A Dagger of the Mind (The Imperial Metals) (10 page)

Chapter
14: Johann Frost

The first question seemed so obvious, Vye was almost embarrassed to ask it.

“Where are we?” she asked.

She could tell they were hiking up the side of a mountain, and that they were in the middle of a vast mountain range. It was night, and the full moon illuminated the snow-capped peeks in all directions. But Vye had no context for where those mountains were located. She couldn’t even be sure what continent they were on.

“It’s unimportant,” said the man who had brought her here. The man who had been very vague in her dreams was now just a man. Or rather, a middle-aged man with a salt-and-pepper beard, wrapped in a midnight blue robe, who trundled ahead of her in the snow. But his simplistic appearance only served to make her second question seem even more mundane.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“My name is Johann Frost,” the man said, speaking over his shoulder as they wound their way up the cliffside. “I’m sure you have many questions. But we need to get you hidden. Afterwards, I will answer your questions. All of them, as best I can.”

Vye felt these were reasonable terms from a man who had just saved her life. They walked in silence for some time, until finally they reached the summit, and Frost scoured the ground on the narrow plateau.

“It’s easier to find in the daylight,” he said, “But I thought we should get here at night. Better cover.”

“Also, we probably didn’t have much choice, did we?” Vye offered as a mild joke, but Frost didn’t seem to care what she had said.

“If you tell me what we’re looking for, I can help,” Vye said, kicking her legs up and pacing to and fro, fighting off the encroaching cold.

“No, you won’t be able to find it. Not yet.”

“I’ve surprised people in the past with--”

“Found it!”

Frost waved his hand over a flat rock on the ground while making some sort of incantation. As he chanted, a symbol starting to glow in a soft blue-white light on the rock itself. Finally, instead of just a gentle pulsing, it flashed quickly, then disappeared.

“I’ve unlocked the door,” Frost said, “But it will only last a minute. Help me move this rock.”

Frost and Vye moved the slate aside, revealing a ladder heading straight down a vertical tunnel. Frost, not waiting to be a gentlemen, went first. Vye followed behind as they plunged into the darkness. Before she ran out of ladder, though, a light starting shining below her. She hopped off the bottom rung to see Frost, holding his palm up. A small light floated inches above his hand, illuminating the corridor in all directions. The fork in this road had about twelve prongs. Easy to get lost in.

“This way,” Frost said, and struck off in one of the indistinguishable directions.

“I don’t suppose you can tell me anything now?” Vye said.

“Bits and pieces,” Frost said, “But I’ll need time and some help to give you the whole story.”

“I didn’t know there was a story,” Vye commented as Frost chose one of several forking passages.

“Oh, there’s a story, alright.”

“Am I a character in this story?”

“You’re the last character in the story.”

This left Vye dumbfounded enough that she didn’t respond. She just followed silently as Frost chose yet another fork in the winding passage.

“Alright, I’ll tell you just a few of the more salient points,” Frost said, not facing her, but always striding deeper into the tunnels. “You may not have realized it, but you have access to an incredibly powerful magic that many of your friends cannot master.”

“Well, I sort of learned it by accident. And as for my friends, I’ve started to train someone to use it.”

“Well, I’m going to have to correct you on two points. First, you didn’t learn it by accident. It was given to you as part of a very, very old plan. Second, you haven’t trained anyone to use it. You’ve trained someone to use a very small part of it.”

“My pupil can do many of the same things I can do.”

“Ah, I didn’t say you had learned every part of the power.”

“I see.”

“Also, who learned each power faster, you or your student?”

“I did.”

“By just a small margin?”

Vye’s mind started to race. She was just realizing that she had learned the Shadow Travel in about an hour, whereas even with her training Nuria for five years, she still wasn’t ready for that. Sure, Nuria was thinking about things in new and different ways, but there were some fundamental things that Vye had picked up much faster. She had never given it much thought before.

“No,” Vye finally answered. “By a considerable margin.”

“As I said, you were given this power as the result of a long-incubating plan, and you haven’t mastered all the parts of it. That’s why I’m here.”

“I guess it’s a dumb question, but, why me?”

“The short answer is because you died.”

“But I just did that, like, I don’t know, a few days ago. I learned magic six years ago.”

“Which is why you probably need the long answer. Ah, we’re here.”

They had finally stepped out of the narrow corridors and into a wider room. Frost snapped his fingers, leaving his index finger pointing at a fireplace, and the small light shot into the hearth. The logs in the fireplace burst into a warm glow. The room was homely. Paneled in dark wood, with cushions surrounding the fireplace, and a rug that really brought the place together.

“You never answered my first question,” Vye pointed out.

“Where are we?” Frost said, “That’s not important. Well, it’s important, but also part of the longer version of the story. In the meantime, I must check on some things. Make yourself comfortable. There’s a tea kettle over there, if you’re thirsty. I’ll be back shortly.”

He turned and swept out of the room, leaving Vye in the cozy alcove. She sat on one of the pillows, waiting for the tea kettle to whistle...

