The Dragon Knight's Curse (The Dragon Knight Series Book 2) (4 page)

“So you’re saying that carriage was stolen?”

“Most likely, or at least bought for much less than its worth. That old man was probably a bandit higher-up with a dwindling support system.”

“I see,” said a dejected Clarissa. She perked up again. “But you didn’t know any of that before. There might’ve been a family in there for all we knew.”

“We would have heard their screaming. Anyway, I’m not chastising you, I’m just saying you have to be more selective where you point my sword, for both our sakes.”

“What about our sakes?” asked Marcela for Ghevont and herself.

“I care less for those.”

“Mercer!” chastised the vampire.

The rest of the journey to Oclor’s coast was only hampered by more mundane affairs, which largely involved a few late summer downpours. One powerful thunderstorm in particular compelled us to find shelter in a large town. We were slowed further when Ghevont ended up separating from us inside the deluge.

We scoured the town for an hour before finding the scholar in a brothel. He was speaking to a group of, at best, scantily clad women about the best natural tonics to take to treat the most common ailments related to their precarious profession. I noted that Marcela’s wide eyes carried the same spark of attentiveness as when staring at Gwen’s son.

While in a town big enough to have one, I went over to a courier office to write a message to the Warriors Guild in Ecrin, informing Braden to expect us to arrive in two weeks. I paid extra to use carrier birds, since I didn’t think there would be a point sending a missive by horseback and have us arrive only a few days later. It wasn’t until after the transaction had concluded did I realize this was the first time I spent coin on such a trivial discrepancy. The younger me wouldn’t have bothered sending a missive at all, much less care when it arrived. Was I changing? Or was I filling out the barren personality of my lost self? I ultimately concluded the only thing I could—I was thinking way too hard about it.

On finally reaching a random port town, little time was wasted buying passage to Ecrin. Less time was wasted before learning that Ghevont and Marcela were prone to seasickness. In turn, seeing their queasiness made me experience some woozy spells, though I never gave up my food to the sea. The vampire was never bothered by the rocking ship and the results of nausea. In fact, she got the most training done.

She implemented the plentiful water around us to practice her spell, trying to use it to help push the ship forward. I doubt she actually helped the ship along, but I was convinced the hefty resistance training would prove effective. When his stomach wasn’t too unsettled, Ghevont merged his wind spell with that of the crewmen, who used it to propel more air into the square sails.

The density of ships increased the nearer we came to the wealthy Alslana nation, drawing Marcela’s astonished eyes. The huge patrolling warships staggered her when they floated past us. They were at least three hundred feet long and frequently neared four hundred feet. These gleaming brutes were often plated with metal sheets, protecting them against the more powerful fire spells. While one could assume this metal armor would slow a ship to a snail’s speed, the dozens of navel casters onboard could offset the effect by applying water and air enchantments when necessary. In addition, advanced runes and spells existed that lowered the weight of objects they were cast on to. These weight-shedding runes would usually be placed on the metal sheets themselves.

Our refreshed feet touched Eastern Ecrin’s steady land beneath a new moon. Serving to supplant the moonlight were the temple’s six lighted spires over ten miles away. Marcela didn’t believe at first that these massive stone towers were built by humans, not until we walked closer to them and could clearly see their smooth surfaces and the purposeful placement of black and white stones.

“Can we climb to the top?” she asked me.

“You’ll have plenty of time to explore once you’re settled here.”

This remark reminded the girl that she was soon to be living with strangers in the middle of a bustling city, urging her to seek comfort in her intellectual friend. She grabbed his hand with both of hers, startling him. He looked down at the nervous child. To my surprise, Ghevont responded well. He said nothing and clutched her hand tighter.

Our final walk as a group ended when we reached the guild house in Central Ecrin. In spite of the time of night, the guild remained active. A few armored warriors were speaking outside the long building, and the nearby stables kept busy with incoming and outgoing riders. Due to their current low availability of warriors, a sign outside their front doors encouraged all job offers to be “grave in nature.” Nonetheless, the major headquarters always had people on staff, thus allowing the public to freely enter the building to make their requests.

