The Chamber of Eternity, page 12
“The barracks has a handful of extra beds, but not many. How many soldiers are you bringing back?”
“Ten scouts, plus a squad of wizards to beef up security while the cargo is here. Fourteen total.”
“No way can we fit that many in the barracks. I might be able to cobble something together in the storage building.”
Otto nodded. “See to it. I’ll be back before dark.”
With that he pulled out the control rod, charged it with ether, and touched the rune for Straken. A single stride carried him from one fort to the next. As usual he was greeted with a flurry of salutes. One of the advantages to being the only one capable of activating the portal off schedule was everyone always knew who was arriving.
He spotted the unit commander hurrying over but Otto waved him off. He didn’t want to delay retrieving Axel and the mithril.
The walk to Castle Straken took about ten minutes. He reached into the ether and quickly found his connection to Axel which he followed to the same barracks that had housed the scouts last time he visited. There was no one on guard outside so he knocked.
The door slammed open. “What?!”
Otto found himself nose to nose with Axel’s surly second-in-command, Cobb. “Is my brother awake? I have a matter to discuss with him.”
Cobb swallowed audibly. Having seen what Otto did with the lightning, most of Axel’s scouts reacted that way when they met him. “Ah, Lord Shenk. Sorry, I thought you were one of Governor Varchi’s stupid messengers. Come on in. The commander’s just reading.”
Otto stepped inside and immediately drew the nervous attention of every scout in the building. Axel sat beside a glowing Lux crystal, an open book in his hand. He looked up at Otto and actually smiled.
Axel stood, marked his place, and strode over. “Little brother, this is a surprise. Please tell me you have a mission for us.”
They shook hands and Otto said, “Of sorts. I’m taking a wagonload of mithril back to Garen and I need guards I can trust. That’s you, a squad of your men, and four war wizards I’ll collect later.”
Axel’s smile faded. “You don’t need the whole company?”
“No, just you and a squad of your best men.” Otto cocked his head. “What’s going on? I got the impression from your second that you weren’t terribly happy with the new governor.”
“Nothing’s going on,” Axel said. “That’s the problem. With no enemy to fight, the general is becoming more and more like a noble and less like a soldier by the day. He holds court, has meetings even though there’s nothing to talk about. It’s a huge waste of time and even worse he expects me to attend these meetings. Some of the other sons of the nobility are summoned as well but most of them have a gift for sucking up.”
Otto frowned. He’d assumed the peace would be less trouble than the war. Maybe he was wrong, but at least no one was getting killed. “So he’s not actually doing anything harmful to the empire, just acting like a jackass. Does that about sum it up?”
“Pretty much. Can’t you find something useful for us to do?” Axel was almost pleading which told Otto all he needed to know about the situation.
“You know what, I believe I can help you. Right now, I’ve only got Hans and his squad as my personal guard. They’re great soldiers, but the numbers are limiting. How would you like to be reassigned to the capital where you’ll serve as my combat troops? But before you agree, please understand that there will be considerable danger from time to time. Other times it will be as boring as here, but you won’t have to worry about answering to anyone but me and the emperor.”
“What kind of danger?” Axel asked.
“Who cares,” Cobb said. “Anything’s better than rotting here.”
There were murmurs of agreement from the other scouts. Clearly peacetime didn’t agree with everyone.
“Right now I’m making arrangements to access the workshop of Arcane Lord Colt,” Otto said. “No one has ever entered there and returned to tell the tale. I assume there will be magical traps along with constructs of various sorts. If you agree, you’ll need to visit the royal armory to upgrade your equipment. I’ll write you a letter of introduction.”
Axel hesitated then shrugged. “Hell with it. Better to die fighting than to sit around here until I get so fed up I cut the governor’s throat. When do we leave?”
“Do you have paper, pen, and ink?” Otto asked.
They were quickly produced and Otto wrote a note to Governor Varchi informing him that Axel’s scouts had been reassigned to the capital and that Otto was taking a wagonload of mithril as well.
He signed it and said, “Prepare your men and meet me at the portal. I also need someone good at driving a wagon.”
“Take Cobb,” Axel said. “He’s good with a team.”
Cobb shot his commander a black look before saying, “At your service, my lord.”
“Excellent.” Otto handed his brother the note. “Nail that to the barracks’s door when you leave. The next person that comes to get you can take it back to the governor.”
Axel grinned. “With pleasure.”
With Cobb in tow, Otto left the castle grounds and returned to the city proper. Specifically, to the warehouse where the wagons of mithril were stored. A pair of soldiers in black and gold uniforms and armed with spears stood guard in front of the double doors.
They both snapped to attention at Otto’s approach. The man on the right, who had corporal’s chevrons on his shoulder said, “Can I help you, my lord?”
“I’m taking one of the wagons. Where can I find a team of horses?”
“Do you have a letter from the governor?” the corporal asked. “We have orders not to allow anyone in without one.”
Otto just stared at the man until he started to squirm.
“Right,” the corporal said at last. “There’s a stable two blocks up and one to the right. We’ll open the door for you.”
