The western countryside of Lucium was flat and open; there was hardly a tree in sight. After Tullius and his men crossed the river that separated the lands of House Praelia from that of House Callidus, they galloped along the road at a blistering pace to reach the city of Praedium, which was the seat of House Callidus. All the travelers along the road narrowly dodged the cavalry as they whipped through like a gust of wind.
They entered the city, and Tullius inquired with the captain of the local guard about any sightings of their target. The patrols never reported any suspicious activity, and so Tullius and his men departed at once. They continued through the countryside until they came upon a group of travelers, about a hundred or so, dressed in dirty sackcloth with hoods over their heads.
Tullius stopped his horse, and motioned for his men to halt. “You there! State your business.”
The travelers seemed to ignore him, and attempted to go around his men.
Tullius drew his sword. “Ye wanderers, stop this instant! You shall go no further until I have permitted you to pass.” When he saw them continuing to move, he motioned for his men to encircle them. “Don’t try anything, lest all of you should perish by our swords.”
A man from among the group pulled back his hood. “Why do you trouble us? We have done nothing. For we are simple travelers, and we have the freedom to go whichever road we please. Many dirty folk like us have passed through this road before.”
“I did not stop you because you are dirty.” He sheathed his sword. “I simply ask who you are, and what your business is.”
“I am Alexander, and these are my brethren. We only seek to meet with the one who shelters refugees.”
“I’ve heard rumors about savage violence when your kind passes through. I made a promise to stop such anarchy in Lucium, and if you have burned or plundered anything belonging to Lucium, then I shall strike all of you down where you stand, unless you shall leave this continent.”
“Anything you’ve heard is false,” Alexander declared as he pointed at Tullius. “We do not burn villages, nor plunder them. We are not of a violent sort. If we were, then we would have attacked you as soon as we met. Those raids you’ve heard about, where spells were cast and where there are talks of sorcery, are all Chaodites. They cast spells of a most twisted kind, and we do not associate with such vermin.”
“Do you cast spells?”
“We are capable of using Mystiko, but my brethren and I are healers. Our fighting capabilities are limited. The least among us cannot even cast enough of a flame to light a candle.”
Tullius looked into Alexander’s eyes, and studied his face. The two exchanged serious looks for a while. “If what you tell me is true, then I have no reason to strike you down. It would not be good for a knight to kill non-combatants, much less those who have yet to harm anyone. Tell me, who is it that you are seeking?”
“We seek a man of our own heart. He did not travel to this country like we did, but was born here.”
Tullius responded in a frustrated tone, “His name! What is his name?”
“We cannot say his name publicly. It would draw too much attention to him. But we can tell you that he has a Dasosan name, and is a Mystiko user.”
Tullius looked him in bewilderment. “The Dracones…”
Alexander nodded. “We were told to go to Praedium first, that we may find a guide.”
He covered his face with his hands, unsure of how to proceed. “Those people are a dangerous sort. They are the terror of the Northern Province. They’re crafty, and they always move in the shadows. Trying to track them back to their leader’s hiding place has been the vain search of many men.”
“I have told you of our business, and of who we are. Will you let us go?”
He shook his head. “I can’t allow you to continue with your plan.”
“For what reason?”
“The Dracones are enemies of the state. Any dealings with them would spell disaster for you and your flock.”
“Then what shall we do? Where shall we go?”
“You must go east. The lands of House Audens, the Royal House, are the safest. There is a great river that separates the borders of House Praelia from those of the other houses in the province. Do not cross it until you come to a city called Perflumen. There you will find a bridge across, but you mustn’t cross the river again. The city of Multa is large enough that you may stay there; it is the capital of Lucium, and the seat of House Audens.”
“My brethren and I are grateful for your mercy.”
“And one more thing… Travel in smaller groups. A hundred people traveling together will be viewed as a threat if anyone found out about you.”
Alexander gave a quick bow. “Your advice is greatly appreciated, Altum.”
Tullius and his men quickly departed, and stayed in Praedium until Alexander and his flock passed through. Once Tullius was sure the travelers were going the way he instructed, he called his men and started back to the city of Furca.
The carriage rolled along the pristine cobblestone road. It was not as pristine as the roads on Matilda’s island, but it seemed leagues above many of the roads which Lucullus walked in Lucium. Immergrun’s springtime weather was damp on the nicest of days at this time in the season. Winter was but a distant memory, and summer was just on the horizon, yet still so far off. The grassy fields were a lush green, with patches of flowers blooming to break up the sea of green. Off in the distance on one side was a small forest, an insignificant patch of trees compared to the great woods of Northern Lucium.
