"Servant of Empire" - Ch 26
We walked down the hallways for a while.
Cannon glanced at my hands. “You too, huh? I get ‘em too, but not so much as before. Used to piss myself regularly, wouldn’t notice till the fight was done. See?”
He held up his right hand, flat and horizontal. I couldn’t see any tremors, but I didn’t want to push.
“It never goes down for me. Always hits me a couple minutes after, I can barely hold anything for a while after a battle.” I crossed my arms and tucked my hands under my arms. Sometimes that helps.
He took his gaze back to the floor before us as we walked. “Me, I wanted to get a wife, maybe a couple of kids. Look at me now, wandering around and selling my arm.”
I looked down at him. The stone walls looked different after the fight, but that was probably just my vision losing color. My hands were still vibrating.
“What changed your plan?” I asked.
“War,” he said. “Orc horde set on our city, and I got called in.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “Did you have family when they overran you?”
“Nah,” he grinned. “We beat the pants off them. My fam’s still there, but I never met the right girl. Had too much fun fighting, so when there wasn’t enough going on, I went looking for trouble.”
“Never met one with enough chest hair, is that it?”
He snorted. “Now you’re catching on, hellspawn,” he said.
“I’ve never seen a Dwarven city,” I said. “I imagine it’s a bit nicer than this.”
“Oh yeah,” he said. “Less queasy to say the least. Though to their credit, these bastards can cook. Not better than us, but they can cook. You can come with me sometime, if you want.”
I almost stopped walking. “Me?”
He looked back at me. “Why not? Now we’ve fought a few together, we can be friends. You did a good job out there. I’d be proud to hoist a few with you.”
“Well, if the opportunity arises, I’d be glad to.”
He smacked me on the back, which actually hurt more than he probably intended, since it landed on my kidney. “Great!” He said. “So what the hell do you think happened with that troll? He wasn’t dying when he went in.”
“I’m not entirely sure,” I replied. “I’ve got a hunch, but I want to be cautious about speculating the motivations of the royalty here. I don’t know if that’s considered bad form.”
We had by now returned to our original staging area, and the guards led us up another passage, up several ramps until the corridor opened up into a large room overlooking the stadium. It was well-lit, with high ceilings. Several tables of both giant- and man-size were laid out. If full, the room could probably have handled several hundred humans, or perhaps fifty giants. A dias on the other side of the room had its own giant-sized table. The entire room was bustling with servants.
Rendo was sitting at a table near us, his arm wrapped tightly in a bandage. Sered was there as well, laying partially inclined on a bed or divan. We made our way over to them.
“How are you?” I asked Sered. His eyes followed me as we walked up.
“I…will live,” he looked down at the bandaged stump of his arm. “Their medics are efficient. There is no pain at present.”
I had seen my share of maimings, and I knew the soldiers who suffered them. I still had no words for the loss. No matter how many times you see someone suffer it, it remains difficult.
“We’ll get you home safe.” I said.
The hustle and bustle was dying down as the tables were arranged. Wine and beer were brought, and we were all served our choice. Cannon had already angled directly over to one of the servants and relieved him of a cask of beer, which he sat with while refilling his mug repeatedly.
Before long, things began to settle, and the servants took places along the walls. A small cadre of horn-blowers took station on either side of the dias, and blew a small tune. Zur Nav – king Zur Nav, I reminded myself – appeared from a side door, dressed in finery considerably nicer than he’d been wearing at the stadium. Silence fell on the room as he mounted the dias and stood behind the central table. He raised his hands.
“My people,” he said. “I greet you all and welcome you to this celebration of my champions’ victory.”
His eyes widened slightly and he couldn’t resist clapping rapidly. “I so love parties!” He muttered.
He seemed to get a grip of himself then, and settled into a more sedate frame. “They have fought for me and sacrificed much. Their reward will be commensurate to their effort. To each of you,” he looked down at us then, “I grant you a favor to be asked of me when your need deems it. In addition, you will return home rich men.”
He paused, reflecting. “I had another champion today, whose service was faithfully delivered.”
“MAGISTRATE!” He shouted, and a goblin bustled up to him. Whether it was one of the bat-riders we’d seen before, I couldn’t tell. It approached him and bowed.
