Fireclaws - Search for the Golden (21 page)

I already didn’t like this guy at all and that cemented my feelings. Still, he was the first one to agree to help me and make an offer. But I really didn’t like the way he was looking at my girl, even if she was a horse at the time. Perhaps there was a way to bring some justice to the situation, after all.

“That’s pretty steep payment; a fine, beautiful filly traded for ten seconds of directions, don’t you think?” I countered. “How about you sweeten the offer and give me twenty silvers to help me get a new start in life at Xarparion. She’s worth far more than that…”

His mouth dropped open incredulously. “Twenty silvers for that little trivet? You must be daft! She’s far too small for farm work and her hindquarters are too narrow to even make a decent broodmare out of her!” At that remark, Daffi snorted loudly and bent her head around to give me an evil look. “I’ll tell you what, I’m feeling generous and my baby sister might just take a shine to a pony like this, I’ll give you six silvers.”

“Make it ten and you have a deal,” I said cheerily, lifting Daffi’s head up and pulling back her lips. “Look at these teeth! She’s practically still a foal and yet docile as a kitten!”

After much haggling, with me defending my horsey girlfriend’s virtues, and him tearing them down, we finally agreed to a final price of eight silvers and three pence. Deal made, I learned that the Wizard Tower was not actually in town but was located in a small box canyon about a half mile north of the village. I made the young man repeat the directions aloud several times so that Daffi would be sure to know where to meet me.

Finally, I reluctantly accepted the coins he offered and allowed him to slip a rope around Daphne’s neck and tie her off to the back of the wagon. While the farmer watched impatiently, I gave her a kiss on the snout and whispered, “Goodbye, my sweet. Life will be desolate without you.” I didn’t know that horses could glare murderously at someone, but she managed to pull it off in spades. Dodging one last half-hearted kick from Daffi, I waved to her new owner and walked away jingling the coins in my pocket and whistling an old army marching song.

A half hour later, I was well out of town following a well-used dirt road which bent around a large rock formation, when the source of my search hove into sight.

Outwardly, it appeared to be a small keep, no more than thirty feet high at the wall walk behind the embrasures. Built out of cut stone, the sheer walls jutted straight up out of the ground, with little or no adornments save for the mass of ivy that fastened its tendrils everywhere, covering large sections of the structure. To me the place radiated age; it almost looked like it grew organically out of the earth itself.

There were no windows of any kind. The only thing betraying that it was a structure of man was the large, double-door main gate. Of course, the road I traveled led right up to the doors, but between me and the entrance sat a very perturbed, pitch-black rabbit.

I took a few steps closer and raised my hands in a placating manner as the rabbit grew larger and morphed into the spiky-haired, currently-naked, girl I knew. She had her hands balled up in fury on her hips as she stalked toward me with eyes afire.

“You…you sold me! And for only eight silvers! Now I see how much you really care for me!”

“Hey, in all fairness, I started out asking for twenty,” I countered with a grin. “Come on, Daffi, it was the only way I could think of to get the information we needed. Besides, that guy was a jerk…ummm, are your clothes going to start forming soon? Because you are very distracting.”

She looked down at herself with a wicked smile. “Perhaps I should walk around like this all the time, I might fetch a better price for you, My Lord Wizard!”

“Err…well, that’s not a good idea. Now can we get back to our mission, please?”

Daphne’s clothes finally materialized and, with a sigh, she looped her arm through mine and together we faced the doors. When we approached, a hand-shaped drawing lit up on the protruding boss of the door on the right. The door on the left featured engraved symbols on its boss: fire, water, wind, etc.

First, I tried knocking; the panels appeared to be solid oak planks bound by wrought iron bands. From the sound that issued, or lack of it, I wasn’t sure if any of my efforts could even be heard inside. The barriers had the feel of being very thick and heavy. A couple minutes of that yielded no results except to bruise up my fist.

