Alex’s eyes seemed to glimmer with an odd intensity. “To know the true name of a thing is to form an arcane connection that can pierce any ward or barrier, even infernal. Or such is our theory, Rens and I, in any case. To learn the art of incorporating the true names of things into the strands of magical energy we weave into spellwebs may unlock the key to magics so potent that no foe can withstand their force and fury, not even a diabolist.”
Raphael whistled. "Very impressive, friend Alex. So, have you and Rens put together an armamentarium of these spells laced with true words of power, fit to lay all the enemies of Erovering low? Has that been your secret project?"
Alex flushed. “Not exactly,” he stammered.
Jera gave her beau a stern look. “Just how many of these words of power do you actually know, my Alex? If you are determined to rush headlong against diabolists, I would know that my man has a more than fair chance of surviving the encounter.”
“Um… one.”
Jera gazed at her lover deadpan. “Let me get this straight. You are determined to leave me behind, declaring that it is far too dangerous for the likes of me, who can actually use a blade as well as cast a spell, because diabolists have the ability to neutralize our arts, yet all you know is one spell laden with these unstoppable words? For your sake, lover, I hope it is a powerful word indeed.”
Alex sighed. “Please, Jera. This is an art Rens and I are just on the cusp of rediscovering! It is not fair to criticize me for treading carefully in these uncharted waters. The fact is, Rens suspects that very few wizards have the capacity to harness and master True Words in any case.”
Malek shrugged. "Fair enough, Alex. No one is blaming you for not being a master of this heretofore lost art. My only question is, what is the nature of this spell? Do you really think it will be of aid, should Jess and I find ourselves against warded infernalists?"
Alex sighed. "It's not a spell so much as a single word that I've striven to master. In truth, it is purest coincidence that Rens witnessed my diligent attempts at mastery and understood its true significance. At present, we are still trying to uncover the hidden words that lie at the heart of all things, let alone figure out how to combine them into spellwebs of any significance."
Jera smirked. “Then perhaps you should spend less time worrying about your friend’s adventuring and more time studying the fundaments of your own newly discovered art, my Alex, for it sounds like you are no more prepared for this adventure than I with my more ‘limited’ grasp of the true fundamentals of magic, would be.”
Alex sighed, his shoulders slumped in defeat. “I will admit that the timing couldn’t be worse, but Jess and Malek will need some backup, however useful I may or may not be. And I don’t want you to get hurt, Jera.”
Jera just shook her head, gazing at her lover with gentle bemusement. “You know I’m coming with you, whatever you do or say, right?” she teased, kissing Alex’s cheek softly.
Alex, of course, looked less than pleased to hear these words.
“What is the nature of this True Word?” Jess queried, as much to defuse the brewing argument as out of genuine curiosity.
Alex’s bemused smile made it clear he understood Jess’s true intent, though he didn’t hesitate to answer. “The closest I can translate would be the word ‘sunder’. If I shout the word at a group of objects and I am properly focusing, the word will resonate from me, scattering them.” His gaze turned serious. “If I focus my will on one particular object, well, I can sometimes get it to burst.”
Malek blinked. “Burst.”
Alex nodded solemnly. “I’ve practiced with wooden blocks, tree stumps, a discarded blade, and, well, animal carcasses.”
Malek grinned. “And how well does it work?”
“Well, it requires no preparation,” Alex acknowledged. “I don’t need minutes of concentration to cast a new spell or to use a magic matrix of power I have already prepared. It is, however, as draining as any magic I have ever striven to master before. And if one is not utterly focused on the task at hand, there can be… consequences.”
Jera’s brows furrowed. “And what consequences would these be, dear Alex?”
Her lover managed to look embarrassed. “Do you remember the time I spent three days in the Healers Wing after ostensibly smacking my face against stone and losing a few teeth? And you were dead certain it was Mord de Plaga, and dead set on challenging him?”
Jera's eyes flashed, and she smacked her lover so hard he winced. "You idiot! Fooling around with magics you barely understood. That could have killed you!"