The new king raised one arm and pointed out over the city. “Let the tribe Rockslinger, of whom the fallen Dorad was leader, be granted the Granite Cavern and the tunnels around it for one thousand paces. They are given this as loyal subjects of Ihnbahran, so long as they serve us faithfully it shall remain their domain. Keepers so note.”
A general murmur ran through the room.
“He was a throw the while time,” Cannon whispered. “Dirty bastard, I wanted to fight him.”
Sered cleared his throat.
Cannon glanced over at him, a little guiltily. “Okay, so maybe not a total throw.”
Sered put on a thin smile. “Didn’t feel that way to me,” he said. “Now stop interrupting.”
I noticed a figure moving towards us along the wall. Mahar.
King Zur Nav remained silent for a moment. “But. My siblings are defeated or submitted. My throne is secure, in no small part to my champions and friends who are here now.”
He hoisted a barrel-sized flagon out in front of him. “To my champions! Honor to my champions!”
The crowd lifted drinks of various sizes and echoed “Honor to the champions!”
Zur downed the drink in one gulp, streams of the gold wine flowing around his cheeks and onto his robe.
“Food!” He shouted as he sat. “I am hungry, and I promised not to eat my champions!”
Laughter rumbled through the hall. Servants, mostly G’torrian, began serving large trays of foodstuffs on rolling carts to everyone. Where tables were too tall, giants brought properly-sized platters to the diners.
I grabbed a cup of wine and moved to meet Mahar.
We clasped hands. “Well met, once more, Az,” he said. “Very good, I’m glad to see you survived.”
“Wasn’t easy, but you trained me well.” I replied with a smile. I fetched another drink and handed it to him.
He winked at me. “Better than poor Fahren,” he said.
“Which one is that?”
“The man you spared,” he said.
“Will he survive?”
“Yes, my people are taking care of him, just as they took care of yours.”
“Your medics healed my companions?”
He nodded. “The Fomor are gifted magically, but they have no special talent for healing. They usually simply eat the wounded too weak to walk.”
“Then I guess I owe you thanks again,” I said.
“That you do.”
We tapped glasses and drank.
“We have business, you and I,” he said after we leveled our cups.
“Yes?”
“Indeed. Fahren. You claimed him after you defeated him, and he takes that pretty seriously. He has asked to be discharged from the Shal Rava to follow you.”
“I made no such claim,” I said, puzzled.
“Indeed you did,” he replied. “You claimed the victory in direct combat. Have you forgotten our ways so quickly?”
“Son of a bitch,” I said. “I did, didn’t I?”
He nodded. “Yes,” he said.
“What will that cost me?” I asked.
“I think less than you imagine,” he said. “Natha is dead, as is Moertro,” he paused. “Dorad was not mine, and Zhor lost to your dwarf. All of these were in a fair engagement, and we were contracted properly. I accept my losses. You would have been well within bounds to kill Fahren. It only cost us medicinals, and since the King here commanded our service, you aren’t obligated.”
“Are you saying you’re letting him out, at no cost to me?”
“Correct. I would ask you one favor though.”
“Ask away,” I motioned with my cup.
“I’d like to stay in touch, and perhaps we can do business going forward.”
“Well, of course I’d like to stay in touch. You’re the only person I know who might help me get home,” I said.
He looked at me strangely. “You think you can get back?”
“I must,” I said. “I can’t stay here.”
“Well, if there’s anyone who can do it, you’re in his ballroom right now.” He motioned to the dias. “The Fomor have as much power as we ever did. Only thing kept them from ruling the world as we know it is their madness.”
“What, just go up and ask him?”
He shrugged. “Maybe not just blurt it out, but you’ll never know if you don’t ask.”
He paused, and looked thoughtful for a moment. “Though perhaps you shouldn’t get your hopes too high,” he said.
“Why is that?” I was a little put off by his negativity.
“Because it occurs to me that I have no memory of you between then and now.” He said. “And if that is the case, it would stand to reason you weren’t there. I don’t think we’d let silence set in between us over the course of so many centuries.”
He makes a very good point there, Sybarron echoed in my mind.
“Shit,” I muttered quietly.
“What about you?” I asked. “You’ve been around long enough, don’t you or someone you know have some capacity for this sort of thing?”
He frowned for a moment. Finished his cup and traded for another going by.
“Let me ask you something,” he said. “In more than a thousand years, if I had the power or the power existed, don’t you think I’d have used it to go back and draw up a proper army to save the Emperor?”