“I think you’re supposed to put your hand on the symbol,” Daffi said mildly. I could tell she was nervous by the vibrations that transmitted through our linked arms. Finally, I did as she suggested, and a small, yellow mote of light appeared and traced the entire area around my hand where it was pressed up against the square. Finished, it extinguished with a final bright flash, and the corkscrew symbol for wind magic lit up on the other door’s face. There was a solid metallic click and the doors began to swing open of their own accord.

Blocking our way were two muscular forms in dark cloaks with deep-draped hoods. Each held a gleaming halberd, and from the correct stance and grips they displayed, I would have to say they knew how to use them. It was impossible to see their faces, but one of them said in a calm pleasant voice, “Please state your business.”

I had the strangest mental image of a trained parrot or some other mimicking animal doing the talking. The words were entirely correct, but the tone and inflections were not normal speech patterns. I had heard a lot of languages and dialects in the military, but my brain flagged this one as completely non-human. Daffi nudged me out of my speculations with an elbow as they were expecting an answer.

“Yes, we require transport to Xarparion, please.”

The being that had spoken to us cocked its head slightly as if reviewing a list of pre-set responses in its mind.

“This is an agricultural portal. For basic transportation, please access the Westside portal located in the Elcance capital. Good day.” With that, the two advanced toward us as if to push us out the doors and slam them in our faces.

“Wait! You don’t understand. We were told to fill out form 8675-309-J here at this portal!”

They both halted abruptly and faced each other as if conversing in some silent language. Finally, they backed up and executed a precision heel swivel to the side to allow us to enter. We walked forward, still arm in arm like small children, to take a good look around. The main bailey was fairly unimpressive, almost trashy. It was filled with racks and piles of crates, barrels, and slatted cages. Roughly thirty feet ahead was another wall with another set of double doors, the only distinction from the outer wall being this one had no ivy. Off in the corner to the right of us was a large desk with tall shelves bracketing both sides, behind which was seated another of the identically-hooded figures. He looked up at us as we approached, but we still couldn’t see his eyes or face.

“Please take a seat,” he intoned and gestured at two plain wooden chairs immediately in front of his station. Reaching into a drawer, he retrieved a folder of parchment papers. Daffi and I sat down as directed and watched as he shuffled through and sorted them patiently. That completed, he brought out a quill pen and dipped it in a blood-red inkwell.

“Ah yes, here we have it, 8675-309-J Authorization to Transport Agricultural Samples by an Outside Consultant.” Huh? Daphne and I looked at each other in confusion as he continued, “I will now ask you some pertinent questions; first, your name and tower affiliation, Wizard?”

“Kerrik Beratin, I am a wind wizard.”

“Very good.” The creature murmured as he continued to write, occasionally stopping to ask more basic information. My place of birth, current residence, favorite color, etc., all of which took a half hour or better to relay and copy down. “Finally, I will ask some questions regarding the agricultural nature of your request.” I had a feeling by the way he emphasized the word “agricultural” that this would be where we would be tripped up in all this.

“First, is this the agricultural specimen in question?” he asked, indicating Daffi with a wave of his leather-gloved hand.

“Umm…yes, this is Daphne,” I answered carefully.

“Excellent. Now which of the following best explains the need to transport a Daphne? Is it a food source? A food source for other animals? A dissection subject for demonstration purposes? A growth medium for edible fungi? Or Breeding stock?”

“Breeding stock!” Daffi blurted out, turning a little green at the line of questioning. The man-like creature looked back and forth between us in some confusion. Perhaps he wasn’t used to specimens answering their own questions.

“Should I rephrase the question, Wizard?” he asked, reorienting on me.

“No, that won’t be necessary…definitely breeding stock,” I confirmed, giving Daffi’s hand a little squeeze of reassurance.

“Very well, I believe everything is in order.” He laboriously filled out several other forms, brought out another, wrote on that sheet, and then stamped it with a seal from inside his desk. Finally, he slid the document across the smooth surface to us. “This is your pass through to the main gate of Xarparion. Be aware that you may be required to offer further proof of authenticity at that time for entrance into Xarparion core. Have a nice day.”

