by Anna Eluvae
Loyalty was an issue. There was a very real possibility that one of the illustrati that fled would try to come back to the castle, especially if they heard that workers were being taken on. There was no way to lay claim to the castle without guards and servants though, so Lexari had proposed a solution.
The commoners came into the large dining room beside the throne room one by one. Each was made to place their hand into the artifact, which gave off its low tone. Then the artifact was placed on the hand of Lexari, Wenaru, or Nemm, giving off its second, higher tone. This was repeated for every person they meant to hire on. It wouldn't stop anyone from sneaking in, nor would it stop an assassin with a mundane blade, but it at least ensured that no illustrati were secretly working for them. They would have to sleep with their doors latched firmly shut, always planning on someone trying to slit their throats in their sleep, but that was a necessary cost of their new position.
"How many more?" asked Nemm as she withdrew her hand from the artifact. She rubbed her wrist, though there was no sensation involved. The young man she'd taken the link from looked uneasy as he left the room. The young man had no standing, so the link would do little, but he would ever after be deprived of even the chance of becoming an illustrati.
"A dozen," said Lexari. "Are you so eager to depart?"
"I should have left yesterday," said Nemm. "We still have no clue what's going on in Parance. Better that I set the record straight sooner rather than later."
"You'll be safe on your own?" asked Lexari. He seemed worried on her behalf, but that was part of the character he played.
"I'll be fine," said Nemm. "It's only scouting for now, with perhaps a few visits to whatever allies we might still have. My experience in going unnoticed is considerable." She had demurred when Wenaru had offered to change her face, saying that she wanted some proof of her identity in case she needed to leverage it. In truth, she wanted to keep Wenaru's hands as far from her as possible. She had never enjoyed the sensation of his alterations. Recent developments had amplified her distrust of him, for all that they were still working together.
They had taken Lothaire's ring from him. Lexari had immediately put it on, defying all sense of caution, then declared that it didn't seem to have any effect. He still wore it though, perhaps for the same reason that Lothaire had; it was mightily impressive just for the effect it had on the mind, a nagging insistence that came whenever it was in view. They had put the artifact on Lothaire's hand after that, in order to deprive him of whatever powers he had, but it hadn't made its tone. Lexari had concluded that Lothaire didn't have a domain — that his link had already been taken from him. Nemm had immediately seen that this was a power in its own right, a way for the old man to mark himself as serving the cause above all else.
Lothaire had still not waken up. Wenaru had said there was some difficulty with the process. He had spewed medical terminology when Nemm inquired further, enough to let Nemm know that he was lying to her. Lothaire hadn't woken up because Wenaru didn't want Lothaire to wake up. The reason was obvious enough; Lothaire knew things he shouldn't have, enough to drive further wedges between them. The only reason to keep him alive was that he might let slip some useful information, but he was dangerous when he was talking. Lothaire knew something about Nemm's father, something that Wenaru had thought would substantially change her attitude. Nemm had always thought that if someone was keeping a secret because they thought you would be angry if you knew it, that was reason enough to be angry, but she found herself not pushing too hard. It was a weakness that she recognized in herself, but not one that she was eager to correct.
* * *
Six Weeks Later
* * *
Dravus was miserable. His anger and despair had faded as the weeks went by, leaving only a pit of anticipation that had turned into a sour knot. He hadn't moved of his own volition in six weeks. He hadn't spoken in six weeks, though he and Gallieae had gotten quite good at communication. Gallieae liked to talk, both about the life that he'd led and the stories that he'd heard over the years. The conversation never strayed toward names familiar to Dravus, which he imagined must have been by design. Gallieae was a friend to Nemm and Lexari, but he never mentioned them, not even in passing. The topic hadn't been broached since the day that Gallieae had caught Dravus.
"I'll be happy not to have to be your caretaker," said Gallieae. He had booked passage for them aboard a ship, paying with a promise and a demonstration of his power. Gallieae could whip up winds around him, strong enough that he could prevent a small ship from being becalmed. The crew had taken the old illustrati for a good omen; they thought that Dravus was an invalid, which wasn't far from the truth. Gallieae did everything for him. Providing food and water was the least it. Whenever Dravus had to go to the bathroom, Gallieae had to pull down his pants and position him over a chamberpot. In the beginning it had been utter humiliation; now it was simply an unpleasant part of the rhythm of the day.
Dravus wasn't above deck when they sailed into port. He was only brought up once the ship had docked, which meant that he missed the grand view. Gallieae had told him it was nothing special; where Torland was an island nation dominated by a large mountain with Laith's visage carved into the side of it, Xeo was flat and rocky, barely fit for human life and incapable of leaving anyone in a state of awe.
Gallieae hired a litter which took them to the palace. He seemed cheery enough, though he was spending the last of his money. Dravus hadn't thought about money during his entire time with Nemm and Lexari. He hadn't needed to. Even before then, he'd gotten so much money from the races that it was almost meaningless, so long as he wasn't being too extravagant. Now Gallieae was paying mostly with his reputation and expending what little resources he had in order to get them to someone who might actually help. Gallieae looked out the window of the litter that carried them with a faint smile on his face. Dravus couldn't help but recall the trip he'd taken with Lexari, back when this had all started. It left an unpleasant feeling in his gut.