Alex flashed an apologetic smile. “As it was, it merely sundered free a few of my own teeth, an experience I do not recommend for anyone. And thanks to the healer’s diligent efforts, they have already regrown.” He gave Jera a fierce hug when she began to sob.
“It's okay, Jera," Alex soothed. "I have learned since that day. Believe me, I have! I only practice when my concentration is absolute, and I have striven to master my focus so I can cast that spell without fail in near any circumstance. And if I am too exhausted to focus, of course I won't dare to cast it!"
He gently squeezed the shoulders of his teary-eyed lover. "Don't you see, Jera? This spell is perhaps the only thing that will pierce the wards of an actual magic wielding infernalist! Otherwise, we have no counter to whatever foul spellwebs his evil pacts give him access to!"
Jera’s eyes flashed. “You damn well better have had protective wards up while you were practicing your bloody power word, Alex! If you had killed yourself with broken sword fragments or the light knows what, I would never have forgiven you!”
Alex chuckled softly at this, holding his beau close. “Of course, beloved one. You won’t get rid of me that easily. And don’t worry. I have been practicing this word of power to the exclusion of all else, save assisting master Rens, for weeks now. I am ready to use this magic in the field, Jera. Have faith in me.”
Jera sighed, pulling away from her lover. “You can play with your new toy, dear Alex. For myself, I have faith in fire and lightning, wind and steel. I’m coming with you, my future husband. I’m going to back up your play with blade and spell. I don’t care how tough our enemies are, wind will knock their arrows aside, wind and fire will send their steeds scattering, and lightning will electrocute any henchman who is not himself protected by dark wards.”
Malek chuckled. “I don’t think you’re winning this argument, my friend.”
Alex shook his head and sighed. “Perhaps you are right, friend Malek. We shall see. In any event, the original plan was for us and a few of the college’s armsmen to set out on what will officially be an exploratory mission. If anyone of importance was not satisfied with our explanation that we are simply a group of nobles on a lark about the countryside, we shall clarify that we are scholarly students as well as nobles, hunting down the origins of ancient legends, and seeing how they correlate to modern day rumors and events.” Alex smiled. “Our credentials as students of Highrock are absolutely genuine, though of course we don’t want to advertise our school’s involvement in any activity unnecessarily in these days of politics and paranoia, no matter how innocuous those activities might be. And if fellow students who happen to be able to Delve should come across a realm of Shadow, well, that’s just serendipity, is it not?”
Raphael grinned. “An excellent cover story. When do you all begin your journey?”
Alex smiled. “First light.”
Jess blinked. "First light? What are you talking about, Alex? We've had no time to prepare. We only found out about master Rens request hours ago!"
“Bloody hells," Malek growled even as his lover gently massaged shoulders tense with frustration.
Alex sighed. "I am sorry, my friends. I know the whole thing is quickly sprung, but Dean Echobart received word by pigeon that the Guild is sending over a representative even as we speak. One who may well arrive before tomorrow's sun has set. No one knows how closely the Guild will try to tie you to its own inte
rests, and hopefully you will have the sense to let Raphael or one of the College's counsel accompany you, before signing any documents. But, worst case scenario, if we leave before the Guild can claim you, no one can accuse us of acting in opposition to the Guild's interest, which would politically be an extremely foolish move to make."
Raphael nodded. "Good thinking. And of course, I'm happy to analyze any contract the Guild would have you sign, and run it past my father's solicitors, one of which by happy coincidence resides in Wheatown nearby, being as it is a hub of major agricultural trade. I shall send for him promptly. And if all goes well, you will have unearthed this artifact free of obligations to anyone. And with the college's gratitude, our beloved friends here will be wealthy in their own right, able to negotiate with the Guild in terms of rights and responsibilities from a position of strength, with the college in firm possession of the wand once more."
Jess gave a bemused shake of her head. Of course he had put all the pieces together. This was Raphael, after all.
