《Silk and the Assassin: Divine Fingerprints Book One [Epic Progression Fantasy]》 Chapter 1-a Chapter 1 Reyn entered Oblick as whistles and bells echoed across the city. "I walk into a city and all hell breaks loose. That''s not a bad omen at all," muttered Reyn. He was sixteen, and he rarely entered large cities. Oblick was a large city, but it was not the largest in the province. An ancient and rarely used remnant of wars, Oblick¡¯s walls bounded the inner city. Horsedrawn carts and crowds bustled through the wall¡¯s open gate as Reyn passed through. The bells didn¡¯t worry him, even though it meant fire in a crowded city. The dozen or so sorcerers living in the city would quench the flames. However, the whistles were an oddity. They signaled a sorcerer breaking the law. Even sorcerers who could barely cast a spell lived comfortably, so there was little reason to be a criminal. If caught, the sorcerer would be sentenced harshly, maybe even to an arena where death was common. Navigating through the tight crowds, Reyn¡¯s lanky frame slipped through the city almost as fast as it did the woods. His favorite place of all was anywhere but school. However, he felt happiest in the woods. The wilder it was, the more Reyn loved it. A stench hit Reyn¡¯s face, making him gag. Reyn knew cities were like this, never knowing what was going to hit you. And that made Reyn prefer the forests even more. Reyn and the crowd scattered, fleeing from the smell as many of them started coughing and one of them puked. Reyn turned onto the first avenue he could, and it happened to be filled with a street market. Sweet smells of fresh bread and ripe fruit calmed his stomach. Walking and looking for something to eat, Reyn soon saw a small boy stealing a half-loaf of bread. In a blur, the baker whose bread was stolen grabbed the frail boy. The boy, maybe six or seven, cried out. ¡°I¡¯ll pay for him. Let him go,¡± Reyn said, stepping forward and intervening only because he saw how thin the thief was. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for him?¡± the baker asked, malice in his voice, ¡°Or do you mean the stolen bread he has in hand?¡± The baker was a young, fit man with a full beard. ¡°Yes, the bread. How much?¡± Reyn asked. He wanted to get to the herbalist before they closed for midday. The baker shook his head, ¡°No, I think I¡¯ll just keep the lad and turn him over when I see a constable,¡± the baker said, ¡°I¡¯m tired of having my goods snatched.¡± ¡°How much?¡± Reyn repeated. ¡°Ten,¡± the baker said. ¡°Ten?¡± Reyn said, not believing the price, ¡°That¡¯s¡ª.¡± ¡°Robbery, I know. How does it feel?¡± the baker asked, smiling. ¡°Not great,¡± Reyn smiled too and pointed at the boy. ¡°The boy does seem a bit thin though.¡± The baker glanced at the boy before looking back at Reyn, ¡°Alright, six coppers then, but only because he¡¯s scrawny.¡± ¡°Six?¡± Reyn grimaced, knowing that was triple the bread¡¯s price. ¡°Let the constable take care of him. This is none of your business anyway,¡± the baker said. ¡°Fine, six,¡± Reyn said, handing over six coppers. That left Reyn two coppers. The baker let go, and the boy fled with the bread in hand. Stunned, Reyn stared at the boy flee. The baker pointed at Reyn and laughed, ¡°Not even a thank you for saving his hide. You¡¯re na?ve, letting that boy go. He¡¯ll just rob again. Better that he got caught now.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Reyn said before he headed off. Reyn felt a little foolish and walked slowly to the herbalist as he thought about what the baker had said. Maybe he was na?ve. By the time Reyn got the herbalist, he saw the lady putting up the closed sign. He rushed up the last few feet, but the shopkeeper was already walking away, disappearing into the darkened store for midday break. Reyn raised his fist to knock but thought better of it. He wanted to keep good relations with the shopkeeper as she had a pretty daughter his age. Maybe he could knock and have a pleasant conversation with her and her daughter, but then again, the shopkeeper may give him what he wanted to shove him out, not even allowing a drop of a chance to see her daughter. Reyn turned away sad. The shop would be open again after a midday break, and maybe the daughter would be there working! He wondered if the daughter liked working there. He decided to sit at the plaza fountain and eat an apple. He didn¡¯t know what to do for three hours. The alarm whistles from the constables grew louder, but Reyn was not worried. The constables would catch whoever they were chasing. And the bells would stop clanging. He took another bite. Sitting on the fountain¡¯s bench, Reyn¡¯s lanky frame sat hunched over in typical teenager posture with an apple in one hand. His mind drifted off to a stable girl in his village. She had the prettiest eyes, and she sometimes looked at him as he looked at her. He would be walking through the woods into the village, and he would catch her looking at him. But he didn¡¯t have a horse. How could he ever talk to her? Midday-heat rippled across the plaza while Reyn thought about the stable girl and waited for the shops to reopen after midday meal. Reyn heard shouting, and he turned his head to the street corner nearby. There, rounding the corner, were nine teenage boys. Thick black oil covered the leader from head to toe. The others trailed behind him. One of them nearly lost his footing on the cobblestones. All the boys had sweat-stained shirts and red faces¡ªexcept for the disguised leader. They sprinted towards him, and Reyn looked at them with a mild sense of disgust. The leader who may have been carrying a wand¡ªReyn was not sure¡ªpassed Reyn. The leader saw him and flung a blob of grease towards him. It would have hit Reyn¡¯s apple if he hadn¡¯t moved it aside. Instead, the large globule smacked Reyn across his nose and cheek. Reyn saw the leader¡¯s eyes before he was splatted: they were of the deepest black just like his. Reyn almost ran after the leader but thought better of it. There were nine of them. Instead, he simply shouted, ¡°Hey!¡± and as the last boy in the convoy passed by, he threw his spindly arm out, punching the boy¡¯s ribs. The boy didn¡¯t even fall over, but instead just wavered a little sideways and kept running. They soon disappeared around the bend. Reyn touched his face and looked at his fingers. Black. Reyn made a low grumble as he doused his head in the fountain. As he raised his head up, he saw a constable staring at him from across the street from where the boys had first appeared. Reyn almost ran, but he didn¡¯t. He hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. The constable¡¯s face was red; sweat could be seen running down it. Tempting Reyn to run even more was how sizeable the constable was. Reyn couldn¡¯t believe that this man, dressed in a dark gray uniform, could be on a beat. Reyn smiled and waved at the constable. The constable ignored Reyn¡¯s gesture but did walk slowly towards him. Reyn touched his face and realized it still had oil on it. He once again dunked his head underneath the water and started scrubbing it. When he raised his head up again, the constable was frowning beside him. ¡°Do you know those boys?¡± the constable asked. ¡°No,¡± Reyn said, running his hand over his head, ridding it of excess water. ¡°Well, did you see them run past?¡± Reyn pointed, ¡°They obviously just ran past here, but I don¡¯t know them.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t know them, how come you¡¯re rubbing that oil off your face like it was poison?¡± ¡°They splashed me with it, and I don¡¯t like oil on my face¡ªespecially when I¡¯m trying to eat an apple,¡± Reyn held up his apple. ¡°So a boy the same age as them, with oil on his face, sweating like a pig out in the midday heat is sitting innocently at a fountain? I¡¯ll give you one chance, or I¡¯m bringing you in. Where do they live?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m just eating an apple.¡± ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll see what the witnesses say.¡± The constable grabbed Reyn¡¯s arm and started dragging him, all the while wrapping a cord around Reyn¡¯s wrist. Reyn once more thought about escaping. It¡¯d be so easy, he thought, to struggle and get away. But he also heard the whistles continue sounding all around him. Doubt seeped into his thoughts. The other boys were likely going to get caught also, so what hope was there for him? He was no criminal. It was then that the thin cord was reinforced with an iron chain. Thoughts of escape left him. Reyn and the constable came to the end of their journey after forty minutes of walking. Reyn heard the station far before he saw it. The commotion radiating from the edge of the great square thundered. The constable station was a gargantuan building, standing out amidst the flat, cobblestoned plaza. Surrounding the plaza were residences and businesses four-stories high, most with balconies looking over the plaza. Reyn wondered why there would be balconies, but then he noticed the large gallows peeking out from the station¡¯s side, only a sliver of it visible to him. Would people sit on the balconies and watch others be hung? Would thousands gather upon the plaza to watch a hanging amidst street vendors selling fresh bread, cakes, and fruits? At the front of the constable¡¯s station, people entered and exited, clogging the entrance. Constables were leaving, and criminals were being escorted inside. Reyn saw one skinny criminal slide away through the crowd and start running. The nearby crowd cheered while multiple constable whistles blew. Another constable who had left the station not a minute before turned around at the sound of the whistles and tackled the man. It was a brutal tackle; the constable weighed twice as much as the criminal. Reyn grimaced. The crowd cheered as the constable stood up, but the criminal writhed on the ground in pain, hardly moving. Being pushed inside the station, Reyn looked up. Five stories of air lay overhead, topped by wooden vaults, painted blue. Ahead of him lay a sea of wood desks almost as far as he could see. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. The red-faced constable towed Reyn along until they came to a pair of empty chairs. Quickly, the constable shoved Reyn into a chair and then settled himself down next to him. On the other side of the table sat an officer. ¡°May I help you with your suspect?¡± asked the officer. ¡°Uh, yes,¡± answered the constable. He glanced at the nameplate on top of the desk. ¡°Officer Feez, I need to identify this lad as being one of the lads that ran away from those inn fires.¡± Middle-aged and bearded, Officer Feez squinted at Reyn and then at the constable. ¡°Ah, well none of the witnesses are here yet. As such, we¡¯re going to have to wait until one shows up.¡± The constable and Reyn waited patiently as Officer Feez stood up and disappeared into the sea of bureaucracy. When Officer Feez came back, a thin, elderly woman followed him. When they neared, Reyn looked directly at the elderly woman. Almost immediately the woman grabbed Feez¡¯s arm, tugged it and said, ¡°He¡¯s the sorcerer boy. He has coal-black eyes. Those deep black eyes that stare at you with a meaning. Yes, a meaning. I don¡¯t recall ever seeing a boy around these parts having those eyes before, or since, so it must be him.¡± ¡°Excellent,¡± said Officer Feez, a smile curling up his cheeks as he shifted his attention from the woman to Reyn. ¡°What do you have to say for yourself before I bring you to the judge?¡± Reyn had thought of all the things he was planning to say when he had a chance to speak. Things like how long it takes him to eat an enormous apple and how his shirt and face weren¡¯t really all that wet. He was also going to mention how malicious the leader had been to fling a glob of oil onto him. His mind never believed he¡¯d actually be accused of something he was completely innocent of. ¡°Well sir, I was eating an apple and then a constable came and grabbed me and led me here through all these streets, and here I am. I never did anything wrong. I was eating an apple,¡± explained Reyn. Officer Feez shook his head disapprovingly, looked over to the constable, and asked, ¡°What is his name?¡± ¡°He said Reyn.¡± ¡°Reyn,¡± Officer Feez said, looking back at the boy, ¡°You are being accused of many offenses, the most serious of which is the attempted murder of those inn patrons. We''re still not sure if any died. We haven''t been able to fully check the inn yet. If you have nothing to refute this lady''s testimony, I will have to bring you to the judge with many charges against you. Do you have anything else to say?¡± Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Reyn said, ¡°Sir, I have done nothing wrong. I was on the fountain eating an apple, and these boys ran past me and then I saw the constable. I am not with those boys at all like I tried to explain. I am no magician at all, so I couldn''t have set fire to the inns. I was waiting to buy some salve from the herbalist shop.¡± The officer smirked and looked at the woman who had accused Reyn, ¡°It¡¯s called sorcery; everyone knows that. So, this is the boy that set fire to the inns, eh?¡± ¡°Yes, I''m positive,¡± the woman said. ¡°Well ma''am, if this is the boy that did it, we''ll soon find out. We have ways to tell whether a person is a sorcerer or not. But before we test him in front of the judge, we need to get some basic facts, Reyn. Where do you live?¡± ¡°Uhh¡­ Lamm.¡± Officer Feez nodded, ¡°What are you doing in Oblick?¡± ¡°I¡¯m on an errand for my father. I¡¯m getting a salve for Mr. Eggot.¡± ¡°What occupation is your father?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a bricklayer.¡± ¡°Bricklayer?¡± Officer Feez asked. He looked back at the woman and then back at Reyn, ¡°Then who taught you sorcery?¡± ¡°No one.¡± ¡°So, you taught yourself?¡± Officer Feez nodded, agreeing with himself. ¡°No,¡± Reyn said. ¡°I didn¡¯t teach myself, and I don¡¯t know any sorcery. I¡¯ve never even seen a sorcerer before.¡± Officer Feez said, ¡°Well, it is fortunate we have someone here that can test to see if you can indeed do sorcery, because otherwise we would have to pronounce you guilty. And it is funny that you say you¡¯ve never seen a sorcerer when one would have passed you by if your story is true,¡± said Officer Feez. After a long cross-examination, Officer Feez led Reyn and the constable down to the end of the long line of desks to a side room. Reyn¡¯s wrist was still bound to the constable, and Officer Feez left to deliver some paperwork. Reyn and the constable waited until they were called into the courtroom an hour later. On one side of the square courtroom sat four grim judges, somber and young. Three were in their mid-twenties and one was in his late thirties and fully bearded. All four sat at a shared desk that bore each of their nameplates. Beside each nameplate, a small orb of fire spun above a marble coaster. The older judge''s orb was larger by twice than the others. Reyn thought it looked fantastically awesome. The chamber proper was lined with finished pine accented with a few violet curtains. The judges¡¯ Fodzen desk was especially wide and deep with a natural charcoal color. Fodzen was known throughout the kingdom, and you could tell a Fodzen by its inset brass ¡®F¡¯ on the center bottom. Opposite the judges, Reyn sat on a thin hard bench where Officer Feez, the constable and Reyn all touched shoulders. Behind them, a filled gallery sat watching Reyn. Reyn supposed that he¡¯d watch himself too if a sorcerer was accused of a capital crime. ¡°What is the charge and preferred judgment?¡± asked the older judge whose nameplate read ¡®Chief Judge Dayohver.¡¯ ¡°The charges are many but the most serious are three counts of arson by sorcery and multiple counts of attempted murder. The preferred judgment is death if the accused is an unranked sorcerer. However, as he was accused of using sorcery, yet has denied having the ability to do so, we require a magic test.¡± Judge Dayohver frowned more and more as Officer Feez spoke until he heard the words ¡®magic test¡¯. At this, he smiled widely and stood up from his chair. Judge Dayohver asked, ¡°His name is?¡± ¡°Reyn,¡± said Officer Feez. ¡°Reyn, can you do sorcery?¡± asked Judge Dayohver. Dayohver walked out from behind the Fodzen desk. ¡°No, sir.¡± Judge Dayohver pointed at Officer Feez, ¡°Officer Feez, can he do sorcery?¡± ¡°I don''t know, sir.¡± Judge Dayohver approached Officer Feez and said, ¡°Why are you bringing him here if you, in fact, have no idea whether or not he is talented in sorcery. The law states clearly that you cannot be accused of malicious sorcery without witnesses.¡± Officer Feez¡¯ face turned red, ¡°We do have a witness who swears that she saw him set fire to the three inns.¡± Judge Dayohver sighed audibly and turned to Reyn while saying, ¡°Fine, let''s do the test and dismiss him. If he could set fire to three inns in a short span, then he surely wouldn''t have been so incompetent as to get caught and then not escape. But no matter, if he''s guilty, he''s not getting away from these chambers or our jail, and if he''s not, I''ll see to it personally that you, Feez, are demoted for wasting my and all these other fine people¡¯s dinnertime.¡± Officer Feez''s smug smile left his face. Dayohver approached even closer to Reyn. Reyn felt like running away, but after seeing the criminal get flattened by the constable, he remained still. ¡°I will ask you a final time if you can do sorcery, before I proceed. Some people find it painful,¡± said Dayohver. ¡°No sir, I can''t do any,¡± Reyn said, knowing it to be true. He was no sorcerer. He didn¡¯t know anything about sorcery. Dayohver said, ¡°Good, good. This shouldn''t bother you in the least.¡± Dayohver walked briskly to the far side of the chamber to a cabinet, opened it, and removed three objects: a sword hilt and two very small glass orbs. One orb contained sand; the other swirling fire. Dayohver headed to the opposite side of the courtroom where two large paintings were hung on the flat wall. Dayohver signaled Reyn to follow him over. ¡°Stand right against the wall.¡± Dayohver waited for Reyn to comply. ¡°Excellent. Can you see the sword hilt?¡± Dayohver asked, holding up the sword hilt. ¡°Yes,¡± Reyn said. ¡°Excellent and can you see the ethereal blade?¡± Dayohver¡¯s voice rang with clarity, authority and a little excitement. Dayohver¡¯s wrist rotated the hilt back and forth, as though he were warming up for a sparring match. ¡°What blade?¡± Reyn said, not seeing anything besides a sword hilt in Dayohver¡¯s hand. Reyn felt confused about Dayohver¡¯s reference to an ethereal blade. What did that even mean? ¡°Excellent, and can you please hold out both your arms in front of you with your palms up?¡± Reyn obeyed, and Dayohver placed the orb of sand and orb of fire into Reyn¡¯s outstretched hands. Dayohver then stepped back a single step. With a smirk on his face, he glanced to Feez. Feez sat in his chair with his hand covering most of his face, anticipating his coming demotion with dread. The courtroom, with fifty onlookers, was silent. It was as though they all anticipated the failure of Officer Feez, and as a collective, were holding their breath waiting for the hilt to plunge into Reyn¡¯s hand revealing nothing and that Reyn was a nobody. Reyn knew he was a nobody, and in those silent seconds, Reyn weighed what he¡¯d want more: to be a sorcerer and to be hung or to be a normal nobody. Reyn wished with all of his heart to be a normal nobody. That¡¯s who he was. Maybe marry the herbalist¡¯s daughter. Maybe marry the stable girl. Have four kids or five or three. This trial and getting dragged into the courtroom was too much for him. His heart pounded. He was normal. Everything was fine. Feez was going to get demoted. After carefully gripping the hilt with both his hands and raising it over his head, Dayohver paused. Reyn did not know what Dayohver was doing. Why would Dayohver pause? Reyn kept his eyes on the hilt. Reyn did not believe there was an invisible blade attached to it. He squinted a little, but saw nothing of the ethereal blade. Reyn glanced at Dayohver¡¯s face. Dayohver¡¯s eyes were focused on his. Reyn glanced over to the crowd, saw their faces transfixed on his. Reyn¡¯s palm felt stabbing pain and a smack against it. Reyn looked to his hand, and there was the hilt resting on his palm. His other palm had an intact sand-filled sphere, but on the other, the hilt or blade or both had crushed the glass sphere, leaving tiny little wisps of fire. Reyn felt relief except for the pain in his hand. He was not a sorcerer. Nothing had happened. He felt a little sad. He wasn¡¯t a sorcerer. It was then that a little wisp of fire from the glass sphere ignited, launching a fire tendril that grew as it traveled. It scared Reyn as it ballooned to the width of a man as it snaked around Reyn and slammed into a painting, setting it ablaze. Another one ballooned and hit Dayohver right after the first hit the wall. Dayohver¡¯s expression was shock, but Reyn did not look at him for more than an instant¡ªhe knew not to look. Instead he looked down at his hand. A gush of fire erupted down and up from his palm. Rushing fire pushed all across the floor, and simultaneously, another pillar of fire rushed to the ceiling, pushing outward across it. Both fires rolled forward after encountering the floor and ceiling, speeding, curling, rolling with the speed of an arrow towards the entirety of the courtroom. Within the blink of an eye, everyone screamed in alarm while Reyn turned his palm upside down, trying to free his hand from the hilt, but the hilt stuck fast¡ªthe ethereal blade was real and invisible. Reyn flung the orb of sand from his other hand and yanked the hilt out of his other. By the time Reyn looked up, everything was ablaze and hot and hard to see. Smoke and fire obscured every inch of the courtroom, and a cacophony of screams horrified him. Reyn stood there dazed. He knew what the screams meant. They were high-pitched wails of women dying, or men breathing in fire. Time seemed to slow as the black clouds swirled and billowed before him, bright orange gleams shining through the smoke. Paralyzed with fear, he stood transfixed by the destruction. He looked down. The crawling fire beneath his feet and the flying embers seemed to slow. His mind was frozen, not a single thought came to it. Not a curse, not a word, not a thought. His mind was blank, but he tried to think. But his mind couldn¡¯t operate¡ªnothing came to mind. He took a deep breath for the first time, and he coughed and gagged on the foul smoke¡ªsnapping him back to consciousness, his mind thinking about escape. He had to escape. He ran forward blindly, embers stinging his flesh. He bumped against the desk he had sat at, and bouncing off, he ran forward once more, bumping and feeling his way past the courtroom¡¯s wood divider separating the courtroom. He ran down the main aisle, tripping twice over chairs in the path, and ran out through the doors, bursting through, his shirt on fire. He flung his shirt off, only to be nearly pushed back into the inferno by a rush of constables and clerks. He pushed against the crowd and sprinted down a hall. As he did so, he checked himself over, trying to make sure he wasn¡¯t on fire anywhere else. His hands and arms were wet with sweat and red with burns. He just had to run and make it to the station exit. No one knew him in this city. Shirtless, he burst through the doors of the cathedral-like main hall, sweat dripping from his chest and head. A lady clerk behind him asked him, ¡°Here, sit down.¡± He looked behind her and shook his head. He sprinted away from her outstretched hand but started to walk after a little ways. He had felt eyes focus on him when he sprinted. After he was walking on the edge of the room, the constables¡¯ gaze turned to the doors issuing smoke. Almost all of them rose from their desks and ran towards the doors, emptying the room in a matter of a minute. The prisoners kept seated though. A couple guards stood at the door with crossbows. Reyn walked slowly towards them. He hoped to use his appearance to escape. ¡°You there,¡± one of the crossbow guards said, pointing at him, ¡°Stay right there.¡± Reyn stopped. A guard from the inner hallway on the way to the courtroom appeared and yelled at the two guards with the crossbows, ¡°Ring the alarms¡ªwe need everyone, especially Puugi.¡± The two guards ran off. All of the criminals seemed to stand up at once and start walking to the door. Reyn followed their lead. Four constables, all with clubs in hand, appeared at the main doorway. ¡°Get back to your desks,¡± the biggest one growled¡ªthe guard was covered in tattoos of knives and droplets of blood. Reyn took a step back, looking for the nearest desk. At once, all of the criminals rushed the four. It was the opposite of what Reyn expected. They cursed at the guards, and the guards cursed back. Reyn was late on the rush. He was surprised at the speed of the criminals. Reyn squeezed amongst the criminals. The crush of them trying to squeeze through was intense¡ªhe tripped once and was almost trampled by a man his height but twice his weight. One of the others gave Reyn a good pull by the arm to get him back on his feet. The guards were now six, swinging with hefty swings at anyone they could. Reyn tried to stay in the middle¡ªsafest of the lanes to escape. The man to the right caught a club¡¯s tip, and Reyn could see blood and a bit of skin fly off the man¡¯s forehead. Suddenly, Reyn was pushed the other way by an elbow into his ribs. He ran straight into a constable with a thud. ¡°Sorry,¡± Reyn said, as he pushed himself off the constable¡¯s chest, but as he thought he¡¯d gotten away, he felt pain on his neck. It didn¡¯t feel bad¡ªjust particularly sharp. He was alright, but his legs felt weak and didn¡¯t want to move. He saw himself falling. He reached out to catch himself on the person in front of him, but his arms seemed slow. Far too slow¡ªhis arms weren¡¯t working either. He fell hard, his head bouncing off the stones just outside the station. After his head hit, his vision faded to black. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 ¡°My firm opinion of Seff was one of a rascal and scoundrel with compassionate outbursts in small proportion to what he wreaked in havoc.¡± ¡ªReyn¡¯s Diary, page 241 Just two weeks earlier, Seff had discovered a baker named Joel, who sold his goods on a common street that Seff now referred to as Rumor Street. With a hearty laugh and a deep voice, Joel loved to talk to his customers about all the happenings of the day, week, and month. Nothing was too trivial for him to discuss and ponder with them. All the locals knew him as the man who could measure the pulse of the city. Seff didn¡¯t know how Joel knew the things he did, but Seff was very happy to have found a man who could boost his ego by expounding upon the difficulties involved in Seff¡¯s bold thefts and mischievous exploits. It was now early evening, and Seff had successfully evaded the constables. He had also washed off the thick black oil, changed into a clean set of clothes, and pocketed his wand. The heat of the day had dissipated, so he walked to Joel¡¯s ¡®Rumor Street¡¯. Joel was talking to a few customers. Seff positioned himself behind one of the patrons, as if he was waiting for service. Seff hoped he would hear about his caper of a wealthy man¡¯s estate north of town or perhaps the burning of the three inns. Seff needed money for sorcery books and training, and neither the books nor training would come cheap. The simple stuff was cheap, but his skill and knowledge was anything but simple. There were very few places to get training, and he had run away from his adopted father¡ªa mercenary sorcerer. His father was not just any mercenary sorcerer, but instead, it was the famed Lygan, a mercenary renowned for his skill and wisdom. Seff had discovered some things about Lygan and his past that made him hate Lygan. However, as much as Seff regretted his decision to run away, Seff refused to go back. To go back was to admit his adopted father was right, and that was something he could not do. Would not do. Ever. Seff listened to Joel. ¡°¡ªwas eating an apple in plain sight on a fountain¡ªpractically mocking authority! But the constable wasn¡¯t fooled. He brought the kid to the station and one of the inn patrons identified him as the boy who had set the fires. Can you believe that? That kid must¡¯ve been pretty sharp to get clean in that fountain so fast. He had wet hair though, so it¡¯s pretty obvious he had just washed. ¡°The judges tested him at the courthouse and he turned the place into an inferno. Never heard of anything like it. The whole courtroom¡ªa blazing inferno from floor to ceiling. Everyone dead. Flames thirty feet high.¡± ¡°What are they going to do to him?¡± asked one of the patrons. ¡°Hang ¡®im. The district judge¡ªPuugi¡ªmade the verdict quick as a flash after the courtroom fire. Tomorrow at dawn he¡¯ll hang.¡± ¡°He deserves it for disturbing our fair¡ª¡± a mother with her two daughters close by started to say, but Seff didn¡¯t hear the rest of it. Seff walked away to the infamous fountain. When he got there, it was dimly lit by a single streetlight. He saw the apple on the cobblestones covered with ants. Seff kicked the apple as far as he could and walked away from the fountain. He walked around the city, aimlessly exploring unknown sections while thinking about the boy whom he had inadvertently condemned. He hadn¡¯t liked the way Reyn had looked at him, so he flung a piece of oil on him. And the kid, against all odds, was a sorcerer¡ªa fantastically talented unknown sorcerer. What were the chances? He looked up to the sky and stared at the stars and two moons high up. More so than anything, he thought about what happened in the courtroom. To be tested and turn it into an inferno, that was a fantastical amount of talent. All during the early evening and night, Seff discovered ugly nooks in the city: tiny morsels of pain, agony and crime. A family huddled in an alley¡¯s basement stairs. A young girl not older than six slept on a couple of wood crates. Once while turning a corner, a man holding a knife demanded his money. Seff gave him his money and let the man run, only to cast a lightning bolt spell on him just seconds later. Seff retrieved his money from the dead thief. After that, Seff went back to his gang¡¯s hideout. On his way, he thought about him murdering the thief. If he had been in a better mood, he would have pulled out his notched wand and given the thief a chance to retreat. But he was in a foul mood, and he had been walking all night thinking about the teenage sorcerer he had accidentally framed. He needed to sit down and think more carefully about the kid who set ablaze an entire courtroom just by getting tested. He had never heard of such a thing, and he had spent all the time walking and thinking on what it all meant. Had one of the judges done it? Or had the kid been a powerful sorcerer all along? Had he known it? Seff unlocked the door to the hideout. Seven thieves, all teenagers, were betting in a card game on the big table by the unmanned bar. Seff nodded his head to them as he searched the bar for a bottle of wine. The hideout was poorly furnished with a badly stained wood floor, a rusty stove with a leaky stovepipe, scratched up tables, wobbly chairs and the like. He took a bottle and wood cup and found a small table. He sat in a dark corner by himself. He grabbed the bottle and drank directly from it. After a few long swigs, he poured some wine into the cup, dipped his finger into the wine, and drew wine circles on the table, both to lose track of time and to think about whether it was worth it or not to rescue the sorcerer kid. He heard the screeching of a chair being pulled across the floor. When he looked up, he saw Baka sitting there staring into his eyes. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°You know you¡¯re a hero to all of us right?¡± Baka said. Even in the poor light, Seff could see Baka¡¯s radiant white smile and clean-shaven face. Baka was thin, heavily tattooed, and tall. A scar ran from his right ear down to the middle of his neck. ¡°Sure,¡± Seff went back to drawing wine circles. The boys in the other room could be heard whooping and hollering over what could be assumed was a large hand. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± Baka said. Seff said nothing. Baka came back after a few minutes with a bowl of soup and a roll. ¡°Hey,¡± he said, sitting down with the food in front of him and taking a bite out of the roll. ¡°Hey,¡± Seff answered neutrally. ¡°So where¡¯s the smile? Didn¡¯t anyone tell you the haul?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t around until now. How was it?¡± Seff looked up. ¡°What wasn¡¯t it? We took everything,¡± Baka said now with a mouthful of soup slurring his words. Baka added half the roll to his mouth. ¡°That good, eh?¡± Seff showed interest. Baka nodded and mumbled the next sentence, ¡°The entire quarter was involved in trying to put out those inn fires.¡± Seff changed the subject abruptly, ¡°Hey, did you hear about the kid¡ªlooked about my age¡ªthat got blamed as the sorcerer? The gang passed him at a fountain. I flung some oil on him, because I hated the way he looked at me, and now he¡¯s, uh, going to die in a few hours.¡± ¡°What?¡± Baka looked up from shoveling soup, his roll paused on its way to his mouth. ¡°They fingered the arson and everything on him. Turns out he¡¯s a sorcerer.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Baka said, the other half of the roll moving into his mouth. ¡°They won¡¯t be looking for you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Understand what? He¡¯s taking the fall. Happens all the time.¡± Seff shook his head, ¡°The kid burned up the whole courthouse, supposedly, by getting tested. They say the flames shot up thirty feet, swept through the place from wall to wall, floor to ceiling, and killed everyone in the room. Well, that¡¯s what Joel said anyway after I interpreted his gibberish. If what he said is true, the kid¡¯s an anomaly, and he¡¯s going to die because of me.¡± ¡°Joel exaggerates. It helps his business. You know he pays a few kids to gather information for him? His gravelly voice is probably going to get him elected mayor one day¡ªeveryone knows the damn guy.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± Seff said, ¡°It¡¯s a waste. And it¡¯s my fault. Even if what Joel says is a tenth true, that kid is a damned marvel. I feel bad. He was there just eating an apple, and I killed him. He didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± Baka leaned back and rubbed the back of his neck, ¡°I¡¯m confused. Do you feel bad that he killed all those people in the courtroom or that you killed those few people in those inns or that a sorcerer¡ªpotentially a damned good one¡ªis going to get hung tomorrow morning?¡± ¡°All three. I guess not a good day for me today.¡± Baka raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°People die all the time. Some of the best people are assassinated for no better reason than because they said the wrong word or their wife is good looking or they tripped on a damn pebble.¡± Seff said, ¡°He¡¯s about my age¡ªmaybe sixteen. He looked na?ve. Innocent. You know, a little while ago, I had to kill someone like that before. It really hurt me. I still have nightmares about it.¡± Seff paused. ¡°It was as if I had betrayed him. And I had, in a way.¡± ¡°What about the inn people burned alive that you killed?¡± Baka asked, an eyebrow raised. ¡°Not my fault if they can¡¯t find a window or door, or maybe that they¡¯re too busy trying to save things instead of their life. A lot of people got out. Some people didn¡¯t. Not my fault.¡± ¡°What about those people in the courtroom that the kid killed though? You said he killed everyone in there,¡± Baka said. Seff laughed, ¡°Well, that¡¯s their fault for being in the courtroom. It was the judges¡¯ fault mostly I suppose¡ªnot that it matters now.¡± ¡°If what Joel said is true, how rare would that be for a kid to do that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know. More talented than me though, that¡¯s for sure. My adopted father would know, but obviously, he¡¯s not around here,¡± Seff said. ¡°If it really bothers you that much, why don¡¯t you do something about it?¡± Baka leaned in. Seff¡¯s finger stopped. He looked up from the table and stared into Baka¡¯s eyes. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been thinking about. It¡¯d be dangerous. They¡¯ll have a sorcerer or three out there for the hanging, even if the kid doesn¡¯t know sorcery. Whole heap of people watching too.¡± Baka stayed silent. His face was grim and somber. ¡°Exactly,¡± Seff said as he poured more wine into the cup. ¡°It¡¯d be really hard. It¡¯s not worth it, is it?¡± ¡°Of course not. Go to sleep. You¡¯d probably die. Or, hunted, arrested, identified. If not dead, you¡¯d be hunted to the ends of the empire. Maybe stuck into one of those damn sorcerer arenas¡ªthat¡¯s death but in a different way. Who cares about the kid. He deserves what he gets¡ªit¡¯s not our fault he¡¯s stupid.¡± Baka looked back behind him and back to Seff, ¡°I gotta get another roll.¡± Seff nodded, not looking up, ¡°He probably didn¡¯t even know.¡± Baka stood up, left, and came back with a roll in hand. He shoveled more soup into his mouth, added another half a roll to his mouth, and waited for Seff to say something more. Instead, Seff stared at the game being played at the big table across the way. Baka finally swallowed said, ¡°Didn¡¯t know or didn¡¯t care. Maybe too poor to do anything about it. You can¡¯t go around setting everything right. He let the constables pull him straight into the station. Surely, he could not have known he was a sorcerer or he would have never let himself get caught. And that points to his stupidity.¡± ¡°What if he¡¯s just naive though? Naive enough to think that he would never be accused.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same though? Or how does that work? How does one know if they are or aren¡¯t a sorcerer?¡± ¡°Fit of anger or passion, supposedly. I was tested young, so I only know what I was taught. Normally, the hotter the temper, the sooner they show their talent. Maybe he¡¯s a very calm sorta fellow.¡± ¡°A very calm, talented and na?ve sorcerer¡ªwhat a mix. Maybe a simpleton too, eh?¡± Baka roared laughing, a little soup spurting, dripping out of his mouth. Baka swallowed and continued to laugh. ¡°Wait,¡± Seff¡¯s eyes opened wide and he grinned. Seff continued, ¡°He trusted the constable. He trusted the system. He trusts people. He¡¯d trust me if I saved him, maybe, and he¡¯s a one in a million sorcerer. Or, one in a thousand or hundred, but he¡¯s rare, I know that. We or I could use him. If I could convince him to stick with me, befriend him, and become friends¡ªI¡¯d have a powerful sorcerer indebted to me and a friend. I could offer to train him and prolong it indefinitely as I gain his trust. I befriend him and use him¡ªwe¡¯re about the same age, so we¡¯d spend years together at the academy if both of us get in. He has to learn a lot though in just a few years. Four years left before I try for it. So, I rescue him and befriend him through teaching him simple academics and sorcery¡ªI can do that you know. I had a private tutor for years and years. And I¡¯ll have one of the most powerful sorcerers as a close friend¡ªthis is perfect. Gods, what time is it?¡± Seff snapped his fingers and signaled for Baka to tell him the time. Baka fumbled around in his pocket for a split second before pulling out a gold pocket watch. ¡°Where¡¯s your old one?¡± Seff asked. ¡°I sold it to the same guy that I stole the new one from,¡± Baka said. They both laughed. ¡°It¡¯s four in the morning,¡± Baka said. ¡°I still have time,¡± Seff said, standing up, ¡°Want to come along?¡± ¡°I like my head,¡± Baka said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be back,¡± Seff said in a quiet somber tone. ¡°I haven¡¯t split the loot yet. Come back some time. I¡¯ll save your portion.¡± ¡°Thanks Baka,¡± Seff patted Baka on the back. ¡°My job. And my pleasure. Be safe... and good luck,¡± Baka said. ¡°If I don¡¯t come back, give my split to the kid. If neither of us live, keep it yourself,¡± Seff said before walking to his room to gather the essentials in a pack before leaving to rescue the kid. Chapter 3-a Chapter 3 ¡°Alchemy and any form thereof listed under proclamation L2714.88 is now outlawed in accordance with the vote of the allied senate.¡± ¡ªAllied Senate Archives, Book 2, page 95 When Reyn stirred, night had come. In the jail cell¡¯s gloomy darkness, he could not remember where he was. He sat up on the stone floor, his bony elbow bumping against the cell¡¯s wall. It was then that he remembered. The sorcery test. The fire. Tears welled up in his eyes as he relived the moments; trying to think if he could have done something, anything differently. He pulled his knees up close to his chest and wiped his eyes. He thought of how he could have handled the constable better¡ªeither by explaining himself more adequately or just by running. His mind never believed he would actually be jailed for something he did not do. His experience in the burning courtroom had seared terrible images into his mind. He tried to forget them, to think about something else, but they always popped up again after a few seconds. He remembered now how close to the exit he had been: an arm¡¯s length. He cursed loudly, frustrated with himself. For failing to escape. For the pain he¡¯d caused. He heard the cell door unlock. He wiped away his tears and waited for the door to open. A bright lantern appeared at the door, shining bright into the cell. For the first time, Reyn could clearly see his surroundings: a bunk, a hole, stone walls all around him, and nothing else. The ceiling hung low, and two thin blankets covered the bunk. Behind the lantern, a dark-skinned man towered beyond the doorway. His eyes were brown and his face was etched with wrinkles and scars, but what Reyn found most striking was his long white hair. As Reyn stared at the man, a voice broke the silence, ¡°Hello, Reyn.¡± The voice sounded friendly¡ªas if an old friend had said it. He watched as the tall figure bent over to step into the cell and sit on the bunk. The man held a staff in his hand, so Reyn remained cautiously quiet and seated on the stone floor. ¡°You have caused quite a commotion around these parts, Reyn,¡± the man said while putting the lantern onto the floor. He then leaned back onto the wall, putting his face into shadow, before continuing, ¡°We haven''t had a high judge die from an attack in a long time.¡± Reyn hesitated a moment. ¡°He died?¡± he asked with a slow, quiet voice. He knew the penalty for killing someone. ¡°Then I suppose you didn''t know?¡± ¡°I just woke up. How could I know?¡± ¡°You are incredible in one of two ways: stupidity or ignorance. Shut the door, Albert.¡± The cell door shut close. The man continued, ¡°You are incredibly stupid if you think we don''t know that you meant to kill the man. Or you are incredibly ignorant of the enormous power that you must have within your soul. So, which one is it?¡± ¡°What?¡± Reyn asked with a touch of incredulity. ¡°Which do you plead? Stupidity or ignorance?¡± he asked, his face still in shadow. ¡°Ignorance, because I don''t know what I did.¡± ¡°Good, now that we have the cause of death determined¡ªignorance¡ªwe can continue with the explanation of your fate. I have waited almost all night to explain to you what will happen, but you''ve been sleeping.¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I was clobbered; I wasn''t sleeping,¡± Reyn felt the lump on his neck just to make sure he hadn¡¯t imagined the whole thing. ¡°Yes, well, you were indisposed in any case. No matter though, you will be hanged in¡ª,¡± the man took out his pocket watch, bent over to the lantern, and looked at it, ¡°¡ªOne hour and forty-five minutes.¡± ¡°What?¡± Reyn quietly gasped. Putting away the pocket watch, he said, ¡°And don''t you think that I enjoy throwing away such a talented boy! Even if you meant to kill Dayohver¡ªeven when he wasn''t expecting it, it''s still an absolutely amazing feat for a boy of your age!¡± exclaimed the old man with loud enthusiasm. He smiled jovially. ¡°You¡¯re going to hang me?¡± ¡°In just under two hours,¡± he leaned back, letting his face fall back into shadow. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because, my boy, it is the law that when you kill a person¡ªnot to mention the countless others who died from their burns due to your poor choice of targets¡ªthat you will be hanged. The governor, in theory, could grant reprieve, but by the time he hears of your amazing feats, you will already be dead.¡± ¡°Can''t you wait?¡± ¡°Absolutely not. You''re much too dangerous. I don''t know whether to congratulate you for becoming so adept at sorcery or whip you to death right here in the cell before they get a chance to hang you. I''m at a crossroads, but I really don''t want to make you even more angry at me.¡± The old man laughed before adding, ¡°Just in case.¡± ¡°Sir?¡± Reyn said before adding, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t know, then I¡¯m not going to tell you. Do you have any other questions or anything to add?¡± ¡°I am innocent. All I did was eat an apple on a fountain, and the constable assumed because I had oil on me that I was one of the other boys that ran past. Then an old, scraggly-haired woman accuses me of burning down inns because she recognized my eyes. Now I''ve killed a high judge accidentally, and I''ll be hanged in a little less than two hours. What is the proof that I''ve done anything wrong? The high judge caused his own death as far as I''m concerned. It wasn''t my fault. He was the one who stabbed me with the hilt.¡± The old man, who at first had laughed quietly at Reyn''s outburst, had now grown very silent. He sat there staring at Reyn for a little more than a minute before speaking. ¡°How old are you? Maybe fifteen or sixteen. Anyone as talented as you are should have evidenced some sort of sorcery long before today. Because of this, you should have told the truth¡ªthat you were indeed a sorcerer but one with no training. This warning may have saved Dayohver and everyone else in that courtroom from death, for he might have taken extra care. Those were innocent people, and you snuffed them all out¡ªmostly all them anyway and the ones you didn¡¯t¡ªwell, they might well wish themselves dead at this moment. The entire affair is tragic. No one expected anything like what you did in that courtroom. That¡ªif done just by testing you¡ªwas something special,¡± the old man paused, ¡°Too special. I can¡¯t have that here in this region. Not now.