past. “Thanks.”
Lauren just smiled over her shoulder and went back to her practice, while Yaric relaxed his arm to try and replicate the shot.
“Yeah Yaric, you need to relax more,” Li Na whispered loudly.
His next shot went wide.
Glaring at her, Yaric tried again.
His air blade thunked into the pole for the second time, digging a deep groove into the hard wood. His next shot struck dead center, and every shot after hit the target. Within 10 minutes Yaric went from trying to hit his pole to trying to hit the marks he’d left earlier.
“Excellent!” Emil enthusiastically declared when he came back around. “Do you see the difference when you go slow and steady? Keep it up! Now show me the other three spells.”
Yaric went through each of the other spells they’d learned, making sure to pause before releasing each one so Emil wouldn’t be upset. He had managed to project a stream of flames as his very first spell, and it was still the easiest for him. It was also impossible to miss, as he could correct his aim mid-cast. His fireball took longer to form, but it was still faster than most and it hit the barrel with a satisfying splash of flame. It was only a ball of flames, however, with no fuel to keep burning once it had burst. The barrel barely singed.
Yaric’s last spell went wrong, but only because he cast the same version he’d used against their attackers. It was meant to be a burst of air that spread out in an arc, knocking over anyone close by and even disturbing projectile weapons, but Emil had shown them a version that channeled continually instead of building up and releasing suddenly. That was what Yaric had used the day before.
“Excellent! I’m very pleased that you are practicing the additional version, and it was very well done. For the purposes of this demonstration, though, please also use the burst you were originally taught.
Yaric felt his ears go hot, but he closed his eyes and focused, casting the version Emil had intended from the beginning. A wave of pressure burst forward from him, throwing dirt into the air and leaving swirling eddies in its wake.
“Fantastic! I knew it would be worth keeping an eye on you. Remind me to give you some additional variations on the spells, I want you to practice other methods and expand your foundation. We can check up on how you do with them once everyone else has caught up. In the meantime, keep practicing these for today. Remember, slow and steady!”
Emil turned around and moved on. He looked to be very excited about Yaric’s performance. Li Na leaned over as soon as the dwarf had disappeared amongst the students.
“Yeah, Yaric, slow and steady,” she whispered loudly, before standing up straight again to continue practicing her spells. Li Na paused and cocked her head to one side, then leaned over a second time.
“But you’re being too slow. Maybe try getting a move on?” she suggested cryptically, snickering to herself.
The rest of the day fell quickly into a routine, with the only change being classmates who wanted to know what job they had received this time. The initial excitement over the prospect of their friends fulfilling appeals had died away once they had discovered exactly what those appeals had entailed. No one was impressed with Yaric and the others needing to carry blocks of stone or help with a shipyard. In fact, the only time they had shown any interest was when they heard about Lauren catching a thief, and that hadn’t even had anything to do with the appeal.
That all changed when Kaylin and Tracy were told about the ambush. Groups of people started coming over between every class as the news spread, particularly about the spells they had used to fight back. The difference in reactions between the beginning of the story and the end was funny to Yaric. People kept complaining about how easy the appeal was when they heard the issue was just firewood, but they quickly grew excited when Li Na got to the part about the ambush. Although he was pretty sure Li Na hadn’t lit her staff on fire when fending off their attackers, and he wasn’t sure if any had been knocked out in the corridor, let alone half.
Not even the normal routine of their classes was enough to keep them distracted though. Yaric and his friends were constantly on the watch for Lloyd or a messenger, waiting impatiently for word on what would be next. They still hadn’t heard anything when their second last lesson of the day, Law, finally ended.
“Maybe he needs more than a day to sort things out,” Lauren suggested while they walked to the front of the class to collect the notes on the lessons they had missed.
Their teacher was waiting for them, but she had more than their notes with her.
“High Wizard Chen asked me to give you this,” she promptly informed them, handing over a note. “You are to wait for him at the main gates tomorrow morning, by sunrise at the latest. He wants you to accompany him as guides and witnesses to a crime.”
“Yeah, they’re going to get what’s coming to them!”