I wasn’t sure what to say, so I remained silent.
“Yeah,” he said. “So when I say this king is your best shot, then trust me, as far as I am aware – and that’s pretty far – this is your best shot.”
I saw Cannon watching me out of the corner of my eye. He raised his eyebrows in question. I motioned him over.
“This the guy you were telling us about?” He asked.
I nodded. “General Mahar, formerly of…”
“Colonel now,” he said quietly.
“Umm, okay. Colonel Mahar, of the company Shal Rava. Formerly my commanding officer. Mahar, this is Cannon.”
Cannon extended his hand. “Colonel, your people fight well.”
Mahar shook his hand. “Likewise, Cannon. I would have preferred that we met on the same side.”
Cannon nodded. “Likewise. But it’s our lot, we stand where the coin comes from.”
Mahar nodded.
“Azrael, can I borrow you for a few?” Cannon said.
I looked over at Mahar. “Can we talk later about this situation with Fahren?”
He nodded. “Of course,” he said.
I walked aside with Cannon.
“What were you talking about when you said going back?” He asked.
“It’s a long story,” I said. “I’m not from here.”
“None of us are,” he replied, gesturing with his mug.
“No, no, that’s not what I mean,” I said. “You know how you tell little kids about how bad Shadrim are? How we used to rule the world?”
“Hmm,” he said noncommittally.
“Well, that’s me,” I said. “I come from there.”
“What, you mean you’re a fairy tale?” He grinned a little.
“No, I mean from back then, from that time in history. The Wayfarers here, they snatched me forward some time ago, and I haven’t yet found a way to return.”
“That’s weird,” he said. “And you want to go back?”
I nodded. “Everyone tells me I can’t. I ended up here by accident, and I want to go back.”
He frowned a little. “And here we just got to be friends,” he said.
“Well, it’s not like that,” I said. “If you were lost from home, wouldn’t you want to get back?”
He looked around pointedly at our surroundings. I admit I didn’t get it until he explained.
“Look,” he said. “That’s where we are now. I’m a long way from home. I might never get back. I’m making the best of it.”
“Okay, fair enough, but you can always choose to just climb on a pony and head for home if you want to, yes?”
“Maybe not a pony, but yeah.”
“Okay, so that’s not really an option for me here. I got pulled here by magic, and without something similar I can’t ever go back. And I don’t know how to run that kind of magic.”
He nodded. “So you’re stuck here.”
“So I’m stuck here.”
“And you can’t go home.”
“Not without some serious magic.”
“And King Zur there is your best shot?”
“Best shot so far, aside from one of the gods taking an interest in my case.”
“Okay, let’s go ask then.”
“Wait. What?” I was startled.
“Come on, let’s go ask.”
“Let’s? How is this your problem?”
“We’re friends now, yeah?”
“I guess, and thanks for saying so, yes.”
“Try not to sound so positive about it, will you? So even if you are a demon that belongs in Hell, you’re a friend, and I gotta help my friends.”
“Well, thanks.”
“No skin off my nose. Now let’s go ask.” He grabbed me by the arm and proceeded to drag me over to King Zur’s table. Zur was grinning and speaking to a giant beside him.
“We have to do something to clean those gnomes out of the…” He saw us approaching and his grin grew wider. “My friends!”
I took a knee, and Cannon followed my lead.
“Your Highness,” I said, face turned down.
King Zur absolutely beamed, preening his outfit. “Arise, friends of the Crown!” He cracked all his knuckles loudly and eagerly.
We stood together. “Your Highness,” I began. “You offered a boon to we who championed you in the battle today.”
“Indeed I did,” he said. “You have something in mind for yourself?”
“Umm, yes, I do.” I thought about how to address this. “I come from the Voruscan Empire, sire…”
“I know your race’s history, Azrael, yes,” he said.
“That’s all?” He asked. “A simple rift to take you to your lands? Hardly something to squander my favor upon, don’t you think?”
Cannon elbowed me. “Lord, if I may speak for my friend Azrael here,” he said. “He means he actually comes from the fallen Empire.”
“Yes, it fell.” Zur Nav still didn’t quite get it. “What do you mean, return?”
“Sire, I really am from the Voruscan Empire. Mahar, over there? I knew him when he was still a living man,” I pointed at my old commander who, upon seeing us both look his way, raised his glass in salute.
