Oblivion's Queen

by M. H. Johnson

  Jess grimaced and nodded, rubbing her temples as she felt a slight headache coming on. Save for tales of adventure or treatises of a military nature, she had no great love of reading, and after four hours was feeling decidedly restless and frustrated. What made it worse was that the scribes could find nothing as well, though they did look increasingly concerned.

  "I am sorry, gentle sirs, I can find nothing, but I do see signs that at least several of the tomes I was hoping might have answers do appear to be missing." The elder scribe frowned. "It is my hope that another scholar is simply making use of the tomes in question. Our works are charmed of course, so should any scholar mistakenly leave one in his pack, our watchmen will be quick to show him his mistake as he approaches the doorway."

  Jess gazed at the serious-eyed armsmen who nonetheless smiled politely and nodded, catching her considering stare with the practiced gazes of experienced soldiers, and Jess had no doubt any scribe so foolish as to try to take any tomes would very quickly find it a fruitless gamble, with perhaps one chance to plead ignorance and surrender said tomes gracefully, before facing severe repercussions.

  Jess gazed back at the scholar. “So we are finding no leads, and those tomes that might provide us clues appear to be missing.”

  The man nodded. “It is our hope that said works were merely misplaced or are presently being read, though if such is the case, it was pulled by a scholar himself, and not one of our number.”

  Jess nodded. “Thank you for that.”

  Malek turned a thoughtful gaze to the head assistant. “If you or your men could continue searching for any leads regarding this mysterious town of Pomell, we would be greatly appreciative, and happy to compensate you for your time.” Malek's eyes did not leave the scholar's face, even as he discretely palmed the man a silver talon. “For expenses. Please use at your discretion.”

  The scribe bowed low. “It shall be done, Lord Sousel. Shall I have a runner bring any news to the diOnni Manor?”

  "That would be perfect," Malek smiled. "But I would be remiss were I not to recommend that you exercise discretion. In fact, I would counsel your fellows to tell no one of our research. For safety's sake."

  The man grimaced and nodded. "Word has reached even our ears about the recent duel, and Allen was a scribe in training we knew well. Though we'd like to think it a horrid coincidence, it does behoove us all to exercise extra caution in these trying times."

  With that understanding reached, Jess and Malek made their way back to the diOnni compound, Jess's awe for the Scholarium and the scenic city view somewhat dampened by the futility of their search, and the tragedy that had occurred earlier that morning.

  “A bittersweet day indeed, isn't it, shieldsister?”

  Jess smiled and nodded, gazing reflectively at the grand oak trees lining the middle of the boulevard, giving that area of the city a peaceful, bucolic air, despite the rush and bustle of well-appointed merchants and noble hirelings alike.

  "Indeed it has been, Malek. Someone did something to those books, and that poor boy's death was no tragic accident. Someone's playing a dark game, which makes me all the more certain that we have enemies unseen, making moves against us."

  Malek grimaced and nodded. "But I don't think it's really about us. A game is being played, for stakes we can scarce imagine, and we hardly know who the pieces are, let alone the key players. All we know for sure is that we are in someone's way, and that person is doing all he can to counter us."

  Jess nodded. "They haven't struck directly at us since the chateau, and from what I can tell, they have already gotten what they wanted from our end, in any case."

  Malek sighed. “Three thousand gold for the chalice, and threats of the king's displeasure if Duke diOnni didn't sell. Kidnapping didn't work, so our enemies resorted to bribery with sufficient threat behind it that he would have been a fool not to take the gold. And one thing our duke is not, is a fool."

  "The chalice and that other artifact, already slipping from memory's grasp, though Alex did place a premium importance on it, for the sake of our school," Jess noted, "And now whoever is pulling the strings is doing all they can to keep us from this Pomell, and even that name feels surreal and dreamlike. What I want to know is, why? Why can I hardly remember these things, even as I speak them aloud? Why are our foes striving so hard to keep us away from this forgotten town?"

  At that moment her heart was lightened immeasurably by a long familiar weight settling itself upon her shoulder, as if it had never left.

