Authors: Wil Ogden
Far to the north, snowcapped mountains blended with the clouds. To the east, the tops of the trees of the Wylde Woodlands extended to the horizon. Pantros could see the road they'd taken skirting the northern edge of that forest. A stone mesa to the south left a valley to the west, where the highway could be seen to meander into the Kingdom of Relarch. Plumes of pale smoke marked the presence of villages along the road.
He'd spent the whole first day atop the tower, watching such a huge world produce absolutely no change. Almost a hundred feet below, he could see Meredith carving her comrades names into the Archway. Before the trolls, there had been only two names carved in the archway. According to the prince, the outpost had been there for a thousand years.
Sheillene was kicking around the ashes left over from the trolls. They'd carried crude pouches, but she'd warned against looking inside. The things trolls collected would turn even a seasoned hunter's stomach. After a good burning all that would remain would be metal and Trolls occasionally found pretty, shiny, coins.
The prince stood in the center of the Archway; he held a large sword before him, the point resting on a piece of wood on the ground. Earlier, it had been Marc standing there, while the prince slept. Norda sat on a stool by the tower door and Pantros hadn't seen his sister or Thomas emerge from the tower since their arrival.
The hourglass by his feet was almost drained. Pantros flipped it and yelled, "All Clear."
Sheillene waved to him. She held something in her hand and was gesturing towards Pantros with it. Sheillene ran over to the tower door and yelled something inside. She then sat beside Norda, showing him the object in her hand.
A few moments later, the trapdoor opened and Thomas stepped out and stood beside Pantros. "Sheillene found something you'll want to see. I'll take over this post for a while."
"Once per hour, let them know that nothing's happening, that it's 'All Clear'," Pantros said. He then descended the ladder below the trapdoor. When the ladder became stairs halfway to the bottom, Pantros ran down and out the door. Everyone had gathered around where Sheillene sat beside Sir Norda.
"Look here," Sheillene said, holding a square flat stone in her hand.
"Onyx?"
Pantros asked, recognizing the black glasslike sheen. The stone large, cut into a square with faceted edges. It fit into the palm of his hand. When he held it there, another, more familiar gemstone appeared in the air a few inches above it.
"Illusion Magic?"
Estephan asked. When Sheillene nodded he said. "What use is a stone that shows the image of another? The gem in the image is interesting, I suppose. It does have an appealing glow to it."
"You don't know what that is?" Pantros asked.
"It's a dark ruby, probably enchanted to glow," Estephan said.
"The stone in that image is the Key to the gates of Hell," Pantros said. "And it means that it was no accident that the trolls decided to attack the other day. They were sent by someone to find that stone."
"We have no Key to Hell," Meredith said. She then turned to the prince. "We don't, do we? Surely we'd have more than a dozen knights guarding such a thing."
"All we guard is the border," Prince Estephan said. "That key is not here."
"Actually," Pantros said, pausing while he dug the gem from a holdout pocket inside his pants, "it is." He held the key out beside the illusion.
Sheillene took the onyx from Pantros' hand and put it in her pouch. "Trolls can't tell one human from another. They probably were only told to attack any humans and bring the stone back if they found it."
"You could track the trolls back to whomever they met," Pantros said. "We could end this long before Vehlos."
Sheillene shook her head. "Sure," she said, "We could find whoever sent the trolls, but we know we'd either find a demon or someone who can control demons. They didn't use the trolls for their brute muscle; they were just spreading a larger net. We need to get that Key to a person capable of protecting it."
Estephan held up a hand toward Sheillene while smoothing his mustache with the other. "You're saying that monsters like these trolls could be marauding everywhere and they'd be looking for that gem or Key?"
"Well, I think they know roughly where Pantros or the Key is," Sheillene said. "I just suspect the trolls were not as easy to steer towards us as a well trained hellhound."
"Nine of our peers are dead because of a single fancy rock?" Meredith asked.
"Key to Hell is not just a fancy name," Pantros said. "This can open a door to Hell, releasing all the demons there into our world."
"Why do you have that?" Estephan asked.
Pantros wasn't sure how to answer. He pocketed the gem then shrugged. "I'd really rather not," he said. "Someone gave me a large amount of gold to take it from someone else. Now I'm stuck with it until I can find someone who can protect it better than I."
Estephan cleared his throat. "As Prince of Relarch, I'm obligated to offer to try to protect the stone for you, but, I don't suspect myself or my
kingdom are
well enough prepared for the threats we'd see if we possessed that particular stone. The Archmage of Vehlos is certainly a better choice. I will offer you protection to the edge of my kingdom. I insist."
"We're already riding to Fork with you," Pantros said. "How much farther does your kingdom go?"
"Fork is the on the western border where the Starshone and Evenflow rivers meet. The road west from there will take you through Melnith to Vehlos. I'll have to check in and report in Fork regarding the deaths of so many of my brethren, but if you like I'd offer my services, as a favor, from our border to the gates to Archmage's tower."