Cannon spoke up again. “He was brought to us by accident a while ago, and he’s been looking for a way back to the when, when his Empire still stood.”
Zur Nav looked confused for a moment, then realization came to him. His eyebrows popped upwards on his forehead, unevenly and making the metal patch over his eye twist in a disconcerting fashion.
Zur frowned mildly, his one good eye turning this way and that. “Hmm,” he said. His voice became serious and solemn. “I am afraid, Azrael, that this is beyond me. Beyond all Fomor, and to my knowledge beyond all powers known to us. Even she against whom we sinned has no record of doing something like that.”
I guess the desperation must have shown on my face, as he continued:
“Understand, that while things and creatures can move ahead in time, and under certain conditions time can be halted temporarily – it cannot be that things be sent backwards. Behamel!” He called over to another giant in the room, who moved to us.
“Yes, my king?” He asked. He was impressively dressed, with a deep blue formal robe sparkled with mica. His right arm was considerably thicker than his left, with stubby fingers that looked to be barely functional. His face, from the nose up, was perfectly formed, with bright yellow eyes. Below the nose, however, his mouth was set at a severe angle that was jarring to observe. When he spoke, his jaw moved in a disconcerting diagonal fashion, though the words came out unslurred.
“Behamel, you are far more familiar with the wizardly arts than I,” Zur gestured towards me. “This man wishes to be transported back into history, back to a time when his kind’s empire still ruled. I know it is not possible, but I cannot describe why.”
The giant turned and faced down to me. “How very curious. You wish to go to become part of the Voruscan Empire? To escape your treatment here today?”
I shook my head. “I was an officer in the Cairn Jale, retired, titled and on my way to take my awarded holdings. I wish to return there.”
“Return, how very curious,” he said. “To send anything back, one must create a space for the thing in question for starters. As things existed in place already, this would require a new space to be made that had none before, which would need an enormous force of magical power.”
He scratched behind on ear. “Beyond that, to introduce a thing that into the past that was not there before would potentially annihilate our present. As our past is fixed, this would crack the foundations of our universe – and again, it would require magical power, enough to rearrange the entire universe around us. Effectively you would spend the same power to rearrange the current universe into the form of the past as you would to transport one into the past, and the two different methods would be identical in outcome to the thing sent.”
He paused. “Do you understand?”
I nodded. “I think so. But I am from the past, I already have a place there.”
King Zur nodded vigorously, looking at Behamel. “I knew you’d be the right person to ask!”
“Yes,” the other Giant said patiently. “You were from the past, until you came here and became part of this time.”
“Who is to say I never returned? Perhaps I was here only briefly.”
“That is possible,” he admitted.
“And some of my colleagues here,” I continued, “…they went back and pulled me here. They went back, didn’t they?”
Mahar was watching me closely from a spot on the wall.
The giant scratched inside one of his nostrils. “Hmm, yes. How did they manage?”
“Another wizard, he used some kind of temporary tunnel,” I thought back to Orandor’s explanation. “He said the ends of it aligned for a brief time in each of our times, enabling him to send us back and forth through it.”
“How very fascinating,” Behamel said.
“So does that perhaps remove the first issue, of making a place for me?”
He nodded reservedly. “I suppose it might, but we haven’t established whether you have a continued place in your time.”
Mahar had moved up to us. “I’m sorry, Az, but I don’t think you did. I was there, remember? I never saw you again. Either you came here and stayed, or you probably died shortly after I lost track of you.”
“How very curious…this is really something for deep thought,” Behamel said. “I have never run into such a curious anomaly.”
“I can’t be stuck here,” I said. “Let’s assume there is a place for me, how is it that their wizard can send an entire strike team back, but sending me – one man – is a universe-blowing event?”
Behamel shrugged. “I don’t know,” he said. “Sometimes there are channels, tunnels even, between parts of the universe. Much like gates to other planes can open a path where one might walk a few steps and travel the distance between two worlds, some natural channels may be present that enable easy passage. I had never heard of them passing in time, though.”
He raised a finger into the air. “Perhaps that’s how they were able to retrieve you, as well, the channel enabled easier passage into our forming present.”
“Forming present?”
“Time flows in a direction for each of us, yes? From past to future, yes?”
“Okay, yes.”