When they arrived at the palace, Gallieae pulled Dravus out and carried him over his shoulder.
"Less dignified than you might have hoped," said Gallieae. "But I suspect the Bone Warden will take some amusement from it."
Dravus was given a backwards view of the palace as Gallieae navigated his way forward, though it was mostly of the palace floors, which were smooth but unpolished gray stone broken up with threadbare carpets. The sound of footsteps echoed through the halls. Eventually they came to a room much smaller than Dravus had expected, where a set of cushioned chairs had been arranged. Gallieae set Dravus down in one of them, putting him face-to-face with the Bone Warden herself.
She was a tall, spindly woman, with a face lined with wrinkles and two great horns coming up from from her forehead. For an illustrati as powerful as she was supposed to be, that was an affectation. She surely had the resources to find someone like Charnel to rejuvenate the skin and pull it tight. Yet she had chosen this appearance for herself. She was a crone, in much the same way that Hartwain was, a woman who had taken age and run with it. Her hair was as white as the bone of her horns. Her eyes were sharp though. She was watching Dravus, though he had little to offer her except for a meager attempt at facial expressions.
"It's been too long," said Gallieae. "I often find myself wishing that you lived closer to the core of the civilized world."
"What's happened to this young man?" asked the Bone Warden.
"Has the legend of Lightscour reached you?" asked Gallieae. "Most famous as the slayer of Zerstor, some months back, but involved in some business within Torland. He was instrumental in bringing an end to Torland's internal strife, as I understand it."
"Uhh huuuh," offered Dravus, if only to show that he was aware of what was happening.
"I only rarely listen to the stories," said the Bone Warden. She arched her eyebrows. "They're so often false that they approach meaninglessness. He can't speak?"
"He needs the attentions of an il
lustrati of flesh," said Gallieae. "I was hoping that you might provide such a thing. He has information as well; there is a story which he has not been able to communicate with only his grunts and groans."
"An important story, for you to have brought him this far?" asked the Bone Warden. "Very well," she said, without waiting for an answer. "I shall see what I can do about repairing his tongue."
"And the rest of him," said Gallieae. "The boy has value beyond what knowledge is locked within his head."
The Bone Warden sniffed. "I assume it was Wenaru that left him in this state?"
"That's what I gather," said Gallieae. "The boy has lost the use of his tongue and though I've gathered a good amount of experience in interpreting him on the way over, communication has been spotty."
Dravus said nothing. He only looked at the Bone Warden with hard eyes. He had been worried in the beginning that Gallieae would simply leave him to die. He imagined that's what most people would have done, if given such a burden. Perhaps a lesser man would have taken him to Parance and turned him in for whatever reward was on offer; after all, he was a wanted man there, in a manner of speaking. Yet Gallieae had rightly divined that something greater was at stake. The fate of the Iron Kingdom — or whatever name it would go by now that the Iron King no longer ruled — hung in the balance. With it hung the fate of every nation that the Iron Kingdom bordered. That was without even taking into account the conspiracy that had replaced the Iron King and installed a new parliament in Torland, or the artifact that had the power to reshape the system of the world, if given a chance.
The Bone Warden wasn't one for pleasantries. She sent a servant off to fetch her physician, then sat in silence. When Gallieae spoke, she deflected him, turning his questions down. He did not try terribly hard. Dravus, having no other options, sat there silently as well while they waited. A small woman came into the room some moments later, looking nervous.
"Lolly, fix this man," said the Bone Warden.
The woman reached forward with slender fingers, touching Dravus gently. She closed her eyes and pursed her lips. "Whose work is this?" she asked. "An illustrati did this."
"Wenaru Mottram," said the Bone Warden. "Fix his tongue first."
Lolly swore silently to herself. Her ministrations were nothing like Wenaru's. They were barely perceptible. After a few moments, Lolly reached her fingers into Dravus's mouth without asking him, to physically touch the flesh of his tongue there. The change happened slowly. Dravus tried not to move or gag. Eventually Lolly removed her fingers from Dravus's tongue, wiping his spit on her tunic. "Try to speak?" she asked. She kept a hand rested on his the bare flesh of his wrist and closed her eyes to concentrate.
"Gallieae," said Dravus. "Thank you."
"I would say that it was my pleasure, but we both know that's not true," said Gallieae.
"Tell us what it is that you know," said the Bone Warden.
Dravus had gone six weeks without speaking. He did his best to make up for lost time.
* * *
The Bone Warden sat for a long time once Dravus was finished. Food had been brought in halfway through, which Dravus had eaten in small bites of the smoked fish and hard cheese. Lolly had repaired his arms before she left, but nothing else. Dravus had started his story wanting to skip ahead to what had happened at the end, but the Bone Warden insisted that he start from the beginning. He had taken weeks to get to Xeo; delaying further wasn't going to change anything. Gallieae had taken to interrupting early on, asking for clarifying details, but the Bone Warden had given him a disapproving frown that kept him quiet. When Dravus was finished, there was only silence.
