“What do you make of this?” Celaine asked, handing Hump a leather belt pouch. “That guy with two swords must have dropped it when he fell over.”
Hump took it, opening the pouch to find a small arsenal of trinkets inside. “They look like artifacts. Weak ones though. I think they’re all single use.”
One in particular caught Hump’s fancy. He took out what looked to be a chip of a broken essence stone. A faint orange glow came from within—some sort of rudimentary enchantment that infused the chip with fire essence. From the feeling of power between his fingertips, it was unstable enough that it wouldn’t take much to set it off.
“What’s that?” Celaine asked.
“If I were to guess…” Hump threw the chip at a nearby rock. It exploded with a sharp bang, chipping off a small bit of the stone.
Nisha jumped up into the air in a start, then slowly walked toward the stone, sniffing curiously.
He grinned. “Explosives.”
“Really weak, useless explosives you mean,” Celaine said.
Hump held another up to the morning light, staring through the translucent stone, an idea blossoming in his mind. “Maybe.”
Celaine chuckled.
“What?” Hump eyed her suspiciously.
“You have fun with your toys,” she said, squeezing his arm.
“You know what, I’ll do just that! You’ll be jealous once you find out what I have in mind.”
“Oh? What’s that?”
“You’ll have to wait and see.”
While Celaine was right that these chips were pretty useless. The only thing Hump could think of was that they might function as a distraction. They were certainly too small and weak to blow up anything—a lock maybe?
There are better ways to get through locks.
But the concept itself had potential. If he took a small essence stone and infused it with essence like this, he could create an arsenal of exploding ammunition for Rockshot. It was an expensive way to do things. He always hated single use equipment for that very reason. The old man and him hadn’t had much money, so maintaining even a well-stocked potion pouch was difficult, let alone the luxury of exploding stones.
Things were different now, however. They had many essence stones from Drakalyn stored in Celaine’s Belt of Storage, and more than enough gold to support a powerful arsenal of equipment. He knew how effective single-use items could be in an emergency. Wizardfire was expensive to produce but had proved invaluable to him time and again as a low ranked wizard. When one was up against the odds, the price no longer mattered if it preserved one’s essence and kept them alive. At the end of the day, surviving was what mattered.
With that in mind, Hump resolved himself to find some time to stock up on supplies once they were back in Sheercliff. He’d need to go back to the alchemy shop where he’d first bumped into Lord Randall Ferrand. His father was missing with a bounty on his head—a traitor to the people of Sheercliff. And then there were his companions, Skander and Madeleine. By the end of Hump’s time in Sheercliff, they were almost getting along with each other. Almost.
They mounted up at first light, leaving their campsite and flying south. There was no sign of the Bearskins that attacked them now. They’d had two Chosen of Seres amongst them, so no doubt some powers over the wind to speed them on their way. He’d report them to the guild once he was back in Sheercliff, and then forget about them.
Theoretically, as long as Tessa’s map reading skills were as good as the impression she gave, they’d reach Sheercliff City sometime that afternoon. Hump had to admit, he was pleased the journey was coming to an end. Five days sitting in one place was enough for him.
They made no effort to avoid towns or roads anymore—there was no need. Their presence in Sheercliff City was no secret, and so long as they made it to the city that day as planned, there was no risk of being ambushed again.
Igni flew low and fast, his great form casting a giant shadow across the lands. While he stayed out of reach of any arrows, they were close enough that Hump could make out figures on the road below. Distant faces looked up at them, no doubt shocked and terrified at the sight. Alarms rang out, people shouted, and others simply watched. It had been a long time since dragons had come to Sheercliff.
Hump was surprised by the number of travellers he spotted, especially this far from the city. Wagon after wagon travelled north, loaded with weapons, food, and all other manner of provisions necessary for the war effort. There were soldiers too, marching in orderly columns of leather and steel. And then there were the new recruits. It was a simple matter to distinguish them from the professionals. Other than a few with rusty mail coats, most had little more than gambeson, and almost all of them carried spears.
Each time they were spotted and the alarm raised, Igni passed on, moving far too fast for them to initiate an attack. It wasn’t long until the familiar farmland that surrounded Sheercliff City came into view. Green fields spread out as far as Hump could see, broken only by the occasional patch of woodland.
And then, the white cliff of the city came into view, glistening in the distance like a mountain of silver amidst green fields. At first, that was all Hump could see, but slowly, its features became more distinct. The great walls that surrounded the Lower City came into view, as white as the cliff itself, and then the many houses of the Outer City sprawled out beyond them.