“It is fluid before us, flowing like water,” he made sliding gestures with his hands. “When it reaches the present, then it freezes up, and becomes the past. We constantly ride on the breaking wave that is the present, which takes us ever further from the frozen past, chasing the fluid future.”
“I sort of follow that,” I admitted.
“Perhaps a small event splashed a bit of your present down stream, or somewhere the flow doubled back and came close to itself, close enough that with a little push your friends’ wizard was able to forge this temporary channel.”
“That does not bode well for my desire to return to my home,” I said.
“Indeed it does not,” he agreed. “Our world revolves around the present, it exists in the present. We can look back and see the past from here, but reaching out to touch it as it recedes ever further? I am afraid there is nothing in my power or those known to me that can accomplish this. Even our great Father, Bres, having stolen the power of magic from Zurei herself, he did not have any such power.”
He paused and frowned at me. “And trust me, if he had, your kind would have been nothing but meat on our tables,” he said.
I took a step back, alarmed.
“Behamel, Behamel, have a drink and see to lady Gloria over there,” King Zur gently patted the giant on the back and directed his attention to the other side of the room. “She has eyes for you, I think.”
Behamel looked a little confused as he allowed himself to be led away. “Did you see that? Did she say that?” I heard him ask his new king in an undertone as he walked off.
“That was a Shadrim.” I heard Behamel say loudly, a moment later. “What is a Shadrim doing here? Why isn’t it caged or in the lager?”
“Yes, yes,” King Zur said. “Pay it no mind, I will have it removed post-haste.”
“Was I talking to it?” The wizard asked as he fell out of earshot.
Mahar’s eyebrows had gone up. “Mayhap it’d be best to take leave of here, I keep forgetting these Fomor are not the most stable of employers.”
I nodded. “That was really strange.”
“Maybe we should go,” Cannon whispered.
I nodded.
Mahar downed his glass and traded for two more, then passed me one.
“I still don’t know what to think of you, here,” Mahar said.
“Yeah, well, if what that guy said is true, you might have to just get used to it.” I swigged a bit off the top.
“That’s not really what I meant,” he said. “I mean, having you suddenly crop up, fresh as a daisy. It’s hard for me to wrap my head around.”
“You know, you saying it again doesn’t make it much easier for me either.”
“Oh, sorry,” he drank a bit too. “Do you have a place to call home here, now?”
I shrugged. “I suppose. Once this mission is done we’ve been awarded a small and somewhat shabby castle. I guess we’ll be having that cleaned out and put together. It’ll make a decent place to park my boots.”
He nodded.
“It’s outside of a town called Adelhome,” I continued. “Nice enough place. Not big fans of Shadrim.”
He raised his glass. “You’ll be hard-pressed to…”
“…find that anywhwere,” I finished for him. We clinked glasses.
Cannon nudged me. I looked to him, then followed his gaze to where King Zur was striding back towards us.
“Hello Azrael,” he said. “May we speak for a moment?”
“I am at your convenience, my lord,” I said with a bow.
“Man, you know all the moves,” Cannon said. “I’m going to be over there,” he gestured to the vat of beer he’d appropriated.
“If you will excuse me, Your Highness?” He asked of the giant.
Zur nodded. “Of course, master dwarf.”
“How may I be of service, Your Highness?” I asked once Cannon had moved off.
“I must apologize that I could not grant you the favor you desired,” he said.
I shrugged a little. “I had to ask, but I would not want you to think I approached that with expectations, my lord. If there was a chance, I needed to find out.”
He sighed. “I understand. We will hold your favor ready, when you require it.”
“I am grateful, your Highness. I sense there was something else you wished to ask?”
“Yes. It is difficult to ask.”
“I will hold the strictest confidence, lord.”
“I like that you have adopted the proper etiquette so quickly.”
“Long years of experience in other courts, lord.”
“I must make a request of you and your friends.”
“Name it, your Highness, and I shall take it to them.”
“I need you to leave, as soon as possible.”
“Your Highness?”
He looked troubled. “Your people – the Shadrim – were never our allies. Nor were the Dwarves or Nephilim. Humans were, at best, neutral to us – though we did fight a war with them when we lived on the surface, and Elves are our enemies. Your group is comprised of peoples that represent almost all these, and I sense there will be great friction if you remain. Perhaps enough that it would pose a danger to you.”