“You’re aware, Novice Jakobson, that the charges for attempting to murder an Academy student can carry the death penalty? And the likelihood increases when the student in question is acting in an official capacity on behalf of the Academy?”
“No… But if that’s what they deserve, then that’s what they should get. No one is getting away this time.”
“This time?” she asked, raising her eyebrows. “You’ve been attacked before?”
“Yeah! Andrew and his friends.”
High Mage Sniders stared at Li Na for a moment, still looking concerned despite the realization that there hadn’t been an additional attack. “I can assure you; they didn’t get away with anything.”
“How would we know? It’s been months and we’ve never heard anything. We were the ones they assaulted, remember?”
Sniders didn’t say anything about Li Na’s tone or attitude but instead appeared to examine her carefully. “I’m well aware,” she said after a few moments. “I was involved in the deliberations after all. They did not ‘get away’, as you put it, but perhaps it would do some good to help ensure that these criminals receive appropriate sentences. I believe that High Wizard Chen can be quite formidable when pursuing a case.”
Li Na didn’t look entirely convinced, but Yaric took the note and thanked their instructor, before leaving along with his friends. Looking back, he saw High Mage Sniders still hadn’t moved from where she stood, and she was watching them with a frown.
“What does the note say?” Lauren asked excitedly.
Yaric unfolded the note and read it out loud.
“Meet tomorrow morning at the main gates. We leave by sunrise. Pack bags with everything you need for at least three days. We will be traveling with others. Will explain on the ferry. No need for armor. Lloyd.”
“Why would we need armor? We're not going to be fighting anyone,” Yaric asked, looking up from the note.
“He said we don’t,” Li Na pointed out.
“Yes, but why? He seems to think he needed to tell us that.”
“Well, we were attacked the last time we were there. I would have felt better if I was wearing armor,” Sven said.
“Well I’m already packed,” Li Na added.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
“We all are, remember?”
“Yeah, but the sooner we leave the better.”
Yaric’s last lesson was Scouting, and there was another surprise waiting for them as well.
“Your Instructors from Duke Anton arrived earlier today,” Mage Fletcher announced. “They are taking some time to settle in and explore the available facilities, but once they are done you can expect them to give you some special lessons.”
“Ummm… Mage Fletcher?” Lauren said hesitantly. “We’re leaving tomorrow morning with High Wizard Chen, to complete an appeal we’re part way through resolving. He said we might be gone for three days.”
Ivan examined her for a moment before he replied. “I see you four are already busy with your additional responsibilities. No one will fault you for that. I will make sure your instructors are informed. I daresay they may prefer some additional time to plan your lessons.”
“Did Corporal Ilves arrive with them?” Yaric asked curiously, but Ivan’s face turned sour.
“I don’t know, they all insisted on being called ‘Corporal’. I wouldn’t know if one of them is an ‘Ilves’.”
Yaric struggled to hold back a laugh, which Ivan may or may not have noticed. Either way, he had them practicing moving crawling undetected in the thickest bushes he could find, bushes that no one in their right mind would crawl through, particularly if they wanted to remain undetected.
Yaric and Lauren finished their lesson and made their way back to their dorm building, hoping to get cleaned up and eat, only to find that their entire class already knew about their plans for the next morning. Li Na sat in the middle of a large huddle, explaining the situation to everyone. She was twirling her mace in her hand as it lay across her legs.
Despite the questions and excitement from their class, everyone was still able to get to bed early. They had a long journey in the morning, and no one knew what to expect.
----------------------------------------
The sun rose to find the four friends already making their way to the docks. Lloyd had been waiting when they arrived, long before sunrise. He had four others with him as well, who he explained were civilians that the Academy hired on occasion.
They all had bags packed, and Yaric and the others still had their staffs, though Li Na was also wearing her mace’s sling, with the mace in question astutely strapped to her bag instead of inside the sling.
Lloyd didn’t say a word when he noticed, but he did point out that if there was any danger, he would handle it. For some reason the civilians he had brought with him didn’t seem nervous at all, despite the talk about danger.
The riverboat was already on its way when they had breakfast, seated in the dining room and enjoying the fresh breeze that blew through the open sides.
