The enchanting chirps and whistles and roars kept us up all night, and just as the first light of the sun broke across the horizon, we saw them. Like eagles, they clutched each other as they danced. Plummeting towards the ground, the great-scaled beasts bathed themselves with great plumes of fire. At first we thought them to be fighting, but they kept at it for hours. Releasing each other only to climb even further into the sky. We watched them dance all day, basking in their unadulterated joy. Who could have guessed that such wonders were hidden in these mountains? - Aldwin Highorn, Personal Journal, Red Ridge Exploration.
Talia was eager to disembark in Wellspring and quietly thanked the Triune for the winds that had favored them. With that and the ample application of magic, they'd made the trip in half the time any other vessel would have taken. Ven had given her his bed while he slept on the cushioned couch. She'd begged him to sleep in the same cabin with her instead of moving to hers; it hadn't taken long for him to agree, and she'd been sticking to his since.
A cool breeze wafted across the ship's deck, bringing with it a fresh and earthy smell. Talia could only compare it to the smell after a fresh summer rain, but it was different. More vital and vibrant, the Red Ridge mountain range always smelled alive and clean. It eased her discomfort to know she was so close to home. Two days, maybe three if Ven has business in Wellspring.
She listened to the shouts of sailors and dock hands as they guided the vessel into port; Talia could already see the many differences between Wellspring and other cities they had passed on their trip. Every structure in Wellspring was built of melded stone. Tall, thick walls encircled the city, and men in gleaming armor patrolled along its crenulations. Engraved along the inside of the walls were sprawling networks of runes, all connecting in massive segments. Each seemed a perfectly repeated piece of art.
The protective wards on the walls would have been considered an exorbitant expense for a duke, let alone a baron. And Ven has them in all three of his cities. She knew there was more: Workshops where enchanters and artificers crafted wonders that would be exported throughout the kingdom and beyond. Three of the five major delving guilds had offices in Wellspring. And there was an even more modern marvel being added to the city: Plumbing. It was Redlake's port city, and much of the Lovell's wealth flowed through it. It still amazed her how willing Ven was to spend gold on his lands and his people.
He'd say he was getting the better end of the deal. Ven took his responsibility to lead seriously.
"Hail, Baron!" Men working the docks had begun to wave and cheer Ven's name. "Triune be with you, Baron!" Shoutings of greet and wishes of good fortune greeted Ven as their ship maneuvered into the dock.
Ven greeted them all with a smile, returning their waves with as much sincerity as they were received. Talia couldn't muster the energy to wave. She was exhausted and just wanted to be home.
Sailors lowered the gangplank, and they descended. Already, a small group of attendants were ready and awaiting their baron's arrival.
"Salwin, it's good to see you," Ven said.
The two embraced each other as brothers would, and then Salwin backed up and bowed deeply. Salwin was of average height, with dark hair and dark brown eyes. He looked only slightly older than Ven.
"I'm glad you're back. Your domain feels more secure when you're here." His eyes fell on Talia, and he bowed again, "Princess, it is a pleasure to meet you again. I can see why Ven left in so great a rush. I didn't even know he'd been here until I got word his ship was already half a day downriver."
Talia forced a smile and nodded.
'You don't know the half of it, Salwin." A hint of anger painted Ven's voice.
Salwin looked between the two of them, his brows wrinkled. "What happened, Ven?"
Ven looked him in the eyes and stayed silent.
Salwin's brows raised, "Pardon my language but… shit. You don't wish to speak of it here?"
"Not where prying ears and sharp eyes are no doubtably paying attention."
"There are a lot of those as of late. People from every kingdom and empire on the continent know your family's name, and many of them eye your wealth with a great amount of greed."
"That's what happens when you have enough gold and other precious magical materials to buy a dutchie," Ven snorted in response. "I'll need to keep the men you loaned me; also, can you lend us some horses and a prisoner carriage?"
Salwin nodded, "Of course. What kind of carriage?"
"The highest security you have at your disposal, and I need this letter sent to the Starfort; use your fastest glimmerwing," said Ven, handing a letter to Salwin
Salwin turned and gave the letter to one of his aids. The young woman took the letter and nodded before she took off running. Salwin turned back to Ven and Talia. "I suppose that means you won't be staying the night?"
"No. It's urgent we get back to the Starfort and Redlake City."
Salwin nodded, "While we wait, I've got other, hopefully more pleasant, matters to discuss. Do you remember that incident we heard about out of Greatwood?"
Talia stayed quiet while listening to their conversation. I wish the horses were here so we could go. The idea that she was so close to the safety of the Starfort and the comfort of her bedroom only seemed to increase her exhaustion.
"The raids?"
"Small border town of Mapleton."
Ven's brow wrinkled, "I've heard that name before." He paused momentarily, then snapped his fingers, "Ah, the mage who turned back one of the raids. Supposedly by himself," Ven said.