¡± He continued, ¡°As for the inn fires, a witness says you did it. That is all that is needed to hang you. No more, no less. As for why not delay the hanging for a slim chance of reprieve? That will not happen for many reasons. Would you like hear them?¡± Reyn said, ¡°No, I would like to request to see my father before I die.¡± Reyn knew it would take a day or two to find and bring his father, and by then, the governor would hear of him and grant him a reprieve. Maybe. ¡°And delay the hanging? Oh, no. He will see your corpse buried in an unmarked beggars'' graveyard. I sort of pity you, but I really don''t. You would pose an unknown but distinct threat to the higher-ranking sorcerers within a period of time as short as ten years, no more than twenty, and we have enough sorcerers as it is without an extraordinary one rising through the ranks¡ªespecially in this damned province.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re not hanging me because of what I did?¡± The old man adjusted the lantern, lighting Reyn more clearly, ¡°Not really. It was probably as you said: not your fault. But that would require a trial, and far before the trial was over, you¡¯d be pardoned by the governor.¡± ¡°I demand a normal trial then.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t. Simple as that. I bypassed the system, because I have that power.¡± ¡°Who are you? Why do you want to kill me?¡± Reyn asked with an unbelieving whisper. Tears once more welled up in his eyes. He asked, ¡°Do you know who the provincial governor is? Of course not. It¡¯s a man named Codinor. Codinor would, within a second''s breath, pardon you, recruit you, and gain your undying allegiance. Do you know what type of person Codinor is?¡± Reyn stayed silent. ¡°No? I¡¯ll tell you. He¡¯s clever and greedy. He would see what you are and make you think that he¡¯s helping you. But he¡¯s not. He¡¯s helping himself. He¡¯d help himself to you and what you are. And by looking at you, I don¡¯t think you¡¯d like that very much. Maybe you would. Hard to tell. Power does strange things to people.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Isn¡¯t that better than killing me?¡± Reyn asked, trying to understand what the old man was saying. Reyn sensed there was something that the old man did not like about Codinor. Maybe he was jealous or scared of Codinor. The old man ignored his question, ¡°I think you''ll be better off dead than alive. If you lived, people would use you as a weapon, a tool to threaten or kill. Your speech cries out a simple life, not one with complexity and depth. I¡¯ve seen it before, and I¡¯ve already had enough intrigue and death here in Codinor¡¯s province without you adding to it. I bid you good morning and goodbye,¡± the old man laughed jovially. He then stood up and strode the single step to the cell door and knocked once. Chapter 3-b Reyn was still digesting all the reasons why he must die when he realized the man was leaving. He asked almost reflexively, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Puugi,¡± the man said as the door opened. He left and disappeared, taking the lantern with him. ¡°Wait! Let me live. I will do anything you say,¡± Reyn said loudly. Puugi appeared again. ¡°A tempting proposition,¡± Puugi said, ¡°Tempting. If there was another way, I would take it. But there is not.¡± ¡°Find someone to smuggle me in a barrel or wagon or ship. Please.¡± Puugi shook his head and left. The door slammed shut. The footsteps receded. ¡°If I live, I will kill you,¡± Reyn yelled, a small wisp of fire leaving his hand, splashing into a stone wall and disappearing. Darkness returned. The faint murmur of rain could be heard. Reyn had lied. He had said he would kill Puugi, but he knew he would not, even if he escaped. Codinor was to blame, not Puugi. Or, maybe it was Puugi. Reyn couldn¡¯t tell who might be to blame. It could be himself. Reyn felt slow and stupid. He¡¯d be a bad sorcerer too, he knew. He didn¡¯t know anything about it. Reyn had nothing to do, so he flopped into his bunk, his feet hanging out the end. He stared ahead tirelessly into the darkness. Knowing these were the last few hours of his life, he felt alert. He thought about writing a letter to his father to explain what happened to him. Reyn knew his father would look for him soon, and yet, he also knew his father would be too late. If only he had known he was a sorcerer earlier. If only he had run. He had so many opportunities to change in his present position. Reyn decided to knock on his door to try to get paper and pencil. He knocked. No response. He pounded. No response. He laid back down to think. After five minutes a voice answered, ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Could I get paper and pencil to write a letter to my father?¡± ¡°Give me a minute,¡± the anonymous voice answered. Reyn waited. A small opening at the bottom of the door appeared, and a small lit candle was slid through first. After, a pencil and three small slips of paper followed. ¡°Thank you,¡± Reyn said. There was no acknowledgment. Reyn moved his writing supplies to the far corner of his cell and sat down. He quickly started writing and lost track of time. He was on the third slip of paper when the cell door opened. An elderly lady entered. She barely fit through the wide doorway. She smiled at Reyn when she saw him writing a letter. She held an entire tray of fruit, bread and pastries of all kinds. She also carried a folding table which she quickly set up and laid the tray on. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Up all night, Reyn?¡± she asked. ¡°No ma¡¯am, just the last few hours.¡± ¡°Oh, I''m so glad to hear it! So many of the prisoners now-a-days don''t sleep a wink the night before their hanging, and you know what? They''re very unhappy when they¡¯re led to the gallows, which is no way to go at all!¡± Reyn could hardly believe the enthusiastic nature of the bubbly woman before him. She seemed to really care. ¡°Oh, but you do look like you¡¯re lost. They told you your sentence, didn¡¯t they?¡± she asked. ¡°Death?¡± ¡°Yes indeed,¡± she smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Eat.¡± Standing up, Reyn sat on the bunk next to the tray. She continued, ¡°Sometimes the condemned don¡¯t know. I remember one time when an old gentleman had thought they were escorting him back to his home. He was guiding himself right up the stairs with his cane when he looked up and realized he was walking up the gallows. He fainted right there and bumped down to the bottom. The guards didn¡¯t know what to do, but after a while they figured it out.¡± She rearranged a few dishes for Reyn as he ate, but didn¡¯t say anything else. ¡°What happened?¡± Reyn asked. ¡°Well, the crowd was getting rowdy, and those judges like a nice, cleanly prepared subject. We don¡¯t hang limp bodies either. A subject who deserves to be hanged, deserves to feel his last few seconds.¡± She stopped again and watched Reyn eat. ¡°How long did they wait for the old gentleman to wake up?¡± She sighed, ¡°Oh, not long. They had the crowd waiting, and some started shouting about him faking it. After a few seconds of hesitation, they hung him anyway.¡± ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t hang unconscious people.¡± ¡°Well, he could have been faking it.¡± Shaking his head, Reyn continued eating, although thinking his death lessened his appetite. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you sneak me out?¡± Reyn said. ¡°No,¡± she said. Silence followed. The food was plentiful and the lady was patient with him as he ate to his heart''s content. When he slowed down, the lady started moving the saucers of food¡ªempty or not¡ªinto a bag that Reyn had not noticed before. Soon there were no more saucers of food. The lady folded up the tray, grabbed the bag, and stood up. ¡°Wait. My letter. Can you mail it for me? I¡¯d ask the guards, but I think they might throw it away.¡± She looked at Reyn, ¡°Give it to me.¡± Reyn grabbed it, looked over the letter quickly and gave it to her. He said, ¡°They have my address, just ask them for it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll mail it for you,¡± she said. She then turned and knocked on the door twice. The door opened and shut leaving Reyn alone. The candle had grown considerably shorter, but it still offered some comfort. He sat in the bunk feeling particularly lonely when the door opened again. A gargantuan man stood in the doorway and barked, ¡°Come.¡± Reyn obeyed. He exited the cell and saw that there was also an average-sized man who in comparison looked tiny. The average one said, ¡°Don¡¯t struggle. Don¡¯t do anything foolish. You can¡¯t get away now, so don¡¯t even think about running. If you do anything funny, I¡¯ll just strike you down right then and there.¡± The smaller man held a wand in his hand. He also looked like he had currents of air racing around his body acting as a shield. Reyn assumed the man was a sorcerer. He had met a lot of sorcerers in the last day. They led Reyn down a long row of empty cells. Every single one was empty. Reyn thought about how dangerous this town must be when all the criminals are dealt with in such quick fashion. Then Reyn noticed that one of the cells wasn¡¯t empty. The man was dressed in fine clothes and mouthed the unmistakable word ¡®run¡¯ to him. He repeated it. The guards had not seen him look at the cell, and so they had no idea of what the man had mouthed to Reyn. Reyn thought about running. If he could just get away a little bit, he was a fast runner. He had almost made it out last time. They arrived at the door at the end of the hall, and it was then that the gargantuan man put a firm hand on his shoulder. Reyn tried to position himself better to make a break for it, but the hand gripped even tighter instead. The grip never lessened as they went through door after door until finally a narrow iron door opened. ¡°My name is Vor,¡± the gargantuan man said. ¡°Go ahead and try to run. It¡¯ll make it more fun for the crowd to see you struck down and then hung after.¡± He showed a sword sheathed on his waist. The grip lessened, and the trio stepped out into the bright morning light. Chapter 4-a Chapter 4 ¡°The empires are now all at peace and are poised to stay that way indefinitely.¡± ¡ªAnonymous, Chronicles of Discussion, Volume MMMMLVI page 498 Blinded by the morning light, Reyn was led to the gallows. Vor gripped his shoulder lightly, daring him to run. Reyn thought about running, but Vor¡¯s warning stuck in his mind. He worried that a poor escape attempt would kill him even sooner. He weighed the benefits of escaping against the possibility of dying sooner and dying in what would be, for the crowd, an exhilarating spectacle. What a strange world this is, he realized for the first time. Alive but soon to be dead. He decided to play it conservatively. He would try to escape when they were not expecting it. Maybe he would discover a power inside himself and somehow escape. His vision adjusted to the bright light. A crowd filled the wide, expansive plaza. Shoulder to shoulder, thousands watched. Some jeered at him over the deafening roar. Others cried out, offering their fresh buns, morning sausages, hot pretzels, sandwiches, and other fresh delicacies like fruit or jerky to the crowd. Shifting gravel crunched under his weight, with each step deepening his sense of foreboding. Reyn reached the gallows¡¯ stairs. Seven stairs. Near the top, he tripped. The hand on his shoulder released him, letting him fall. Slivers dug into his left hand as he caught himself. He thought about running away, but hesitated. The hand on his shoulder returned. He resumed his climb. Reyn looked up. It looked surreal, as though it couldn¡¯t kill him. It was just a bunch of unfinished wood. Two beams rising up from the floorboards connected by a crossbeam. From it hung three nooses. Reyn looked behind him, expecting two additional prisoners. No one was there. ¡°What?¡± Vor said. ¡°You expecting two others, just because there are three nooses?¡± ¡°What are you going to do with the extras?¡± Reyn asked. ¡°You. Going to hang you three times,¡± Vor laughed. ¡°Stop teasing him,¡± the sorcerer said. ¡°No reason to be cruel.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m just having fun.¡± Reyn still looked for avenues of escape, yet he saw none. The man¡¯s hand still lightly gripped his shoulder; the noise of the crowd seemed to go away; the whisper of a soft wind tickled his ear; the morning sun shined on him through a gap in the buildings surrounding the plaza. A few crows landed atop the gallows. Reyn stopped at the first noose, but Vor pushed him along until they got to the third, farthest from the stairs. As the two men positioned Reyn below the noose, he looked at his surroundings once more, now above the crowd. The plaza¡¯s size was immense. Faces at the far edges couldn¡¯t be discerned at all. Stretching up to five and six stories tall, spired buildings surrounded it. Almost all of them had balconies, and of those, almost all of them had people looking at him. All eyes were on him. There was no escape. He accepted his fate then. At least he would die, not alone nor old, but with shouts and cheers. There were worse fates. The sorcerer raised his arms as a signal to hush the crowd. The crowd obeyed. ¡°We are here,¡± the sorcerer paused, ¡°to exterminate a menace to our society. Whatsoever cannot be melted in the pot, must be thrown out. The charges are many, and with respect to the families involved, we will not discuss them. Order must be observed. Justice will be satisfied. If the condemned wishes to speak, this time now is reserved for that.¡± The sorcerer turned his head to Reyn. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. He had to try one more time to clear his name. ¡°I really didn¡¯t do anything wrong,¡± Reyn began, but the laughs and jeers stopped him. Some even threw food. Someone in the crowd managed to be heard over the rabble, ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re getting hanged!¡± The crowd roared even louder. The two executioners waited a moment to see if Reyn would continue. Reyn didn¡¯t know what to do. He meant what he said in all seriousness, but the crowd just took him as a stupid murderer. His sadness lifted a little when he remembered the letter he had given to the old lady. Surely, his father would remember him as a good son. Vor put a black sack over Reyn¡¯s head. Now staring blindly ahead, he felt the rough cord fall across his shoulders. * * * Seff arrived early. Shrouded in morning darkness, the gallows looked ominous. Seff surveyed the plaza and the streets leading into it. He considered the surrounding buildings as escape routes, but dismissed the idea. With the boy to deal with, they would be trapped. Ten different streets led into the plaza. He scouted the maze of streets, trying to determine where they connected and what they led to. By the time he returned, the earliest of the spectators and food vendors had arrived. Seff bought a crepe with ham, cheese, and mushrooms. It was delicate, flaky and hot, freshly made as he watched. Other vendors were soon there. Seff washed the last bites down with a beer. He gained a newfound appreciation for hangings: hot, fresh food at dawn. Within a few more minutes, Seff could see how the crowd might be an advantage for helping them escape. The plaza was packed. He worked his way to the gallows for a better view. He wished Baka had been willing to come along. It would have made it easier. A gap in the buildings allowed the sun to shine on the gallows and what was presumably the door through which the condemned would be led. Even now, the sun¡¯s exposure almost fully covered the door in bright light. Seff sized up the gallows. Seven over-sized steps led to the platform. Gravel and pebbles covered the ground around it. One could easily turn an ankle on it. He started getting nervous. He knew what he needed to do. He would need to eliminate any and all nearby guards, in addition to stealing all of the case information from the station itself. With the files, they would have a record of the boy¡¯s address and family. From there, they would capture him eventually. The solution would be to deprive them of the information. It wouldn¡¯t be hard; he would set fire to the station and walk in. Just in case, he¡¯d have both his wands out. He might have to kill a few people, but hopefully they would run at the sight of his wands. He could still let the boy die. He shrugged thinking about it. It would mean less work, fewer deaths. Others might be just as good as this kid, but they wouldn''t be as loyal or powerful. And this way that he had planned¡ªrescuing the boy, gaining his undying loyalty¡ªhad a certain simplicity. The boy¡¯s power would be a solid backbone for anything Seff had planned. The Imperial Sorcerers¡¯ Academy was four years away. Everyone they accepted would be twenty years old and he knew the Academy was selective. Tens of thousands of applicants would fill their halls but they could select only a thousand or so. He would need a great education in addition to knowing the basics of sorcery. He looked forward to that day, but for now he must seize the opportunity which lay before him¡ªto recruit one of the most powerful young sorcerers in the world. Knowing what he did about test results, tutored as he was in sorcery, the rumor of the burned courtroom filled Seff with awe. Few would truly understand its significance. The reason why the boy would be hanged so soon was even more evidence of this. Someone wanted the boy dead and fast. That alone meant this deadly venture was worthwhile based solely on that. As long as he survived, that was fine. If he and the boy survived, that was even better. Seff just needed to survive trying to save the boy. If they both lived, then their destinies would be connected. He had no doubt the boy could propel him into the upper tiers, if not the highest tiers, of government and power. The door opened. He could see three figures emerge: a large man, a sorcerer, and a boy. They walked to the stairs and climbed them. Shortly thereafter, the sorcerer spoke about justice. Seff smirked at the man¡¯s audacity; to talk about justice when the actual person who should be hanged was in the crowd. Seff almost shouted you have the wrong boy, but thought better of it. He would wait. While Seff was lost in thought, the boy said something that caused the crowd to roar. He paid closer attention now to the large man¡¯s axe laying close by, the sorcerer¡¯s wand, and the nooses. When the noose slipped over the boy¡¯s neck, Seff decided to act. He quickly said a few runes, loosing a spell that burned through the rope, severing it from the beam. With the ends still smoldering, the noose swung harmlessly down. It hung from Reyn¡¯s neck like a necklace. The boisterous crowd was silenced. Reyn heard the sorcerer next to him grunt, ¡°Clever boy.¡± With a bag still over his head, Reyn didn¡¯t know what was happening. The crowd grew silent. The sorcerer then spoke some unknown words. At the same time, he ripped the old noose from around Reyn¡¯s throat. He pushed Reyn over to the next noose? And then Reyn felt a noose fall onto his neck again and tighten. ¡°Pull the pin,¡± the sorcerer cried. Chapter 4-b Reyn tried to sneak backwards, away from the trap, but the sorcerer¡¯s hand was on his shoulder forcing him still. He knew at any moment he would be falling through space. Then he heard the screaming. Behind him, the sorcerer cursed, and Reyn felt the sorcerer¡¯s hand leave him. In a rush, Reyn slipped the noose from his neck. He was about to rip the bag off when he started falling¡ªthe trap door had been pulled. With his stomach in his throat and unable to see anything, he hurtled through the air and fell awkwardly to the ground. He didn¡¯t have time to brace. His legs buckled as his arms and head hit hard on the gravel. ¡°Ow,¡± he said. Dazed, he clawed off the black sack. * * * Seff saw the sorcerer move the boy to the second noose, so he cast a spell to sever it. But it didn¡¯t fall. Nothing. Seff cursed, realizing that the sorcerer must have shielded the second noose. He had not wanted to use his wand spells so early, but now he felt forced to do so. The wands could not help him store more than five spells each. Before he had arrived to the plaza, he had all but cast the ten spells between the two wands that he now carried, omitting the final rune. Thus, leaving the spells in an incomplete state, he kept them at the back of his mind, ready at a moment¡¯s notice. It had taken years and years of private tutoring to master even holding a single or two spells at the back of his mind, trapped in a wand or staff. Now, the wands held each spell in any of the many spaces delineated by notches upon their exteriors. It helped hold them and separate them. With no notches, the spells often melded or combined in erratic and dangerous ways. No one would ever store spells into an unnotched stick or pole. Seff chose not to use a staff in cities. Stealth was exceptionally valuable. Although a staff was capable of holding more spells due to its length and thickness, they certainly could not be hidden. Seff said the last rune of a fireball spell and cast it at the large man scrambling for the release pin. As the fireball rushed above the crowd, some screamed. The fireball caught the man before he managed to yank the pin. The crowd screamed and turned away from the gallows. The sorcerer started running for the pin. Seff could barely turn in time. He cast and hit the sorcerer, even while the crowd pushed against him. But his lightning bolt, with a warm glow, dissipated from the man without harming him. Seff cast again, yet the sorcerer continued on. Something hit him from behind, so Seff cursed loudly and sent a fireball straight into the crowd had thrown something at him. Three were set aflame. Screams rose around him. The crowd, with growing panic, pushed away from him with tremendous force, soon leaving a deserted space around him in the crowded plaza. Seff saw the sorcerer pull the pin. He cast his last lightning bolt and finally broke through with a crack of smoke. The sorcerer went down. From the corner of his eye, Seff saw the other jailer running, still aflame, but he ignored his plight as well as the panicked people around him. He cast the three wild lightning spells he had saved. Lightning came screaming down onto the plaza¡¯s crowd with utter and pure randomness. The crowd screamed even louder in terror, a cacophony of chaos. Thousands stampeded. Seff was not worried about the random lightning, as he had shielded himself. The large man had run down the stairs on fire, and Seff felt obliged to end his suffering by casting a lightning bolt, downing him. Seff looked over to the constable station and cast two fireballs to it. He nearly cast his additional fire spells on the second noose, when he realized the boy was not hanging from it. Instead, the boy stood below the gallows, looking around. Seff ran to the boy. * * * The crowd screamed in terror as they pushed back from the gallows. Reyn could only see their backs as everyone turned away from him and pushed. Lightning struck down onto the plaza, presumably hitting people. There was no conceivable way that it would not hit anyone. As evidenced by an occasional heart-rending scream, the lightning bolts were hitting people. He didn¡¯t know what to do, so Reyn crouched down onto the gravel, afraid to move. He would have loved to run, but seeing the carnage and mad crush of the crowd, he was afraid. He stayed still until he felt a hand on him. Reyn reeled away from the touch, afraid that he was about to be summarily executed. There, staring at him, was a boy shorter and stouter than he with a wand in each hand and a sword at his waist. He looked familiar. ¡°Quick, you need to run,¡± the boy said. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere,¡± Reyn said. ¡°It¡¯s mayhem out there.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± the boy said. ¡°You need to follow the crowd out of the plaza or they will kill you. I was the one who rescued you. I¡¯m the one who killed the two executioners and scared away the guards. Take the southeast road out¡ªthat one,¡± Seff pointed. ¡°Keep going straight until you hit an even bigger road. Make a left and exit the city as fast as you can. After that, make your way home by back roads and the woods. Run!¡± ¡°Why did you rescue me?¡± Reyn asked as Seff grabbed his hand and pulled him to a standing position. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Run. Now. Run. Run!¡± Seff screamed at Reyn and pushed him. Reyn ran as Seff had told him. He joined the crowd making its way out of the plaza. Occasionally he¡¯d see people stepping on or over limp bodies. He could not tell if the lightning or the crowd had killed them, but he always made the extra effort not to step on them. Maybe they were just unconscious. Seeing a constable peeking out of a doorway, he ducked his head and looked the other way. The crowd was still packed when the street merged with the larger one. He was bumped several different times as he tried to make his way over, and then suddenly he was thrown onto the ground. A man stepped on his ankle as another crushed his outstretched fingers. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Reyn screamed out, but was jostled even harder. He grabbed a man¡¯s loose trousers with one hand and tried to stand up only to be kicked in the ribs and thrown fully onto the ground again. A woman stepped on his back and kept going. Another trampled his leg. Reyn reflexively pulled his limbs in and grabbed out. He caught hold of a man¡¯s jacket, and even though he tore it in half, it was enough to pick himself up and wedge between the crowd to get a foothold and stand. Eventually, Reyn pushed and squeezed his way past the still panicked crowd to the other street. He followed it down as it twisted and curved. It widened until he saw the city gate. The gate was busy. People were anxious to leave the inner city. However, the line to the exit seemed packed and still. Reyn looked ahead, seeing a merchant who had gotten off his wagon to talk to the gate officer. For a moment, Reyn was afraid his prison clothes would give him away, but he was relieved to find his own clothes from the previous day upon him. They had rushed to hang him so fast that they hadn¡¯t even changed his clothes. The officer was shaking his head and talking until the man shrugged. The officer held out his hand and with the other, signaled him to move forward. The officer¡¯s hand could then be seen going into his pocket, and the next person in line moved up. A bribe had been paid. Reyn exited the line. He had no money. The gates were as good as closed, and he was trapped. * * * Seff watched Reyn begin his run from the gallows and into the crowd. Reyn disappeared within seconds. Seff looked back to see if anyone was coming for him. No one was. Above him, the gallows were on fire, and all around him, lightning still arced and boomed down onto the plaza stones. And people. Seff concealed his wands in his jacket and ran to the sun-lit iron door. It did not open. Reluctantly, Seff made his way around the building, working towards the front doors. As he ran, he cast spells into his empty wands. Under his jacket, he kept a hand on a wand at all times. He knew he looked awkward and suspicious, but better awkward than stuck with no spells. Surely few were looking at him with the station and gallows on fire. Arriving at the front doors, he slowed and entered. To the few constables inside he screamed, ¡°The station¡¯s on fire. They need help outside.¡± One looked up from his desk and said, ¡°We know, that¡¯s why there aren¡¯t more of us in here. It¡¯ll be fine.¡± Seff could smell the smoke but not see it in the room yet. He had set fire to the back of the station, not the front. He left quickly and stood away from the doors. He filled his wands back up with spells. It took him a few minutes, but he returned with the additional spells at the ready. He felt his mind grow tired as he cast the spells, but he knew he needed the boy¡¯s dossier. Without it, he didn¡¯t even know where to find the kid he just saved. He walked in, a wand in each hand, and fired lightning upon the nearest constable. Now aware of the danger, the other constables stood up and ran. Seff cast several more bolts, and although he missed a few times, he downed them all. Seff quickly addressed the only suspects in the room, ¡°Run, you fools. I¡¯m setting fire to this door.¡± They quickly ran out. Seff cast two fireballs onto the doors. He then turned and proceeded to look for the boy¡¯s papers. He knew they would need a judgment order of death along with the story at the fountain. It could not be too hard to find. It was only a day old. He flipped hurriedly through the papers on each desk before swiping them onto the floor. Seff heard the click of a door. He looked up to see two more constables walking through. Not even stopping for a second to think about his options, Seff cast lightning bolts onto both of them. The thunder of the two spells brought the wild lightning spells outside to the forefront of his attention again. The sound of them hitting the stones outside, made him smile. The spell was never used, but damned if he hadn¡¯t learned it. His adopted father, Lygan, had always said that weird spells are sometimes the best. And Lygan was rarely wrong. However, the stress of maintaining those spells loomed in his mind. The lightning spells outside required maintenance in concentration. His thoughts grew sluggish. Though he tried to cast additional spells into his wands, he found that he had to attempt the spells three or four times for one to stick. Everything contributed to his strained mental state. He continued on, desk after desk, until he arrived at the last one and searched it, only to find nothing. He cursed. He turned around and manually¡ªnot using a stored wand spell¡ªcast a fire string. It was a thin tendril of fire, and he laid it across the centerline of the desks, setting both them and their papers on fire. He then turned around and walked over the two constables. He looked back only briefly to see if they were breathing. They weren¡¯t. He began to open the door to the back offices, but thought better of it. He shut the door and turned back into the fiery main room. Smoke was now building up with fire raging along the entire front half. Knowing there was at least one back exit, the iron door, getting trapped did not worry him. Looking at the different constables, he found the one closest to his size, as almost all of them were heavyset. He quickly stripped off the constable¡¯s pants and shirt and put them on. He kept his wands close to him during this, and when he finished changing into the too-big constable clothes, he thought about what to do with his wands. The uniform had no deep pockets. He saw all the papers that he had strewn about and got an idea. He transferred his money to the new pants¡¯ pockets. Fire crawled along the walls, inching towards him. He gathered as much paperwork into his arms as he could find nearby, placed the wands underneath, and entered the back offices. Here, the smoke was much worse. Through the haze, he could see that many desks and hallways were empty, but not all. Those present paid no attention to Seff, so he decided to question them. One particular person looked particularly distracted. He was busily selecting certain papers from a cabinet and filing them hastily in a large dossier case. ¡°Excuse me. We need to get the information on the boy that was getting hanged. We need to send out men immediately. Where is it?¡± The man glanced up at Seff, ¡°They¡¯d either be in the back records or with Puugi. Check with someone in Records. Second door on the right.¡± Seff thanked him and walked over to the records room. Of the six desks there, only one was occupied. A woman in her mid-forties with brown eyes, red hair and nice rings on her fingers sat there. Seff approached her. ¡°Excuse me. I need to see the records for the boy who just got away from his hanging.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± she looked up at Seff. ¡°I don¡¯t have them. They¡¯re with Puugi.¡± ¡°Where is Puugi?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯ll be down shortly to put out the fires.¡± ¡°No, where is he? I need to see him.¡± ¡°He¡¯s upstairs, but you can¡¯t disturb him. He¡¯ll be¡ª¡± Seff cut her off, ¡°This is important. Where are the stairs?¡± She stood up, ¡°They¡¯re behind me, but you can¡¯t disturb him. He won¡¯t like¡ª¡± Seff cut her off again, ¡°I don¡¯t care what he likes. I¡¯ll be back.¡± Seff walked past her and up the stairs. He could hear her in the background calling for someone. He could care less for what a man named Puugi would think. What a terrible name too. Puugi. He wondered how it was spelled. On the second floor, doors branched off of a central hallway. One by one, he tried the doors, but they were all locked. After he tried the last of them, a guard came up the stairs. He launched a fireball in the man¡¯s direction, but the man quickly ducked back down the stairwell. The fireball landed with a pleasant-sounding whoosh and set the stairs aflame. He looked around more carefully and spotted an opening without a door. The entrance was indented in the wall, and he had missed it the first time. He went in. The heated bath, finished in white soapstone, was heavy with floral perfumes and oils. It was divided into three distinct sections: an outside patio where Seff glimpsed the distant crowds still trying to exit the plaza; a room with two raised pools with separate tiled stairs leading up to each; lastly, a corridor led to additional rooms beyond. One bath, larger than the second, steamed. There was a small amount of smoke here, yet because of the balcony, much of it drifted out. Seff stepped further into the room. Counters, shelves and tables decorated it. Some were made of marble, whereas many were different types of wood. ¡°Puugi?¡± Seff yelled. No one answered. Seff had just decided to check the other passageways for Puugi when a dark-skinned man with long white hair appeared from the corridor beyond and spoke. He was tall. ¡°Yes? Were you looking for me?¡± Puugi asked, wearing linen dress robes and holding a staff notched fifteen times. Chapter 5-a Chapter 5 ¡°Great care must always be given to talented students of the Arts. On their backs will rest the responsibilities and duties of state, life, and law.¡± ¡ªAnonymous, carved on the base of an eroded limestone statue. The figure portrays a young student holding a book with one hand and in the other, a strap attached to a cloth bag designed to carry a kinetic¡¯s sphere. Gazing at a moonlit painting, Natali felt cold air from the barely open window brush by her face. A chill went through her spine as she imagined herself standing beside the painting¡¯s captain, battling through the lightning-swept sea with hundred-foot indigo waves. In those moments, she thought of pulling the captain back into a warm cabin and peeling off his wet jacket. And shirt. She thought of stepping closer and giving him an embrace, a kiss, and undoing his belt. She coughed, her throat dry. She needed water which was all the way downstairs. She sighed. If only she could live in that sort of adventure of windswept seas and a gorgeous captain, that¡¯d be the life instead of in a boring school. It would be a nice life having a strong man by her side, carrying important cargo, protecting him and herself with sorcery. She wished her father would teach her more often instead of sticking his head deep inside books filled with numbers¡ªsheets and sheets of them. She vowed to never be like him¡ªexcept for maybe his kindness and gentle heart. She got out of bed to get a glass of water. Her thin physique was plainly visible under the small silk nightgown she wore. Her eyes sparkled in the dark room, flashing olive green in the moonlight. The moon shining through the window gave a ghostly pall to her face. It could be hours until she finally fell asleep. She envied the ability of some to fall asleep quickly. The move from poverty to wealth had changed much about her life but not her insomnia. Opening the walnut door, she walked across the threshold into the darkened hallway overlooking the foyer. In the house¡¯s center was a tall lobby with an atrium reaching to the third story. A grand chandelier, hanging from a great ceiling beam, reflected the barest glimmers of the light below as she looked down onto the foyer floor. When her foot hit the cold wooden boards in the hall, she flinched away. She retrieved her slippers and put them on; only after that, did she step off the soft woven rug. Barely a whisper came from the light-footed Natali as she made her way down the stairs. Voices echoed from the library off the main atrium, and a sliver of light came from the slightly ajar doors. She considered about bounding in and announcing herself but thought better of it. Instead, she walked softly to the crack to listen. She first checked if she could see who was in the study, but they were seated too far to the right. She put her ear directly to the crack. ¡°¡ªnot worthy of any consideration at all. You have no assets.¡± ¡°But I do,¡± Falahgo¡ªher father¡ªargued. ¡°They exist in me. I have a job and a high salary, and some of my expensive paintings and books can be sold. Especially those about sorcery.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you quit when you could?¡± the man said. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°I did, I have, I just¡­,¡± Falahgo¡¯s voice ran silent. ¡°Just, huh? Just bet on Casey, and Vales, and Belig, and who knows how many others. You make me very angry, Falahgo. You owe us. You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m an old friend of yours, or you would be¡­ much sorrier than you are now.¡± ¡°Just give me more time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not mine to give anymore. It¡¯s past that point. You must understand that they have decided to run with the course of action that I¡¯ve announced to you unless you find a way for them to at least recoup the interest along with a large principal amount.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°I won¡¯t make it in time,¡± Falahgo said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that. Don¡¯t tell me that. You should have thought about that before you borrowed more money. Do you realize what you have done to yourself? They¡¯d as soon kill you and liquidate this entire estate just to be done with it and never have to look into your weak eyes and mind again.¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t know how to get the money that fast.¡± ¡°Then go to your friends, to your long-lost relatives, I don¡¯t care. They want the money, and you must give it to them.¡± Falahgo was silent. The man continued, ¡°Just find a way. They were joking about tossing that coin. If the coin landed with the Vox Square facing up, then they¡¯d leak your poor personal choices to everyone. That one caused a stir¡ªthey wanted to bet on how fast you¡¯d be demoted and sent to the Dale Region. If it landed on heads, well, I don¡¯t think you want to know.¡± Natali turned away from the doors and thought about getting her water. Her mouth was dry and the urge screamed at her to quench it. She started to walk away, but couldn¡¯t deal with the thought of missing anything. She wanted to hear everything she could. She crept back to her spot and once again put her ear to the crack. She heard nothing at first and was about to run when she heard the man say, ¡°They had to pay your bets out of their own pockets. It doesn¡¯t matter about appearances anymore. They don¡¯t care that you¡¯re the city treasurer. You must get the money.¡± ¡°I will try,¡± Falahgo said, his voice soft and sad. ¡°Keep paying the interest. It will buy you time. We¡¯ll expect a large principle payment three months from now in addition to the interest. Beg, borrow, or steal. We don¡¯t care. Just get the money.¡± ¡°Thank you. That is very generous.¡± Natali could hear footsteps approaching, so she rushed into the kitchen. She could hear them talking on the way out as the door opened and shut. She peeked out. Her father had gone out with him. She ducked back into the kitchen and filled a glass with water before flitting upstairs. She hid in the shadows on the landing and looked down. The door opened and Falahgo walked through. He glanced around the lobby before locking it behind him. He propped himself against the door. A small ball of light grew between his hands, then expanded to become a ball of flame. Natali smiled at her father, taking some comfort in his sorcery talent. She knew it was one of the few special things he had left in his life. His wife had died years ago, and it had left him a broken man who turned to gambling for escape. She crept back into her bed. Fear for Falahgo¡¯s safety weighed heavily on her mind. Before she drifted off to sleep, she decided to pressure Falahgo for more information in a few days¡¯ time. * * * Seff¡¯s heart jumped when he saw Puugi holding the staff. Based on the age and staff, Seff guessed Puugi was a powerful sorcerer judge. Thinking that the woman below should have at least mentioned that Puugi was an old sorcerer, Seff¡¯s cursed her under his breath. As fast as that thought materialized, it disappeared. He realized Puugi stared at him, waiting. Seff had to say something fast. ¡°Yes,¡± Seff said. ¡°We need the papers on the boy who got away from the hanging. We need to know where he¡¯s going.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll handle that,¡± Puugi said. ¡°You can go now.¡± Puugi waved a dismissive hand at him and turned away. Seff almost attacked Puugi then, but he knew that Puugi may have shielded himself. Puugi would be on guard after the escape. Seff walked away, as if to leave, just like any other constable would have done. While walking away, he wondered why Puugi wasn¡¯t even alarmed that the building was on fire. True, Puugi could shield himself from the flames, and he could even help put out the fire, but he wasn¡¯t fighting it. He was letting the station burn. One of the first things sorcerers learned was a squelch spell to put out the fires that they invariably set, either through carelessness or purpose. Also, it came in handy in keeping the large wood cities from burning down. Seff retreated to the bath entrance, turned around, and started searching in earnest for the boy¡¯s documents. He didn¡¯t know how large the bath was, but it didn¡¯t matter. He needed the documents. He knew he might run into Puugi again, but then again, he might not. The two wands that he possessed held their five spells each. The ten spells were five lightning bolts, a physical shield, three spell shields and a fireball spell. Even if he saw the old sorcerer Puugi again, he had confidence that he could surprise the man and overwhelm him. His head peeked around the corner of the bath where he had last seen Puugi. He was not there. It was empty. Seff carefully looked around, as he hurried from table to table. Each of the many tables could have the documents on them amongst the towels, so Seff checked each one. He scoured the tables, tossing the towels onto the floor, but not finding anything. Checking one of the two passageways from the main bath area, he saw nothing. He inched forward. He coughed. He saw three doorless rooms ahead. Seff knew the documents might lie in any. He stepped lightly to one and eased his head around the corner. He saw nothing, but worried about the chance that Puugi might see him sneaking about. He shielded himself preemptively. He turned back and peeked into the second room. Nothing. He walked in to check the seats a little better than the first room. Still nothing. Where were the documents? He stepped out of the room and literally bounced off of Puugi. Puugi shoved him to the floor. Seff landed hard, surprised. He looked up at Puugi from the floor, and he saw Puugi smile. Chapter 5-b Holding a wand in each hand, Seff was exposed as a sorcerer. And now Puugi knew exactly what was happening, since no sorcerer would ever be dressed in a constable¡¯s garb unless he was being tricky and dishonest. In one hand, Puugi held a leather-bound dossier. In the other, he held his staff. After he saw Puugi smile, Seff did not wait for him to talk or act. Seff rolled to his right and said the last rune for his lightning spells. With his two wands, he could only fire two spells at a time. The two lightning bolts struck Puugi, who returned the favor by saying the last rune of his own fireball spell. Seff was surprised by how fast the fire engulfed him. He was still trying to stand when he felt the heat from it. He cast a new shield spell even as the other broke, his arm hair incinerated before the new shielding spell took hold. By the time he got to his feet, his skin shined a fresh, hot red. He looked back at Puugi as he began to run. He saw joy¡ªa bigger and wider smile¡ªon Puugi¡¯s face as a lightning bolt struck Seff in the back. He felt a tingling sensation, and Seff, once more, was forced to use another shield. I¡¯m going to die, Seff thought. He finally turned a corner and kept running. Puugi could be heard laughing. Seff waited at the next corner with his two wands at the ready. Only showing the barest part of his face, he looked down the corridor, waiting for Puugi to pursue him. Seff could quickly cast a fireball and let it float, hidden on the other side of the wall. He would then cast two lightning spells at Puugi and then guide his fireball into him. He hoped that Puugi wouldn¡¯t have another shield ready in his staff. Beyond that, he had no ideas. Puugi stepped out. ¡°Wait,¡± Puugi said. It was too late¡ªSeff finished the last half of the spell rune at the same time. Two beautiful jagged white streaks appeared out of his wands and hit Puugi in his chest. Seff ducked behind the wall before he sent the fireball at Puugi. He peeked around the corner to guide the fireball. Puugi said a rune that Seff didn¡¯t recognize as Seff¡¯s fireball hit him. It wrapped around Puugi beautifully, but nothing¡ªnot even the documents that he held¡ªwere scorched. Seff ran around the next corner. Only then, did he realize his mistake. He had almost destroyed the documents that he wanted so badly. Seff decided to talk to him. Maybe they could make a truce. Maybe negotiation was possible. ¡°Wait!