“Very good.” Otto was pleased that he hadn’t had to resort to a threat. It was important for the soldiers to remember that the governor wasn’t the top of the food chain. “Cobb, you get the horses. I’ll pick out a wagon.”
Cobb saluted and trotted off to the stables. Otto went into the warehouse and conjured a light. Unless he was mistaken, another wagon had been added to the collection. That was excellent. The mines must have hit a good vein. He was starting to realize that the mithril was more valuable as a potential trade good with the other nations than it was for simply making weapons.
“Um, my lord, what should we tell Governor Varchi?” the corporal asked.
“Tell him Lord Shenk took a wagon of mithril. If he has a problem with that, he can take it up with the emperor.” Otto made a mental note to visit Wolfric before he left and let him know a complaint might be headed his way.
A few minutes later Cobb returned with a team of horses and with the soldiers’ help hitched them to the fullest wagon. Otto climbed up beside him and glanced back at the heap of stone in the wagon bed. He couldn’t say exactly how many double eagles the load was worth, but he suspected more than the dowry Edwyn paid Father before the wedding.
After a quick stop to collect four war wizards nearly as eager to leave as Axel, they continued on to the fort. When they arrived, Axel and the scouts were waiting. They had loaded packs on their backs and big smiles. Otto hoped those smiles remained when they reached Colt’s Workshop. While he didn’t know exactly what to expect, he doubted it would be good.
Otto climbed down and activated the portal. A stride later and they were in Garen. When the fortress commander saw how many soldiers emerged with him he gaped with wide eyes. “There’s no way I can house this many men, my lord.”
“You don’t have to. I’ll take most of them to Franken Manor with me. We have an empty barracks now that the war wizards have completed their training. Axel, pick ten men for guard duty and we’ll head out.”
While his brother shouted orders, Otto saw to moving the wagon out of the way and getting the ore covered with a tarp. When it was secure he led Axel and the remaining scouts out the gate deeper into Gold Ward. All the wizards would remain behind. This time he definitely drew the gaze of every person they passed. After all, it wasn’t every day a full company of soldiers marched through the streets.
Even the guards at the manor gates stared for a moment before hastening to open them. When the group reached the barracks Otto asked, “Axel, would you join me in the mansion for a few minutes?”
“Sure. Cobb, get everyone settled.”
They went in through the side door and after it closed Axel asked, “So what’s the big secret? Something horrible that’s liable to kill us all?”
“Not at all.” As they neared the dining room Abby’s wailing reached them. Couldn’t the brat stay quiet for more than five minutes at a time?
When they arrived he called the servant on duty over and whispered, “Fetch my mother, but don’t mention I’ve brought a guest. It’s a surprise.”
“Yes, my lord,” she whispered back then hurried upstairs.
“What’s going on, Otto?” Axel asked. “Sneaking around has never been your style.”
“Humor me, brother. I promise you’ll enjoy the surprise.”
A minute later Mother said, “Otto? Did you need some—”
She froze at the top of the stairs and stared at Axel who was also struck dumb.
The spell was broken a moment later when she rushed down the stairs and wrapped her arms around Axel. “My dear boy.”
Otto smiled in genuine pleasure as his mother and brother held each other in silence. When Axel opened his eyes Otto would have sworn they were damp, not that he would dare point this out.
“I’m glad you both enjoyed my surprise. I need to pay a visit to Wolfric, but after that I thought we might have dinner as a family before I return to Colt’s Land.”
“That sounds lovely, Otto,” his mother said. “I’ll make the arrangements. How long will you be?”
“Better give me three hours.”
“I need to make sure the guys have settled in,” Axel said. “But I’ll be back shortly.”
They walked out together and at the door Axel stopped and put his hand on Otto’s shoulder. “Thank you for this, little brother. I doubted I’d ever have a chance to spend an evening with Mother again.”
Otto smiled. “We have some time before matters in Colt’s Land come to a head. Cobb seems competent enough. Why don’t you let him handle security while you enjoy your time together?”
“I may just do that.”
Chapter 12
After a brief conversation with a distracted Wolfric, a wonderfully peaceful dinner with Mother and Axel, and a blissful night’s sleep in his own bed, Otto was ready to return to Audin. He had the patch in his satchel and the mithril was ready. Everything else should be just details. Though if he’d learned anything from his marriage, the demon was in the details.
Since the sun had barely touched the horizon, he didn’t bother to say goodbye to his mother. They’d taken care of that the night before. She asked for no details of his mission, only hugged him and told him to be careful. Otto doubted that was an option given where he planned to go, but he could at least keep a close watch.
He took a deep breath and focused his mind before becoming one with the ether. Reaching for the farthest marker, he found the one he left behind in Audin a second later. Quick as thought he shot through the ether and appeared in his room in Audin.
Everything looked exactly as he left it. Good, his instructions had been obeyed. By his rough calculations it should be approaching noon here. Hopefully August would see him at once and they could conclude their business.
There was a knock on the door and Hans said, “Lord Shenk?”
Otto walked over and opened the door. “How did you know I was here?”
“There’s a sound when you appear and I was listening for it. Something happened while you were gone.”
Otto’s stomach clenched. He’d never heard such trepidation in Hans’s voice before. Hopefully whatever it was wouldn’t ruin his agreement.
