Restart Again: Volume 2

by Adam Ladner Scott

  “Of course,” I smiled graciously. Hearing her name, Lia stood from her seat by the fire and joined me at the edge of camp, and the three of us walked back to Marin’s wagon. We retrieved our things and wished Marin goodnight, then returned to the fireside and spread out our bedrolls side by side.

  “Just like old times,” Lia sighed wistfully as she removed her sword belt, “although I’m not nearly as exhausted and sore from training as I was back then.”

  “You’d better enjoy it while it lasts. We’re going to have to train twice as hard to make up for all of these missed days,” I teased.

  She flopped backwards onto her bedroll with a laughing groan. I joined her on the ground and began to prepare for sleep, removing my belt, boots, and cloak. There was a rush of freezing air across my body as the cloak left my shoulders, and I quickly slid beneath my thin blanket as I tossed the cloak to Lia. She let out a soft gasp of excitement and immediately wrapped herself up, disappearing inside the thick black fabric momentarily before her face poked out from beneath the deep hood with a satisfied smile. I laughed as I shivered against the night air, scooting closer to her for warmth.

  “So, what was it you really talked about with Val?” she asked, extending a hand out from the cloak to grab mine.

  “I tried to convince her to leave out as many details about us as possible in her report to the King tomorrow,” I answered. “If Virram finds out how powerful we really are, I have no doubt that he’ll try to convince us to serve him permanently, either through bribes or through force.” Frustrated, I rubbed my eyes and sighed. “It’s not that I think Val would purposely say something to get us in trouble, she’s just so stupidly loyal to him. I don’t get it.”

  “I’m sure she has her reasons...but I know what you mean.” Her amber eyes gleamed brightly in the flickering firelight as she regarded me with a smile. “Whatever happens tomorrow, we’ll face it together. Whether King Virram says we’re free to go or not doesn’t matter; nothing is getting in the way of our adventures anymore.”

  Her confidence made me grin. “You’re right. He saw what happened when he tried to ‘teach me a lesson’ last time. I doubt he’ll do something that stupid again.” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, savoring the smell of the fire against the cold air as I tried to purge the worry from my mind. “Now that you’ve had some time to think about it, where would you like to go for our first trip?”

  “I haven’t decided yet,” she said, rolling onto her back and staring up into the night sky. “I figured we could spend some time with my parents before we left, seeing as we don’t know how long we’ll be gone after that.”

  “Oh, that’s a great idea. What I wouldn’t give for one of your mother’s home-cooked meals right about now,” I said, rubbing my stomach longingly. “Plus, we’ll be able to see how Marin and your father get along. We definitely can’t miss that.”

  “That’s for sure,” she giggled. We fell into a comfortable silence, interrupted only by the occasional crackle of the small campfire beside us. After having slept for nearly three straight days I was nowhere near tired, and the lingering stress of our upcoming encounter with the King would have kept me awake regardless, but I was happy to spend any time I could with Lia. Eventually she yawned, arching her back in a dramatic, satisfying stretch. “I guess it’s time for bed.”

  I nodded. “You’ll want to be nice and rested for tomorrow. Whatever happens, I’m sure it’ll be interesting.”

  Lia curled up tighter beneath my cloak and balled up the hood under her head for a pillow. “You probably won’t get much sleep tonight, huh?”

  “Yeah, I’d say I’ve had my fill of sleeping for now, but it’s a good chance for me to catch up on my meditation.” I propped myself up on my elbow and leaned over to kiss her on the forehead. “I love you, Lia.”

  She gave my fingers a tight squeeze before withdrawing her arm into the warmth of my cloak. “I love you, too.”

  I rolled onto my back and began my standard breathing routine as the mana gently started to flow around my body. After my careful days of recovery, it felt as though the energy was practically overflowing from my core, ready and eager to be channeled and expended again. Happy to oblige, I pushed the mana out along the ground around me, and the world inside my head buzzed to life with neon lights. The scene expanded quickly from my place with Lia by the fire out to the wagons where Marin and the Strategist both slept, then further out to the surrounding countryside.