For a time, Hump saw it with the same excitement as he had a year ago when they’d first come to the magnificent city. Then, reminders of the battle came into view. Reminders of the Shattering of Sheercliff.
A deep fissure split the centre of the cliff through its centre. It was a remnant from when the warlock, Anthony, had destroyed the Shrine of Osidium and split the Upper City in two. As they drew closer, the ruby eyes of the shrine became visible upon the cliff face, staring out at any that approached, but it couldn’t be the same. The former shrine had been destroyed, along with the seal guarded within. It had been one of the twelve seals that kept back the ancient gods, which were all that stood between this world and the next War of the Firmament.
It was a terrifying thought, but Hump tried to focus on the good of returning. This was the closest place to a home he had, and while Bud, Dylan, and Emilia were likely elsewhere, there were other old friends for him to meet.
Not all was bleak. The Tree of Damnation was gone from the Upper City now. Hump couldn’t imagine the operation necessary to remove such a monolithic tree, but with the resources the Daston family had, it didn’t surprise him to see it gone. Their estate stood watch at the other end of the cliff, at the tip, overlooking the people they were sworn to. Its ancient watchtower loomed at the very point—during the battle, Hump and the others had followed Lady Marcela through a secret passage in the cliff to reach it.
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Soon, Igni slowed down to a gentle speed.
Celaine glanced back at Hump. “Can you reach Vivienne yet?”
“I’ll try,” Hump said. He extended his senses, reaching out with his mind and channelling Distant Whisper. At such a distance, it was no simple task. There was so much energy in the city, so much life and essence, it was almost blinding. But slowly he focused in on the familiar. He knew Vivi’s aura better than anyone’s—she’d beaten down his soul with it almost daily during their training, so it wasn’t something he could forget. He focused. Minutes passed, and the faintest trace of her aura came to him. He followed it back to the source and then all of a sudden felt the flame of her being. He’d found her!
Hump’s face broke into a wide grin—he’d found her! Now, it was a simple matter to activate the spell. An effort of will, and the connection was made. It was only then that Hump realised he’d not thought about what to say.
“Erm, Vivi. Hi!” He floundered for words, already feeling the spell growing weaker with every word, the cantrip draining more and more essence the longer he spoke.. “It’s Hump. I’m back—well, I’m almost back. We’re flying in on dragonback if you could let Countess Daston know to not shoot us. We’ll fly around for a while to give you some time before we land.”
“It’s done,” Hump said.
“How will we know when to land?” Tessa asked.
“I told her we’d fly around for a while to give them time to alert the guards. It’s a one way message, so we’ll just need to assume they act.”
Tessa turned around and glowered at him. “You never mentioned that.”
“We can count on Vivi, don’t worry,” Hump said. “I have complete confidence in her.”
She held his gaze a moment and then sighed, turning back to face the city. “It is magnificent,” she called. “It has been many years since I was in Alveron, and this city is beyond anything I saw back then.”
“See if you think that once we land,” Celaine said. “You’ll never get used to the stink.”
Tessa laughed.
Hump was surprised when he felt a connection touch his mind a few minutes later.
“It’s Vivienne. The countess is expecting you in her estate and has given instructions for you to land in her garden. Come from the south side and avoid the walls—orders have not yet reached all the guards that we are not in fact under attack.” There was a pause, but the connection didn’t end. “Welcome back, Hump.”
It was a strange feeling hearing another person’s voice in his head, but the earlier excitement returned to Hump. It truly was good to be back.
“They’re ready for us,” Hump called to the others. “Vivi just communicated with me.” He conveyed her instructions to Tessa, and quickly Igni veered right, flying around the outer rim of the city in a circle until he came to the rear of Sheercliff. Here, it was quiet and empty. There were no farms, only grass plains and mountains in the distance.
Igni turned and suddenly steered upward, soaring above the cliff and the Upper City. As people cried out below and stared at them, Igni bellowed a roar that shook the world.
While Celaine directed Tessa, who guided Igni down toward the Daston Estate, Hump took in the familiar streets. The distant hum of the city reached them, a cacophony of noise that Hump hadn’t missed in his time away.
Two white stone bridges now spanned the fissure left in the cliff. Empty land filled the plateau, particularly around the top of the shrine where the battle had been focused. The ruins had been removed, and construction workers were at work everywhere one looked. Much of the city had already been restored, but it would be a while yet until the previous majesty of the plateau returned.
The Lower City was another matter. Remnants of the battle where everywhere one looked, some areas still not cleared of rubble. In time, houses would be rebuilt, shops renewed, and ancient wonders such as the opera house restored. Perhaps in times of peace, the work would have already been completed, but this was a city prepared for war.
