Techromancy Scrolls: Adept (33 page)

Little Eli seemed to materialize from nowhere and slid under the covers in the overcrowded bed. He murmured, “Soras.” Then he was asleep before his head hit the pillow with his little sister. Why was everyone calling us Sora? I drifted off with that question in my head.

***

I didn't dream, the nightmare, or seeing, never came, I had already lived it. Over the next couple days, I got stronger and stronger. I was amazed at the story of Celeste routing Raneth, when Verna told me what had happened when Celeste wouldn't. She had stood toe to toe with him and not allowed him to call lightning down on her comrades.

There was a lot of planning between our leaders. A large force was to be sent south to liberate both Treth and Far Reach, though they believed any remaining rogues would have dispersed to the winds after hearing that a contingency of only nine Wexbury Knights and four Wexbury archers had dispatched over two hundred and seven of their magic using warriors.

I helped out in the camp wherever I could. I loved reading to the children, and I was getting much better at making water skins. I even taught Lady Beth and Celeste how to sew. They thought it basically the same as stitching up a wound on the battlefield.

We stayed in Flatlash Keep. The Gypsy caravan overnighted on the Fairy Ring meadow at the base of Castle Flatlash. We feasted and listened to our Knights and Duke John tell the tales of how Lord Samuel had made two impossible shots to kill the rogue Adepts and stave off another Great Mage War. He fell a hero of the realm at the great battle of the Monolith.

When we awoke to start our three-day journey by oxen pulling the wagons to Wexbury, there were two stacks of clothing on the table. Celeste and I were the only ones in the wagon. I looked at the stacks and blinked twice and smiled then stood in front of my Lady and put a finger to her lips when she was about to speak.

I poured water from the pitcher into the basin, then turned to her and reached for her nightdress. She almost backed away with... fear? In her eyes. I tilted my head and smiled. And reached for it again and she swallowed and stood still as I undressed her like Sylvia had done for me in another lifetime, before the battles that had changed something inside me.

I wiped down my lady with a wet cloth marveling over her perfect form. Then piece by piece dressed her and secured each piece of her new armor on her. Everything, including her undergarments had dozens, no, hundreds of protections, charms, and symbols of luck, adoring them. Everything was buzzing with a warm, soft energy under my fingers. Her breastplate was half the weight of her old one and I could taste a lot of carbon in the steel, strengthening it.

On the breastplate was etched the crest of Wexbury, the crest of a Techno Knight, the crest of the House of Celeste, and then one I recognized burned into every wagon in the caravan, the crest of the Lupei family. I slid her sash on, which had the same crests on it, then a braid of colorful fabric around her neck that hung down beside her sash.

I had to shade my eyes, there were so many charms upon her person now that she shone like an angel. I realized I was breathing hard as I looked at her and licked my lips and calmed down. My eyesight changed, but even with my normal vision, she seemed to almost imperceptibly shimmer.

Then I sat her down and brushed out and braided her hair to one side, and tied it off with strips of emerald and violet fabric. When she turned around, she took my breath away.

Then she stood in front of me, I looked up into her eyes and we stood like that for a few long seconds. I wasn't breathing. Then she reached out and began to undress me. I stood not only naked before her, but naked to the universe as she washed my body down. She paused to trace the scars on my face, my arm, my leg. Then she ran a finger along each and every scar on my back from my flogging.

I had to squint at the clothing and armor she placed on me. If possible, it had more layers of charms than hers did. Then she sat me down and duplicated the side braid I had done for her to my right. Exposing my shaved head and scars on the left of my face more prominently.

I started to reach up to absently touch the scars but she gave me a warning look and I dropped my hand. I stood and grabbed her riding cloak and her sword clattered to the ground. I looked in the cloak and grinned. I went about arming my Lady. Her weapons and their scabbards and sheaths were spelled as well. Then I laid her riding cloak, which was shimmering with power, over her shoulders.

She opened my cloak on the table then smiled. In a gleaming new scabbard was Anadele, with her shining, spell covered hilt wrapped with a new leather grip. She crinkled her nose as she strapped my dagger to my boot and she made a squishing motion as she squinted an eye. I rolled my eyes at her and grinned. Yeah, I got it, a tiny knife.

Then she put my tool pouch over my shoulder and hesitated when she turned back to my riding cloak. She reached out and picked up a single, delicate white glove that looked to be woven in the finest silks. It was glowing brightly and thrumming with power. I used my sight to walk down through the dozens upon dozens of layers of enchantments and charms on it.

She looked at my right arm and then me expectantly. I held out the withered and scarred thing and she slipped the long glove over it. It went up almost to my shoulder and the aches and pains that Sylvia could not ease, seemed to vanish. I clenched my fist, no pain. I smiled at Celeste, then she draped my new riding cloak over my shoulders.