  Although the light wasn’t nearly as vibrant as when we had first met, Val’s shield still stood out like a beacon in the night. She stood at the top of a small hill overlooking the road we were to follow at first light, scanning her eyes slowly across the treeline on the horizon. Apart from the minute movements of her eyes and the dim flashes of violet mana that occasionally circulated through her core, it would have been easy to mistake her for a long-forgotten monument. When I found that she had no intentions of moving, I pushed my attention out farther to see how far my Detection could reach.

  I felt an exhilarating rush as the world shifted around me. My mana bolted along the ground, scanning out to the forest edge that Val watched and even further beyond. As my reach extended, the finer details of my surroundings began to blur out of focus, and a dull ache grew in the center of my forehead. It was an issue I hadn’t encountered since my early experiments with Detection magic: my mind couldn’t process the sheer amount of information that my mana was relaying back to me. While I could have activated my Combat Acceleration to keep up with the overwhelming data flow, I chose to instead pull the energy back and relax.

  As the world began to retract towards me, I noticed Val had turned from her place atop the hill and begun the trip back towards camp. Her casual pace down the hill quickened as she moved, and before long she was running full tilt towards the treeline. At the last possible moment she primed her shield arm and launched herself forward, smashing the nearest tree into a cloud of splinters. A few moments later, the dull smack echoed over camp, just loud enough to discern over the ambient noises of the countryside.

  Her brash assault against the tree continued with a series of strikes from both her shield and her heavily armored offhand, smashing large chunks of wood out from its base until it began to sway perilously above her. After a final, brutal punch, she leaned forward against the mangled trunk and panted heavily, her chest heaving from the exertion. Her lips moved as she spoke silently to the clearing, and her face twitched with the effort of holding back a clearly powerful emotion.

  I withdrew my mana all at once, suddenly ashamed of spying on what Val clearly considered to be a private moment. While it wasn’t nearly as strong as my connection with Lia, I had gleaned a faint sense of what she was feeling through the Detection magic: there was an overwhelming storm of anger and dread which resonated strongly with my own emotions about the approaching meeting with Virram, but a pervading feeling of loss and sadness caught me off guard. What did she lose?

  I lost track of time as I laid sleeplessly in my bedroll, plagued by the unanswered question. Val returned to camp with her placid, stone faced demeanor restored at some point in the night; after a quick check to ensure Marin was sleeping safely, she returned to the driver’s bench of her wagon and propped herself up in the corner just out of view from my position by the fire. As worried and curious as I was about her emotional state, I refrained from using Detection again out of respect for her privacy.

  The sound of morning birds calling back and forth through the trees came far too soon for my liking. Begrudgingly, I rose in the predawn light and gently woke Lia before starting the process of breaking camp. Our morning rituals proceeded without deviation: Val took care of the Strategist while the rest of us prepared the horses and carts for travel. After a light breakfast, we returned to our wagons and set out on the final leg of our journey.

  Marin’s estimate of the remaining distance to Tolamar proved accurate, and we arrived at the crossroads while the morning sun still h
ung low in the sky. “Tell my parents that we’ll be home as soon as our business in the city is finished!” Lia said to Marin, giving her a hug. “And good luck with your meeting! I’m sure you’ll work something out with my father.”

  “Don’t let Marten give you a hard time,” I advised her with a wry smile. “He might seem harmless, but he’s had years of practice getting under Lia’s skin.” Lia elbowed me in the ribs, and the three of us shared a laugh.

  “I know all about dealing with difficult people,” Marin said confidently. “Speaking of which…” she paused, standing up on the driver’s bench and cupping her hands around her mouth. “You’d better come visit me as soon as possible, Val! And tell Mom and Dad that I’m back, too!”

