Quill

485. A City Divided

By the next day, rumours were proven true. Master Basil and his acolytes returned from the copper lanes, where they and other earthmages had raised walls to block off all the streets and alleys that led in and out of the copper lanes. In addition, doors and windows of the buildings along this new inner fortification had been boarded up.

As for maintaining the quarantine, several cohorts of the First Legion had set up guard posts to keep constant watch along the entirety of the perimeter...

484. Meal Conversations with Friends

With Martel's conscription as an alchemist at an end, nothing prevented him from resuming his regular classes, including those in fire magic. Early in the morning, he stood in the western courtyard and stared at his banner hanging from an upper window. He shivered lightly in the cold; presumably, the others felt it even worse, being born to a warmer climate.

If the cold bothered Moira, she did not allow it to show. She wore a cloak outside her purple robe, but she seemed at ease with th...

483. Plagued Ship

Martel had his first lesson in combat the next day as usual. Compared to the various events of the previous days, it felt almost mundane. The only thing notable would be that Martel noticed the other acolytes catching up to him when it came to staff fighting. His earlier advantage from having practised and fought in Tibert's ring had become eroded, and Martel had to focus on the fights if he wanted to avoid a beating.

As he arrived at the apothecary for his regular shift, another break ...

482. The Second Starlit Eve

Martel spent second bell the next morning working in the apothecary as usual, though alone. As before, he had to lock himself in, and he found a short note detailing his work. It was the usual chores, mostly creating salves and other supplies for the infirmary rather than anything to do particularly with elixirs for pestilence.

He saw no sign of Nora or Mistress Rana; either they were busy in the laboratory, or like yesterday, finding sleep when and where they could. When the bell rang,...

481. Starting the Grind

Solday morning, Martel went to the workshops as he had done every fiveday since becoming a student at the Lyceum. Although this bell originally was meant for Martel to assist the artificer and thus pay for his stay at the school, Martel had spent it practising his enchantment for the past several months. But before he could begin this morning, Master Jerome entered the laboratory, making Martel wonder if he would be told to resume regular duties.

"Martel, afraid you're needed elsewhere....

480. An Elemental Education

Martel arrived at the apothecary for his morning shift to find large bundles of plants waiting for him. Had this been last month, it would not have been surprising. All big events in the city, whether benign or malign in nature, inevitably led to people getting hurt one way or the other; this in turn depleted the infirmary's supplies of apothecary remedies, requiring long hours to replenish them. As a simple helper rather than formal apprentice, Martel had just done his usual work during the ...

479. The Last Argument of Viscounts

Everything seemed to settle back into the old routine in the fivedays after the harvest festival. Martel stayed at school for the most part, pursuing his education. On the occasion that he ventured into the city, doing purchases for Mistress Rana or going out with his friends, nobody gave him trouble or reason to feel suspicious.

As for his lessons with Moira, they eventually moved out of the Circle of Fire and into the western courtyard. The tenth month of the year had begun, and every...

478. A New Pact

The harvest festival had come to an end, along with its days of leisure. As the next day was Solday, however, Martel could ease into his return to regular duties. He practised enchantment in the morning in lieu of working his shift in the workshops, and he helped Mistress Rana in the afternoon with her experiments. Other than that, his time was his own.

At least, so he thought until a message arrived for him. For a moment, he felt discomfort at the thought of a missive from 'Harold' –...

477. Counting the Catch

Early in the morning, half a score of Vitus' best fighters entered an insula in the harbour district. Several of them had golden blades, and the others had weapons with modifications; one fellow carried a club with a string of golden coins tied around. Half of them went inside an empty chamber while the others invaded the opposite apartment, quickly silencing any complaints from the occupants. Their trap set, they waited.

***

As third bell approached, Martel walked towards the har...

476. Belt and Breeches

"Nordmark, are you in good health?" Maximilian watched him across the table.

Eating his porridge with his usual fervour, or lack thereof, Martel arrested his spoon mid-air and returned the look. "Just because I'm eating my food slower than you, it doesn't mean anything is wrong with me. On the contrary, it's your eating habits that should be called into question."

"Overlooking this insult for a moment, I am obviously referring to the fact that you were unavailable yesterday. I sin...