¡± Seff called out. He peeked out and then ducked his head back in. He saw Puugi walking towards him. This Puugi reminded him a little of his father. His father was scarier, but Puugi was scary. ¡°Wait!¡± Seff called out. ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡± ¡°Now you want to talk?¡± Puugi said. ¡°Yes. Truce, please,¡± Seff said, hoping the kind ¡®please¡¯ at the end would do the trick. ¡°I already told you to wait. Well. Let¡¯s talk then. Why do you want them so badly? Do you work for Codinor? Are you one of his bastards?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Codinor?¡± Seff asked, trying to think if that name meant anything. It sounded familiar, but he couldn¡¯t place it. ¡°Ok, then who are you?¡± Puugi asked. Seff peeked out and saw that Puugi had walked behind a wall. ¡°I was the kid that should be hanged. I set fire to the inns.¡± ¡°Ah, you. Your friend was the one we were hanging?¡± ¡°No, but he¡¯s innocent. Let him go, give me the papers. If you¡¯re worried about Codinor, I¡¯ll take the boy far away from here. You¡¯ll never see either of us again,¡± Seff said, still hidden behind a wall. ¡°So, you want the documents? Is that it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And, in exchange?¡± Seff paused and then answered, ¡°Your life.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s something that you can trade. You¡¯re not even close to being my equal. Anything else you possess that I might like?¡± ¡°Money?¡± ¡°Have enough of that,¡± Puugi coughed. ¡°Well, what do you want?¡± Seff said, increasingly desperate as the smoke rose from the floorboards and from behind the closed hallway door. ¡°Codinor and his family dead.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Codinor?¡± ¡°A master sorcerer. Challenged others six times; been challenged seventeen. He¡¯s still alive.¡± Seff rolled his eyes from behind the cover of the wall and shook his head, ¡°He¡¯s beyond me, then. I know someone that might be able to help, for a price, but I can¡¯t do anything. Don¡¯t you want anything else?¡± ¡°The boy dead. Codinor will hunt for him.¡± The smoke was growing thick, and Seff breathed in a bit too much and coughed even through his shield. ¡°Why kill the boy when you could adopt him?¡± Seff asked, knowing sorcerers often tried to build themselves more power by adopting young sorcerers and sorceresses¡ªif they had the means and ambition. ¡°Codinor would ask him from me. It would only help Codinor in the end. I am not in a position to defy him.¡± ¡°Then leave, and let me and the boy leave also.¡± ¡°This is the province where I grew up. I¡¯ll stay, thank you. And Codinor, once he hears of you two, would spare no expense in catching you. No, I think it¡¯s best I hold onto these documents and catch the boy myself. However, there is one other thing that you may be able to give me.¡± Seff waited for him to ask. He peeked around the corner and saw nothing. He asked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°An exchange. I give you nothing, except your life, and you run away. There is no reason that I should have to kill you too.¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°But I want the boy,¡± Seff said, not giving up. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Same reason that Codinor would want him, I guess.¡± ¡°Are you that greedy, that ambitious?¡± ¡°Maybe a combination of sympathy and greed. The boy didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± ¡°He was born. That¡¯s enough for some.¡± Puugi wanted the boy dead, and Seff paused to think about how he might be able to convince Puugi to give up the documents. Seff coughed and knew time was short. He was glad there was an open window nearby providing some fresh air. Puugi was obviously against Codinor, yet at the same time, working with him. Puugi was trapped in this province having worked his way up and now refused to leave his home province. Seff said, ¡°Give me the documents, and I¡¯ll take him away. I¡¯ll take him to Rhea or Jakola.¡± ¡°Only to have him come back to Imperial Sorcerer Academy when he is twenty?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Seff said. Puugi said, ¡°And after five years at the Academy, the boy will challenge me for my position the very next day out of spite for having him almost hung, and Codinor will have him in his grasp, along with my dead body.¡± Seff could not deny the logic. He imagined the boy would still remember almost being hung, and that would generate a great deal of anger and spite¡ªmaybe enough to come back specifically to Puugi and challenge him for his position. ¡°The boy won¡¯t remember you,¡± Seff lied. ¡°Will you remember me in ten years¡¯ time?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Seff said, regretting his instant response. He should have lied. ¡°Then so will he, and I¡¯ll have to fight both of you. I might kill you, but the boy is a rare talent. He¡¯s better off dead.¡± ¡°No one is better off dead,¡± Seff said. He then added, ¡°Except people who stick their noses where they don¡¯t belong. Give me the papers!¡± ¡°Come and get them.¡± ¡°I have the window and fresh air. I can wait.¡± ¡°I have spells and I could walk to you and kill you. Run away and let me deal with the boy. Last chance.¡± Seff didn¡¯t know what to do. Puugi called his bluff. He peeked out again and decided what he would do. He started storing lightning bolts into his wands. ¡°Ok. I agree,¡± Seff said. ¡°Then run away.¡± Seff didn¡¯t move. He finished the first spell. He finished the second one. ¡°Hello?¡± Puugi said after a time. Seff finished the third one, and peeked out to see Puugi walking towards him. Seff cast a lightning bolt at Puugi and ran across the passageway the main hallway. Puugi missed with his own lightning spell, hitting the wall behind Seff. Seff fired another spell at Puugi, hitting him this time. Ignoring the hit, Puugi continued towards Seff as he slipped through to the main hallway and crouched. Seff drew his sword and waited for Puugi. Smoke was heavier here, near to the stairwell and in the main hallway. The fire had crept up, and now it consumed roof and floor alike. Seff tried to muffle the soft coughs reflexively coming from his lungs, and he didn¡¯t know how much longer he could wait on Puugi. Following quickly on that thought, he heard heavy footsteps coming. Puugi flew through the passageway like a bull¡ªonly to be stabbed in the side. Seff held his sword with his right hand as Puugi let go his staff. It rattled onto the ground. Coughing and cursing, Puugi fell down, while Seff pulled his sword out of Puugi, demanding, ¡°A way out, Puugi, and you will live for another minute.¡± Through the dense smoke, Seff planted his boot onto Puugi¡¯s chest and pressed down hard. Further, he held his sword to Puugi¡¯s throat. He did not want Puugi to have time to cast a spell at him. He knew Puugi had let go of his staff, so there would be no spell forthcoming immediately. Sorcery spells required a focus point¡ªa wand or staff¡ªunless Puugi had been trained otherwise which was rare. Even then, Seff was still shielded and a single spell would do little. ¡°Take the key from around my belt and unlock the last room on the right. Within, you will find a spiral staircase that leads to an underground passage. That passage leads from this courtyard to the basement of the Higel residence. From there take the stairs and exit through the kitchen. Beyond that, you figure it out.¡± Seff pressed down onto Puugi¡¯s chest with the edge of his shoe, ¡°Throw the key. I saw your dagger earlier. Do not take me for a fool.¡± A second later, Seff heard a key skitter across the floor through dark smoke. His eyes were teary, so he wiped them with the back of his hand to see more clearly. As he coughed, he searched the burning floor for the key, using up some of his magical protection. Searching and raking his hand over the burning floorboards, Seff began to worry he¡¯d die from Puugi from behind in an unknown way. After glancing to and fro from the floor to Puugi more than once, Seff¡¯s hand closed around the key. He ran to the door at the end of the hall and unlocked it, only then remembering the papers that he needed. Cursing loudly, he ran back to where he left Puugi. He needed the dossier! Seff found the dossier on the floor, but Puugi and his staff were gone. Puugi, too, had forgotten. However, Seff thought he heard him cursing on the stairwell. He listened for a second, and the cursing was growing louder. Seff cursed, knowing Puugi was on the way back with his staff. He fled to the stairwell as fast as he could run, stepped through the doorway, and shut it behind him. Stuffing his wands down his shirt, he made his way down the stone steps with his sword drawn. Smoke seeped from every stone as he made his way to the bottom. Once there, he lit a lantern and raced down through the smokeless underground corridor. He came through the trap door straight into the arms of a servant who happened to be in the wine cellar. ¡°Who are you?¡± asked the servant, a young lad with a wine bottle in one hand and a list in the other. ¡°Who are you?¡± Seff demanded in reply, still dressed as a slightly roasted constable. ¡°I¡¯m Seddy.¡± ¡°Seddy, stay right here and kill anyone who comes up that passageway. That is an order from the king¡¯s guard. There is a madman on the loose, and I barely escaped. Put something on that trap door and sit on it and don¡¯t let anyone through. I¡¯m getting help.¡± ¡°But, sir¡ª¡± the servant protested. Seff interrupted, ¡°But, sir, nothing. Smack your butt on a barrel atop this trapdoor and sit there until help arrives! I¡¯ll be back.¡± With that, Seff raced from the cellar and through the kitchen full of staff preparing food, with only a hail of Excuse Me¡¯s and Pardon¡¯s saving him as he dashed outside into the alleyway with the dossier in his clutches. He had the dossier and a plan, but now he needed to get out of the city. Although almost everyone who had seen him had died, that was not good enough. Puugi was still alive, but would he live with a sword wound? Should he go back in and try to kill him? Or should he simply flee? If Puugi lived, the entire city would be after him. Nowhere would be safe. And Codinor would be after both the kid and himself. His own friends would drug him and turn him in for the bounty that would be placed on his head. Knowing time was his enemy, he ran through the streets towards Baka¡¯s hideout. The gates would be closed, but they were not yet closed tight enough, Seff figured. A well-placed bribe would allow Seff to slip through without a problem if he beat his description to the gates. Puugi would be worried about getting treatment. Even better, Puugi could die. If he didn¡¯t, the authorities would station sorcerers at all the exit points, just to ensure he would not get through. He wondered how many there were left after the three or four judges died. Puugi may have died too. The mayor might be a sorcerer. How many others would there be? Did it matter? He was not in a position to take on twenty gate guards with bows and swords. He imagined as it currently stood that Codinor or Puugi or both would send assassins after him. He may have really stepped into a deep, deep pit by attacking Puugi, especially after Puugi offered him a simple escape. But instead, he had attacked him. Seff cursed, knowing he had gambled and somehow lived. But now, he¡¯d be rolling the dice until the age of twenty, knowing assassins would be on his trail at every turn, a bounty on his head large enough for anyone in the game to look over him twice. His face had been anonymous, but no more. He hoped more than anything Puugi would die. How could he have made the mistake not to slit Puugi¡¯s throat when he had a chance? Seff weaved through the streets and alleys, avoiding the larger roads. He stuck to back alleys and thin corridors squeezed by housing apartments. He ducked into an alley, turning onto stairs that were deceptively easy to walk by. They led to a lower, secondary alley, beneath a stone building. He made a right, passing by a boy named, what was his name? Seff didn¡¯t remember nor did it matter. He reached Baka¡¯s and walked in. The hideout was busy. The bottles of wine were out, and everyone was drinking and laughing. He asked the nearest boy where Baka was, and the boy said, ¡°The back.¡± Seff found Baka and said, ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°Are those bells because of you?¡± Baka asked. ¡°The town alarm bells? Yes,¡± Seff said. He then whispered, ¡°I need some money to bribe the gate, so I can get out.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll need more than that,¡± Baka laughed, his expression turning grim right after. ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing those bells for almost an hour now. They¡¯ll have the city on lock-down. Without a great cover story, it won¡¯t matter how much money you have with you.¡± Seff shrugged, ¡°Well, do you have money and a cover story?¡± ¡°I have neither,¡± Baka shook his head. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 ¡°Security is an illusion of ignorance and hope.¡± ¡ªBoba, the thief made famous by stealing the beautiful princess Lola from inside a palace ¡°Good morning, Father,¡± Natali said. She saw her father hunched over at the kitchen table. He was ignoring his hot eggs and toast, and instead, concentrated on stacks of scattered papers¡ªall of them showing numbers and lists and names and more numbers¡ªin front of him. A small table spot remained clear for her and her breakfast. The sun streamed in through the patio doors behind Falahgo, and although the rays splashed the papers and her father with sunlight, Natali felt sad. ¡°Good morning, Natali,¡± Falahgo said, glancing up and smiling at her before his glance and smile disappeared, into the papers again. The breakfast before her was plain toast with apple juice, but Falahgo had made it for her. It had been very kind of him, especially when Natali knew how busy and pressured he was. ¡°Father, you know how I love blueberries and bread with jam,¡± Natali said. She knew she would be poking a sensitive nerve, but she also wanted to find out how desperate her father was. She wanted to know if he secretly had everything figured out, or whether she was going to find her father dead or gravely injured within a few months. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just didn¡¯t remember. If you want my eggs, then you can have them. I¡¯m having trouble feeling hungry this morning,¡± he said, not looking up. ¡°I¡¯ve been struggling to keep up with everything at the treasury lately, and we had to let the cook go as you know. I just don¡¯t remember things like I used to. I¡¯m sorry.¡± She sat down and crunched down on the dry toast. It really did not taste the same without jam. She pressed further, ¡°But what about Gia? She doesn¡¯t have a job now.¡± He looked up from the papers and gave her a sharp look. He scanned her face, trying to tease out any information he could. Her father knew she was sharp, and she had purposefully poked a sore issue. Thus, she tried her best to look neutral and uninterested as she chewed her toast. She acted as though the thought had come naturally to mind without any motive behind it. She knew he was judging whether he should be suspicious of her newfound prodding and questions. ¡°As a maid, she will make do with her savings,¡± he said. ¡°We paid her very well while we had her, but we really can¡¯t afford her anymore. I¡¯m very sorry. I will try to hire her back when I can.¡± ¡°But why can¡¯t we have her back now?¡± she almost cracked a smile but held it in. ¡°I will try, but sometimes things just don¡¯t happen. Do you understand? How was school yesterday?¡± Natali said, ¡°It was fine. I wish I could be at the other school again. All my friends were there, you know, and I really do like the teachers there better than this school, and¡ª¡± Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Her father cut her off, ¡°¡ªBut I really can¡¯t, honey. I wish I could, but I can¡¯t and I wish you¡¯d understand. I¡¯m trying, but we¡¯re behind. I¡¯m not even touching my food because I¡¯m figuring out what I can do.¡± He waved to the papers stacked all over the table. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind not having that wonderful picture in your room, then even that would help out a little bit.¡± Everything she had overheard was true. She had been right to worry. Her expression must have changed in those few seconds while thinking about all the consequences. Her father added, ¡°Oh, well, I guess you don¡¯t have to give it up, if you don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°No, my mind just drifted off there for a moment. The one with the waves and the ship and handsome captain?¡± she said. It was her favorite. She had requested it be moved into her room the first week she had arrived. Her father nodded, ¡°Yes, I believe that is the one. You see, it¡¯s a quite wonderful painting, and I¡¯m sure some other family would appreciate it more than you. I bet you¡¯ve memorized every bit of that painting, the ship cutting through the towering waves and the dark storm. Perhaps you¡¯d like one of the library¡¯s paintings instead. Since you like ships, how about that ship painting over the map table?¡± She knew of the painting he referred to. It was a poor painting by an unknown artist of a small fishing boat in profile. It had no depth, no vivid coloring, and no captain. She smiled, though inwardly she loved the painting over her bed. She¡¯d have to buy it back some day. She would. Looking up at him with her olive green eyes and a smile, she lied, ¡°I think I would like that picture very much.¡± ¡°Good, good. Excellent. I¡¯ll take care of switching them around within a few days.¡± The stress crinkles in her father¡¯s face flattened out, and he looked much younger. She wondered how much a painting like that was worth. Happy with being able to make her father less worried, she went back to eating while he dove back into his papers. After a few minutes she finished and said, ¡°Oh, Father.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I forgot to ask you about that visitor,¡± she said before taking another bite of toast. She wanted to know if her father wanted to keep the secret away from her or whether he might want to enlist her help. She thought she might be able to help him in some way. However, she needed to know now whether she would have to do it secretly or out in the open. Falahgo¡¯s eyes lit up and made eye contact. ¡°What visitor?¡± he asked. Natali chewed quickly and swallowed, ¡°The visitor that was here late one night. I saw you go outside with him. When I peeked outside you were still talking, so I went back to sleep.¡± ¡°Oh, that one. Ah yes, well, he was here on some financial matters that I had to take care of for the city. The city never sleeps, and as treasurer sometimes items come up that need to be handled swiftly.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Natali said. Her father wanted to protect her from the men wanting money. She thought that was especially sweet, but she wanted to help him. He had helped her so much, she wanted to return the kindness. But she did not know where to begin. Falahgo had sounded desperate when he talked with the man in the study. Now he looked overwhelmed. She had no doubt that without her help, his world and hers would come crashing down. She could work, but the additional money would not even dent her father¡¯s debt. She could rob and steal, but she had no experience. That, and who would she sell her stolen goods to? Having a well-connected father, she knew where valuables were located in town, but would it be possible to sell that information somehow? She did not know a dishonest soul. She had been attending a private school for years, until just a few weeks prior. She decided if the mystery man visited again, she would intervene secretly and try to sell the information to him. But it was possible that the next visit would be in a few months¡¯ time, and she feared that it would be a fatal one. She did not think there was anything else she could do. The authorities were not useful, as that would ruin him completely. She had no money herself. She had no hard assets. While she did well in school and was pretty, those two things did not help in this situation. Her only real solution was to strike a deal with the mystery man when he came back again. It worried her that she could be dragged into a dangerous situation, but she felt it was the least she owed him. Chapter 7-a Chapter 7 Steel is like a beautiful woman. It¡¯s elusive, precious and rare. If asked which one I prefer, I¡¯d take the steel. ¡ªNorf, a common blacksmith Unsure of what to do, Reyn wandered down the streets lined with shops. Only a few were open¡ªit was still early morning. Huddled in scattered groups, people from the plaza recounted what happened. Reyn ignored them. They were from the plaza, and now they were all trapped by the closed gates and walls. However, the inner city was massive, and Reyn did his best to avoid everyone. He walked briskly as though he had somewhere to be. Reyn thought about how he could escape the city. He had no money to bribe the guards. The gates were locked. Soon, word would get out that no boys his age were to be let through at all. Luckily, no one recognized him yet, but he wasn¡¯t surprised as he was only on the gallows for a few moments before they put a bag on his face. Further, no one was right next to him except for the two executioners. Deciding his best bet was to bribe a gate guard, he looked at shops to rob. In an instant though, he changed his mind when he thought of how easy it would be to pickpocket the money instead. With the thought that people would be easier to rob than a place, Reyn hunted people and pockets rather than looking at shops. ¡°Land a big money bag,¡± Reyn said to himself, ¡°A nice big purse, round and bulging, filled with coins.¡± He pictured himself lifting a medium-sized silver-threaded bag from an elderly gentleman¡¯s pocket. How hard could it be? And when opening it, he imagined a few gold coins adrift with lots of silvers and coppers. He walked through the streets with a singular purpose, and he continued looking until he saw an elderly man with a bulging front pocket. Positioning himself quickly behind the man, he slipped his hand into the man¡¯s pocket. Reyn gently lifted the coin pouch out of the man¡¯s pocket. A euphoric rush swept over Reyn. He had done it! Quicker than Reyn could see, the elderly man¡¯s right hand swept over and gripped Reyn¡¯s. Reyn¡¯s heart felt like it had stopped. He couldn¡¯t breathe. The man held his arm with an iron grip. He reacted by yanking his body away and twisting his arm. Yet for all the effort Reyn put forward, the hand gripped ever tighter. The vice-like grip remained through all of Reyn¡¯s struggles. He knew his father could hold someone like this, but he never imagined an elderly man with balding hair could. What kind of man was this? Reyn tried to pull away ever more desperately, ever afraid that a constable might see the struggle. ¡°You¡¯re caught,¡± said the man. Reyn, for the first time, looked at the man¡¯s face. A few wrinkles lined his eyes and neck, and the man¡¯s eyes were a deep cobalt blue. They fiercely stared at him like a hawk at a mouse. The elderly man, was perhaps, not so old and weak, as Reyn had thought. The man was shorter than he and stockier and heavier, but how could it ever matter that much? With his other hand, the man took the pouch of money out of Reyn¡¯s hand and placed it back into his pocket. Reyn thought the man might let him go, but instead and even more to his surprise, the man started dragging him across the street. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Reyn tried as hard as he could to rip himself free but failed. The man was too strong. Reyn¡¯s fingers started to tingle. ¡°Wait¡­ wait, wait,¡± said Reyn. ¡°I can explain.¡± ¡°Really?¡± the man said in an amused tone. He stopped and turned to Reyn. ¡°I need a laugh for today. Go ahead. Tell me your sob story.¡± Reyn stayed quiet for only a second to gather his thoughts. He had to make every word count. ¡°If you take me back,¡± Reyn started. ¡°Then I will be hung within the hour. I was the boy they hung, or were going to hang, this morning. But I didn¡¯t do anything. I don¡¯t even know anything about sorcery, at all.¡± The man didn¡¯t laugh and the smile disappeared from his face. ¡°Why did you try to steal my money then?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve locked the gates because of the commotion. I need to get out of the city, and now the only way to do it is to bribe the guards before my description is known.¡± The man was quiet. ¡°If you¡¯re a sorcerer, then I¡¯ll let you go. But let¡¯s see first. I know a spell or two, so let¡¯s find out in my shop.¡± The man reversed direction and started dragging Reyn the other way. Reyn felt truly broken, as though he was living a nightmare. He stopped struggling. Instead, he wondered how in the living hells had he arrived at a city where he had met four judge sorcerers at a trial, slaughtered them all on accident, met a different sorcerer, Puugi, and now¡ªjust now¡ªan old man who knew a few spells. This was quite the day. He wondered if the gods had set him up. It had all started with that boy stealing a loaf of bread, and that had delayed him just enough where he didn¡¯t get to the herbalist shop before midday break. They soon arrived at a shop named Pid¡¯s Timepieces. They walked in. The bell over the door dinged, summoning the shopkeeper. When the middle-aged shopkeeper saw them, he said, ¡°Need any help?¡± The old man said, ¡°Get that old book in the back called Simple Spells are Simple.¡± The shopkeeper disappeared. Reyn asked, ¡°What are you doing? If you¡¯re going to test me, I might burn down the whole city on accident.¡± The man took a deep breath and said, ¡°My name is Kor, and this is my family¡¯s shop. We¡¯re all descendants of Pid, and I¡¯m the oldest. I know why you tried to rob me, but I work with my hands all day long,¡± Kor laughed, ¡°My grip is very strong.¡± ¡°But what are you going to do?¡± Reyn tugged his hand very slightly, but that only caused Kor¡¯s grip to strengthen. ¡°Be patient. I¡¯m trying to tell a story here,¡± Kor said. ¡°I know it¡¯s awkward, but you put yourself into this mess. This shop is a hundred and fifty years old, and over that time, different people have paid my family with many different currencies. A sorcerer, probably now dead, partially paid for his timepiece with a book. The book explains the emotions and runes needed to do all the simple spells. It even comes with detailed descriptions about what each spell does, and the common aberrations when you do the spell incorrectly. As a kid, I used to look through its pages and try some of the spells, hoping that I was a sorcerer. I wasn¡¯t. It was fun, and the most I ever did was create a momentary bit of soft light above my grandfather¡¯s workbench, enough to see its dark finish brighten a tiny bit before returning to normal. That was me, an untalented nobody, invoking the runes and emotions that felt exactly right to me. For you, I would hope the whole room would be nicely bright for as long as you held the spell in your mind. ¡°So,¡± Kor continued, ¡°I¡¯m going to have you cast a spell. If you can, then I¡¯ll help you, provided that you pay me back. Sorcerers, as you probably know, do become quite wealthy, almost always. However, I have no need of money, so your debt will be in the form of friendship and a few favors at a later date. I¡¯ll live long enough to see you rise into a position where maybe I can lift a few favors from you. If you can¡¯t, then you¡¯ll be in jail for maybe a few years. Not the end of the world. Do you agree to that price?¡± ¡°Of course, but I don¡¯t know how to do sorcery, and do not be mistaken: Puugi will kill me himself if he has to. Do you know Puugi? I will be hung or killed within the hour if you turn me in,¡± Reyn said. Kor waved his free hand, shushing Reyn, ¡°The book should explain it enough where you should be able to do something, no matter what.¡± The conversation lulled into silence until the shopkeeper came back, book in arms. It was a thick book, maybe a thousand pages in all. ¡°That¡¯s the simple book?¡± Reyn asked, his eyes wide. ¡°Sorcerer is complicated but simple. Let¡¯s go in the back,¡± Kor said, never letting go of Reyn¡¯s arm as they headed to the back. Once there, Kor led them to a side room where there were stools lining a long wood table. In that room, there were countless bins all labeled with different names and numbers. Inside the bins were all manner of metal bits and cogs and springs. With a thud, the shopkeeper put the book on the counter. ¡°Lock the door,¡± Kor commanded. ¡°Are you sure?¡± the shopkeeper asked. Kor nodded. The door shut, and the lock clicked. Chapter 7-b Kor let go of Reyn¡¯s arm. ¡°The lock is for privacy when we¡¯re working on delicate mechanisms. Getting bothered can really delay things, especially when kids are running around screaming. Locked doors keep the adults sane. Also, it¡¯s key-only, so if one of us really wants no choice but to work, we can request to get locked in for a bit,¡± Kor chuckled, ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s crack this book open and have an adventure, shall we?¡± Reyn simply nodded, not entirely excited about the prospect of testing his actual skill. He watched Kor flip exuberantly from page to page. Kor¡¯s eyes read quickly, darting from section to section, page to page. Reyn wished he could read that fast, but at the same time, he didn¡¯t want it. He loathed school, and thus, why would he ever want to read quickly? It would be the opposite of who he was. Still though, Reyn could see that reading fast was useful. Soon, Reyn felt less bitter and looked on. As he looked, he realized most of the words on the page were unreadable to him. The pages mostly listed spells, and there were five sections for each spell. There was a spell symbol, a rune sequence, an explanation of what emotions were needed for each rune, a description of what the spell did, and the common variants of the spell when it was miscast. Reyn felt bad for all the sorcerers trying to cast anything, especially if this book had been accurately titled. Simple Spells are Simple. That was not true, Reyn thought as he shook his head. What a lie. What a gimmick. And then Reyn realized what a genius this author was to have labeled a 1000-page book Simple Spells are Simple when it was all a lie. Of course, sorcerers would buy it hoping for simplicity, but in the end, nothing was simple at all. Reyn laughed and asked, ¡°Why is there an emotion for each rune listed?¡± Kor looked over at him, ¡°It¡¯s to tune the spell. A single rune¡¯s effect can vary greatly, and the emotion that the sorcerer has when he says it, locks the rune into a single variation. It¡¯s explained, in, well, it¡¯s explained somewhere. Anyway, if it¡¯s a weak emotion or if it¡¯s the wrong one, then the spell might deviate into a different spell. That¡¯s what these variants are at the bottom. They¡¯re the common ones of what happens when the sorcerer messes up.¡± ¡°Seems complicated.¡± ¡°There are men who spend their lives creating new spells. They¡¯re called spellweavers or spellmasters.¡± Reyn leaned in, ¡°Have you ever met one?¡± Kor nodded, ¡°Many more than one. They seem to like the finest timepieces, and we craft some of the best. Now let¡¯s see here¡­¡± Kor¡¯s finger ran down a page. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Reyn looked at the book again with Kor. He knew he couldn¡¯t escape, so he tried to help as much as possible. He needed to get out of the city soon. Kor flipped through the pages, and Reyn saw spells called New Day, Curve, Blind, Candle, Light, Point, and then Kor mumbled to himself, ¡°What kind of spells are these?¡± Kor flipped through a few more pages and said, ¡°They¡¯re all light spells. They look complicated, and I don¡¯t want to get accidentally blinded. Let¡¯s find the index.¡± He eventually found the index, and soon they were in a section for air. A few minutes later, Kor found one that he thought was appropriate. ¡°Here we are,¡± he said, ¡°Puff, a spell for blasting a small puff of air at something or someone. The runes are Befioldo with anger, Liovacodroe with mercy or empathy, and Drevgaldo with frustration. Aim it at the door, please.¡± Reyn turned to the door, slid the book to the counter next to him, and said the rune Befioldo while feeling anger for being wrongly accused. He then said Liovacodroe while thinking about Mr. Eggot, and Drevgaldo while feeling just as he did at that moment: frustrated. Nothing happened. Reyn felt panic rising inside his chest. Kor laughed at him. ¡°You really thought you would get it your first time?¡± Kor asked. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a reason why there are sorcerer academies. It¡¯s difficult. We¡¯ll see what the book says if nothing happens¡­¡± Kor¡¯s finger traced down the book¡¯s list of variations. At the very end, the book said that if the spell is not cast at all, then either the runes were mispronounced or a wrong emotion fizzled the spell. ¡°Try again. If we don¡¯t get this spell working, we¡¯ll try another one in an hour. I don¡¯t have anything pressing for the next few hours. However,¡± Kor paused as he scooted a little closer to Reyn and gazed steely into Reyn¡¯s eyes, ¡°not to put any pressure on you, but if you do not cast a single spell, you will be turned over. So, let¡¯s get serious, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all you, or for that matter any of us, can do.¡± * * * ¡°You don¡¯t have anything?¡± Seff asked Baka. Seff hoped Baka would have an escape plan of some sort. Both of them stood in Baka¡¯s hideout in a back room where meetings were held. A small table surrounded by chairs filled the entirety of it. ¡°I have a little, but not enough to get through. There¡¯s an added price to anonymity. And, the goods are still being pawned for us by the thieves¡¯ guild.¡± ¡°Surely there¡¯s a way out.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the guy I know in the thieves¡¯ guild and see what we can do.¡± Seff thanked him, and Baka left. Staying in the back of the hideout for hours, Seff was just starting to worry when Baka returned. He had prepared to fight his way out if Baka had betrayed him. Baka approached alone and sat down. Baka leaned close and said, ¡°We need to move fast. The thieves¡¯ guild has a tunnel out of the inner city, but they don¡¯t use it when the city is in full lockdown. They don¡¯t want the authorities to wonder how people keep escaping when all the gates are closed. The price is high, though. You will forfeit your entire share to pay for it. They don¡¯t like using the tunnel much.¡± ¡°I agree. Let¡¯s go.¡± Baka and Seff made their way through a string of back alleys, trying not to be seen. Soon, they met the contact who was dressed in a robe and cowl. Seff imagined that the man might even have dagger hidden underneath. ¡°This way,¡± the man said. Seff followed the man, leaving Baka to trail behind him. Suddenly, Seff felt a sharp pain on his neck as his vision blurred and his legs buckled beneath him. A black bag was fit over his head as he lost consciousness. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 ¡°With the growth and expansion of the printing press, the world reads what before would have only been known to a few. But even now, only a small percentage of books are readily available. For all the other books¡ªthe hundreds of thousands or even millions¡ªthey will remain in obscurity.¡± ¡ªQuote taken from Rare Books Seff shuddered awake. The first thing Seff saw was Baka by his side. Seff was on the ground against a tree. Baka would be the first to die, Seff thought as he started silently saying runes as he looked around. A forest surrounded them. He was outside the gates. Far outside the gates? He didn¡¯t know. ¡°What happened?¡± Seff demanded. ¡°They couldn¡¯t have you awake. The tunnel is a secret. I knew you wouldn¡¯t willingly be blindfolded or knocked out. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t have enough information about what you¡¯d done, or I¡¯m pretty sure they would have turned you over for a reward. But then again, we were paying them well.¡± ¡°We?¡± ¡°I had to make up the difference. You owe me, twice. Once for the money and once for the favor.¡± Seff smiled, understanding now but vowed to never forget Baka¡¯s trickery. He said, ¡°Sure. Where are we?¡± Seff neck gave him a sharp pain, ¡°Ow. My neck. I could have played as though you had already knocked me out.¡± ¡°No, they tested you to make sure you were out cold. Couldn¡¯t fake it.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Seff rubbed his neck, ¡°And where are the papers?¡± ¡°They¡¯re in the saddlebag on your horse¡ªthe black one. And we are in a forest about ten miles south of Oblick.¡± Seff shook his head and threw up his arms, ¡°Dammit. We went the wrong way. I need to get to Lamm.¡± With raised eyebrows, Baka laughed and said, ¡°I wish you luck. Just go the back roads and through fields. We barely made it into these woods. Several horse patrols rode past at breakneck speed. They were riding Erosen¡¯s. I never asked you¡ªwhat did you do?¡± Looking at the ground, Seff said, ¡°I wrecked the constable station. Fire, of course.¡± Looking up, he continued, ¡°And I stampeded a crowd of ten thousand, and killed, well, I don¡¯t remember how many.¡± Baka¡¯s jaw fell open at the words ¡®stampeded a crowd of ten thousand¡¯. Baka said, ¡°Ah, what the hell, Seff? You were supposed to rescue the sorcerer, not turn the entire city upside-down.¡± Seff shrugged, ¡°I needed the papers, or they¡¯d be able to track the boy down.¡± ¡°You just take him with you, you idiot.¡± ¡°No, if the boy¡¯s family gets hunted down, he¡¯d never forgive me. My effort would be wasted, if not entirely turned against me. He would probably kill me, given enough time. He¡¯d blame me. Forever.¡± ¡°Or you would kill him first,¡± Baka surmised, before adding, ¡°I need to go. I left some food and clothing in the satchel, you know, the basics. Be safe. Find me and pay me back sometime, eh? When you¡¯re famous and need someone to take care of your estate, remember me.¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Seff said, ¡°And then some. I owe you a thousand-fold. Thank you.¡± * * * An hour and many attempts later, Kor suggested, ¡°Try a different set of memories or triggers for your emotions. It may be that you are using the wrong emotions when you think you are using the right ones.¡± Reyn switched to feeling anger at almost being hung, empathy for those he had killed, and frustration for this spell. He said the runes slowly and purposefully. At the last syllable, he felt something and lost his concentration as a weak jet of air shot from his right hand. It hit the door silently. ¡°Wait,¡± Kor said, ¡°Was that something?¡± ¡°Yes, I think.¡± ¡°Well, if you¡¯re as good as you say, there should be something more. Do it a few more times. Concentrate. With feeling. And,¡± Kor turned to the book and flipped to the beginning where he had been reading for additional tips. ¡°And with confidence.¡± Reyn cast the spell again. This time the puff¡¯s impact made an audible impact against the door. ¡°Good,¡± Kor smiled. ¡°Again.¡± Reyn cast again. The puff, visible now as a cloudy mass with no firm discernable shape, hit the door and shook it. ¡°Good enough. I believe you. Now, let¡¯s get out of here. Stay here, and we¡¯ll leave within just a few minutes. Remember our agreement: friendship and a few favors down the road.¡± Reyn nodded and with confidence said, ¡°Of course.¡± With Reyn newly dressed in tan apprentice pants and a dirty, holey long-sleeve shirt, Kor rode alongside him through the streets in a wagon. They headed straight to the gates. When they got there, Kor saw the long line and told Reyn, ¡°Follow me closely and don¡¯t say anything.¡± Kor steer the wagon parallel to the line and approached the five guards at the front, only one of whom was talking to a person about the gate situation. ¡°Hello. What is going on here?¡± Kolod asked. ¡°Gates are shut. Who¡¯s the kid?¡± one of the guards asked. ¡°New apprentice. I have a rush order for some new timepieces. I need to pick up custom gears and springs.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Kor raised his eyebrows, ¡°I¡¯m the owner of Pid¡¯s. As you know, our timepieces are, should I say, expensive. It¡¯s worth it to me and my customers that I get through to pick up the custom parts.¡± The guard was silent, obviously thinking. ¡°And, if one of my timepieces is late and I pinpoint why, well, the customer or even customers may not look very well on the guards of this particular gate.¡± The three guards behind the one speaking whispered. One poked the guard in front in the back with an elbow. Wincing, the front guard said, ¡°I think we can make an arrangement for you.¡± ¡°And my apprentice. He¡¯s with me. Uh, five silvers?¡± ¡°Seven.¡± ¡°Six it is,¡± Kolod said as he grabbed his coin pouch, opened it, counted out six, and gave them to the guard. In less than a minute, they had passed through the city gates. Kor pulled over as soon as he could and said, ¡°Get in the back and put that tarp over you. Don¡¯t move and don¡¯t wiggle, and no one will know you¡¯re there.¡± Putting a blanket under his butt and a couple of bags on top to obscure his outline, Reyn pulled the tarp over him. Checking it, Kor adjusted the tarp, and they departed. ¡°Oh ya,¡± Kor said, ¡°Which way?¡± ¡°North,¡± Reyn said. * * * Puugi cursed loudly and slammed his hand on the bedside table. ¡°I don¡¯t care how many villages they search to find this boy,¡± said Puugi. ¡°Sir, we¡¯re trying,¡± a woman said. She was the at foot of the bed. Puugi sat up a little more in bed. He winced as a surgeon wearing a vest and slacks pulled off a large blood-soaked dressing. Next to the surgeon, a nurse held new gauzes soaked in a foul-smelling ointment. Puugi¡¯s face shined almost as red as his bloodied dressing. Pointing to the woman at the foot of the bed, Puugi screamed, ¡°I swear you¡¯re not. This boy should be dead. You¡¯re going to make me kill you. Go out there and find the boy. At most, we have a day or two before this becomes a disaster.¡± The woman said, ¡°Sir, we have guards in all the nearby towns on alert for that name. I even have guards off their normal duties wandering the streets, schools, inns, alleys, everywhere¡ªjust listening for that name. They¡¯re looking for a black-eyed teen sorcerer and a lanky clueless teenager with black eyes. Over a thousand guards searching across a hundred nearby hamlets, villages, towns and cities. The word is out and getting farther out every moment. The messengers are the finest riding Erosen¡¯s and spreading the word. The kid will slip up soon. We¡¯ll catch him. We know what he looks like. I think, Codinor will soon be searching too.¡± Puugi cursed, ¡°Which is why I¡¯m asking you why you haven¡¯t found him. I still can¡¯t believe that bastard kid stole the dossier! From me. And, the whole station cast into the Abyssal Plain.¡± Puugi screamed as he pushed the surgeon away, ¡°Find that damned kid. And the other one too!¡± ¡°Sir, stop,¡± the surgeon said, ¡°Dammit, it¡¯s started bleeding again.¡± ¡°Yes sir,¡± the woman said as she retreated. Puugi grimaced as the surgeon applied pressure to his wound, ¡°Ah, I can¡¯t believe that there are two of those brats. One was bad enough, but the second one is even worse¡ªhe knows what he¡¯s doing,¡± muttered Puugi. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 ¡°Where has the adventure gone in this world? No wars exist to test us, we crush rebellions before they¡¯re started, and the wilderness around us is tamed.¡± ¡ªCouncilman Farha, writing in his journal in the year NNNNBBVI Wearing a cowl to obscure his face, Seff traveled at night. A few miles outside of Lamm, the city of Reyn¡¯s address, a group of riders passed him on a backroad in the dark. ¡°Hey you,¡± one of them called out to Seff, ¡°Come over here and show your face.¡± ¡°No thank you,¡± Seff said, knowing his face was being hunted everywhere. He wondered if it was a group of bounty hunters. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a request,¡± the riders turned around. One with a crossbow leveled it onto Seff. Seff turned his horse around and faced them, their lantern light shining dimly onto his obscured but young face. ¡°He¡¯s young,¡± one of the riders said. ¡°Ya. Come here, boy. We just want to take a quick look at you. We¡¯re looking for two boys, and I doubt you¡¯re one of ¡®em. You don¡¯t look like a sorcerer to me.¡± Seff climbed off his horse, put his hands in his pockets. He gripped both his wands and cast the last rune for a spell that shielded him from physical attacks. It wrapped him from head to toe in a powerful whirlwind¡ªtwo hands wide¡ªthat slung dirt and mud every which way. The riders cursed. The one with the crossbow shot the bolt at Seff¡¯s chest. The bolt was shoved aside into the dirt beside Seff. With the dirt flying around him, Seff pulled out his two wands and cast a lightning bolt from both his wands onto two of the three riders. Those two fell, and the third turned his horse around and dug his heels in, shouting, ¡°Yaw!¡± The horse took off running, but Seff shot a bolt into the rider¡¯s back. The rider, like the others, fell off the horse dead. Seff dragged the bodies off the road and covered them in leaves. He knew the buzzards or other animals would get to them, but he didn¡¯t have time to dig three graves. He also knew it would be a short time before the bodies were discovered. He didn¡¯t have the time to properly hide the bodies. Looking around, he saw two of the horses nearby. To take and bring the horses with him would invite disaster. If anyone recognized the horses but didn¡¯t see their owners, suspicion would fall onto him. He retrieved his own horse, steering instead into the forest. He only needed to make Lamm by in the morning. Someone would find the bodies sometime soon, and he needed to find Reyn and flee making as much distance as possible. Seff entered Lamm in the early morning. Soon though, he saw a group of constables. They were knocking on doors, asking questions. There was no possible way anyone could have discovered the bodies already, thought Seff. Asking a passing man where an address was, Seff was pointed in a direction. He headed directly to Reyn¡¯s neighborhood. It was on the far side of town. He knew he didn¡¯t have much time. He rode as fast as he dared. He asked for directions once more. After a few wrong turns, he found the home. It was a small one-story building. Seff grimaced at the poorly constructed shack. He knocked. A middle-aged man opened the door. ¡°Ah yes, I was wondering if I have the right address. What¡¯s your name?