I paused a moment. “I see, Highness.”
“I do not want you to think that this represents a diminishing of our friendship. I will never forget what you have done for me.”
“Of course, my lord, I do not see this as a reflection upon your hospitality. It is a pragmatic choice, and we would not wish to throw your court into disarray just as it begins.”
“Then we see eye to eye on this,” he grinned at his joke, tapping his metal patch three times, and I could see him physically restrain himself from clapping by grasping his sides tightly.
“We do, Highness.” I grinned back. “I will inform the others. We will, however, have need of an escort. Sered’s arm being what it is, he is in no shape to walk the distance home, much less fight if we run into trouble.”
“Oh, walking will be strictly off the table. My champions can expect better than that. We may not be able to send you home as you wish, but we can certainly send you all home, if you take my meaning.”
“We would be most grateful for that, my lord,” I bowed to him.
“It is the very least I can do,” he said. “Thank you for understanding. I shall have things prepared. Tomorrow morning, perhaps?”
“I will check with the others, but I foresee no problem there.”
“Good, good. What of your fallen comrade? I can have it arranged for the body to travel under its own power, if you like.”
“I don’t think that would be received well, Highness. Perhaps simply clean and wrap it for transport, and we shall handle her disposition upon our return.”
The new king nodded, then smiled faintly.
“You have treated me well, Azrael,” his face floated into a contemplative state, eyes on the middle distance as he said this.
“Your highness, despite my people’s reputation, we are not monsters all,” I said.
His eyes drifted down to me. “Perhaps more accurately not monsters to all,” he offered. “Just as my people are monsters to many – most, perhaps – we have our kindnesses as well. You could have left me for dead, my body to be picked clean by gnomes.”
“I beg to differ, Highness. I could not.”
“I see, yes. You break the mold that the world has cast for your people.”
I thought about it, then nodded. “I have been less than kind in my past. And my people’s view has been ungenerous to others. That mold cut for us may be well deserved.” My own gaze drifted past a blind G’torrian as I said this.
Zur pulled up a chair taller than I was, and sat down. “Perhaps, but a leader’s role is to guide his people. Yes, I think we understand one another,” he said. He looked down at me, expressionless. “This is important among rulers, your Grace.”
It took me a moment to register what he’d said. As soon as I realized it, a cold shock ran through me like lightning.
“Though you should perhaps exert a little more control,” he said. “You’ve gone pale.”
“How long have you known, Highness?”
“Shortly after we met, once my eye no longer pained me.” He said. “The heirs of Bres are aware of the comings and goings of nobility among us in order to prepare appropriate measures, whether they be hospitable or hostile,” he clasped his hands in his lap.
“I would be grateful for your discretion, Your Highness,” I said.
His eyes widened with surprise. “Why? Are you not proud?”
“Sire, this has all been rather sudden. I was a mere retired soldier, only a Count in my lands, and overnight my world changed. I am Emperor with no Empire, Highness. My people are scattered and scorned, no longer in their place as masters.”
“Hmm,” he pondered. “Yet my own enchantments reveal you to me as a leader. Your Empire may not exist in the form you knew, but enough remains to claim you as its Emperor, does it not?”
“I hadn’t considered that, Highness,” I said.
“There have been others like you, in other lands, and other times, even one who overthrew his own Empire. Bres is said to have led our people in flight from a world in which the last emperor of its mightiest empire cast that world into chaos in order to see it reborn anew,” he said.
“I have no feel for legends or prophesies, Highness. I am simply trying to survive and return home.”
“Have a care, Azrael. Prophesies are of the gods as tracks are of an animal. They are full of hidden purpose and meaning.” He waggled a finger.
“Highness?”
“Just as we leave footprints in the sand, so the gods leave traces of their doings on the world. Prophecy, as we call it, is simply their tracks into the future and the past. The oracle is no more than a practiced huntsman, who knows how to read the trail clearly. Or at least, more clearly than the common man.”
“My old Battlemaster was enthralled by prophecy,” I mused. “He claimed he saw a role for me in it. It’s why he recruited me into the Cairn Jale.”
“Perhaps he saw more clearly,” Zur said. “Walk softly through the desert sands, as the old song says,” he continued.
I shrugged, though a memory tugged at me from the lyric he quoted. “Perhaps. But I am in no position to ask him now.”