475. Trapping the Trapper

In the morning, Martel feigned illness to Maximilian. He endured many protestations from the mageknight before he managed to extricate himself, careful to avoid any encounter with Eleanor; she could easily get the truth out of him if she tried.

Back in his chamber, he grabbed his sack with his disguise, stuffing his cloak in there as well. Should anyone spot him, he was simply making his way to the infirmary to have his very genuine symptoms investigated and perhaps acquire a fortifying...

474. Barbarian Instinct

The next day did not contain any contest, which was the sole exception for the fiveday of the festival. Instead, it was the great spectacle where the Legio Urbis would perform a battle for the citizens to enjoy. Like yesterday, Martel debated with himself whether he should attend. He knew that he should be careful, but he could take the same precautions as yesterday. Furthermore, he felt guilty for leaving abruptly after the archery contest had ended without a single word of commiseration to ...

473. Heartfelt Wager

It was the first day of the harvest festival, which left Martel with a decision to make. It would be most sensible for him to remain at the school until his quarrel with Vitus was at an end; however, today was also when the archery contest would take place, and he felt obligated to watch Eleanor compete. Weighing the risks, Martel decided on the latter, though he also took some steps to mitigate the danger. He had a seat with Maximilian at the stands for the nobility, which should be much saf...

472. Taking the Wind out of their Sails

Martel spent his Manday morning and afternoon as scheduled, practising his lightning with Master Alastair and helping Mistress Rana experiment with new potions in her laboratory. If his mind had not been preoccupied with tonight's venture, he would have been far more inquisitive about the alchemist's attempts at improving potions or substituting their reagents; on this occasion, he simply followed her instructions and said little else. By the end of the bell, she expressed faint appreciation ...

471. Shooting Straight

While joining forces with the Fire Eater was the right move, it also meant Martel had to resume doing nothing while waiting for information to reach him. He had little knowledge of how it worked, gathering intelligence, but he assumed it could be days or longer.

But at least he could spend the time in a worthwhile manner, focusing on his scholarly pursuits. The idea that he was at war with a Ninth Lord did not trouble him as much as it perhaps should; for all their power, they had plent...

470. Confessions of a Nocturnal Knife

Martel spent both the remaining evening and the next morning going over the attack at the market. This had been the first time he had left the Lyceum in a fiveday or longer. They had been watching the school, striking at the first chance they got, regardless of how opportune the moment. This strengthened his impression that the attack had been not just poorly executed, but also poorly planned.

It did not change the fact that a response was required, but he needed information. The locati...

469. Going to Market

Once his lessons were over, Martel quickly went to his room, put on his cloak and woollen gloves, and left the Lyceum. The skáld had kept his stall by one of the squares in the market district last year, according to Maximilian's note; hopefully he had chosen the same spot this year.

It was not a long trip, and Martel soon found the right square, identified by a column raised in honour of Emperor Corvinus the Second. Looking around, Martel recognised the northern bard and approached hi...

468. As the Arrow Flies

As intended, Martel spent the full fiveday at the Lyceum. Besides class, he spent his spare hours practising his control of the lightning spell or enchantment. He was starting to feel satisfied with his results; his lightstones did not dim the slightest even after many days. Martel even considered asking Master Alastair for other useful ideas, hoping to expand his list of worthwhile enchantments.

As for the school, excitement slowly grew as harvest festival came closer with each passing...

467. Sowing the Wind

When Martel returned to his chamber that night, he felt spent, physically. As he woke up refreshed the next morning, he felt spent emotionally. Calling down lightning and controlling the fire afterwards had taken all his strength. He had satisfied the embers of the rage inside of him, and he felt no further need to become entangled with the Nine Lords and their disputes. It was time to remove that mask and return to being Martel the acolyte.

***

The lesson in the Circle of Fire pr...

466. Fury from the Sky

Once finished with alchemy, Martel went to The Golden Goose. Like last time, he entered through the back and had one of the actors fetch Regnar for him. Soon after, they sat inside his chamber.

"I've not really learned much," the hedge mage admitted. "Vitus uses The Broken Crown as his domain, like Tibert did before him. He's not been seen in a few days, though."

Keeping his head down, waiting for things to play out with Lady Pearl's death, presumably. "Alright. Anything else?" 2023-10-29 08:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post

465. Gaining Control

When Martel woke the next morning, he felt like himself, physically speaking. Any lingering pain or unseen injury from Flora's spells was gone. His spellpower was fully restored.

