by Eric Vall
“Mountain tours!” hawked one thin woman with a thick stack of pamphlets in one hand. “Exclusive mountain tours for low prices with experienced guides! See all the best spots, any age or experience level!”
“They’re selling guided hikes?” I asked my team in puzzlement.
Varleth nodded. “Count on the rich tourists to buy anything, even if they could easily walk up the mountain on their own two legs.”
“Maybe they’re afraid of bears and wolves,” Layla suggested. “It doesn’t seem crazy to me.”
I snorted. “Bears and wolves don’t eat people unless you get incredibly unlucky.”
“Or if you act stupid,” Cyra added.
The rest of our walk into town went on in that same vein. I marvelled at the things people were willing to sell and buy, and Layla and Erin secretly examined the wares with keen eyes and ready purses.
“They’re such Enclave girls, but it’s cute,” Cyra giggled as Layla stared with wide eyes at a lump of fool’s gold in a shop window.
“It really is charming,” I agreed.
Erin gasped and clasped her hands together as she laid eyes on a halved geode, and its insides glittered with tiny, white crystals.
“Let’s stop there for the night,” I suggested as I pointed to a small inn named Drunken Mule Inn & Baths.
“Very cute,” Cyra said approvingly.
The outside of the inn was simple but in good condition, and the paint looked clean despite the outdated style of the doors and windows. On the inside, the place was even more promising, and a blue arrow painted on the wall indicated that the heated baths were to the left of the main eating area.
We ordered three rooms, one for Varleth and two for the rest of us. Two of the girls would double up while the third would stay with me for the night.
A smile twitched onto my face as I wondered who it would be. Erin, Layla, and Cyra glanced at me with secretive smiles, but they didn’t let on whether a decision had been made.
As we ordered our food, I decided to call a team meeting and figure out what our next steps would be.
“Alright,” I began as I pulled out the map. “Since Gawain skipped out on us and went to the Shadowscape, we have no way to track him or find out where he is. I know we’re all eager to track him down and re-collect the final two ciphers, but we have no leads. I think we should avoid running off after him without a plan, which means we should wait on finding Gawain for a little longer.”
I could tell my words deflated my team’s morale a little, but we knew there was nothing more we could do for him.
“I think the obvious place to go next is Varle,” Varleth said as he leaned forward. “We left behind Nia and Arwyn there, and Orenn, Almasy, and Braden might return anytime.”
“Not to mention those recent political changes,” Layla added, “so they might need our help with leadership just as much as we need their help with Gawain.”
“We also can’t go running around Mistral without Sleet’s support while we miss school,” I said ruefully with a grimace. “We’ve been away for too long, and our allies can’t cover for us forever. By leaving the Academy behind without a formal mission, it’s basically like fleeing the military service.”
“I’m missing all my pilot training, too,” Erin added with a wince. “So, yeah, time to get back.”
“It’s settled, then,” I said. “We can’t pursue Gawain while he’s Maker-knows-where in the Shadowscape, and Varle needs our help just as badly.”
I secretly worried Gawain wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer, but I didn’t let the others know my misgivings. Besides, as I’d already said, what else could we do?
The whole team agreed, and the food arrived just moments later on steaming platters that made us all sigh with delight.
My mouth watered as I tucked into my smoked salmon and roasted mushrooms. It tasted fresh and buttery, and it filled the craving I hadn’t even realized I had. I guessed that was the result of eating nothing but pastries for the past three meals.
“Tourist town food really is better,” Cyra sighed as she chewed happily on a mouthful of seared lamb chop.
I had to agree, the cook here even gave Maron in Ralor’s Stead a run for his money. The dishes seemed like a pretty even balance between the fancy meals at the Academy and the homespun ones from small towns in the Wilds.
When we finished our meals, we wandered off to the baths with our cleanest clothes in hand.
Reluctantly, I waved goodbye to the girls at the divide between the men’s and women’s baths. Varleth and I would have to go this one alone.
My disappointment didn’t last long, however. Steam rose from the twin hot soaking tubs set into the room’s floor. Fluffy blue towels awaited us in rows along the walls, and the soap was creamy and smelled like wildflowers. The water itself gave off a distinct earthy, mineral smell that I found pleasant, even if it did remind me a little of eggs.
“Why’s it smell like this?” I asked Varleth curiously.
“Sulfur compounds in the natural hot spring,” he answered with a shrug. “They do everything natural around here, I assume, with none of the Academy’s magic and crystal technology to help out.”
“Huh,” I marvelled. “It really does come out of the ground pretty hot.”
We basked in the steam and let our muscles relax. I nearly fell asleep, but I shook myself awake hurriedly. It’d be a shame if I escaped monsters and Archons only to drown in a tub.
When the bath was over, I dried myself off with a fluffy towel and reclothed myself. Then I waved goodbye to Varleth and meandered up to the room I’d booked.
When I opened the door, Cyra was already inside. She waved at me from the small table and chair set up beside the window for guest use.
“Wow,” I commented as I came to stand next to her. “You’re already taking a crack at the ciphers?”
The four we’d recovered were spread out on the wood alongside the books, and Cyra scribbled in a leather-bound journal with a quill as she finished jotting something down.