¡± Seff asked. ¡°Velro. And, you are?¡± ¡°Where is Reyn?¡± Seff demanded of Velro. Velro stood in his doorway. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I was the one who saved him from hanging. They¡¯re searching everywhere for us. Right now, they¡¯re sweeping the city. Every building. They¡¯re maybe halfway here, so we don¡¯t have much time. We need to run. Now. Right now.¡± ¡°What? Hold on. Wait here until I return,¡± Velro pointed him inside. A few minutes later he returned with Reyn. ¡°It¡¯s you,¡± Reyn said. ¡°Yes. We need to go. I stole all of your information from them, but they know what we look like. They¡¯re here in the city going house to house. We have to go.¡± ¡°He¡¯s staying at Gina¡¯s,¡± Velro said. ¡°She¡¯s a local. No one will tell anyone anything about him.¡± ¡°You¡¯re absolutely certain that she can be trusted to give nothing away, even with the large reward on our heads?¡± Velro shrugged and Reyn said, ¡°Even if we were to flee, we wouldn¡¯t go with you.¡± ¡°Reyn, I¡¯m a sorcerer like you, except I know how to use my talent. I could teach you.¡± ¡°Why would you do that?¡± Velro asked. ¡°Knowing people is important. I know Reyn has the potential to become a powerful sorcerer. Why wouldn¡¯t I try to make friends with him? Why wouldn¡¯t I save him? I¡¯m the one who flung the oil on him. It¡¯s my fault he was falsely accused. Not only do I do the right thing, but I gain an ally.¡± ¡°He could easily get someone else to tutor him,¡± Velro said. ¡°Not like me. Do you think just any sorcerer could have stolen Reyn¡¯s information from the station, in addition to freeing him? Do you really think anyone else cares what happens to him? We can argue about this later, but if you want to live, we need to flee. Right now.¡± Velro and Reyn stood there. A few moments later, Velro said, ¡°If what he says is right, then we do not have the luxury of deciding this now. Let¡¯s pack up quickly and go. We can argue about what to do while traveling.¡± On the outskirts of Lamm, Velro bought two horses with some of his savings. They headed north. * * * Two weeks after Reyn escaped, Puugi sat in a wide leather chair smoking a cigar. ¡°Well?¡± Puugi asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll find them,¡± the woman said. ¡°It¡¯s been two weeks since the escape, and there¡¯s no sign of them. We found a few dead bodies that a sorcerer killed, and a few other ones, but there¡¯s nothing that connects those incidents with the two boys. However, from what we can tell, a bricklayer named Velro fled Lamm. He deserted his house as we were searching the city, and he does have a teenage son that is also missing. The clerk, after we asked him, remembered Lamm. But, they¡¯re gone already.¡± Puugi puffed out a smoke ring and said, ¡°Dammit, that sorcerer kid may kill me yet. Or the other one in ten years.¡± Puugi readjusted himself in his chair and winced, ¡°Well, reassign yourself somewhere and promote Nyla to your position. Make it a smooth transition and take your time. It was always a pleasure seeing you, but this time, we needed success, and you didn¡¯t succeed.¡± He continued after grimacing, ¡°Keep watch for any reports of unusual sorcerer activity¡ªespecially something involving a kid or two. If we find one, we might find the other and have ourselves a double hanging. Ah, the revenge would be sweet. What a spectacle that would be... except Codinor wouldn¡¯t allow it, ever. Hanging them would be nice though.¡± The woman said, ¡°I enjoy working with you, are you sure you want Nyla instead? ¡°Positive.¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t Codinor allow the hangings?¡± ¡°He can pardon whoever he wants, and he¡¯d want the one teenager. The other one, I¡¯m not sure. But the one that burned the courtroom would be pardoned and sent to his fancy estate all within moments. I¡¯m sitting on three letters from him now that I¡¯m going to chuck into the fire. He might get suspicious, but his mail sending or receiving gets lost all the time. I know why, but I¡¯m not going to tell him that I know why. I think he knows why too. Anyway, and you probably know also, right? ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the woman said. Puugi said, ¡°Well, we have to keep searching for them. We¡¯ll get one or both of them. It¡¯s just a matter of time, but we must catch them before they turn twenty or they¡¯ll both get into the Academy.¡± The woman said, ¡°And that earns them an immediate pardon for everything they¡¯ve done to that point, right? Oh, and then they can come after you after they graduate,¡± the woman said, putting everything together in her head. ¡°Especially since I told one of them my name. He was so hurt, and I sentenced him to death anyway. He¡¯ll never forget me,¡± Puugi took a sip of water, ¡°He¡¯s going to come after me and kill me if he gets into the academy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think you could kill them in duels?¡± ¡°The one, sure. The other one has far too much talent. Nothing is going to stop the latter one in this world, especially if Codinor trains him. But there are ways to kill him. We¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°Hire an assassin or two or three to go after them?¡± the woman asked. ¡°I''ve already set the plans in motion for that, since the boys seem to have eluded everyone else,¡± Puugi remarked sadly. ¡°It''ll cost me, but it¡¯ll be worth it if the assassins find them.¡± * * * With a moonless night above, Whimby picked the lock of the door in front of him. He slid through the door and closed it behind him. He enjoyed this house, as he had been through it thrice before. It was dark and silent, just how he liked it¡ªnone of those bothersome creaky floorboards. Whimby restrained his powerful muscles to merely creeping. The darkness enveloped him. He wore simple black pants, shirt, and cloak. They were water resistant, a nice touch to avoid getting wet as he maneuvered through the dew-laden nights. Boredom set in as he walked to the stairs. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. That morning, he had noticed his hair had sprouted a few more white hairs. He pulled them out. He thought it made him look weak, but for those who knew what age did, wise and dangerous. He was far more lethal and experienced now than in his younger days. Clipped to his belt, a steel kinetic¡¯s sphere bounced against his trousers. It consisted of thirteen individually crafted disks, each with slightly different diameters, some with blunt edges, others razor-sharp. All were locked together with an internal pin mechanism. Because he needed mobility, the sphere was small and flattened to about a quarter of the height it would have been if it had been a traditional kinetic¡¯s sphere. Whimby carried the ¡®sphere¡¯ wherever he went, for as a wand or staff was to a sorcerer, so a kinetic¡¯s sphere was to a kinetic. He found the stairs and followed them to the second floor. Scanning the hallway, he found the second flight of stairs and followed them as well. At the top, he walked down the dark hallway. Streetlamps glimmered through the window curtains. Looking down the hallway and back again, Whimby oriented himself. He walked three doors down and opened the door on his right. The room was small and pitch black. He let his eyes adjust to the barest light streaming through the black curtained balcony. Inside lay a man and woman, sleeping. He walked into the bedroom and closed the door behind him. Walking towards the bed ever so slowly, he focused on the couple even while moving towards the balcony door. He eyed the sleeping couple for just a moment before slipping his hand through the curtains and grabbing the handle. Turning the handle slowly and testing the ease with which it turned, he put his ear to the door crack and listened. He could hear the wind rush through. Barely. If he opened the door, an obvious whoosh of wind would stream through and wake the couple. He shrugged to himself and whipped the door open violently, and he slipped through and onto the balcony. The door crashed into a walnut dresser. Whimby heard the light tinkling of glass falling onto the bedroom floor. Whimby hoped he had sent the door so viciously on its route that it would bounce back, slamming shut upon catching the wind. No matter what though, he knew the couple would be too stunned to follow. Whimby jumped onto the balcony railing, reaching for the roof, and climbed onto the roof like twice before. It gave him access to the row of houses and apartments. Unleashed into the open air, Whimby now dashed his way through the troughs and rises of the uneven rooftops until he reached his mark. There below him lay another balcony. Puugi¡¯s. Carefully, he peeked over the edge of the roof into a lit room. Whimby¡¯s head hung upside down as he peered into the room. A man sat with his back to the balcony. The light radiated from two oil lamps on either side of the stacks of paper resting on his desk. The man was writing. Whimby pulled himself back up and settled in between two ridges, waiting. He could see the room¡¯s light illuminating the small balcony floor. Patiently in comfort, he considered what new books to buy next. New books, for him, meant old and expensive ones. Books of history, sorcery spells and powerful men vying for princesses. He enjoyed their style more than newer, blander novels that were mass produced. He enjoyed the sentences that had girth¡ªones with eloquence like dancers leaping chaotically on stage but at the end of it all, completely planned and executed to perfection. Next to the long ones, he enjoyed the short ones. Older books had an indescribably fine quality to them. The leather was always worn. Maybe a dribble of gin or coffee spilled on an edge. Maybe it was that the older ones that survived had survived for good reason, but he felt it was rare for a new novel to have the same, fine level of detail the older ones had too. Oh, but to live a hundred or five-hundred years ago¡ªthat¡¯d be the life. He yearned to meet the writers, and he hoped another great one would appear who he could meet and talk to. What he would pay to talk to someone like that! His mind wandered into the world of a fairy tale about little men who lived in giant legendary fish called Volda. To live in a fish was not for Whimby, but it was interesting to think about. Minutes after the lights in the den had gone out, Whimby lowered himself onto the balcony. He opened the door, grabbed an envelope lying on the desk and slipped back out into the black night. He made his way swiftly to the ground. He found a local inn where he rented a room. Inside, he opened the envelope. He read the letter, ignoring the currency notes. The letter instructed him to find the boy who had escaped from the Dric Road Constable Station, in addition to, the boy who had perpetrated the escape and attacked Puugi. Detailed descriptions were included along with mannerisms, how they were thought to have escaped from the city, and which cities had been thoroughly searched. The Lamm details, too, were mentioned. Whimby skipped to the end of the letter. It allowed him three months to find the boys. Three months. He had never been given that much time for anything. The price... he checked the currency notes. Further, a bank note was promised to be given to him if he was successful as a bonus. Yes, the money was adequate. Why had Puugi spent so much on hiring his specialized services for three whole months? Whimby had worked for Puugi before and the assignments had been simple ones. Kill this politician, kill that assassin, make an example of a sorcerer with a grizzly death. Simple things. Fast assassinations. Here, the boys posed no threat to Puugi. They had fled from him. Why go after them so venomously? They were brazen boys, so he had no doubt that he could find them. People don¡¯t change instantly, so they¡¯d still be traceable. Three months though? No matter where they went, he¡¯d be able to track them down, he was sure of it. Likely as not, they were in the next town over in a basement. If after three months, he couldn¡¯t find them, then he was to wait a year. He would once again find a letter in Puugi¡¯s study that would have a month¡¯s commission and further instructions. Maybe they were a threat to Puugi somehow. Why else would he want them killed so badly? Sure, the escape and attack reflected poorly on him, but Puugi¡¯s reputation secured his position. People often disappeared if they crossed him. Perhaps, he was the best assassin and tracker that Puugi knew. Whimby knew his skills were exceptional, so he took this assignment as a compliment. He¡¯d find the boys, kill them, and collect the bonus worth much more than the search contract itself. He dismissed the idea of talking to Puugi personally about the contract. One unaddressed question bothered him, though: was he the only assassin contracted to kill the boys? Often there would be a line stating who was working the job, so that the assassins would be aware. But in this contract, there was nothing. It bothered him. Back home, he would check his previous contracts to see if it was Puugi¡¯s way not to mention it. He couldn¡¯t remember. He would need to be careful. If he needed to kill or negotiate with a fellow assassin, he would do it on his terms. He left the room. He would travel back to his home, arrange his affairs for the months ahead, and leave immediately. Two troublesome boys needed to die. * * * Bookcases, wall to wall, lined Whimby¡¯s flat. His best friend sat at his feet wagging her tail. A wolf crossbreed, she looked almost exactly like a wolf, except her ears were floppy and snout was not quite as long. Her name was Wag. An assassin once asked him why he adopted such a strange creature. Whimby had answered that it reminded him a bit of himself. Whimby lived in an apartment that spanned an entire floor. Located on the outskirts of Vax, it afforded Whimby privacy and seclusion yet sufficient cover in the overgrown city. There, he was one of hundreds of thousands. Two fireplaces provided warmth when needed; multiple bedrooms allowed him to have guests if he wanted. A small kitchen provided his needs. But Whimby particularly loved books. He owned thousands, all in subjects that interested him: sorcery, kinetics, history, politics, geography, ships, horses, and the rarest books of them all: alchemy. Hidden in the walls were the rarest of rarities: a set of pistoles. A small, sealed bag of gunpowder was hidden along with it. Of course, it was obvious why alchemy was banned. What was the easiest way to kill a kinetic or sorcerer? If anyone knew of what was inside his wall, the entire four empires would hunt him down as an alchemist. He read the three older contracts from Puugi. They were all listed as solo. But not this one. Whimby wondered. Was Puugi planning on sending more assassins out if he failed or even worse, simultaneously? Obviously, he had left the door open to do so. How many assassins had Puugi hired? Whimby would be careful. And, if Whimby was successful, would Puugi put a contract on his head? How deep did he want to bury the boys and their story? Whimby closed the letters, walked to a bookcase, and inserted them between Ora¡¯s Exact Maps and Obscure Places by Quom. * * * Whimby opened the door and walked into the tavern. He gave a brief glance to his surroundings before threading his way through tables dotted with seedy patrons. Passing six tables along the way, he headed to the top of the basement stairs. A man stood there, nonchalantly. ¡°Yes?¡± The man was tall and slender with long ears. ¡°Hodges Wants Acorns,¡± Whimby said. ¡°That was the old code. What¡¯s the new code?¡± he asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know the new code, obviously. Where¡¯s Hodges?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°Well dammit, just knock on that door down there, and get someone who knows me. I¡¯m Whimby.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re Whimby? I can¡¯t do anything now. You¡¯re not welcome anymore. You didn¡¯t pay your dues last week.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been gone. I¡¯ll pay the dues now and then you can welcome me back.¡± ¡°How long have you been gone?¡± ¡°I think just three months. Maybe four.¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t here for the vote. We voted not to allow anyone back in after they didn¡¯t pay their dues, and this way we don¡¯t have people falling behind when it¡¯s convenient for them.¡± Whimby furrowed his eyebrows, ¡°And you didn¡¯t think that¡¯d piss anyone off, huh?¡± ¡°Now, Whimby, I don¡¯t know. Let me, uh, check to see if you can still pay. You know, I don¡¯t really want to get into an argument. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± The man walked down the steps and through the locked doorway at the bottom. Whimby could hear him speaking as he went through the door. Wanting to wreak havoc upon this hovel of a place, Whimby instead walked to the bar. He had recognized a few faces there and they were all crooks. Whimby never forgot a face, and the face at the top of the basement stairs was new. If the man really knew about him, then he would have gone for help with the decision much faster, but some things are handled best by diplomacy. He ordered a beer as he sat down. As he had grown older, he had learned patience, thankfully. Although as he looked back on it, his renowned reputation had been built from his impatient acts of intolerance and frustration. In a dirty, warped mirror across the bar, his reflection stared back. His red hair framed his thin face and blunt nose. His light beard never required shaving more than three times a week. A single scar ran diagonally across his nose, and burn scars peeked out from his hairline. His eyes were ocean blue. Wearing a simple buttoned cloak-jacket over his normal shirt and trousers helped hide the small assassin sphere. As Whimby took his third sip, Inid sat down next to him. Inid was dark-skinned, short and bald, yet young. ¡°Hodges wants acorns, eh?¡± Inid asked. Whimby looked over at him before replying, ¡°My apologies to you for not paying my dues. Here they are.¡± Whimby tossed over a few silver coins across the bar to him. The coins skittered and clattered to a halt. Inid took the coins and then said, ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. They already kicked you out along with a few others who weren¡¯t doing anything but using us. We¡¯re tired of it. They sent me to tell you.¡± ¡°How much?¡± asked Whimby. ¡°Maybe seven or eight more.¡± Ten more silver coins dropped and skittered across the bar rousing a few nearby patrons who turned their heads. ¡°What did you want to know?¡± ¡°Anything happening with two kids¡ª boys, ¡®bout sixteen. They may be wandering around with their father, going somewhere. Two boys with an old guy or two boys alone¡ªone or both may be sorcerers.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still not in, Whimby, but I¡¯ll see if we can get you back in. And I¡¯ll ask about the boys. Give me a second.¡± Inid came back in time to hear Whimby order his third beer. ¡°Took you long enough.¡± ¡°They still don¡¯t want you back, so I can¡¯t tell you anything, but,¡± Inid said while suddenly leaning close to Whimby, ¡°There¡ªhold on.¡± Inid got up suddenly and grabbed the man who was walking behind him. ¡°Hey buddy, I¡¯ve been looking for you. I think we have some business to settle.¡± Dressed in a simple dirty shirt and pants, the man looked around quickly. Without warning he pushed Inid¡¯s hands down and made a run for the door. Whimby rolled his eyes as Inid ran after the man. Whimby wasn¡¯t worried for Inid, but the annoying part was that he didn¡¯t want to spend any more time in this small town. Directly east of where the boys had escaped from the hanging, it was a perfect bottleneck for funneling anyone fleeing that direction. And it had not been touched by the dragnet. If no one had seen two strange boys pass through, then the chances were they had not fled east. Of course, there was the small chance that they had not agreed upon a meeting place, but surely the boy who had rescued the other could not have forgotten a detail so important, so obvious. Indeed, hadn¡¯t that been the point of one boy stealing the other¡¯s dossier? To prevent recapture and meet up? He watched in small surprise as the man sprinted out the door with Inid in hot pursuit. If Whimby had really cared, he would have sent one of his disks out and sliced one of the man¡¯s leg tendons. But, Whimby was thoroughly enjoying his beer. It was a local brew with a hint of oatmeal, poured into a crudely carved smoky-white glass mug. He drank the rest of it, and started on the third that had just been placed down. The chances of them going south or north were equal, in theory. However, mountains lay nearby to the south. There were far more cities in the Phav Empire to the north of the hanging than there were to the south. And to the east were more mountains. Beyond that, the Nomlesk Empire. The chances of them crossing the border, Whimby thought, were slim. The boys were young, and they surely had family. Whimby waited until Inid returned. No boys had come through. So north he went, checking every city¡¯s thieves¡¯ guild that he could. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 ¡°Everywhere I go, I am constantly reminded of the thousand kingdoms. The kingdoms are truly everywhere, and they still exist in our lives today. The thousand kingdoms don¡¯t have names or lands, but they live on in spirit through their diverse cultures. Some are friendly; others cold; others inviting; no two are the same.¡± ¡ªTreaxaforad, a traveler, historian, singer, writer, jester, muse, musician, translator, and inventor Reyn arrived at Seff¡¯s table and sat across from him. Reyn slid a mug to Seff and set one down for himself. The seedy tavern was small and mostly empty¡ªwinter had not fully arrived yet. When winter came to Belladder, the sailors would land, visit for a week or two, and then scatter to the warmer city-state ports in the East. Reyn and Seff had arrived in Belladder in the last few days on a ship from Pahlam. Belladder was the last northern port, and as such, was a sprawling city with good streets, food, and people. Money flowed into it from every corner of the north¡ªfurs, exotic goods and animals of all types, supplies, seafood, oils, wood, etc. Reyn took a sip of the beer with Seff doing the same. Leaning over the table, Seff said, ¡°I¡¯m out of money.¡± Reyn shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t have any either. We¡¯re barely hanging on¡ªluckily my father found a job as a bricklayer foreman.¡± ¡°When did he get that?¡± Seff asked, not expecting an answer, ¡°I need your help though. I can rob a few houses, but I need someone watching my back.¡± ¡°Oh, no. We¡¯re not doing that again. I told you a month ago when I helped you rob that house, so we¡¯d have enough for ship fare that that¡¯d be the last time. I¡¯m not doing it again,¡± Reyn shook his head and took a sip. Seff looked around before speaking, ¡°I never had time to train you while we were on the run. You do want some sorcery training, right?¡± ¡°Well, sure, but we had a lot of time, and you never did anything for me,¡± Reyn scowled. ¡°I saved your ass and dragged you through most of Phav safely¡ªand might I add, I had to intervene on three separate occasions to keep us safe. Plus, am I going to risk a spell going wrong and burning down half a forest? Hells, with your magic, who knows what type of magic misfiring could happen. And, I kept us safe, not you,¡± Seff shot back. Reyn shook his head and looked away. Seff scooted his chair closer to Reyn and said, ¡°Look, I need someone watching my back. This is a big, big city with plenty of sorcerers. If I get caught unawares, I could bite it here. They could trap me and kill me¡ªand if they put two and two together, they¡¯d torture me to find out where you are. They¡¯d hang the lot of us¡ªyou, me, and your father.¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Reyn glanced back to Seff. What Seff said was true enough, but he was not getting mixed up into anything again. The one house job hadn¡¯t been a problem to Reyn as he felt it was necessary for survival. But now? Now he needed to keep his head down and go to school. Stay normal. Seff could keep himself safe just fine. ¡°Well?¡± Seff asked. ¡°No,¡± Reyn said. ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon. Gods, Reyn. Help me a little, and I¡¯ll help you far more than a little. I need enough for a roof and food and some new clothes and my shoes are shredded. You don¡¯t even need to do anything¡ªjust follow me around and make sure I don¡¯t get clonked on my head,¡± Seff signaled by swinging his arm in a clubbing motion. ¡°You haven¡¯t helped me a damned time since pushing me out of Lamm. Weeks and weeks of travel and sailing, and what happens? Nothing¡ªnot even in the boring hold of that ship,¡± Reyn said. A barmaid came over and asked, ¡°Refill?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Reyn said, giving her a coin. ¡°You?¡± she asked Seff. ¡°No.¡± The barmaid took Reyn¡¯s mug and left. ¡°I¡¯m not going to risk you burning down the ship we¡¯re on. That¡¯s a little counter-productive. However, while you look as though you¡¯re doing alright, I¡¯m here homeless with holey shoes. Your father doesn¡¯t want anything to do with me after I explained what happened. I did save your life. The least you could do is help me rob a house and get me a roof over my head,¡± Seff said. Reyn did notice Seff did not look well. Seff¡¯s nose was red and his shirt was dirty and he smelled. ¡°Let me think about it,¡± Reyn said as the refilled mug arrived. Seff waited for the barmaid to leave. ¡°I sold four different sorcery books to get us this far. How do you think we even made it to Pahlem? I sold them for a tenth of what they were worth too. You owe me a few favors. One of them is going to be watching my back so I don¡¯t die of cold when the winter comes to this great northern port city, Belladder.¡± Reyn felt bad. He knew Seff had sold some things to keep them going. ¡°When are you going to teach me a few spells?¡± Reyn asked. ¡°Maybe after you help me get enough money to live and eat?¡± Seff answered back. The faster Seff obtained money, the faster he would get trained, which made him happy. Seff did not look the way he had only a few days prior. ¡°Can¡¯t you get a job?¡± Reyn asked, picking up his mug. ¡°I have no skills except sorcery, and we need to keep a low profile.¡± Reyn¡¯s mind ran through solutions, only to find nothing. If Seff spent all his time working to pay for food and rent, then he would have no time to train him. Seff had talked about how difficult it was to get into the Sorcerers¡¯ Academy, and how that was where the both of them needed to be. Even though Seff hadn¡¯t taught Reyn any sorcery, he had taught Reyn a little on history and math. Reyn wondered of the risks to helping Seff. Seff had stolen before. They would only need to rob someone or something once, and Seff would have enough for a month or two. That would be enough to train him on the basics. And if Reyn didn¡¯t help him, Seff could easily get clonked on the head, just as Seff had said. ¡°Are you going to help me?¡± Seff asked after a time. Reyn hesitated a moment before answering, ¡°What are we going to rob?¡± ¡°Not sure. Let me know if you see anything good. I¡¯ll also look around. We need to be careful. Oh, you know your name for school and everything right? Eventually, word will get around, and if you¡¯re the new kid with the same name and description as the kid they¡¯re looking for, they¡¯ll find us.¡± ¡°Zander,¡± Reyn said. ¡°And, my father is a bricklayer.¡± Seff rolled his eyes at the simplicity of the cover story, but said, ¡°That¡¯s fine. Just don¡¯t go into details. You might tell one thing to one person and something different to another.¡± ¡°Do you have any money left?¡± Reyn asked. ¡°I have nothing except two coppers I begged off of a few strangers before coming here. We¡¯ll probably need to do something tomorrow night, so just tell your dad that I will be training you tomorrow. I¡¯ll try to get a cheap room where we can meet before and after the robbery.¡± Reyn nodded. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 ¡°The rarest god on record is one called Charlotte. She is said to take the souls of the dying, but apparently, she is very picky as only a few stories are recorded of her. The saying ¡®to die without meeting Charlotte is a good death¡¯ refers to her. One of the best accounts of her is a story of a King Sovid upon his deathbed. First recorded thousands of years ago, the story goes that Charlotte appeared before the great man. Her ghostly form stood upon the bed near the king¡¯s feet. The apparition appeared to everyone, and she appeared as a young girl, light and small, maybe eight years old. She wore a long and flowing silk gown that flowed eerily into the bed sheets themselves. The air turned chill, and all who were there could see their breath. The king cautiously and with fear whispered, ¡®Who are you?¡¯ The many around his bed heard no response. But the king, he heard her answer which turned his pale face to white. He pleaded with her, tears welling in his eyes. She walked forward, and in moments, she stood upon the king¡¯s chest. He gasped, ¡®Please, Charlotte, no.¡¯ She leaned down, and with a gentle kiss upon his bald head, he breathed his last. As she stood, her ghostly figure¡¯s right arm ran through the king¡¯s chest, and when her hand appeared, it looked as though it had caught hold of something. Raising her fist into the air, she turned to the onlookers with gleeful, silent laughter. The chill in the room turned to warmth. Two of the ladies present screamed, and one of the men drew a sword and swiped it through the apparition. Charlotte, shaking her head, snapped her fingers and disappeared. Everyone watching was stunned. Had their king been abducted or killed, his soul stolen away from them before their very eyes? ¡ªCecile, priestess of the God of War, writing in the book A Catalog: Gods and Their Stories Thinking about the coming robbery, Reyn didn¡¯t sleep much. He walked groggily through the bustling streets of Belladder on his way to school. People were about their business¡ªmarkets opening, shops opening, bakeries selling breakfast sausage cakes and rolls filled with cinnamon caramel-liquor. Even in the farthest northern port, Reyn worried someone who had been to the execution in Oblick might recognize him even though his hair was now red and he answered to a different name. However, Reyn¡¯s nerves left him once he entered the school grounds. His anxiety turned into excitement. The previous schools he had attended were little more than small one-room buildings. Here though, a proper brick building rose up from the ground many stories high. Even through the cold, Reyn felt happy. He could see warm smoke rising from chimneys and well-dressed students with bright, lively eyes and smiles. He felt as though he were at the Sorcerers¡¯ Academy right then even! He was glad that his father, Velro, had used some of his last money to bribe local officials for information about the best schools in the city. He wondered if some his father¡¯s money had really been Seff¡¯s after perhaps some clever siphoning and saving. This particular school¡¯s area skirted the slums but had been recently redrawn partially into them. His father had given Reyn his final schedule the previous day. He entered, feeling confident walking past signs and stairs and hundreds of teenagers on his way to class. When he finally¡ªafter walking up and down a few hallways¡ªopened the door to his first class, it turned out he was late, and everyone, even the teacher, turned their heads. ¡°¡ªand as the hunt goes farther east, the storms become stronger¡ªand your name is?¡± the teacher said, turning to Reyn and raising an eyebrow. He was short and bearded. ¡°R¡ªerrrr¡ªumm¡ª.¡± ¡°Rear-Um?¡± the teacher looked at him, his brow furrowed and one eyebrow raised. ¡°No, sir, Zander.¡± The class laughed loudly, as it didn¡¯t even come close to anything he had said. ¡°Class, please,¡± said the teacher, his face relaxing. ¡°You were added to the roster today, and I¡¯m very happy you made it at all. So many¡ªsome of whom are here now¡ªdon¡¯t make it their first day. I really don¡¯t know how they get lost or otherwise detained, but they do and some never show up at all. So, I¡¯m glad that we have the honor of your acquaintance, Zander. You will be sitting behind Jogar, right there,¡± the teacher pointed. Reyn looked around the classroom at everyone¡¯s faces very briefly as he walked to his seat behind Jogar. The rest of the day went smoothly as he attended his classes. He didn¡¯t care much for them, but he needed to attend to keep his father happy. Not to mention, Seff had scolded him on their journey for not appreciating the opportunity of his last school. In fact, Seff mentioned schooling so much that Reyn would shout as Seff to shut up if he even thought Seff was going to mention it. ¡°Education,¡± Seff emphasized, ¡°Makes a tremendous difference of whether one can get into the Imperial Sorcerers¡¯ Academy. By the age of admission, 20, one should be exceptionally well educated, sharp, and eager to learn¡ªall required for running the Phav Empire. The sorcerers who have graduated from the Academy run the empire¡ªand you could be with me at the very top.¡± Reyn thought of it¡ªSeff and himself being provincial leaders¡ªspacious mansions, the best pies and savory meat kabobs, and dressed as a lord. However, Reyn loathed studying. His mind rebelled from it every moment. Even with a new school, his mind felt weak and turned to daydreaming about the woods or girls or the sorcery tales Seff was fond of telling. Studying was so much work¡ªlearning and memorizing and understanding. However, Seff had emphasized at every opportunity that he needed to learn as much as he could as fast as he could. He was behind by a lot. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. After school, he headed home to study before meeting Seff later. On the way home, he noticed the impressive buildings surrounding the school. They soared above him, decorated with polished marble facades and decorative metalwork. With the odd exception, those walking by were dressed nicely. He passed by a line of wealthy houses on the way. Fenced and landscaped with shrubs and trees, the houses stood three and four stories tall. They were narrow with small yards, but they looked regal and wealthy. They were near the school, and even though a constable was visible a down the street, Reyn thought that these houses might be good targets. Such wealthy and powerful families must have jewels and gold. As he walked, he paid more attention to the city around him. The carefully maintained streets degraded quickly until he arrived at his father¡¯s. He realized how lucky he was to go to that school. He also wondered exactly how much of Seff¡¯s money had been siphoned by his father. Reyn owed Seff his life, maybe even two lives¡ªonce for the hanging and once for stealing the dossier. However, Reyn suspected that his father, Velro, had been a robber deceiving Seff out of all of his money. Velro had been the one going into towns to buy things, and quite often, Reyn had been suspicious when his father told them of how much everything had cost. After dinner, Reyn lay on his bed and propped himself upright against the wall. With a lantern on his bedside table, he looked over his school notes. His mind wandered to his journey on the ship. The food had been terrible. He forced himself back into the notes, only to think about the woods back home. He gave up. He had tried to study. He would try again later. He left to meet Seff who lived near the wharfs. The people passing by went from mostly city folk to sailors. The sides of buildings grew dirtier, and he noticed at least half a dozen that looked unsafely tilted. The streets narrowed. He asked for instructions, only to be scowled at. Reyn started to worry. He had made a turn onto an alley, only to find no one there. He backed out and ran into a dirty-clothed woman. The woman held out her hand and touched his chest before he slid her hand off his chest. ¡°Excuse me,¡± she said softly, side-stepping him. ¡°Um, could you tell me where the Tin Biscuit is?¡± Reyn asked. She said, ¡°I could be persuaded. Why don¡¯t you just follow me?¡± Reyn smiled. All those days of wandering around Lamm had widened Reyn¡¯s experiences enough where he recognized what this was. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a copper. Where¡¯s the inn?¡± She shrugged and pointed, ¡°It¡¯s the way I¡¯m going, except you take a left until you get to Moiyagi¡¯s Harpoon. Take a right and you¡¯re there.¡± Reyn handed her a copper, only to have her grip his hand. He stopped and stared blankly at her. No words were needed. She let go. He found the Tin Biscuit set back in an alley, cut off from the daylight as if it were a cave. He met Seff in an upstairs room. Brown water dripped from the ceiling into a pitcher. The bed and its covers looked dirty, and the room smelled. He wasn¡¯t sure what it smelled like, but he thought it might be mold and urine. ¡°What are we going to rob?¡± Reyn asked, tempted to hold his nose and drag Seff out of the room. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Seff said. ¡°I haven¡¯t had time to wander the city, so we may just need to rob someone instead of something.¡± ¡°What if they scream?¡± ¡°We kill them?¡± Reyn¡¯s head snapped back in disbelief. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can just start killing people if they scream.¡± ¡°It¡¯d be their fault. They screamed.¡± ¡°I was thinking that we may be able to rob this house that sits near the school. It¡¯s three stories, has well-kept yard and nice windows.¡± ¡°Nice windows?¡± ¡°Yes, nice windows.¡± ¡°Fine, whatever, we can do that, but we need to find a side entrance into it. Something like a window or cellar door.¡± ¡°I think there¡¯s an alleyway that runs alongside the house, and there¡¯s probably a window or something somewhere on the first floor,¡± said Reyn. ¡°Excellent.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Reyn said. A little later, Seff and Reyn arrived at the house. They climbed over an iron perimeter fence and walked around the house. There was no alley, but on the side of the house, not visible from the street, several first story windows were visible. Seff led Reyn to one. ¡°So how do you get in without making noise?¡± whispered Reyn. ¡°You check to see if it¡¯s unlocked,¡± Seff said as he checked. ¡°Locked.¡± ¡°So what do you do next?¡± ¡°We can melt a pane of glass,¡± Seff said, ¡°But that leaves a clue of who broke in, and we really don¡¯t want to attract any attention. We¡¯re lucky just to be alive right now after what we did in Oblick,¡± Seff said. ¡°So a third option is?¡± Reyn asked impatiently as a stiff, cold wind blew by. ¡°We use a glass cutter to pop out a pane,¡± Seff made a soft popping noise. ¡°We unlock the window, and bam, we¡¯re inside.¡± Seff pulled out a glass cutter and made short work of the pane of glass. He unlocked the window and slowly opened it. They quietly climbed in and closed the window behind them. ¡°The first thing we must do is unlock the front and back doors so as to provide an easy mode of escape. During that time, we sneak around and look for anyone who might be out of place.¡± ¡°Out of place?¡± ¡°Sleeping in a chair, walking about, passed out¡ªyou know¡ªout of bed.¡± Reyn nodded as they moved around the house silently, unlocking the back door then the front. ¡°As we move around, we look for anything valuable,¡± Seff said. ¡°So far, I have not seen anything, but we haven¡¯t really been looking yet. We¡¯ll sweep the place, make sure no one is up, and then I¡¯ll light a small fireball to give us some light as we look around.¡± They swept the house, and no one was up. ¡°I almost forgot,¡± Seff said. ¡°One thing to keep in mind is that going to the bedrooms to look is very risky. They might have their favorite two-hundred pound lion-hunting dog sleeping next to them. I once heard a story about this poor guy, and well¡ªI¡¯ll tell you about it later.¡± They started going room by room on the bottom floor checking for valuables. Seff lit a fist-sized fireball and had it hover over his right shoulder to provide some light. They exited the den where they had argued in hissing whispers about whether the paintings were worth anything or not. Reyn thought they were not valuable enough to take, and Seff wanted to take them anyway just in case. Seff decided not to bother, and they left, finding nothing of value in the den. They then noticed a door near the kitchen. They opened it slowly. Stairs. They followed them down to discover a small basement where they found two silver candleholders nicely lying on top of a box. ¡°See how easy this is?¡± Seff said. Reyn rolled his eyes in the darkness while saying, ¡°Yup.¡± Seff and Reyn followed the stairs back up and exited the basement while closing the door. ¡°We now have two silver candleholders that we can sell very easily in another town which will never be traced to us. Easy money. As it¡¯s your first time, I don¡¯t want to get carried away, so this will suffice just fine. Let¡¯s leave through that window by the kitchen and get out of here.¡± Reyn nodded reluctantly, not wanting to argue inside the house. He had wanted Seff to properly rob this house, so that he would not be dragged into robbing again. He knew Seff could take care of himself. He was surprised by Seff¡¯s timidity, but said nothing. They started exiting by walking down a hallway. They turned down another hallway that bordered the kitchen when they both jumped, more than a little startled. A figure stood before them. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 ¡°An earthquake sometimes reveals more than a history book.¡± ¡ªSardonn, a historian, after seeing the city of Keld crumble and reveal the many ancient layers beneath. Seff¡¯s fireball poofed out of existence, and Reyn dropped the candleholders. The silver candleholders bounced off the floor with a booming echo. For Seff, he jumped a few inches in the air and lost concentration as his mind blanked and forgot all his prepped spells. Seff was now helpless for several seconds¡ªthe minimum time for him to cast the simplest of lightning bolt spells. He backed up a step, hoping to use Reyn to buy time for his spell to complete. For Reyn, he put his hands over his ears, and only after, put his hands down. ¡°Out of here where?¡± Natali asked, a candle illuminating her face and figure. Reyn stood there, almost speaking. Reyn found himself staring at how slim the girl¡¯s silhouette was, and how delicate and pretty her face was. She wore a lacy knee-length nightgown with a low neckline. His heart raced as his mind emptied into nothingness. His heart drummed in his ears, and as he tried to think of something to say, nothing came to mind. After a few seconds, the only thought that Reyn managed was how she was the prettiest girl he had ever seen in his whole life. She had green eyes, perfect lips, a petite nose and ears, and a thin neck. Her chest was seemingly amplified due to the shadows, and everything in concert made Reyn¡¯s mind drop off a cliff. And she stood just feet from him. However, Reyn recovered quickly, and he concluded that she was not only the prettiest girl but also the boldest. There she stood, against all odds and intruders, protecting her home with a mere candle. She was fearless, brave and commanding¡­ and mysterious. Why was she there? Why had she approached them? Why had she not hid? And what was it that she had asked? ¡°Dammit,¡± he heard Seff say. Natali looked at Seff. Natali said, ¡°Hey, is he crazy or something?¡± A smirk appeared on her face shortly after asking. Reyn looked at Seff and knew exactly what he was doing. His facial expressions were changing to different emotions to cast a spell on Natali. And so, not wanting Natali to die, he shoved Seff with his right arm, stepped forward, and punched him with his left across the cheekbone hard enough to jostle him nearly to the floor. Reyn said, ¡°Are you crazy? We can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Do what?¡± Natali asked softly, stepping forward and throwing light onto Seff. ¡°What do you mean we can¡¯t?¡± Seff asked. His face had stopped changing expressions. ¡°Seff, you can¡¯t just kill everywhere we go,¡± Reyn said. ¡°Kill?¡± Natali said. Seff ignored Natali, ¡°Yes, we can. She saw us, so we kill her and keep going. It¡¯s not as if our faces are covered.¡± Reyn looked back at Natali, then looked back at Seff and said, ¡°She doesn¡¯t know us. Who cares?¡± Seff picked up the candleholders and said, ¡°She could see us years later and track us down and cause lots of trouble for us.¡± Seff flipped one of the candleholders upside down in his hand and stepped towards Natali. ¡°Zander,¡± Natali said, stepping back, ¡°I¡¯m right here. I know exactly who you are and you¡¯re talking about me as if I¡¯m not even here. My name is Natali. I was in your first class just this morning. I remember you. You don¡¯t remember me?¡± Turning to Natali, Reyn cursed. Seff pointed to her with a candleholder and said, ¡°She even knows who you are. How could you pick a house that belongs to someone you know? What kind of thief are you?¡± Reyn pointed to himself, ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t decide to rob or steal. I didn¡¯t suggest it to you. You suggested it to me, and you didn¡¯t know where to rob, and here we are now, and you¡¯re going to try to kill more people?¡± Reyn cursed and pointed at Natali, ¡°I didn¡¯t recognize Natali in this terrible light, and if you had taken more time preparing, we wouldn¡¯t be in this mess.¡± Seff took another step, ¡°We¡¯re not in a mess, we just kill her.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t kill her,¡± Reyn insisted, giving Seff a light one-handed shove. ¡°Excuse us for a second, Natali,¡± Seff said, pointing a candleholder at her. He stepped away a few steps before he turned back around to her, ¡°And if you move so much as an inch, I¡¯ll lightning-bolt your sweet ass to that wall and deal with this,¡± Seff pointed his finger to Reyn, ¡°Zander later.