Beneath them, the Daston Estate spread out. While not as large as some of the noble estates Hump had seen, built atop the plateau, it was truly magnificent. It was one of the only estates with a garden in the entirety of the Upper City. The manor conformed to the shape of the cliff, with two straight sides and one that curved along the cliff’s edge. To the rear of the cliff was the training grounds, connected to the manor by a wide hallway, and beyond them, the gardens, framing the estate in green.
Figures were gathered in the garden already, waiting to greet them. Even more were gathered on the streets outside, taking in the spectacle of Igni, no doubt.
Igni beat his wings hard as he came to a stop above the garden, hovering in place. Slowly, he landed amidst the trees and flowerbeds, right beside the training grounds where Hump and the others had practiced so often in the past. Here, they were out of view of any prying eyes. The garden was alight with all colours and looked beautiful. The damage to the estate had been repaired, and now it seemed just as sublime as when Hump had first come here. The gaudiness wasn’t lost on him—it was a display of wealth beyond any necessity, but as he had come to know the Dastons, he knew they cared much for their people.
Over on the garden path, people were gathered to welcome them. Hump’s eyes were first drawn to Countess Justine Daston, saddened to see that she was still bound to her wheelchair after the injuries sustained in the battle for Sheercliff. He was pleased to see her daughter, Marcela, standing at her left. She was dressed in summer silks in neutral tones, vastly different from those of Drakalyn, but no less fine. At her hip was her sword. Last he’d heard, she was to go to the Fallen Lands too. They’d become close in their quests together.
To Countess Daston’s right, stood Vivi. She was as elegant as ever. Long grey hair framed her face. She wore fine wizard robes, her wand at her hip. Seeing her now, she seemed younger than when he’d last seen her—refreshed. It seemed her time in the city had been good for her. Graham, Countess Daston’s lead researcher, stood with her, staring with wide eyes at Igni, in a mixture of horror and fascination. Hump was pleased to see him too; it was thanks to Graham that the artifact to locate the warlock bases was created, along with Hump’s new staff.
There were other familiar faces too—Sir Isaac, who had gifted Hump his robes and helped to make his staff, Francis Dordrel, the adventurers’ guildmaster of Sheercliff, an old man dressed in wizard robes and a younger one behind him that looked to be an apprentice. The giant of a man that was Sir Roderick was instantly recognisable, even outside of his armour. Hump was surprised to see the Chosen in Sheercliff, but he supposed that a city like this couldn’t let all of their strongest warriors go, especially not after the appearance of Anthony and his warlocks. The man had a broad grin on his face as Igni thumped to the ground.
After five days of travel, Hump knew what it was like when Igni landed usually. He didn’t take much care, thudding to the ground and quickly relaxing. Today, he was different. He landed gracefully, elongating his neck and flourishing his wings like one might a sword, showing off to their audience. He twisted his head to face them, eyes gleaming with purple light, the intent of a dragon descending on those gathered.
The reaction of those gathered varied. Countess Daston smiled, Marcela’s hand went to her sword, the wizard apprentice stepped back, fear in his eyes, and Sir Roderick simply laughed.
After a few seconds, Igni released his intent, turning away in disinterest.
Vivienne was the only one that seemed entirely unaffected, her eyes on Hump and Celaine, smiling at the sight of them.
Hump grinned back as he slid from Igni’s back, landing with Celaine and Tessa. Nisha jumped, using her wings to lessen her fall as she came to stand beside him, hugging his leg more than usual as they rounded Igni to meet the gathered crowd.
No need to be nervous, Hump assured her.
What he got back was new. Mixed in with her nerves, she seemed almost annoyed that he’d noticed. She stepped slightly away from him, trying to elongate her neck just as Igni had.
Hump smiled at the sight. That’s my girl.
A broad smile was on Countess Daston’s face as she greeted them. “Welcome to Sheercliff City. Wizard Humphrey, Celaine, it is so good to see you both well.”
“And you, Countess,” Celaine said, bowing her head. She gestured to Tessa. “This is Keeper Tessa, and her bonded dragon, Igni. She is a captain amongst our dragon keepers, and a sixth circle Chosen of Owalyn.”
“Celaine has spoken highly of you,” Tessa said. “I come as a representative of my people, to speak on their behalf. We were most honoured to receive your letter, and eager to speak further on the matters brought up within.”
“Wonderful.” Countess Daston clasped her hands before her. “I am most eager to speak on this, but before that, allow me to see to your accommodation and necessities. You must all be famished.”