Wings on my Back

by Alex Sapegin

  “The western gates,” Valett said. His eyes narrowed; it was quite disagreeable to recall his blunder.

  “Yes, the western gates. Mr. Kerrovitarr almost killed Mr. Hag and his hirdmen there. She described an ‘uncle Kerr,’ adding that he wasn’t an orc nor an elf: ‘uncle Kerrovitarr’ was a friend. The two men simply exchanged words, and since uncle Kerr didn’t have a sword, he used sorcery. He employed it in such a way that a certain bald punishing mage ran into my office later on and started talking all kinds of gibberish about a break in the astral layer.” (Valett frowned.) “The Vikings fell down like sheaves and quickly changed their minds about killing ‘nice uncle Kerr,’ and they masked the splash of sorcery with the ‘broken Thunder Amulet’ story. Somehow. It was totally by chance that I decided to visit the old tutor and found out the truth about what happened at the western gates. The rest you pretty much know or can guess. But the strange occurrences didn’t end there. By playing the fool, Kerr landed in the archives. He was searching for literature on spatial transportation and organized the archives into a well-built system while he was at it. I gave the order. All the books have since been checked for traces of his aura. You know, it’s very difficult work, keeping those ‘will shields’ up all the time. They not only hide his real aura, they practically don’t leave any traces.”

  “After which you arranged a trap for him from the negative one level and a magical leash with the guild badge? And you put an agent in their student group? Was setting that collection of runic spells in his line of view your idea too? Not a very successful idea, I must say.”

  “Hm, well, I did find out that he reads ancient alphabets beautifully and has the very best grasp of Younger Edda. It’s very odd, considering that before him no one could figure out the spatial distribution of runes in ancient alphabets. Knowledge doesn’t come just like that, out of nowhere! Some questions lead to others. Where did he learn Younger Edda and spatial modeling? How did he end up in the kingdom of Rimm and meet Alo Troi there? Who taught him to work with the astral? Why does he act as he does towards elves? And what does that dragon tattoo on his shoulder signify? Take a look at Figure 1: that is what the tattoo looks like.”

  “And what’s in Figure 2? It looks a lot like the first one,” Valett noticed.

  “It’s a drawing of dragons from ancient burial grounds in the Treir necropolis. The similarity bothers me very much indeed. And then there’s Miduel….”

  “The great Miduel has awoken?” Valett interrupted her. Etran nodded. “I didn’t know. As it turns out there’s a lot I don’t know about, happening right under my nose.”

  “Yes, he’s awake. He came to me last night demanding that we immediately arrange a portal to the mountains on the border with Rimm and that I give him a couple of Rauu bookworms to accompany him. He was all excited, muttering something… I just understood that he met our boy and wants to test some theory. I had to grant his request. They should be back by this evening.”

  “What do you make of all this?”

  “I’ve been thinking about it a lot.”

  “And?”

  “I think he’s an Arian!”

  Silence fell in the office. The rector was waiting to see what Valett would say. Valett was examining the rector’s suggestion about the boy’s origin from all sides. The idea of him being an Arian didn’t sit well with him; he just couldn’t accept it; something was off. He wanted to dig deeper and into more ancient things. Taking on a gloomy expression, Valett denied Etran’s suggestion:

  “It’s unlikely. It seems too obvious; therefore, I don’t believe it.”

  “You don’t like simple solutions?”

  “I don’t, actually, and also Miduel wouldn’t have gotten so upset if the boy were an Arian. I have some news for you too, by the way.”

  “Spill it,” Etran waved her hand.

  “Today I was on the big portal platform. Hundreds of new Viking guards arrived from the north. I can tell you those barbarians’ ways aren’t at all barbarian, believe me. They’re fully prepared battle squadrons, not guards. Killing’s more common place for them than guarding anything—that’s written all over their faces.” Etran just frowned and didn’t let on how interested she was in the northerners. The magistrate hired the guards, let the magistrate face the consequences himself. “You’ll never guess who arrived with the barbarians. Miliberilem, Miduel’s grandson. Isn’t this starting to sound like our business?”