¡± ¡°Just talk here; I don¡¯t mind,¡± Natali said while holding the candle. It illuminated her smirk. Reyn saw Natali¡¯s casual posture, one of her hands even positioned behind her back as though she was purposefully trying to be disarming. Reyn thanked the gods that she was not a sorceress. He imagined a wand behind her back, and what an awkward position that would put themselves in¡ªSeff with his wand and Natali with hers. He wondered a little if she had a dagger behind her back. Seff, ignoring Natali, led Reyn aside about ten feet down the hallway from Natali. Reyn glanced back once at Natali to make sure she stayed. ¡°Who in the hell is she?¡± Seff asked. ¡°She¡¯s a girl in one of my classes.¡± ¡°What are the chances? One in a thousand and then another one in a thousand for her to be awake.¡± Reyn winced, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s my fault. The chances are quite good that we¡¯d be robbing my classmates since this house is just across the street from the school.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t, uh,¡± Seff sighed and groaned. ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault. I didn¡¯t realize. Didn¡¯t realize you¡¯re an idiot. Let¡¯s just kill her¡ªwithout sorcery¡ªand get out of here.¡± Seff swung a candlestick left to right, right to left. Reyn gave Seff a slight shove once more, ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa. We can¡¯t... do that. It¡¯s your fault, so you don¡¯t get to kill anyone,¡± Reyn said. ¡°My fault?¡± ¡°Mr. Can¡¯t-Get-A-Job,¡± Reyn said. ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon.¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Reyn poked Seff¡¯s chest, ¡°It¡¯s your fault, so you have to make it right. She¡¯s a girl, like, a really pretty one. She sounds nice. Really nice. And, she¡¯s so brave. Look at her. Honestly, I think I¡¯m in love with her. I might be in love. She didn¡¯t run away or anything. We can¡¯t just kill her. We can talk to her. I want to talk to her.¡± Seff was quiet for a few moments before he said, ¡°You want these candleholders, don¡¯t you?¡± Seff hefted the two of them chest-high even as awkwardly holding his wand with one of them. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Well, I do. I have to eat and get a better room.¡± Reyn pointed at a wall, ¡°We can rob somewhere else. She can keep them,¡± said Reyn, moving his pointer arm over to where he thought Natali was. Natali had walked up silently. Reyn hadn¡¯t noticed her until her face appeared next to his, lit up by the candle she still held. Her candle lit up all their faces, and she immediately added, ¡°Aw, thank you. However, I think we were going to sell them soon anyway. I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t even be missed.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you¡ª,¡± said Seff while pointing to the wall. ¡°Can¡¯t I stay away to let you two decide my fate?¡± interrupted Natali. ¡°I think not. You should know that I¡¯m not going to report you. I love knowing that Zander is a dastardly robber.¡± Natali¡¯s face was within a hand of Reyn¡¯s. She smiled sweetly at Reyn, and Reyn smiled back. ¡°You know, I¡¯m not a robber,¡± said Reyn, trying to distance himself from his thieving friend. ¡°You¡¯re not?¡± asked Natali, visibly disappointed and sounding sad. Even as she said it, her arm wrapped around Reyn¡¯s waist, her chest touching his left arm. ¡°He¡¯s the robber,¡± Reyn said, pointing to Seff. Natali was still holding the bare candle when she leaned over, exposing more of her chest to Seff, and placed the candle in one of the candleholders Seff held. Seff¡¯s mouth gapped open a bit. ¡°Well, that¡¯s perfect,¡± Natali said in a self-assured tone, one that seemed to signal a coming explanation about why everything was so perfect. ¡°We three,¡± Natali circled her finger round once, ¡°seem to be in a bit of a bind. I have an idea which will suit all of our needs.¡± Natali¡¯s arm still wrapped around Reyn¡¯s body. ¡°Great, now we¡¯re getting suggestions from her,¡± Seff sighed defeatedly as he leaned against the nearest wall and laid his head sideways against it. ¡°Can¡¯t hurt,¡± Reyn said, ¡°She was really sharp in class, if I remember right.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m good at solving problems, and this is a really great problem. It seems I know Zander¡¯s identity, and he doesn¡¯t want to commit cold-blooded murder and¡ª¡± ¡°But I do,¡± Seff turned to her, his voice laced with hate. Natali said, ¡°Thank you for your honesty, but it seems you¡¯re a team, and¡ª¡± ¡°And, I guess you¡¯re too damned pretty to kill,¡± conceded Seff, ¡°Not sure how that happens though.¡± Seff looked at Reyn. Natali smiled before continuing, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that was a thing either.¡± Natali looked at Reyn for a moment before continuing, ¡°So my idea is this: you two continue to rob and steal and I get fifty percent of all the money and I won¡¯t turn you in.¡± ¡°What?¡± Seff bounced up off the wall with indignation, a candleholder held high in the air ready to strike her down. ¡°Can we kill her nooow?¡± Natali stepped back from Reyn. With one hand hidden behind her back, Natali gestured with her other, ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand. My father is in a dangerous amount of debt, and no one knows it and if they did, he¡¯d lose his job. I have to save him. He doesn¡¯t have the money, and they¡¯re going to kill him. But if you guys help me, then everything will be just fine, and we could really be good friends. What do you think?¡± finished Natali. Seff slumped down all the way until his butt hit the floor. ¡°I just wanted the candleholders,¡± Seff muttered, laying them on his lap. Reyn just stood there speechless while Natali took turns smiling at Reyn and Seff. Natali took a step forward and took a close look at Seff. His eyes were closed, and his head and body rested slumped against the wall. Natali slowly sat down next to Seff. Natali whispered to Seff, ¡°Why¡¯d you want to kill anyone?¡± Instead of looking to Natali, Seff looked to Reyn. Seff said, ¡°This is your fault. I would have killed her.¡± ¡°Why though?¡± Natali asked. ¡°Saw us stealing,¡± Seff said, turning to her. ¡°So why didn¡¯t you run?¡± ¡°Easier to kill than run,¡± Seff said, ¡°It¡¯s so much easier to kill. I¡¯m tired of running. It¡¯s just easier, and I am really, really tired of running.¡± ¡°On the run, ay?¡± Natali said. ¡°No. But if we run, our description from you would go everywhere. If it does, then they may find us. It¡¯s much easier to kill you than to risk what could happen. I still think we should kill her, Reyn.¡± Natali punched Seff in the arm. ¡°Who¡¯s they?¡± ¡°Ow, people,¡± Seff conceded as he rubbed his arm. ¡°I punched the statement, not you. What is your name? My name is Natali.¡± ¡°Seff.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s Reyn, not Zander? You called him Reyn just now,¡± Natali asked. After a pause, Reyn said, ¡°Yes.¡± Natali and Seff remained silent side-by-side. ¡°I have an idea,¡± Reyn added. ¡°My idea is that we let Natali live, unless she tells on us.¡± Natali nodded and then said, ¡°Provided that I get fifty percent of everything you rob.¡± ¡°That is impossible,¡± said Seff. ¡°If we get caught again by another pretty girl, we¡¯ll be robbing for free.¡± ¡°I can help you not get caught,¡± Natali said. ¡°How?¡± Seff asked. ¡°I know all the places with money and valuables. My father is the treasurer for the city. I tag along sometimes to different places.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still not getting fifty percent.¡± ¡°A third then. Equal partner.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re not going to be doing any of the robbing,¡± Seff said. Natali shrugged, ¡°I might. But, information is more important than doing the robbing. It would explain why I caught you.¡± ¡°Fine. We¡¯re new to town anyway. You get half of Reyn¡¯s and a sixth of mine,¡± Seff pointed at Reyn and then himself. ¡°Uh,¡± Natali said as she thought about the numbers. ¡°Yes, sounds good.¡± ¡°Whoa,¡± said Reyn. ¡°That¡¯s not fair, not even close.¡± ¡°Life isn¡¯t fair, it would seem,¡± Seff quipped. ¡°You¡¯re the one who prevented the most direct solution in the first place, so you get the greatest penalty. Not hard to think about, unless you want to agree to my original solution.¡± Natali punched him, hard, in the arm again. ¡°Still violent¡­¡± Seff quipped. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Reyn said. ¡°Sounds fine.¡± ¡°So, Seff is a sorcerer? I saw the fireball over his shoulder lighting the way,¡± Natali asked. Seff cursed and said, ¡°No one¡¯s a sorcerer. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°I saw the fireball. Is it Zander? Is he a thief and a sorcerer?¡± Natali smiled at him. Her eyes in the candlelight melted Reyn¡¯s heart. ¡°No dammit, it was my fireball,¡± Seff said. Natali looked over to Seff with a smile. Reyn added, ¡°But I am also a sorcerer.¡± ¡°No, he isn¡¯t,¡± Seff said. ¡°Yes, I am,¡± Reyn said. ¡°You¡¯re both sorcerers?¡± Natali¡¯s face scrunched up in disbelief. Seff growled, ¡°Fine, yes, you¡¯ve got us. We¡¯re both sorcerers, although I wish Reyn would have stayed quiet about it.¡± Natali said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe that you¡¯re both sorcerers. Cast something for me.¡± Seff immediately began casting a fireball while Reyn began on his puff of air. The fireball appeared small and then grew large between Seff¡¯s hands. Meanwhile, Reyn had already failed to cast his puff of air once. Natali, satisfied with Seff, turned her full attention to Reyn. ¡°Do you need some help, Zander?¡± Natali asked, her voice showing concern as Reyn knotted his face into different emotions. ¡°No.¡± ¡°What spell is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a puff of air. I hope to blow you down with it, if I, uh¡ªjust let me cast it,¡± Reyn said, ¡°Now I have to start over. Don¡¯t distract me.¡± Seff had no doubt of Reyn¡¯s talent, so he just let him fail another six casts in front of the girl he had a crush on. ¡°Seff,¡± Natali said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you help him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the spell he is trying to cast. It¡¯s an air spell that I don¡¯t know. He¡¯s just failing,¡± Seff chuckled. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try another spell?¡± Natali suggested. ¡°It¡¯s the only one I know,¡± Reyn said. ¡°That is unfortunate,¡± Natali said. ¡°Do you know more than one spell, Seff?¡± ¡°Many more.¡± Natali stood and pointed at Seff, ¡°Earlier, you mentioned they were searching for you. Who¡¯s they and why are you guys on the run? Did you kill somebody, Seff?¡± Seff glared at her, and Reyn was silent. Tense moments in the dim candlelit hall passed by. Natali laughed, ¡°So serious. I was just curious. Anyway,¡± Natali yawned. ¡°It¡¯s getting late.¡± ¡°It is,¡± Seff said. ¡°We¡¯re taking the candlesticks, right?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Natali said. ¡°Also, let¡¯s meet tomorrow after school at Wen¡¯s Fresh Fish stand in the Benelid Market. If you can¡¯t find it, just ask anyone. I¡¯ll think about some places we can rob in the meantime.¡± Reyn and Seff agreed and left the house through the front door. ¡°I think that really went well, except I couldn¡¯t cast anything,¡± said Reyn, thinking of Natali. So daring. So bold. Sharp too. Damn smart. Damn pretty. Reyn thought he was the luckiest man in the world. ¡°Are you cracked?¡± Seff said. ¡°No. No one died. You can sell the candlesticks for rent money. And, we made a new friend who knows everything about the city, it seems.¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t go very well at all. Natali could turn us in and set a trap for us in the Benelid Market. She¡¯s already suspicious and probably thinks we¡¯re cold-blooded killers.¡± ¡°Could be worse.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°She could have been a talented sprinter, outran us, and alerted the entire town. Although, I think as it is we¡¯re getting blackmailed,¡± Reyn said as they walked down the street together. How had he let himself and Seff get blackmailed? He wasn¡¯t quite sure. Seff grimaced, ¡°All thanks to you, Reyn.¡± Chapter 13a Chapter 13 ¡°What exists beyond the oceans? Another continent? An island? Water? I can only guess that it¡¯s hell itself, for why would no one return?¡± ¡ªCommon sailor Unlike the markets far to the south, the Benelid Market in Belladder contained little variety in its wares except for seafood which existed in seemingly unending rows of chilled and filleted fish along with a plethora of crabs, oysters, clams, lobsters, squid, etc. Specialized fishing ships went far north, using some of its ice to keep their catch cold. Other less common types of food included vegetables and fruits hardy to a northern climate, fresh chicken and pork, and different types of exotic meats. All of these were offered in the market cooked, gutted or whole. Natali, Seff and Reyn met next to some live jumbo crabs. ¡°Natali,¡± said Seff. ¡°This market is pretty interesting.¡± Seff had been to many markets, but never on the northern shore. The plentiful variety of seafood impressed him. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the most wonderful market in the world. It¡¯s got everything you could ever eat.¡± ¡°Where are the peaches and oranges?¡± Reyn poked and smiled. Seff knew Reyn was joking, as only an idiot would think that those would be offered in such a cold climate. ¡°Oh, who cares? You have whale, crab and fish that swim upside down,¡± Natali held her hand palm up. Reyn noticed he could see Natali¡¯s other hand now all the time while she spoke¡ªunlike the previous evening. It hung at her side naturally. Reyn wondered what she had been hiding. ¡°Do they taste good?¡± asked Seff. ¡°No, not at all, but that¡¯s not the point,¡± said Natali. ¡°They have everything you could want¡ªlook there¡¯s some octopus tentacles. And if you don¡¯t like their tentacles, there¡¯s some whole squid around here somewhere. I¡¯m sure we can find some cooked so you can sample it. Or do you like them raw? Maybe alive?¡± Natali raised an inquisitive eyebrow. Seff shook his head, giving an awkward smile. Reyn said, ¡°So do you have anything you really like here that we should try?¡± ¡°I love it all,¡± smiled Natali. ¡°We¡¯re never going to get anything done,¡± said Seff. He realized that Natali would probably do little else than shove a variety¡ªalive and raw¡ªseafood at them until they puked. ¡°Let¡¯s just get food, put it in a sack and go to my place.¡± Reyn frowned at him, ¡°My father won¡¯t be back until late, so we can eat at our place. It¡¯s a bit... bigger.¡± Natali and Seff agreed, and they were soon eating in Reyn¡¯s cramped apartment. ¡°So, Natali, do you have any good targets?¡± said Seff. ¡°Hundreds, naturally,¡± said Natali, too quickly for Seff''s liking. ¡°Well?¡± he asked. He was suspicious of Natali¡¯s too-broad answer. ¡°Do you want something big, small, medium, in-town, out-of-town, in-between-town, high, low, river, sea, government, private, residential, commercial; what type of place do you want to rob?¡± asked Natali. She smiled after seeing their puzzled faces. Reyn liked the way Natali rattled off the list. He admired her sharp response to Seff¡¯s overbearing prodding. Seff didn¡¯t know what to say after Natali¡¯s ridiculous line. He knew she had probably thought up the line and memorized it. Maybe she hadn¡¯t, but her evasive answer, if it could be called that, annoyed him. He decided to play along, hiding his frustration as well as he could. ¡°Well, something easy. Like, small, out-of-town, maybe commercial or government.¡± ¡°Ok, you can go after the secondary harbor import office or Goff¡¯s Packages.¡± ¡°What is Goff¡¯s Packages?¡± Reyn asked. ¡°It¡¯s an exceptionally fast regional delivery service,¡± said Natali, ¡°They do a ton of business, and they only close for four hours. There¡¯s a five-man crew at the specific station I¡¯m thinking about, and they carry quite a few valuables on the wagons and horses. The wagons carry anything heavy. The horseback couriers carry anything light like letters, money or jewels. The station itself is not important, nor the amount of money that they have in the station. However, the packages are possibly worth a nice amount.¡± ¡°Who guards it?¡± Seff asked. ¡°A guard. The packages themselves are in an underground basement.¡± ¡°How do we get into the basement?¡± asked Seff. He was focused now, his irritation slipped to the back of his mind. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°We go by the tunnel that leads from the barn to under the stationhouse.¡± ¡°Tunnel?¡± ¡°Yes, very few people know about the tunnel. I was down there a little while ago with my father. We were picking up a package, and they let him down there while they looked for it. Normally, we would need to break in through the front which is regularly patrolled. ¡°So, we go into the barn and make our way into the stationhouse?¡± ¡°Yes, after we melt down the iron door,¡± Natali said. Seff grimaced. He knew what it would take to melt an iron door¡ªespecially one made for security purposes. ¡°What?¡± Reyn asked. ¡°They have one iron door. It is barred and locked at night from the inside when they¡¯re sleeping. As you are both sorcerers, supposedly,¡± Natali winked at Reyn, ¡°Then we should be able to melt the door.¡± Reyn glared for a second at Natali, showing his displeasure at her doubt. Seff let a smile slip but neither saw it. He was impressed by Natali¡¯s ability to irritate them, yet still, get her way. For the first time, Seff could see what had attracted Reyn to Natali. He changed his thoughts to the iron door. He asked, ¡°And that¡¯s all that¡¯s stopping us from getting into the basement?¡± Natali said, ¡°That, and we have to get into the barn without making noise, just in case one of them is awake in the stationhouse. Also, there are two levels to the basement. Some of the packages are a low priority and have been sitting in the lower level for a few days. The more valuable ones are normally right by the door ready to be hauled out from the basement.¡± ¡°And the import office?¡± asked Seff, changing targets. ¡°No one is there from nine to three at night. All the ships are in dock and tied up¡ªor should be¡ªand it holds tax revenue and records from every ship going in and out of port. It¡¯s the secondary office, so it doesn¡¯t hold nearly as much money. However, it has no guards. Going after the main one would not work.¡± ¡°Should be an easy take,¡± said Seff, thinking of how hard it¡¯d be to get Reyn to stack heating spells. He wondered if it¡¯d ever work. ¡°Both should be,¡± Natali said. ¡°We can probably rob both the same night,¡± Reyn added. * * * Natali, Reyn and Seff crested the small rise in the road. Ahead of them lay the center of the Market District, a crisscrossing mash of streets. The road curved slightly, so that new shops continued to appear as they walked further. Shops of all types offered their wares on the bottom floors. In the second through fifth floors of these ¡®tall¡¯ shops, workers labored to produce the goods sold on the bottom floors. Shoes, coats, gloves, belts, axes and clubs and swords, hats and caps, smoking pipes and cigars of all types, coal, and so much more could be bought on that single s-bend street. Belladder was the last stop for many before fishing, trapping, or hauling lumber from the mountains. ¡°I still don¡¯t know why I had to come along,¡± Natali said. ¡°You¡¯re familiar with all these places; we just got here,¡± Seff said while waving at both sides of the street. ¡°But my family. If they knew I was gone, they would think I was with a boy.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you though?¡± smiled Seff. Natali ignored Seff¡¯s inference and said, ¡°But I¡¯d be watched from then on, unable to help you at all then. You¡¯re risking a lot by having me come with you.¡± ¡°When we know the town a bit better, then obviously you can do¡ªwait¡ªlight. Start walking the other way,¡± Seff directed. The three of them immediately turned about and started walking swiftly in the opposite direction, hoping that no one would see them. The glow of the streetlamps shone dim in the foggy gloom hanging over frigid Belladder. The streets were entirely empty. The moon hung high overhead. The street seemed to allow sight for only a few hundred feet. Interspersed throughout the city were constables patrolling on foot, looking for anything suspicious. This turned out to be most anyone or anything out late on the streets. Few people would legitimately be hauling cargo this late, for no one would be up to receive it. Nor would anyone want to be out in the cold air of this most northern city. A drunk sailor¡ªor one passed out¡ªwould be most common, or a shop keeper returning late, or even another constable. However, three teenagers wandering about would garner the highest of suspicions. The constables, Reyn knew, were comfortable, though. They wore thick coats, a funny looking headdress that fit snugly over their ears and neck, and a custom-fit scarf that wrapped around their nose and mouth. Altogether, warm and snug. ¡°Hurry,¡± Seff said. ¡°Walk faster, once we get by that bend we can start running and go around the other way to Goff¡¯s. Natali, I thought this place was isolated.¡± ¡°It is. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s in the middle of the government plaza,¡± Natali said. The three of them slipped around the corner before the constable had made it around the bend. ¡°Which reminds me,¡± she paused for a moment. ¡°What do we do if we have to talk to a constable. He¡¯s going to ask us a lot of questions that I don¡¯t think we would be wise to answer, especially not with what we¡¯re planning on doing for the next few months.¡± ¡°She¡¯s got a point,¡± said Reyn. Seff said, ¡°We don¡¯t really have many choices. Obviously, the lightning makes too much noise, and the fire takes too long and would allow the constable to scream and maybe even whistle. If we say anything alarming he¡¯ll whistle, so really we only have two choices: Jump him and hope he doesn¡¯t have time to yell or whistle, or just tell him a lie.¡± ¡°Could we talk about the lie?¡± asked Natali. ¡°Nope. If I was a talented kinetic, I could rip his whistle away. But I¡¯m not a kinetic. You¡¯re not a kinetic are you, Natali?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Natali said, ¡°I meant, we need to plan our lie, not not-lie.¡± ¡°As I said,¡± redirected Seff, ¡°We say we¡¯re going back to either our place or your place, which really seems like the better choice, because you could have, in theory, gotten lost and we just happened to be returning late from¡ªsomewhere¡ªand then you knew us because you know Reyn from classes. That should be enough to get us off.¡± ¡°Except for the fact that we¡¯re headed the opposite way than we should be,¡± said Natali. ¡°And who wouldn¡¯t be with an exceptionally pretty girl?¡± Seff said. ¡°And where would you take me if you had your way? Are you sure you don¡¯t want to kill me in one of these alleyways?¡± Natali waved at an alley. Seff jumped on the opportunity to tease back. ¡°Don¡¯t tempt me, Natali, you¡¯re the meanest of blackmailers, using my friend as leverage,¡± he said in a serious tone. Seff was thinking about how annoying she had been when she was evasive while telling them the possible targets. ¡°Whoa, whoa,¡± stormed Natali. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Reyn did not know why Natali had gotten so angry. Seff, also taken aback, mustered, ¡°Wait, what?¡± ¡°I see how it is, Seff. Use everyone, and then when they¡¯re not paying attention, kill them? Really?¡± ¡°I was only kidding,¡± Seff said, laughing it off. ¡°He was only kidding. We wouldn¡¯t do anything to you,¡± Reyn said. ¡°Oh no, I could tell by his tone, Reyn. He was serious,¡± Natali said. ¡°Don¡¯t tempt me guys, I might kill Natali before I can control myself. Don¡¯t tempt me to kill you, Natali. You better straighten up, Natali. Don¡¯t provoke me, Natali.¡± Natali turned to Seff and slapped him across the cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t ever think I¡¯m not your equal, Seff.¡± Chapter 13b Reyn had stopped seconds before the slap, hoping that the fight wouldn¡¯t escalate. He could only stand there and watch as Natali slapped Seff in the face. Reyn did not know what to say. Seff turned to Natali as the slap happened, and he only glared at her as she too glared at him. ¡°I was kidding. And that wasn¡¯t very nice, Natali,¡± Seff said. ¡°You were serious, and you know it, Seff. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what friends think of each other, so I think I¡¯m going home for tonight. You guys can figure out everything on your own. Have fun,¡± Natali said while turning around. ¡°Wait, Natali,¡± Reyn said, ¡°I¡¯m sure he was kidding.¡± Natali turned back to Reyn. She pointed at Seff. ¡°He wasn¡¯t kidding, Reyn, and you need to learn when people are serious and not serious. This joker thinks he¡¯s a meteor sent from the gods, and he¡¯s not. He¡¯s just another rogue sorcerer.¡± Natali walked to Reyn and put her arm around him, positioning him so they both faced Seff. With that, Natali turned and walked down the cobblestone road. ¡°Hey, Natali,¡± Reyn said, ¡°He didn¡¯t¡ªwell, bye.¡± He knew he could have said something else. However, the words didn¡¯t come to his mind. Natali¡¯s words reverberated too well through his mind, distracting it every time he tried to form a thought. He watched her disappear off into the fog. He glanced back at Seff. Seff was running away. He looked back at Natali. He now wondered if he should walk back with Natali, siding with her. Staring at a Jum-Jum¡¯s Jingles sign, he thought about the potential benefits of going with her. Certainly, she would like him more, but then Seff would be angry that he had left, too. Without him, he might not be able to get through the iron door. He looked closer into the store¡¯s window. An azr instrument lay displayed right in front. His dad had always wanted a high quality azr¡ªa native drum made from a specific type of seal hide. After laying bricks all day, Reyn supposed that beating on a drum could alleviate some of the frustration that he might have, but he had never asked his father why he would have liked an azr. Reyn was sure there might be an intriguing story behind why he pined for one, but now perhaps¡ªright now¡ªReyn could procure one. He could break right into that store and, within seconds, be holding one. He wondered if his father would appreciate the gift or whether he would start asking questions about where he had bought it from. Probably the latter. His father liked asking the details so he could later tell a story about it. ¡°Hey, you there!¡± shouted a constable down the road. Reyn jumped almost a foot in surprise, exclaiming softly. He turned to see the constable running up the slight hill towards him with his lantern held high and his whistle in his mouth. Reyn started walking towards the constable who let the whistle drop onto his chest. When he got close, the constable said, ¡°What are you doing out here?¡± ¡°I was walking around looking at the storefronts, looking at the sky and admiring the city at night.¡± ¡°Admiring the city at night? This isn¡¯t night, this is past midnight. Have you been strolling the streets all night?¡± ¡°Ah, no, I¡ªuh,¡± Reyn looked for any sign of Seff, but he was gone. ¡°I had trouble sleeping, and my window was open so I could feel the cool breeze outside, and I felt hot under the covers and ornery because I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I just had to get out. Had to. Ever feel like that?¡± ¡°You had your window open tonight? It¡¯s below freezing outside.¡± ¡°Well, yes, I did. Tonight I guess I was feeling a bit stir crazy. I¡¯m sorry to have bothered you.¡± ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you just go back to sleep, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been walking enough for tonight. That reminds me, why were you staring at the shop up there?¡± ¡°My dad always wanted an azr, and I was wondering when this shop opened. Then I started thinking about the flute which I played when I was younger and how much better a good flute might sound compared to a bad flute¡ªwhich is what I had and¡ª¡± ¡°Fine, fine, you just go home. I don¡¯t want to see you out here again tonight. Goodnight, goodbye.¡± Reyn headed down the street where Natali had disappeared some moments before. He thought it was sad that Seff would be alone now. However, he really couldn¡¯t take the risk of getting caught again. He was sure there¡¯d be a record of the constable stopping a young man on the same night a store was robbed, but surely there would be others stopped that same night and added to the list. Fortunately, the constable hadn¡¯t asked his name. As he walked down the road, he could hear the constable¡¯s footsteps fade. He thought of two options¡ªno three options. He could now trace back to the store going the way that the trio had originally planned. Or, he could find where Natali had gone and join her in a nice quiet conversation without Seff¡¯s interference¡ª¡®tempting¡¯, as Seff himself would say, Reyn thought. Or he could just go back home and go to sleep. The choices rolled around in Reyn¡¯s head. He couldn¡¯t quite decide what to do until he realized that Natali¡ªbeing angry¡ªhad probably run back home so she couldn¡¯t possibly be missed by her family. That, and it could be very possible that Seff was already inside the barn working on the doors. Without Natali or Seff, he had no idea how to get inside the barn, and he needed to get off the streets. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. With that, he thought over once more how he could possibly catch up to Natali and dismissed it. He started back home, taking a left and not a right at the fork in the road. He hoped Seff would succeed. * * * Seff couldn¡¯t believe that he had encouraged the move to this frozen place to hide Reyn. He didn¡¯t know what he¡¯d been thinking. His fingers felt numb with cold, and the only thing saving them was an occasional fireball he would cast to warm them. He had wanted someplace far enough away as to make it hard for the authorities or assassins to track them down. However, this wintery night pushed him to realize just how cold it was this far north. Standing on the street, outside a tall, wrought-iron fence, he examined the lock into Goff¡¯s courtyard. It was entirely frosted over. He couldn¡¯t believe that he¡¯d have to light up his sorcery in the middle of the road here, with a hundred feet on one end visible and nearly half a mile visible on the other. He could only imagine if a constable saw him lighting up this portion of the street with a nice fireball, the amount of alarm and whistling that would ensue. Knowing that the constables carried two whistles with them didn¡¯t make Seff feel any better. He knew what the two whistles were for. One was for petty matters that the constable wanted help with, but then the second¡ªthe noise of which carried farther¡ªsignaled trouble that required a large amount of backup. Some constables lived to hear that second whistle, to go running to help their comrade-in-need. Ignoring the risk he knew he was taking, Seff lit up the lock, but only after studying the road in both directions. The ice dripped off the lock almost instantly as it heated up. Seff ended the fireball, glancing behind him, checking both ways. He saw no lights and breathed a sigh of relief. He smiled, turned his head back to the lock, which now dripped with a soft pitter-patter on the stones below. Pulling out his picks, Seff quickly picked the heated lock and pulled the gate open as he glanced once more behind him. He had hoped Reyn would be walking up to him now, but he knew that Reyn had been stopped. He had waited and heard the constable shout. Hopefully Reyn had been able to tell a good story. He closed the gate and went to the barn door, heated that lock slower and more carefully as to not catch the wood on fire, picked it, and went inside. He looked for the opening of the secret ramp and found it under some scattered hay. He pulled the trapdoor back and stepped into the gloom, lit up a nice fireball on his hand for light, and continued on. At a steady downward angle, the ramp led Seff to an iron door. The passageway was lined by worn and scratched boards, while the floor was sandy with bits of scattered hay. Seff began casting runes and concentrating on the middle of the door, locking his eyes on it intensely. Moments passed by with no noticeable effect. He knew it would not be immediate. The first minute slipped by, with others soon following. The color change had been imperceptible at first, but the door had started glowing a faint red. The air around Seff grew colder even as the iron got hotter. More time passed as Seff stacked the melting spells one on top of each other¡ªall of them heating the iron from the air bordering it. As he cast each spell, he imagined a different item in a cabin. Stove, stovepipe, table, chair 1, and chair 2, etc. He needed to keep track of each spell in his mind, and a visual representation was one of the techniques to do so. The iron door¡¯s edge lightened to a straw color then started to darken. It was taking much longer than Seff had thought it would. Dawn would break soon. He ended the spell stacks and kicked the hot iron section, hoping it would budge or bend. Nothing. Knowing he only had an hour left before Goff¡¯s opened, he gave up. He exited quietly, setting everything back to the way he remembered it. He walked to the edge of town, near the docks, to the secondary import office¡ªthe one that Natali, Reyn and he were all supposed to rob after taking care of Goff¡¯s. Stars peeked out from the forest canopy as Seff reached the import office. Located where the forest edge met the dock, the small building looked vulnerable to Seff. He eyed the double front doors, eight six-pane windows, and gable roof. Looking closer, he saw the building was painted a drab green. Such ugly paint, he thought, walking up to the window. He cut part of the glass out, unlocked and opened it. When he climbed through, he realized he had made a mistake. A giant dog stood before him, growling. Seff guessed that the dog was a hundred and fifty pounds with a monstrous head. With his eyes on the dog, he lost concentration and just stared back. Nearly all his prepared spells slipped his mind. The dog tensed only a foot away from him with its giant eyes boring into him. Seff thought, at that moment, of only one word: Natali. The word meant so much: Natali, you didn¡¯t tell me about the dog keeping watch in the import office; Natali, you didn¡¯t tell me you had a raging temper that would leave our group split; Natali, where are you to help with this giant mongrel even as a running distraction; Natali, why¡¯d you get so angry¡ªI really was mostly joking; Natali, this dog is huge. The dog barked, shaking the floor. It stepped forward, growling ever louder. The hound¡¯s breath now warmed the outside of Seff¡¯s shirt, and he knew the hound could have opened its jaws and disemboweled him all within a moment. He redoubled his efforts to implement his father¡¯s advice: always keep the wand¡¯s first spell on his mind, even in duress or surprise. Seff said the lightning bolt¡¯s last rune, and cast a white-hot flash of lightning, searing an image of the storage room with a growling, drooling guard hound into his mind. Seff jumped out the window, without even looking to see if the bolt had brought down the beast. His hands shook as he cast the few runes required for another lightning bolt spell. He was not sure that one spell, or any spell, could be potent enough to bring down such a hound. He had never fought a beast before. Looking around to ensure no one had been alerted by the sound or light, he cautiously climbed back in when he was ready. The dog was dead; everything dark. He felt bad for the hound. It was only doing what it was trained to do. A tear formed in one eye. Looking at its peaceful form, he rubbed its monstrous head and left it, in search of loot. He vowed to never forget Natali¡¯s temper and treachery, as he blamed her for how this evening had gone. Even being careful, even obtaining inside information, he had almost died. Seff found various liquor bottles, mostly empty. He took a full one from a tray. After much work, he obtained four sealed bags holding coins from a locked iron door closet¡ªwhich now had a very melted padlock. By stringing the bags together, Seff could rest them on his shoulders, leaving a hand free for the liquor. On the way out, he looked at the dog again. He put the bags and liquor bottle down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, boy,¡± he paused for a moment to stroke the thick fur. ¡°Sorry.¡± It had only been doing what it had been trained to do. His mind flashed to the people who he had killed. Many had only done what they did every day¡­ Seff cut off his train of thought. Better not to think about that. Better to block those moments out. He turned his thoughts to the cold, miserable weather and what was just ahead of him. The window. His mind, ignoring his desires, flashed again to the people. So many faces. So much tragedy. But most of it was inevitable. Most, not his fault. Not his fault. Just¡­ circumstances. Or fate. With that last thought, Seff climbed out with the bags and started home. The liquor stood forgotten next to the dog¡¯s head. He hoped Reyn and Natali had made it home safely. He wondered how much the coins would be worth. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 I receive the same question from every class, and I always answer it the same way. The question is, why is steel so rare? Steel is rare because it is hard to manufacture. Creating it is a complex, time-consuming process, so much time, in fact, that steel¡ªeven though it¡¯s been made for over two millennia¡ªis still rare enough that little is made of it besides blades and tools. -Professor Gio, War Professor for the Imperial Sorcerers¡¯ Academy Bright, angled streaks of sunlight hit Seff¡¯s chest as he lay in bed. He loved the silence, although not as much as conversation or company. He wondered if he was happy. Content, yes, but not happy. Nothing elicited a sharp sense of excitement, shocked with life-or-death decisions. His life had calmed a little, and with that change, he felt as though his happiness had left with it. Where had that happiness gone? Would he ever get it back? His mind backtracked through his memories¡ªsome dark, some happy. The happy memories, singularly, contained Lygan, his adopted father, in them. He wondered why that was. What had been so good about his life with Lygan? He supposed Lygan had been caring. Lygan had shown him love, something now missing. Lastly, Lygan had been a grounding, stable influence upon him, a mentor, showing him the world, sorcery, life and knowledge. His life had turned hard when he ran away from Lygan, harder than even he could have imagined. He knew it would be hard, and he had steeled himself against the cold world. But, no free meals existed out here. No loving embrace. No warm house or bookshelves of the finest stories or spells. After he had run away, that was when his memories turned darker. At that moment¡ªjust before the door opened, he was thinking about a person he had killed. The person¡¯s youthful, betrayed expression had been haunting him. That death, more than any other, tormented him. It turned his nights into nightmares. Everyone else had gotten everything they deserved, even the crowd weeks earlier. At least, that¡¯s what he told himself, but there was no denying the injustice and cruelty that he had brought onto the youth in his dreams. In the doorway stood Reyn and Natali. They had been looking at each other smiling as the door opened. Instinctively Seff rolled his eyes but caught himself before they saw him. They looked at him smiling and closed the door. ¡°Don¡¯t you guys knock?¡± Seff said, sitting up. ¡°Oh, come off your throne,¡± Reyn said. ¡°So, after I got detained by that constable, what happened?¡± ¡°What do you think happened?¡± ¡°You came away a rich man, and you¡¯ve already decided that you don¡¯t need us anymore,¡± Natali said. ¡°No, I¡¯ve got the bags right there. I wasn¡¯t able to get into Goff¡¯s, but the secondary import office was easy. Reyn and I will have to go back to Goff¡¯s to properly break in.¡± Natali started drifting over to the bags as she replied, ¡°I¡¯m not invited to Goff¡¯s?¡± ¡°Of course you are, as long as you¡¯re not going to storm off if I say something in jest,¡± Seff partially lied. ¡°Ah, I think we¡¯re making progress on him, Reyn. Look how relaxed he is? What is that smell?¡± Natali scrunched up her nose. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure,¡± Reyn answered, looking around and sniffing. ¡°It¡¯s foul,¡± Natali said, ¡°Have you sold those silver candleholders yet?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Have you opened any of these bags?¡± Natali asked while pointing to them and then crouching down. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t really felt the urge.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Natali said in a surprised tone as she turned her face from the bags to Seff. ¡°So, you convince Reyn to become a criminal with you, but when you steal alone, you feel no inclination to open the bags to see what you got?¡± Natali looked around the small room, taking it in. ¡°I find that strange. You don¡¯t care at all what¡¯s in these bags?¡± ¡°I care; I just didn¡¯t care enough to go through it and see what was in it.¡± Natali said, ¡°Hm.¡± After the single utterance, she ducked down, grabbed a bag at a time, and lifted them onto the bed. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t put them there,¡± said Seff. ¡°Put them on the floor on the other side. I¡¯ll get up or just sit on the bed as you guys open them.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, move them yourself,¡± said Natali. ¡°Do whatever; I just wanted to lay here and enjoy the silence, and then you guys come in here.¡± Natali pulled up the last bag, making the bed sag, pulling Seff¡¯s lower body into the saggy bed well. Seff rolled his eyes and closed them. Moments passed by. He could hear them opening the bags. ¡°They¡¯re gold!¡± gasped Natali. Seff opened his eyes to see Reyn and Natali with wild smiles on their faces. ¡°Whoa, what?¡± asked Seff. He leaned up quickly to take a good look at the coins. Copper blanks. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not very funny.¡± ¡°See, he does care,¡± said Natali. ¡°I think that Seff really doesn¡¯t care, but it was the way you said it,¡± said Reyn. ¡°Exactly,¡± said Seff has he laid back down onto the bed, but this time he kept his eyes open. Seff felt Natali just liked to poke at him. He didn¡¯t like it. He didn¡¯t understand her. ¡°So, you need to go back to Goff¡¯s?¡± asked Natali. ¡°The door¡¯s thick iron. I need Reyn with me to get through within the time window,¡± said Seff. ¡°Tonight?¡± asked Reyn. ¡°Tonight¡¯s fine,¡± said Seff. ¡°Oh, guys, I think I forgot to tell you something,¡± said Natali. ¡°Ok,¡± said Reyn. Seff sat up a little and looked at her. ¡°I only have three more weeks before I need the money.¡± ¡°How much money?¡± asked Seff. ¡°Enough to buy a big house downtown, probably. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll need much more than that.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re getting a third?¡± Seff asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So, we hit a few houses with expensive jewelry, maybe explore some ships after they dock, and rob a few shops. Doesn¡¯t seem impossible,¡± said Seff. ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking, but I thought you guys needed to know.¡± ¡°Alright, so we need enough for four large houses downtown, just to have some leeway,¡± said Seff. Seff paused to think about how they could steal that much. Three weeks was hardly any time at all. ¡°Damn,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll first need a wagon or something just to haul the stuff to pawn it all. That¡¯s a lot of money, Natali. Don¡¯t you think someone might notice people stealing all that stuff?¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Natali said. Seff stood, ¡°We¡¯ll have to start being really careful with our targets. Let¡¯s see what we get from Goff¡¯s tonight and after we finish that, let¡¯s meet back here tomorrow¡ªafter school. I¡¯m going to wander around and see what I can do about getting to know someone who''ll take stolen goods or see if there¡¯s a thieves¡¯ guild in this town. I¡¯ll see you guys here tonight at midnight.¡± Seff sat up and started putting on a shirt. ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡± said Reyn. ¡°I need to sell these candleholders,¡± Seff said as he grabbed them, ¡°There will be no point in stealing if we can¡¯t fence the goods. Also, I needed the money days ago.¡± ¡°I guess Natali and I can get some food and go somewhere.¡± ¡°Yes, wander around; I don¡¯t care,¡± said Seff as he got up quickly, opened the door, and left. ¡°Hungry?¡± asked Reyn. ¡°Yes,¡± said Natali. * * * Seff talked with an agent of the Belladder¡¯s thieves¡¯ guild. They wanted no part of Seff. Their attitude surprised him, knowing they would take a cut. They told him they had bad experience with sorcerers before and were now more cautious. They told him to check back in a year. Seff knew he would need to travel to more cities and towns to fence the goods. The danger of getting caught with stolen goods was very real. He, certainly, did not trust Natali. She would be helpless if caught, and Reyn was next to useless. He would have to take the risks himself. He met back up with Reyn and Natali late that night. It had taken him most of the evening just to make contact with a guild agent. The conversation on the way to Goff¡¯s was boringly whispered to each other as they crept along the streets trying to avoid anyone and everything. Natali had let her dad know that she would be spending the night at one of her girlfriend¡¯s houses. She was surprised when he didn¡¯t pursue a line of questioning that might expose her lie. He was normally so alert. They arrived at Goff¡¯s after a circuitous route to avoid the patrolling constable. The trip through the locked gate and barn was short and uneventful. When they arrived at the iron door, the conversation changed. After lighting their lanterns, Seff said, ¡°So, I¡¯ve written down the spell for you, Reyn. It¡¯s very simple. Just read it; I¡¯ll correct your pronunciation as needed. You¡¯ll need to stack the spells. We should have probably been practicing stacking, but I really didn¡¯t want random buildings going up in smoke.