by Guy Antibes
Helen forced her way through to the door from which the priests had emerged and had them wait for the priests to return to the tower. Jack thought that was a good idea until he saw one of the priests head for a different tower door. He ran to the priestess and stopped her.
“Might I have a word?”
“The service is over,” the woman said, a little testily.
“I am on a mission to retrieve Grishel’s Feather, and I need your help.”
“To steal one of our holy relics?”
“I’d be happy to borrow it. My master is ill with a magical illness, and he has tasked me to bring Grishel’s Feather to heal him and the village that has also been stricken.”
The woman peered at Jack and said. “Follow me.”
By the time they reached the door where the priestess was headed, Penny and Helen had caught up to him.
“My fellow travelers,” Jack said.
The priestess looked at both of them out of the corner of her eye and nodded curtly as she said a spell word under her breath that Jack couldn’t quite hear and opened the door, letting them in ahead of her.
She uttered another word once the door was shut.
“I’ve never seen a magical lock quite like that,” Jack said.
“You are young and have much to see,” the woman said breezily. “Follow.”
The priestess led them down a stairway to a foyer beneath the cathedral floor and into a meeting room.
Chapter Nine
~
“N ow,” the woman said, folding her hands once everyone had sat. “What is this about Grishel’s Feather? Few outside of the priesthood know of the relic.”
Penny told the story.
“Who is Fasher Tempest?” the priestess asked once Penny finished.
“He is the wizard healer of Raker Falls,” Penny said.
“He was the owner of the Serpent’s Orb. Have you heard of that?” Jack was hoping she would.
“A relic of Alderach.” The woman sat back and took off her feathered headdress. She ran her head over her tightly bound hair that ended in a bun. “If he owns it, he must be powerful.”
“He raised me from the dead,” Penny said.
“Or almost dead,” Jack said.
“I will tell you what I know of the feather. If you retrieve one, you must promise to return it to me.”
“We will return the feather to a priest of Grishel,” Helen said. “Is that acceptable? We don’t know of the location of the feather. We must retrieve it and rush to the west coast at all speed.”
“That is acceptable. Did this Tempest give you any indication where the feather might be?”
Jack told about Myra Pulini. “Do you know where the Ullori monastery is?”
“I don’t, but I can find out. If you would stay here for a few moments, I will have refreshments brought in along with a priest who would be happy to answer any questions you have about Grishel.” She stood, grabbed her headdress, and left them.
Jack didn’t have any questions, but if they had to endure some proselytizing as payment for the directions to the monastery, he was all for it. Jack knew a bargain when he saw one.
“Grishelian priests are a hospitable lot,” Helen said. “The priestess carries arrogance that command produces in any person, but I liked her directness. Directness doesn’t always mean truthfulness.”
“No, but what are our options?” Jack said. “She could have ignored me. In fact, she was about to until I mentioned Grishel’s Feather.”
“At least we know it is real,” Penny said.
Helen burned Penny with her glare. “Fasher wouldn’t send us on this errand if it wasn’t real.”
Penny shrunk back a bit. She kept quiet until the door opened.
A younger man, without a feathered headdress, walked in and sat down, carrying a tray of four goblets and pastries.
“I am Ferrio Lorina,” the priest said. “Our archpriestess told me to entertain you while she checks on some information. Have some fruit juice.”
“Do you want it iced?” Jack asked.
“What does ‘iced’ mean?”
“I’ll show you,” Jack said. He used his blue bracer to put a layer of ice on top of the goblet just like he had done at the hot springs crossroad in Corand.
“A wizard. Can you teach me the spell?”
“Unfortunately, it requires an object of power.” Jack lifted his bracer. “I haven’t figured out how this one works for others.”
“The wrist guards must have cost you a lot of money,” Ferrio said.
“They were a gift from a very powerful lady,” Jack said.
“There is a story behind that?”
“Yes,” Helen said. “But we are here to talk about Grishel.”
“Ah,” Ferrio said as he took a sip of the iced fruit juice. “This is actually quite good.”
“Don’t ask me where the water comes from,” Jack said.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say it is an Eldoran spell from Tesoria.”
“You don’t know any better, but that is where it came from,” Jack said.
“But it is a long story.”
“It is,” Jack said. “So what is Grishel all about?”
“His aspect is the hawk, as you might have surmised. We wear headdresses, although the feathers do not come from hawks, they actually come from white geese. Those we can dye any color we wish. Colors denote rank in the Grishelian priesthood.”
“What does Grishel’s power come from?”
Ferrio shrugged. “Where does any god’s power come from? It is one of the mysteries. Where does your magic come from? We would like to think we know, but alas, we don’t. Grishel is supposed to have power over the wind; Eldora is water; Alderach is life; Takia, the Lajian goddess, is fire; and Borigore’s is earth. Those are the local gods surrounding Corand, and since Virora is close to Corand, those are the ones I know. There are others worshipped in other countries, but most are variations of the ones I just mentioned.”
“I didn’t know about Borigore,” Jack said.