“Danni, Madlyn, Beven, and Everard work in finance and accounting. They will be going through this trading company’s books, and possibly Wizard Ira’s finances as well, though I doubt he will be keeping any records we could use. But we can hope.
“The first part will be up to us. We need to have charges laid against Terrell and his accomplices. Once that is done these four will take over to gather evidence and find out what other crimes they have committed.”
“What about confronting Ira?” Lauren asked.
“That is a more delicate matter,” Lloyd acknowledged. “There is no direct evidence implicating him. If he is involved, and it truly does seem like he is, I’m not happy with simply complaining about Ira not organizing any arrests. And he might have even done so, to cover himself. In that case, we don’t even have that. He left Lekton before my time, but his record seems clear. It won’t be easy to get a conviction.”
“What about the Baroness?” Sven asked.
“What about her? I know Cordelia, she certainly wouldn’t be involved.”
“Perhaps, but I was thinking about the wizard. He is her advisor, and he acts with her authority. The wizard also convinced her to pass the laws that enabled this whole operation, is that enough?”
“Hmmm…” Lloyd leaned back and stared at the opposite bank as the trees and reeds drifted by. “Not on its own, no. But it will likely be enough to begin an investigation into his conduct. If he presented false information or covered up any part of this Terrell’s business, we might be able to get a full investigation going. Cordelia would certainly get rid of him, even if it’s just to prevent any association between them.”
“We also need to check the prices in Stathmore,” Yaric added. “That was the whole point of this.”
Lloyd leaned forward again, smiling now. “Already arranged. I had a messenger leave for Stathmore yesterday, they’re to meet us in Sarton.”
Once the plans were made and thoroughly discussed, everyone fell quiet. There was still a long journey ahead, but they had nothing to do. Lauren pulled out their lesson notes from the lessons they’d missed and ‘persuaded’ the others to go through them with her, after which they paired off with their staffs and did some sparring, but by midafternoon they were playing games with the civilians who had joined them, each of whom was very friendly and likable.
Lloyd insisted that they lounge on the top deck after dinner, watching the sunset with drinks in hand. No one informed him that they had done exactly that on their first journey downriver.
Yaric still found the whole situation to be very surreal. An appeal that was resolved with a few very simple questions, questions that anyone could ask. Followed up by an attempt on their lives. An attempt that they had simply walked away from. Only to have tea with a powerful wizard who was most likely a partner of the man who’d tried to kill him, if not the ringleader himself. Then they had to get back to Lekton without making their suspicions too obvious, where they had simply gone to class as if everything was normal. And now they were on their way back, with a High Wizard in tow, lying back on deck chairs with chilled drinks in hand.
‘I was throwing fireballs yesterday, and this is what doesn’t feel real?’ Yaric thought to himself, smiling at the absurdity of his life.
The sun set to the sound of water slapping the keel, birds calling from their roosts, ice clinking in drinks, and laughter from Yaric’s friends as they listened to one of Lloyd’s absurd and totally true stories, that never featured any embellishment whatsoever.
And Yaric realized that he didn’t care how absurd his life was.
----------------------------------------
Walking to Sarton should have taken a lot longer with unconnected tagging along. They weren’t able to augment themselves, so they would have been forced to keep a walking pace for the entire journey. Luckily though, Lloyd had foreseen the problem and arranged for a different method of travel.
“Horses!” Li Na exclaimed, skipping up to the animals tethered to the side.
“Yes, we’ll be taking these down to Sarton – don’t tell Jelly!”
Li Na whirled around to face Sven. “See! There are horses for rent!” she accused, jabbing her finger into his chest and glaring up at him from chest height.
Sven raised his hands in surrender, but Lloyd stepped in to save him before Sven had a chance to reply.
“These horses were sent here specifically for us. They aren’t local rentals.”
Li Na was undeterred. “Why didn’t you arrange for horses last time we were here, huh, horseboy?”
Sven knew when he was cornered. There was no way to reason with Li Na logic. Everyone knew that.
“Ummm… I’m sorry. Next time I’ll do better.”