  “Judging by the great Miduel’s reaction, anything’s possible. Your suggestions, please. Remember, the boy was here an hour ago and wanted to quit his work at the archives and return his guild badge. I had to wield my power and remind him who’s in charge here, although I did have to compromise a little. I told him to remain in the guild, but offered him a few weeks’ vacation from the archives.”

  “I suggest we assign three of my ‘shadow dwellers’ to him. Redirect them from tracking our Forest guests. Let them follow his every move and see how he reacts to the Forest Elves. I think arranging an invitation for him to tomorrow’s ball in honor of the delegation from the Forest won’t be a problem. He’s the youngest member of the Guild, after all—we should recognize his talents! So as to avoid arousing suspicion, invite a couple of his friends, too. You’ll think of some excuse. My agents will prepare artifacts and will check the shields on the young man’s aura. I think, technically speaking, we should be able to break down his defense mechanism.”

  “Make it so.” The rector approved the plan. “Keep me informed of any difficulties. In general, it would be better to get all steps approved an extra time just to be sure. I’ll prepare the invitations as nicely as I can….”

  *****

  Rigaud stood in the corner of the room and watched Kerr and Brig the Brick’s training combat match. Frida and Ilnyrgu were at it in the next circle over. A feeling of irritation and some sort of childish anger with Kerr had been building up inside him for a long time, and it finally came to the surface. He wished Kerr would get hit in the forehead with a heavy training sword. Looking at Frida’s even more alluring figure decked out in sports tights, he grit his teeth till it hurt. Frida. Rigaud reproached himself for making a fateful mistake: organizing that party for the occasion of Kerr getting his guild’s badge. What now? Now Frida was chasing after the half-blood, not even noticing him. It would be alright if Kerr felt the same about her. But he was ignoring, even avoiding her! And who’d forced him to speak up then? No one! He just wanted to find out the news. He had no one to blame but himself. But it was a lot easier to blame Kerr.

  “It’s called envy,” Timur laid his hand on Rigaud’s shoulder.

  “You’re very perceptive!” Rigaud tossed Timur’s hand from his shoulder. So this is envy? So that’s what it feels like. Burning, clouds the mind, and leads to bad thoughts…. Rigaud shrugged.

  “I don’t have to be perceptive, really. I just have to look at how you look at Frida and Kerr. It’s a good thing Kerr can’t see what I see,” Timur said with a bit of sadness in his voice.

  “Kerr doesn’t see anything that’s going on around him. He doesn’t notice Frida. Why does he always get the best pieces of the pie?”

  “And the fact that he might be killed at any moment? What kind of pie do you think that is?” Rigaud just scoffed. “Frida was raised by killers and warriors. She’s like a wild predator. And Kerr…”

  “What about Kerr?” Rigaud cut him off. He didn’t like this “calf” coming on so strong with his moralizing. He should just sit down and be quiet. If it weren’t for Rigaud, he would remain a virgin for the rest of his life. Just what he needed—a homegrown preacher! The feelings expert looked up.

  “Kerr,” it seemed Timur didn’t bat an eye at Rigaud’s annoyed tone, “Kerr’s an even bigger predator. You can be jealous all you want, but he’s my friend, and you’re my friend. Before you guys, I never had any friends, and I don’t want you fighting over some girl.”

  “What makes you think Kerr’s a predator?” The conversati
on was getting interesting. Rigaud’s professional curiosity was aroused. Timur was struck with a sudden desire to speak candidly; Rigaud saw his opportunity to make good on it and put it in his personal dark closet. Who knows—it might come in handy. The quiet guy didn’t speak up often, but when he did, he spoke to the point.

  “While Kerr was tearing the pattern hall apart, I ran out to the back courtyard. The windows were opened; I could see everything happening inside clear as day, and I watched. For one instant, before stepping over the control line, Kerr let his guard down. He didn’t lower his shields, but it was enough for me to see his aura.”