¡± Reyn glared at Seff and raised an eyebrow before looking at the spell runes. Seff continued, ¡°All Reyn needs to do is cast the heat spell, stack it maybe five or ten or so times, and that door should be getting pretty hot. While he¡¯s doing that, I cast the same spells and, bam, this door should melt like hot butter.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Iron melting like hot butter, eh?¡± said Natali, raising an eyebrow. Seff gave her a glancing look, ¡°Yes, hot butter.¡± ¡°Less talk. Let¡¯s start,¡± Reyn said. ¡°We need to be shielded, just in case something messes up,¡± Seff said. ¡°Well, go ahead and shield me, Seff, and I''ll go sit over there,¡± Natali pointed to the end of the tunnel. Seff cast the sorcery shielding spell on Natali. She walked over and sat down at the tunnel exit ramp. After casting shielding spells on Reyn and himself, Seff let Reyn read the spell runes. He took time correcting Reyn¡¯s pronunciation, timing, and additional runes. Seff knew it would take more time to cast the spell through timing, than emotions, but he did not want to let Reyn know of his immense talent. Seff explained and corrected Reyn for a half hour. Seff did not think more time was needed, as the spell didn¡¯t contain hundreds of runes, rather only a dozen. Being thorough, Seff talked about how spells stack and how the sorcerer must keep part of his mind on each individual spell even though they were the same. Seff explained to Reyn how each spell needed to be individually tracked or they would merge or poof. To do this, the sorcerer needed to associate each spell with some unique entity. Some would use the different spell segments in their wand or staff, while others preferred using a scene from a memory. They would picture a room or environment and assign a spell to each object. In this way, each spell had its own unique location in the sorcerer¡¯s mind. ¡°Ready?¡± Seff asked. Reyn said, ¡°Don¡¯t know why we could have done this in your apartment, but yes, I¡¯m ready. I hate all the little details¡ªhate memorizing stuff and this is almost like school. And just so that all of you know, I hate school.¡± ¡°Okay, well, you want to start with a copper coin, just to see?¡± asked Seff. ¡°Sure.¡± Seff propped a copper coin on the floor against the iron door. ¡°Try not to target the wood.¡± ¡°Unless we want a fire?¡± laughed Reyn. ¡°Yes, unless you want Natali to get pouty that we burned down her target-of-the-night.¡± Reyn said the runes once, imagining an apple. The copper coin did nothing, so Reyn said them again. As before, nothing happened, so he marked the spell in his mind as a second apple with a bite taken out. He said them again and imagined a fountain. ¡°Three times, and it¡¯s not doing anything,¡± Reyn said. ¡°Hm,¡± said Seff as he leaned down slowly to touch the ground next to the coin. It was cold. ¡°No, it¡¯s doing something. You might have the timing slightly off, because I don¡¯t do the spells with timing very often¡ªI mean I really do it hardly at all. The other way is faster.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t I do it the other way?¡± ¡°It¡¯s harder, so don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Seff lied. ¡°Ok, so how many more stacks do I need?¡± ¡°I have no idea. Let¡¯s see how many it takes to melt the coin, ok? I¡¯ll have a cooling spell on my wand ready to cool off the coin. Also, be ready to kill the stacks. I don¡¯t want to have to compete with your heating spells to actually¡ªoh wait. Whoa, that coin is glowing,¡± said Seff. The coin glowed brighter and brighter until it shone almost the color of gold. The wood around it burst into flame then blobbed into a flat bubble of liquid copper, exuding a brilliant sun-yellow color. ¡°Kill it, kill it, kill the stacks,¡± spat Seff as the fire spread and the copper started to bubble. After Reyn managed to stop the spells, Seff squelched the fire with a squelch spell. Natali sat smiling from afar. A few minutes later, after Seff had explained what they would do when the door started melting, Reyn began. Reyn aimed his attention on the center of the door, and Seff hoped that the heat would propagate to the rest of it. Seff watched as Reyn said the spell over and over again. Nothing happened for the first few spells, but then the air began to feel cold as frost formed on the walls. The iron door grew red as the room grew even colder. Ice began to form on the wood and the walls all around them. Seff decided then to start casting his own stacks. The temperature dropped still more. For Seff, the image to separate spells was easy. The first spell was always the hammock. The second, the tree by his head. Third, the other tree by his feet. Then to the right: a bit of moss lying on the ground, the gravel path, the lake to his right, the forest beyond the lake, and the sun tipping towards noon. Then to the left: the cabin, woodpile; the horses: Pecan, Berry, Peah; Lygan¡­ He paused there. Lygan. Why¡­ He drifted off in thought thinking of why Lygan thought he had done the right thing. He couldn¡¯t understand it. When he snapped out of it, he saw the iron door¡¯s middle section completely melted away. ¡°Whoa whoa whoa, stop stop.¡± Seff shoved Reyn. Falling over on his butt, Reyn cleared the stacks. The air had grown beyond frigid. An icicle hung from Reyn¡¯s nose and chin. Seff looked back at Natali, and she looked normal as though she herself had cast some sort of spell to warm herself. The wood at either side of the tunnel around them was coated in inches of lumpy frost; the floor was iced over, his leather shoes stuck fast; the outer edges of the iron door were covered in ice; Seff felt the top of his hair and it was crusty with frost. The tunnel had turned into a frosty cave of white ice combined with the bright orange lanterns and cooling, glowing liquid iron sizzling and spreading across the ice and wood. This made for a burning wood smell in addition to the popping of ice and wood. ¡°What the hell just happened?¡± asked Reyn. ¡°Weren¡¯t you paying attention?¡± asked Seff. He would need to be more careful next time when applying stacks. They had both been lost in concentration. ¡°Hell no, I was trying to juggle all these images and stacks in my mind; my eyes were glazed over, and I was just paying attention to making sure the stacks all hit the iron,¡± said Reyn. Seff cursed in frustration. He would need more time, more spells, just to free them from the ice. Softly chuckling, Natali walked over, sliding, until she slipped on the ice and landed with a resounding thud and a laugh. Seff had been watching her chuckling and saw her slip. He lost concentration on the fireball spell and had to start over. Reyn looked up from his stuck shoes to see Natali laughing and pointing at them. ¡°You guys didn¡¯t even circulate the air, you fools,¡± she said between laughs. ¡°Circulate?¡± asked Seff. ¡°You should know my dad is a sorcerer,¡± said Natali as she slipped again, failing to get up. ¡°He tells me random stuff all the time. He told¡ªhere, you come to me. Help, please.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t. We¡¯re stuck,¡± Seff laughed, sitting down and tugging at his shoes. ¡°My dad tells me stories of stupid sorcerers all the time,¡± she started. ¡°There was this one guy who blew up an island¡ªreally. He blew it up while he was on it. ¡°And then another time, an idiot didn¡¯t circulate the air as he was doing something in a small room. They never did figure out what he was doing, but basically, he froze himself to death. You see, to do sorcery takes something out of the air and out of objects and it makes them colder.¡± After a little while and some well-placed spells, Seff freed their feet. Seff and Reyn waddled to her, careful not to slip on the ice. ¡°So, to prevent,¡± Natali waved her arms, ¡°this mess, you have to circulate the air, which is why we have now brought a ridiculous amount of ice down here. It¡¯s really cold! Let¡¯s get through that wonderful hole Reyn made.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t make it alone; I helped him a lot¡ªremember that,¡± Seff said. Seff knew he had hardly helped at all. He had perhaps made it to ten stacks. He wondered how many Reyn had gotten to. ¡°I don¡¯t care who made it, let¡¯s get going. Help me up.¡± By that time, Reyn and Seff were positioned next to her. Each one grabbed a hand and heaved her up. After a few minutes of sliding and waddling carefully down the tunnel, they had climbed through the hole and into Goff¡¯s basement storeroom. All three now split up, with lanterns of their own, to explore. The contents of the basement were scattered around and didn¡¯t give up many clues to what things were. Nondescript barrels, chests, boxes, crates, and packages were seemingly piled everywhere. ¡°Hey Seff,¡± whispered Reyn. ¡°What should we be prying open?¡± ¡°Everything,¡± said Seff. ¡°Pry into everything you can. If something is locked, melt the lock. Just be quiet about it.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we look for a logbook?¡± asked Natali. ¡°Why don¡¯t you look for the logbook¡ªif there is one¡ªand I will continue being destructive,¡± said Seff as he ripped open a paper-wrapped package. Natali watched him as he pulled out two linen shirts. Natali searched for the logbook as Reyn and Seff continued to spew random contents onto the ground. Reyn soon found a box addressed to the Imperial Sorcerers¡¯ Academy in care of a Miss Velia Ne. As soon as Reyn had seen the label, he set his lantern down nearby and quickly pried the box open with a crowbar he had found. The contents were black, so he retrieved his lantern and lifted it to peer inside. Books. Lifting them up one by one, he examined the titles: The Sea, Men and Gods; The Gods and Their Creatures; Obscura: Rare and Unique Beasts; The Legendary Sea Continent; My Great Voyage: A Journey into the Unknown. The last one hooked Reyn into rearranging a few of the barrels and sitting down by the lantern to see what it was about. Reyn turned to the first page and began reading: I don¡¯t remember when I first tasted ocean waves, but I do remember the day that I fell in love with sailing. My father was a great fisherman of sea beasts. He could throw a harpoon faster than he could smile. The day I fell in love with sailing, the waves were toppling over the bow, soaring above us as we dove our ship through the troughs and crests. The sea was lit by only the moon, and we fought to stay alive. My mother busied herself below deck, trying to stay out of the way, although thinking back at it now, I bet she was working the bilge pumps. I creeped up a small staircase where I could stare at the men bustling around the top deck, hearing my father shout orders. The sea appeared and disappeared as we flew down and up the waves. I stuck my tongue out to taste the tang of the salt¡ªsomething I still do. After a while, staked out on the staircase, I heard my father scream ¡°Unfurl the sails to a quarter. Tonight, we dine on unicorn, for there she rises.¡± Of course, now, few have ever seen a giant sea unicorn for sailors today are soft. The risks of sailing in polar waters are known. Each year, nightmarish weather and beasts claim a quarter of all who venture there. Some beasts can wreck the best-built ships by battering into the boards or cracking the hull. The smartest will only surface once, eye your ship, and disappear. If it¡¯s ornery, your ship may be savagely attacked from beneath and sunk within the hour. Against the smart ones, there is little a sailor can do. Tales of men leaping into the water, harpoons in hand, to protect their ships have been told, along with the bloody outcomes. Great gushes of white spray scattered all across the air and floor. They fed my entertainment as the men¡ªsome armed with harpoons¡ªclambered up the swaying rope ladders. The ship rocked all over and even shuddered against the greatest of the waves. The wind¡¯s roar excited me as I held for my life atop the seven-foot ladder. My eyes began to¡­ Reyn lost track of time as he read. ¡°What in the hell are you doing?¡± asked Seff. He had noticed a lantern not moving and had walked over. Reyn looked up at Seff nearby, ¡°Uh, appraising these books. They should be worth something,¡± said Reyn, holding up My Great Voyage: A Journey into the Unknown. Seff growled, thinking of the waste of time, ¡°Put them by the entrance and keep looking.¡± Reyn headed off and put the books by the door. Seff and Natali came over to him. ¡°I found the logbook,¡± said Natali with a beaming smile. ¡°Reyn,¡± said Seff. ¡°Just light up some more lanterns. We need to be able to navigate quickly. We can divvy up these pages and look for the most valuable stuff properly. You go find some lanterns. Natali and I will start reading the logbook for valuable inventory.¡± Seff and Natali went through the logbook. Natali read faster than he did¡ªhe tried skimming quicker than her, but then she¡¯d find things he had missed. Eventually he relaxed and let Natali mark everything as Reyn went around lighting up the different areas. There was no beating her, except in sorcery and that gave him a little comfort. Soon, the entire storeroom was filled with lit lanterns. Directions, questions and answers flew across the basement as the three of them tried to locate different valuable packages. ¡°Natali, could you see what¡¯s up there in that corner?¡± asked Seff, pointing to a dark corner forty feet away. ¡°Sure,¡± Natali said. She didn¡¯t mind taking direction. Less tension. Less likely to have to reveal she knew sorcery to the boys. Natali headed that way with a lantern in hand. Ten feet above her, a wide shelf lined the wall. She arrived at the corner with her lantern in hand, along with a piece of paper with the more valuable storage numbers scribbled on it. She looked through the lower crates quickly, and then brought a ladder and climbed onto the upper shelf. Shining the light at each crate, she finally found one with a number they were interested in. Setting her lantern down on the edge, she picked up the small box and put it down near the lantern. Looking down, she knew it would be awkward to descend the ladder with the box, so went without it, got a crowbar, and climbed back up. She wedged the crowbar into the box and pulled, but the lid didn¡¯t budge. She grunted with disgust. She repositioned herself and yanked much harder. This time the lid popped off, pushing the box into the lantern, knocking it off the edge and onto the floor below. Natali gasped. Straw, sawdust, and wood splinters from many years of packing and storing covered the floor. The lantern broke open, spilling the oil contained at the bottom, which ignited. In the moment when the lantern turned the floor into fire, Natali realized why Goff¡¯s was closed at night: reduction of fire risk. She looked around the basement, and she saw wide thin windows which would let the sunlight stream through. The sound of shattering glass and the woosh from the fire signaled Reyn and Seff what had happened, but it took them a moment to react. Natali stood on the ladder, stunned at the fire¡¯s gusto. She gaped as it spread below her, the air itself seeming to explode in fire. She cursed and moved to climb down, but realized that the ladder itself was aflame along with the floor all around it. Reyn and Seff had been on a high shelf behind a heavy crate, looking at crate numbers. They climbed down and ran to her. The flames leapt up ferociously around Natali, motionless on the shelf. The ladder was in the midst of the roaring fire. ¡°Do something,¡± Reyn shouted to Seff. ¡°Uhhh,¡± said Seff. He silently began to cast a squelch spell. He concentrated on saying the runes with the proper emotions, careful to hit them perfectly. He knew Natali was in trouble. He looked back to see what Reyn was doing, and he was gone. Seff cast his spell onto the fire. The spell smothered a small patch of fire, but immediately it was caught again by the surrounding flame. ¡°It¡¯s too big,¡± shouted Seff. ¡°Get me down,¡± screamed Natali, panic in her voice. ¡°I¡¯m coming,¡± shouted Reyn. Reyn came running with another ladder, but stopped fifteen feet short with fire blocking his way. ¡°I can¡¯t get to you,¡± said Reyn. Seff could see Natali coughing from the smoke. Seff ran to Reyn while shielding himself, grabbed the ladder, and started running through the fire. ¡°It¡¯s about time, Seff,¡± said Natali called out. ¡°Sorry, I thought I could put it out,¡± Seff shouted above the roar. ¡°Hey, is anyone down there!¡± shouted an unknown voice. Seff¡¯s and Natali¡¯s gaze locked awkwardly on both ends of the ladder. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 ¡°The Isle of Vand is a quiet refuge governed by its own people. Every fifty or so years, someone tries to take it over and fails. Any boats that get near are besieged by fireballs, and any man who swims there, never returns.¡± ¡ªQuote from the book Little Known Tribes and Kingdoms Reyn noticed a man standing at the doorway from the floor above. ¡°Hey! Is anyone down there!¡± the man shouted. Holding a bright lantern, the man could be seen, peering into the well-lit, fiery gloom of the basement. He put the lantern down onto the railing and pulled out his bow as he caught a glimpse of Reyn looking at him. ¡°Hey, you there, halt or I¡¯ll shoot,¡± the man pointed. Reyn said nothing as he ducked behind a wall of crates and boxes. As he did so, he got much closer to the fire and started coughing. ¡°Seff, shield me,¡± shouted Reyn. Seff was making his way up the ladder to save Natali while in the process of casting another shielding spell for her. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to wait,¡± said Seff. ¡°There¡¯s a guy up there with a bow who¡¯s going to shoot us.¡± ¡°Just hold on.¡± Seff adjusted the newly aflame ladder against the shelf and finished the second shielding spell, casting it on Natali. ¡°Get down from there, Natali,¡± said Seff. ¡°You¡¯re shielded.¡± ¡°You could have shielded the ladder too,¡± Natali said as she started climbing down. Seff groaned and ran over to the far end of the wall of crates and boxes, peeking his head around the corner. He could see the man change the direction the bow was aimed. As Seff eased his head back, an arrow cut through the space where his head had just been. He felt the breeze pass by his cheek and heard the crunching thud of it impacting wood. He began casting a lightning bolt spell as he looked back at Natali. He had forgotten to fill his wand with spells after stacking everything he had onto the iron door. His father would have been disappointed. Natali was slowly climbing down from the ladder when he remembered that Reyn wasn¡¯t shielded. ¡°Hold on, Reyn,¡± said Seff, ¡°Going to shield you from the smoke and fire.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± shouted Reyn. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are but could you put the bow away?¡± ¡°You ran, so now you¡¯re dead; along with your buddy,¡± shouted the guard. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have broken in.¡± Seff rolled his eyes hoping it wouldn¡¯t affect the spell too much and cast it onto Reyn. He then resumed the lightning bolt spell. Reyn hurried through the fire to him. Natali was close behind. Seff peered out from behind the crate to see what the guard was doing. The guard crept slowly towards the boxes, his bow drawn. Reyn poked Seff in his neck and asked, ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Seff lost his concentration and the spell fizzled. Seff shot a glance to Reyn, ¡°Don¡¯t poke me in the neck. Tap me on the shoulder next time. Damn. We need to get out of here. Just be quiet so I can finish this spell,¡± Seff answered. He started casting again. Natali finally reached them and only overheard ¡®finish this spell¡¯, so she asked with a moment¡¯s hesitation, seeing as neither were talking, ¡°What are we doing?¡± ¡°Dammit, be quiet. Let me finish the spell!¡± shouted Seff, an edge to his voice. * * * Woss Bilen¡¯s nickname was Cardman. His wife had left him years ago, and he blamed himself for it. A professional gambler, he played cards like an artist. His wife hadn¡¯t minded at first, but after a while, his long absences had bothered her. After she left, he quit playing cards and instead took up a night watchman job. He told his friends that he gave up cards since there was nobody to greet him when he came home after his triumphs. The hallways were empty as was the bedroom, and he had loved to tell grandiose stories of himself outfoxing the other players at the table to his wife. But the truth was that, he had not quit because she had left him. Instead, within a few months of her leaving him, he lost his entire bankroll. Affecting his patience, mood, and timing, she had ruined his mental aptitude for the game. He told his friends, all gamblers, that he had lost his love for the game. They pushed him all the same, unaware he had no money. One evening, they gave him chips, knowing that he would be good for it. He lost those chips within an hour of being dealt his first hand. When he left, he said he would pay them back. He did, eventually, as he always had. He was honest and paid his debts. His friends continued to ask him to play with them. And each time, he declined. He told himself that it wasn¡¯t that he was afraid to lose, but instead, that he didn¡¯t find fun in it. He was sure he could get back into it, but his passion for the game had left him. Holding a lantern up, he turned left around a counter. Every thirty minutes he would take a walk around. He knew he could hear if anything happened, but some burglars were quieter than others. He¡¯d rather not be stabbed in the back. He always brought cards with him to work and played with them occasionally. He¡¯d play tricks with them, getting better at hiding the cards. At cheating. He imagined grand strategies and plays that would render him the winner over his competitors with a stone face, yet in reality, he would be cheating. Or maybe not, but it was good to have options. He felt in his heart that a comeback into life and cards was inevitable for him. Soon. His mind had been feeling better recently. Her face had begun to blur, and he thought of her less frequently. The quiet nature of his work during those black hours of close had helped him. He sat back down. Quiet and safety. His hobby had been archery for the past five years. Had it been five? Or six? He couldn¡¯t remember. The years ran together. He had even won some competitions with the bow. He could pick a man off, reliably, at a hundred paces. Any thief who broke into Goff¡¯s would be a dead thief. He chuckled at the thought. Although he had gained a sagging round belly through the effortless guard work, he had grown to tolerate his new job. As much as he enjoyed the edge and thrill of the different card games, his sober nights bled exotic adventures and travel, something he had never experienced firsthand. In the blackest corners of the world¡ªand, in Cardman¡¯s case, boxes and crates at Goff¡¯s¡ªrested some of the best and rarest of treasures. When no one else was awake, Cardman would explore some of the less-secure packages. He would peruse the shipping manifests, looking for interesting items. Occasionally, he would explore without looking anything up and disappoint himself. So many packages contained boring items. Hardly ever was there an animal, weapon or jewelry. Cardman enjoyed this dangerous liberty often but never took anything and always resealed everything when he was done. He liked to gamble. It would cost him his job if anyone found out. He was perusing the shipping logs when he heard something and then a scream. He cursed. Shouldering the bow, he made sure he was ready. He had his sword, arrows, everything. First time in five years, maybe six, and he was going to kill someone. Unless they gave themselves up. But what thief gives up after being caught? They always run. He¡¯d run, and he wasn¡¯t even a thief. He chuckled to himself at the excitement. He ran down a flight of stairs expecting someone to be on the ground floor. Nothing. He cursed again. The basement? Really? He wondered how they had gotten in. Maybe they had broken into the ground floor, very quietly, and walked down to the basement? He grimaced. Goff¡¯s would not be happy. He cursed again as he went down another flight and opened the door. ¡°Hey! Is anyone down there!¡± he shouted, panting. The sprinting, he wasn¡¯t used to it. He took a deep breath. The back of the basement was ablaze. He glimpsed something. ¡°Hey, you there, stay there or I¡¯ll shoot.¡± The thing moved, but he shot too late and missed. Barely. There were a few muffled shouts and talking, but he couldn¡¯t see anything, even with half the basement lit up in a celebration of lanterns and fire¡ªwhat bold burglars. The entire building was going to burn down. However, the men upstairs could slow it down if he killed the burglars. They were trapped with no way out, he thought. ¡°Hey,¡± shouted someone. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are but could you put the bow away?¡± ¡°You ran, so now you¡¯re dead along with your buddy,¡± he said. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have broken in.¡± He hoped they would give themselves up or try to flee or hide. He could shoot them in the back, just like practice. Or, he could aim lower. Maybe only wound them. He didn¡¯t know what they were armed with. He heard more talking, so he crept closer, his bow drawn. The fire had spread across the back walls, and the floor was an inferno in places. ¡°Dammit, be quiet. Let me finish the spell!¡± shouted a different voice. He was too far away from the stairs to run. A sorcerer was behind the box, a single one he was sure, as sorcerers were rare. He pulled out his sword and ran towards the edge of the crate wall. His plan was to sprint from the end of the wall and kill whoever had the wand or staff; they would be the sorcerer. He thought about charging around the corner with his bow, but what if they were right there. They could just take it away from him or pounce upon him. He would have to run and hope he reached them before the sorcerer killed him. ¡°Run!¡± he heard them shout. It made him angry that he had gained so much weight. Don¡¯t run. He cursed. He turned the corner running and could see them right there. Just a few yards away. They were slow. Praise the gods! He sprinted after them with renewed vigor. They were almost within swiping distance. He continued to gain until they began pulling away. They all skidded around a corner. He almost had them, but he slid too far. He almost fell, but kept pursuit.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. He choked on the smoke and coughed. His lungs burned, and his arms felt weak. Surely, he couldn¡¯t be faulted for letting a quick sorcerer and his friends get away. He turned around and lost his balance. His sword clanged into the wood floor. He slipped, recovered and started running away. He heard the crack and felt a jolt of pain. He fell and slid. Pinned beneath his body, his left arm scraped across the floorboards. He lost consciousness. * * * When he heard the clattering sound of the claymore, Seff panicked, thinking the man was directly behind him. Seff¡¯s spell had only needed a few more seconds. The distance gained by running had afforded him the extra time. However, he had found it harder to cast the spell on the run, so it had taken longer than he had expected. Still though, he knew the man was behind him and he needed to act or die. He turned around and shot the man in the back with a lightning bolt. Natali, still running, looked back when she heard the lightning crack, and they both saw the man crumple face first, skidding along the sawdust covered floor, sliding away from them. Natali stopped and ran back to Seff, shoving him with all her might onto the floor. She screamed, ¡°What the hell was that? He was running away, you heartless, cutthroat, murdering bastard!¡± Seff fell backwards hard onto the ground. His fall was only cushioned by his hands and forearms. The fire was nearly upon them. Flames licked the ceiling. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Seff. ¡°I didn¡¯t know. I thought he was about to kill us.¡± ¡°He¡¯s fat!¡± pointed Natali. ¡°He¡¯s a tub. He couldn¡¯t catch us if he wanted to.¡± ¡°I heard a sound behind us¡ª¡± started Seff. ¡°Did you kill him?¡± interrupted Reyn. Simultaneously, Seff and Natali answered with ¡®I hope so¡¯ and ¡®I hope not¡¯, respectively. Natali responded with a kick to Seff¡¯s leg as hard as she could while he lay on the ground. She glowered over Seff even as he tried to scoot away from her. He was thankful that Natali did not have a sword. Then her facial expression changed and then flashed back to what it had been, all within a moment¡ªalmost unnoticeable. But he saw it in her eyes and lips. It betrayed her, but, it couldn¡¯t be. Natali wasn¡¯t a sorceress, Seff knew. That flash of a different facial expression--it was so similar to what he¡¯d sometimes seen from his adopted father who was a fantastically skilled sorcerer. While casting spells, facial expressions¡ªpurposely kept hidden by skilled sorcerers for strategic reasons¡ªwould occasionally exhibit themselves externally before disappearing again. Even the best of sorcerers would sometimes let an expression slip for an instant. Swapping between different emotional states to ¡®lock¡¯ in the runes was necessary for sorcery, and if a sorcerer saw their expression, they could guess at what they were casting (and thus giving them an edge). It had only been a flash and her face had returned to normal. Was she a sorceress? Seff¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Seff glanced to her hands¡ªboth visible, and Seff thanked the gods. No wand in her hand meant the spell would be ¡®hot¡¯, not stored. But he wondered if that was a good thing. Seff again panicked, knowing that if it was hot, she¡¯d be able to cast it whenever she wanted. If she knew how, she didn¡¯t need a wand to funnel the spell, only her hand or finger held in the general direction of where she wanted to cast it. But what had happened, Seff wondered. She still stood over him. She could be casting the last spell, and his eyes focused on her lips, hoping to not see them move. If they moved, he was going to run as far away as he could as fast as he could. And maybe, just die. The fiery warehouse raged around them, lighting Natali¡¯s face for Seff to see. He waited and an uneasy silence¡ªwhat had it been, a few seconds?¡ªdeveloped. He was not shielded. If she was a sorceress with a spell half-cast, she could kill him before he could do anything. His breathing stopped with pure fear and panic. Time seemed to slow. He was helpless. He almost cried out for help from Reyn, but he had no time. Even if he did, he feared his voice would not work. To cast a full shielding spell took far more time than either a common lightning bolt or fireball. And then, inexplicably, she turned and walked to Reyn, even as Seff scooted further away from her. Seff was mistaken. She wasn¡¯t a sorceress. She wasn¡¯t casting a spell. She was just angry and maybe too emotional. And he was safe. He breathed in with unbound exhilaration, saved from Natali¡¯s wrath only by her unlucky fate. She kicked Reyn in the shin. He heard her foot impact Reyn, and he winced. It took Reyn down to a knee on that one leg. ¡°You guys, we can¡¯t just kill people,¡± she shouted in frustration, surrounded by smoke. Her voice echoed loud throughout the burning warehouse. After, she gave a blood-curdling scream and kicked Reyn in the other shin. Reyn fell onto his side in pain. Reyn yelled at her, ¡°He shot at us. He almost killed me. But it doesn¡¯t matter. We need to leave, if I can stand.¡± ¡°It does matter. He was running away,¡± Natali pointed at the body, ignoring Reyn¡¯s pleas. ¡°He had charged us so that Seff wouldn¡¯t kill him, but then he knew he couldn¡¯t catch us so he ran. What the hell is the matter with you guys.¡± Natali crumpled onto the ground sobbing with her hands held up to her face. Seff got up, and Reyn and Seff watched Natali on the ground crying with her hands covering her face, smoke swirling around them. Reyn coughed and wobbled up onto his feet. ¡°I hope he¡¯s not dead,¡± Reyn said to him. ¡°Seff, isn¡¯t there a different spell you used?¡± ¡°No?¡± A loud pop was heard in the warehouse, and both Seff and Reyn stepped back from the sound. It was the fire having exploded a crate or something. ¡°Nothing that stuns?¡± Reyn asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think there is a stunning spell.¡± ¡°What happens if you don¡¯t want to kill someone?¡± Reyn asked. ¡°Shut up,¡± sobbed Natali, rubbing her eyes. ¡°He¡¯s dead, and we need to go.¡± Natali sat up. Seff said to Reyn, ¡°Well, then I think, you just don¡¯t shoot them if you don¡¯t want them dead.¡± ¡°Guys¡­¡± Natali said. ¡°Well, go check on him,¡± Reyn pointed. ¡°Maybe you didn¡¯t kill him.¡± ¡°Fine, you guys run,¡± Seff said. ¡°Everyone in town is going to be here soon, because that lightning bolt¡ªif you didn¡¯t notice¡ªmakes a lot of noise. And everything¡¯s on fire and popping off. Run.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the guy with the spells,¡± sniffled Natali, standing up, her face red and shiny with tears. ¡°We need you with us.¡± While sprinting over to the man, Seff said, ¡°Fine, let me just make sure this guy isn¡¯t going to burn to death¡ªor something.¡± Seff reached him and rolled him over. He turned to Natali and paused. He didn¡¯t want to tell her, but there was nothing else to say except, ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°Dammit,¡± said Natali. ¡°He was running away. There was no reason. No reason at all.¡± Reyn backed away from Natali just as she swung a right fist through where he had been. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Natali said, sniffling. They all went out through the melted door. The few pieces of loot that they had moved to the door to collect were left, forgotten. The fire behind them roared and crackled as it grew. When Reyn, Seff and Natali emerged from the tunnel into the barn, the barn was empty. They could hear the burning building, but more importantly, voices outside shouting. ¡°People are outside already,¡± said Reyn, looking through a crack. ¡°Hold on,¡± said Seff. ¡°They don¡¯t know what caused the fire, but we can¡¯t be here, and that door is the only way out. They¡¯re not even going to check in the barn for the next few minutes, because the main building is on fire. And if they do check, we can ambush them. We just need to find a way out.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just pick the lock and sneak out?¡± said Natali. ¡°Out through the front? There are a lot of people out there making a lot of noise,¡± said Seff. ¡°I think it¡¯s safer to just knock a hole in the barn if we can and escape through there. Or, or do something. Hm, look for axes real fast, and if needed, I¡¯ll coach Reyn what he needs to cast the spell to blast a hole in the barn.¡± The three of them split up scouring the barn for any axe or similar tool that could be used. Between the narrowest of cracks in the barn, glimpses of yellow and orange could be seen. The fire could be seen to the left, and by the street, they could see the flicker of candles and lanterns. Smoke eased up through the passageway, lit by thin daggers of light sifting through the wood panels. All the while, the fire¡¯s roar intensified. Shouts came from the street. ¡°I found an axe,¡± shouted Natali, holding it up. ¡°Shhh,¡± said Reyn. ¡°Give it here,¡± waved Seff. Natali handed the axe to Seff, who started chopping away. After only a few swings, Seff took off his shirt and handed it to Reyn. The axe dug into the wood boards, snapping them where it hit. Sometimes the axe got wedged tightly, and Seff would lever the axe up and down, freeing it. Seff¡¯s swings were fast and fluid. Soon, there was a workable hole in the barn, and they escaped into the grass lot surrounding the barn. A tall brick wall stood in front of them. ¡°Any ideas?¡± asked Natali. Reyn and Seff eyed Natali before Seff ran back into the barn, only to appear again. He waved at them to come. He had found a heavy, tall ladder in the barn. The three of them dragged it to the wall, escaping into the streets. They took a circuitous route back to their apartment hoping no one would remember them after the authorities found the ladder and traced which way they had gone. Seff didn¡¯t entirely think it was necessary, but Reyn had thought of going around, and Seff was not going to argue. The three of them made it back to the apartment. Seff shut the door, and Natali slumped against the wall. Before the bedside lantern was even lit, Natali squeaked out, ¡°This smell is making me sick. We need somewhere else to meet.¡± Seff choked out, ¡°Sure, but it¡¯s only this bad because the door has been closed all day.¡± Reyn coughed. Ignoring the excuse, Natali said, ¡°Let¡¯s meet at Nobbola Park at midnight. Bye.¡± Without waiting for a response, she left. ¡°Do you think I should go after her and make sure she¡¯s alright?¡± asked Reyn. ¡°No, leave her alone. She¡¯s upset that we killed the guard,¡± said Seff, lighting the lantern. ¡°And we didn¡¯t get any loot.¡± ¡°She¡¯s definitely angry at me, and then she probably feels a bit helpless at how the situation deteriorated.¡± ¡°She knocked over the lantern. It¡¯s her own fault,¡± Reyn said. ¡°Which just adds to her guilt.¡± ¡°But that could have been any of us.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s definitely her fault the guard died. She set fire to the place.¡± Opening the door, Reyn said, ¡°This place stinks. I gotta go too.¡± With that, Reyn left before Seff could say anything. * * * He was waiting for her. Natali came home silently, creeping along the side of the house. She was dressed in her soot-covered dark purple sweater and brown pants. Her face looked like a dark smudgy mess while her hair was frazzled and burnt. Her sandals were scorched black with ash. She opened the window she had left unlocked, looked both ways and stepped through. She turned around and shut the window behind her. He coughed. Natali squeaked and cursed, jumping in fright, turning around and pulling out her wand. ¡°Where were you?¡± her father, Falahgo, asked. Falahgo lit a lantern, adjusting it. ¡°At a friend¡¯s house,¡± Natali answered, putting her wand back in a concealed pouch in the small of her back. Falahgo smiled at the wreck in front of him, as if he had finally caught the last big one in a pond. ¡°Doing?¡± Falahgo asked. Natali knew she looked as though she had been through a forest fire. Natali rolled her eyes calmly at her father and said, ¡°Well, I was in charge of lighting the fire in the fireplace, and I didn¡¯t open the flue. I didn¡¯t realize it until the fire was going pretty heavily. I was in the kitchen with the others when we smelled smoke. By then it was a nice roaring fire. So, I stuck my head up there and opened the flue.¡± ¡°Hm. Did they wonder why you weren¡¯t burnt?¡± ¡°Of course not. They don¡¯t really notice stuff that well,¡± Natali said, trying to side-step her father. ¡°Who¡¯s they?¡± her father asked, blocking Natali with his body. ¡°They are two boys who are very much gentlemen. One is a bit¡­hm¡­how can I say this? He¡¯s an ass. He¡¯s an ass who I don¡¯t like much anymore. The other one just follows the ass around. I don¡¯t know what their problem is, but sometimes I feel like killing both of them.¡± ¡°And?¡± Natali frowned, ¡°And what? Will I see them again? Will they ever see me ever again? I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know anything anymore. I¡¯m going to bed. Can we talk tomorrow morning? I¡¯m really tired.¡± ¡°Natali, I don¡¯t think this can wait. You left a window unlocked, and I¡¯ve been checking the house recently¡ªlocks and everything¡ªand I noticed an unlocked window. I¡¯m not trying to spy on you. What happened tonight? The truth.¡± ¡°I set a fire. I almost got burned, and the boys didn¡¯t do anything to make it better. I don¡¯t think I like either of them anymore. I¡¯m really tired, father. Can I just go to sleep?¡± ¡°No. Why were you there? Are you romantically involved with one of them?¡± ¡°No. I was there just to talk. I have trouble sleeping.¡± ¡°Do you need my help?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± Natali said, wiping away tears before they could fall down her face. He paused before speaking, looking at her closely. ¡°If you¡¯re fine, then why are you crying?¡± ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m just upset about everything tonight with the fire and just everything. Why are you selling everything? Are you in trouble?¡± Natali asked. ¡°Nothing I can¡¯t handle, or at least, I think I¡¯m alright, Natali. You¡¯ll be the first one to know if I need help, but you¡¯re changing the subject. You don¡¯t cry. What happened? You can tell me.¡± ¡°The fire and the way they treated me like I was dumb. I¡¯m not dumb, and they don¡¯t treat me right half the time, and then I do one stupid thing, and they blame everything on me¡ªI know they do. They blame everything on me.¡± ¡°Everything?¡± ¡°The fire, smoke, the yelling, me yelling at them, and everything else. It was a mess.¡± ¡°All because of a flue?¡± Natali paused before saying, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Did you help the fire along?¡± Natali rolled her eyes and smiled while letting her shoulders and body sag in a relaxed and relieved way. ¡°You know me; I, uh, do what I can.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Natali. They should have reminded you.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not really my fault entirely, but all the smoke and other, I guess, shouting just made me frustrated and angry. I know it¡¯s not like me to cry about something silly, but it¡¯s really late. I¡¯m sorry I lied about hanging out with a girlfriend¡ªI knew if I told you they were boys, you¡¯d ask way too many questions. I¡¯m sorry I left a window unlocked.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re going out again tomorrow?¡± ¡°At midnight. I need to talk to them.¡± ¡°Mind if I tag along to¡­ teach them a lesson?¡± Falahgo said, pulling out a wand. ¡°Father!¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have friends who make you cry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not funny.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just hate to see you cry, and there¡¯s no reason for you to be crying unless they treated you badly. Why not hang out with a few girls instead? A couple of teenage boys are probably a whole lot of trouble.¡± ¡°Can I just sleep, please? We¡¯ll talk tomorrow all about how much you want to confront them, and then maybe we can come to an agreement about when and where, alright?¡± ¡°They could be escaping this instant,¡± said Falahgo, smiling. ¡°Can¡¯t you just give me the address?¡± ¡°Father! You¡¯re terrible. Stop teasing me. I¡¯m going to sleep. Good night,¡± Natali finished as she pushed and squeezed by her father. ¡°Remember¡ªjust tell me an address and they¡¯re taken care of, Natali.¡± ¡°They¡¯re fine, father,¡± Natali said while turning back towards him. She kept climbing the stairs backwards as she finished with, ¡°If they need to be dealt with, I¡¯ll do it myself. Don¡¯t worry. We just need to have a talk tomorrow. I¡¯ll let you know how it goes, alright? I¡¯ll be fine, promise.¡± Chapter 16 Chapter 16 ¡°Why did the Rhea provinces never unite until now? Why did they provoke wars against one another? Why did they murder and slaughter each other for four millennia? How did one province fifty years ago conquer them all? Why is Rhea a consolidated empire now, when they should still be slaughtering each other? There is only one answer. The other provinces lost.¡± ¡ªProfessor Lori Havoc, Imperial Kinetics¡¯ Academy At midnight, the three of them met. The tree canopy hid the stars overhead. Walking up to the boys sitting on a mossy boulder, Natali targeted Seff by walking up to him and delivering a quick slap. Seff¡¯s head jerked from the forceful slap, and he swung back at her. She expected it and backed up just as his hand whiffed by her lips. Standing up, Reyn said, ¡°Whoa, we haven¡¯t even started talking yet. I¡¯m sorry the guard was killed, Natali.¡± ¡°You should be,¡± Natali said. ¡°He was running away.¡± Seff countered, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that. I thought he was going to shoot us in the back.¡± Reyn nodded and said, ¡°He could have been running back to get his bow and shoot us, just like Seff said.¡± ¡°He was scared, Reyn,¡± Natali said, leaning against a nearby tree. Her voice carried the tone of tiredness and frustration. ¡°Scared people don¡¯t turn around and try to shoot a sorcerer. They run. Everyone runs if they¡¯re scared.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± Reyn said. ¡°My father¡¯s a sorcerer.¡± ¡°Oh, I remember. Seff thought he was still chasing us, though. He only acted in defense.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter now,¡± Natali said. ¡°He¡¯s dead. Forever. We need to change a few things before we kill half the town because Seff thinks he¡¯s in danger.¡± ¡°I killed one guy,¡± Seff clarified, holding up one finger. ¡°One guy.¡± ¡°And before that how many have you killed?¡± Natali said. Seff stared blankly ahead for a while before Natali interrupted his revealing silence, ¡°That many, huh?¡± ¡°Not that many,¡± Seff said. Turning to Seff, Reyn cursed, ¡°Well, how many have you killed?¡± ¡°A few. The rescue counted for,¡± Seff paused for a few seconds, ¡°most of them.¡± Natali didn¡¯t believe Seff¡ªhis tone was wrong. ¡°So more than five, or ten, or twenty?¡± Natali said. ¡°You¡¯re a damned murderer! You¡¯ll probably keep murdering innocent people unless we have rules. And my rule is that we don¡¯t ever use our talent to blast, maim or otherwise kill anyone. I refuse to have people¡¯s blood on my hands. You dolts seem to be ignorant of the fact that there are other ways to deal with people besides killing them.