Josie nodded, pleased with her lover’s sentiment “Thus, whether they end up Guild associates or no, they will be independently wealthy, free to be who they want to be, and not be dependent on the whims of their family to be kept in sustenance. True freedom, isn’t that what you both seek?”
Jess and her brother-in-arms nodded in unison, even as Malek gently held his lover, Jacob sinking comfortably into his protective embrace. Malek's lover grinned mischievously, kissing him hungrily upon the neck, causing a startled Malek to hiss with unexpected pleasure.
“True freedom, my dear Malek; to live as we wish, beholden to no one. To hell with both of our families.” This Jacob whispered throatily into his lover’s ear.
Malek shivered, eyes shut tight, before turning around to kiss Jacob fiercely, passionately.
“To hell with it all!" Malek whispered throatily, forcefully lifting up a startled Jacob, eyes twinkling mischievously, kissing him with a desperate need, even as he carried a yielding Jacob to their nook in the library, soon filled with the sweet whispers and lustful sighs of their passion.
The sounds of their desire had a predictable effect on the others, a bemused Jess noted. Alex muttering a quick ‘meeting adjourned’ even as he and a gently laughing Jera made their way to their own favored crevice, and with a warm wink to Jess, Raphael led a blushing Josie to the couple's favorite corner as well.
Jess smiled and curled up with a good book even as her friends renewed their bonds of desire and love. She let her mind wander, lost in the imagined thrill of exploring undiscovered realms filled with mystery and wonder, battling terrible foes and discovering wondrous secrets and priceless treasures. She sighed happily at the thought of traversing realms filled with danger and excitement in equal measure. Drifting off eventually into a gentle doze, her soft lips curled up in a peaceful smile even as she dreamed of adventures to come, unable to hear the worried sigh of her familiar as he hopped upon her sleeping form, purring contentedly, before closing his own eyes and slipping into dreams familiar and ancient, curled up in her arms.
12
Jess, it’s time!”
“Give me just a minute, brother!” Jess shouted cheerfully through her door, humming with happiness as she shivered with anticipation, looking forward to the journey ahead. She had awoken bright and early with the sunrise, feeling as well rested as ever, for all that it was library furniture and not her soft downy mattress that she had slept upon. Fortunately, packing her necessary gear proved to be a simple matter, well-practiced as she was in preparing compact kits of supplies for Eloquin’s many ‘field trips’ as he put it, for all that they often returned sore and exhausted, with a better sense of Velheim’s geography than a fair number of the king’s own agents, Jess was quite sure.
Jess gave her reflection an approving nod, feeling no discomfort in wearing her mithril shirt over padded gambeson and lamellar armor, allowing for an incredibly effective combination that no blade could pierce, cushioning even the most telling of blows. Having spent countless hours and near the entirety of Eloquin's classes fighting, training, riding, or scouting in full armor, she hardly noticed the weight at all.
Her bronze helm and greaves were no match for mithril, of course, but hammer hardened, they were near as strong as steel. Although a well-aimed strike could bite into the metal, the domed helm and curved greaves were designed to assure sword and spear thrusts would skitter off angle, much of the force deflected. Most importantly, bronze, unlike steel, could be safely brought into the Shadowrealms, few Delvers daring more steel than the weapons they carried.
Over it all she wore a long slitted surcoat of palest blue that flowed down past her knees. Granted, it might have looked just a bit odd, she acknowledged with a final check in her full-length mirror. As her politically savvy siblings had pointed out some time ago, surcoats had by and large been replaced by sleeveless tabards, now considered the height of fashion by knights with any exposure to the continent at large. Her odd ensemble made her appear little more than a backcountry squire, but at least the surcoat managed to cover the entirety of her otherwise all too showy mithril hauberk, sparkle as it did like a shimmering rainbow whenever it caught the slightest bit of sunlight.
She gave her most recently claimed blade a final check. The blade was perfectly balanced for her style of swordplay, the steel flawless, and the workmanship exquisite. She just hated that it had come from Mord.