Pantros didn't like having so many people around him. As much as they offered more protection, they could just as likely be additional corpses in his wake. He didn't want to offend the prince, though, so he replied, "That's a noble offer, thank you, your highness." Estephan seemed satisfied with the response. Pan wondered if maybe Fork were close enough to Vehlos for him to go that last leg of the journey alone.
Being from a port city, Pantros understood the distances between the major ports of the world. He'd seen the maps, and knew how far Gyptania, Rahvenna and Everton were in terms of sailing days. Vehlos was close to an ocean, he knew, but Fork was nowhere near an ocean.
The roadside sign said that Fork was west and Southbridge was south and Westen was east. There was no sign pointing to the north road, where Charles and Heather had come from.
“Fork then?”
Charles asked.
“I don’t think so,” Heather said. “Too many people too close together, I’d hate to get angry in that big of a city.”
They didn’t really need to resupply. In the week they’d been on the road, they’d found work each evening as either smiths or tinkers. Gus had given Charles a hammer and a tinker’s anvil as well as a pack to carry them in. The work they’d found along the way had gotten them plenty of salted food and dried fruit for the road and a small amount of coin. Charles now wore his sword sheathed across his back and Heather wore a red leather apron around her waist. Their clothes fit, as did their spare clothes, though both were in need of washing.
“Southbridge it is,” Charles headed along the road to the south with Heather at his side.
A few miles down the road a covered wagon pulled alongside and slowed. “You two look like you’ve a long road ahead of you and your feet could use a rest.”
The man was older than Charles by enough that his hair was graying at the temples. He wore light leather armor, which was not uncommon among men who traveled regularly. The carriage was painted in a splattering of colors. The lines of the paint were neat and straight, but the colors were varied and looked like they were either chosen at random or chosen deliberately to disturb anyone’s aesthetic senses.
“I am Jonah of the Wandering Rose,” the man on the wagon said. “Where are you headed?”
“Melnith,” Heather said.
Charles nodded.
“I’m not going all the way there, but I can give your feet a rest for a day or two,” Jonah said. We’re camped two days walk west of the river.”
“How far is that from here?” Charles asked.
“Five days on foot, two on my wagon,” Jonah said. “I travel this road regularly so I know all the best places to stop for lunch and for a good clean bed.”
“Do you always stop and offer
people rides
?” Heather asked.
“Just often enough to have someone to talk to on the long ride,” Jonah said. “You two look like you’ve got quite a story.”
“Maybe we do,” Charles said. “If it’s all the same, I’d rather not share that story today.”
“Then hop on,” Jonah said. “I’ll play the role of story teller.”
“I don’t want to walk anymore,” Heather said.
Charles shrugged, the man did have a sword strapped to the driver’s bench, but he was still only one man. He didn’t seem like a threat. “Okay,” he said. He helped Heather onto the wagon then climbed on himself.
“Welcome aboard,” Jonah said. “I promised a story, so here goes. This is a story I taught Thomas Boncanta himself. It’s the story of a woman I once met who changed history with her sword. Let me tell you the tale of Legend of Phyre.”
The man holding her hand wasn’t the man she’d married, but Tara couldn’t convince herself that was true. He felt like the same person, he had the same way of thinking, of speaking and the same humors. His touches felt the same as she remembered.
This Thomas even had the air of worldliness to him, though he’d never been beyond the village of Stonewall before; he’d absorbed every bit of knowledge of the world from anyone who would talk about it. In the two days they’d been riding in the carriage and the two days prior, he’d talked endlessly with the Knights. He probably knew more about Relarch than any of the native Knights did simply because he’d gleaned every little bit of each individuals knowledge.
And Tara got to hear all about it when the Knights couldn’t take any more questions.
Relarch was one of two human nations on the continent of Teminev. It claimed all the land east of the Evenflow river as far south as the Great Bay and as Far East as the ocean, including the village of Stonewall, but not Ignea. To the north, Relarch ended at the mountains and the borders with the Vulak Tribal lands. That border was less defined and varied depending on the success of Vulak Raids or Relarchian expansion. The Vulak rarely organized in large enough numbers to siege a Human Fort, and the Humans didn’t really want the land for more than a buffer between the lands they did want and the Vulak Tribal Lands, so they also rarely committed the resources to expand. Half a dozen forts along the border changed hands every couple years. It was a constant war neither side seemed committed to try to win.
The truth was that Relarch was politically, though not geographically, centered on the city of Fork where the Starshone met the Evenflow. The Counties and Duchies closer to the Capitol felt more of the Kingdoms influence while the lands farther out, such as Stonewall, may have forgotten that they were part of a Kingdom.
Tara sat at the front of the carriage, beside Thomas. He was sleeping, but Tara was content to just snuggle by his side.
Pantros sat by a window, occasionally reading one of a handful of books in the carriage and mostly just watching the passing scenery. He’d never seen anything but city where the ground was stone and he was never more than five paces from a wall.
At the end of the ridge, atop the cliff, stood ruins of red stone.