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s fair,¡± Seff said. ¡°Fair to who? The innocent bystander that gets struck dead by a scared-boy-sorcerer?¡± Natali prodded, hoping to hurt Seff¡¯s pride and ego. Natali needed to know how dangerous Seff was. In her eyes, Reyn was a puppy. However, Seff was something else entirely. Seff laughed, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve been scared in a long while.¡± ¡°Then why¡¯d you kill so many?¡± Natali asked. ¡°Revenge, survival, defense, to save Reyn from hanging, protection. I don¡¯t want to kill anyone. I have nightmares. I see their faces. It follows me around and haunts me. I don¡¯t want to kill anyone anymore.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you have a bounty on your head?¡± Natali asked. ¡°I have a bounty?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t hear?¡± Natali asked. ¡°No.¡± Natali scoffed before she said, ¡°The ad goes a bit like: ¡®Looking for two boy black-eyed sorcerers. They are highly talented and murderous. They may be living or associated with a man who is a father of one of them. Reward: ten thousand silver sovereigns.¡¯¡± Reyn cursed. Seff asked, ¡°Only ten thousand?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it, but that¡¯s enough where if we keep using sorcery, we¡¯re going to have bounty hunters combing the streets for two boys and listening for the sound of a lightning crack. They will find us, faster than you might think.¡± Reyn cut in, ¡°She has a point. We can¡¯t draw too much attention, or they¡¯ll know where we¡¯ve gone.¡± Seff shook his head, ¡°The world is a big place with tons of people robbing and pillaging and using sorcery to do it. We could be at any of those places.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Reyn said, ¡°But I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a reason for us to draw attention, unless we really need to get out of a jam.¡± ¡°Reyn is right,¡± Natali said. ¡°We need to be more careful. No more killing. No more accidents. If we keep prancing about shooting lightning bolts and killing guards, the bounty on us will be too large for good assassins to pass up. And once that happens, we¡¯re as good as dead.¡± ¡°That bounty of ten-thousand silver sovereigns may not be for us,¡± Seff said. Reyn laughed, falling over onto the ground. ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound like it to me,¡± Natali said. ¡°Hey, if they tried catching us, we¡¯d be able to fight them off,¡± Seff shrugged. Natali said, ¡°Seff, the good assassins don¡¯t fight you. They find you and tell the authorities where you are. The authorities come with an entire posse of talent. Ten sorcerers. Or twenty, thirty, forty. And, very simply, you die unless you¡¯re able to fight them off, which no one can do. So, they surrender. Then, they are immobilized in a special underwater cell¡ªa sorcerer¡¯s jail¡ªwhere they wait until they are used as fodder for high level arena matches. There, they can earn a pardon if they win in the arena. But, almost all of them die. When you are found, you will die, Seff.¡± Reyn sat down, ¡°They would really attack us with an entire group?¡± Natali said, ¡°Why attack you with less than a group if it only takes waking them up and leading them to where the criminal is? What is a single sorcerer going to do against fifteen shielded academy-trained sorcerers? That¡¯s part of their civic duty. That¡¯s why they¡¯re paid the way they are: to protect, serve, and govern.¡± ¡°So, the assassins just find people?¡± Reyn asked. ¡°It depends,¡± Natali said. ¡°Some like the risk of dying; others prefer not to risk their neck. Some are greedy; they don¡¯t like sharing the bounty. In the end, it doesn¡¯t matter. The good ones live a long time and retire, whereas sorcerers and kinetics who break the law oftentimes see themselves hanged if they¡¯re unranked. Even then, sometimes, when a magistrate or governor or even mayor gets angry enough, they¡¯ll just hand down a hanging sentence even if they¡¯re ranked. Normally, the sorcerer or kinetic will resist, and they¡¯ll have to behead them or just kill them with sorcery or telekinesis. I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re not dead yet. With a reward at ten thousand silver sovereigns, there is no telling how many assassins are on your trail.¡± ¡°You know a lot about this stuff,¡± Reyn said. ¡°My father is a sorcerer, and he¡¯s very talkative at breakfast. At least, he was.¡± ¡°Well, we fled so we wouldn¡¯t be caught. That¡¯s why we¡¯re up here,¡± Seff said, finally feeling good about his decision to move to the far north. Natali said, ¡°They might not find you, but if we keep doing what we are doing now, we are all going to die. We¡¯re all in it together after that stunt at Goff¡¯s.¡± ¡°So, we run away next time we are found looting?¡± Reyn asked. Natali said, ¡°Yes. We need to choose our targets carefully. Now, let¡¯s think here. There are all types of places to rob. I¡¯m thinking about places that would be exceptionally hard to find, crack open, or that are naturally guarded. Those would have fewer guards.¡± ¡°Vaults? Are there any around here?¡± Seff said. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Natali said. ¡°We could just go to the houses of all the wealthy people around here,¡± said Reyn. ¡°And get even more bounties on our head?¡± said Natali. ¡°We would likely be stealing from well-connected people, sorcerers or not. Some of those guys really pull in the money. Some ship captains go into dangerous arctic waters and find some of the most amazing animals and pelts¡ªeven gemstones and rare ores. There are some warm islands up there that have some unique wildlife, and they trap them and bring them back for ranked, talented matches.¡± ¡°We could go after their money,¡± said Seff. ¡°Plus, they don¡¯t really know that many people onshore because they¡¯re always at sea.¡± ¡°Ok, so we go after the homes or ships of wealthy captains,¡± said Reyn. ¡°What else?¡± asked Natali. ¡°Anything with vaults that you two can melt, I think is fine. I¡¯ll have to see if anything around here has something like what we¡¯re looking for.¡± ¡°What about government buildings?¡± asked Seff. ¡°Those are tough,¡± said Natali. ¡°They might contain some money, but we¡¯d have to find out where they keep it. If we nabbed the payroll, then that¡¯d be a great haul.¡± ¡°Then we could quit and have fun,¡± said Reyn. ¡°Quit?¡± Seff said. ¡°We can¡¯t just quit. Maybe move, but why quit? We have a great group going here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not moving, so you¡¯d have to quit,¡± Natali said. ¡°The pressure to catch us would be too high after a little longer. We already killed a guard and burned down a building. And before that, we already lifted a place of blank coins. Although I must say, that was an abysmal failure.¡± ¡°You¡¯d have to move with us, Natali,¡± said Seff. ¡°You¡¯re part of the team.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. You¡¯re a pair of thieving, murdering boys. No, thank you. I¡¯ll stay here and live a nice, boring life with my father.¡± ¡°Then I guess we¡¯ll have to go without you after we finish with this area,¡± Seff said. ¡°I guess so,¡± said Natali. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you Natali,¡± said Reyn. ¡°You¡¯re not leaving yet, are you?¡± said Natali. ¡°No.¡± Natali said, ¡°Then save the goodbyes for later. I¡¯m going home to sleep. I¡¯m exhausted after slapping Seff and having this silly conversation. I¡¯ll do some research. Can we agree not to kill or steal or otherwise hurt anyone or anything until I get some information on something we can loot?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Seff said. ¡°There might be assassins hunting us down. Maybe even half a dozen.¡± ¡°Ha ha,¡± Natali said sarcastically. ¡°Seriously, do whatever. Just don¡¯t get into trouble. I¡¯ll see you guys soon¡ªand I¡¯ll see Reyn tomorrow at school. Good night.¡± Natali walked back home. Falahgo was there on the stairs again, waiting. Natali knew he might be, but she thought he¡¯d be satisfied with their conversation from the previous night. ¡°So?¡± Falahgo asked. ¡°So, we talked, and everything is fine. And since we¡¯re being so honest, why do you have to sell pictures to make money? And how much time do you have to get the money?¡± ¡°Uhm. We¡¯re fine. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°I thought we were being honest with each other. I guess I¡¯ll just go to bed.¡± ¡°Wait. I have three or four weeks. It¡¯ll be close. I might be able to get the money or enough where they give me more time. So, your friends were nice to you?¡± ¡°They were very nice. They agreed to not make me upset, so I think it was an excellent meeting.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t sound like nice friends. Are they talented?¡± ¡°Does it matter?¡± Natali asked. ¡°If they are, they could attack you.¡± ¡°One clearly likes me, and the other one wouldn¡¯t risk attacking me with the other around. So, I¡¯m perfectly safe as long as I¡¯m with both.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Everything is fine. I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± ¡°Hold on there. I gave you a free pass yesterday, but tonight is different. You¡¯re sneaking out at night to see these guys. I don¡¯t like them already. You can¡¯t tell me what you¡¯re doing besides setting fires in fireplaces. And really, knowing you, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re setting fires in fireplaces. I went in your room and looked around. Your sandals were burnt, and coincidentally, an entire building burned down last night. And guess what? They found three sets of footprints leading out from the barn building and a giant gaping melted hole in an iron door. Should I go on?¡± ¡°Dad, I would never melt a hole in an iron door.¡± ¡°I bet you wouldn¡¯t. But your friends would, I¡¯m sure of it. Especially since you don¡¯t want to tell me if they¡¯re talented or not. But what you don¡¯t know, is that that door was treated with an oil that reflects heat and makes it almost impossible for sorcerers to melt. That door should not have melted, so the kids you are hanging around could zap you dead in an instant. An instant, Natali. ¡°So, I want to know who¡ªexactly who¡ªthese boys are, what they are, and what in hellfire you were doing breaking into a building?¡± her father asked. Chapter 17 Chapter 17 ¡°We¡¯re all tired. Millions dead. Countries in ruins. Mass graves with forgotten dead. The peace we have now was not easy. Compromises built on lies forged the peace we have now. But really, what is this peace that we have? Is it not enslavement by the three empires? We let the powerful win over three centuries ago, and the stranglehold has been complete. Only the neutral city states and barren wastelands survive free of tyranny.¡± ¡ªAnonymous contemporary historian It had been two days since her long, revealing chat with Falahgo, her father. Natali¡¯s long hair blew in the coastal breeze. Seff stretched out next to her as both of them lay flat against the smooth beach rocks. If Seff tried anything, Natali was prepared to pull out her wand and end him. The wind rolled silently across the landscape while the sea gently rocked against the shore. More inland, lonely scrub bushes waved with the wind. The sun was nearing the horizon, yet it was not close enough to start edging out pastels onto the sky. Falahgo had wanted Natali to talk to both Seff and Reyn individually to find out more about them. She had reluctantly agreed. ¡°I thought we were going to talk,¡± said Seff. ¡°I know,¡± Natali said. ¡°I¡¯m still thinking over what I want to say.¡± Seff sat up a little, ¡°For the last fifteen minutes?¡± ¡°That and how that one cloud over there looks like a pig, but now it doesn¡¯t because it sprouted wings off its ass.¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯d fly tail first? Steering would be a problem.¡± ¡°It¡¯d have to fly tail first, I think. Flying would be prohibitively dangerous, as to fly would be to fly blind,¡± Natali said. ¡°Only useful in the most extreme situations.¡± Natali looked over to Seff, ¡°So, I wanted to talk to you about what you want.¡± ¡°Now?¡± ¡°In the future.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what I want in the future. For now, I¡ªand you¡ªneed lots of money. What are we going to rob?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have any goals?¡± Natali asked. ¡°Sure. Find a girl and marry her and take over the world.¡± ¡°Take over the world?¡± Natali said, feigning innocence. She choked back a laugh. ¡°Yes. Too many criminals get away, only to kill again. People that, unlike us, kill for greed and pleasure. Did you know my father was murdered by a gang of brothers?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry. What happened to your mother?¡± ¡°She¡¯s been dead for a long time.¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t need to take over the world to fix some of its problems.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it the best way though?¡± Natali gently said, ¡°Even if you ruled the world, criminals would still escape. And kill.¡± ¡°I could try though.¡± ¡°An admirable goal. I wish you luck. Just remember me when you get there, right?¡± Natali laughed. Seff furrowed his brows and shot off, ¡°You don¡¯t think I have a chance? I have Reyn.¡± ¡°What about him?¡± ¡°When they tested him, he set fire to an entire courtroom. And not just set fire, he engulfed the whole room with thirty or fifty or a hundred people inside. Just by getting tested. He¡¯s so powerful that he doesn¡¯t know how hard it really is to cast spells. He¡¯s a natural. He might be the most powerful sorcerer in the world. With him on my side, I could rise up the ranks, become emperor and take over the other empires.¡± Natali raised an eyebrow, ¡°Take over the other empires, and all of your benevolence and kind intentions will be wasted. You would slaughter millions on the battlefield to catch¡ªhow many criminals? Certainly, rising up the sorcery ranks is fine, as all you kill are condemned prisoners¡ªif you get into those arena matches which is all individual merit. Reyn won¡¯t be able to get you there. You¡¯d have to earn those matches and win quickly. But say you do that and say Reyn is still friends with you, intentionally ending the peace between the empires is not a good thing.¡± ¡°I could make everything better. I would be a great ruler.¡± Natali did not come back with a reply. Seff continued, ¡°We could catch criminals sooner and provide something else for them to do. I could build newer, better buildings so that people don¡¯t need to live in smelly apartments. I could hunt down murderers and make sure everyone has a job.¡± Natali said, ¡°Maybe. But it¡¯s always easier to suggest things than to do them. We can¡¯t even steal from places without running into problems. I think you misunderstand the complexity behind the issues.¡± Seff growled, ¡°No, I understand them. The wealthy stay wealthy. The poor stay poor. Everything the poor build, the wealthy take. There are no slaves, yet many are in slavery. They are not slaves by name, but by actions and payment.¡± ¡°Reyn¡¯s father isn¡¯t a slave, not even close. He works hard and gets paid a decent wage.¡± ¡°Yes, but he still lives in a cramped hovel. I just think there isn¡¯t enough justice in the world.¡± ¡°Justice that would see us three hanged or in the arena?¡± ¡°I steal to survive. Even now, I¡¯m being blackmailed. I guess I could do something else, but I¡¯m here now. I don¡¯t want to go back.¡± ¡°How would that lessen the charges?¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t. But I do things for reasons. Others would do them because they¡¯re greedy or have a hot temper.¡± ¡°Everyone has reasons.¡± ¡°Not a single reason exists why you would slaughter a father with an infant son,¡± Seff eyed Natali sharply. She breathed in deeply, still looking at the clouds. Her chest swelled up before exhaling. She was tiring of Seff. Seff continued, ¡°I¡¯m not saying that I have all the answers, but I do, eventually, want to make the world a better place.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an admirable goal, Seff. But don¡¯t¡ª¡± Natali sighed. She didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Don¡¯t what?¡± Seff asked as he turned back to the clouds. ¡°Go too far. Find what makes you happy and concentrate on that. If the world comes to you, great. But don¡¯t chase it. It may never come to you, and you¡¯d be always angry and disappointed.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t chase it? To do anything worth doing, you need to chase and pursue. ¡°Even into a fire?¡± ¡°Avoiding the fire, running away from that, but um, chasing my goal all the same.¡± Natali laughed. ¡°So, you chase and run away at the same time?¡± Seff groaned. ¡°You¡¯re making fun of me.¡± ¡°Only a little. So, who raised you?¡± ¡°No one really. Just different people.¡± ¡°How¡¯d you learn so much sorcery?¡± ¡°Was taught by,¡± Seff hesitated, ¡°someone.¡± ¡°For how long though? You seem to know sorcery well for someone your age.¡± ¡°About two or three years.¡± ¡°Two or three years?¡± Natali asked incredulously. Her father had taken spare moments here and there to teach her, but she could not claim to have nearly that much experience. Seff added, ¡°About... twenty or thirty hours average a week.¡± Natali could now tell why Seff was so brazen. He knew the spells to keep himself and others safe. ¡°So why haven¡¯t you taught Reyn anything?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want him to know how powerful he is. Until later.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t telling me a mistake then?¡± Natali asked softly. ¡°Your word against mine. And, it wouldn¡¯t help you. And, would it help Reyn?¡± ¡°I suppose, but why wait to tell him?¡± ¡°To give me a chance to become better friends with him. We¡¯re the same age. We¡¯ll be in the Academy together. If I don¡¯t make friends with him here and now, he will make other, stronger friends. People will know who the really talented ones are, and they will be the ones who are popular. I will be popular, but Reyn¡­ he¡¯ll be the brightest star in the sky.¡± ¡°So why not tell him now? Why not help him? Don¡¯t you think he¡¯ll get angry at you for not helping him earlier.¡± ¡°We were on the run; we needed money; now, we¡¯ve been blackmailed. As far as Reyn is concerned, I¡¯ve been busy. He does not know that I¡¯ve been purposefully not training him.¡± ¡°It could backfire.¡± ¡°There is no reward without risk. So, what do you want to be?¡± asked Seff, obviously wanting to change the subject away from her examination of his motives. Natali said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I thought I wanted adventure, but these past few weeks, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You sound worse than me. At least I know what I want, and it¡¯s not anything horrible.¡± ¡°I must be going,¡± Natali said, standing. ¡°I have a report to finish, and it¡¯s one of those opinion papers. I hate them. They¡¯re so complicated and stupid sometimes. I¡¯ll see you later, Seff. Stay safe.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± Natali, brushing sand from her tight-fitting pants, put the ocean on her left and walked back to town. Her wand stayed hidden, strapped to her boot covered by her pants. As she walked back to town, she knew she didn¡¯t need to worry about Seff anymore. He knew she was useful and would not harm her. Falahgo watched from a distance as she left Seff laying there in the sun. He thought about killing the boy. He hated him for corrupting his daughter. She had been honest and kind, and now¡­ a thief. The fault could lie with himself, but he could not excuse the boy for helping Natali. Maybe Natali was desperate for some reason, but that did not excuse her actions. He could put an end to it this minute. End the danger. End the foolhardy blackmail. Sever all ties and dump his body into the sea. His thoughts were powerful and real. He waited a few minutes to let Natali disappear, and then he walked towards him. He held a staff in one hand and a wand in the other. Seff was oblivious. There was no reason for Falahgo to run and make noise. Better to walk quietly. He could see Seff¡¯s body more clearly now. He was looking up at the sky, at the clouds. At just fifty paces, Falahgo cast two lightning bolts, one from his staff, one from his wand. He couldn¡¯t be sure what effect they would have on Seff, in case he was shielded, so he cast another two. Four in total. Seff hadn¡¯t even moved. He must not have had a shield. Who could expect someone would be as heartless as to kill a man while he daydreamed at a pastel sky? Falahgo walked to Seff and looked into his lifeless eyes. He felt bad. He had murdered a boy for what? Stealing? And murder. They had killed the guard at Goff¡¯s. But even then, he felt bad. He had executed him without a trial. After the images faded in his mind¡¯s eye, he decided not to kill Seff. The thoughts were just that: thoughts and contemplations. He was curious what Natali had found out, so he turned away from the daydreaming boy and left. He could kill Seff later, if he wanted. He could trick Natali into inviting them over and surprise him. Or hunt him down.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Better to wait. If he needed to, he would, but he was a gambler, not an executioner. * * * Reyn couldn¡¯t see the stars with the obscuring forest, but he could see their reflection on the water just ahead. They looked so bright in that deep, dark blue water that he took a moment before he continued carefully down the gentle slope leading to the lake. Twigs snapped and leaves crunched underfoot as Reyn made his way down. The wide pathway was well-worn and cleared, for this was one of only a few lakes near Belladder. Never freezing except for in the coldest of winters, the lake was fed by a spring that kept it warm. The air was cold, still and clear. The pathway stopped at a small pond that overflowed into the much larger lake. The pond was fed by the spring, and thus popular¡ªbut not at night. It had been Natali¡¯s idea to come here. Reyn had finished walking down the path and now stood looking around. He continued on wandering¡ªa few feet over here and a few over there. ¡°Natali, you there?¡± he whispered a few times, until he realized that he didn¡¯t really have much to worry about. Nobody would be out here in the cold night. ¡°Natali,¡± Reyn said louder. ¡°Natali!¡± He felt a hand from behind, pulling him back. The grip was strong and unexpected, catching Reyn off guard in such a way that his entire body twisted and stepped back within an instant. He was soon staring at Natali¡¯s beaming face. ¡°Boo,¡± she said. Reyn jumped a little, not because he had been truly scared, but because it was unexpected and sudden. ¡°Could you be any louder?¡± scolded Natali. ¡°I¡¯ve been trailing you since you got near the lake. A mammoth would be quieter walking through the woods than you are.¡± ¡°Well, you could be more inviting than to startle me.¡± ¡°Oh, you know you like to be startled, Reyn. Everyone knows that. I imagine it has something to do with you waking up and wondering why you were getting hanged,¡± Natali said as she tugged at Reyn¡¯s shirt, pulling him with her. ¡°I was more worried about¡ª¡± ¡°That tree, let¡¯s sit.¡± Reyn followed Natali¡¯s lead, ¡°Okay, but I was more worried about my father not knowing what happened to me. I really didn¡¯t mind dying or anything. I did and I wanted to do something with my life, and it wouldn¡¯t happen if I died. But on the other end of things, I really did make a mess of that courtroom, and I think a lot of people died.¡± ¡°Which reminds me,¡± Natali said, settling down next to him, their shoulders touching, her hand on his thigh. He could smell the fish on her breath. She asked, ¡°What did you do to that courtroom? I read only a little bit about it in the papers over here.¡± Reyn didn¡¯t dare move¡ªhe liked Natali close. However, his neck had to turn all the way to the side to see her, and she wasn¡¯t even looking at him¡ªshe was looking off into the distance at the stars. Reyn said, ¡°They did the test, and I basically set fire to everything. I think most people escaped, I hope, but it was really bad. I don¡¯t like to think about it. It wasn¡¯t even my fault. They tested me and something happened.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why they were going to kill you, huh?¡± ¡°No, actually, the magistrate said that he didn¡¯t know whether or not to kill me or congratulate me or something. He was pretty confused about it, but after talking to me, he said I was going to die soon. And I was on the gallows just a few hours later.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± Natali said. ¡°Very. And then I thought about why he¡¯d want to congratulate me, and I figured maybe he had hated someone I killed. I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the reason,¡± said Natali. ¡°You see, well, never mind. I mean, who knows why the magistrate would want to kill you.¡± ¡°It seemed really unfair to me though. He did blame it on somebody, but I forget who. He was trying to keep me away from someone.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t remember the name?¡± ¡°No. And to pronounce a death sentence upon a boy who had accidentally killed¡ªwell I guess that would be the reason. But still, it¡¯s not as if I knew what would happen. I really didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do any sorcery before that?¡± ¡°Never¡ªat least nothing that I was aware of.¡± Natali sighed. ¡°Sometimes it¡¯s not very obvious,¡± Natali said. ¡°The signs can be amazingly varied. Oh, and has Seff explained what emotions have to do with sorcery? ¡°Not really. Why?¡± ¡°Just curious.¡± ¡°Well, sometimes he says this rune or that rune works better with emotions. And to prove to this one guy as I was escaping the hanging, I cast a spell. It required three different emotions. But really, Seff doesn¡¯t say anything about it most of the time.¡± ¡°And hasn¡¯t he been training you?¡± ¡°No. We¡¯ve always had other stuff to do.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I suppose I should have talked to you sooner. I just find myself full of thoughts at the moment. That Seff guy is a clever one. Mean and sneaky, too.¡± ¡°What? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Seff is just clever and ambitious. Watch out for him.¡± ¡°Well, obviously you¡¯d think that after you berated him for using us and threatening you. You think he¡¯s a jerk and a threat.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you a secret, Reyn. You ready?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°He is very clever.¡± ¡°Like him not being able to break into Goff¡¯s, and yet I was able to do it in¡ªhow long was it?¡± ¡°Wrong type of clever. I meant devious. And yes, you and Seff did well to melt that door. It went fast,¡± Natali said, patting him on the leg. Reyn was unsure of what that meant. He said, ¡°I still didn¡¯t like how everything turned to ice. I was getting worried that the iron would start forming ice, and then I¡¯d have to melt the ice too.¡± Natali stayed silent for a few seconds. ¡°It¡¯s possible, I suppose, although I¡¯m going to be honest here, I¡¯ve never heard of anyone having to melt ice from doing a spell.¡± ¡°Really? Never?¡± ¡°Not once, but you had two people working really hard.¡± Natali giggled. ¡°So, it wasn¡¯t just you.¡± ¡°I guess. And the ice wasn¡¯t built up either.¡± ¡°Nope. Just along the outer walls.¡± ¡°And the floor.¡± ¡°Yes, and isn¡¯t that lake beautiful?¡± Natali pointed, looking at him and then the lake, guiding his eyes over to look at the starry reflections on it. ¡°I don¡¯t wonder about anything at night,¡± Reyn said, wincing as soon as he said it. How could he say he never wondered anything at night? He thought about Natali at night and sorcery and how they¡¯d get enough money and school and so much more. Natali didn¡¯t say anything for a bit. ¡°Sooo,¡± Natali said, ¡°You don¡¯t stare at the stars and wonder just where the gods are sometimes? Who they are and what they¡¯re like and what they do, and if they ever stare down onto you?¡± Natali gripped his thigh a little tighter. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t look at me. I guess I sometimes look at the stars or their reflection and wonder about things, but really, what is the purpose of wondering about the gods? Do they wear robes or pants, and do they live in a temple in the skies? I do not care. I like to think of the here and now. You, Seff, school, money, sorcery. Why wonder about things you can¡¯t affect or change?¡± Natali said, ¡°What about the past? Ever reflect about it? You can¡¯t affect it or change it, but do you think about it?¡± ¡°No, I really don¡¯t. I like the here and now¡ªlike how I¡¯m with you,¡± Reyn tapped Natali¡¯s knee with his knee, ¡°If I was thinking about the past or gods or whatever, could I really do what I do now? I mean, if I spent all my time wondering about things that are imaginary or far away then would I really be a good son? I can¡¯t even figure out what I want to do.¡± Natali stayed silent for a time. ¡°The biggest things are never things that can be changed, but you can learn from them.¡± ¡°Learn what?¡± Reyn asked. ¡°The legends, the stories, the lessons.¡± Reyn said, ¡°Everyone knows some of them. And people who know many of them are people who don¡¯t have anything better to do with their time. Like those in the Academy¡ªor at least some of them¡ªare said to be isolated, old and ornery. ¡®Better ordinary than ornery¡¯ as the saying goes.¡± ¡°Sure, but you think they don¡¯t have a good handle on the world?¡± ¡°No. They are old and grumpy. Who cares about them.¡± ¡°So old and grumpy isn¡¯t attractive to you,¡± laughed Natali. ¡°I just don¡¯t care about old stuff or new stuff, really. I just want to be happy.¡± ¡°And what is happy for you, Reyn?¡± Natali looked right at him, her face inches away. ¡°To do what I love, but I don¡¯t know what that is yet. So really, I¡¯m just doing whatever until I figure out what I want to do.¡± Natali said, ¡°Me too, but I do know what I want.¡± ¡°Really?¡± he said incredulously. ¡°I know what I want, but really it¡¯s abstract and complicated.¡± ¡°Sounds like it.¡± ¡°It really is,¡± said Natali. ¡°I didn¡¯t doubt you. You¡¯re a strange girl.¡± ¡°Like how?¡± ¡°Like tempting fate when you disturbed us while we robbed your place. Like telling Seff off in the middle of the street and taunting him when he didn¡¯t circulate the air in the tunnel. A million things. Trying to use us to pay off your father¡¯s debts. Strange and maybe even stupid.¡± ¡°Tempting fate? I laugh at you. I never do anything dangerous¡ªat least not super dangerous. I value my beauty way too much to endanger it.¡± ¡°So, you don¡¯t think Seff would have killed you if I hadn¡¯t told him not to?¡± ¡°He would have tried, I think.¡± ¡°Tried?¡± ¡°Want to hear a real secret?¡± Natali asked, the fish smell forcing Reyn to lean away away. ¡°Hm, you¡¯re scaring me. I¡¯m not sure. Is that a trick question?¡± ¡°Oh c¡¯mon, don¡¯t be a little boy,¡± Natali eased her hand up his thigh a little. ¡°Fine, what is it?¡± ¡°You have to promise me that you won¡¯t tell anyone. Ever.¡± ¡°Ever?¡± ¡°Ever-ever.¡± ¡°Uhhhh,¡± Reyn said, hesitating. Natali¡¯s voice flared with anger as she said, ¡°You don¡¯t trust me, do you?¡± ¡°If I didn¡¯t trust you then I wouldn¡¯t be in the woods with you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not real trust, so I guess I can¡¯t tell you my secret, then,¡± Natali sighed. ¡°But trusting someone isn¡¯t the same as agreeing to not tell anyone else. What if that secret could potentially hurt or kill someone you care about? What if your secret kills my father or Seff or myself? Obviously, I wouldn¡¯t let it kill me, but what if the secret delays something that will then kill me? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s fair.¡± ¡°Maybe it had something to do with me defending my actions.¡± Natali said. ¡°I do trust you, but the secret that you have seems big, so why don¡¯t you just keep it to yourself?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to hear my little secret?¡± Natali said, her voice smooth and seductively spoken. Reyn swallowed nervously, ¡°I do, but maybe tell it to me later?¡± ¡°Later? When later?¡± Natali asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s late and I¡¯m tired. You stress me out a lot more than Seff does,¡± Reyn said. He wanted to run away, but didn¡¯t. Natali was acting strange, but he had the damnedest crush on her. He wondered if he should kiss her. She leaned up against him. As she did so, he tensed up a little. She further snuggled up tightly against him as she said, ¡°It¡¯s cold.¡± ¡°It is,¡± Reyn said. Natali could feel his heart beat faster. She smiled and closed her eyes. Time passed by as the silence wrapped them up. Gradually his heart rate went down, but his body was still a bit stiff. She could tell he wasn¡¯t really relaxed. ¡°Reyn,¡± she said softly. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°When I surprised both of you at my house, why did you stick up for me?¡± ¡°I, uh, well, you know. You¡¯re a girl, and it¡¯s wrong to murder. I was there for money, not to kill or hurt anyone.¡± ¡°And if I was a guy?¡± Natali asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think I could have stopped Seff. You surprised him, so I think he forgot all his spells.¡± Natali raised her head off Reyn¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I did want to talk about Seff. After I pay off my father¡¯s loan, I think we should remain friends, but I think our trio isn¡¯t going to work.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°So, I thought that I¡¯d tell you ahead of time.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯m mostly around Seff to get trained anyhow,¡± Reyn said. Natali thought Reyn would object or stick up for Seff, but instead Reyn seemed to think he was using Seff, not the other way around. Natali said, ¡°You should know Seff is using you more than you realize, but that¡¯s all I¡¯ll say for now. You don¡¯t know the stuff I do.¡± ¡°Like your secret?¡± ¡°My secret or secrets? My secrets are my own, but the secret I was going to tell you about would have nothing to do with why or how Seff is using you. But I know people better than you do¡ªI guess it¡¯s part of who I am¡ªand you¡¯re being used. Just know that. You want to go swimming? I¡¯m really cold.¡± ¡°Swimming? Sure.¡± Standing up, Natali scooped up a couple of towels from her backpack and tossed them over by the edge of the water. She took a few steps toward the warm-water pond off to the side and slipped off her pants. She looked back at Reyn and said, ¡°Well?¡± Reyn sat there against the tree for a second before standing and taking off his pants. She waited until he wasn¡¯t looking to finish undressing. She dived in with Reyn not having caught a glimpse of her at all¡ªalthough, it was dark and he wouldn¡¯t have seen anything but a tease anyway. He had been busy looking down and as he was taking off his shirt. Natali watched as Reyn quickly stripped and jumped in. She giggled, only her head above the water. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± he asked. ¡°Your look when you realized I was looking.¡± ¡°What did I look like?¡± ¡°It was hard to tell in this light, except it was definitely different from what it was before.¡± ¡°The water¡¯s pleasant,¡± Reyn coaxed out. ¡°Very pleasant. I love coming here. It clears my head,¡± she said. She dove underneath the water and swam around, thinking of whether to tell Reyn that she was a sorceress. She and her father could train Reyn and ditch Seff to his own devices. She surfaced. ¡°You¡¯re not nervous to come here alone?¡± Reyn asked. ¡°Not a bit. I can defend myself. Do you like school?¡± she asked, trying to gauge how serious Reyn was about getting into the Academy. ¡°A little. Not much.¡± Natali said, ¡°The Academy is almost all school.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°My father told me. He told me how it¡¯s a bore most of the time, with tests on every subject you can think of. Not much sorcery at all really. Only on the edges. Some of his friends he made at The Gorge¡¯s testing didn¡¯t make it in, and now he doesn¡¯t know where they are.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re around somewhere,¡± Reyn said. ¡°Somewhere yes, but not in political positions of power¡ªonly the Imperial Academy allows that.¡± They were silent for a few minutes. Natali thought of how difficult it might be to get Reyn into the Imperial Academy if he didn¡¯t like to study very much. He was very talented, but how much of getting into the Academy was talent versus a good study? She wasn¡¯t sure. Reyn broke the silence, ¡°Do you ever stare at the stars and wonder what the gods think?¡± She splashed him and went under. When she appeared again, she shook her head around and set her hair in a wide circle, spraying water in Reyn¡¯s face. She pushed her hair back with her hand and said, ¡°Of course, I stare. I wonder if the gods set up these empires to provide stability and peace. Or whether, there are any gods. Surely, with the number of temples scattered everywhere, gods must exist. They simply must. And since they must exist, they must do something, even if it¡¯s inconsequential most of the time.¡± ¡°If gods existed, then I¡¯m sure there¡¯d be many more priests and temples,¡± Reyn said. ¡°Maybe they don¡¯t appear as much as before, because the world doesn¡¯t need them as much.¡± ¡°Or, they don¡¯t exist,¡± Reyn laughed. Natali splashed him again and said, ¡°They exist. I just wonder what they do.¡± Reyn splashed her back in a frenzy and said, ¡°The world is boring and kind. So, maybe the gods, if they exist, can affect the world. But when it comes to people like Puugi, I doubt the gods can affect them. If they could, would they really let Puugi try to hang me?¡± ¡°You mean, the gods have limits?¡± Natali gasped, faking surprise and taunting Reyn. ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°You have a point. The world is tame and kind. But, people are mean.¡± ¡°Like Seff?¡± Reyn joked. Natali dove down again, trying to think of what to say. Reyn had said ¡®like Seff¡¯ jokingly, but Seff was a true monster from everything he said and did and expressed. He was using Reyn. He had killed countless people. The only good thing he did was save Reyn from a cruel and unjust hanging, but how many people had he killed to do it? If Natali wasn¡¯t implicated from the Goff debacle, she could turn Seff and Reyn in as they slept and walk away wealthier than nearly anyone in Belladder. However, she would be summarily executed along with Reyn and Seff if anyone knew it was them. She hadn¡¯t even completed a single trial as a sorceress, so she couldn¡¯t even be put into the arena to try to earn her life back. They would just execute her. Natali surfaced again. ¡°Seff isn¡¯t mean so much as he¡¯s¡­ heartless,¡± Natali said seriously. ¡°If he was so heartless, would he have saved me from hanging?¡± Reyn said. ¡°He didn¡¯t save you because he was kind.¡± ¡°Then why?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s selfish.¡± ¡°Selfish and heartless?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Natali said. ¡°You don¡¯t like him?¡± ¡°He and I are¡­opposites in a way.¡± ¡°Opposites?¡± ¡°He tries for the quick solution and doesn¡¯t care who he kills to get there. I also try for the quick solution, but ¡­I don¡¯t kill to get where I¡¯m going.¡± ¡°And our robberies? Aren¡¯t we hurting people?¡± Reyn said. ¡°¡­We¡¯re not robbing the elderly and stealing their food money. However, I¡¯m sure Seff would have no problems doing that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a harsh assessment.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the truth,¡± Natali said. ¡°Don¡¯t peek as I get out.¡± Natali walked out of the water and started drying off. She checked, and Reyn had looked the other way towards the far bank, instinctively obeying Natali¡¯s request. Natali took extra time drying her upper body, preparing to put her shirt on while wondering if Reyn would peek. He did finally peek, and Natali acted as though she didn¡¯t know. Her back was turned, so it was the perfect tease. Natali grinned from ear to ear. She was playing Reyn perfectly, and she only felt a little poorly about it¡ªwell worth it in her estimation. She wondered if she liked him. She slipped on her shirt, and turned around. He was looking off into the distance. ¡°Ok,¡± Natali said. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in school. Bye.¡± She grabbed her wand from her backpack and used the backpack to shield it from Reyn¡¯s view. She felt bad not telling Reyn, but it was safer this way. She¡¯d figure out soon enough whether Reyn could ever make it into the Academy by how he did in school. ¡°Bye,¡± Reyn said as she left him still in the water. She wanted to get back before it got too late. As Natali walked away, Reyn felt bad. What had he said that she left him literally in the water? Just left. And he was naked. At least she left the wet towels behind for him to dry himself off a little, but what had he said at the end? They were talking about Seff, and maybe that¡¯s what really got her angry. She was not sounding happy at all that whole conversation except about school and the Academy and swimming and her secret¡ªwhatever that was. Reyn got out of the water, dried off, and headed home. At least she had rested her head against him. But there was no kiss or anything. He was torn about whether to tell Natali about how he felt. Natali was causing him so much stress. The blackmail, the school pressure, skinny-dipping, talking about Seff. He wasn¡¯t sure he could handle Natali for much longer. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 ¡°Only the smartest get good educations. Even among the talented, only the best will get into the academies. But what defines best and smartest is merely either the privilege or persistence to know more than their peers. Inevitably, either by choice, will or circumstance, the majority of the most talented or intelligent people slip through the cracks into what I shall term ¡®the basement.¡¯ It is a netherworld of crime, deceit, intrigue, assassins, alliances and guilds.¡± ¡ªQuote from the book Thousand Nations Natali sat in one of the chairs in her father¡¯s study. It was late. Her hair was still damp from the swim. Falahgo gave Natali a brush for her hair, and she started to comb it. He sat down in a chair opposite her. ¡°So?¡± he asked. ¡°Reyn is nice, and Seff wants to take over the world,¡± Natali said. ¡°How is Reyn nice?¡± he said. ¡°He doesn¡¯t want anything in particular. He lives in the moment, and I think he¡¯ll always live in that moment. It¡¯s his personality, and because he is that way, he can be manipulated through moments where he needs to make a decision. He leans towards helping people rather than himself. He¡¯s a bit plain, but he¡¯s sweet and kind.¡± ¡°And his attitude towards you?¡± ¡°He likes me, and I¡¯m fairly sure that he¡¯d move mountains for me if I asked.¡± ¡°So, he¡¯s in love with you?¡± Natali thought about it. Love was too strong of a word. Did Reyn have a crush on her? She was sure of it. However, he was patient and calm. But if he did have a crush, he would have actively tried to kiss or hold her hand. If he had asked her to come closer in the water, she would have. If he had kissed her, then she didn¡¯t know what she would have done. But he hadn¡¯t. She said, ¡°No, he just likes me.¡± ¡°And Seff?¡± ¡°He also likes me, but more as an ally, rather than a friend.¡± ¡°Is he any danger to you?¡± ¡°No, since he thinks I am useful and on his team. He really does want to take over the world, though.¡± Falahgo stood up and started walking around, ¡°Ambitious plans. How does he think he¡¯ll do it?¡± ¡°He¡¯s going to use Reyn and rise through the ranks. After he¡¯s emperor, he¡¯ll just make war and take over the other empires. I¡¯m not sure if he understands that emperors need to be powerful themselves, not just have powerful allies.¡± ¡°Indeed. It would be quite funny to see Seff helping Reyn to emperor, and not the other way around. It¡¯s too bad you were at Goff¡¯s with them, otherwise we could turn them in to be executed. We¡¯d be very wealthy. Do you think Seff is talented enough to become emperor?¡± ¡°No, but he definitely has plans to use Reyn in some way towards that end. Since Reyn lives in the moment, he¡¯s very malleable.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not going to get Seff the times he needs in the arenas. And even if Reyn is powerful, it won¡¯t matter if he has no technique. Did they get suspicious of why you were asking them all of these questions one on one?¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°No, they both thought that I was just curious about them, and they were more than happy to oblige, spilling their heart and soul to me.¡± ¡°Do you think they could escape if the town guard were somehow alerted to your looting?¡± ¡°I¡¯d feel sorry for the town guard. Seff is a match for even highly ranked sorcerers. He is highly trained by someone. He wouldn¡¯t go down easily, even if surprised. I think he¡¯s started having a shield spell on himself at all times, which is really weird to be around him.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Just to prevent himself from being randomly killed by a lightning bolt or whatever. I think what happened at Goff¡¯s spooked him a little.¡± ¡°He might be getting a little paranoid,¡± he said. ¡°He is being hunted,¡± Natali pointed out. ¡°So, what do you want to do?¡± Falahgo asked. Natali was unsure of what he meant. She cocked her head, ¡°Huh?¡± Falahgo followed up, ¡°I thought of something just now. We could invite them over, delay them going home through conversation, offer to have them stay the night, and slit their throats while they sleep. We could turn their dead bodies over to the council and collect the reward.¡± Natali gasped in fright, thinking of Reyn having escaped the gallows only to be betrayed by her and getting his throat slit. Seff deserved it, but Reyn did not. Natali lost her temper, threw her brush at Falahgo, and shouted, ¡°Why are men so obsessed with killing? I don¡¯t want them killed, ever. I don¡¯t want anyone else to die.¡± Catching the brush, Falahgo said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The Academy teaches you things, like the practicalities of survival. They¡¯re both very dangerous sorcerers¡ªReyn for being so damned na?ve and Seff for being a ruthless ass.