Still, he decided to delay for another day, as much as he found it difficult to be patient. Today was Manday, which meant class with Master Alastair. He could make up excuses rather than attend, but it seemed an unnecessary risk, which might invite scrutiny. It also gave Regnar another day to gather useful info...

464. Elemental Philosophy

With his sleep pattern out of joint, Martel only fell asleep several hours past midnight, and the morning bell woke him not long after. He did not feel particularly refreshed, but his magic seemed restored. He also felt a powerful hunger; although it seemed almost callous to fill his face with food at breakfast while Ruby's body decomposed in the darkness below his feet, he needed to keep up his strength.

Not that he intended to storm out and engage anyone in a fight. He would spend a d...

463. A Day Off

Opening his eyes, Martel felt a variety of emotions and sensations. Mostly confusion at where he found himself, in a bed he did not recognise. His mouth was dry, his body aching and stiff, in part due to sleeping in his leather armour. After a moment, the events of last night returned to him, and he was struck by sorrow.

He could not even explain why it hurt him to this extent that Ruby was dead. They had not been close friends; at times, they had even been on opposite sides. But he had...

462. Seeking Refuge

Marching through the Undercroft, Martel felt exhausted. In the physical sense, but also in terms of his magic. Casting the lightning bolt had been beyond his remaining capabilities, being a spell he had yet to finish training. The fire ray after that drained what was left of his spellpower.

He could not even summon the weakest of magelight; he had picked up a lightstone and used that to illuminate his path. It burned so hot in his palm, he had to carry it with his sleeve down to protect...

461. Advanced Magic

Martel waited. Not so much for Flora to dispatch her first spell, but for the traitorous move he knew she was planning. Casting his own spell might leave him vulnerable, so he remained passive.

"It seems a shame to destroy someone so talented. You could have been a great asset to the Night Knives," Flora mused.

"I don't care." As he spoke, he kept his eyes on her, but his magic sense remained active, searching the surroundings.

There! Inside a building, almost entirely hidde...

460. Cat and Mice

Another Night Knife appeared between the buildings. He looked in the direction of the lightstone that Martel had thrown away, unable to see anyone.

But Martel saw him, thanks to his sense of heat. A fire bolt hurled through the air to strike him. He fell to the ground, throwing his chest against the dirt to extinguish the flames in his clothes. It was a short reprieve, as Martel's next fire bolt also hit, igniting the back of his garments. Screaming, he tried to tear his surcoat apart w...

459. Fading Red Light

The women threw away the torches, and Martel extinguished the light on his staff. Still, the arrows continued, showering the small area they were trapped inside. One by one, the women of the Pearl died. Martel grabbed Ruby, still by his side, and pulled her with him towards the nearest building.

He raised his staff and used it as a club with empowered strength. It broke through the earthen wall, collapsing part of it; enough that he could squeeze through. Ruby followed.

Inside, it...

458. Return Below

The small group left The River Pearl, walking through some of the back alleys deeper into the bridge district. Martel was not familiar with these particular streets, and he brought up the rear, letting the others lead the way.

They eventually reached an unassuming, small building, wedged in between two larger houses. It had no windows, just a door; it looked like a root cellar or similar, meant to store food. The woman in front of the column opened the door, and they all marched inside....

457. Six Gems and a Pearl

The knot appeared in Martel's stomach as soon as he woke. Not that he feared going into combat, even against odds or with unfavourable terms. He had training and experience to counter most situations, and should the worst happen, he stood a better chance than most of making an escape. Instead, the anxiety came at the thought of the Undercroft itself.

Martel would not describe himself as pious; he followed the Faith as others did, but thought little of it on most days. Yet entering the U...

456. Enchanting from the Ground up

The lightstone was not Martel's only affair that he wanted to bring in order before the journey to the Undercroft. Next morning, he went to the workshops and sought out Master Jerome. "Do you have a moment?"

"Certainly. What is it, boy?"

"I was wondering if you could tell me about useful earth enchantments. Simple things, similar to how fire makes heat and light."

The artificer scratched the back of his head. "I wouldn't have thought you'd be able to do that already."

...