A Soldier's Life - 463 -

Chapter 463:

“Are we going to go after him?” Baelira asked as Alhur’s black cloaked form disappeared into the city. I don’t know how I felt about the assassin at this moment.

Maveith looked ready to jump the gap as the massive trader approached the docks. “There is no point,” I waved unconcerned eventually. “We will see if Queen Adelin is in the city, if not, we will leave a message with the Heptarchy and travel to Skyliton.”

Ropes were skillfully tossed to dock hands, who tied them off, while the crew carefully stowed the sails. The ship jerked and stopped as four lines were wrapped, pulled tight, and the Tipsy Mermaid was nestled against the wooden pier. When the ramp was lowered, I acknowledged the captain and walked down to the dock. A magistrate looked us over, his eyes fixating on Maveith. Goliaths were rare even in the Heptarchy. He nodded to us as we passed, with Baelira and me displaying our Death Sentinel medallions and Maveith his Adventurers Guild medallion. Evie, unassuming in her appearance, sheltered between Maveith and me.

The wooden dock fingers quickly transitioned into stone as we entered the city. The buildings, cloistered around the docks, were primarily made of dark gray granite and two stories tall and appeared to be warehouses. Locals lingered on the rooftops, watching the harbor and foreign crews for entertainment in the late morning sun. The populace was mainly human, with a few notable stocky dwarves walking purposefully. Two of the seven were elven kingdoms in the Heptarchy, but the elven people looked to be a rare sight.

As soon as the scent of the ocean faded, I led my party into a respectable-looking inn. Scattered patrons in the common room looked up but quickly returned to their meals and conversation. “Take care of the rooms,” I indicated to Baelira. “I will see if Queen Adelin is in the city and try to get an audience.” The mention of the queen’s name drew a few patrons to give me curious looks.

“Can I come?” Evie asked, her eyes bright and pleading. The city was safe, but even though I didn’t want her tagging along, I nodded, unable to say no. Maveith would be a distraction walking the streets, so I indicated he could remain with Baelira.

I had studied a map of the city in the dreamscape, and I knew the seat of the Heptarchy was a massive citadel in the upper city. Each kingdom had an equal plot of land surrounding the citadel, like wedges of a pie. I knew the Kingdom of Aurelith’s district, Queen Adelin’s kingdom, was in the northwest. Evie stayed on my hip, her focus darting from one thing to another as we walked. My eyes searched for danger, mostly focused on the direction we were heading. We passed from a crafter’s district into the trade district before reaching the upper city.

Here, the buildings transitioned to a grander scale, reaching higher, with a stone material that was a mix of red, black, and white. The mix of dwarves, elves, and humans in the streets appeared to be much younger and more evenly proportioned among the races. I knew we were in the educational ward of the city, with numerous schools and colleges. Bringing the influential young men and women of the seven kingdoms to study here together was how amicable relations had been maintained for two millennia. On the east side of the city were the institutes that focused on martial prowess and where the combined armies of the kingdoms drilled outside the walls.

There were walls to separate the kingdoms’ districts around the citadel, but primarily to mark their influence, as the walls were barely eight feet tall and easy to scale. Two soldiers in dark blue and white uniforms stood at the wide gates, but didn’t stop anyone passing through. I paused to ask a question. “Where can I request an audience with Queen Adelin?”

The younger guard snickered before the graying older guard elbowed him. “Seeker, the queen is not in the city. If the Death Hunters have news, a rider can be sent to Skyliton. Currently, only Princess Elenara resides in Petos.” The younger soldier’s jaw slackened as he now recognized the medallion I wore. My Seeker rank meant I was a skilled hunter of powerful undead abominations and deserved respect.

I was not surprised the queen was absent, as she had a kingdom to rule. “Is Kyrenic, the Queen’s Champion, in the city? He told me to call on the Queen’s favor,” I asked casually. If he were here, it would make things much easier, and I might even be able to upstage Alhur.

Both soldiers straightened. “You know Knight Champion Kyrenic?” the older man asked reverentially. “I don't think he's in the city, but his sister would know where he is. With message sendings being unavailable, it might be hard to get a message to him to confirm your relationship to Knight Kyrenic.”

I grunted, thinking Fortuna had rebuked me recently. “Thank you. How do I go about requesting a meeting with the Princess?” I inquired from the helpful older guard.

He judged me truthful and worthy in seconds. “Stewart, escort the Seeker to Captain Draymon. Bring the Seeker and his…” the older guard looked at Evie for an explanation.

“Daughter,” I said smoothly.

“Very good,” he nodded. “Make introductions, Stewart.” The young guard nodded vigorously, as it seemed to be some kind of honor.

We soon followed the young guard deeper into the district, and he kept asking questions about the Death Hunters. My replies were mostly just grunts and one-word answers, but he didn’t catch the hint and kept asking questions. Stewart stumbled as he introduced me, realizing he didn’t know my name. “Captain Draymon, a Death Hunter Seeker, and his daughter wish to call on the royal family. He says Knight Kyrenic sent him.”

Captain Draymon studied me cautiously before dismissing the young guard to return to his watch. “No weapons, Seeker. You can leave them inside the guard room.” The captain turned to lead me as he moved. He wore steel pauldrons, greaves, bracers, and a cuirass, all polished to a shine, but his vanity was more than just for show. His gait hinted at a powerful build and an experienced warrior. He even kept Evie between us as we approached the guardhouse. Inside, two men jumped to attention, and the captain gave them a cold look at their laxness. He led me to a table and signaled that I should leave my weapons there. “These two will guard your steel.”