"Our friends have been trying to verify the veracity of the story, and from what we can tell, it's accurate. Some details are blown out of proportion; for instance, one of the ships never made it to the docks, but the account of a single mage burning both ships is accurate."
"Late second circle then. There aren't many unaffiliated mages with that level of power. Who is he," asked Ven.
Talia perked up at that and began to listen closer to the conversation. There were a host of hedge witches, wandering wizards, and gutter mages dotted around the duchies. Few ever attained any amount of power. It was demonstrated daily at Redlake that magic was an art form and a science. It had also been demonstrated that it was hazardous to experiment. You needed a proper education to achieve true prowess with the craft.
"That is where things get strange. He called himself Lys, and the only record we could find of him was his registration in the royal registrar's books." Salwin paused, and Talia saw a hint of trepidation cross his features. "It's one of the earliest entries on the list."
Talia blinked in surprise. "That would make him more than three hundred years old." She blushed as the two men turned their gazes to her. She had spoken without thinking.
"It can't be the same man," Ven said in a bemused tone.
Talia's brow furrowed as she considered what they were saying, and then an idea struck her: "All of the early registrations were nobles; if he's among them, his genealogy should be known."
Salwin looked at her with approval while Ven beamed.
"Damn Ven," Salwin winced, "pardon my language, but it took us almost a week to come up with that idea. Your ward is clever."
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
"Yes, she is."
The pride in Ven's voice warmed Talia to her core.
"We tried to find any genealogy on him, and nothing. Ven, Lys is the second name on the registry. There should be some kind of history somewhere, but there isn't." Salwin looked annoyed.
"This has been getting to you, hasn't it?"
"I smell a mystery, Ven. One that could be important," Salwin said while he tapped the side of his nose.
"It could be nothing."
"Aye, it could be, but there's one more thing. Several weeks ago, a lad had a magical awakening in Mapleton. Their mill caught fire, and he awakened, putting it out. Our mystery mage, Lys, came by that same day, administered to the boy's wounds, filed his registration paperwork, and then whisked the lad away a few days later." Salwin finished in a hushed tone.
Ven opened his mouth but was interrupted by the sound of horse hooves and the trundle of a cart. Talia glanced over and saw a large group of horses and a small cart with what looked eerily similar to a coffin suspended between two large wheels. The coffin was made of dark redwood with bands of silvery metal crossing over it.
"I need to ensure our prisoner gets loaded properly. We will discuss this more. Continue your inquiries, Salwin. It's rare that you're wrong about intrigue." Ven turned to Talia with a smile on his face. "I hope you're ready for a ride. We'll be moving as quickly as we can. I'm ready to be home."
Talia nodded, and for the first time since before the wedding, a feeling of relief coursed through her body. She was so close to home. Two more days. Talia said a silent prayer to the daughter, hoping for a swift and safe journey.
The ride through Wellspring was quick. Their horses were well-bred stock, and all seemed eager to be free of the confines of the city. Talia resonated with their energy, albeit for different reasons. Once out of the city, the small group of riders, along with their carriage, let their horses set the pace. And the horses galloped.
Well-trained, the beasts stuck to the wide road to Redlake City and the Starfort.
They rode until just past sunset, trying to make it to an established campground. The campground was off the main road and encircled with solid palisade walls. Upon seeing how full it was, Talia could hear Ven mumbling to himself about having the place expanded and improved to stone. She had to conceal a chuckle. Despite the soreness from the ride, she felt light—exhausted but light.
As their retinue set up their tents, Talia found herself sitting next to Ven, eagerly awaiting the evening meal. Her light mood faded when her eyes fell on the coffin-like carriage that had been traveling with them. A monster had been placed inside that box, and he might not be the only monster hunting her.
"He can't hurt you, Talia." Ven's voice was quiet, cast low so that their guard and others at campfires similar to their own wouldn't hear.
"What if there are more?" Talia struggled to contain her fear as the memory of the man's exaggerated facial expressions flashed through her mind.
"The Devoted work alone, and they don't share contracts."
"I thought they were just myths or at least ancient history," Talia said.
"This group is more of a spiritual successor," Ven said.
"What do you mean?"
"The Devoted died out sometime after the Fall. The last mention of them was a record of their destruction. Someone hunted them down. This group is relatively new. They've been operating out of Zarinia. I'm not sure for how long exactly, but I would wager less than half a century." Ven paused, his eyes drifting from the campgrounds up the sky where the faint twinkle of stars was already becoming visible. "They share the same name and are an order of assassins. I don't think there is a direct connection. Someone liked the name and the history and decided to use it."
"How do you know this," asked Talia.
Ven turned to Talia and flashed her a lopsided grin, "I use one of the oldest and noblest political tools available: bribes."