A few minutes after we told the front counter our business with Braden Silver, we were told he would see us in his second floor office. Entering the small room showed us the one armed man dressed in a white nightgown, which he covered with a flimsy blue mantle when he sat behind his desk.

“Ah, Mercer, Clarissa, I was glad to hear you made it out of Gremly safely.”

“Me too,” said Clarissa. “We apologize for disturbing your rest.”

“It’s nothing. Having only one arm stops me from being as physically active as I once was, so sleep is less important. Now, Mercer, your note didn’t really explain who your new friends are.”

“The girl is Marcela,” I answered. “I would like for her to stay here with Cat and Ethan.”

“Are they here now?” Clarissa asked.

“They’ve been busy running errands throughout the city. I’m not throwing them into the fire just yet, so I suppose giving them an assistant wouldn’t hurt.”

“I want to be more than an assistant!” said Marcela. “I want them to train me. I can already use a couple of spells.”

“Frankly,” I continued, “I have nowhere else to put her, but she’s spirited and I wouldn’t have brought her here if I believed her unable to cope with the training.”

“Say no more, Mercer,” said Braden. “We were undermanned even before this valkrean business. If someone vouched by you can help, I’ll accept it. In fact, I wouldn’t mind hearing that your other friend here wants to join as well.”

“He’s more scholar than warrior, I’m afraid. Nonetheless, his aid in Gremly has proven useful in our mission.”

“You were in Gremly, scholar?”

“Lived in it for some time, former guild, err, I mean, current guild master. Hmm, that’s not right either, is it?”

Turning to a more succinct speaker, Braden asked me, “What happened when you crossed into Gremly?”

“I learned that an ancient spell is cast over that place, one that is subtle and looks to disorient the mind. Once that was subverted, I was able to find an old fort and this man in its basement. Braden Silver, meet Ghevont Rathmore.”

“Hullo,” said Ghevont cheerily, blissfully unaware that the sharpening eyes and straightening back from Braden meant he was ready to cut him down at a moment’s notice.

“Riskel’s son?”

“Correct, but I assure you that I have not inherited my father’s partiality toward unscrupulous experimentation on living entities. However, I will say I inherited his insatiable thirst for knowledge. Indeed, few men will be able to claim-”

I cleared my throat, getting him to stop. “As I was saying, Ghevont has demonstrated his desire to not be confused with the rest of his bloodline. He helped me trap Vey Rathmore, his sister, who was following in her father’s footsteps. She was killed in combat with us, along with one of her masters.”

“Her masters?”

“Yes. This one in particular funded projects and supplied her research with victims. He was a former Voreen ambassador turned business man named Corbin Tolosa. Recognize the name?”

“Can’t say that I do.”

“Do you know the name ‘Advent’?”

His eyes went to the ceiling as pulled out a hidden memory. “They are an old cult, are they not?”

“Yes, and Corbin and Vey belonged to it. Vey only joined to get revenge, since it was apparently they who lured Riskel into a trap all those years ago. The Advent seem to want to resurrect a dead god, and that old business was to find a map leading to its grave. According to Vey, they succeeded in finding it, but they now need a great deal of power to accomplish their ultimate goal. The way they’re choosing to acquire that power is to steal it from eidolons.”

“Wait, you’re saying the Advent are responsible for the valkrean abductions?”

“It fits everything I’ve experienced so far.”

“The fit is one-sided, it seems.”

“What do you mean?” asked Clarissa.

Braden stood up and looked out his little window. “The last few weeks have brought word of eidolon summoners being abducted beyond Iazali, and much of our intel points the finger at the Sisterhood.”

“I’ll claim ignorance on that group,” I said.

“The latest leadership of Vlaukris, the southernmost nation in Kozuth. They aren’t all women, mind you, but every major general is. They led a coup about fifteen years back and haven’t given up power since.”

“And how are they connected with the valkrean incidents?”