“You better!” Li Na whirled back to face the horses, her frown disappearing as she stepped forward to start stroking the neck of the one nearest to her.
Even though it made no difference to the horses, everyone naturally arranged themselves by height, with Sven starting to untether the largest horse.
“Nah uh!” Li Na warned, shaking her finger. “That one’s mine!”
Sven immediately moved on to another horse without saying a word.
Once everyone was ready to go, Lloyd gathered them together, waved in thanks to the assistant who had been guarding the horses, and they set off down the road with Lloyd at the front and Li Na just behind him, beaming from ear to ear. Sven trailed along behind her, followed by the four civilians, while Yaric rode beside Lauren at the rear.
They spent the whole journey discussing the plans they had made for dealing with Terrell, the possible options to handle the issue with Ira, and even the notes for the lessons they had missed. Some of the more interesting travelers also became topics for discussion, until they suddenly found themselves at the outskirts of town not long after lunch.
Sven led them to the inn they had stayed at previously, where Li Na helped to get the horses stabled. Once they had everything organized and their bags packed away, Lloyd instructed the civilians to stick to the tavern while they went to find the town guard.
Li Na drew a few stares with her mace slung conspicuously on her back, but they made quick time through the crowds. People naturally seemed to make way for Lloyd, although Sven’s 6’3 frame likely helped.
The guards were situated in their own building, with a reception at the front, a large and clearly visible break room behind it, and several cells at the rear. All of which were empty.
“Good afternoon, sirs, ladies,” the guard behind the desk greeted them warmly. “What can I do you for?”
“We have several matters to attend to,” Lloyd began. “First, we need to find out if any arrests were made regarding the attempted murder of four people investigating a pricing issue with firewood. Stupid reason, really, but criminals often are.”
“Attempted murder?” the guard asked disbelievingly. “We’ve had no such reports.”
“It was two days ago, instigated by a Jamus Terrell of Terrell Traders.”
“Well, now, sir, I’m sure there must be some misunderstanding. You don’t want to go…”
“The crime was supposed to be reported by a wizard named Ira. I didn’t get his full name,” Lloyd continued, cutting him off.
The man paled, but he quickly looked confident. “Now you should really think about overlooking whatever incident may or may not have occurred. Do you actually want to lay charges against a wizard? One who works for the Baroness?”
Lloyd ignored him and pretended to examine the obviously empty cells at the back.
“I’ll take that as a no. The next thing I need from you is the location of your mayor, or whatever office it is that manages Sarton.”
“It’s the mayor, but I doubt he’d be too keen to help you. Besides, it’s not his job.”
“Oh, I’m not looking for help. I’m required to report my presence whenever I enter a new town. All High Wizards are.”
The guard turned white and seemed at a loss for words.
“Also, I want to make clear that should any word of our arrival reach Terrell or his associates, before we do that is, then each of you,” Lloyd paused to look pointedly at the guard at the front desk and each of the four sitting in the breakroom, “each of you will be thoroughly investigated as well. As possible accomplices. No one else knows of our presence here.”
The guards nodded numbly, while the pale man behind the desk began giving hurried directions. It shouldn’t have been difficult, as the mayor’s office was on the other side of the road, just four buildings down.
Things were much simpler with the mayor. He didn’t bat an eye at the allegations against Terrell, nor even when Ira was implicated along with him. If anything, Yaric thought he might have seen a flash of relief in the man’s eyes. Instead, he personally wrote out an order putting the town guard at Lloyd’s disposal, only asking to be kept informed.
They quickly returned to the guard they had spoken with earlier and handed over the note, resulting in four nervous-looking guards accompanying them to Terrell Trading.
“Let me do the talking,” Lloyd told them. “I’m sure they won’t do something stupid like fight or try to run, but I’ve seen criminals do crazy things before. You never know how people will react when they feel cornered.”
One guard was stationed outside the store with the furs, with another at the store with the lumber. The remaining two were left to guard the entrances to the narrow alleyway between the buildings.
