noveltune Chapter 102: Surprise Awakening
Chapter 102: Surprise Awakening
Chapter 102: Surprise Awakening
Chapter 102
Adrian pushed us to the final stretch of forty miles to Sobral. Not so much us, as we had gotten our riding legs, but Decimus was still struggling since it was his first time riding more than an hour at a time. The alchemist had almost gotten his riding legs when we reached Sobral. At least he had stopped moaning every time Adrian ordered a light trot. I hope I had not been that bad while learning to ride.
The road had that deja vu feeling when traveling somewhere you have been before but in the opposite direction. Around midday and about fifteen miles from Sobral, we passed two carts of a miserable-looking farmer heading toward Sobral with three teenage children helping him. Adrian trotted up to them and asked, “Any trouble in the area?”
The man and children looked in rough shape, with filthy clothes and dirt marring their features. The older farmer grunted, “Tornado tore through the fields.” He indicated and kicked his cart, “This is all that is left.”
Adrian shifted uncomfortably in his saddle, “How many fields were hit?” I noticed he had a bandaged and braced knee and was limping when I approached.
“All of them,” he lamented. “Mine and my two neighbors, at least. Lost most of our livestock as well, legionnaire. Gonna sell what we can in Sobral before trying to rebuild with my children.” He looked like a beaten man, and the two boys and his daughter would not make eye contact with any of us. I could see why if everything you worked for was ripped from you.
I noticed his cart had some butchered meat, bundles of carrots, and some other field crops he salvaged. I leaned forward in my saddle, “Sir, my horses love carrots. Can I purchase that bundle there?” I summoned a large silver to my hand and tossed it gently at him before he could respond. He caught it inexpertly and stared in disbelief at the coin and then the carrots. He couldn’t believe I was offering ten silver for something that would cost two or three copper at most. He finally understood my charity and retrieved and handed me the dozen large carrots. Atlas was excited as the carrots passed close to his head, and Ginger walked up her lead line to sniff the carrots in my lap.
Lucien nodded to me, “You are a good man, Eryk.”
I shrugged, brushing it off, “I was out of apples.” That was not true, as I had about a dozen left, but he did not need to know that.
Adrian also tossed the farmer a large silver, “Give Eryk another bundle. We do not want Eryk to be the only generous one today.” Lucien and Blaze followed suit, two more large silver tossed and received.
As we rode on, I had four bundles of carrots awkwardly in my arms, “Do I have to be the one to carry all of these?”
Adrian smirked, “It was your idea, legionnaire. Deal with the consequences.”
Over the last fifteen miles to Sobral, the horses ate well. Sobral was different when we returned. The farmers we passed were not the only ones whom the weather had hit. Carts stuffed high with personal possessions were outside the city, and makeshift camps were set up. Dirty peasants were making way the best they could. Adrian rode up and talked to the first group, two old men with three women and five children. We waited while he talked with them, and then he rode back to us.
“Refugees from some farms to the west like the farmers we passed. Also, some war refugees from Macha and Vesov. The Bartiradians crossed over from Lortare into Vesov three hundred miles south of Macha,” Adiran told us.
Adrian shook his head remorsefully, “Vesov has nothing of value. They probably are lashing out after Macha. Same with unleashing elementals and monstrosities across the Empire.”
We walked up to the Citadel, and four men in clean uniforms guarded the gate. One asked formally, “State your business in the Citadel of Duchess Veronica Angela.”
Adrian rode forward and patiently answered, “Adrian of Mage Castile’s company is returning from duty with an alchemist and scholar. All men safe and unharmed.”
One of the guards took off at a jog to inform his superior, and he returned a few minutes later. We were waved through. Adrian announced, “I will bring Alchemist Decimus and Scholar Favian to the Duchess. Blaze go care for the equipment, and Lucien and Eryk care for the horses.”
There were actually two stable boys in the stables and a half dozen new horses. After a cursory inspection of the new horses, Lucien commented, “Work horses. The Duchess probably bought them from the refugees. Not bad stock, but not war horses.”
Konstantin broke into a grin, “That is great news!” It was like I had fallen into a trap. “The Duchess wants the alchemist working as soon as possible. You can talk with him, see what he needs to start brewing, and take your horse out riding. He is set up in the northwest tower.”
“I thought Castile asked you to appease the alchemist after bringing supplies to the men working in the woods?” Mavieth’s deep voice questioned Konstantin.
“Eryk is already planning to be out there, so he can handle it. He also has the dimensional space, not me. You can join him, Maveith, after you run supplies out to the men digging and laying the marker stones,” Konstantin expertly delegated all his orders out to us.
“What are you going to do while we handle your assignments?” I asked the smug Konstantin.
Konstantin hedged a bit, but then spoke, “I am going to look for signs of Traeliorn Kelran.”
The name tickled something Adrian had said, “The elven summoner? You know where he is?”
“He is definitely on this side of the Aganterao River. The Central Empire has a new monstrosity appearing every week. I may not be able to find him, but I will look for signs of him. Maybe find a campsite he used or his ritual circles for summoning,” he elaborated.
“What about the Hounds? Is that not what they do?” I asked, getting out of the recessed tub.
Konstantin held up a letter, “The Hounds might help track a dangerous mage, but the Mage Companies would be called in when they are found to deal with him. Cornelius asked me to search down this way. His Hounds are deployed on the front and protecting the dig site,” Konstantin admitted. “And he already has a squad that is missing.”
He was mistaken if Konstantin was waiting for me to volunteer to go with him. I would take a few days gathering mushrooms, roots, leaves, and flowers over running off to find one of the most powerful mages on the continent, who would kill me on sight or sic his summoned critters on me.
“Well, have fun,” I smiled at him.
Konstantin hesitated momentarily before making to leave, “I will, Maveith, make sure this one does not get himself killed.”
“Are you going to let him go alone?” Maveith said, watching his back as he left.
“Konstantin can take care of himself. We have our orders.” I dressed in a light shirt and pants. “Maveith, it is good to see you, but I really want to reacquaint myself with my favorite pillow.”
Maveith creased his brow, “Is that a reference to your maid? She said you and her...”
“No, my pillow!” I went into the bedroom to pull the griffin down pillow out of the made bed. Maveith looked at me skeptically but did leave.
I was hungry, but sleep was overtaking me. Unfortunately, It looked like Lareen was not returning tonight. I secured the dreamscape amulet under my shirt and went in to get some practice. I spent my time studying the time spell form for slow aging tonight. The sooner I learned it, the younger I would be for longer. I had been studying for about two hours in the large plush chair with Oscar in my lap when I was suddenly ripped out of the dreamscape.
Lareen was kneeling over me in a nightshirt, her hair cascading around my face, and holding the amulet in her hand. She must have felt it and pulled it from under my shirt. I immediately assumed that I lost contact with the dreamscape when it left contact with my skin. She was fingering and studying the amulet in the minimal light of the fireplace. Seeing I was awake, she asked, “What is this, Eryk?”