“At the present, Kadellia is not a nice place to live, I hear,” Ferrio took another sip.
“What is your worship like?”
“I presume you attended the sermon today? We do that every day. The archpriests share the duties.”
“The voice amplification is a spell?” Penny asked.
“It is. Grishel’s Voice, we call it. It is a wind spell. We have prayer services on Grishel’s Day. You call it Alderach’s Day or something, I think.”
“We do,” Helen said. “You pray for Grishel’s intervention in your lives?”
“Of course. Intervention is what gods are expected to do, although, in actual fact, true intervention rarely happens. There is a rumor of an intervention by Eldora during the recent Tesorian unpleasantness. Could it be you were there when it happened?”
Jack nodded. “We can attest that it was a true intervention, since we were in Gameton at the time. Intervention was needed, that was for sure.”
“Part of your story?”
“Yes,” Helen said. “What do you know about Grishel’s Feather?”
“Are you seeking the relic?” Ferrio asked.
“We are. Your archpriestess is out finding the location of the Ullori monastery,” Jack said.
“Oh. I’ve never heard of it, but I am from Fassira. The monasteries are mostly in remote areas of Passoran. I suppose monasteries are better for contemplation. I’m not a contemplator,” Ferrio said, smiling.
Jack was expecting an earnest priest seeking to convert them to Grishel worship, but Jack got the impression that Ferrio was a guy with more time on his hands than he should have.
The door opened, and the archpriestess walked in with another priest carrying a rolled-up parchment.
“We have located the monastery. It is to the south of us, but there is a problem,” the woman said. “It is a refuge for a different Grishelian sect. We can’t give you access to the monastery.
For that, you will have to travel to the capital and seek out the eagle sect’s church.
“They worship an eagle aspect of Grishel?” Helen asked.
The man unrolling the map nodded. “Their Grishel’s Feather is supposedly an eagle feather, not from a hawk. It is a problem for us, theologically.” He placed the map face down on the table. “We understand it can’t be removed from their church.”
“So you won’t be wanting that feather?” Jack asked.
The archpriestess stared at Jack. “You are too bright for your own good, but you are right. We would prefer that you take the feather to Corand.”
“And that becomes a condition before I show you where we think the monastery is,” the man said.
Helen shrugged. “It simplifies things for us. We won’t have to return to Passoran.” The mercenary looked at Penny and Jack. “We can take a southern pass and get to Tanner more quickly.”
“I suggest you leave as soon as you can then,” the archpriestess said. “We have one more condition before the map is turned over. We want you to take Ferrio with you. He will return to tell us you have been successful. The eagle sect will refuse to communicate with us.”
“It doesn’t matter to me as long as Ferrio has a horse to ride,” Helen said.
“I can get one,” Ferrio said. Jack could hear the eagerness in his voice. He didn’t know if the priest would be a help or a hindrance.
“Do you know any magic?” Penny asked.
“Magic?” Ferrio’s face blushed. “I know a bit. We have the same Third Manipulation restriction all other priesthoods do.”
“Why is that?” Jack asked the archpriestess. The renegade patriarch that Jack met in his quest to find the Serpent’s Orb operated without restriction, but he was also expelled from the Alderachean church.
“Laws laid down long ago among the gods, or so we have been told. The gods will not interact with wizards who can perform Fourth or Fifth Manipulation level spells.”
Jack knew that to be false since he knew a few spells at those levels and had a personal relationship with Eldora, the water goddess. There had to be something else, but he had no idea what it was unless he was a special case. He always shuddered when he was forced to think of himself as uniquely powerful.
“That didn’t really answer Penny’s question,” Jack asked. “Are you competent in performing up to the Third Manipulation?”
Ferrio looked at the archpriestess and the man with the map. “Competent enough. I will show you when we are on the road. It is not polite for outsiders to perform magic within the cathedral, your one spell excluded, of course”
The archpriestess sighed. “He is right enough about that. Take him, and he will show you what he has. It is likely greater than anything you two have learned.”
Ferrio lifted his goblet to Jack and smiled conspiratorially.
“Fine,” Jack said, cutting off the priest before he attempted to explain Jack’s ability to create ice. He had no idea what level manipulation was involved with his bracers, but it was powerful magic, to be sure. On the surface, the edges of his bracers were objects of power storing First Manipulation magic, but there was no way that Jack could see how a thin colored edge would produce copious amounts of water and ice. “We will take him,” he said, trying to curtail any further conversation.
Jack rose. “Helen knows the name of the inn. You can meet us there in two hours. Some of us have to resupply.” Jack meant he needed to acquire new weapons and more clothes.
Helen smirked at Jack and rose as well. Penny grabbed two of the pastries and put them in a pocket in her robes before standing.
“Ferrio can show you out.”
“After we see the map,” Helen said.
The older priest smiled. “Of course.” He flipped the map over.
“Penny, make sure you remember what is on the map,” Jack said. “It never hurts to have two sources of information.”