“This is the entrance?” Lloyd asked unnecessarily, pointing to the only door at the back. Seeing the nods in response, Lloyd walked confidently up the stairs and down the corridor, with Yaric and the others following close behind. They had been there just two days before, when Li Na had fended off an ambush while they all retreated outside. Windows were broken throughout, though the glass had already been cleaned up.
“Good afternoon,” Lloyd said cheerfully when he stepped into the lobby. Six men were standing up from their seats, eying him suspiciously. Their eyes grew large when they saw who was behind them.
All six immediately reached for weapons, already moving forward aggressively. Their heads bumped the ceiling when Lloyd waved his hand.
“Now now, none of that, please. I’m here to speak with your boss. Through here I take it?” Lloyd asked, already moving toward the door directly in front of him. The six thugs hung suspended in the air, their feet kicking uselessly as their heads grazed the ceiling. None of them seemed able to speak, and their arms were pinned firmly against their sides.
Li Na smirked when they started moving their mouths as if miming someone desperately shouting.
The door opened without Lloyd touching it.
Jamus stood behind a desk, sword in hand. He had evidently heard Lloyd talking outside his office and decided not to take any chances. The office was large, but what really surprised Yaric when he walked in was the second door on the other side. It was already open, and beyond the door he could see the warehouse stacked with racks for stretching furs, all of which seemed to be full. Piles of finished furs lined at walls.
“Sorry to barge in like this,” Lloyd said.
Jamus raised his sword threateningly. “You’re going to…”
“No,” Lloyd said firmly, and Jamus’s sword flew from his hand and embedded itself in the ceiling. “There will be none of that. I’m here regarding your attempt to murder my student and his friends. As a High Wizard of Lekton, I am taking you to the local guards to be charged, after which you will be tried. In the meantime, my team will be examining your books and business dealings, so please be aware that further charges may be brought.
Jamus ran for the door, making Lloyd groan in exasperation. He was already on the stairs leading down into the warehouse when Lloyd walked out the door and casually lifted him into the air.
“You’re one of those,” he groaned. “Where did you think you could run to? How did you think you could run?”
Lloyd flicked his fingers when Jamus tried to reply, leaving Jamus to move his mouth uselessly – and silently. The six men from the lobby floated after them.
Yaric and his friends hadn’t said a word the entire time. Nor had they lifted a finger.
More guards were waiting outside when they exited with the prisoners.
“Mayor Fishman sent us to assist you,” the guard captain informed them.
“Good, I need you to collect all of the employees of Terrell Trading and lock down this building. No one is to enter.”
“Yes sir.”
Things went very smoothly from there. Terrell's employees must have been well known, because guards kept arriving with more and more prisoners, many from other parts of the town. Yaric quickly realized that while most looked angry, defiant, or worried, some were unexpectedly terrified and confused.
Acting on a hunch, Yaric stepped closer to one of them. “What did you do for Terrell Trading?” he asked.
“I’m a trapper, I just get furs for him. I swear!”
“And you?” Yaric asked the next.
“I’m a hunter. But I also trap! We do some of everything. It’s all legal, trapping is allowed here!”
Lloyd noticed what was going on and started sorting those who worked in the forest from those who worked in the town. It was very easy to work out who was who by simply looking at who seemed afraid.
“Take the names of these men and let them go,” Lloyd informed the guard. Then he turned to the remaining men, some of whom Yaric recognized from the ambush. Their reactions to Yaric’s gaze, and that of his friends, told him they knew exactly what was coming next.
“For those of you who don’t know, Terrell Trading is currently under investigation by Lekton Academy. We will be checking financial records, trade deals, stock intakes, everything. We are also charging Jamus Terrell with the attempted murder of four Lekton Academy students. Just to make it clear, that usually carries the death penalty.”
Everyone in the room was utterly silent.
“Usually,” Lloyd pointed. “If anyone can provide useful information on any other crimes, or perhaps more importantly, information on accomplices or partners, or even just point us in the right direction, allowances could be made.”
There was silence for several seconds, but as soon as the first man started speaking the entire room exploded into pandemonium. Lloyd was eventually forced to silence everyone magically.
“I’m going to have you brought aside, one by one, to give your statements. Useful information will be noted, useless information will not, so don’t waste our time. And any information you can provide on someone named Ira would be of special significance.”