Chapter
15: Domestic Threats

The horses slowed as Orlean led Duncan and the others up the slope to the Lunapera, the Crest of the Moon, the holy place where the Turin-Guarde studied their magic. Duncan had read about it, heard tales of it from Vye, and seen paintings of it, but it was truly magnificent to see the the view. From the peak, you could look over the forest below, with the Moon illuminating the treetops.

And, waiting at the very edge of the cliff, sitting cross-legged, was Eric. Duncan noticed that unlike most Turin men, he wore his hair short, in the style of the Rone. Of course, Duncan also remembered that Eric had spent five years in Anuen before the War, spying for the Turin.

“Orlean,” he said, eyes closed, in meditation, “What brings you to the mountaintop at this hour?”

“I thought we would have to wake you,” Orlean said, dismounting. Duncan signaled for the others to do the same, though they all stood back, behind their Turin guide.

“I would have woken at the sound of your horses anyway,” Eric rejoined. “But I have been up for many hours now.”

“I see you’ve been keeping yourself busy,” Orlean said, nodding to the sitting Turin-Guarde.

“My labors are done in my mind,” Eric answered. “Something has been astir for the past week or so. And it is at night that I can sense it strongest.”

“We have visitors,” Orlean announced. “From the Kingdom.”

At this, Eric opened his eyes and turned his head. He slipped to his feet, as though falling upwards. Duncan stood perfectly still as the tall Turin mage stepped forward and examined the three travelers. He stopped at Sir Noble.

“You are Sir David Noble,” Eric said, now in the Rone language. “You bested one of our company.”

“One of your former company,” Orlean corrected.

“Yes, yes, the old company. The Turin-Sen. Nonetheless, Sandora was worthy of that old company. And this Ronish brute defeated her.”

“Brutality is not unique to the Rone,” Noble retorted. Duncan pressed his hand on Noble’s shoulder. Insulting the Turin didn’t seem like the best move.

“Perhaps,” Eric agreed, “Still, Sandora trained for years with sword and spell. How did you defeat her?”

“I have also been highly trained,” Noble said, “But if you want an honest answer, I got lucky.”

Eric laughed. But it was the least comforting laugh Duncan had ever heard.

“Lucky?” Eric mused, “The best training, powers beyond what the Rone could imagine, meticulous planning by Argos, and our plans were ruined by a lucky stroke of your sword? Is that your argument?”

“That’s enough, Eric,” Orlean interjected.

“No, it isn’t. The Regent seeks peace, and I will defend that peace to the best of my ability. But this man skewered Sandora on the end of a lance and planted her in the grounds of Hartstone during the final battle. Her body was defiled by the Rone soldiers. She was used as a banner of victory. So if he is visiting me on MY MOUNTAIN--” he shouted those words, pointing to the ground for emphasis, “--then I will ask him as many questions as I please.”

A silence settled over the gathering. In the dead of night, Eric’s shouts had sounded deafening.

“Master Eric,” Duncan stepped forward, “My name is Duncan, and I am in charge of my people here. Forgive me for bringing Sir Noble to this meeting. It was my doing, not the Queen’s, and certainly not Noble’s choice. And I would not have done so if I had known how much his presence would hurt you.”

“Hurt?” Eric mocked, “You think it’s easy to hurt me?”

“No. But I think we have anyway,” Duncan tried, “And you must know that Sandora herself committed many atrocities that would render Sir Noble’s actions tame by comparison.”

“Are you justifying the way he debased our great warrior?” Eric growled, stepping into Duncan’s face.

“No,” Duncan spoke softly, making Eric sound like an asshole for raising his voice. “But consider that Sir Noble is also a great warrior, despite committing these atrocities. And that is why he is here. To protect me. Not to hurt you or anyone else. And if you wish, he will wait further down the mountain while we discuss our business.”

Eric swept his robes around him as he turned, settling into his seat at the edge of the cliff once again.

“There is no need,” he said, his soft voice matching Duncan’s. “He can remain here, so long as he treats this sacred ground with respect.”

“We all will,” Duncan assured him.

“Then sit with me here and we will consider your problem,” Eric gestured to the ground before him. “It must be a dangerous one to bring you here.”

Duncan, Sir Noble, Nuria, and Orlean sat in a circle with Eric. And Duncan told their story...

Chapter
16: Confessions

Landos strolled the North Wall, trying to keep his blood running in the cold, gray morning. The sun would be rising in minutes, and he had been going full speed for days. He was tired. He felt like he could sleep for a year. But at the same time, he was restless. He wouldn’t fall asleep for hours at least.

Terror ran through his veins. He had been in charge during a crisis before, but now he had a son. The difference that made was extraordinary. His thoughts kept racing to what his son’s future would be. Landos wanted desperately to be there on the day his son was crowned King. And then all else be damned, he would be a proud father, even if he couldn’t tell anyone.

But that was still years away, and in the meantime, sinister forces were out to hurt him and the people he loved. Other possible futures crept through Landos’ mind, other lives his son could end up leading. One bereft of his mother. His father. His Kingdom. Landos could even imagine a scenario where William was killed. It wasn’t much of a stretch in his mind. If someone wanted to take out the Kingdom, his little heartbeat would be their first target.