“Tell me.”
“Corina was kidnapped. It seems one of the workers in their armory was a spy. They used some kind of alchemy bomb that put us to sleep and made off with her. Renna and I got her back, but she wasn’t treated kindly.”
“Where is she?” Otto asked, his jaw tight with controlled fury.
“In bed. The healers say she’ll be okay, but she hasn’t actually woken up since we brought her back yesterday.”
Otto brushed past Hans and went directly to Corina’s room. She was swaddled in blankets; only her bruised, thin face showed above them. It looked like someone had used his apprentice as a punching bag. Whoever it was would soon wish they had never been born.
Ether flowed between Otto and Corina. He didn’t have much skill in healing, but at least he confirmed that the damage wasn’t serious. After a moment of checking he found no broken bones or other injury beyond superficial bruising that would heal quickly. He let out a sigh of relief. Otto had become fond of Corina and had no desire to replace her.
“Master?” Her eyes fluttered open.
“I’m here. Just rest, you’re safe now.”
“They wanted to know what you were planning. A trap when you open the portal.” Her hand shot out and grabbed his arm. “Be careful, they have alchemy, some kind of gas that keeps you from using magic.”
Otto patted her hand. The iron ring he’d given her was gone. “You did very well, Corina. I couldn’t be more proud. Focus on healing. I have a few things I need to take care of.”
“Yes, Master.” She closed her eyes and was soon sleeping again.
Otto eased out of the room and found Renna had joined them.
“Otto, both August and I wish to offer our most sincere apologies for what happened to your apprentice.”
“I was given assurances that we would be secure here,” Otto said. “Had I known what your promise was worth, I would have made my own arrangements. Who took her?”
“Agents working for Bandon,” Renna said. “We haven’t been able to track them down, but my people are working on it.”
Otto swallowed his anger. Much as he would have liked to kill her and the lord governor, that was impossible. Instead he turned to Hans. “Do you have her rings?”
His face scrunched up. “No. Things have been so crazy I didn’t even realize she wasn’t wearing them. I’m sorry, my lord.”
“Don’t be. If you don’t have them, then the kidnappers still do. That will make it easy to find them. When I finish with them, I’ll need to speak with August. The mithril is waiting for his inspection once we activate your portal.”
“I’ll let him know.” Renna cleared her throat. “If you can find the spies, you should let the guards know their location. We can—”
Otto rounded on her. “I will deal with them. No one harms my people and gets away with it. Do you understand? No one!”
She flinched back. “I understand perfectly. The guards won’t interfere.”
“It will be well for them if they don’t. Now go away. I have to get ready.”
Renna bowed and fled the room.
When she’d gone Hans asked, “Is there anything I can do to help, my lord?”
Otto settled on the floor in preparation for his search. “Yes. Find me a pillowcase big enough to hold three heads.”
Renna raced up the stairs to Lord Audin’s office. Her heart beat so fast she feared it must burst out of her chest at any moment. Never, never in all the years she’d served Audin had she been as terrified as when Otto turned on her with those cold, dead eyes. Eyes that would look at her corpse with no more feeling than she might a dead insect.
How could someone so young have those eyes? She shuddered to think what he must have done to earn them. Of course, she’d read the report their embassy made about his meetings with the council in Bandon. But it was one thing to read a report and another to look into the eyes of the one that did it and know without a doubt that not only had he done what he claimed but that he would kill you just as easily.
When she reached the door to the office, Renna took a moment to steady herself. Somehow she had to convince the lord governor that betraying Otto would be unwise. Heaven only knew what the young wizard might do if they failed to keep their word.
Her pulse slowed to a regular rhythm and she knocked on the door.
“Enter!”
She pushed the door open and slipped inside. Lord Audin looked at her and frowned. “Are you well? Your face is rather pale.”
“I’m fine, my lord. Otto has returned and was most displeased to see the state of his apprentice.”
Lord Audin grimaced. “How displeased?”
“He’s currently searching for the spies with the intention of killing them all. I’m not one to worry about our enemies, but I pity those three.”
“I’ll have to thank him for doing our security force’s job. Is he still willing to proceed with the deal?”
“Yes. Otto said all preparations for reactivating the portal are ready.” Renna tried to work up some spit in her dry mouth. “I feel it may be best to rethink our plan to double-cross them. We should just take the mithril and consider ourselves fortunate.”
Lord Audin stood and came around his desk to stand directly in front of her. “He’s shaken you that badly? A stripling of a wizard who will most likely end up dead in Colt’s Workshop? I thought you were made of sterner stuff. Perhaps I need to find someone else to lead my secret police. Someone with the stomach to do what needs to be done.”
She bristled at the insult, but couldn’t deny the truth of his assessment. Otto had shaken her. Deep down in her gut she knew if they didn’t play straight with the young wizard, Audin would regret it. That said, if the lord governor commanded her to betray Otto, then she would obey. Replacing her with someone who didn’t appreciate how dangerous he was would only reduce the chances of success.
Maybe they’d all get lucky and he would die in the workshop. That meant no more mithril, but it also meant no more danger. That was an outcome she could live with.