Jamus was hanging his head in the chair he was shackled to.
“I trust I can leave the rest to you?” Lloyd asked, speaking with the guard captain.
“Yes sir!”
“Good. Come on you four,” Lloyd added, turning to Yaric. “We have a Baroness to visit.”
They needed to take a small boat across the river, but luckily the Baroness lived on a country estate just two hours away. Or 20 minutes away, if you ran. And could augment yourself.
Lloyd’s abilities were far superior to the others. He enjoyed showing off, running backward while talking comfortably, and at one point even running literal circles around Li Na while she huffed and puffed, waving her arms in an attempt to swat him.
They didn’t get the chance to see much of the estate, as Lloyd didn’t slow down until they were right at the stairs below the front door.
Staff hurried to bring them through.
“Cordelia,” Lloyd said, shaking her hand with a smile.
“High Wizard Chen.”
“These four are students at the Academy. Yaric, Lauren, Lina, and Sven.”
“Apprentice Rebekka is not with you?” she asked.
“No. Yaric here is my other student.”
Yaric felt his face grow hot.
“Come, walk with me. What can I help you with.”
“Actually, I’m trying to help you more than I’m looking for help. Although I believe it’s these four that have some questions to ask.”
“Oh? How so? And please, feel free to ask.”
Lloyd turned to look meaningfully at the students.
“What can you tell us about the forest around Stathmore?” Yaric blurted nervously.
Cordelia smiled at his poor attempt but answered nonetheless. “I’m aware of the terrible condition if that is why you are here. Unfortunately, some people were eager to take advantage of the resources there and so hid the degradation from my people. I have already taken measures to see to its recovery.”
“What if we were to tell you that there are no problems with that part of the forest.”
Cordelia just laughed. “I’m sorry, I’m not laughing at you. I just assumed that something serious had happened, so to find out it's this… I’m sure if you investigate the people who gave you this information, you will find that they have much to gain by being allowed to plunder the forest once again.”
“Actually, we looked for ourselves. And I’m fairly certain that your information came from a wizard named Ira.”
Sven elbowed Yaric at his tone of voice, though Lloyd seemed entirely unconcerned. Cordelia, however, looked slightly concerned.
“Yes? I don’t see why that would be a problem. He is a highly experienced Wizard and one of my top advisers. No, he is my top adviser. I doubt anyone would have been able to fool him.”
“We don’t think he was fooled. We were asked to look into food prices in Stathmore and discovered that the issue was simply the cost of firewood. Someone had a monopoly on the supply and were taking advantage of the community since they couldn’t collect their own firewood anymore.”
“So that’s why the prices…” Cordelia quietly mused, trailing off while talking to herself. Focusing on Yaric once again, she asked, “But what does that have to do with Ira or the forest? Collecting firewood would be easier for them, sure, even if it’s not good for the forest, by why would…”
Li Na snickered quietly behind them.
“… Ira be involved in this, and what does that have to do with the state of the forest?”
“There’s nothing wrong with the forest, we’ve checked. But the law you passed banned firewood collection and stopped hunting, including the fur trade. We traced the company with the monopoly to Sarton. Terrell Trading. Their main business is lumber and furs, collected from this side of the forest. They have a monopoly on the whole trade now. There are even trappers working for him that used to work independently in Stathmore. Jamus Terrell is making a very large amount of money due to the new law.”
Cordelia seemed to relax at the news. “That’s hardly cause for concern. Anything that hurts a business will benefit the competition.” Cordelia turned to her other side to address Lloyd. “I’m not sure I understand the problem. Thank you for solving the food crisis, that is a big help, but the law is in place to protect a damaged ecosystem, I can’t change it because someone benefited financially.”
“There’s more,” Lloyd simply stated.
“We went to see Jamus Terrell,” Sven said, taking over. “We were hoping to get the prices dropped, but he was warned about our arrival, and he had an ambush waiting. They tried to murder us.”
Cordelia’s breath hissed. “Have they been arrested?” she asked.