We put on our leather gauntlets. My right arm looked odd with a gauntlet and then white silk running up to my shoulder. Then I looked up and froze. Celeste was inches from me looking down at me, emerald sparks drizzling from her eyes. I wasn't breathing again as she just seemed to take me in, then she lifted a hand and cupped my right cheek. She whispered in a voice I had never heard from her before, “You are so beautiful Laney.”

I blushed and she wouldn't let me look down. I smiled shyly and said, “And so are you. Lady of my heart.”

She kept me immobile with those amazing eyes for a few seconds longer. That had been possibly the most intense moment of my life. Then she turned me to the mirror and said, “Shall we go see what mischief our Gypsy friends are up to Lady Laney?” I blinked, my facial scars seemed to be shimmering slightly as a result of the huge amounts of magic of the people on my person.

I turned away from my reflection, looped my arm through her offered arm, and said, “I would be delighted Lady Celeste.” I silently exhaled and then we stepped out into a cheering crowd of Gypsies and knights.

After a huge breakfast buffet provided by our hosts, Duke John, and Duchess Camille, Celeste mounted her charger. Then on my third try, to the chuckling delight of all around, I mounted Goliath. I ignored the teasing and looked up regally and before Celeste could, I stole her thunder since I heard her chuckling with the rest. I raised my arm to the sky then let it drop, pointing forward.

The war horns of Flatlash keep sounded their deep rumble and the Gypsy caravan lurched into motion as we followed the Flatlash honor guard out of the keep, for our last leg of the journey home. Celeste had her horse cantering by my side as I ignored her grinning self. I made a point of not looking at her and I patted Goliath's neck. “Ignore them, handsome boy. You're the only horse for me.”

This got me a giggle from Celeste, I broke and shot a silly grin at her and she leaned across her saddle to bump shoulders. That was how our next three days went. Mother Udele met with Celeste and me, then Duke Fredrick each night. I grew even closer to the amazing people in the Lupei family.

Then we rode tall in the saddle as we passed through Wexbury Minor. The Knights patrolling the external village took off like arrows at breakneck speeds to inform the Keep of our return. We went up the little rise by the livestock grazing fences and saw Castle Wexbury rising out of Wexbury Keep.

I faltered and Goliath weaved nervously to a stop. Celeste was instantly beside me looking at me in concern as I silently sobbed. “Laney?” I took some rapid breaths trying to calm myself. I reprimanded myself. Control it, don't let it control you. Be strong. Then I was able to take a long, deep breath and centered myself just as I heard all the metal around us starting to raise.

Then I whispered to her and gave an embarrassed smile as a tear rolled down my face, “I'm sorry. This has been the most amazing adventure of my life, something I would never have dreamed of. But I am so very glad to be home.”

She nodded and smiled and took in the sight of our keep and voiced her agreement, “Yes... there really is no place like home.”

Alexandru rode up beside us and rested his arms across the pommel of his saddle, barely holding his reins. He looked at the keep then back at us and nodded with a smile. Then made an ushering motion with a hand. “After you Soras.”

We started moving and the caravan started up behind us again as Celeste asked him, “Just what does Sora mean anyway? All the Lupei are calling Laney and me that.”

He chuckled as he turned around to ride away from us and called back with humor filling his voice, “In your tongue, it means Princess. Did you not think of the price of the blood bond of your house to Udele? You are her heirs now, my... Soras!”

His laugh faded behind us as Celeste and I looked at each other, going pale as she said, “Oh shit.” I nodded, so succinctly said by my Lady. Then we started chuckling to each other and shaking our heads. We could hear the bells of the church heralding our return in the distance.

What an adventure this has been indeed.

I was looking in the mirror, absently running my silken gloved fingers across my shimmering facial scars, at the castle barber. Jace came running in, gasping for breath. My hair had grown in nicely in the past six months, and Giselle, the barber, had just styled my hair brilliantly, I looked more like a girl than a pubescent boy with the feminine style.

I grinned at my little brother as he held a finger up as he panted. Then he blurted out, “He's going to do it, Laney! Now!”

I gave Giselle an apologetic look as I ran for the door, snagging my riding cloak from the hook by the door and tying it around my neck as I ran with my brother. My cloak billowing behind me as I grumbled, “The fool is going to get himself killed!”

We reached the grand staircase and I slowed to allow the first class of children, from the new schoolhouse, past on the tour of the great library of the Techromancy Scrolls. Mother had arranged the visit. It was not long after we had returned to Wexbury that Duke Fredrick succumbed to mother and my pressure about mandating every child in the realm be educated.

The children gasped when they saw me and there was murmuring, “It's Lady Laney!” or “That's Anadele on her hip. It can split lightning.” I blushed.