"You are an inexpert storyteller," the Bone Warden eventually said. "You have told a story which does little to raise my opinion of you. For those reasons, I think it is safe to believe that most of what you are saying is the truth."
Dravus sighed with relief.
"I'd guessed at most of it," said Gallieae. "Not the exact nature of the artifact, but a fair amount." He shook his head and turned to the Bone Warden. "What's to be done about it?"
"The news is six weeks late," replied the Bone Warden. "A fast ship might make the trip back to Parance in a third that time, which means that whoever I sent would be operating on instructions made with information two months out of date. It isn't entirely uncommon for me to give my agents wide latitude, but I've found the more latitude given, the greater the resources that need to be committed."
"So there are no repercussions?" asked Dravus. "Lexari is allowed to steal my fame from me and just … continue on as though nothing has happened?"
"I care nothing for your fame," said the Bone Warden. She steepled her fingers. "The transgression is alarming, but many illustrati have done alarming things before. In this case we have no precedent for the sin he has committed in taking your domain and standing from you. I am not certain that I agree with you when you say that he will do it again, though Lexari and I have spoken together only infrequently, given that I have no need of his services nor interest in advancing his story. No, Dravus, the two things that interest me are this artifact, the one which it is claimed there are dozens of, and this coup that seems to have no respect for national borders."
Dravus's face fell. The Bone Warden would act, but it wouldn't be against Lexari. She would only serve her own interests. Dravus shouldn't have expected anything more. His dreams, in the rare moments that they extended beyond being able to walk and talk, involved him leading the charge back to the Iron Kingdom, somehow disarming Lexari and then taking back what was rightfully his. It was a fantasy, but fantasy had been what he had needed for that long period he'd spent trapped in his body.
"Whatever you decide," said Dravus. "I'd like to be part of it."
The Bone Warden eyed him. "Do you understand how easily a mortal man can be struck down in a battle between the highest illustrati?"
"I was a mortal man when I killed Zerstor," said Dravus. "Just before that, I saw him dispatch trained guards. I understand the risks."
"Nemm saved your life," said Gallieae. "I would hate to think that the care I gave you was all for nothing."
"I don't plan on dying," said Dravus. "I don't plan on a headstrong rush into danger either. I'm not invincible, I've been made aware of that in the most brutal fashion that I could have imagined. But I need to see this through." He turned to the Bone Warden. "If it's the conspiracy you want, then I'm a useful tool. They'll speak with me, especially because of what I can tell them about Lexari. More than that, if Lexari has been claiming that I'm dead, I can prove that he was lying. And I might be able to talk Nemm out of working for him, if she still is."
"I believe you to be overselling yourself," said the Bone Warden. "Yet the core of the argument, the one laid bare when the pulpy flesh of eager sentimentality is stripped away … well, it would cost me little to send you as well, if I were to send anyone. The only expense would be in the provisions that you would consume."
"I took quite the effort bringing this young man to you," said Gallieae. "I think it likely that he has more worth than just his story." He glanced to Dravus. "I don't mean to tell you your business, but if what you're after is revenge, it's not all it's cracked up to be."
"Not revenge," said Dravus. "Just … a sense of completion."
"I will consider my options," said the Bone Warden. "The two of you are dismissed. I will have Lolly complete the repairs to your body, to the best of her ability."
* * *
Dravus laid back on a bed with Lolly in a chair next to him. She had pulled off his shirt and rolled up his pants, the better to touch and prod his flesh. What Wenaru had done in a matter of seconds took her much longer. She had far less standing than Wenaru did, not to mention that she was almost certainly not a world-renowned expert in the human body. She didn't seem too much older than Dravus was.
"How did you become an illustrati?" asked Dravus while she massaged his calf.
"I was born into it," said Lolly. "The Bone Warden i
s my great-grandmother. Try lifting your leg?"
Dravus did as she asked. The muscle pulled to the right, which Lolly greeted with a frown. "Is it alright if we speak?" asked Dravus. "I would have thought after hours of talking I would be ready for a break, but that doesn't seem to be the case. I think once you're done with my legs, I'm going to run until I collapse. I feel the wind on my face again … I was a runner. I don't know whether you've heard the stories about me, but before I was an illustrati, that's what I did."
"I had heard you were a thief," said Lolly. She smiled when she said it. Dravus winced, though there was no recrimination in her voice.
"I was that too," said Dravus. He sighed. Lolly had him move his leg again, trying to make sure that the muscles were properly anchored. "Do you like being an illustrati?"
"To be honest, I don't really think about it," replied Lolly. "I'm not one of those titanic figures who goes off to war facing down dozens of armed men. I'm not even terribly good at fighting, though I do have some training." She wiggled the fingers on her free hand. "Grappling, naturally. It's difficult for me to work when I'm not directly touching flesh though, so even a layer of fabric could probably stop my assault. But to circle back to your question, I suppose it's better to be an illustrati than not, even if only a minor one." She hesitated slightly. "Which is not to say that your condition is, ah. You know. Lift your leg again?" She was blushing slightly.