Abruptly, the hooded figure went back to shuffling his papers, totally ignoring us. I got to my feet and pulled Daphne up, as well. As we were moving away from the desk area, I heard Daffi grumbling, “Wherever Ryliss is, I just know she is giggling hysterically right now.”

The second set of doors set into the walls was identical to the first, right down to the drawings and symbols. This time, we weren’t taken by surprise when the doors swung open. There before us was a shimmering pool of blue light hovering in mid air. The coarse gravel road that I had followed all the way from town led right up to it. Taking Daffi’s hand, I gave her a quick kiss, and with my arm around her back, we walked through.

Kerrik

Warmth, humidity, and the heavy, intoxicating scent of old growth pine forest wrapped around us like a blanket. We had just stepped out on a wooden platform with a large ramp leading down to another gravel road. The portal pad looked to be situated in a small clearing, cut directly out of the forest, Except for the road, we were completely surrounded on all sides by massive trees.

Looking at each other, we shrugged and started walking hand-in-hand down the path. Daffi was chatting away happily, gushing about how much she wanted to see a real human city, what the sights and smells would be like, and would there be dress shops and fireworks at night…

“Daffi, we both have to be very careful once we reach Xarparion,” I said forcefully, trying to get her to be serious.

“How so and why?”

“Because it’s a wizard school! That means it will be full of obnoxious, bratty, even dangerous magic users who would love to fry or zap you if you even looked at them funny! Especially watch out for the fire wizards in the red robes, they are the worst…mean as snakes and twice as deadly. I hate to admit it, but wind wizards aren’t much different. It gets better from there, but not much. It’s best if you keep your eyes down and your mouth shut and let me do the talking.

“Another thing, since we’re trying to gain entry under an agricultural pass, it would be appropriate if you were in horse form when we approach the gate, safer for you, too.”

Daphne let go of my hand and continued to walk beside me in silence. I could sense she was becoming more upset by the minute, just from her sagging posture and her trembling lower lip. A couple times, she brushed tears away from her face as she continued to trudge onward.

“What?” I said finally in exasperation.

She wheeled to face me, dark eyes rimmed with moisture.

“Kerrik, are you ashamed to be seen with me? Will having a half-nymph beside you diminish your stature among the other wizards?”

“What? No, Daffi! It’s just that wizards can be dangerous, self-important jerks…I know because I am one. It’s just that you don’t have much experience around people and I’m trying to keep you safe.”

“Humph,” she grumped and turned to keep walking briskly, leaving me in the dust, shaken and confused. A few minutes later, we finally broke out of the forest proper and got our first look at Xarparion.

We were on a small rise that gradually bled into an alfalfa field farther down. Far beyond, probably a mile or more in the distance, rose the first set of outer walls of the city. Beyond, we could see a second even higher wall. Dwarfing even the second wall’s parapets were a number of towers, including what appeared to be a giant central tower that made the others look puny. From this angle, it was impossible to determine what kind of lesser buildings filled in the areas in between, but this place was huge.

“Well, it appears you will get your wish,” Daffi spat resentfully. “It would take too long to walk that far on only two legs.” She started to change while I was still concentrating on taking in the sights of Xarparion. Unlike a real horse, Daphne retained the ability to talk if she wished in any of her shapes. The shiny black horse nudged me with her snout. “Your silent, simple-minded, obedient, beast of burden awaits, Oh Great Wizard.” She nickered and then stopped talking altogether. I mounted up and we continued forward in frosty silence. Approaching the main gateway, I noticed a number of other roads converging on ours until we became one large highway. Wagons filled with produce and livestock, driven by people wearing uniforms, traversed back and forth down the road, along with some pedestrian traffic. I even saw a few wizards or tower staff on horseback headed in and out.

The main gate itself was wide open at this time of the day, but there were still guards circulating at the entrance checking wagons and paperwork. I nervously spotted a number of archers on the walls above the entrance keeping a close eye on the processes. As I approached, I was shocked to see not only human guards, but female dark elves in guard attire both on the walls with their lethal bows and working the gate.