  While they were speaking, the set-up of the room changed. Frida and Ilnyrgu finished their fight. The mentor was telling Berg something enthusiastically. Brig and Kerr kept clinking their swords together. Judging by the looks the orc gave Frida, she was pleased with her new student. Rigaud admitted the vampire’s incontestable superiority over him. How she held her sword and moved—he could see her level was excellent, and for the old soldier who had been Rigaud’s teacher to get to that level would probably take as long as a journey from Orten to Kion on foot. Three months in, the half-orc’s school had brought him close to the capital; now he was about a third of the way there. Frida had passed that stage long ago. Vampires don’t distinguish between boys and girls when it comes to training. They begin learning the art of war at four years old, regardless of their genealogy or social status. Today in this gym, two different schools clashed, equal as art forms and the complexity of their technique. Only experience and lots of practice rendered Ilnyrgu the winner.

  When she had finished talking to Berg, the orc pushed her student towards the circle where Kerr was sparring. Frida joined Brig. The brick momentarily made room for his ally by moving to one side a bit. The course of the battle changed, presently. Frida and Brig constantly attacked Kerr, alternating their assaults. Sometimes they would both attack him at the same time, at which Kerr would sharply increase the distance between them by jumping back. All attempts to back their opponent into a corner in tandem and cut off his ability to maneuver failed. Kerr was flexible and flowed like water; he would depart from the line of attack and counter-strike, first at Frida, then at Brig, knocking his opponents off their rhythm. In the next instant, he would jump backwards again and the next round of their corner game began. Brig began to grow tired, and Ilnyrgu took his place. Berg tossed his student a second sword. Things got a lot more fun right away. The team members picked up the pace. They fought together in a well-orchestrated team effort. It seemed to Rigaud they’d been sparring as a pair their whole lives. Kerr writhed like a grass snake between two Valkyries. Meanwhile, Berg was making sure there wasn’t a single “wound” or “death,” which in itself was a miracle. At some point, Ilnyrgu crossed the space between them and looked at the master, who answered her unfaltering gaze with a short nod. The orc increased her speed. Frida did not remain on the sidelines. Her face grew pale, her chin stretched out, and her pupils flashed red. The vampire went into battle mode. Rigaud felt movement behind and beside him and glanced around. All the students were here; the whole school had gathered to watch the spectacle. The senior students whispered to one another, explaining the defense and offense techniques being used; the younger ones observed and stared at the three fighters in the circle. As strange as it was, Kerr wasn’t beaten yet. He picked up the pace too and managed to defend himself from the ladies. Thirty seconds later, the tempo increased yet again.

  “Look,” Timur’s whisper in Rigaud’s ear sounded like thunder. “Just what I was talking about.”

  “Huh?” Rigaud mouthed. He had long since forgotten what Timur was talking about. He was concerned with other things.

  “Look at Kerr with true vision! Dumb butt!” Timur’s urgent command and elbow in his side made Rigaud concentrate.

  The world changed colors and became filled with bright energy lines and flashes. The students’ auras were blinking with multicolored lights of interest and curiosity. Berg’s aura glowed with a bluish light of calm and attention. Frida and the orc’s auras flashed red and bright blue, not surprisingly. It was a battle, after all. Kerr’s aura, covered by will shields, was a black raven among the variegated little birds. It was a cocoon with dark gray edges around the black center. In the next split second, something happened with the cocoon. It was as if a strong magical lantern flashed into a room at night through the curtain-covered windows, and the bright beam escaped between the loosely fitting curtains. Only there were a few beams, stripes of light, and they were glowing so strong that Rigaud involuntarily covered his eyes with his hand. In another short instant, the cocoon fell and immediately solidified into place again, covering Kerr’s aura with an impenetrable darkness.

  “Targ take me, what the…?” Rigaud didn’t finish his sentence. A new blow to his ribs interrupted him.

  “Quie-e-et!” Timur’s shushing made him shut his mouth.

  When Kerr said he wasn’t human, well, not right away, but eventually, he believed him. Now he was seeing with his own eyes that the words were true. Even though it was a tiny instant, it was enough for Rigaud to realize that humans don’t have auras like that. It was too big and bright. He also saw kill marks on the outer shell. The marks were so dense he hadn’t managed to count how many times Kerr had killed, but he could say with assurance that it was more than once.