“Coming!” she called out, gently stroking the door still vibrating with what she almost wanted to call happiness which she knew was silly, but nonetheless found herself smiling as she closed her eyes and sensed a healthy shoot already rising from the spot in the hidden glade where she had planted the tiny acorn placed so tenderly in her care the night before. As to how she sensed the well-being of a freshly planted seed several miles away she didn’t bother troubling herself over. It was just one of her many eccentricities, as her sister might say. Jess took a deep breath, turning around to give her homey quarters a final farewell glance before opening her door wide and greeting Malek with a warm smile and a sisterly hug.
“Ready for our adventure, shieldsister? And what a lovely surcoat, it is only a century out of date!" Malek flashed a cheeky grin. He himself wore neither surcoat nor tabard over his loose hauberk of mail, and his mail shirt was rather open at the neck. Jess understood the need for this, as it would allow him to remove his mail quickly, slipping it right over his helm, should they stumble upon the outskirts of Shadow. She was also was pleased to see that Malek's lamellar armor was reinforced with hammered plates of bronze, as was the helm he wore. Even the stiffened rawhide gorget protecting his neck was plated with bronze. Perfect armor for one who might need to slip into the Shadowlands at any time.
Jess nodded. "Indeed. And as out of fashion as my surcoat may be, at least it hides my mithril hauberk quite well. Whereas you, my brother-in-arms, look quite eccentric with your mail over, and not under your lamellar." She flashed a grin of her own. "Ah, but for the eccentricities of Delvers. And as for our adventure, this time I even brought a journal and quill, so I can record the events for myself."
She took a final look at the pair of them in the mirror together and couldn't help grinning wide. "And we really do look the odd pair, both of us wearing bronze helms and greaves, armor half a millennium out of date that must have cost a fortune in the forging!"
Malek chuckled softly. “Touché, Jess, though as you know, well forged and hammered bronze is a lot stronger than most fools give it credit for. Particularly layered over properly treated rawhide with a quilted gambeson underneath it all. And as for cost? Let's just say not everyone has forgotten the services we have already performed on behalf of the school.” He flashed a wry grin at that. “Actually, the bronze plates are from a very old suit in the armory only somewhat neglected, and bronze, unlike steel, does not rust. Eloquin intended it as a gift for me, and our leathermaster only finished fastening the bronze plates to the lamellar yesterday.”
Malek grinned and tapped her own bronze helmet. "Our helms and greaves Eloquin had scrounged up from some abandoned corner in the armory long ago, and the pair of holes drilled into the helms allows for hearing near as good as with our Squire helmets, without compromising the design."
Jess nodded, having been delighted to find the items waiting by her door, guarded by a first year Squire who had nodded once before hurrying away, not a word needing to be said. Perfect gear for a Delver, and Eloquin was never one to let his prized charges go anywhere with anything less than the best quality equipment.
"Good thing the weight is no hindrance for someone of our strength,” Jess said. “And if you must remove your mail shirt, the bronze lamellar will be useful as dickens in Shadow.”
Malek nodded. "I was rather thinking the same thing myself.”
"I know Alex will be joining us. Is Jacob coming to see us off?"
Malek sighed. “I’m afraid not. His father is expected within the next few hours. And for all that Jacob is quite happy declaring his affection and his disdain for the mores of our time, when his father shouts jump, all he has to say is ‘how high, sir?’”
Jess grinned. “Somehow, I’ve never seen Jacob as the eager-to-please type.”
Malek smiled. “He likes to see himself as a brave and dashing soul, and I allow him his fantasies when he has too much wine and rants about his daring aspirations. But I know as well as anyone that levering him free of his family’s influence would be like prying a piglet from her mother’s teat!”
Jess chuckled. “Such colorful metaphors today, shieldbrother! At least I feel less bad about having no beau. No one to worry about looking after, or to feel guilty leaving behind.”
Malek nodded. “There is that. Alex, however, may get more than he bargained for this trip.” Grinning at Jess’s raised eyebrow, he only had to mouth a single word.
“But I thought he had convinced her to stay behind, in the end?”
Shadow Knight Page 28
