The Artifacts Of Elios (Book 1) (7 page)

“That’s a good question.  I believe at the time
when the artifact laws were written the experts were fairly certain that it wasn’t possible.   If someone were to figure out how to do it I would suggest they run and hide.  Between the Crown and the other three artifact monopolies the person that figures out how to do that will either end of a prisoner or dead.  The ability to create new artifacts would be invaluable.  The Company that controlled that ability would put the rest out of business.”

Shane gulped and glanced at Ava.  Leslie noticed the glance but said nothing.

“So…” Shane changed the subject.  “Does your department arrest many?  Smugglers, I mean…“  Shane added.

“Oh heavens no, dear,” Leslie smiled.  “We only set regulations and procedures.  All enforcement is done by the Crown Enforcement Agency.

The food arrived and the subject was reduced to only small talk between bites as the ravenous Shane attacked his sandwich. 

After eating Shane stood, “Ladies, if you will please forgive my departure but I have a class.  Leslie, it was a pleasure to meet you.  Thank you for lunch; it was delicious.”  Turning to Ava who had also stood he
gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, “See you this afternoon,” and he hurried off to his afternoon classes.

As Ava and her Aunt watched him depart the older woman spoke as if thinking aloud.  ”That young man of yours is
brighter than he appears.  He’s definitely not your average athlete; all brawn and no brain.  Just how good of a magetech is he?”

“He knows more about glyphs and artifact structure than anyone I know, including me.  Probably knows more about glyphs than our professor does.  He just recently started sharing some of his theories with me when we started dating,” Ava responded.

“Those theories don’t include ways of creating his own artifacts do they?” Leslie asked casually.

“Not that I know of Aunt Leslie, but if anyone can do it, my money is on him.
”

“I do hope he is careful
.  I was serious about what I said at lunch; if someone ever figures out how to use glyphs for their own purposes they could be the most powerful entity on Eliom – and the powers that be won’t be happy about it.  Besides that, lately, there are things that the crown is up to that scare me to death,” she said with a shudder.  “I do wish your uncle was around.  If you hear from him please tell him I’d like to have lunch or dinner.”

“I haven’t heard from
him in quite a while, but I’ll make sure to tell dad – he seems to run into him more than anyone these days.  I haven’t seen him since last “Thanks-day Celebration” a year ago.”  It seems that he is always stationed somewhere far away.” 

Ava started smiling.  “You know mom always said that you and he should get together and that you would make a good couple.”

“That will be enough of that young lady.  You just worry about your own affairs and leave mine well enough alone,” responded Leslie. 

Ava changed the subject. 
“Can I tell him about the family business?  I think he is someone that could help us in our goals.  He is a genius about artifacts and I think we need him.  From what you saw what do you think?”

“I agree,” Leslie answered after a moment’s consideration.  “He keeps his own council so I’m sure that you are likely the only one that has made these observations.  If what he let slip regarding creating his own artifacts is even remotely pos
sible we need to have him close; for our benefit as well as for his own safety.  If he were to actually solve the artifact creation barrier then his naiveté will paint a target on him; warball athlete or not he can’t stop a sword or a crossbow bolt.” 

Noticing that Ava had a conflicted expression, her aunt
nudged her, “Hey what’s the matter, I thought you would be happy about this?”

I’m
worried, Aunt Leslie, what if he doesn’t want anything to do with me after I tell him about the family.  I think I’m in love with him.”

The older
woman laughed placing an understanding hand on the younger woman’s face and with a caring smile said, “Mon cher cœur, if it is meant to be it is meant to be.  I wouldn’t worry very much about it; I saw the way he looked at you.  You are very much on his mind.  Just be honest with him.”  Then with a quick hug and a peck followed by a “ta ta – have to dash” Ava’s aunt hurried off into the afternoon.

His afternoon classes complete Shane decided that he needed to get busy on the instructor.  He hurried across campus and stopped by the campus metal shop where he had had a lab the previous year on the duplication of artifacts.  Luckily a past fellow class mate who was now an aid was happy to help him acquire a spare sheet of brass.  Unfortunately while it fairly hefty and was a sturdy thickness of almost a quarter of a stan, it was only five by nine stans in size; this would make carving the minute glyphs tedious, although still doable.   Also unfortunately he didn’t have a spare set of engraving tools that Shane could borrow and use to do the intricate engravings so Shane was hard pressed to run to a bookstore before it closed and purchase a set.

By the time he had made it back to the dorms he freshened up, grabbed his notes and
stuffed them with the engraving tools and the brass plate into his pack and then headed to a nearby cafeteria were he had planned to meet Ava before they went to the artifact lab for the evening.

Seeing Ava seated at their favorite table Shane hurried into the cafeteria and sat down.

“Hi beautiful,” Shane leaned in for a quick peck.

“Hey you,” she answered back with a smile.

After a few pleasantries back and forth Shane attempted to launch into his tale about the dream and the scroll work glyphs but was halted before he could start as Ava interrupted him.

“Before you start,” Ava paused, “I need to know if you
trust me.”

