Curse of Magic

by Michael Brightburn

  A chill ran through me at the thought.

  I reassured myself it was likely that everyone was at the coliseum for whatever entertainment they had going on.

  Hadn’t the guard captain said she’d needed to be there? Yes, I thought she had.

  Vi finally caught scent of Sienna and we followed her to a two-story guardhouse.

  The door was locked, but the ring of keys Alva had taken unlocked it.

  Inside there were several casks of drink, though I wasn’t about to pop one open to find out what kind.

  There were also stacks of chests, the topmost which of each was open, revealing stashes of goods.

  I studied a scroll sitting on top of the goods in one of these chests.

  CONFISCATION LOG, it read, followed by a list of names and items.

  If we had time after we found Sienna, I’d look to see if there was anything useful.

  Vi continued on and I hissed at her to wait.

  “There’s no one else here. None that I can smell. Only Sienna.”

  I drew the guard’s sword and gripped it tightly.

  We proceeded up a flight of stairs and found ourselves in a room with four sets of stacked cots.

  In the middle was something that wasn’t at all a cot, but a stone table.

  Sienna was lying on it, with bands of metal nearly clothing her naked body, that’s how many of them there were.

  There were even ones going across her forehead, midface, chin, and neck.

  They’d cut her off from her power, from the earth, and bound her so thoroughly that she couldn’t escape.

  I rushed over to her.

  She was awake. “Darthos,” she said weakly, and tears started flowing from her eyes.

  I touched what I could of her face. “It’s okay baby. I’m here for you. I’m getting you out.”

  I wished Alva hadn’t already killed the guards, because seeing Sienna like this made me want to kill them all over again.

  I knelt and examined the straps.

  They were each anchored under the stone table with rope that had been knotted and pulled taut.

  I sawed through each with my sword.

  There were thirteen in all.

  They had been pulled so tight that when I removed them she had horizontal bands of red depressions going down her body from where they’d pressed in.

  She sat up and wrapped her arms around me, crying into my shoulder.

  “It’s okay,” I said soothingly, running my hand over her bare back.

  “I thought I was never going to see you again. Just like my sisters.”

  I felt my eyes start to burn. “I’m here. Don’t worry.”

  It took her longer than I would’ve liked to compose herself enough to walk.

  There were no dead guards in here, but we couldn’t just go outside with her naked, so once downstairs we started going through the confiscated items.

  If it came to it, I could give her my clothes from my bag. They would be much too big, but better than nothing.

  I tried to get Alva to help, but she was too full and half-asleep in my satchel and wouldn’t be roused.

  In my search I came across a sack of twenty-one standards, two unfamiliar crowns, and fifty-three pennies. This was in a small chest of its own, and the log atop it said it was confiscated from one NAME UNKNOWN. Also in the chest was a set of fine women’s clothes.

  I was going to give them to Sienna to try on, but Trin found a chest with several new guard uniforms.

  After trying a few, we found a set that fit Sienna.

  There were no boots, so she’d have to walk barefoot, but being a dryad she didn’t mind this.

  In another trunk were helms, and seeing them made me remember that I’d left mine in Vi’s cell.

  We each donned one, except for Alva. They hid Vi’s ears, and when she tucked her tail up under her tunic, you couldn’t tell she wasn’t human.

  We slipped out of the guardhouse and I looked around, trying to decide which way to go. Where would the nearest exit be?

  “Where now?” Trin asked.

  “I don’t know where we are.” I scanned above the roofs surrounding us, looking for the statue of Erisi.

  I pointed when I spotted it. “If that’s there, the way we came in is…” It was hard to say for certain, having only how much I could see of the statue’s face to go by. “Over there.”

  She stared at me in bewilderment. “Is that where the Breaker is? I thought you lost the trail.”

  “I did. Which is why we need to leave.”

  “To find her?”

  I sighed. “No. To get out of here before we get executed.”

  She shook her head. “No. We can’t leave. This was the last place the Breaker was. If I lose the spell I might never find who was responsible for my parents. It’s taken me my whole life to get this far.”

  I put my hands on her shoulders. “Look, Trin, I know you want revenge but—”

  She shrugged my hands off of her. “But you’re leaving.”

  “I’m sorry. She’s too powerful. We have no clue where the spell is anymore.”

  “That’s why we have to stay here and look!”

  “I’m sorry. We can’t.”

  “I’m not leaving. I’m finding who she delivered the spell to. I’ll enthrall everyone if I have to, starting with that warden. That was where the trail ended, right?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “Then that’s where I’ll start. I’ll find where the spell went, who it was delivered to.”

  I nodded sadly. “Then I wish you luck.”

  “That’s it? You’re just going leave me?”

  “I don’t like not keeping my promises, but this is one that to keep I would have to break another.” One I’d made to myself. Because as much as I wanted to help Trin, justice for my murdered wife, for Lyra, came first.

  “If I helped you now, I’d be risking their lives as well.” I motioned at Sienna and Vi. “That’s not something I’m willing to do.”

  Trin scowled at me. “Fine. Just get out of here.”