Lucullus pulled back the veil once more to look for the castle. “What exactly is the Count having a party for?”
Matilda chuckled. “His wife’s birthday.”
He released the veil, and turned back to Matilda. “What a day to discover proof of infidelity.”
She pulled back the veil and took a gander of her own at the wonderful countryside. “It is quite poetic, I suppose… and tragic.”
Aela sat with her arms folded. “I couldn’t stand living here. Just to see your vassal, you had to set sail.”
“That is the nature of being a nation of islands, child.” Matilda reached for a stack of letters, and gave one to Lucullus, and one to Aela. “You will need these to get in. You are my guests, and I shall speak on your behalf, but without those the guard won’t let you pass.” She turned to Aela. “I would advise staying with the Altum. If I tell them he is with me, then he shall have no problems. But your kind are despised here. If you stay close to him, they may simply think of you as his slave or something. And a slave never strays from their master.”
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Aela kept silent, but glared at Matilda with a piercing stare, then looked up at Lucullus.
He patted her on the shoulder. “It is better to be thought of as someone’s slave, than for them to declare you an enemy. I don’t like it anymore than you do, but the Chaodites are enough of a threat without having more enemies around us.”
She sighed and nodded.
Soon after, the castle came into view, and the carriage came through the gate and into the courtyard. The Count’s servants pulled back the veil, and bowed as Matilda exited the carriage. They remained in a bow as Lucullus and Aela exited.
The courtyard bustled with activity as guests arrived and servants moved about to assist them. Each guest was stopped at the door to the grand hall by a guard, and showed their invitation. When Matilda approached the door, she prompted Aela and Lucullus to show the letters she gave them. Without the need to show her own invitation, she walked past the guard, with the other two right behind her.
She leaned over and whispered to Lucullus, “I’ll keep that fool and his wife busy. You and your slave do what you have to, and find that evidence.”
Once they were in the common area of the grand hall, the space opened up into a large room with stout columns lining each side. The columns were decorated with banners, each designed with a different coat of arms. Chandeliers hung from high up in the ceiling, and their silver plating shined and sparkled. The area was filled with many well-dressed guests; each one was covered in fine clothes and expensive jewelry. The occasional servant could be seen going between guests with a jug of wine, ready to refill any empty chalice. Hardly anything at eye level could be seen past the dense crowds.
Matilda once more whispered to Lucullus, “If anyone asks where you’re going, tell them you’re going to the privy chamber.”
Lucullus gave her a side eye look. “Privy chamber?”
“Think of it as a luxury chamber pot. If you see a seat with a hole in it when you open the door, then you’re in such a chamber.”
He rolled his eyes, and slipped through the crowd with Aela.
Matilda sauntered through the grand hall, and got a chalice of wine from one of the servants. She scanned the room, and made amiable conversation with the various guests until she found the Count with his wife.
The Count curtsied. “Ah, Duchess Matilda. I see your busy schedule still allowed for a visit to my humble party. My wife is a year older, but you would never know, except for her ever-growing wisdom,” he ended with a grin.
Matilda raised her chalice to the Count’s wife. “Then I would like to congratulate your wife on her eternal youth.” She turned to his wife. “I hope I can stay so youthful when I get to your age.”
“The servants are to thank for my youthful looks. I’m not sure exactly what herbs they mix together, but whatever it is, it works wonders.”
“Speaking of wonders,” she said with a slight smile, “I was wondering how prepared you were for the possibility of war, Emmett.”
He stopped halfway through gulping his second chalice of wine. “War? What do you mean by that?”
“I’ve heard that Emporikos is building up fleets off their southern coast. That can only mean one thing: invasion.”
He waved his hand dismissively. “Bah! Lucium would destroy them before they even set sail. From what I’ve heard, Lucium’s noble houses are all in on war. And I hear King Titus has an army unmatched against any other nation in the west.”
“Wisdom abideth not in the wicked spirit, nor resideth in a body destroyed by sin. The spirit of deception shrouds the wicked in a diabolical fog.”
He nodded along. “You quote Mystic Bartholomew. My liege, I can never understand your cryptic ways. Despite being half my age, you somehow speak in more riddles than those crusty old monks in the temple.”
