“Where is he now?” Ashrak asked, picking at a dinner roll and nibbling on it. “Shouldn’t he be here? Nobles don’t normally move quickly, but you may be surprised how fast a fat man can move when he’s learned his cupboards have a back door. His life may be in danger.”
Ahnarad shook her head, tapping her chin speculatively. “No. Once you all leave then there’s always the chance these assassins won’t care to tell anyone here about Corenthus’ duplicity. As I recall the stories, they are rather singular in their workings and do not normally interact with anyone else except for special handlers? Isn’t that right Dihya?”
“Yes,” the woman agreed. “They are said to be quite secretive and I believe Count Viridian is skilled enough at your political games that he should survive being betrayed, even without the strengths provided by being a glimmer man. The best chance we can give him is to leave as quickly as possible.”
Aiden watched everyone nod, agreeing with the statement. He himself wanted to get out of the castle as fast as possible as the image of spiders crawling all over his dorm room at school kept intruding. The things were difficult enough to ponder but he couldn’t imagine them seeking him out, much less the vision of a half man-half spider thing lurking just outside of his window. The things must be hideous.
“Are we leaving now, then?” Chari asked, her silver eyes hard. It seemed she would argue the point if it wasn’t the case, but the Duke only nodded and stood.
“Yes. Right away. I wanted to make sure to get some food into us before we made the dash out to the Skywitch. All of your things have been loaded, and messages have been sent to anyone who needed telling. In Dame Wilthorn’s case, it will arrive after we’ve left, of course. I’m fairly certain she could bring down the skimmer herself if she glared at it hard enough.”
The rest of them stood, Captain Stelios in the lead as he opened the door and called to the guards waiting for them just outside. There were far more of them than Aiden had seen before, and it looked like the resolute man wasn’t about to take any more chances with their lives.
As they filed out and began to head for the skydocks, Duke Valeran came up and walked next to Aiden and his friends.
“Aiden,” Valeran said quietly, but loudly enough for the four teens to hear him, “I didn’t forget your comment concerning the silverware.”
Aiden was about to protest, but the man cut him off, shaking his head before Aiden could speak. “No, listen. I agree with you, boy. Gavin and I spoke of it earlier and his reasoning is sound. I think the Professor is out of his depth. He’s not a man of action and doesn’t understand sometimes risks must be taken.”
“What, really?” Aiden exclaimed, a smile crossing his young features.
The Duke glowered at him like a thunderhead. “Yes, what, really. Just because I am an adult doesn’t mean I’m a complete idiot. However, that doesn’t mean Professor Reivus should be put aside or ignored, either. Just…avoided as you practice creating other things in your spare time. Things that might help us fight not only the Mourning Lords whenever they do decide to come, but of more immediate concern are the Scratchers. These Ulcorthingy’s are no joke. I didn’t even know their name until tonight. You can’t imagine the kind of threat it would take to get almost all of the Dukes to agree, but that’s what they are.”
Aiden nodded soberly, his mind reeling at what the Duke was saying as they made their way first outside, and then to the skydocks. At first, he was happy he’d get to make something besides silverware, but then realized he was going to have to hide it from a several-thousands-year-old man. And whatever he made was going to have to fight off the Scratchers and the Mourning Lords. He didn’t have a clue where to begin until his eyes settled on the jingling armor one of the guards was wearing.
“Your Grace?” Aiden asked. “When we get on the ship, is there any way I could talk to Stelios about armor and swords?”
Valeran eyed him for a moment before suddenly stopping, his eyes glazing over slightly as he thought about Aiden’s request. After a moment, one of the guards from the back called out to Stelios, letting him know the Duke had stopped which brought the entire party to a halt. The Duke rubbed his hairy chin for a few moments more before grinning. “I’ve got a better idea. There’s a small…room close by that holds something you may find useful. It mostly holds gifts and parade suits, but there is something else there I’ve never had an opportunity to use.”
Ahnarad gave her husband a small smirk and leaned in, whispering to Aiden and his friends quietly. “He means he can’t fit into it. Too many honey cakes.”
Valeran gave her a long-suffering look to which his wife only shrugged before turning and leading them down one of the other long corridors in the castle. It wasn’t long before they went down a small stairwell and a long room filled with books, trophies, and other items in various display cases. Toward the back of the room was a large door with a gate across the front. As they approached, Stelios pulled a ring of keys from his belt and first unlocked the gate, then the door behind it before letting it swing outwards for them to enter.