¡± ¡°I understand, but Reyn doesn¡¯t deserve it, at all. And Seff did save him, against all odds.¡± ¡°So, you want to let them steal, help us out, and then let them go?¡± Falahgo walked over to Natali. ¡°Why not? Maybe we can keep Reyn, separating the two of them,¡± Natali liked this idea. Reyn was a sweetheart, and she didn¡¯t like Seff¡¯s designs for him. She imagined leaning over Reyn and giving him a surprise kiss. She wanted to see his face after. Falahgo rolled his eyes and gave the brush back to Natali. He said, ¡°Keeping Reyn would be trouble. He¡¯s wanted. He¡¯s more wanted than a lot of murderers. On a side note, the Cristina is a ship that regularly travels to the far northern islands and back. It¡¯s one of a dozen or so that do, and its home port is here. If you rob it just after it returns, you may have a chance to get some nice goods off of it. When the ship docks, most of the crew helps unload the heaviest things¡ªthe beasts, skins, fats and oils, and anything else bulky. After that, they disappear with their pay to get drunk or see their wives or do whatever sailors do.¡± Natali started back at brushing her hair. Falahgo continued, ¡°There will only be comparably few sailors onboard and only a handful awake. Avoid them or knock them out and search the ship for valuables. The charts will be priceless, and as such, not a good target unless they want a king¡¯s bounty on our head. So, skip the charts, rob the safe, and take any gold or silver, money, whatever. ¡°Leave a simple note of ¡®we did not take nor copy your charts.¡¯ The ship generates enough wealth that a simple robbery will not matter much to them.¡± ¡°Why would this ship have gold or silver on board?¡± Natali asked. ¡°The northern islands have rare virgin timber, animals, and all sorts of exotic things that can be obtained nowhere else. They¡¯re also foggy, misty, reef-ridden, tempestuous devils. A storm will appear from a sunny blue day and dash your ship against invisible rocks. The captains that go there are crazy, but they do it for the profit. They risk their lives and ship for the money¡ªwhich isn¡¯t much of a gamble except for whether they¡¯ll live or not. When they dock, they present a manifest to their contracted trading partner, and the partner pays them immediately with bullion or coin.¡± Natali stood, setting the brush down, ¡°So we rob it, and then what?¡± ¡°That should get us halfway there. After, we rob the payroll and tax chests for the city.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll be enough?¡± Falahgo hugged her, ¡°It¡¯ll be enough to pay off my debt and a little extra, plus enough for Reyn and Seff to slip safely away into obscurity. Except, something tells me, that they won¡¯t slip away quietly. But regardless, just tell them to get out of town¡ªquickly. Nobody knows anything about them as far as I can tell, except their abilities. Just tell them not to use their sorcery until they get into the Academy.¡± Natali broke off the hug and asked, ¡°Should I tell them about the ship right away?¡± ¡°No, wait until it docks and then tell them the plan. You can¡¯t go along, though.¡± ¡°What!¡± she shouted, stepping back from him. ¡°Who knows what they might do if I¡¯m not around? I¡¯m the only one telling them not to murder half the town.¡± She was furious knowing what type of trouble they¡¯d get into without her help, although it didn¡¯t help much at Goff¡¯s. Falahgo started to exit the den, ¡°They¡¯ll do just fine by themselves. If they do kill half the town, I certainly don¡¯t want you with them.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s fair,¡± Natali said, following Falahgo out. Looking back at her, Falahgo said, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would, but that¡¯s the way it¡¯s going to be.¡± Chapter 19 Chapter 19 ¡°At the center of the political system between the vast empires of Rhea and Phav is The Gorge. The Gorge is a mighty fortress spanning a wide valley, the gap lying between two mountain ranges. It is the easiest way to cross between the empires Rhea and Phav. The power of The Gorge comes from its unique geography, neutrality, and the agreement that all potential Imperial Academy students be screened there. The Gorge admits or denies students entrance into the academies, irrespective of any concerns or wants of the empires themselves. Where the empires would want the academies flooded with students, The Gorge selects what they deem an acceptable number, the same number for each Academy. Afterwards, the students travel to the academies: Sorcery in Phav and the Kinesis in Rhea.¡± ¡ªThe Gorge, page 129 Three weeks after Natali spoke secretly and alone with each of the boys, the Cristina finally docked. They had waited patiently for it, having sold the candlesticks which allowed Seff money for a better apartment. Since Falahgo had insisted she not go along on this night thieving expedition, she stayed safely in bed. Yet hour after hour that night, she could not sleep. She was restless, turning and tossing in her bed. The minutes seemed to drain off like dew droplets forming on glass. The night was slow and torturous for her, and what was worse, Falahgo checked on her semi-regularly, to ensure she hadn¡¯t sneaked off. Eventually, she drifted off. * * * The boys arrived at Belladder Commercial Port and Harbor shortly after midnight. It was a massive harbor, holding ships and boats of all sizes: fishing boats, cargo ships, barges, sloops and corvettes, brigs, luggers and the much larger barques. Having neglected to scout the port beforehand and having no idea where the Cristina was docked, Seff and Reyn spent hours looking for it. The lookout crews who spotted them on the piers eyed them suspiciously as they searched, and in the end, they could not find the Cristina. Even if they had found the right ship, they would have been found out by several of the other crews who watched them walk up and down the piers, whispering. A few of the crews even approached them with questions. The few nondescript answers they gave about meeting someone bought them some time, but they could not wait around forever. Eventually, Reyn and Seff decided to leave, avoiding the risk of exposure to much harsher scrutiny. When approached by Natali at school the next day, Reyn told her what had happened. ¡°You couldn¡¯t find the ship?¡± Natali asked. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Return to the docks during the day and ask a passerby where the Cristina is docked. After you scout out the location, return unseen at nightfall. If needed, rent a small boat, position it along the coast, and row it up to the side of the Cristina to board it.¡± Late that afternoon, Reyn and Seff stood talking in Cristina¡¯s shadow. With four masts¡ªthree reaching over a hundred feet tall¡ªshe spanned over three hundred feet. There were eleven deck hands visible unloading heavy cargo. A heavy crane¡¯s line took cargo from below decks through a massive opening and lifted the cargo up and out of the hold. No one with any type of rank or privilege could be seen. Reyn and Seff stood, in awe of the ship¡¯s immensity. Painted black, the ship was monstrous in a real way. The masts were several feet in diameter; the bronze figurehead spanned fifteen feet long; the crane hoisting crates and cages out of the ship was eighty feet high. Reyn prodded Seff, and they both left together, never looking back. When they were safely at Velro and Reyn¡¯s home, they started talking. ¡°That¡¯s impossible to do,¡± said Seff. ¡°I don¡¯t know what Natali was thinking, if she wanted us to rob that. We¡¯d be caught before we even opened a door. There¡¯s crew swarming all over the deck.¡± ¡°We just need to sneak onto it,¡± said Reyn, pouring himself water. ¡°And avoid the forty sailors that will be walking around eating, preparing cargo to be lifted off the next day, and oh, the guards.¡± ¡°Well, I guess we can¡¯t get on by the dockside, because there¡¯s only one way up to the ship, and it looked like it had three guards or sailors on it.¡± Seff got up off the chair and headed to where Reyn was drinking, ¡°Yes, the gangplank is no good. If we get the small boat, we might be able to row up next to it, climb up the side and sneak onboard.¡± ¡°I looked at the sides, and I didn¡¯t see anywhere that had hand holds like that. There probably isn¡¯t anything like that, because if someone needed to get onboard, the crew would just throw down a rope ladder.¡± ¡°So, we can¡¯t rob it,¡± Seff said, getting a hunk of cheese and bread. ¡°What if you just set fire to the harbor?¡± Seff gave Reyn a look as he walked back to his chair with the food, ¡°I can¡¯t just set fire to the water.¡± ¡°No, I meant the ships in the harbor. Just fire off ten or twenty fireballs. You could even make them small¡ªdoes it really matter? They just to need to cause a distraction.¡± ¡°That wouldn¡¯t work either, because then the entire crew would be awake and trying to sail their precious boat out of the harbor.¡± ¡°If they¡¯re sailing it out of the harbor, then I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be paying attention to us as we rob it.¡± ¡°Rob the ship when the crew is awake and running around everywhere?¡± ¡°We set fire to everything, and then sneak on board and rob it while they¡¯re sailing it out from the harbor.¡± ¡°But we¡¯d still have to get on board, which leaves us at where we were before. We can¡¯t get on board. And off. We have to get off too.¡± Reyn got a piece of paper and pencil from his backpack and started drawing, ¡°We get a grappling hook and grapple onto the side after we sail up to the ship in a small boat.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°You don¡¯t think they¡¯ll notice a loud thud as the grappling hook impacts the deck?¡± Reyn drew a large circle with little fires scattered about the circle, ¡°You¡¯ll have set fire to every ship around them. The noise is going to be loud¡ªprobably a lot louder than what Goff¡¯s was projecting, and that was a fiery roar.¡± Seff grabbed the pencil, ¡°Even if we sneak on, we¡¯re going to get noticed. We don¡¯t belong.¡± ¡°We just dress up like we¡¯re some of the sailors. It¡¯s night, and no one is going to notice us. On top of that, the captain won¡¯t even be around. He¡¯ll be up top trying to order everyone around to try to save his ship from catching fire.¡± ¡°Hold on; why don¡¯t we just set fire to the Cristina to begin with?¡± ¡°Maybe we can do that as we¡¯re escaping.¡± ¡°Why not just do it at the beginning?¡± Seff said. ¡°All the crew will be watching it, and they¡¯ll notice if anyone is on the deck. Plus, the first thing they¡¯ll do is try to unload anything valuable from the ship before it sinks. We don¡¯t want them rescuing our loot.¡± Seff started adding to Reyn¡¯s drawing with a large arrow signaling movement, ¡°So we¡¯re going to make them try to sail the ship out of the harbor before the flames spread to their ship, yet we¡¯re going to be laden with the loot and we won¡¯t even have a boat that we can climb back in. At best, we can tie it to the Cristina, jump into the cold water, and climb into our rowboat.¡± ¡°We can get a waterproof sack, put anything we rob into it, and then tie it off before we jump into the water.¡± ¡°The very cold and frigid water of Belladder? We¡¯re going to die. I¡¯m more worried about us than worrying about everything we steal being dry and buoyant,¡± Seff said. ¡°We don¡¯t want the maps or charts or whatever else we steal to get wet.¡± ¡°But all the crew is going to be awake. Do you really think they¡¯re not going to notice two teenagers plundering their ship?¡± Seff said, drawing circles on the edge of the paper. ¡°They might, but how else are we going to rob it?¡± Reyn asked. ¡°We can¡¯t do the grappling hook trick without noise to distract. So, I could just cast a few lightning bolts in a row¡ªlike five of them at a random ship. That would make tons of noise. Then I could just send a fireball over to one of the other ships. That would be very distracting, and then you could sneak below while everyone is distracted.¡± ¡°That might work, but what happens if I get caught?¡± Reyn said. ¡°On second thought, you don¡¯t have the training that I do, so that probably wouldn¡¯t work,¡± Seff said, scribbling out the drawings and turning the paper over to start over. ¡°You could teach me some spells, but that ship might set sail by the time we get back to rob it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to wait another three or six or however many weeks it takes to get back. We set fire to every ship in the harbor; we climb aboard the Cristina; we try to sneak our way past everyone; and we rob whatever we can from the private cabins,¡± Seff said, trying to draw what he had just said. ¡°I guess. Are you bringing your staff?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too big to hide. If I brought it and anyone from the crew saw me, they¡¯d raise the alarm immediately. It¡¯d probably be best if I just brought my sword and wand.¡± ¡°Which is how many spells?¡± ¡°Five.¡± ¡°So, if we get more than five people attacking us, we run?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And when we¡¯re ready to leave, we climb back in the boat?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The quarter moon helped Reyn and Seff enter into the vast harbor silently and unnoticed. They could barely see their breath in the dim harbor light. It was past midnight, and the only people stirring were the watches on the various larger boats. The soft light of their cigars and pipes could be seen from afar. The lights seemed to move and congregate to certain spots on each of the ships. Reyn and Seff rowed a small boat that they had rented for a few days. When they were getting close to the Cristina, they rowed ever so slowly as to reduce the noise from the oars hitting the water. When they were twenty feet away and mostly hidden by her sheer magnitude, Seff began casting fireballs. They were very small¡ªnot larger than a plum. He began laying them just above the waterline next to the boat, causing an eerily lit line of turquoise water with orange highlights. After he had six, he sent them flying fast and low on the waterline. After they were hundreds of feet away, he sent them straight up. One of them blinked out, but the other fireballs stayed alive. Seff then sent them to five ships he could see while aiming for their rolled sails. One fireball inexplicably zoomed past all the rigging and hissed into the water. Another one hit a mast and fizzled. However, the other three hit successfully, setting fire to the sails of three ships. There were some cries from around the harbor when they saw the fireballs fly up, but after the fireballs lit the sails, orders were shouted immediately. The groups of small hovering lights scattered and disappeared as sailors put out their smokes and ran to either see the fires or help put them out. Seff thought about sending up more fireballs since he had failed to set fire to as many ships as he had planned, but he dismissed the thought. They needed to get going. They rowed the last few feet to the ship and tossed the grappling hook over to the side of the ship. It caught the railing on the first try. Soon, Seff was peering onto the deck. There were a gaggle of sailors on the stern pointing and laughing, while there were none elsewhere on deck. ¡°It¡¯s clear,¡± said Seff as he climbed on board with Reyn following shortly thereafter. They were dressed in dirty, used sailor clothes that fit them. However, Seff and Reyn weren¡¯t heavily built and older like the other sailors, and that fact worried Reyn. If anyone saw them, would they know they weren¡¯t part of the crew? Both crouched and looked around for the door to go down below. ¡°Let¡¯s be sure not to set fire to this ship,¡± Seff whispered. ¡°We don¡¯t want any of the crew waking up. I don¡¯t think we could talk our way out of any questioning. I¡¯ll have my wand ready all the time, so if we get into a situation, I¡¯ll just lightning bolt them.¡± ¡°Did you learn how to stun?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t learn. No one¡¯s around to teach me.¡± ¡°Natali¡¯s not going to be happy if you start killing half a dozen sailors right after she told you not to.¡± ¡°She¡¯s the one who told us to rob this monstrous ship. Hey, look,¡± Seff pointed. Some of the crew could be seen jogging off the ship and down the gangplank towards the other ships on fire. The remainder could be seen still watching the fires of the other ships. The fires had spread from the sails to the masts, casting gorgeous orange halos across the sky. ¡°Those boats may sink,¡± Reyn said. ¡°Who cares? Let¡¯s go over there and go down,¡± Seff pointed to a door. They crouched and scurried their way to a door on the bow end of the ship. They opened it and found a ladder leading down. When they closed the door behind them, it was pitch black. They barely made it down the ladder. Seff cursed. ¡°Just light a fireball and see if we can find a spare lantern somewhere,¡± whispered Reyn. Seff did exactly that and soon found an entire line of lanterns off to the side on some pegs. He lit one and looked around. Passageways led both forward and back with barrels and crates scattered and stacked everywhere. There were no other lanterns lit anywhere. ¡°We¡¯re at the bow, so let¡¯s keep going forward before we try to cross over to the stern section,¡± Seff said. ¡°The stern is probably where all the good cabins are, but let¡¯s see what¡¯s in the bow first. Also, just wait here while I shield us¡ªjust in case.¡± Seff finished after a few minutes, and they walked quietly but swiftly through the bow only a few feet before they came to three different doors. One had light coming from underneath the door, but the other two didn¡¯t. Seff pointed to one of the dark doors, and Reyn slowly opened it since Seff¡¯s hands were full with lantern and wand. Whimby sat staring at the orange glows lighting up the harbor. He smiled. His heart warmed, even though a cold breeze chilled his bones. He sat on an ancient gargoyle head and so leaned down and whispered into its ear, ¡°There they are. They¡¯re still running amuck; unbelievable.¡± Whimby¡¯s travels had led him through city after city without even a shred of evidence for the boys¡¯ existence, until he had arrived at the coastal city of Pahlem. There he had checked with the dock. A man there remembered the boys and their father. They had stood out to him. The boys looked nothing alike, yet both had the same black eyes. Surely, they were brothers in very close age by a different mother maybe, the man had commented. The man remembered them boarding Arbella. Looking up the destination of Arbella, he saw that it was a trading ship bound directly to Belladder. He arranged to be on the first ship out to Belladder. There the thieves¡¯ guild had told him about a boy sorcerer who fit his description. The boy had asked about selling stolen goods. The guild hadn¡¯t seen him before and he was a sorcerer, so they had declined to buy his stolen goods. The boy¡¯s name had been Seff. After obtaining a description, he went off to every surrounding town and asked about the boy sorcerer, Seff. It seems he had made contacts everywhere in order to sell goods, yet he hadn¡¯t been around very much after the initial contact. However, the descriptions got to be better and better, as he had been seen by over fifty different people who were more than happy to give their version of a description. One man¡ªfor an additional five silver¡ªtold him in which city Seff lived. Whimby felt like patting him on the back, killing him, and then taking the silver back. But, Whimby wasn¡¯t as wild as he used to be. The word diplomacy rang through his head, calming him. He had walked away. And now, back in Belladder, an inexplicable fire had come down upon the harbor. He knew this town, and so he also knew there were only three ways out of the harbor. Two were paved with stone, but the third was a narrow wooded trail. Whimby stretched, cracked his cold knuckles and began the long descent down to the ground. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 ¡°Talent¡ªsorcery or telekinesis it matters not¡ªis an enigma. Untold time has been spent attempting to unravel its potential, its origin. However, both remain a mystery. Its potential is unknown, although The Gorge loves to say otherwise. As for its origin, one fact is clear: it is not passed down through the generations.¡± ¡ªKer-Rell, traveling lecturer and kinetic To Seff and Reyn, the darkness revealed a long, wide passageway filled with the shapes of barrels, crates and boxes. Seff cursed. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of crates and barrels.¡± Reyn shrugged. The passageway opened up, in fact, into a whole room with ramps leading down. The corners of the room were piled high with large cans, barrels and bags labeled hardtack, flour, and corn. Seff groaned. ¡°Hungry?¡± he said sarcastically. Reyn and Seff quickly backtracked to the second darkened door. Opening it slowly, they saw sleeping faces and covered bodies in a long row of bunks. Reyn pulled his head from the gloom. His hand shook from maintaining pressure on the latch. Holding his breath, he seated the door back in its frame and eased up on the latch. The muffled click sounded like a thunderclap to the two boys. The pressure drummed in Reyn¡¯s ears as they waited. No sound of stirring came from within. Light shone from under the final door. Seff shook his head. Having explored the bow, they started to slowly traverse the ship from bow to stern. Sailors slept in hammocks, rats squeaked alarm near boxes and crates, and more than a dozen empty beast cages rested uneasily, bound to creaky wood supports. Nearby were empty spaces where cages had been, evidenced by chains and ropes still bound to the supports. They tried their best to hurry past the cargo holds, filled equally by enormous crates, sleeping sailors and vast empty spaces. They reached the stern and found ladders leading up and down. Beyond, were a series of hallways leading to cabins. They walked through the hallways looking at the doors. ¡°They¡¯re all unlabeled and dark,¡± whispered Reyn. ¡°Yes, well, we¡¯re just going to have to start opening them to see what we can find,¡± Seff whispered back. ¡°Isn¡¯t that dangerous? What if someone wakes up to see us staring at them?¡± ¡°Who cares? They¡¯ll just see a lantern shining into their sleepy eyes, and we¡¯ll say a quick ¡®sorry¡¯.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± The first door was locked, as were the next five. Seff began to grow impatient. ¡°This is not going to work,¡± Reyn said. ¡°The only doors that aren¡¯t locked in this entire ship are the ones leading to the food, it seems.¡± ¡°I guess they get hungry sometimes.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s look at all the doors and see if any of them are labeled. Anything to help us.¡± Reyn shrugged and said, ¡°Sure.¡± And so, they began looking at every door and every passageway in the entire stern portion of the ship. As they turned a corner, they saw a sailor coming their way with a lantern held up, illuminating his face. Seff could see the man¡¯s face, a gnarled and disfigured lump of flesh. The topmost of his nose had been crushed down into his face, while one of his cheeks glistened with uneven scar tissue. Seff moved the lantern to block his face from the sailor. As he approached, Seff and Reyn continued walking forward. As the sailor passed them, Reyn looked away. Reyn felt his heart might give them away with its loud thumping. He had no desire to be in a running battle in the bowels of a ship, amidst a maze of hallways. The sailor passed them, not even taking a glance their way. They went down to the bottom deck and began checking every door. None of the doors were labeled, although they did look slightly different, with changes in wood patterns and handles. The full four decks were searched. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± said Reyn, after spending fifteen minutes walking around. ¡°Everything is locked. We¡¯ll have to start melting them.¡± ¡°What if there¡¯s a person in there? What if someone walks by? I think they¡¯ll notice.¡± Seff cursed. ¡°How are we going to rob a ship if all the doors are locked, and we¡¯re too timid to make our way through them? We¡¯re here, and we¡¯re here to rob, not be wimps. I can kill off up to five people almost instantly, so we¡¯re fine. If anyone comes by, we zap them and drag them into one of the rooms.¡± Reyn cocked his head and said, ¡°And the lightning bolts make how much noise?¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Most everyone is sleeping on the ship, even with the fires raging in the harbor. It¡¯s pretty quiet in here. This ship must have a thick hull. It¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°But we¡¯re inside. Do you really think no one is going to hear lightning cracks and thunder from inside the ship?¡± ¡°We came here to get some loot, and I¡¯m not stepping off this boat until I¡¯m loaded.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think Natali would approve,¡± Reyn said. ¡°Good thing she¡¯s not here.¡± Reyn groaned. He worried Seff had gone a bit mad. Against his better judgment, he turned around and started stacking spells on the nearest lock. The air turned even colder; the metal slowly turned from black to red to smoking to melting and setting a small fire onto the door which Seff put out. When the bolt turned to slag, the door gently rocked open. They pushed through and shined the lantern in, checking the bunks which were empty. They closed the door behind them, setting the lantern down on a desk. The room was drab with dark blue curtains covering a small window. The wood was sanded but not stained. Two sets of triple bunks sat empty on each side of the room. Reyn and Seff quickly opened up any drawers or cabinet they could find. They were all empty. ¡°What deck are we on?¡± Seff asked. ¡°Third.¡± ¡°Anyone with a lot of wealth is going to have larger windows than these, so what we do is climb out the window and go along the outside of the ship until we find some big windows.¡± ¡°Can we even get out there?¡± Reyn asked. ¡°Let¡¯s try.¡± Reyn and Seff opened the small window and peered out. The harbor was still ablaze. One of the masts had fallen on one ship, but the fire had been extinguished. Another was entirely ablaze, and the third one was out of view. There was a thin ledge, so they extinguished their lantern and climbed out. Once balanced on the thin ledge, they slowly made their way around to the stern from the starboard side. They seemed to have gotten incredibly lucky in their first cabin raid. There existed only three other windows. One was directly opposite of the first cabin, and the other two were facing sternward. The windows out to the stern on the third deck seemed to be separated into two different cabins. Both were dark, big and somewhat decorative. The harbor¡¯s distant fires reflected off some of the metals, although the light was dull enough to not reveal what metals they were. ¡°How do we get in?¡± whispered Reyn. ¡°Hold on,¡± Seff said. He quickly cast a long, thin tendril of fire which consequently both lit them up for the entire harbor to see and allowed them to see where the window latches were. Seff extinguished the tendril, used his glass cutter, and unlocked the latch. They opened the window and climbed through. All this was done near silently, for the watch crew was still topside. After they were in, they pulled the curtains shut and lit up their lantern. A single bed built onto the side of a wall was visible, along with a writing desk, a tall dresser, a few corner tables, a lamp stand, a map table, and a smaller table whose purpose was unknown to Seff or Reyn. A chest lay at the foot of the bed, along with several pairs of boots and belts. A staff lay against one of the walls. Seff pointed to the staff and said, ¡°Look.¡± ¡°Is it a walking staff or a sorcerer staff?¡± Reyn said. Seff walked over, picked it up and looked at it. ¡°Sorcerer. It has thick notches all down the length of it.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up.¡± While Seff went through the normal items, Reyn tackled the chest by melting whatever metal bits he could find. Most of it was made out of dense wood, but that didn¡¯t stop Reyn from melting the metal lock completely off. Inside the chest were stacks of books, three wands, three different pouches of gold coins, and some other odds and ends. Reyn took the pouches and wands and left the rest. Meanwhile, Seff had rolled up three different maps and searched the rest of the cabin, but no other valuables could be seen or recognized. With the valuables tucked into the waterproof sack, they came out the same way they went in. Within just a few minutes they climbed into the second stern cabin. They lit their lantern again, but this time the cabin was entirely different. There was no chest nor bed nor dresser. Inside were boxes stacked high to the ceiling. They were all sealed tight without labels. ¡°At least there aren¡¯t people in here,¡± Reyn said. ¡°Very funny. I bet Natali would be thrilled to know that we¡¯ve searched half this ship, and the only things we¡¯ve stolen are some maps, pouches and wands.¡± ¡°Pouches with gold coins. Those are all pretty valuable, I would guess,¡± Reyn said. ¡°Of course they are, but still. It¡¯d take us a few days to go through these crates properly, so I guess we go out again. I think the captain¡¯s room is on the deck above us. We should be able to just climb up to the next deck and break into it the same way.¡± ¡°The captain¡ªor whoever has that cabin¡ªprobably is there. We could just leave before the sorcerer whose wands and staff we stole comes back and sounds the alarm.¡± ¡°We¡¯re already here though,¡± Seff said. ¡°We haven¡¯t killed anyone yet, so I think Natali is going to be pretty happy. If we press our luck, then we¡¯re going to have an entire ship crew¡ªand a sorcerer¡ªafter us.¡± ¡°I can set fire to their ship, and we can leap overboard and swim away to our boat.¡± ¡°And they can leap after us and skewer us on their rapiers and longswords.¡± ¡°Not if I bolt them to death.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just going to make Natali slap you again,¡± Reyn said, having said the first thing that popped into his mind. ¡°The cabin up there has to have loot. We¡¯re here for the loot, so I say let¡¯s plunder this ship.¡± ¡°Suppose the captain is a highly ranked sorcerer and kills us both.¡± Seff paused before answering, ¡°What are the chances that a ship captain is going to be a master sorcerer? I guess he could be, but, even if he was, I¡¯ve already shielded both of us. We should be fine for at least a few spells. If he is a sorcerer and if he does start casting spells on us, just dive through the window.¡± ¡°Diving through the window is your answer?¡± ¡°Obviously, but we¡¯re not going to know unless we go up there to find out.¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s a normal captain, then all he has to do is call for help, and he has an entire crew swarming us with bows, axes and swords.¡± ¡°This part of the ship is mostly empty. I can shield us with a nice spell that deflects crossbow bolts and arrows away from us.¡± ¡°Fine, whatever, but if you kill anyone, you¡¯re going to have to answer to Natali,¡± Reyn said, using Natali as a shield and guise for how he really felt. ¡°Agreed. Now let¡¯s go,¡± Seff said as he climbed out onto the ledge once more with Seff. Time passed by slowly as they searched for a way to go up a deck. After skirting around the stern¡¯s ledge, they came by some ornate metal of some sort plastered onto the side of the stern that they were able to climb on. Having made their way to the second highest deck, they rounded the ship once more to the stern. The cabin¡¯s windows were not separated into two rooms, yet were approximately the same size at the previous windows put together. This was most likely the captain¡¯s. Seff used the same trick as before. Within a few minutes they were clambering inside the cabin. Once more Seff lit up the lantern shortly after entering with Reyn. The room illuminated. They stood next to a long, thin dinner table. On the table was a bowl of splotchy red peaches and forest green avocadoes. A few plates and wine glasses also lay on the table. Just beyond the table and to the right, a giant globe stood. It was beautifully painted with vibrant colors¡ªdeep cobalt blues and mossy greens, with blood red lines indicating borders. Beyond the globe was a bookcase¡ªtwelve feet long¡ªmeasuring from the edge of the dining table to the edge of the captain¡¯s bed. And in that bed, sat the captain, staring at them. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 ¡°On occasion, the intangibles of life work out. However, nine out of ten times, the objective is missed by the slimmest of margins. If lucky, a person will truly excel at one out of ten things they try. However, that one lucky time is magic. Sometimes, it¡¯s even more magical than anyone could ever imagine. Instead of mere excellence, it dashes through that barrier and continues far beyond. It breaks through walls and earth and iron. Those instances are rare in life and must be treasured, for if you ignore them, you will be lost. Those moments are when destinies are shaped, lives are born and people fall in love.¡± ¡ªQuotation taken from Driji, the insane old man in Driji Castle The room¡¯s other accommodations were quite mundane: a few more smaller bookcases, a few end tables, a couch, two chairs, a telescope, a staff leaning against a dresser, some coins lying on an inn table, and maps on a map table. An exotic creature¡¯s skeleton hung from the ceiling by ropes, its four legs clawing the walls, its skull glaring towards the cabin¡¯s door, its lower jaw flashing four backward-facing spikes. A ridge of rolling barbs followed its backbone. But these smaller details were entirely lost on Seff and Reyn as they stood, staring into the captain¡¯s eyes. His left eye was green and the right one blue. The top of his left ear was missing and a scar ran from the corner of his left eye to the back of his head, evidenced by the lack of hair covering it¡ªas those a monstrous claw had cleaved his scalp in two. His remaining hair was graying, peppered with white. He was clean shaven under his pointed nose. A tall man, he hunched instinctively to avoid hitting the top bunk as he stared at them. In his right hand he held a staff, and in his left, a wand. Time ticked by so slowly for the boys that they could clearly see the man before them make a decision. He smiled as lightning bolts sniped them both in the chest. Reyn fell backwards to hide as Seff rushed forward, drawing both his sword and wand. Reyn scrambled along the plush animal skins and teak floorboards hoping to make the window, only to be lifted from his feet and dashed against an end table by a massive gust of wind. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Knowing his sorcery shield would take just one more bolt, Seff zigzagged as he charged the captain. Locking eyes with him, he sprinted through the acrid smoke, his eyes burned, but he tripped, stumbling over a rug just as the captain unleashed a second and third lightning bolt. Both missed, whizzing, crackling over his head. Seff got back on his feet and continued on while unloading his wand charges at the captain. He had no shield spells saved in his wand. He could see the captain mouth the final rune for a sorcery shield after two of his lightning bolts hit him and again after another two. Seff could tell that the captain was taunting him. The captain had purposely mouthed the final rune, just so that Seff could tell what he was doing. The captain could have chosen to not move his mouth at all, but the captain knew exactly what he was doing¡ªand he was enjoying it. The captain had shown his hand, and Seff realized in that instant that he should have run. A sorcerer knows to keep his mouth shut when dueling. The runes are spoken silently, with the only glimpses of the spell being shades of emotions leaking through an impassive face. When Seff was feet away and had emptied his wand, another wind gust shot him away, onto a couch. Seff saw the captain mouth the damned lightning rune again, while he lay helplessly dazed for a moment. The captain¡¯s lips moved purposefully with an especially slow intent. He had nothing left to do but run. A lightning bolt leapt from both the captain¡¯s wand and staff. One bolt hit Seff squarely in his chest, dissipating his shield. The other hit Reyn, rendering him unconscious. Seff glanced in Reyn¡¯s direction and saw him collapse. Even as he rolled himself off the couch, he shot a look at the captain. Damn that rune. One final syllable fell from the captain¡¯s lips, unleashing what Seff knew to be coming. A glowing white filament careened into Seff with his last thought, beautiful. * Whimby crept through the brush beside the trail that lead to the harbor. He wondered why he had not seen the boys, or for that matter, anyone. He eased his way forward, careful not to make much noise. When he saw the boys, he¡¯d kill them immediately and collect his bonus. He pushed away the thoughts of money and concentrated on the woods. The minutes slipped by. After a while, he emerged at the forest¡¯s edge. The harbor spread before him, the dark water dappled in fire and moonlight. One ship was smoking; another listed sickly. On another, fifty men fought bravely to save their ship from its catastrophic flames. With the help of the fires¡¯ light, he scanned the harbor for anything unusual. Nothing. ¡°Where are they?¡± he thought. They set fire to Goff¡¯s, their footprints were found, and now, where are they? No one sets fire to three ships. What would the purpose be? A distraction? To what end? A robbery? Where? Another ship? Which one? The biggest one, Cristina. Maybe. Or maybe some disgruntled sorcerer who had a score to settle with a few shipowners. He was not sure. He sat on the grass with his back to a tree just inside the woods where no one would see him, yet he could still see everything. He waited for the boys. They would come. He could feel it. Goff¡¯s and now the ships. The boys really were racking up the bounty. Chapter 22 Chapter 22 ¡°The question was, for those who didn¡¯t hear, ¡®How many sorcerers and kinetics are there in the world?¡¯ The answer is impossible to know, but we can guess at the approximate number. This year¡¯s class has nine hundred and eighty-seven students. If we say that all previous classes combined live to an average age of seventy, then there¡¯d be approximately fifty thousand Imperial Sorcerers¡¯ Academy students and graduates at any one time. But that¡¯s easy to know. ¡°The hard part is: how many sorcerers are there who aren¡¯t graduates? We know there should be hundreds of thousands, but only a hundred thousand are listed as rank one or above. Perhaps the others are dead, perhaps they¡¯re lurking out there somewhere secretly doing their own little hobby. But really, the number that everyone cares about is the number of rank ones and above, which is about a hundred thousand. If you multiply by two, you¡¯ll get the approximate number for both kinetics and sorcerers. ¡°Given that the world population is approximately five hundred million, then our talent is one in five thousand.¡± ¡ªProfessor Gio, war professor for the Imperial Sorcerers¡¯ Academy A knock came at the door. ¡°Come in.¡± A sailor walked in quickly and said, ¡°They¡¯re both awake.¡± ¡°About time. It¡¯s noon.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be down there in a few minutes,¡± the captain said. The sailor left. After a while, the captain got up from the map table, grabbed his staff, and drifted through the door. No reason to bow to the time demands of his prisoners, yet he was curious as to what they would say before he killed them. He made his way down to the brig. Inside Seff¡¯s and Reyn¡¯s jail cell, were two tall iron boxes. Sorcerer pens. Seff was inside one, and Reyn was in the other. Their feet were shackled to the floor, and their hands were shackled behind their backs. Water filled the iron pens up to their necks, drowning out any chance of a magic defense. Both pens were capped with a removable iron lid. ¡°Remove the lids,¡± the captain said. The lids were removed. ¡°So,¡± the captain paused for effect, ¡°What were you doing on my ship?¡± ¡°Where are we?¡± asked Seff. ¡°You¡¯re in my ship. I will be executing you shortly,¡± the captain said. ¡°What is the matter with you sorcerers and talking to prisoners before you kill them?¡± Reyn said. ¡°Seriously, I¡¯ve already been through this once. I¡¯m not going to go through it again. Just kill me already!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter with him?¡± asked the captain, stepping closer to Reyn¡¯s cage. ¡°He must really not like water.¡± The captain didn¡¯t understand what sort of man or woman would beg to die at a moment like this. He wanted to know about them and why they had come into his cabin, and the thin tall one wanted to die. He shook his head in disapproval. ¡°I saved him last time, and now I guess he¡¯s gone crazy,¡± Seff said. ¡°He was in one of those before?¡± the captain said. ¡°No, he was going to get hanged last time.¡± The captain laughed, ¡°You need to stop taking so many risks. What were they going to hang him for?¡± ¡°Killing an entire courtroom of people, accidentally.¡± The captain was taken aback. ¡°But he¡¯s not the sorcerer. You are.¡± ¡°He¡¯s also a sorcerer. He killed everyone when they tested him.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unusual. I didn¡¯t hear about that. Being off to sea has its drawbacks,¡± the captain mused, knowing what it meant and why the other boy had saved the loony one. And then, they¡¯d be on the run. They¡¯d need money. The captain put it together in a snap. He asked anyway, just to confirm, ¡°So what were you doing on my ship?¡± Seff said, ¡°Stealing valuables. We need the money. We¡¯re being blackmailed.¡± The captain walked closer to Seff, ¡°Good time to steal. Poor choice of cabins, however. Anything else before I kill you both?¡± he asked, knowing he would not do it. There had to be a good bounty for the two of them. More profit. He could seal them up again, feed them food like fish in a bowl, and think of what to do with them. They would be his pets for a bit. Seff said, ¡°If you kill us, we¡¯re definitely not going to steal the taxes for you.¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t even plunder my ship, so I doubt you¡¯d be able to rob any such fictional taxes for me.¡± ¡°No, we have an insider in the City Exchequer. We¡¯re targeting the tax money. All we have to do is show up, melt the safe, and walk away with the money.¡± ¡°And kill the guards, or did your insider forget that part?¡± the captain laughed. ¡°She didn¡¯t mention the guards, but I¡¯m sure I could take care of them.¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t take care of me, so I find that hard to believe.¡± ¡°I only brought along a wand. I think you had a slight advantage with your staff.¡± ¡°True enough. You can melt a protected safe?¡± ¡°No, but Reyn can.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about the boy in the other can? The one who did nothing to fight back? The one begging for death and who is now silently listening to us?¡± the captain said. ¡°Yes. He hasn¡¯t learned hardly any spells yet.¡± ¡°And he turned a courtroom into an inferno, just by getting tested?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯ll be able to melt it with no problem at all.¡± ¡°You¡¯d stake your life on it?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The captain liked high stakes gambling¡ªit was a cultural thing to Northern Phav. Further, he gambled every day as a captain sailing the northern islands as dangerous as they were known to be and more. He said, ¡°So be it. Reyn who wishes for death will be released, and if he doesn¡¯t come back with the money, then you¡¯ll die in his place.¡± ¡°And if he does come back?¡± ¡°Then I get the money, and you both are released with the warning that if I ever see either one of you again, I¡¯ll kill you.¡± ¡°Do we get to keep our sack full of loot from your boat?¡± ¡°No, of course not.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll need the money from the taxes, or at least half of it, to pay off a debt our insider owes.¡± ¡°Half? I suppose that is fair, if it amounts to over five-hundred gold coins. If not, then I keep all of it. And if this supposed heist of yours isn¡¯t over a hundred gold coins, then I¡¯ll assume you¡¯ve lied, and I¡¯ll kill both of you when you return. Do you hear that, Reyn? If the taxes are not over a hundred gold coins, don¡¯t even come back.¡± The captain looked at his guards, ¡°Take Reyn out and dump him on the dock. Seal this other one up. I¡¯m going back to my cabin to finish the map for that reef we scraped over last week. Oh, and Reyn,¡± the captain pounded on Reyn¡¯s prison, ¡°You have two days, or we kill Seff regardless. Two days. It¡¯s noon right now, so you better get going.¡± The iron lid flipped over to seal Seff in as a man climbed into Reyn¡¯s pen to release the shackles. The captain walked out and closed the door behind him. There were six guards in the room, three with crossbows. They led Reyn out, up through the ship to the top deck, to the gangplank and dumped him on the dock. ¡°Get going, loser,¡± one of the guards said. ¡°You have two days to save your friend. Don¡¯t try to rescue him. The captain has killed before, and I¡¯m sure he¡¯d kill you, too. Just get the money. He¡¯ll honor the deal.¡± Reyn got up slowly. He was filthy and soaked. His legs were jelly, and he couldn¡¯t stop shivering. Hugging himself, he backed slowly away from the Cristina. Soon, he ran. * * * Whimby perked up. Finally something unusual. He knew there had to be something after that fire in the harbor. A boy was staggering towards him on the trail to town. He was stooped over and looked weak and cold. Where was the other boy, he wondered. That one¡ªyes, that one is the boy who set fire to the courthouse, and his bounty is the larger of the two. But what about the other one? Surely the other boy¡ªwith three sets of footprints at Goff¡¯s¡ªis around somewhere. Reyn passed by Whimby¡¯s hiding place. Whimby cursed silently at his odd luck to not have found both of them together. He¡¯d have to follow this dolt of a boy until he led him to the other one. Then, he would kill them together.