The first thirty citizens of Bogtown gathered long before Farek had specified. The wide town square located a block north of Mazaar Ranisar’s mansion was abuzz with their conversation while Farek and his guards waited for more to arrive. It had been a busy few days, full of missing people and the veiled presence of Farek’s desired target—the scoundrel Lannon truly seemed to be here, in Bogtown. Continue reading Farek 56
Despite popular opinion, Therelin was not built of muscle. He had a sturdy stature and was not weak, but he was not a champion of might as Ethraw had imagined. Thankfully, most of the merchant’s crates were not immensely heavy. The trick was to move them without breaking any of the contents. During his first week, Therelin broke two glass bowls off each other. Ethraw had only chuckled and said, “You get three mistakes before you pay for them.”
Of course, each of Ethraw’s wares sold for a portion of what Therelin made in a month. He quickly learned how to pace himself to avoid damaging the merchandise. Continue reading Therelin 9
Eight days passed while Renado prepared his group with some supplies. They increased their training extensively, uncertain what to expect after their teleport. Though many secrets were bound by the Tether and kept in Ren’s throat so as not to be spilled to the uninitiated, Ren was able to share with Ira the nature of teleportation—Journey spells, as the magicians described them. He explained to her that they would experience only a blink between here and there, but that a large portion of the time would have passed in the world when they arrived there. Continue reading Renado 58
The bustling village of Bogtown was crammed between deep swamp trenches, flat grassy marshes, and the grey-green sea. Its population of ten thousand were as busy in the bog as they were in the handful of shops and alehouses. Tea leaves, medicinal herbs, and nuts and oils were the primary extracts of the small harbour. These resources and more were harvested by the sturdy men and women of the town. Continue reading Farek 55
Once again, the leaders of Raya’s group gathered in the common room of the inn. Axar and Ailo stuck together, while Avri sat near Benn, across a few empty tables from the mage and his guard. Dondar and his guards filled a long table near the bar. Raya sat with Hallist, leaning against the counter.
“What if the City Watch doesn’t show up?” Dondar asked. “If Ramas ignores the meeting, then you end up actually meeting with a criminal boss—having to deal with him and everything.” Continue reading Raya 51
Lannon was as scant as smoke. There was no sign of him in Debtor’s Down. No one had seen him in the harbour. He didn’t turn up to make a second, reckless attack on Coin Hill, and the sizeable bounty on his head went unpaid. While a few guards remained posted in Lannon’s neighborhood, many others were tasked with patrolling the streets of the city. The private guard groups and the various mercenaries of Soros grew embittered, but, if anything, Farek hoped that would incentivize them to seek the would-be assassin as well. Continue reading Farek 54
An awful storm was roaring across Vagren on the day that Irrith sent her next summons. It belted rain down on the rooftops with a clapping din and occasionally bellowed the townsfolk deaf with sudden thunder. It was next to impossible to hear Halrum over the chaos. “A what?” Renado asked, as they sat in the Down Dunrall common room.
Halrum raised his voice so his reply could be heard. Of course, in that moment the roar of rain on the wooden shingles above lapsed a little and the thunder took a breather. “A letter!” roared Halrum’s voice. Embarrassed by his inadvertent outburst, the old errand-runner stroked his silky grey beard and bowed his head. Continue reading Renado 57
Aralim grew vaguely impatient with the tardiness of the priests of Maga. It took them over a week to complete their preparations for Lerela’s ceremony. He passed the time meditating or studying some of the artwork he found in the Palace of Maga. His comrades slept more than he could have imagined they would, except for the guards. The latter took turns between training and visiting their injured comrade.
At last, the call came for Aralim to prepare himself. Servants brought him a thin robe he could wear into the water. After he changed, he and the Aura were led to the back of the Palace and out onto a long boardwalk that ran along the shore of the Eye. Dark blue water lapped at the underside of it—Aralim spotted a fish darting to and from, almost seeming to watch them. He had not heard anything about the Eye’s affects on aging, but he was certain these fish lived full lives. Continue reading Aralim 106
The forests that surrounded the ancient city of Saanazar were just suited for Therelin’s botanical needs. He learned quickly which properties he could find in which plants. To his surprise, many plants from Keth also grew here in Radregar—nearly a thousand miles away. Some herbs he knew well did not grow around Saanazar, and there were many others growing in this new land which Therelin had never before seen. Continue reading Therelin 8
Commander Ramas took a week to contact Raya once more. The waiting was difficult—Hallist and Dondar advised that Raya double the number of patrols and urge everyone to keep an eye out. If the City Watch were to attack them, there was little they could do to stand their ground; in the very least, an organized retreat deeper into Massed Alley might save some lives. Benn, estranged from Raya by her busyness running the group, joined the patrols or spent time discussing strategy with Hallist. Axar and Avri argued anxiously about every topic they could. Continue reading Raya 50