“Maybe the opportunity has yet to present itself,” he said. “For now, I have matters to attend to. Please notify your friends as we discussed. I will make the arrangements here.”
“Thank you again, Highness.”
“No, thank you, Azrael. And all of your companions.”
I bowed an appropriate measure. “We remain at your service while you grace us with your hospitality.”
“Well spoken. Enjoy the revelry, my friend. We may yet meet again in the future, and you will always be welcome to return as my guest at court once things have…settled.” He stood as he spoke this, nodded slightly, and moved off into the crowd.
I watched him go, wondering at what I’d been hearing. Was that a prediction, or simply a desire?
Eventually I snagged another drink and walked back to join the Wayfarers where they clustered around Sered’s reclining form. Cannon was still slugging beer, and Rendo had joined him. Both were laughing at some joke when I arrived. Sered was nursing a tall glass of white wine.
“Az!” Cannon shouted when he saw me. Sered winced, while Rendo grinned. “Buddy, have a drink!”
I waved my cup to indicate I had one.
He raised his cup. “To Nix. Forever now, a hero,” he said.
We all saluted similarly.
I sat down with them. “We’re going home, everyone.”
Sered’s eyebrows raised. “When?”
“Tomorrow morning,” I said. I nodded to Sered and told him “Don’t worry about traveling, I have it on good authority that we’re taking a fast track that won’t stress your injury.”
“Thank you,” he said. He reclined on the sofa and closed his eyes.
“Fast track? What does that mean?” Rendo asked.
I shrugged. “Didn’t go into details. I assume there will be some form of rift we’ll cross,” I said.
“Can’t be too soon for me,” Cannon said. “Might be able to make food here, but this place just gets under my skin after a while.”
I nodded. “I can understand that. The light here grates on me, too.”
Rendo smiled. “Never too soon to see green grass again.”
Sered didn’t open his eyes. “What about Nix?”
I took a large slug of wine from my cup. “The body will accompany us. Zur Nav offered to animate it in order to make moving it easier, but I declined. It will be wrapped and sent with us as cargo.”
“Smart, turning that down.” Sered said with more than a little sarcasm.
“Hey, I hate the practice as much as, or more than you do. It’s a violation I would not visit upon anyone.”
He opened his eyes this time. “I’m sorry. I should have known better than that.”
I waved it off. “Don’t worry about it. We’ve all had a hard time here.”
“Nix harder than most,” said Rendo.
“Shame, that,” Cannon said. “She had a good sense of humor. Didn’t know her well. Hate to lose someone on the trip.”
Sered nodded. “We’ll see her buried properly when we get back. It’s in her contract.”
We all remained quiet in the busy room while the various celebrants milled about. I focused on filling a plate of food and then emptying it. My stomach had decided it was time for some attention, and wasn’t going to be put off.
“Shadrim,” a loud and deep voice spoke from above and to my side.
I looked up to find Gazul Kil towering over me.
I stood and turned to him, bowing appropriately for the brother of a king.
He smiled slightly. “You know the traditions, then,” he said.
“Some of them I do, yes. I do not know what title to address you as, though.”
“That’s fine, for I have none yet. It will be to my brother to decide how or even if I am involved in the Court.”
“How can I help you?”
He drew a small pouch – small for him, more like a sack for me – from his belt and leaned down to give it to me. “King Zur has ordered me to give these to you. These are for you and your companions. Each of you should wear one while you remain here in the city, as identification and protection.”
I looked in the sack: several large granite stones threaded onto ropes were in it. Perhaps they would be bracelets for a giant, but for us they would probably be more like belts.
“Thank you?” I looked up.
He smiled more broadly now. “You’re welcome.”
“I did not expect such warmth from you,” I said. “Why the change?”
“My brother is King, the situation is resolved. I had no desire to be king, I simply wanted the conflict over soonest. You helped arrange that. I can now return to my hunting. Besides, it was his order that we treat you with the most courtesy while you remained here. You will soon be leaving. That brings me some amount of happiness, as well.”
“I see,” I said. “Thank you then, and I am glad to provide you with some relief.”
He nodded.
I looked back up. “Someone mentioned to me that you hunt angels?”
He smiled. “Yes.”
“To what end?”