She had proven that she had a much better memory than Jack did, but Jack could see the Ullori monastery was just north of Raker Falls, if on the other side of the mountainous boundary between Corand and Passoran. He noticed a few thin lines that moved through the mountains over to Corand. One of those would be the trail they would take to save Tanner, saving days of travel compared to returning via Bartonsee.
The man rolled up the map. “That should be enough. The rest is up to you. Ferrio will be your guide.”
“Even though he hasn’t been south before,” Helen said. She raised her hand to forestall any protest. “We will take good care of him.” Helen gave Ferrio a stern look. “Two hours. Don’t be late.”
Chapter Ten
~
J ack strolled down the aisle of the weapons shop he had passed earlier on the way to the cathedral. There were no blades that matched what he had lost to Myra Pulini on the way to Virora. He picked up a serviceable used sword and knife. They would have to do until they reached Fassira, the capital. He hoped he would find something better there.
A few doors down was a clothing shop. He bought one more outfit and hoped that the inn had finished washing the castoff clothing he brought with him to Virora. Everything would have to do. As soon as he secured the feather, it would be nonstop traveling to Raker Falls and on to the seaside village where Fasher was. He hoped they would make it back to Corand in time. He had no idea if his copper rods would keep the illness in check for Tanner. Somehow he didn’t doubt that Fasher could keep everyone alive until the feather came, but the feather was the cure.
He made it to the inn and put the clothing and supplies in his bags. He didn’t have time to spar with Penny or Helen since Ferrio arrived and it was time to move out. Helen wanted to get out of Virora without any further interference. Jack realized after they had passed through the eastern gate that they had no time to get any information on Myra Pulini.
Ferrio seemed to be in good spirits.
“You decided not to travel as a priest?”
The man laughed. He was probably five or six years older than Jack and Penny. “We don’t travel in our garb except for some of the archpriests. It’s good to get out again. I’ve been cooped up in that cathedral for three years.”
“You will return after you’ve witnessed us riding away with Grishel’s Feather?” Helen asked.
“That is my task. I’ll earn an instant promotion when I return from doing the cathedral a service. Winning is good when both sides benefit. Don’t you agree?”
“I do,” Helen said.
Ferrio’s spirits were positive when he brought them refreshments, but he was elated now. Jack wondered if he could play a prank on him. It would test to see how good-natured he really was. He smiled. Somewhere between Virora and Fassira. Once they were headed to the monastery, Helen would be driving them, and that was how Jack wanted it. It would be best to get a measure of Ferrio before any crisis came. Myra Pulini was still at large, and she had his prized weapons.
“What is the terrain like to Fassira?” Helen asked.
Jack rode closer to the pair to hear Ferrio’s answer.
The capital isn’t a water city like Virora. It sits in the middle of a plain. There is a river, but the city is on the south side, and no one is allowed to build across the water. From here to there are gently rolling hills for the most part. An eruption of rocky terrain splits the distance. The jumbles, as we call them, are a haven for thieves and ne’er-do-wells, but the king keeps the road well patrolled. We won’t have to worry.”
Which meant they had to worry, knowing their luck. Myra and her henchmen might be working in the area. One part of Jack hoped they would be attacked so he could retrieve his weapons. He didn’t care about the rest.
Ferrio was full of stories, and he effortlessly kept Penny, and sometimes Helen, occupied with them. Jack had heard much the same kind of tales in the pub in Raker Falls. He had stories of his own, and Ferrio had no interest in sharing the limelight. Jack was fine with that since Helen had heard or participated in most of what Jack
would relate, and that took all the fun out of stretching the tales a bit.
They spent the night in a large inn that sat in the middle of a stretch of fields along both sides of the road.
“The fields are owned by Fassirian nobles. The inn is needed as a waypoint, but no other commercial or residential establishments are permitted for miles on either side,” Ferrio said as they reached the large stable yard.
There were plenty of stable boys ready to help them with their horses. Jack looked at a separate building between the inn and the stables. It looked like a dormitory of some kind with servants coming in and out. He guessed the staff would have to live on the inn grounds, if there weren’t any villages around. The Passoranians did things differently, he guessed.
The inn had a dining room for the more genteel trade, but the common room was much nicer than usual. Jack wondered what travelers with less means would do for lodgings. He noticed that the copses and woods that generally popped up along the road had been missing for some miles as they approached the inn.
They assembled in the common room, so Jack asked Ferrio about poorer people traveling between Virora and Fassira.
“They can sleep on the side of the road, but then they risk being roused by the road guards that patrol often enough. There is a barracks in the back with inexpensive rooms.”
“Where the servants live?”
Ferrio nodded. “They aren’t allowed to eat inside the inn, but they can buy meal packets from the kitchen along with jugs of ale and water.”
“I didn’t notice such a thing in Virora,” Penny said.
“Fassira is different than Virora. The Fassirans look down on us for our Corandian-influenced culture.”
“The classes are separated in Fassira?”
Ferrio grimaced. “That they are. There are living zones in the city.”
“Like the rings in Dorkansee?” Jack asked.