“For one, no valkrean has been attacked within their country, and I know our guild there has encountered resistance to their investigation. More than that, we learned the Dracera Empire was able to extract information out of a captured enemy warrior before he killed himself, though exactly who he was and what he said hasn’t been revealed. In fact, little of what I’m saying is official.”

“We understand, guild master. We won’t spread this in taverns.”

“Yes, I know, but if what you say is true…”

“So you think the Sisterhood is using the Advent?” wondered Clarissa in the guild master’s pause.

“Or the other way around,” inputted Ghevont. “Hmm, but then why didn’t Vey mention them to us?”

“She admitted herself that she wasn’t a high-ranking member,” I reminded him. “Still, you’d think she’d notice the Advent weren’t working alone.”

“Whatever information I’m getting behind my desk,” began Braden, “I’ll assume that people encountering real opposition in the field have the best information. I can at least guess the Advent are acting as stealthy foot soldiers in this. Although, I find it concerning that their name has not come to our attention yet, even if it simply means our investigation isn’t being as thorough as it should be.”

“But you should prepare for the worst case implication.”

“Aye, it’s how I’ve lived this long, young swordsman.”

“Uh, what’s the worse implication?” Marcela asked.

“They’re worried someone is giving everyone bad information,” replied Clarissa. “Right?”

“There’s already signs Alslana has someone abetting the Advent,” I explained. “The cult appears well-organized, and the Riskel matter suggests they’ve been active for at least a few decades. Who’s to say they haven’t infiltrated a major information organization here and there? Bad information is always worse than none at all.”

“Untrue,” said Braden. “
Reacting
to bad information is worse than having none to respond to. We all have to tread carefully.” He used his mantle to wipe beads of sweat off his brow. “It’d be best that this cult remains believing that we’re on another track, so I’ll refrain from spreading official word of them, but duty will oblige me to bring them up if our other leads continue hitting dead ends. What’s your next step?”

“Dranall. Vey informed us that more information can be found there, so I’m going.”

“Ah, our only permanent guild house in Etoc is in Dranall. Last I heard, Malcolm Greer heads that chapter. Kind of a bastard, but an honorable man and will assist you if you mention the help you’re giving me. I’ll even send a message to let him know you might be visiting. However, I would keep Clarissa away from him, as he’ll recognize a vampire as easily as I can.” The vampire shifted her feet and narrowed her eyes in alarm. “You have no worries from me, miss. I’ve concluded that Mercer is not the type to have a trail of bodies following him, so I can guess you don’t feed on people, but Malcolm won’t take that into consideration. His parents were killed by one, you see. His entire purpose is now to be rid of your race.”

“That’s been the purpose of many people, I fear,” said Clarissa. “Thank you for the warning.”

Braden nodded. “Now then, anything more you need to tell me?”

“No,” I answered, pulling out a sealed letter from my pocket, “but can you make sure this gets to the proper person?”

He took it, read the name on the front, and said, “It’ll be done.” He then stared at me a moment before saying, “You know, I left the arena in Qutrios confused about something. Our lone enemy was outnumbered by my men and the city guards, but he sliced and burned through us with only one limp arm to show for it. Then you show up. You don’t even cross blades with him before he decides to retreat. I’m beginning to see what he saw in you.”

Marcela, who had not let go of Ghevont’s hand, turned her confused expression from me to the former guild master. “What? He’s not that great. He’d rather run from a fight.”

“Then let that be your first lesson, little miss,” said Braden. “Not every battle should be fought. The guild’s job is to support citizens, not nations in conflict, even if it’s supposedly obvious when one party is in the wrong. The most difficult decision a warrior can make is when not to fight. I’m sure Mercer has his reasons to not want to draw a blade, just as I have mine. You’ll have your own as well. Now, I’m assuming all of you would like to rest up before morning arrives.”

We all agreed.

As we headed for a room full of beds, Clarissa asked, “What was that letter you gave him?”

“A note to a noble.”

“Wait, you mean Odet?” she whispered, making certain no guild member who passed overheard.

I nodded. “I’ve updated her on what we found, but I also told her to keep an eye out for any original copies of
Summertide
.”