The Chamber of Eternity, page 6
Fifteen each did the trick and they stopped dead. This time Otto counted to ten and released the spell. The constructs were all disconnected to the ether and wouldn’t be functional until a wizard reactivated them.
Otto drew his mithril sword and turned to face Eddred and Paxton. “I spent the voyage studying your magic. Now, how would you two like to try and do your own dirty work?”
“Patrol!” Paxton shouted.
Ten men dressed in the familiar leather breastplates and carrying cutlasses came running from further up the street. Uther stood in the lead, his mail coat gleaming in the slowly brightening sunshine.
“Lord Shenk!” Hans, Corina, and the rest of the squad came sprinting from the other direction.
The soldiers formed a semicircle in front of him while Corina stood at his side.
“I sensed your magic from the ship,” she said. “Only serious trouble would make you use that much ether.”
“You were quite right.” Otto gave her a reassuring pat on the head.
“This is getting out of hand,” Paxton said. “Soldiers that don’t answer to me will be coming soon. We have little time.”
For his part, Otto was content to wait them out. Slaughtering patrolmen, even in self-defense, would do nothing to endear him to the powers that be.
“We need to end this now,” Eddred said. “If the city-states ally with them, we’ll have no hope of stopping Garenland.”
“You’ll have no hope of stopping them from a Bandon prison either. Alright, men, that’s it. Anyone that wants to come with me, now’s your chance. Anyone that wants to stay will have to take their chances with the council.”
To a man, the patrolmen fell in behind Paxton. Uther held his ground, glaring and gripping his hilt so tight his knuckles turned white.
“Uther! Enough,” Eddred said. “They’ve won this round. If you stay and fight, you do it alone. We’re leaving.”
“Another time.” Uther stalked off behind Eddred as the group made their way back toward the docks.
Otto followed them with his extended vision for six blocks with his magical sight before feeling satisfied that they didn’t intend to come back.
“Fine timing, Hans. I doubt I could have ended that confrontation without violence had you not shown up when you did.”
“Glad we made it in time, my lord.” Hans sheathed his sword and the rest of the squad followed suit. “What now?”
“Now we continue on to the council building and see what they have to say about their harbormaster going rogue, assuming anyone is actually there at this unholy hour.”
The rest of the walk was happily uneventful until they arrived. The appearance of an armed band got the attention of the soldiers manning the magical armor and they quickly moved to block the entrance.
“We received no word of your impending arrival,” the guard on the right said, his voice echoing oddly from the armor’s interior.
“I’m not surprised.” Otto moved out from behind Hans and his men. “Your harbormaster came to summon me half an hour ago only to lead me into a trap. He’s currently fleeing aboard Eddred of Markane’s ship. If you hurry you might stop them.”
The magical armor shifted as the two guards looked at each other. A moment later the one on the left took a knee and the rear of the armor opened up. A man not much older than Otto climbed down and ran inside.
Out of curiosity, Otto closed his eyes and sent his sight flying back toward the harbor. On Eddred’s ship, some of the sailors were frantically getting the sails ready while others rushed to untie them from the dock. The wizards wove the ether and used a pair of heavy tentacles to push them away from the dock. Even if they hurried, there was no chance of the harbor patrol catching them. Assuming the commanders would even try given that the harbormaster was on board.
“Lord Shenk,” Hans muttered.
Otto returned to his body just in time to see the guard emerging with the lord governor behind him.
“I was in early today, preparing for the conclave,” she said. “A good thing I was. Paxton argued strongly against having anything to do with you, but I never imagined he’d go so far as to attempt an assassination on his own authority.”
Otto shrugged. “Eddred can be surprisingly persuasive. He talked a former queen into betraying us and getting herself killed. I suppose it’s not unreasonable to imagine him talking your harbormaster around. I assume the man has no family.”
“No. I remember two years ago his wife died. There were no children as I recall.”
The pieces suddenly fell into place for Otto. Eddred had lost his wife to the enchanted curse. No doubt the man played on Paxton’s sympathies. A more clever and, one might even say, evil ploy than Otto would have credited him with.
“How long until the meeting?” Otto asked.
“I had it planned for noon. Given what happened, I’ll allow you to keep your guards with you. There’s a tavern not far from here if you’d like to wait there or you’re free to return to your ship.” The lord governor turned to the right-hand guard. “When they return, give our guest no trouble about entering. Paxton has already made us look bad enough.”
“Yes, ma’am.” The guard raised his hand to his forehead, palm out.
“Until later then.” She turned on her heel and marched inside. No doubt to give a chewing out to whoever Paxton answered to.
“What do you think, Hans, tavern or ship?”
“I don’t know about you, my lord, but I could use a drink.”
Otto nodded. “Tavern it is then.”
Noon arrived and Otto found himself back in a now much more crowded council chamber. In addition to the lord governor and the Bandon city council, nine others had been jammed in around the table. Each of the new arrivals wore the finest silks and jewelry.