“Ok, this just got a lot more serious,” I whispered to Daffi as I patted her neck. I noticed we had already grabbed the attention of one of the dark elves standing in the middle of the road with a hand board and a sheaf of papers. Paperwork aside, she still had a serviceable long sword in a sling across her back and a wicked-looking long dirk, or ‘pig sticker’ as we called them in the army, strapped to her leg. I wasn’t even going to attempt to ride through, so I dismounted and walked forward. She moved to intercept me immediately.

“Excuse me, traveler, but may I see your papers, please?” she asked levelly, looking me up and down, and no doubt noting my scruffiness. I dug out the paper given to us by the portal creature and passed it over. I watched her reaction as she read through the document. She appeared to be older than Ryliss, perhaps in her early thirties if she were human; still very attractive, but radiating competence, not desirability. She was outfitted in heavy boots and leather armor with a guard tunic over it, which still did nothing to hide her fitness. This was a formidable woman.

“We were not expecting any agricultural shipments from Northfield today. In fact, there was no traffic from there scheduled, yet here you are. Is this horse the ‘specimen’ you are delivering?”

“That is correct.”

“And to whom are you to deliver this animal?” she quizzed, her deep green eyes hardening as if she sensed deception.

Crap, and then double crap! While I was talking to her, I failed to notice two riders who had come up behind us and were now flanking Daffi on each side. The dark crimson color of their robes told me all I needed to know, fire wizards!

“What a magnificent animal!” a male voice above and behind me exclaimed. I turned to see the two wizards dismounting smoothly from their own steeds. The one who had spoken was about my height with short blond hair, razor stubble that gave him a rakish look, and an infectious perpetual grin. He looked about seventeen or eighteen, but he still wore the red robes with an air of self-assurance that I could never hope to copy. His companion was taller but younger, perhaps Andi’s age, with brown hair and eyes; pretty average-looking except for the talent behind the robes.

Receiving a meaningful nod from the older wizard, the taller, younger one rolled his eyes expressively as he took the reins from both of their horses and started to lead them away. “I’ll just go feed these two. By the stars, Jazze here must be starving having to carry that heavy ego around all day…”

“Thanks, Jaython, I owe you one!” the older mage said merrily, to which his companion just snickered and waved his hand dismissively as he strolled away, horses in tow. The fire wizard’s eyes lingered on Daffi a few more seconds before he spun around and addressed the guardswoman.

“Captain Iraselda, you’re looking gorgeous as always on this fine, late morning. When are you going to take pity on a wayward young lad and go riding with me?”

For the first time, I saw the dark elf woman crack a smile and perhaps even blush a little. She shifted the papers in her hand and waggled her pen accusingly at the wizard. “Wizard Wyeth Parker, you, sir, are a shameless flirt. Don’t think that it has gone unnoticed around here that you will chase any girl with a dusky blush about her.”

He chuckled unapologetically and his broad grin widened. “What can I say, I was shown the light of true beauty at an early age and I have been spoiled for other women ever since!”

“Yes, well, I would have you remember that this true beauty has buried two husbands and has a gaggle of grandchildren older than you, so you are wasting your breath!”

Wyeth put a hand to his chest in mock pain. The two of them had totally forgotten Daffi and I existed, and we watched their spirited banter in amazement. They were completely at ease in each other’s company as if this was a favorite game of theirs. My mental image of the arrogant, almost psychotic fire mages that I had known in the army was taking a severe beating. This Wyeth was treating the guardswoman as a complete equal, and he didn’t even stink of brimstone like most fire wizards. “So tell me Iraselda, what is the Captain of Xarparion’s guard force doing manning checkpoints?”

She sighed. “Well, we’re still understaffed; I’m hoping to recruit a few more women from our capital if I can get the requisition signed. But I haven’t even seen the Commander in weeks and I hate to bother the Headmaster.”

“Commander Higs still up the mountain, is he?”

She nodded sadly and Wyeth just shook his head. Whatever calamity they were discussing seemed to break the spell of good cheer. I could see Iraselda’s mantle of authority dropping squarely on her shoulders again as she started re-examining my pass.