  With our goodbyes finished, Lia and I gathered our things and waved goodbye to Marin as she drove off down the dirt road towards Tolamar. When she had disappeared from sight, Lia joined Val on the front bench while I sat across from the Strategist in the back. He met my eyes as I first entered the wagon, regarding me with the cold, calculating stare I had come to expect from him, but he closed his eyes and rested his head against the bench behind him as soon as our journey continued.

  It wasn’t long before the great stained-glass window of the Golden Throne came into view on the horizon, looming over the city walls from its central hill. The sight immediately set me on edge, flooding my mind with memories from my time in Yoria. Jack and Porks. Melrose and Sherman. The dungeon. King Virram. Lia. I paused for a moment as the events replayed over again in my head. It was worth it.

  The road grew busier the instant we passed the intersection to Tolamar, but the traffic never slowed our pace. Without fail, everyone we encountered immediately made way for our wagon, oftentimes with shouts of praise and adoration for the Commander of the Trinity Guard. Val acknowledged each one with a curt nod or a small wave, to their great delight; by the time we had reached the city walls, we had amassed a large following of onlookers vying for a brief moment of her attention. Much to my great relief, the covering of the wagon prevented them from seeing any trace of me or the prisoner held inside.

  Our trip took us down an unfamiliar path, driving parallel with the stone walls of Yoria as we circled to the city’s proper entrance. When we finally reached our destination, a small gate marked with the Golden Throne insignia and flanked by guards, we found it already open and expecting us. At the loud insistence of the commanding guard of the gatehouse we were separated from Val’s adoring fans, and we entered the city alone. The wheels of our wagon clattered and jumped over the stone street beneath us, reminding me once again of my first trip to the keep.

  Scanning ahead, I noticed that certain streets were beginning to fill with civilians clamoring over one another to catch a glimpse of our wagon. It became clear to me that Val’s celebrity status was much higher than I had initially thought; not only were people excited just for the chance to see her, but they also knew exactly where to stand to do so, indicating that it was an at least semi-regular occurrence. I was able to easily plot our path through the streets up to the keep, where a large crowd had gathered around the entrance courtyard. It seems that word travels fast in Yoria.

  A bolstered guard presence kept our path to the keep clear, and we arrived in the courtyard without incident. As Val drove the wagon up to the base of a long set of stairs that led to the main doors, I came to a long-delayed realization: instead of using a guard entrance like the one Savitz had brought us to as prisoners, Val intended to parade the Strategist up the steps in front of the entire city as a trophy. Maybe a bit of humiliation will do him some good. A smirk spread across my face as I stared across the wagon at him, picturing the news of his arrest spreading across the country like wildfire.

  Val appeared through the flaps at the back of the wagon, stepping up to unlock the Strategist’s shackles from the bench seat. Once she had him prepared for his procession, she turned to me and nodded. “Follow me.”

  When we emerged from the back of the cart a chorus of gasps interrupted the chatter around us, and the courtyard fell into stunned silence as both onlookers and guards gaped at who had emerged. The world around us took a collective pause before bursting into uproarious applause.

  Lia appeared at my side and took my hand in both of hers, standing close behind me. Her wide eyes glistened as she took in the celebrations surrounding us. “This is all for you,” I whispered in her ear. “They might not know it, but they’re cheering for all of the incredible work you did in Attetsia.”

  “The work that we did,” she corrected softly.

  I scoffed as we began our trip up the stone staircase. “You did all of the hard stuff. Your battle with the General is the sort of thing they write songs about, you know.” I tapped my chin thoughtfully. “What do you think they’ll call you? Marlia the Brave? Marlia the Tenacious? That doesn’t really roll off the tongue, but I think—”

  “Stop that,” she snapped playfully, butting me with her shoulder. “We all stopped the Company together.” She did her best to put on a serious face, but her flushed cheeks and beaming smile betrayed her true emotions.

  The noise of the crowd began to fade behind us as we ascended the stairs to the keep. “Once we are inside, I will personally escort the prisoner to his holding cell. I will hold an audience with the King immediately afterward to give my full accounting of our mission,” Val explained. “While I can make no guarantees, I will do my best to ensure your debriefing follows shortly after mine. You will receive your payment, after which you will be free to go.”