  "The heart of all things begins with those questions, my mistress," Twilight allowed. "And it matters not that these things keep slipping from your grasp, your psyche still recovering from the wound of their passing. You will heal. All that aside, so long as we understand the motivations of the key players, it is far easier to deduce what their next moves will be."

  “Twilight!” Jess chirped happily, before modulating her voice, as several polite eyebrows were raised in her direction.

  “More like midday, young sir,” allowed one elegantly dressed young lady, twirling her parasol and gazing at Jess with frank admiration, even as her friends giggled and whispered about the oddness of certain visitor's attire.

  The chestnut-haired girl shook her head at her friends and, coming to an abrupt decision, flounced over to Jess, eyeing her and Malek with a certain hungry approval. "Highrock uniforms, and fine swords to go with them. You two look so much like my brother coming home it gives me goosebumps, though your hats are... interesting."

  Jess winked. “The padded cloth doubles as armor for a glancing blow. Highrock students are never unarmed, or unarmored.”

  The girl blushed. “I know all too well how impressively equipped Highrock students are.” Her friends giggled at that. “My brother came back with any number of saucy stories.” She gently brushed Jess's shoulder, causing her to blink and blush. The girl's lips curved into a teasing grin. “I definitely feel your mail under there. Tell me, is there any truth to rumors that all students at Highrock, even the commoners, are as bold as Krona nobility? Do they all truly take on their betters as lovers?”

  Jess blushed at that. “I couldn't speak for all the students of Highrock, but no one got in our personal business, so long as our studies didn't suffer for it.”

  The girl's friends blushed at that, nonetheless, Jess and Malek found themselves matching pace with the girls, drawn into their conversation, despite themselves.

  "My name is Rigna," offered the outspoken girl, before pointing to her friends "Marvela, and Louise. My brother is Johan Silverman. Perhaps you met him during your time at Highrock?"

  Despite herself, Jess nodded. "Yes. A friendly boy. Enjoys a good laugh, and not at all bad fighting in full armor with the poleaxe, or wrestling and dagger. He will make a fine knight, one day."

  Rigna blinked, suddenly genuinely interested. "That is right! He is a Knight Aspirant, and trains diligently, even now between semesters. He says the poleaxe is a glorious weapon, and the best way for a true knight to prove his prowess in combat."

  Jess smiled at that, well aware of how deadly a weapon the poleaxe was, used in individual contests of skill between fully armored knights on the battlefield, a weapon that Eloquin himself admitted would one day supersede the longsword as the knight's preferred weapon off horseback, as the quality of armor continued to improve over the decades and centuries, slow and arduous as uncovering the lost secrets of alchemy and smithing have proven to be. Arts that had once allowed for an empire of stone and steel that spanned the continent, according to ancient tomes relegated to legend, before near all traces of those grand cities had vanished from the face of Erovering. Believers argue that Krona's own construction was, in fact, an earlier work of that bygone age.

  Jess, of course, was quite content with fellow knights increasingly favoring the poleaxe over the longsword, as her own gifts gave her a near unbeatable edge against anyone facing her with such a weapon. For all that it was fearsomely dangerous in the hands of a mas
ter, able to put down even fully armored opponents, its haft was made of wood, a material which, save for the occasional reproving prick during childhood, had never done her harm. Besides, Jess thought, the longsword, unlike the poleaxe, could also be worn in cities.

  “So have you sparred with my brother then, lord...”

  Jess smiled. “I am of the Calenbry clan. And yes, I have sparred with your brother, and an enjoyable contest it was, his poleaxe against my blade in halfsword grip.”

  Malek chuckled gamely at that. "He did so love trying to best you, and it was nice seeing you on your toes, even for a moment, but the second he left himself open or off balance, you'd catch it, and send him or his weapon tumbling to the ground, and the pair of you would wrestle in earnest, till the inevitable victor would always emerge."

  Rigna chuckled throatily, squeezing Jess's arm in earnest. "You do know my brother then! Oh, you must come calling upon my House, my lord. My brother would love to see one of his fellows I'm sure, and I have no doubt we would all become fast friends." She gazed warmly into Jess's eyes and Jess found herself smiling back, feeling suddenly lighthearted and flustered, yet strangely happy.