Landos looked up and realized he was passing through the Dining Hall. He hadn’t even paid attention, his feet carrying him wherever they pleased. He nodded to some of the staff, who were still preparing the room for the Peace Festival. But he kept walking before they could say anything.

The Council had decided to proceed with the Festival. Peace with the Turin, who were still considered the greatest threat to the Kingdom, was too high a priority in everyone’s mind. And, some of the Council Members reasoned, if someone was planning something, this would be one way to suss them out.

Landos found himself in the Hall of Saint Michael, once again with no memory of how he had meandered there. The presentation was almost ready. The magnificent marble statue rose up from the center of the room, greeting any visitors as they entered. The oil painting was framed and hung on the far wall. Other relics and works of art adorned the perimeter...

Landos heard someone tinkering behind the wall. A moment later, Baron Dubon von Wrims emerged from a hollow in the wall.

“Ah, Magistrate, I heard someone come in.”

“What are you doing down here?”

“I could not sleep. I have c
ome to check on zee works.”

“Everything looks great.”

“Zank you,” Dubon nodded. But then he glanced at Landos, “And how is it you find yourself down here?”

“I was just...wandering,” he answered. “I don’t know.”

“You have much on your mind, hmm?”

“Well, of course. I mean, the Countess, the Festival...”

“No, no, zis is not what I mean,” Dubon said. He hooked Landos by the arm and sat him on a bench. “Somezing else weighs heavy on your soul. Somezing you have not told anyone.”

“There are a lot of things I just...can’t tell anyone.”

“Nonsense. I am your friend. I have trusted you with my secrets. Secrets zat would ruin my reputation. You can entrust your secrets with me.”

Landos sighed. Exhaustion and anxiety boiling together in his body and mind, squeezing his heart with a restless grip. Nothing sounded more tempting than to unleash all his fears and secrets to another person.

“I shouldn’t say anything...” Landos began, but Dubon stared back at him, expressionless. Whatever Landos wanted to say, he would listen. “I had to kill a friend of mine.” Still, Dubon didn’t respond, not to scold, not to judge, and not to comfort.

Landos found that once he began, the floodgates burst open. “I’m too much of a coward to kill someone with my own hands, of course. I had someone else do the deed. And if the Gods are watching, they know that this man deserved to live more than I did.”

“Who is zis man?”

“I cannot say. Forgive me, but there are too many secrets to say them all today. But this... This will be my greatest sin. With a word, a man was sentenced to death. And without the process of the King James Standard.”

“Why did you sentence him so?”

“It was for the good of the Kingdom,” Landos spit out the words, like a leg kicking up when the knee is tapped. “I swear to you, Baron, I would never have done it if I didn’t believe the Kingdom was in mortal danger. I kept this man alive, dangerous as he was, for six years, and only killed him when I absolutely had to.”

“Of course, you are a good man, too,” Dubon agreed.

“Am I? I keep betraying my friends. And they keep ending up dead. And I’m left holding the Kingdom together with a frail alliance and a stack of lies.”

“You allude to some of your ozzer secrets here, perhaps,” Dubon reasoned. “But so long as you know your cause, and you believe it is right, one can justify many secrets and lies.”

“Perhaps,” Landos said. “Still, this attack on Vye... She was probably my last good friend, you know... I’m worried that the time may be coming soon when all my debts will come due.”

Dubon had no answer for this but to place a hand on Landos’ shoulder in cold comfort. The two silent men sat in front of the looming visage of the first friend Landos had betrayed.

---

Landos found himself wandering through the rest of the Castle as the day wore on. Until noon, when he found himself in the Queen’s tent on the lawns. One of the Captains was training with William on the jousting grounds, practicing with rapier and main gauche. Usually Sir Noble would be running those drills, but his absence was yet another reminder of the danger they were in.

“He’s getting better at the left guard,” Landos commented, sitting in his traditional seat below the Queen. But his attempt to lighten his spirits or hers failed to even get the conversation going.

“Any word from up North?” she responded. He could hear it in her voice: She was tired.

“None yet,” Landos admitted. “You should get some sleep.”

“We both should.”

“Do you want to try to sneak away now?” Landos asked. “It might seem a little suspicious for us both to be gone in the middle of the day.”

Sarah didn’t answer for a moment, collecting her thoughts. When she finally spoke, Landos knew what she was going to say.

“I don’t think we should spend the night together anymore.”

“Anymore?”

“For now. With all that’s happened. With the Festival only days away. With what happened to Vye. With...prisoner four...”

Landos nodded. It was the prudent thing to do, of course. It was the right thing to do. Still, Landos was counting on one thing to bring him comfort. And that was the smell of her perfume as he drifted off to sleep that night. It seemed unfair to take away the only good thing when so many bad things were happening. Still, he couldn’t argue with her.

“You’re right,” he said. “Yes. For now. Yes.”

And even as he said it, he wondered if it would be only for now. Perhaps his debts were coming due sooner than he thought.