“They are a challenge. Ephemeral spirits empowered by the gods, they are nearly impossible to track and even harder to kill. Plus, with each one I get to put a stick in the eye of the god whose angel it was.”
“I see. Well, I suppose then I should wish you good luck on your next hunt.”
“Very gracious of you. My thanks, and farewell.”
With that he wandered off.
I turned back to my companions, realizing that I’d wandered off following Gazul Kil. I distributed the stones among my friends and described the conversation.
“I still don’t get it, why they don’t like us,” Rendo said.
“Does the farmer love the goose?” Cannon asked.
“Huh?” Rendo cocked his head to one side.
“They eat our kind,” Cannon said patiently. “They don’t like to talk to their food.”
“Oh,” Rendo said. He swallowed loudly. “Glad we leave tomorrow.”
I nodded. “Me too.”
Sered gave a noncommittal shrug. He cracked one eye, and said, “I don’t suppose we could excuse ourselves from the festivities here? I am really very tired.”
The others muttered various forms of agreement.
I motioned to a servant, some form of humanoid, which I could not identify readily. “Our companion grows tired from his injury. May we be taken to our quarters and food brought to us?”
The creature bowed. “Of course, sir. I will see to it.”
Over the next few minutes several more of the creatures emerged and lifted Sered’s bed, and we proceeded as a group to a large building nearby.
Truly this place was a palace, in the Fomorian sense. It was of course huge, and built in the twisted architecture they seemed to favor. The construction was largely marble and granite, dressed with tapestries and animal skins.
Inside this royal residence, we were taken to a side passage where human-sized rooms had been built, decorated richly. We had an attached bathing room with a steaming bath sunk into the floor with a constant stream of fresh hot water from the wall, and nearby I found one room in which the rest of my equipment had been deposited.
I divested myself of my gear and headed for the bath. The water was clean, and a very comfortable heat, in which I immediately almost passed out. Soaps and towels were lined up on benches on one side of the room, and small stools were set out in organized lines.
Once in the water, I cleaned myself thoroughly. I can’t recall ever having had a bath that luxurious, even in our home in the Sapphire Spire we didn’t have such expansive facilities for washing. After being certain I’d rid myself of the last of the grime and blood, I relaxed against the side of the pool. Before long the heat of the water had me half-dozing again, and I probably would have been happy to drown in it.
“Good idea,” I heard Cannon say. He waded in, and began a similar process of scrubbing furiously. The amount of hair on him, I would not have been surprised to discover he was half bear.
“They took Sered back out a little while ago,” he said.
I sat up. “They did what?”
“It’s okay,” he continued. “They asked real nice first, and he agreed. Something about fixing his arm up further.”
“Ahh, I see.” I leaned back again.
“So when we get home, what are we going to do then?” his face was a mass of soap-suds.
“Well, I am going to get myself a proper meal. Something with lots of cow or sheep in it.”
“Oh yeah, sounds good. And beer.”
“Yes, and beer. Assuming the inn will have me.”
“I’ll make sure of that,” Cannon said. “Us all, we’re heroes of that town now. They owe us. No more trolls. Not going to eject you just because you’re a devilspawn.”
“Well, I’d appreciate that, but let’s not kill anyone over it, okay?”
“Right, no killing.” He chuckled. “Just the occasional maiming.”
Just then, a small bell rang from the main room of our suite. Shortly after that, Rendo’s voice called out, “Food, guys!”
I grinned. I was ready to eat again. What they don’t tell you about Shadrim is that we go through a lot of food when we have the opportunity. I guess something has to empower that inherent magic. At least, that’s what I tell myself.
“Gonna go get some of that,” I said. “Then I think I’ll turn in. We’ve got an eventful morning tomorrow, probably they’ll throw a parade or something for us.”
I stood and walked out of the pool, and dried off. When I returned to my room, I found that somehow all of my clothes had been cleaned and mended in the time I’d been gone. Remarkable with the little things, those fae people.
Settling in, I found myself sleeping in mere moments.I guess the toll of the day was greater than I’d expected. I had a dream about Nix, that she’d somehow become the tender of a great library, and she was happy there. Strange that she had a great scar where the sword-blow that killed her had fallen. But it was a dream, and one must walk softly when trying to read too much into them.
(All content here, outside of those elements attributed otherwise, is copyright (2025-) Thomas Theobald. With the exception of AI training, personal use with attribution is granted.)