“I’m not very academic,” she admitted as she pointed her quill feather at the journal in front of her, “but I’ve always liked puzzles, even though I don’t know much about history or language. I figured even somebody like me should give it a shot, just in case.”
I smiled as I brushed a hand along her shoulder. “I think it’s a great idea. I don’t know what kind of person you think you are, but I think you’re a talented, intelligent mage with a fantastic eye for detail.”
She flushed and looked away. “Come on, Gryff, be real.”
“I’m serious,” I said. “I think the only one who doesn’t realize you’re smart is you. I don’t know who forgot to tell you that, but it’s true.”
She blinked and turned to me with soft eyes and a small smile, but she looked away again. “In some ways, Gryff, we’re a lot alike.”
“We are,” I agreed with a wink. “Both of us worked in the Wilds, and both of us managed to get along with Maelor.”
She laughed even as she shook her head. “Not just that. I know I told you I was born in Kalgon’quin Enclave. The reality is that I lived there for barely any time before both of my parents died.”
“We’re both orphans,” I said softly as I considered what her life may have been like.
She smiled brightly. “So, we both know it’s not as bad as it sounds. I think I’ve led a truly happy, lucky life. A priest and his wife took me in and raised me until I was about nine years old. After that, I apprenticed to a summoner and travelled the Wilds as her apprentice.”
“Was she good to you?” I asked hesitantly.
“Oh yes,” Cyra said, “very good. She was old when she took me in, however, and she died not too long after I took off on my own.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said.
Cyra shook her head. “Don’t be. I’m happy being my own person, and I’m glad I was raised by such nice people. I’m sure you know that same gratitude.”
&
nbsp; “I do,” I agreed. “There’s no reason for anybody I meet to act like I’ve had less.”
Cyra leaned in and put her head on my shoulder. “Exactly. Kalon, you, and all our other friends are my family now.”
At the mention of Kalon’s name, the silver dragon squeaked and peeked her thin snout out from behind Cyra’s mane of hair.
We laughed at the little dragon’s timing and gave her plenty of petting to reward her for her patience during our conversation.
“We’d better get back to the ciphers,” Cyra said happily. “Thank you for listening, though.”
I nodded and kissed her on the forehead. “Of course. I’m glad you opened up. I never knew all this about you, but it makes us closer than ever before.”
She smiled with white teeth and full lips as her eyes sparkled, and the sight of it made my breath catch in my throat. It took all my willpower to force my attention away to the research in front of us.
As we puzzled over the ciphers, the night wore on, and the hours crept past. Cyra seemed too determined to find answers, and she never glanced toward the bed.
I was just happy to be with her, and more than happy to avoid another night of Sera’s disturbing dreams.
I couldn’t parse much from the ciphers in front of us, and the linguistics of it slid away from the grasp of my tired mind. I ended up helping Cyra more with the history side of things, since I’d done so much reading as a child, and history had been one of my favorites. She pried apart the logic of each sentence with a mathematical tact that escaped me. In turn, I provided context for the old turns of phrase or historical references we found scattered throughout the old books.
By the end of the night, the smattering of translated letters on the page seemed like hardly an accomplishment to any outsider, but Cyra and I were proud. We’d proven to ourselves that our Wilds upbringings were a worthy match against any Enclave scholar’s abilities.
“I’m so tired,” Cyra finally said with a yawn as she crawled into bed. Then she kicked off her skirt and wriggled out of her shirt with tired determination.
“I don’t even know if I can sleep,” I said through an enormous yawn. “I really don’t want to watch Sera’s nightmares anymore.”
Cyra’s eyes traveled from my face down to my hips. “I can think of a few things to do that’ll help you sleep.”
I grinned and pulled the tawny-skinned woman close to me as I kissed along the crook of her neck.
“Can Sera see us?” Cyra asked with an amused quirk to her lips.
“Not entirely sure, but she doesn’t seem to care most of the time,” I admitted. “I can’t get her to talk to me when she doesn’t want to.”
Cyra let out a pleased hum as her hand traveled over my chest and down to my waist.
“I don’t think I’d care if she saw anyway,” Cyra said teasingly. “She should know you don’t belong to her.”
I smiled and ran a hand along her hips. “Then I think I’ll have to take you up on that offer.”
Chapter 14
In the morning, a knock at the door awakened Cyra and me from our deep, exhausted sleep.
“Hnn?” Cyra muttered as she stretched and groaned. “Didn’t we fall asleep like an hour ago?”
“It could’ve been,” I said, but I wasn’t too upset. I was just glad I hadn’t been bothered by any nightmares from Sera.
“Wakeup call here,” rumbled the innkeeper through the door in a muffled voice. “You asked to be woken up two hours before the airship departure for Varle.”
“Thanks!” I shouted back.
The innkeeper departed on heavy boots before I heard him knock at the room next to ours. That would be Varleth's, if I remembered our room assignments correctly.
“Oh, no,” I realized, “do you think he heard us last night?”
“Only if he listened through several hours of translating before that,” Cyra said with a snicker as she got up to do her morning stretches.