  It was then that Rigna blinked, eyeing Jess carefully, slowly pulling her arms away with an apologetic smile. “Wait. You said you were a Calenbry? And you always challenged my brother with longsword? Wait, I know,” her face turned of a sudden bright red, her smile instantly apologetic. “You're that Squire of War, daughter of Baron Arthur de Calenbry, the general of the Velheim Campaign that my brother always goes on about.”

  Jess winced. Though her father's tactics during Erovering's war with Velheim were well regarded and much discussed along with General Eloquin's own, Johan had also been speaking of things that should have remained between Highrock students alone. Though she had to admit Squires of War had become a bit of open secret, and Jess was becoming increasingly certain that the king was now less interested in concealing their existence than in intimidating his perceived enemies with their military prowess.

  “You're Jessica. Jessica de Calenbry.” Rigna immediately slipped into a low curtsy, her two elegantly attired friends dipping in concert, all three of them in matching dresses of lavender, two of them gazing open-mouthed at Jess. “My lady, please forgive me if I caused any offense.”

  Rigna's friend Louise, the only one looking more curious than flustered, broke into a sudden smile, chuckling throatily as Rigna blushed before Jess.

  Jess immediately shook her head. "No, none at all, Lady Rigna, it is a pleasure to meet you. I hope you will convey my warmest regards to Johan," she smiled. "If he is feeling at all restless, please tell him to send word to the diOnni household. I would enjoy his company, and I wouldn't mind a bit of sparring as well."

  “Yes,” Rigna solemnly dipped her head. “I shall do that. Now if you will excuse me, Lady Calenbry? I and my friends must be off, I'm afraid.”

  “My lady,” her two friends dipped formal curtsies before the three immediately hurried off, whispering frantically to one another, Louise alone favoring Jess with a considering gaze before hurrying off with her friends.

  Jess sighed. "And I thought maybe she liked me. But of course, she thought I was a boy, at first."

  Twilight lifted a sardonic brow. "Beautiful, intelligent, talented, what's not to like? If she is scared off by convention, then it is her loss. Let us head back to the compound, my mistress. We have far more interesting things afoot than mooning over some silly girl you just met."

  "Are you okay, Jess?" Malek gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Silly chit, flighty of temperament, just like a bird. Pretty to look at and listen to, but ultimately they will always fly off to roost in someone else's nest" He flashed a bemused grin. "But you know what we could do? Send a formal invitation to her brother ourselves. Then she has to deal with you, even if all we do is catch up with Johan. Who knows? Maybe we'll actually get in some decent sparring."

  Jess shrugged and sighed. "It's my fault for dressing up as a boy. Oh well, sure. Let's ask Raphael about sending Johan an invitation. It's been ages since we heard his terrible puns in any case, and it's been months since I had a good sparring session with him."

  8

  Well done, Jess!" Raphael commended, Malek chuckling gamely as Jess helped her shieldbrother to his feet once more, the pair having enjoyed what Jess had thought of as a rather glorious no holds barred sparring match. A thoughtful Raphael, sympathizing with their fruitless quest that morning and the bitter futility of having been unable to save the foolish boy who had been cajoled into a fatal duel, had been more than willing to supply them with several sets of exquisitely forged sparring weaponry, and what seemed near the compound entire had been applauding gamely at their bout.

  “Well done, shieldsister,” Malek chuckled ruefully, dusting himself off, the pair taking off their helms to drink deep of flasks handed to them by an awed looking Josie.

  "The way you two moved, incredible!" Josie said. "I read the stories, I know what you two did for our school, and for Raphael and me, but to actually see you two spar without being terrified for my own life... to just focus on how fast you two move... it's like the legends regarding Delvers are all true."