“Over the last few hours, yes. But while we were fighting our way out, your advisor, Ira, arrived. He claimed to be there because of the spells we were using, which may or may not be true, but once he found out what was happening, he promised to see to it that Jamus was charged. That was two days ago. He has done nothing since.”
“That is certainly a problem, and I’ll ensure he is reprimanded.”
“Reprimanded?” Li Na asked incredulously. “He watched people try to kill us, told us he’d have them arrested, and then he just walked away. He let murderers walk away.”
“They didn’t actually mu…” Cordelia began, before trailing off. “You’re right. But I’m sure High Wizard Chen understands, I can’t just charge him. It would be an exceptionally poor reflection on myself and my barony. The damage would exceed the damage done by Ira.”
“Not necessarily,” Sven said. “We have reason to believe that Ira is working with Jamus. That the reason he suggested this law, and lied to you in the process, was to benefit his business in the fur trade.”
“You think Ira was trading in firewood?”
“Actually, no,” Yaric replied. “We think that was all Jamus. Ira seemed furious when we explained what had brought us to Stathmore.”
“This isn’t much to go on. Not if you want to accuse my advisor of colluding with a criminal. Negligence, yes, but colluding would take some actual evidence.”
“That’s why we’re here,” Lauren said. “We were hoping to get the information Ira provided you when he convinced you to ban entry into the forest around Stathmore. Other people are already investigating Terrell Trading.”
“That’s easy. Once the law was passed the documents were filed with the mayor in Sarton. I’m afraid you’ll have to go back to fetch them, but I will allow you to go through them. I take it this is the favor,” Cordelia asked Lloyd.
“Yes. We came to you before seeing the Duke, so you could resolve the issue yourself. I’m personally inclined to agree with the kids. Ira is most likely involved. That would result in multiple charges against him, and obviously make you look terrible. I would be very surprised if the Duke didn’t order an investigation into you as well, just to be sure.”
“Hmmm… I’m going to suspend him for now, pending the results of the investigation. And let me issue you with a letter so you can access the records.”
“Could you also arrange for firewood for Stathmore?” Li Na suddenly asked. Cordelia looked confused, so Li Na quickly explained. “All of their firewood came from Terrell, and he’s been arrested. His whole company has. No one will be sending new shipments upstream.”
Yaric felt like facepalming. They had even sent someone to check the prices and ensure they had been dropped, but no one had thought about future supplies with the company under investigation.
“Of course. And considering the implications of the law I passed, private residents will be supplied free of charge.”
Cordelia led them to a study where she proceeded to write three copies of the same letter, each signed and stamped. Yaric noticed that the letter stated that she was requesting their investigation into Ira, but since Lloyd wasn’t saying anything, neither did he.
It was getting dark when they ran back after saying their goodbyes. Thankfully there was still a boat to take them across, so they spent the evening in the inn. Cordelia had also given them Ira’s address in Sarton, so they could go straight there once they had their evidence. She even included the addresses of his other properties, in Coombe, Yellowseed, and Bellmare, just in case he wasn’t home. His job certainly seemed to include a lot of freedom.
Lloyd took the civilians to Terrell Trading early the next morning and got them started with the records and paperwork. Eight guards watched over them, and another four brought two men who claimed to have information relevant to the investigation. Information on evidence that could be found in the books.
The rest of the morning was spent going through the paperwork surrounding the protection of the forest around Stathmore. It was filled with misleading statements and outright lies. Everything was documented and collated for Cordelia to go over.
“Well, that settles it,” Lloyd said eagerly. “Let’s go arrest a corrupt Wizard!”
Lloyd looked way too excited, but his mood soon soured.
Ira was gone.
Not just ‘not at home’, but gone. Cupboards and drawers were laid open, and there were even clothes scattered on the ground. He had clearly packed up and left in a hurry.
The only good news was when the messenger sent to Stathmore arrived to confirm that prices had indeed been lowered. Ira had evidently tried to contain the situation, but Jamus’s greed had drawn attention to their much larger operation.