His wife sipped her wine and said, “It is sad indeed that Emporikos has fallen so far. They would sooner have all of us, their sister race, be destroyed than to reconcile. Even if it means that Lucium will destroy them, the diabolical fog around them has fooled them into doing such wicked things. The Aerasites think that a library of books is a good substitute for grace.”
Matilda nodded in agreement. “The folly of fools is as amusing as it is tragic. It’s such a shame that some would wish to forsake their own house to satisfy a foolish blood lust, especially when they forsake those of their own flesh and blood…”
Lucullus and Aela looked up the imposing and pristine walls of the castle. From where they stood on the balcony it seemed as if they were about to climb a mountain. But even a mountain would be easier to climb because it at least has some footholds, and isn’t completely vertical.
Aela nearly began to sweat as she imagined herself so high up from the ground. “Are you sure this is the easiest way into his chamber?”
“I never said it was the easiest way, but,” he glanced at her, then back up the wall, “I do stand by it being the best way.”
She looked at him, and narrowed her eyes. “This seems… dangerous. The other ways have their danger, sure, but this is just a foolish kind of a danger.”
“We could try kicking the door in, but I prefer to search in peace. Besides, I don’t really care to pick another lock.”
“Another lock?”
“Let’s just say I’ve done this a few times before.”
She chuckled nervously. “And have you scaled castle walls before?”
“Once.”
She nodded. “That’s very reassuring,” she sighed. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to see how you scale castle walls before I commit to anything.”
He shrugged and approached the wall. “As you wish.”
She watched closely as he felt around on the walls. “You look like a blind man who can’t find the door,” she laughed.
“Just watch.” He looked up, and seeing the windows on the floor above him, he searched for a way to reach it. The Count’s window was above and to the left of that window. If he could reach those bars, he would make it through. He saw a trellis with vines further along to the left of where he was standing, but it would be of no use to him over there.
“In the time you’re taking to find a way up, we could’ve already picked the lock and been on our way.”
He looked back at her. “I’m not about to let myself be caught again like I had back in Emporikos. The Duchess’s help is too valuable to squander with a careless mistake.”
She sighed. “Arguing with you is like debating with a dog.”
He continued to search for a way up. Then, he remembered the vines growing on the trellis. He went over to them, and pulled on them to test their strength. “This may work,” he muttered to himself. He pulled a few vines from the trellis, and weaved them together like a rope. “Just watch,” he arrogantly said as he returned to his spot on the wall. Looking up, he saw a small balcony, hardly big enough for one person to stand on, with an intricate railing sticking out from the Count’s window. He pointed up to it. “That’s our way up.”
Aela gave him a confused look, then looked up at the balcony. “You’re crazy. This isn’t a farm, Lucullus. And we’re not roping animals. Do you really think some vines are going to support you?”
“One probably won’t, but I suspect several weaved together will have enough strength.”
She shook her head. “So long as I don’t have to be the first on that thing, then go ahead.”
He shrugged, and threw the makeshift rope up over the little balcony; the long vines draped over the other side. “You may have to be the one to climb the rope.”
She sighed. “How did I know you’d say that?”
“Unless you’re actually twice as heavy as you look, I doubt you’ll be able to pull enough from the other side to keep the rope from moving on me.”
She glared at him.
“All I’m saying is that I’m a lot bigger than you, especially in height and muscle. I can promise you that the vines are stable.” Seeing her unconvinced expression, he reassured her, “You hold on one side, and I’ll climb up a little ways to show its strength. But after that, you’ll have to climb because I won’t get far without pulling you up.”
She resigned, and went to her side to hold the vines. “Climb away mountain goat.”
He took a deep breath, and began to climb. Each time he grabbed onto the vines, Aela could feel the tug, and struggled to keep herself on the ground. On his last tug of the rope, Aela’s feet came off the ground.
“Stop! My feet aren’t touching the ground.”
He slid back down the vines, and smiled. “I told you.”
“I never doubted that you were heavier.”
“I meant the vine’s strength.”
She admitted, “I know. You have clearly proven their durability.” She let out a loud sigh. “The sooner I reach that balcony, the sooner I can be back on solid ground.” Once Lucullus had a firm grip on the vines, she began to climb.
“It’s just like climbing a tree,” he chuckled.
“For me, it’s just a slow. But that’s about all the similarities.” Though she was slower than Lucullus, she progressed, and peaked over the edge of the railing at the top. She looked through the window to see if anyone was inside the Count’s chamber…