  “Vzzzzzdn,” Rigaud heard the strange sound right next to his right ear. A fragment of a sparring sword pierced the wall next to him. A few inches to the left, and he could kiss the rest of his life goodbye! His heart started beating a mile a minute. The vampire was next to fly out of the circle, bottom to the polished floor and holding her left shoulder. Kerr and Il were left facing each other one-on-one.

  The opponents were dancing an unknown dance, disappearing in one spot and reappearing in another. The audience’s eyes didn’t have time to track each movement. The drumming clash of swords continued at an insane speed. It sounded like the dull clicking of hail on a roof. There was a short pause and again the wrathful sound of metal on metal. The fight went beyond the borders of the circle.

  “Stop them!” Brig flew at the half-orc. “They’ll kill one another!”

  It was true: Kerr and Ilnyrgu no longer noticed anyone else. They were boring holes into one another with their intense gazes, each anticipating the other’s every move. Il constantly smiled; Kerr echoed her random, fanged grin. Who was winning? From what Rigaud could see, Kerr was weaker in terms of technique but stronger in terms of speed. He used it to thwart all Il’s attempts to reach him with her blade. The law worked the other way, too. They had reached a stalemate. Berg cut their match short. He grabbed a glaive from its special holder on the wall, seized the right moment and wedged himself between the combatants.

  “HEEEY! Stop!” the mentor yelled at a deafening volume. Kerr and the orc quickly jumped away from one another.

  Rigaud glanced towards Frida and spit in frustration. She was looking at Kerr with such a face… it was perfectly clear: Rigaud wouldn’t catch anything in this area. Not a crumb of affection to spare.

  “That’s enough for today. Ilnyrgu, be so kind as to go to my office!” Berg’s face betrayed his rage. The students hurried away in all directions. No one wanted to get in the angry teacher’s way.

  Rigaud watched Frida walk away to the women’s locker room and shuffled off to the shower room. After an invigorating shower he was already drying his hair with a towel when Timur caught his attention. The quiet guy was standing at his locker, squeezing a towel in his hand and staring at the decorative tattoo on Kerr’s shoulder, who was standing next to him. What did he see there? Rigaud walked up closer, acting casual. What a sight. The dragon on Kerr’s shoulder was covered in real golden scales….

  *****

  “What is the meaning of this??” Berg’s fingers beat a nervous rhythm on the tabletop. The look he gave the orc did not bode well. “You were supposed to test his reaction and abilities to go beyond the �
��limits,’ not create a Targ-loving circus!”

  “Get rid of him.” The sentence, spoken so calmly and quietly, made the half-orc swallow his next tirade. Ilnyrgu sat back in her chair in a carefree manner and crossed her legs. She didn’t feel at all guilty or regretful of what had happened in the gym. Her body language was that of a completely relaxed person, but the tense look on her face gave her away. “I’ve learned everything I need to know. Get rid of him before it’s too late.”

  “Wh- why?” Berg was at a loss from this turn of events. He’d been planning to give her a good tongue-lashing, not have this conversation.

  “Why?” The Wolf laughed. “He’s not a human, and I don’t know what he is! And some humans from the guards are following him, and one wood elf in a different form.”

  Now that was unusual news.

  “Your student caught my interest,” Ilnyrgu went on. “Today, I tossed on a disguise and tracked him from the gates of the mages’ School to your fencing gym. I know, I’m paranoid, but I’m used to trusting my instincts when I smell trouble, and it turned out I was right. After a couple of blocks I was able to detect someone shadowing the boy. If you don’t know how to shadow a mage and don’t study the art of it yourself, it can be really difficult to notice the agents following a subject.”

  “An agent can always spot one of their own, huh? How many were there, and are you sure it’s Kerr they were following, not us?” Berg asked in a no-nonsense manner.

  “Two guards’ agents and an elf. I already said that. What they want with the boy is the least of my concerns. My job is Tyigu and her safety. It seems to me that powerful players paying attention to your student can only lead to problems for you and Tyigu!”