Techromancy Scrolls: Soras (28 page)

She nodded and saluted again, “Yes, my Lady.” Then she cocked her head at me as she stuck her stick into the sash of her dress and reached out hesitantly with her hand and traced my scars as they seemed to sparkle in the sunlight under the weight of all the Gypsy magik on my person.

She took off the little white glove she had on and reached for my silk glove, I let her, she seemed to not see me as the damaged person I was. She took off my glove and looked at my hand as it started aching and throbbing. She examined the lump where my finger had resided then smiled and put her little hand against mine. Mine was only a third again as large as hers. She matched my fingers with her index finger hanging.

Then she started putting my glove back on as she got a serious look on her face. Then placed her hands on the scars on my throat as she exclaimed. “I will defend the realm and the People just like my Sora Lady one day.”

I nodded at the little one, getting a little misty as I rasped out, “I know you will one day, and you will make us all proud.” I reached up and pulled off the necklace I was wearing, it was an old cracked crystal I have kept around my neck since the days I started scavenging. I looped the leather strap over her neck then pulled her long hair out and over the back.

I said, “This always brought me courage and luck, two things you need to lead the Junior Regiment for me.”

She looked at it in amazement and I froze. I heard Celeste gasp. The crystal was glowing a faint pink. Like it did when it glowed amber in contact with my skin. My squire to be was not going to be a Knight of the Realm but she was a sensitive! She may become a Techno Knight!

I couldn't reign in my huge smile as I reached into a pouch and pulled out a handful of violet penny vouchers and handed it to my little cobbler. “You know what to do with these?”

She saluted and accepted them with one hand as the other children ooo-ed and ah-ed. She drew her stick and said, “Yes my Lady!” She turned to her little band of mischief makers and said, “As Knights to be, we must attend to our people. One penny voucher to each family!”

They all took some and they disappeared in all directions to hand them out among the crowd.

I just grinned and watched them go. Sara was shaking her head as Celeste beamed at me. Our Gypsy friend said, “You are so good with children, you should foster some of your own. They love you, you know?”

I nodded and rasped, “I love them too.”

Then we turned back to the task at hand and made our way to the front of the crowd where Bex was checking over his new Auto-Wagon design while one of his challengers stood near the starting line. There were nineteen more of the fastest horses of the realm spaced ten miles apart all the way down to Flatlash Keep.

When the argument arose that Auto-Wagons could never replace horses came up, our silly Lord Bexington pitted my old hay wagon against the fastest riders of the realm in a race to Flatlash. My wagon was almost unrecognizable now with all of the improvements and additions he has made to it since he first rode it into Dragontooth Lake, almost breaking his own fool neck.

There were signal fires placed at each relay point that would be lit when the contest was over. White smoke if the horses won and black for Lord Bexington. They were the signal fires used during times of war, and we would know within forty-five minutes about the outcome. I was optimistic that he could actually pull it off. I had chased the wagon through Lord's Way when Bex couldn't stop it, and could not keep pace with it on Goliath.

Brenda walked up to him and lowered the round glass goggles to protect his eyes. She kissed him and said, “For luck.”

He just beamed at that then she backhanded his gut and said as he oofed, “If you get yourself killed, don't come crying to me.”

He turned his goofy smile on the rest of us. I couldn't help grinning at the gangly man though he was starting to fill out a bit with wiry muscle from his time on the training grounds.

I rasped, “Good luck. And what she said.”

Someone shouted out, “Five to one on the riders.”

Bets started being thrown around, the preponderance on the riders.

Celeste didn't even turn to see who started the betting pool, she just looked intently at Bex and then a smile grew on her face as sh raised her hand and waved it back casually as she called out, “Five gold on Sir Bexington's contraption.”

Shocked gasps came from all around, then the betting started to sway more toward Bex's favor. The late betters only getting two to one odds. Side bets had even odds that Bex would either break down, be run off the Ring or head in the wrong direction. Don't laugh at the last one, it has been known to happen with our scatterbrained, brainy knight.

I turned and started chuckling as I looked back to see Pastor Emery writing down all the bets. I called to him, “Double my Lady's bet would you please Pastor.”

He winked at me and nodded once, then to the disappointment of those around, he called out, “Betting is closed,”

He stepped beside us as he tucked the little tome he had written the bets in into a pocket on his robe. He grinned at us while keeping his eyes on the wagon. “I have four penny on the lad myself.”

Celeste grinned at the man, her eyes twinkling with mirth as she asked, “Aren't you supposed to be a holy man?”

He squinted merrily and touched his nose and said, “Tisn't anything that says I can't make a little coin for the church.” Then he crinkled his nose as he patted his pocket, “The Church always wins.”

We chuckled and then quieted as Duke Fredrick and Duchess Lucia themselves stepped up to the line of chalk in front of Theodore, the court's messenger on his small mustang, Lightning, and Bex atop the Auto-Wagon.

Fred looked around and grinned in satisfaction at everyone who had shown up for the spectacle, it was like a giant Keep wide party atmosphere.

Donovan stepped up beside us with an adorable looking Emily on his arm and exchanged smiles of greeting with us as he whispered, “There are a lot of scholars in the crowd interested in the outcome of this race. It could have a greater impact than you know, regardless of the outcome.”

The Duke looked at the competitors and said in his powerful tenor, “You know the rules, a race from Wexbury Keep to Flatlash Keep. First one across the finish in Flatlash will be named the winner. No interference with you competitors will be allowed.” He looked intently between the two, and each gave a nod.