  For some reason Jess blushed at this, particularly as it seemed that near all the servitors and guardsmen who had witnessed their bout were gazing at them with expressions just short of wonder, seneschal Chelton nodding slowly even as he stood at attention beside Duke diOnni himself. Jess blinked and smiled, almost feeling measured by the man, even as others gushed with open admiration, though he always gave a deferential bow of his head whenever Jess glanced his way. But Jess had already deduced that Chelton was a veteran of the Velheim Wars. He had no doubt seen more than one Delver fighting on behalf of king and country under thinnest pretext, and thus would be well aware of what adventurers who dared venture into realms of Shadow and dream would be capable of.

  "I am more pleased than I can say to know that my son was in your good hands, dear Jess, Malek. And may I also add that your bladework is quite exceptional."

  Jess grinned and bowed low before the duke, her shieldbrother mirroring her movements perfectly, the pair still lost in the rush of the sparring contest just past, having mastered each other's movements so well, each knowing where the other would strike, even as the other thought it, to such a degree that their contest had transcended mere sparring, elevating itself to the most frenetic and elegant of dances. It was as if they had moved, fought, and thought as two halves of a single whole.

  "We thank you for the compliment, Your Grace," Jess said, blinking at the curious echo to her words even as she realized Malek was speaking in tandem.

  Jess turned to Malek even as he did the same, the pair smiling in unison. For a heady moment Jess almost felt as if she could sense the people behind her, as Malek could sense those she saw behind him. As one they closed their eyes, breathing deep, relaxing once more.

  When she blinked she felt like herself once more, shivering and oddly off balance, Malek abruptly catching her before she could stumble.

  “Always interesting when we go that deep, though rarely it is with such an audience,” Malek whispered, also looking a bit embarrassed to be the at the center of such attention.

  “The way you two moved, faster even than Eloquin, I swear It,” Raphael said, his father nodding in turn.

  “The pair moved and fought as one, even as they sparred. I have no doubt the fabled prowess of Delvers already begins to blossom within their sinews. You did well choosing these two for friends,” the duke smiled.

  Chelton nodded his solemn agreement. “Indeed, my lord. During my time with the diplomatic corps during the war, a regiment of Velheim fools actually had the temerity to strike at a troop of Guildmembers accompanying several of us diplomats intent upon suing for peace. The bards served as surprisingly effective shieldmen guarding myself and my companions, even as the Delvers responded with a speed and grace very much like the display we had just witnessed.” The ma
n's smile turned hard. “I very much wanted to question that band of would be assassins who had dared interfere with us, but alas, none had survived to answer any questions.”

  Raphael blinked. "I knew you were a man of substance, dear Chelton, and every day you give us added reason to value your service to us. If I might ask, how many men ambushed you?

  Chelton shrugged, his smile turning cold. “Several dozen, my lord.”

  Raphael nodded. “And how many Delvers?”

  “Three, my lord. And the look in their eyes, the mad smiles they flashed, I swear, I could not have asked for more worthy companions during that fateful journey.” Chelton blinked, smiling apologetically and bowing deeply at Jess and Malek both, so deferential he was before Jess that he refused even to meet her gaze. “Please forgive me words, lady, lord. Let me also say that I have nothing but heartfelt gratitude for those men and woman who had risked themselves to save a party of diplomats whose negotiations were futile in any case. The admiration I have for their prowess compels me, even to this day.”

  Duke diOnni chuckled softly. “And that is the true reason why the Council and Adventurer's Guild have kept truce for all these centuries, as treacherous and deadly as the games of politics can sometimes be. Delvers make the best of friends, and the worst of enemies.”

  Malek shared a knowing glance with Jess. “We had our hands full, just keeping ourselves in one piece against those bastards at the chateau. Gods above, I wouldn't want to meet these Delvers. I know how savage we can be when the fury is upon us, and it shames me after the fact, for all that Eloquin would castigate me if I dared admit that to his face. I can only wonder at how lost to the madness they are.”

  Jess shivered and nodded, flashes of the terrible battle flooding her mind's eye. How ruthless she had been when she and Malek had felled the first wave of assailants. How black her fury had become when her beloved shieldbrother had later been pinned down under his destrier and run through by enemy lance. How her mace had become an extension of her madness, fine helms crushed like tin under her rain of furious blows, each blow more savage than the last, as her terror and fury grew.