CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
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Alaric Sampson
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29th of Decepter, 935 PC
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Everything Alaric had become, everything he had worked for, everything that meant anything to him had melted when the horns had blown. He’d expected any number of his misfit recruits to let him down but they’d been found out and it was no one’s fault but his own. He’d been too weak to hold the dead guards in place long enough for them to disappear into the city unnoticed. He’d failed and it made sense, he’d had everything else stripped from him; love, family, youth… Why not his hopes and dreams?
He was seconds from snapping his own neck when Diedro lifted him to his feet and hurried him to the hole in the wall, telling him the horns weren’t a warning at all, but were instead a call to action – a full-scale mobilization. He’d felt fortunate at the time, reinvigorated. Until he realized the only reason this massive force of Lotus would be moving all at once, and the new year, was if one of his teams had failed. Iris was aware of something he was not and that spelled danger for all of his Purists.
“How long will we be down here?” Therrin asked. “I’m starving.”
After a few long hours of hiding in the streets, they’d made their way toward an old eatery Alaric had frequented years before. Lily had assured them that the cellar was safe and Diedro had made quick work of the locks on the doors. It was a damp, musty place but in many ways that was good. It meant it had been forgotten by everyone except those who it had mattered to and even they didn’t seem to visit anymore.
“Diedro will make a trip or two for food but not soon,” Alaric said, causing Therrin’s shoulders to slouch like they did so often. With Lily preoccupied with her own despair, the only interaction the poor boy ever had with anyone was when Alaric would pull him aside and demand doses of his magic. Gone was his blossoming charisma, replaced with a seed of loneliness that was being watered regularly.
From across the table they’d made out of barrels and planks of wood, Tripelthin said, “We would already have food had we just-”
Alaric interrupted him sharply. “I will not break into a home and take what little they have. Iris ruined these people’s lives when she waged war against the city. They’re living in poverty inside a cage. I will not add to their pain and suffering.”
The way Tripelthin rolled his eyes should have earned him the blade across the neck Diedro wanted to give him so badly but they were too close to achieving something monumental to throw away a vital piece of the puzzle.
Alaric stood up slowly and began to pace around the cellar, trying to determine which group might have been caught. It was an oddly shaped space – two hexagonal rooms with an open door frame between them. The room they were in had a bench that lined a stone wall but didn’t appear to be capable of holding anyone’s weight and a support beam that was standing like it had a bum leg, aided by a second beam that was leaning even more. There was as good of a chance that their efforts would come to a tragic end when the building collapsed on them as there was that the Lotus would capture them before they ever reached the university. The other room was full of old sacks of grain and rotten food that were stacked in one corner and giving off a stench that had wandered over to their side of the cellar as well.
“I told her not to go through Haldar,” Tripelthin said.
“We don’t know if it’s Narah they’ve found,” Alaric said. “It’s much more likely Jameson has failed us. I’m never one to doubt the size of a blunder Jameson can make.” The mention of the scoundrel’s name made Lily withdraw even further into her dark hole.
“Maybe he’s found the Marsallas,” Therrin said, regretting giving the charmer any potential credit as soon as Lily’s glare burned him.
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Tripelthin considered the notion with an arrogant tilt of his head and nonchalant wave of his hand. “I suppose Iris is likely to have extra eyes on the Marsallas. If the fool has stumbled upon a bit of success, a panicked rush to capture him would make sense.”
Deidro approached the burning pieces of wood in the middle of the room and helped the flame along by blowing air through a makeshift pipe he’d crafted out of an old inventory list.
“So, will there still be fewer guards at the university like we expected?” Therrin asked, clearly trying to insert himself into the group that had essentially forgotten he existed.
“I would think so,” Tripelthin said. “I doubt the Lotus Queen suspects anyone would try to get into her least relevant stronghold. Any extra boots will have been sent wherever our mishap has occurred. Should be the bare minimum for at least a day or two.”
Iris had turned the entire city into a stronghold of sorts, including transforming her precious university into an academy where new Lotus trained before being assigned their position in the Lotus Army.
“Goin’ on a gut instinct in times like these ain’t how I’d handle this,” Diedro said. “We need to find out what’s goin’ on in the academy before we plow through the gates.”
“You mean climb over the wall,” Tripelthin said, referring to the fact that Diedro had used all of the alchemical to get through the walls of Locke.
“I can’t help it, you weren’t sharp enough to tell me we’d need that shit again.”
Tripelthin rolled his eyes and turned to Alaric. He’d claimed he had mentioned that tidbit of information but no one else seemed to remember him doing so. “I say we proceed as planned. If you can get your hands on the formula we’ve at least improved our chances of defeating Iris whether Narah and the boy fulfill their duty or not.”
Alaric glanced at Diedro to see if he agreed. As always, the mercenary was too stoic to read which forced him to pry. “What do you think, Diedro?”
“You say we have people in Haldar?” Diedro asked.
“In those whereabouts,” Alaric said, glancing at Tripelthin. “She never said Haldar specifically.”
“Don’t matter if The Hounds are Lotus now or not. If their home is in danger then Rhyne will drop whatever he’s doing to protect it. Same goes for the rest of ‘em. Won’t matter if it upsets the Lotus Queen.”
“Yes, we understand something has drawn their attention away from whatever they were doing here. He wants to know what we should do,” Tripelthin said. The annoyance he’d shown in Alaric a moment before was thrown thrice as fiercely at the mercenary.
Diedro sat up in his chair. “I was gettin’ to that. But first, I was tryin’ to say that there’s a good chance the Lotus inside the school aren’t Hounds.”
“A valid point,” Tripelthin said, showing a sliver of humility.
“General Camdrie always told us if we spent all our time worrying about things we had no control over then we’d never get anything done.”
Alaric said, “So, you think we should continue on as planned.”
He nodded. “Seems to me if we went through the hassle of coming down here, you oughta get into that academy and get whatever you’re after. Even if they know something’s wrong somewhere else, they don’t know we’re here. We can still catch him off guard.”
“I agree,” Lily said and left it at that. When everyone stared at her she offered a bit more, looking directly at Alaric. “You like to put things to a vote. That’s mine.”
“However, there is one thing to consider,” Tripelthin said. “The Lotus have surely found the bodies in the towers by now which means the walls will be under closer surveillance. The hole as well. We’ll have to leave through the gates or find another way…”
“I assume you have a suggestion,” Alaric said.
“I suggest we split up. Therrin and I are of little use to you in the university. We should go to the harbor and secure a boat while the rest of you enter the laboratory. By separating Therrin from the danger you’re guaranteed a healer waiting in the midst. Let him die inside those walls and your chances of living long enough to win this war go down dramatically.”
There were a few moments in which everyone mulled over the idea. The only reason Alaric could think of to reject the proposal was that he’d grown quite accustomed to having Therrin’s magic by his side but that felt more like a reason to keep the boy safe than risk losing him.
Tripelthin gave the slightest of bows. “I was of little help to you in getting here and I’m no use to you inside those walls. At least allow me the honor of delivering you to safety.”