Despite the abundance of gold, silver, and gemstones, the one decoration missing and one Otto would have expected the rich and powerful to flaunt, was mithril. In a society founded by an Arcane Lord and one that had things as wondrous as the magical constructs that had tried to kill him that morning, it seemed impossible that no one wore mithril as a decoration. Yet there wasn’t a bit of it to be found save for his sword.
The door closed behind him and the lord governor stood. “I would like to begin the conclave by apologizing for the behavior of my subordinate. Our former harbormaster was acting on his own initiative and without the knowledge of this council.”
Otto offered a shallow bow. “That was my belief, but I thank you for the apology. For myself, I’m content to put the matter behind us.”
“That suits us as well. I’ve already provided the representatives a basic explanation of your offer, but why don’t you make your pitch directly?”
“As you wish. The New Garen Empire’s offer is simple, we will reactivate your portals and integrate you into the daily rotation so that you can travel between our cities and each other’s instantly. We require free access to your markets and a one-gold-piece portal tax when you travel to one of our cities. All merchants on our side pay it as well so you will be at no competitive disadvantage. This covers our cost of maintaining the portals and paying the soldiers that guard them.”
“And the restrictions on wizards Valtan demanded?” asked one of the diplomats, a middle-aged man with a scruff of white hair running around the base of his skull.
“Already done away with on our side, so they certainly won’t be imposed on you. Our empire encourages wizards to become the best they can be to better contribute to our nation. Some may even want to travel here to learn from you.”
That brought a few mutters, whether of surprise or concern he wasn’t sure.
“Colt’s Land is fully self sufficient,” a shrewish-looking woman in black with a voice to match said. “What could you offer us that we don’t already have?”
“That would be for the merchants to decide. Certainly it would be more efficient for you to trade amongst yourselves via portal rather than over land or by sea.”
“Humor me,” the shrew said. “You must have some specialties.”
“Well…” Otto scratched his chin. “Garenland makes the finest steel weapons and armor. We also control the most productive mithril mines. Rolan produces quality grain and meat.”
She raised a faintly trembling hand. “That’s enough, thank you.”
Otto looked around to see if there were more questions, but the diplomats were already talking amongst themselves. “Are there no other questions? I can return home and begin forging the patches to reactivate your portals as soon as you agree to our terms.”
The lord governor stood. “We’ll need some time to discuss your offer. Please return to your ship and await our reply.”
Otto nodded. “Of course. I look forward to hearing good news.”
The door opened behind him and he was guided out. Hans, Corina, and the others were waiting near the entrance where he’d left them.
Corina brightened as he approached. “Did they accept? When do we get started?”
“They’re in discussions, but I’m not hopeful.”
Her good mood dimmed. “Why? You’re not really asking for much.”
When they’d moved a little further away from the council building Otto said, “It’s something to do with mithril. I saw it in their faces when I mentioned controlling the mine. They wear none of it for decoration and I saw none in their weapons. As far as I can tell, the people here only use it in their constructs.”
“What does that mean?” Hans asked.
“It means they have a limited supply, probably carefully managed, and the idea of getting a large influx worries them.” Otto shook his head in frustration. “What I thought would be my trump card may end up being what costs me the deal.”
Chapter 7
Twenty-four hours after his meeting with the conclave of city-states, Otto was summoned back to the council building. Such a quick decision couldn’t mean anything good for him. Still, he kept his face blank as he followed the same servant girl back to the council room.
The entire group was once more jammed in around the table and all of them were watching Otto as he entered. He looked back at them, trying to get a read on their position. As his gaze drifted over the assembly one person caught his eye. She had bronze skin, long black hair, and dark, sparkling eyes. Otto guessed her age at midtwenties. Not exactly a grizzled veteran of diplomacy.
It wasn’t just her beauty that drew his attention. No, he felt certain she hadn’t been here last time. One of the diplomats he’d spoken to must not have even cared enough to return to deliver their verdict. That pretty much told him all he needed to know about the results of the meeting.
When his gaze had lingered on her for a few seconds she offered a faint grin and winked. Otto forced himself not to respond and shifted his attention back to the lord governor.
“You have your decision?” Otto asked.
“We do,” the lord governor said. “While we have no quarrel with you or your new empire, we’ve decided not to accept your offer to activate the portals.”
Otto nodded, not at all surprised. “May I ask why?”
“I prefer not to offer any details, but suffice it to say that such a decision can only be made by unanimous vote and some of the city-states had objections. Even one refusal would have been sufficient.”
“Fair enough.” Otto kept himself under perfect control. No hint of the rage and frustration boiling just under the surface reached his face. These fools could never know just how much self-control it took to stop him from killing them all. “What now?”
“We grant you three days to buy whatever supplies you need to make the journey home. Also, as a token of goodwill, I have rented you the finest suite at the best inn in the city. A small taste of comfort before you have to make the long trip across the ocean. The inn is called The Pearl and it’s two blocks from the dock. You’ll have no trouble finding it and they’re expecting you.” The lord governor stood. “I trust there are no hard feelings.”
Otto forced himself to smile and bow. “None at all. Should you ever change your mind, please feel free to send a ship east. We would be delighted to host your delegation.”