Then Fred looked to his wife as he said, “Grand. Then Lucy, if you would?” He moved aside as the Duchess stood in front of the two and lifted her hand, it held a handkerchief. She smiled at the crowd and dropped it. The instant it hit the ground the competitor's lurched to a start.

Theodore bolted past the Duchess in a clamor of hooves. The Auto-Wagon stuttered and stopped moving immediately. Bex looked at the lever he was holding and pushed it back and forward as the crowd started laughing.

He looked back at the containment vessel and then the control block beside him and he kicked it with the side of his boot. Sparks flew everywhere then the rear wheels of the wagon started spinning frantically sending sparks up from the wheels on the cobblestones.

When the wheels found purchase, the wagon went flying past the Duchess sending Bex tumbling into the back of the wagon with a high pitched wail. He just barely got back to the two steering levers in time to prevent the contraption from heading off the Ring into the orchards while the crowd laughed again.

I smiled smugly as they stopped laughing as soon as they saw how quickly he was gaining on the rider. We watched until they disappeared over the horizon at Wexbury Minor, then the music started up somewhere and we turned to the party. It would be at least eight or nine hours, around dusk, before we would know who won.

The Duke and Duchess joined us as we started toward some of the merchant carts. We bowed to them and Lucia, who had a vicious, one-sided feud going on with my mother, but had oddly taken to championing me on occasion, asked, “Do you think the boy can really do it? I mean, horseless wagons, really.”

I turned my head and nudged my chin toward the auto-wagons tending the orchards and said, “His designs have already been put to good use in the realm, with other realms quickly adopting them. He may be a little...” I thought of the most diplomatic word I could and supplied, “Erratic. But he is quite gifted at coming up with technology to overcome a great many things. Just look at the powered swords that a lot of our Knights favor.”

Then I tilted my head and said, “Whether or not he wins or loses today, as long as he finishes, it will prove his concept that horseless travel is possible, just like in the Before times.”

She shook her head bemusedly at me and said, “You are always so optimistic, it must skip a generation in your family.”

I ignored the dig at my mother, it was best to pretend it never happened. One day I would learn what transpired between my mother and the Duchess to make our ruler harbor such spite. But it may be a long wait, mother it seems, carries more secrets with her than I ever have.

We decided to wait it out, I was having such fun at the impromptu celebration. Then before long we stopped at one of the food carts for a late lunch as Sara visited with the Instructor of the Keep, Jacklyn about how they could include some of the Gypsy teachings into the lessons of the children of the Keep.

I followed my nose to some delectable smelling meat. It was those skewered meat and vegetable stick that most of the Knights favored. I handed out the food to our little band, paid the penny and a half, and then frowned at my food. I looked around to all of the commoners around us, my brow furrowing.

Celeste asked quietly, “What is it, Laney?”

I frowned and looked at my food again. “I get so used to being able to buy what I want when those around me have troubles just feeding their families. This is more than most eat in a day.” Then I smiled and looked to the vendor and asked, “How much for everything?”

The pleasantly plump woman looked confused and asked, “My Lady?”

I smiled and clarified as I wheezed out, “For all the food in your stores here.”

The woman blinked and I chuckled and reached in a pouch on my belt and produced a gold coin. “Will a gold do it?”

The woman's eyes went wide and she started nodding furiously, her eyes locked on the coin. I flipped it to her and she caught it deftly. I said, “Free food to any who ask until you have no more then. This is a celebration.”

She nodded again and bowed, “Yes Penny Lady.”

I felt much better after that and took a big bite of the savory meat from my stick. Celeste seemed almost to be glowing as she looked down at me. She gave me a smug smile as we walked over to eat at some impromptu plank tables someone had set up.

I smiled and wondered again if I could do more than the penny voucher program that we had set up in the village, to make sure that people could afford food or needed items once a month. Celeste, the knights in our diplomatic escort, and I had gained a hundred horses armor and gear as the spoils of battle from our adventure in Solomon. It put over two hundred more gold in each of our coffers. Maybe I could up the voucher program to be weekly now or spread it throughout the realm.

I shook my head at the memory of the messenger from Solomon, who had delivered the news from their Keep, that since I had been the one to kill Prime Techromancer Kennick, that as spoils of battle, I had been awarded his lands on the Great Sea. To say I was shocked was an understatement. That made me a landholder and noble in two realms.

I was somehow not surprised to find that Kennick's holdings included the island and lands around the ruins of Lord Cedric's stronghold. That explained a lot, how the dark knights were able to stay undetected for so long.

I quickly had Bernadine draw up papers requesting that Solomon make the island a Treasure of the Realm, open to all the people of Solomon. And to appoint a steward for me to preserve and maintain the ruins. Duke Liam's response made me blush.

We had just finished our late lunch and were telling stories and joking around. The bells on the wall started clanging when a man's voice bellowed over the noise of the crowd. “Smoke!”

I looked quickly to the sky to the south, and indeed, smoke was rising into the sky. I blinked then looked at Celeste who looked at her wrist clock. She mumbled to me, “Just less than five hours? Given the time between signal fires then it was done in four!”

Mother Luna! We stood and made our way to the front of the crowd who were chattering in excitement. I just shook my head as I stared at the black smoke rising into the sky. Bex had done it, he had traveled at the unimaginable speed of fifty miles an hour down to Flatlash Keep. I smiled and swelled with pride for my friend.

Can you imagine? I felt as if there truly was nothing we could not do in these modern times!

I exhaled and thought of the next great adventure that was in store for the human race as Celeste stood beside me and took my hand in hers.

The End

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