  “What if the Breaker still has the spell? You can’t take her on alone. She’ll Break any magic you try to use on her.”

  “Yeah, well… I don’t have much choice.”

  “You do,” I assured her. “You don’t have to fight them at all. I know you want revenge, but you don’t have to get it today.”

  She shook her head disgustedly, then turned away.

  I reached out to put my hand on her to stop her, but she was already out of reach.

  I started to call to her, then stopped.

  If she wanted to go, I couldn’t stop her.

  I wasn’t going to stop her.

  It was her decision to make. It was her life to forfeit.

  Besides, there was always the chance she would succeed, no matter how unlikely.

  53

  “Guards coming,” Vi hissed.

  Behind us, walking up the road, was a squad of at least ten of them.

  “Let’s go,” I said.

  “Hey,” one of them called before we could.

  “Dammit,” I cursed. “Stay calm.” This mostly to Vi.

  I turned to them and smiled as they approached, then let it fall. They wouldn’t be able to see it through the helm.

  I nodded at them instead.

  “Was that Dain I just saw walking away?” one asked. He carried his helm rather than wore it, though he neither carried nor wore a smile.

  I nodded again.

  “That’s not the way to the arena.”

  I shrugged.

  “That bastard. He gets out of every duty he’s assigned to. Well come on, just because he did, don’t think you can. He may be the golden child—you’re just grunts. And after the Revenant attack on that zeppelin over in Palthok, we need all the guards we can get. Time to earn your extra pay for a change.”

  “Yes, we’ll head right there,” I said, and started to turn away.

  His hand landed on my s
houlder, stopping me. “Yes you will. Right now. No time for gova chewing. The ceremony is starting, and Commander wants everyone there after the business at the warden’s earlier.”

  “Right,” I said. “Of course.”

  He let out a resigned sigh, dropping his hand. “You did hear about the warden’s, didn’t you?”

  “Of course,” I repeated. If he only knew we were that “business”.

  My acknowledgment only caused his scowl to deepen.

  He looked at my companions, then started. “Where are your boots?” he asked Sienna in horror, his gravelly voice cracking.

  “I don’t need them,” she replied.

  “You don’t—” He let out a grunt of frustration. “Once we get to the arena, we aren’t leaving until the ceremony is over. No exceptions. So don’t come complaining to me later that your feet are tired or burning from the heat.”

  “I won’t.”

  He seemed not to expect this reply. “Whatever. Let’s move ou—” He stopped himself, locking onto me. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  Shite.

  How had he recognized me?

  I tensed, ready to Pull. I could blind them all if I had to, but that was risky and if I failed—a likely outcome given that I hadn’t used that spell in ages—we’d be done.

  “Just what have you got in that bag there?”

  I stared at him dumbly for a moment, disoriented by his unexpected question.

  My bag. The one with Alva. Had he seen her? “My clothes,” I answered, somewhat truthfully.

  “Right. And a bottle of mead, no doubt. Leave it inside. There’ll be no sneaking off to steal a nip during the ceremony.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe it. How is it that no matter how hard I try not to, I always end up saddled with the dregs?”

  “Divine providence,” one of the other guards quipped. He had a red crescent on his helmet that I half-recognized, but couldn’t place.

  “Bite me Foscer. And you’d do well to remember I’m your commander.”

  “Sorry Sergeant.” He didn’t sound sorry.

  I went back into the guardhouse, leaving the bag.

  “What should I do?” Alva asked, poking her head out.

  “You hear everything?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Can you follow without being seen?”

  She nodded.

  “Do that. If you for some reason can’t, come back here and wait around back.”

  “Okay. I’ll—”

  “Come on you lazy fooker,” the sergeant called, “we’ve got work to do.”

  Alva nodded at me. “Go.”

  We followed the sergeant and the rest of his guards toward the coliseum.

  I occasionally looked around for Alva, but if she was following, I didn’t see her.

  The statue of Erisi loomed ever larger as we moved closer, my unease and anxiety growing with each step I took toward that ancient remnant.

  The utter emptiness of the city didn’t help. With all the people gone at whatever this ceremony was, it looked uncomfortably similar to that dead one.

  We stopped in front of a building that looked familiar.

  “This is…” Vi said, but trailed off as others could hear.

  “Yes,” the sergeant said, “this is the armory, and yes, you will all be carrying spears. Don’t give me any gripe about it either.”

  But that wasn’t what Vi had meant, I realized now. This was the building we’d freed her from. The one with the dead guards.

  I forced myself to relax. The only way this would be a problem was if we ran away.

  Then I remembered that the guards were missing their uniforms, and that would make the sergeant suspicious that there were impostors walking around.

  Impostors like us.

  He pulled the door open and stared inside. “What in the Six…” he muttered in confusion, gaping.

  Then he shook his head. “Well, no time for dealing with it now. Go on and get your spears. Mind you don’t track the mess around. Those stains are going to take some scrubbing.”

  Well he was taking this a lot more casually than I expected.

  I exchanged looks with Vi and Sienna, and I didn’t need to be able to see their faces to know they were as confused as I was.

  Guards began filing in, grunting in disgust.