Talia just shook her head. Letting silence fall over them before asking her question again. "Will more come after me?"
"I won't lie to you; it's possible." Ice ran through Talia's veins, and she could feel herself starting to shake. The image of Arak's twisted face appeared again. The feelings of dread were dispelled by a warm hand on her shoulder. "It's possible, but I believe the king when he said he was making arrangements."
Talia huffed in disbelief, "What kind of arrangements might that be?"
"I don't want to know, but I pray for the people he feels the need to enforce them on." Talia blinked at Ven's flat tone of voice. He continued, "I'm one of the most powerful people on this continent, Talia, and your father terrifies me. If he's making arrangements, then in due time, you will be safe from the current threats."
Talia nodded. She didn't quite believe Ven, after all. She'd seen the anger in his eyes when he'd burst into the cabin. When she'd saved her, Ven had looked to have the wrath of a god in his gaze.
Despite the grim conversation, Talia slept well that night. Physical exertion from riding much of the day and the mental stress had her asleep seconds after her head hit her pillow.
The sun was high in the sky, beating down upon them when the twin towers of South Pass came into view. Twin columns of stone melded into shear rock walls made up of lengths of hexagonal stone pillars. A tall stone wall spanning over a mile connected the two sides of the valley.
The entire lake sat in a basin surrounded by peaks that seemed to reach for the sky. Shear cliffs were passable only by creatures with wings. The only paths into the basin were two heavily fortified roads, one in the south that led to Wellspring and another to the north that ran into Valkan.
Talia gaped as they passed through the wall. It was a monster of construction. Thicker and taller than even the walls that protected Redlake city. The only comparison were those of the Starfort itself. These fortifications had always astounded her, and every time she saw them, it felt as if they had been improved in one way or another.
Their group was greeted by cheers from men atop the tall walls. The guards manning the gates had made way for them, halting traffic to allow them to pass unimpeded. They continued past the towers and their gate, passing under and out of the shadows cast by the massive cliff walls.
The roads were even more busy inside the valley. Singular wagons and sometimes entire caravans had to shuffle to the side of the road so that they could pass. Each did so when they saw the armored men riding at full speed.
"That's Valdric; come to meet us," shouted Ven over the clammer of ironshod hooves pounding on stone.
Talia looked out in front of them where Ven was. About a mile off, she could see a Valdric wearing resplendent alabaster plate armor trimmed with gold. He was followed closely by two dozen more men, four of whom wore armor similar to Valdric's. More mage knights. Talia realised
The two groups slowed and merged, with Valdric's men splitting to take the front and rear of the group while the four mages he'd brought rapidly moved to the coffin on wheels that contained Arak.
"I thought you would have met us at South Pass, Valdric," Ven said with a smile.
Valdric ignored Ven's smile and glowered at him, "Damn it, Ven, I told you to take more men with you."
Ven's smile slipped and was replaced by a grim expression. "I barely made it in time as it was Valdric. Salwin supplied enough of an escort once I made it Wellspring."
"You went alone, Ven," hissed Valdric. "You, of all people, should know how dangerous that is."
"Valdric, if I hadn't, Talia would be dead."
Valdric winced and opened his mouth to speak, but Ven spoke over him.
"I did what was necessary to protect one of my own, and it almost wasn't enough. You've read the letter, I suspect?"
Valdric glowered and looked at Talia. She watched his expression soften as he let out a sigh. "Only hours ago. I was escorting a group from the Stonewarders down when your message finally got to me. I would have met you on the road to South Pass otherwise."
'I see," Ven said.
Silence fell upon the group. With the addition of Valdric and his men, they moved at a more sedate pace, allowing Talia to relax and take in the familiar scenery of the basin. Rolling grass hills ran straight into shear cliffs, and off to the west, she could see the glimmering waters of the lake that the city and barony were named for. Further beyond, blocked from view by hills, she knew the lake met more shear cliffs.
When Talia first arrived, she was confused as to why it was called Red Lake. Her question was answered when she experienced her first Surge in the basin.
Instead of freezing over like the Lucent and its many tributaries, the lake had turned a deep shade of ruby. It had stayed that way for weeks until one day, she woke up, and its waters were their regular clear, sparkling blue.
Cresting a hill, the city of Redlake came into view. Sprawled along the banks of the lake, a large city came into view. Roofs tiled with the red stone of the high mountains lay nestled behind towering walls of grey stone. Even from here, Talia could make out large parks and open squares. Beyond the city, out in the lake itself, lay the Starfort.
Half of the castle jutted out into the lake, while the other was carved into the cliff face so that only half of the star was visible. From this distance, she couldn't make out the windows that she knew dotted the face of the cliff, but she knew they would be there. And she knew that high up the cliff, one of those windows was hers.
Talia had finally made it home.