They looked at each other across the table and Otto felt certain each knew exactly what the other was thinking. She was relieved to see her problems sail away and he was disappointed but resigned. At least that’s the feeling he was trying to convey with his expression.
“I’ll take my leave then,” Otto said. “We have a great deal of preparations to make for our departure.”
The door opened behind him and he made the silent journey outside. Corina, Hans, and the others fell in around him as they made their way back to the ship. When they’d put three blocks between themselves and the council building and Otto was certain they weren’t being followed he said, “We have three days to purchase whatever supplies we require before they kick us out. Before those three days are up, I need to figure out a way to return without being noticed.”
“What about leaving one of your rune-marked coins outside the city?” Hans asked.
“I doubt they’ll let us outside. There are a lot of wizards in this city and someone is bound to notice if I leave a mark in one of the inn’s rooms.” Otto shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“You’ll think of something, Master.” Corina spoke with such confidence she nearly convinced Otto himself.
Not only did he need to succeed to complete his mission, but he couldn’t disappoint his apprentice as well.
Eddred couldn’t believe how badly he’d failed. In the distance, Bandon appeared as little more than the outline of a city. The ship had made good time escaping the harbor, with a little magical help from his bodyguards. As he’d hoped, the harbor patrol didn’t want to do anything that might harm their former leader.
Speaking of Paxton, the ex-harbormaster sat slumped in the shade of the main mast. He looked as defeated as Eddred felt.
He went over and crouched beside Paxton. Eddred had changed the course of the man’s life forever. He had at least some responsibility to him now.
“Are you alright?” Eddred asked.
Paxton finally looked up at him, his expression bleak. “I gave up everything to right a wrong and failed miserably. I can never return to my home, and for what? Otto Shenk remains unharmed and free to do whatever he wants.”
“Otto will answer for his many crimes. He escaped justice this time. He may escape it next time. But eventually, the evil men do catches up to them. His enemies only multiply. Difficult as it may be, we must stay patient and dedicated to the fight. I didn’t offer you a place at my side only in gratitude. I think your help will make a difference in the war.”
Paxton straightened a little. “Thank you, Your Majesty. I’ll be ready when the time comes.”
Eddred clapped him on the back. “Good man. Why don’t you go downstairs and sleep? The journey home is a long one.”
They rose and Eddred led the way belowdecks. He dropped Paxton off at the crew quarters. He could find himself a hammock. Right now, Eddred needed to contact Lord Valtan and let him know about this most recent failure.
In his cabin, Eddred retrieved the magic mirror Valtan had given him before they left. It was enchanted to allow Eddred to activate it without the help of a wizard. Not because they didn’t trust Lilly and Adam, but in case he ever needed to make contact when no one was around to help him. The poor exhausted wizards had used up all their strength getting them out of the harbor and were both sound asleep in their bunks.
Eddred placed his finger on the mirror frame and soon a familiar warmth seeped into the metal. Most of five minutes passed before Valtan’s grim face replaced Eddred’s reflection.
“You failed,” the wizard said without preamble.
“Yes. The people of Bandon have no desire to help us, nor do the rulers of the other city-states. If you can believe it, Otto Shenk is attempting to forge a trading compact with them.”
Valtan’s scowl deepened. “He probably wants to activate their portals to weaken me even more. We shall have to hope he fails.”
“Hope is in very short supply here. What’s our next move?”
“For now, return home. I will think more on our options.”
“What about the assassins?” Eddred knew how Valtan felt about hired killers, but he had to ask at least once more.
“No. We risk becoming as evil as our enemies if we go down that path. I’ve seen too many once-honorable men fall to the darkness. There must be other options and I will find them.”
Valtan severed the connection and Eddred sighed as he removed his finger. The Arcane Lord worried about doing evil, but Eddred worried that greater evil may be done if they refused to take drastic measures.
In the end, he had to accept that it was out of his control. Without Valtan’s support, he had no way to gather the gold he needed. Eddred would just have to trust in the wisdom of a man far more experienced than him.
Hopefully Valtan would succeed. For the sake of the world, he’d better.
After a long afternoon of making arrangements with Captain Wainwright to ensure they would have all the food and supplies they’d need for the trip home, Otto was delighted at the prospect of a night sleeping on a real bed.
The Pearl was indeed easy to find. Painted off-white and with a giant clam shell over the door, the inn was the only building on the block that stood three stories. The front doors were gilded and the windows clear and clean.
“Nice place,” Corina said.
She, Hans, and his squad had escorted Otto to the hotel despite his reassurances that he would be fine. After the ambush, they seemed to have decided not to let him out of their collective sight. While he appreciated their concern, if they got too demanding, he’d have to remind everyone who was master here.
Inside, the common room was nearly full of people dressed in fine gowns and slick formal wear. They glanced at Otto’s group and quickly looked away in disdain. Otto didn’t blame them. A day of running around on the dock had done nothing for their appearance. They all needed baths in the worst way. Hopefully this fine place would be able to accommodate them.