Madlyn had some information as well. There were separate books for parts of the business, none of which seemed to be represented in their tax filings. Even more damning was collection slips for shipments that weren’t in any books at all, which Madlyn felt were for shipments most likely smuggled into other nations. Many had documents indicating that the shipments were for chemicals from the Academy itself, ensuring that no one would open the shipment during inspections.
The pure volume was staggering. Not only were they pulling in a shocking amount from the forests around them, but they also received frequent deliveries from three other regions.
Coombe, Yellowseed, and Bellmare.
Yaric quickly pointed out the addresses for Ira’s other properties.
Word had spread throughout the town by lunchtime. Many of Jamus’s employees tried to turn on him, though most kept giving the same information. More than one even noted that they had seen Ira before, but it was unfortunately not enough to connect them.
No, that came from the woman who had previously helped them at the Water’s Edge. Lauren had asked if they could quickly check with her, as it seemed to be well known that Jamus had breakfast there, and it seemed to be the sort of place that Ira would frequent.
“Oh yes. Both are regulars here. They usually sit far apart, but I’ve arranged for private rooms for them before. Around once a month, in fact. Is it true that Mr. Terrell was arrested yesterday?”
Lauren continued to talk to her while they waited for the town guard to arrive, and she seemed almost eager to give her statement.
Lekton staff arrived to fully take over that evening. As it involved the attempted murder of students, not to mention one of them being a student she herself had sponsored, Sandy had ensured that the entire investigation and trial would be conducted by them. Cordelia didn’t raise any objections at all, though she did put out a notice for information on Ira’s whereabouts.
Lloyd led the students back to the ferry early the next morning. The civilians would be staying for several days to examine all of the evidence, and the staff Lekton sent had taken over everything already. It was out of their hands now.
Yaric half expected Ira to jump out at them on the way back, but they never saw any sign of the wizard.
“Just goes to show how stupid things can mess everything up,” Li Na observed.
“Imagine if Terrell hadn’t tried to overcharge for firewood. No one would have looked twice.”
“Yeah. Always remember to find decent henchmen for your criminal empire.”
Everyone turned to stare at Li Na.
“What?”
The ride back to the ferry was relaxed and cheerful. With Jamus and Co. arrested, there was a weight off everyone’s chest, even if Ira’s escape burned. A fresh spring breeze and ride along the river did wonders for everyone’s mood though, especially Li Na. She didn’t even complain about not getting to use her mace.
They missed the midday ferry, but no one seemed to mind. Poring over documents and collecting evidence was tedious work.
“Lloyd?” Yaric asked. “Would it be okay if we head up to Stathmore before the next ferry gets here? Just to check on things?”
“Yeah! We can ride there!”
“Sure, I haven’t been to Stathmore in at least two hundred years,” Lloyd mused, nonchalantly slipping his foot into the stirrup and getting back on his horse. He completely ignored the shocked stares.
It took almost three hours to ride to Stathmore, which wouldn’t leave them much time before they had to get back, but the welcome was worth it. The blacksmith greeted them happily. He still wasn’t working, as his charcoal wasn’t ready, but he’d decided to stay when the price of firewood dropped and everything else dropped with it. The news that the ban on trapping would likely be lifted left him ecstatic. With most of his previous income coming from trappers, all his concerns evaporated in the warm spring air.
Even the baker was happy to see them. His gruff, annoyed exterior had been replaced with a complete stranger who greeted them like old friends. They had to keep rebuffing his attempts to load them up with pastries and cookies, until Lloyd simply accepted everything on their behalf. The mood across the whole town was entirely different, especially when Lauren went out of her way to ensure that people knew about the imminent reversal of the law banning them from the forest.
Lauren was smiling widely when they left, along with the others. Her horse drifted slightly to the side to gently bump Yaric’s leg. “We did good,” she smiled.
Yaric just smiled and nodded. They rode most of the way in a companionable silence. No one said anything until the ferry came into view.
“We’re taking the main ferry, right?” Sven suddenly asked.
“Yes,” Lloyd replied. “There’s no reason to sacrifice comfort for speed like you did last time.”
“So they’ll be using a mage to power the ship upstream.”
“Most likely.”
“Awesome.”
Yaric, Lauren, and Li Na glanced between themselves.
“Ugh…”