  “Thank you,” I nodded.

  “In the meantime, please stay within the keep. Your imperial writ will give you access to any amenity you need, within reason,” she continued. “The armory, bathouse, dining hall and laundry are open, to name a few. I will send for you when the time comes.”

  Lia let out a longing sigh. “I can’t remember the last time I took a hot bath.” She held the long braid of her jet black hair out in front of her and stared down at it, deep in thought.

  As we approached the stone double doors, I placed a hand on Val’s shoulder. “Thank you again, Val. For everything.”

  She removed her hand from the door and turned to us. “Lia, Lux. Despite the grave circumstances, I enjoyed our time together immensely. I wish you nothing but good fortune in the years to come.”

  “Awww, Val!” Lia said tearfully, hopping forward to hug her around the waist. “I’m gonna miss you!”

  “I am sure we will see each other again someday,” Val replied, giving her a gentle pat on the shoulder. Lia nodded, stepping back and wiping her face with the back of her hand. Val watched us both quietly with a measured, inscrutable look for a long moment, then turned back to the doors. “It is time.”

  As soon as the door opened, the world burst into a frenzy of movement. We were immediately met by a swarm of guards, couriers, and attendants, all of whom attempted to carry out their assigned tasks simultaneously. Val quickly disappeared into the crowd, flanked by a full detachment of guardsmen, while Lia and I were swept along into a side corridor by an overenthusiastic young woman in an attendant’s uniform. “My name is Tess, and I have been asked to make sure you are as comfortable as possible today!” she exclaimed brightly. “How can I be of service?”

  “I would love a hot bath,” Lia admitted after a tentative pause.

  “Of course! I can have that drawn up for you at once,” she replied with a smile before turning to me. “And for you, sir?”

  “I will also be needing a bath, but I’d like to visit your tailor first,” I answered. “We’ll both be looking for a hot meal afterwards.”

  “Naturally! If you’ll both follow me, I can show you to your destinations!” She spun on her heels and led us through a maze of corridors, some of which looked vaguely familiar from our first tour through the keep. She stopped abruptly at a seemingly random, unmarked door. “This is our tailor’s office. I will lead the young miss to the baths while you are served here, and return to
guide you when you’ve finished.”

  “Thank you, Tess,” I answered. “I’ll see you soon, Lia.” I sent out a quick pulse of mana, making sure that Lia was fully enveloped in the energy.

  Her eyebrows flicked up briefly in surprise before she returned the gesture. “See you soon!” she said with a knowing smile.

  I entered the room and closed the door behind me, making sure to keep a close eye on Lia and Tess through my Detection. Scanning the room around me, I was impressed by the incredible amount of product that had managed to be stuffed into the relatively small room. The walls to my left and right were lined floor to ceiling with wooden cubicles, each holding a cloth basket labeled with what appeared to be an arbitrary numbering system. Likewise, the floor was packed so tightly with display racks of shirts, jackets, pants, and dresses that I couldn’t find a clear path through the room.

  An elderly man in an elegant cerulean suit appeared from behind a large stack of crates near the back corner of the room. “Good afternoon, my good sir! How can I be of service today?”

  “I’m looking to acquire a pair of gloves. Something comfortable, but still strong and dexterous enough to be effective for manual labor,” I answered.

  “Excellent! If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you to the fitting table, and we can—”

  “Actually, I was hoping you might have something already prepared,” I interrupted. “I’m on a bit of a time crunch today.”

  He nodded. “Of course, of course. Bins thirteen, nine, three, and twenty-seven should have what you are looking for. Check eighteen if you need something a bit more rugged.” His hand gestured to the back-right corner of the room as he enumerated the baskets. “If I may ask, what has led you here today? Are you a new officer? Perhaps one of Gullen’s new guardsmen?”