  As we were near the back of the squad, we were almost last to see what was inside.

  It wasn’t what I’d expected, either.

  Vi stood, looking around the room, mask slightly pointed down, sweeping the floor with her gaze.

  “Come on,” the sergeant urged. “Get your spears and let’s be off. The smell is getting to me. Grab me a spear while you’re in there. Actually, no, belay that. What do I need a spear for? I’m a commander.”

  “Sergeant,” a guard corrected.

  “I’m warning you Foscer.”

  “Just saying. Not a commander.”

  “You know what I mean.” To us he said, “Hurry up you four,” then moved away from the entrance to breathe the fresh air.

  This made me notice there was another guard with us that wasn’t Vi or Sienna.

  He too was staring around in wonder and disgust.

  Wonder at the sheer effort someone went through, disgust at the fact that anyone would.

  “I don’t understand,” Vi said.

  “People are gross,” the other guard said. It was a girl’s voice, not a man’s.

  She went to the weapon closet, carefully stepping over the awful everywhere, grabbed two spears, then turned and left, handing one to Vi as she passed.

  Sienna went and grabbed two more spears, bringing one to me. “Let’s get out of here. I’m fine with nature, but even for me this is a bit much.”

  I looked down at her bare feet. She had somehow managed to keep them clean.

  I shook my head, took the spear, and headed outside.

  At the door, I turned around one last time to look at the room where Alva had left all those dead guards.

  I had so many questions. Like, who spread this mess all over the floor? Where did they get so much of it?

  And, what happened to the bodies? For there were no traces anyone was killed here. The bodies were gone, the blood either gone or no longer visible among all the other fluids.

  I shook my head and moved outside. I didn’t understand what had happened, but at least it would keep us from being discovered for a little while longer.

  Though still, where were the bodies?

  I closed the door behind me on the mystery. There were more pressing matters to attend to. Getting out of this city alive, primarily. Hopefully we could sneak away at some point.

  “What about the prisoners?” the guard who’d gotten Vi a spear asked the sergeant. “That smell’s going to get to them.”

  The sergeant waved his hand dismissively at the building. “Let those aristocrats wallow in filth for a change. See how they like it.”

  “And the mystery girl?”

  The sergeant frowned. “No, we don’t have time to move her. We’re already damn late. Doubt she’ll notice in any case.” He studied all of us. “Praise Er’si, it’s a miracle. None of you fell in that shite. At least something’s gone right.” He motioned at us. “Move out.”

  Our squad continued on to the coliseum, spears in hand, and I thought about the missing bodies. It didn’t make sense. What had happened to them?

  We passed the stage where earlier the woman painted as the goddess Erisi had struck down the man playing the part of one of Aera’s Six.

  It too was deserted, though the stage was littered with discarded costumes.

  They didn’t appear to worry about theft much here.

  Just outside the coliseum entrance the sergeant turned around and studied us. His gaze landed on Sienna and her bare feet, and he shook his head.

  “It’ll do,” he muttered to himself, and we headed in.

  The coliseum was packed.

  A hundred paces to our right, ins
tead of normal coliseum seating like the rest of the arena, was a grandly decorated area where the seats would normally be, strung with bright royal banners. The king and queen were sat in thrones overlooking the arena, a short stone bannister separating them from the four-high drop to the arena floor.

  Off to their sides were long tables loaded with all manner of food and drink. Roasted meats, bountiful platters of fruit, vegetables the likes of which I’d never seen, uncountable heaps of various breads, and bottle after bottle of ale and spirits. A banquet. A feast.

  Members of the court were enthusiastically availing themselves to these delights, though the king and queen weren’t partaking.

  Instead their attention was focused directly in front and below of them on a dais.

  A dais with the banner of the Order of Priests, a plush silver rug leading up to its steps.

  “We’ll be guarding the high priest today,” the sergeant said. “So no slipups. If anyone is drunk, let me know now and I’ll put you on youngling-watching duty.”

  Several hands went up, but I was still focused on who he’d said we were guarding. The high priest? He couldn’t mean Orathar.

  Did this city have its own high priest?

  But that banner. The was only one Order of Priests. Only one high priest.

  The sergeant let out a resigned sigh. “Fine. All of you report to Commander Vossi. And don’t give her any shite, either. Else I won’t hear the end of it from her. Rest assured, if she makes my life miserable, I’ll make yours twice so.”

  The ones who had raised their hands as well as a few others who hadn’t now shuffled off toward the area with the dais, beyond and off to the side of which was an open gate in the wall of the coliseum which several small children were playing around. A female guard without a helm leaned against this wall next to the gate, watching them, looking bored.

  It was the one who’d caught us.

  I reached up and touched my helm, reassuring myself it was still there. Reassuring myself that she couldn’t recognize us.

  This was a dangerous place to be. But I couldn’t leave now, even if I wanted to. Which I didn’t. Not until I found out who this high priest was.

  “High priest?” Sienna whispered.

  “Not now,” I whispered back, for once unnerved by her perceptiveness rather than appreciative of it. Also, I didn’t want to be overheard. Didn’t want to draw any more attention to ourselves than we already had.