Though the official story of the great battle of the Monolith painted Lord Samuel as the hero of the day, we didn't anticipate the stories that the Gypsies, who carnivaled at the keep for an unprecedented two months, would spread. Nor the fact that our porters and coachman, who were commoners like I had been, would spread the real, if not exaggerated, tales through the famous Wexbury grapevine.

A small girl, possibly four or five years old, stepped up to me as Jace and I stood by the railing so the children could pass. Her brown eyes were so big and wide as she smiled shyly in recognition of me. “You're the Penny Lady. Mommy and I sawed you in da Market. I wanna be a Techno Knight like you when I'm growed up.” I blushed, I wasn't a Techno Knight yet, not until later that day. The new Instructor of the Keep, Jacklyn, was stepping up to the girl to take her hand.

I signaled for her to wait. I asked the girl, “What's your name little one?”

She smiled hugely and said, “Misty Cobbler.”

I reached into a pocket of my tunic and pulled out a small handful of penny vouchers and placed them in her hands. “Well, Misty, can you help me out by giving each of the children here a penny voucher for their families? It is important for an aspiring Techno Knight to care for those under her protection.”

The little girls eyes went wide and she ran to the other children with Jacklyn in tow. Then I remembered why I needed to make haste. We burst out into the courtyard and ran toward the livery. I had to smirk a little that I was actually getting faster than Jace now. I had never been in better shape or felt stronger in my life with all the training that came after our misadventure to Far Reach.

I saw Bex on my old hay wagon, fiddling with the electric motor and steering linkages he had tinkered together. Brenda was demanding he stop the foolishness. I grinned, like the poor man could ever stop. He'd do anything that woman told him but that.

Dozens of people were standing around, watching with curiosity.

Then he pushed a lever and the wagon started moving forward. He had been trying to recreate a motorized conveyance like the Wizards of the Before had used. He was likely to break his fool neck. He almost fell off the wagon as it started moving then he stumbled forward and got into the drivers bench and grabbed the steering levers. The wagon kept gaining speed toward the castle wall.

His eyes went wide and he turned the wagon toward the courtyard gates as it continued to build speed. I yelled, “Bex! Stop that contraption!” Jace ran after him.

He yelled back, “I... don't think I can. I forgot to make a way to control the motor.” Brenda and I looked at each other and I sighed and looked around. Goliath was in the courtyard being exercised by a stable boy. I ran at Goliath, shouting, “Move aside!”

The stable boy got out of the way as I dove at Goliath, snagging the pommel of his saddle with my silk gloved hand and slung myself up, mounting smoothly. He was already in motion before I took the reins and shouted, “Hya!” as I kicked his sides gently.

He huffed a hot breath through his nostrils. He loved when I gave him all the rein he wanted. I laid across his neck as he stretched out and we thundered off after the silly tinker. I swear, if he broke his neck on the day we became knights, I was going to kill the man.

We were gaining on the still accelerating wagon down Lord's Way. I could hear Bex screaming for people to make way. Everyone was running to the side of the road, a poor man carrying a basket of baked goods dove to the side, spilling his load.

We were almost to the Roundabout when Goliath stopped gaining. That thing was fast, there were few horses that Goliath could not beat. Bex was screaming like a woman who had a mouse run across her feet as he went barreling around the Roundabout, two wheels of the wagon lifting from the ground.

Some speed had bled off there and I was able to catch up. Goliath came alongside the wagon and we were perilously close to the back wheel as I leaned out of my saddle and reached for the lever at the motor to shut it down. My fingertips brushed it as the wagon kept accelerating away from us. Damn!

As we chased, and rapidly approached the Belt, I swallowed at the congestion on Lord's Way all the way to Market. This was not going to end well. But Bex must have realized this too. As soon as we Passed the strip of multi-story buildings of the Belt, he veered left and the wagon exploded through the rail fence and it skipped down into the Warehouse District.

He skirted between the buildings and Lord's Way, looking back at me with wide eyes as he held up the broken handle from the little friction brake that he thought could stop the wagon. The small grove of trees at the end of the Warehouse District signaled that we were out of room, and out of options, as the wagon hurtled through another fence and went airborne as he passed through the trees. I could hear his girlish wail then a huge splash.

We thundered through the trees and the picnic grasses beneath them and I pulled Goliath up short. There was my wagon, mostly submerged in the lake, with Bex trudging out of the water, laughing maniacally, full of fear, adrenaline, and elation, still grasping the brake handle in one white-knuckled hand. He looked like a wet gangly scarecrow as he shouted, “It worked!” Then added almost comically as Brenda arrived on a borrowed steed, “Just a couple minor bugs to work out.”

He grabbed a floating tube as he slogged out of the water and I dismounted. Brenda slapped the back of his head hard then kissed the man. “Idiot.” He grinned at her.