I chuckled and tried not to stare at her ass as she raised one leg to loosen the muscles in her thighs. Then she pressed her chest down along the length of her calf in an impressive display of flexibility that reminded me of the moves she’d shown last night.
I grinned as she transitioned into a new pose that arched her back and showed off her perfect, round breasts.
“I feel like these aren’t usually done naked,” I said in a strained voice.
“Want me to stop?” Cyra asked with a wink as she stretched her arms over her head. The muscles in her stomach flexed tantalizingly as she twisted to look at me.
I cleared my throat with some difficulty. “Nope, let the show continue. I’ll just be over here, getting dressed and drooling.”
“Cute,” she giggled.
I stayed true to my word and somehow managed to get myself in a presentable state within a few minutes.
When Cyra and I went downstairs, we met the rest of the team already at the table as they chowed down on bacon and grilled cheese sandwiches.
Two plates were conspicuously untouched, and my stomach growled loudly as I locked my eyes on the food.
“This looks amazing,” Cyra exclaimed as we took our seats.
“Hurry up and eat,” Varleth warned. “We need to leave for the airship in fifteen minutes. Next one isn’t bound for Varle until tomorrow.”
“Sure thing, mom,” Layla snarked back with a cheeky grin.
The gypsy rolled his eyes. “Somebody has to keep track of time. Gryff’s tired because he didn’t do a good job of that last night.”
Three pairs of teasing eyes turned to stare at me.
I swallowed my bite of bacon. “What? Cyra and I were up late translating the ciphers.”
“Good cover story,” Erin complimented. “I’d keep that one.”
“It’s true,” I complained, but no good comeback came to mind.
Cyra covered her mouth out of embarrassment as she laughed, but she seemed pretty pleased with the situation.
We finished breakfast with minutes to spare and hustled down the busy streets to the airship. It was scheduled to leave at precisely nine in the morning, a fact which Varleth was sure to remind us of whenever anybody glanced at a shop window for a moment or two.
The airship itself was huge, but I was surprised to see it wasn’t emblazoned with the military emblem or any other official marking.
“This is a private ship?” I asked in surprise as I stared at the enormous wings that stretched to either side of the craft.
“Sure is,” Erin responded. “Lots of very wealthy tourists are happy to pay for luxury like this.”
“This is going to cost us a fortune,” I said mournfully.
“I’m sure somebody will eventually reimburse us,” Cyra comforted with a hand on my arm.
It did end up costing us a fortune, but I still found myself appreciating the luxury. The interior was beautiful, with dark wood trim artfully placed to simulate a real building, and it contrasted nicely with the cream canvas and plaster throughout the rest of the ship. The seats were plush, and the safety belts were silky smooth. After a while, I barely even noticed I was wearing safety straps at all.
I used the opportunity to lean back and get some desperately needed sleep, and Cyra did the same on my other side.
My dreams started off normally enough, and I slept peacefully through some vague images of the ciphers as my sleeping mind tried to deconstruct the puzzle.
Then things took an interesting turn. The ciphers disappeared and transitioned to a gray, indistinct fog.
Quite the show you gave me last night, Sera said with a seductive lilt to her voice. Though that amount of pleasure is nothing compared to what I can show you.
A pleasant thrill snaked through my body, and I gasped in the dream.
Sera stepped forward from the fog, and she looked exactly as I’d seen her in the crystal caves. Her black wings curved over her sleek body and trailed near her ankles as she walked teasingly toward me.
“Whatever yo
u’re selling, I’m not buying,” I warned her.
She smiled and walked closer. “Gryff, you deserve to know what you’re missing.” She trailed a hand over my stomach, and a thrill of desire shot through me.
I seized her hand and narrowed my eyes. “Not happening.”
Sera sighed. “If you say so. I’m sure you remember our kiss, however. Imagine a bliss like that, but magnified a hundred times over.”
She fluttered her lashes seductively and swayed her hips against mine.
I caught my breath as amazing, blinding ecstasy shot through me from my toes to my head.
My jaw clenched as I glared at her. “I know Phi is a devious sack of shit, but I’m inclined to believe her on a few things. She doesn’t like you. She thinks you are dangerous.”
“My sister doesn’t know the first thing about me,” Sera purred as she shook her head. “Besides, I’d never hurt anybody you cared about. I could even promise their safety, if you just gave up to me willingly.”
I pushed the Archon away as I glared at her. “If you knew me better, you’d know not to bargain with their lives so casually.”
Sera blinked slowly, and the mechanical motion of it reminded me of a viper coiled to strike.
“What about if I could help you save your friend, Gawain?” she asked.
I narrowed my gaze suspiciously. “What do you mean?”
She smiled and gave me a secretive, side-eyed look. “You don’t think Phi’s the only one who can open portals into the Shadowscape, do you?”
I stared at her wordlessly for a moment before I asked, “You can get us into the Shadowscape to find him?”
“Only if you let me take over your body for a little bit,” she responded with a wink.
My face fell. “Not going to happen.”
She tilted her head, and for a moment, I thought she was going to attack me. The fathomless depths of her yellow eyes were emotionless and alien, as cold as the moon on a winter night.