“What’s that?” Pantros asked, Estephan, who’d been napping across a table from him.
The Prince glanced out the window. “It’s an old tower, older than the Abvi. The red material is called Opalite and it is exceedingly valuable, as long as it hasn’t been worked. Once it’s been worked, it retains its shape forever and is nigh indestructible.” Estephan said.
“That tower looks well destructed, I guess the Opalite is less valuable once it’s been worked and destroyed.” Pantros said. “Why hasn’t anyone rebuilt it using normal stone?”
“There’s nothing to this land. It’s in the middle of a mountain pass to nowhere. If there were anything at all east of here, we might have a town or fort here. That tower where we met is far more defensible with smaller numbers. The mountains prevent the rain here most of the time, so the land is not good for farming or grazing.”
“So, no one claims it?” Pantros asked.
“Its Kingdom land,” Estephan said. “No one wants it.”
“Can I buy it?” Pantros asked.
Estephan laughed. “Land is the most valuable commodity the Kingdom has beside its people. I couldn’t imagine a boy like you even being able to comprehend the amount of money it would take to purchase even unwanted land.”
“Let me surprise you,” Pantros said. “Give me a number.”
“I could probably arrange to sell that tower and the land for four leagues in each direction for a chest with ten thousand gold coins.” Estephan said.
Pantros thought, but doubted all his stashes combined quite had that many gold coins. Only the one chest was nothing but gold but it was a mere fraction of ten thousand coins.
“Done,” Sheillene said, landing in the seat beside Pantros.
Pantros looked at her, confused and curious.
Estephan ventured, his voice wavering, “Lady Sheillene, Are you saying you can afford such a Price?”
“Me?” Sheillene said, “No. I was speaking for Pan.” She tugged at the satchel by Pantros’s side. “Dump it on the table here.”
“You told me not to show my money,” Pantros said.
“When you’re buying something from a prince it’s okay to show your money,” Sheillene said. “And we’re in a very private carriage here. I think you’ll be safe.”
Pantros carefully dumped the bag onto the table. “I don’t have that much coin, Sheillene.”
“Don’t you know what the gems are worth?” Sheillene asked. She grabbed a rolled piece of felt and unraveled it and perused the gems.
“I actually don’t,” Pantros replied. He’d never had to fence any of his gems. He knew they could be worth a few gold each and they were lighter than gold.
“Where is it,” Sheillene said, unrolling several other of his gem protecting felts. She sorted through the gems. “I saw it at the Backwards Trout.” She pulled out a green stone the size of a thumbnail and set it in front of Estephan.
The Prince held it up to the light coming through the window. “I am shocked. I shouldn’t have underestimated someone known as the King of Thieves. This is nice, very clear; it’s among the largest Temistar Emeralds I’ve seen, but not worth the chest of gold I mentioned.”
“How about every gem on the table?”
Sheillene asked.
“Well, that would be too much,” Estephan said. “I mean the emerald is by far the most valuable stone I’ve seen here, but the rest have significant value as well. I am not a jeweler, but I have ordered several custom works and can guess with a large margin of error. For the gems here, I would have to offer everything within a day’s walk, ten leagues, of the ruins.”
“Done?” Pantros said, unsure what he’d just done. He offered his hand to the Prince to seal the deal.
Estephan took his hand. “This is unofficial until it gets the King’s blessing, but he will agree with me. As I said, the land is of no real use to us or anyone, but if you want it and are willing to pay for it, it’s yours to govern.”
“Govern?” Pantros asked.
“All the land in the Kingdom belongs to the King,” Estephan explained. “But as governor, you can do as you will with the land and the only person who can change that is the King. I can’t give you a nobility title, though the land is technically the size of a Barony. The land will be a stewardship and you will be the steward. It will be your duty to collect the taxes and send the King’s share to Relarch. You’ll also be expected to maintain a military force, whatever the region can support. Right now I think it might include a couple farms on the outskirts toward Relarch. We’ll have a cartographer draw out the actual borders.
“I can build a castle?” Pantros asked.
“If you have the money to do so, yes,” Estephan said. “I don’t see the point of one there, it’s not a place anyone has to pass to get into the Kingdom, but as steward, you can do as you wish. A castle will cost more than you paid for the land, if it’s of any significant size.”
Pantros knew he didn’t have that, yet. He’d brought most of his gems with him. “I see,” he said. “I guess I have to start with the land, so I’m on the way, at least.”
“Pan!”
Tara’s voice sounded stern. “Did you just buy a county that’s not anywhere near the Hedgehog?”
“A Stewardship,” Pantros corrected. “Did you expect me to live there forever?”
“Well, no,” Tara said. “But, I hoped you’d move to somewhere close enough to visit, not somewhere through troll infested mountains.”
“Those trolls were an anomaly,” Estephan said. “They’re a symptom of that Key being outside its normal protections. Speaking of symptoms, we’ve not seen a Hellhound attack since we got in the carriage.”
“I noticed that,” Sheillene said. “I’m not sure why not. Maybe they ran out?”