Then he looked worriedly at the tube. I recognized it as the tube he kept the parchments with his designs. He popped the top and pulled out a parchment then exhaled in relief. I snatched it from his hands before he could react, and asked as I looked at the drawings, “What scatterbrained scheme are you working on now?”

He took the parchment back as he shrugged. “Just a lighter than air vessel to explore the uninhabitable lands.”

I squinted and furrowed my brow. “Like the balloons the Gypsies float in at Carnival?”

He nodded. “Yes, but much larger and with fans to propel it instead of being subject to the whims of the wind.”

I shook my head in wonder, trying not to show excitement for the idea, no need to encourage the man. “Only you Bex, only you.” I looked around at his mess as we all mounted up, him behind his woman.

I said as we headed up to Lord's Way, “We need to get some men over to pull that out of the lake and repair the fences when we get back to the castle.”

He nodded in embarrassment, but then sat tall and asked us, “Did you see? It worked. Travel without horses. I just need to devise a way to control the motor from the seat and a better braking system.”

To silence him Brenda and I both yelled out, “Bex!” then we shared a secret look of pride. He really had done it, a motorized conveyance. Was there anything we couldn't accomplish in these modern times?

We all rode high in the saddle as we made our way back to the castle, as people in the market stared at us. We needed to get ready. I scooped up Jace with one hand and deposited him behind me in the saddle as we passed him at the Belt. He was truly fast to have made it all that way so quickly.

Celeste was at the Livery pacing when we returned. She virtually caught me as I dismounted and she motioned a stable boy toward Goliath as she pulled me along toward our quarters. She said, “You're going to be late for your own ceremony.”

I nodded and grinned at her. “Bex did it. His contraption worked. Though he almost broke his own fool neck.”

She smiled with a nod. “I had no doubt the brainy guy could do it. Half the scholars and Techromancers have secretly been monitoring his progress.” That was news to me. But he has sort of become a sensation, as the weapons smiths have been adapting and refining his powered blade concept to help our Knights stand against rogues.

My Lady helped me gear up and she did my hair up in a braid and paused as she looked at me in the mirror, just holding the braid in both hands.

She had done that a lot lately. After the troops had been sent south, and Treth and Far Reach were liberated, and our part of the spoils of war amounted to tens of thousands of gold coins, she would often slip into thought.

I looked at her in the mirror and she snapped out of it when I quested with my eyes. She shook her head then smiled and said, “Oh, your Techno Knight sash that will replace your squire sash at the ceremony. I hope you don't mind, I designed your crest.”

I looked at it and it had five crests, Wexbury, Techno Knight, the House of Celeste, the crest of the Lupei family, and the fifth... I grinned up at her then ran the fingers of my silk gloved right hand over a crest with a platypus with a lightning bolt behind it, in the colors of Wexbury.

She shrugged. “The noble and adaptable platypus. A fierce fighter like our Lady Laney.” I hugged her then pulled away when she stiffened up.

I looked up at her and tilted my head in question. She looked... sad. “What is it, Celeste? You've been growing distant.”

She shrugged and whispered, “You're going to get your title today Laney.” Like it was an explanation. I prompted for more and she closed her eyes and said, “You'll be assigned your own quarters.” My heart sank though I knew it was inevitable. Then she opened her eyes and whispered an admission, “I was hoping you would stay... forever.”

My heart sped up. Did she mean what I had hoped with all my heart? I felt tears gathering in my eyes as I shook my head and made an admission of my own, my heart felt as if it were breaking, “I... can't my Lady. It would be too painful. I've... fallen in love with you.” I closed my eyes tightly and felt tears spill down my cheeks. I didn't understand all the emotions assaulting me. She would hate me now.

I heard a sob and looked at her. She had a hand covering her mouth and her green eyes were overflowing with tears. She was nodding her head and I had a lump in my throat as hard as stone. Her voice cracked as she said, “I'm in love with you too, my impossible herder... the girl who will not run. Stay with me always?”

I nodded dumbly as some new warmth filled me. My body arched and my hands flew back as blinding white, warm misty energy exploded from me. There was a soft whump of implosion then everything in the room was knocked over. I looked at Celeste through new eyes, and she was even more beautiful than before, strands of silky white emanating from her. I realized I had ignited, again, it took Celeste's love to unlock the power. I could feel the world as I never had before, I could feel all the life around me. This is what Mother Udele must have meant when she said that I had to bloom again.

I looked at the Lady of my heart, and she just smiled and leaned down to capture my lips gently with hers. My toes curled and my heart was singing with joy as I realized that I was hers, and she mine.

It felt brand new, as though the adventure of my life was beginning anew, and I wondered what the future had in store for us. All I knew was that we would face it together, hand in hand.

The End