The fire wizard looked at me for the first time and extended his hand warmly. “Wyeth Parker, and you are?”

“Kerrik Beratin.” Shaking his hand firmly, I looked into his eyes and found nothing but goodwill and humor in them.

“Kerrik, as I was saying, this is a stunningly beautiful steed you have here. She must not only be docile, but very well-trained for you to bring her into this den of chaos without so much as a halter or even a rope. May I examine her?”

Under the watchful stare of the guardswoman, and not having any real good reason to deny his request, I acquiesced with a nod. He started moving around Daffi with practiced ease, gently examining her bone structure, ears, hoofs, and eyes. He ran his hand along her back but stopped before reaching her hindquarters. The entire time he was smiling and patting her while murmuring low, comforting words.

While he was puttering around with Daphne, the dark elf resumed her questioning. “So Wizard Beratin, you were about to reveal to me the name of the individual whom you are delivering this fine mare to…”

Wyeth interrupted, “Selda, did I tell you that Jaython and I are going to start giving Princess Belle riding lessons this week?”

Iraselda looked briefly irritated, but apparently she couldn’t stay mad at the mage for very long. Finally, with a smirk and a shake of her spun silver hair, she put the pen away and closed her book of papers. “Why would that surprise anyone, Wyeth? You two have always been the Queen’s favorites.”

“Yup and we intend to keep it that way, too…Anyway, one of my jobs is to find Belle a pony of her very own, and I think one exactly like this one would be ideal. How about you let me take charge of Wizard Beratin here, and he and I can have a discussion about where these beauties are bred and where I can get my hands on one.”

The Captain looked a bit unsure, but Wyeth’s enthusiasm was infectious. Finally, she even volunteered, “Well, the creature is listed as breeding stock so there must be farms that raise them somewhere…”

“Exactly, see everybody wins. I’ll take full responsibility for finding out where Kerrik here needs to go.”

“I’ll assign a team of guards to escort you, then.”

He shot her a look of mock disgust. “Captain Iraselda, you may not take my words of devotion seriously, but I hope you at least respect the skills.” He said, summoning a small burst of flame to dance on the palm of his hand.

She nodded grudgingly. “Full responsibility?” She gave him the look of unqualified doom if he failed to live up to it.

“Absolutely. Besides it’s not like he’s going to get past the second gate anyway. All livestock transactions take place in the outer ring.

“Very well, Wizard Parker, see that you do not disappoint me.” And with that and a stern look, she tucked the papers under her arm, spun gracefully in a half circle and sauntered off toward the center of town, perhaps with a little more hip swing than absolutely necessary.

Wyeth canted his head and watched her leave with a smile of frank admiration, whistling under his breath, “If only I were two hundred years older…” Then he reoriented on Daphne and me. “Come along, we have much to discuss.” Daffi and I exchanged looks of confusion, but we followed.

Once out of the courtyard proper, the wizard led us along the inner wall, passing a large open area where a number of younger students in wizard robes were gathered. A young red-haired girl wearing healer robes and carrying a small baton strode out into the middle of the clearing followed by four other girls. One wore the robes of a water wizard; another, the crimson robes; the third, the green of the earth; and the final one was apparently a wind wizard like me. The healer turned to face the rest of the students milling about at the outer edges, and with a flourish, brought her baton up to a ready position. I was immediately interested and stopped. I wasn’t sure if she was going to be casting magic through it or what. To my knowledge, healers couldn’t cast spells like some of the other disciplines. But it was the other four who started casting instead.

Directly in front of the leader, a large thick mound of solid stone erupted out of the ground. Immediately, wind and water began eroding and carving the mound into a shape. Chunks and pieces were sloughing off it like some invisible super beaver was hard at work. My eyes were drawn back to the healer girl; her face was pinched in concentration as she gestured and waved the baton back and forth between her companions. At that point, it occurred to me that her actions were similar to individuals I had seen before while in the army. Oftentimes, early in the campaign before things had gotten really grim, we had been accompanied by drum and horn bands and each of them had such an individual leading them. Thinking back, they carried such a baton to direct the music.