“What,” Shane asked puzzled.  “Of course I trust you
. “ Not daring to dive into his feelings Shane withheld from sharing with her the deep warmth that he had begun to develop for the pretty Luion and that he felt closer to her than he had felt to anyone and had long since decided to trust her with all his secrets.  “I trust you more than anyone. I… I...” he stammered and blushed. “I feel I could tell you anything.  Why, what’s on your mind?”

“I’m glad to know that you do,”
she smiled placing her hand over his a look of hope in her eyes.  “I want you to know that I trust you too.  More than you can understand.”  She paused, “I need to tell you a secret, a family secret.” She paused again as if on the verge of a great decision.  Taking a deep breath then letting it out she continued. “It wasn’t just a coincidence today that we happened to have lunch with Aunt Leslie.  I hope that you feel still feel the same after I’ve told you what I need to tell you”

She had Shane’s full attention
. Drawing in close and in a voice barely above a whisper she began to share her secret.

Bit by bit she shared with him that in all of Infin
and Luion there were three major factors plus the crown that produced and distributed almost all of the artifacts that were used kingdom wide.  Of the four the Crown would have the bulk of all the artifact business except for the fact that there was an enormous amount of smuggling that went on.  Out of all the smugglers there was one that was the most successful and it was run by a mysterious man known only as Soaris.  The reason for the success of Soaris was due to the fact that he sold through a reputable merchant company and that merchant was her father.

Her father
had met Soaris on only a few occasions and then in a manner that he could never identify him. 

But things had changed recently.  The crown was cracking down on smugglers and the family felt that it was only a matter of time before they might be uncovered.  A number of artifact brokers had turned up missing or dead and it was beginning to become more and more difficult to get unlicensed artifacts to the non-crown artifact
producers.  The big part was that somehow Ava’s father had arranged through the Soaris to have smuggled piece by piece a copy of one of the four known artifact activators.  This would make Ava’s family a competitor of the crown. 

The plan was that they would move the activator out of Infin to Luion where the king had no control. The problem is they had no way of activating the activator.  This was one of the reasons that Ava was studying advanced
Magetech. To see if there was a way to copy it in miniature so that it could be smuggled back in to Jehhet activated and smuggle it back out.

Her Aunt Leslie was the families inside agent working for the crown that allowed them
to know when it was safe and when it wasn’t to move the smuggled artifacts.  The reason for Leslies visit was to get a measure of Shane and to see if he was suitable and interested in joining the family business.  Ava had already recommended Shane as one of the sharpest magetechs at the university but the family still wanted him vetted.

Surprisingly Shane didn’t feel violated, in fact he was excited.  The thought of what he could do with an existing distribution channel if he was able to crack the mage glyph conundrum was like a gift.  Then the thought of perhaps Ava being a bit like her Aunt Leslie was purported to be and maybe he was being played for his expertise and participation dimmed his enthusiasm a bit.  What if Ava really didn’t have feelings for
him?

As he paused, taking in the secret
that Ava had just unloaded on to him, she must have seen the brief look of doubt that entered his eyes. And her eyes began to glisten with barely held back tears.

“Shane
, please don’t hate me,” she said with a quavering voice.

“I am such a chump,” thought Shane. He reached his arm around her and pulled her close.  “I could never hate you
my chère,” he spoke with a warm smile giving her a comforting kiss and a hug.

Ava snuggled into Shane’s embrace.
“I was so worried,” she sighed.

“It is a lot to take in,” he replied.  “But it sounds fun.”

“I just wanted you to know in case I disappeared one day or if soldiers came to take me away,” Ava said as she pulled away and looked him in the eyes.  “After all I am from Luion not Infin and my family is walking a fine line between commerce and espionage.

“But why,” asked Shane.  “Your family is already prominent and well established.  You have everything to lose.”

“Let me ask you this,” said Ava.  “You are from Colline Verte, are you not? “

“
Yes,” answered Shane.

“How much
magetech is there available to everyone as compared to those here in the Capitol,” asked Ava.

“I couldn’t really say,” he said.  “The same as everywhere else I suppose.”

“That’s where you would be wrong,” Ava replied.  “During the last ten years over half the population has been denied access to the most recent and most advanced artifacts that have been discovered.  If Colline Verte is current it must be due to the influence of the academy there or someone who is politically affluent with the Crown.”

“Anyway,” she continued, “Ever since Allion the Second
’s death it has gotten worse.  The licensing laws came into place and either the Crown or Allion the Third himself seems to be trying to repress artifact possession in the kingdom rather than enhance it like his father and grandfather before him.  Long story short – There are some older families from Infin that were close to the old king that are trying to bring artifacts and magetech to the entire kingdom not just an elite few.  Even though my family is from Luion my father is part of that group as is my Aunt Leslie; who
is
from Infin.  Not to mention that my father sits on the commerce advisory committee to the Luion Premiere.  Meaning that if we aren’t careful this could lead to an international incident if not outright war”

“I have never been much for politics,” Shane countered thoughtfully.  “I am however all about knowledge and I am definitely against withholding it from those that seek it.  I never really sought after
magetech and glyph-magery to be rich; I just wanted to solve the puzzles to make discoveries and maybe improve the world a little.  Ok maybe get rich a little bit,” he laughed, “If what you say is correct then you can count me in.”