I had swapped magebane for a simpler weapon as we walked, but I was feeling mischievous. I signaled for Evie to disarm, and she quickly laid her short sword, belt dagger, and three hidden knives on the table. Then I began to disarm from under my cloak—three swords, seventeen daggers, two hand axes, and a short sword. All the weapons were mundane, but each time I added another to the pile, the guards shifted nervously. I thought about bringing out the loaded crossbow I had taken from Sanctuary, but I thought I had made my point. Evie thought it was a marvelous game and added two more knives from her dimensional space, and I frowned at her because that left her with just a runic dagger in her space. 

The captain eyed me even more suspiciously, looking from the pile to me. “Suppose it was pointless to ask. I am guessing you have a few runic weapons on your person that I have no chance of finding. Follow me and I will trust your orders code.” He didn’t let us collect our weapons as we were led deep into the estate.

A young woman in tight training leathers was going through complex sword forms with a black blade in the reception hall. The throne was empty, and I immediately figured out this was not a bodyguard but likely the Princess. She ignored the captain as she finished her training, a light sheen of sweat on her face. The black blade was not a Torment blade, as the metal was too glossy. Perhaps it was a match for Heartseeker’s leaf tip, making the sword dark mithril. My eyes turned from the blade to the women who appeared younger than Kyrenic. Her hips, square shoulders and powerful thighs told me she trained regularly. The captain waited till she finished before announcing me.

“Your brother has sent a Seeker to call on your family for a favor,” Captain Draymon said before stepping behind me. There were three exits from this room, and my earth pulse told me a pair of guards was on the other side of each door, so they didn’t entirely trust me.

The woman approached, unconcerned as she sheathed her blade. “What has my younger brother done now?” Her eyes glanced at Evie but focused on me.

“He welcomed me to his mother’s court for saving his life. I was hoping to convince Queen Adelin to petition the Seven Rulers of the Heptarchy to raise an army.” A flash of something crossed her face, and she relaxed her stance slightly to study me.

The women laughed. “Is that all? My brother certainly makes interesting acquaintances. Is there an undead host forming somewhere that we do not know about?” Her tone was serious as her brother’s word seemed to carry weight.

“Something far worse, unfortunately.” All levity vanished from her face, and I could now see the resemblance. Maybe a half sister, though. “A demon took the skin of Brood Mother of the Brotherhood of Mitzra and seized Sanctuary, the bastion of the Death Sentinels.”

“I know what Sanctuary is,” she said softly. “Continue…” she said, processing the news.

“The Nashasari worked with the undead lords before they turned on each other, but they breached some vaults in Sanctuary that contained information on how to open a World Gate to the demon world,” I finished succinctly. Captain Draymon’s feet shifted uncomfortably.

Princess Elenara’s mind was racing behind her eyes. Pieces of a puzzle were clicking into place for her. “If true, we should call a war council.”

“Only your mother can call a war council, unless you can convince one of the other sovereigns in the city,” Captain Draymon reminded her.

“A rider should be sent immediately to get her then. She can judge the weight of the Seeker’s words and call a war council,” she said.

“Where is Kyrenic? He could vouch for my honesty.” I stated. I was no diplomat, but I didn’t need to be if Kyrenic could carry my words to his mother’s ear. And if Kyrenic were here, I could leave immediately for the Telhian Empire, and then on toward Raelia and my son sooner.

The princess frowned. “My brother went east almost a year ago. Before the message sending spells no longer worked, we got a message from him every week; now we are lucky to get a physical letter once a month. He also believed the Nashasari are a threat. He even told me an exceptional warrior saved his life.” Her eyes travelled up and down me and I got uncomfortable.

“We are staying at…” I started to say.

“Nonsense!” she said with an air of command. Aether backed her words, but whatever effect seemed unintentional as she blushed. Not that it mattered, as my mental fortress pushed it aside. “The rooms on the estate are open to you.”

“I have two other companions waiting on us,” I gestured, still planning to leave.

“No, I insist you stay here and dine with me tonight. Tell me how my brother almost got himself killed, and you needed to pull him out of the fire. I could use some entertainment and material against him the next time we meet,” Princess Elenora said, smiling. 

“Captain, see that the rooms are prepared and the baths drawn for them. They look road-weary and smell of the sea.” The captain looked reluctant to leave his princess in my presence and gave a sharp whistle. Four guards entered the room unthreateningly, flanking two exits. “I need to clean myself up,” she said with a smirk before leaving.

“She seemed nice,” Evie said after she left.

“That was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, Evie,” I said. Two servants came and guided Evie and me to adjacent rooms while we waited for separate baths. Word was sent to Maveith and Baelira, and they would be here shortly. I found all my weapons neatly placed in my opulent room. Paintings on the walls depicted a younger Kyrenic during what I assumed was his initiation into the knight order. Another painting showed him being crowned the Queen’s Champion. This was clearly Kyrenic’s room, and it felt strange to be honored in such a way. When the attendants left, I took a steaming bath with a strong floral scent, heated by the thermal stones. It would be a shame to waste their efforts…

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