Aiden was astonished at what was inside the small room. While Gavin didn’t react because, presumably, he’d seen it all before, Chari and Ashrak both seemed intrigued at the level of detail on almost everything contained within the room. Glowby was even worse, behaving like some toddler in a room full of candy and flitting about like mad. While some items had gold and gems dripping from them, others were so intricately crafted that despite being only wood, steel, or brass, they were true works of art. Aiden thought one shield up on the wall was a creature’s fierce head that had been stuffed until he looked closer and saw the glint of metal rather than the more subtle reflection off of fur.
The Duke led them over to what Aiden thought was another door, but was, in fact, a recessed display case. Valeran put his hand on another panel next to it and the door began to retract from the wall, revealing a surprising, odd-looking suit of armor contained within. He didn’t even have to push his senses out to tell that this was an ancient construct because the way it was put together reminded him of how the skimmers were made. Sleek and economical in its design, it resembled the other suits of armor in the room only in that it looked protective but with far finer detail.
The suit itself was dark, with blacks and blues mixing in appealing patterns of non-metallic plates and what looked like simple cloth. The helmet was also unusual in that it had no eye or mouth holes, only showing a shiny black faceplate in its place.
As the door opened, the Duke reached out and lifted the helmet off of the shoulders of the suit and turned it in his hands admiringly. “Isn’t it magnificent? My great grandfather could wear it though he didn’t use it often. Maybe once in a while for a ceremony. He was always afraid, despite everything, he’d be kidnapped so someone could steal it. It is one of the great shames of the old artifacts. They were made to be used, not hidden away. I don’t know of any others like it anywhere in the world.”
Aiden was looking hungrily at the suit. Even a foot away he could almost hear it trying to whisper secrets to him. Unlike the Skywitch, this suit was smaller and far more compact than the big ship. He was sure it had many secrets, but he hoped it wouldn’t overload him as the huge skimmer had. Glowby came to rest against its chest, tentatively at first but finally pushed inwards and disappeared past the slick, black chest plate.
Even as Ashrak and Gavin crowded around the Duke looking at the helmet, Chari reached out and caressed one of the padded sleeves. “How can it protect anything? It's so soft,” Chari said, looking inquisitively at the Duke. “Even if it stopped a blade, a mace could surely crush bone under it.”
Valeran grinned and nodded, handing the helmet to Gavin and moving closer. “Very good question. I myself didn’t believe it either so one of the first things I did as Duke was to test it out. I can’t wear the full suit because… erm-“ He paused, trying to avoid Ahnarad’s knowing gaze. “The hips are a bit tight, but I can put on the vambrace. I’m
not really sure it should be called that since it’s more of just a sleeve. This whole bit under the central chest is really more of a coat.” He quickly pulled the cloth looking undercoat off of the armor stand and slipped his arm into one of the sleeves. They could all tell that not only would the hips not fit but if he’d tried to put it on all the way it might split it at the shoulders. When he’d encased his arm, he stood back and grinned at Stelios. “Alright! Now’s your chance to lop off my arm, Stelios!”
Stelios grinned and drew his sword, nodding to the Duke. The rest of them stood back, curious and a little afraid though Ahnarad just rolled her eyes and looked bored. Aiden noticed that Oya Dihya was not even watching, instead, she was inspecting an oddly beautiful dagger made from some sort of reddish metal. He turned back just in time to see the flash of the sword in Stelios’ hand come down and strike hard against the Duke’s forearm. Where he hit, there was a momentary dark blue spark, but other than Glowby shooting out from the chest piece in alarm, nothing else happened. It hadn’t even made his arm move, much less caused any damage. Still, Aiden gasped and peered wide-eyed at where the man had struck. There wasn’t even a wrinkle in the material.
“Did you feel anything that time?” Stelios asked, inspecting his sword before sliding it into his sheath. The Duke shook his head before holding his arm out for all of them to inspect it. Aiden reached up and ran his finger along the fabric wondering if he’d feel any sort of abrasion but all he felt was a smooth, silky material and no damage to speak of.
“Not a thing, as usual,” Valeran said, grinning. “I’ve not had the guts to try my sword on it, though. I’m pretty sure my father, and his father, would come back from the grave if I damaged either one of them.”
Oya Dihya spoke then, still inspecting the red dagger. “It would take several strikes, but you would eventually damage it with your sword, Valeran. However, you would also be surprised to find that within a week, it would be repaired.”
The large, crystal-blue eyes of the man widened as he stared at Oya Dihya, and then back to the suit before getting a calculating look on his features. Aiden thought they were going to have yet another delay when Duchess Ahnarad spoke, putting an end to her husband’s wild thoughts. “No. You can’t go get your sword and try it. Don’t forget about the Ulcoreth. You and I both know they’ll be trying to get in here before the next few days are out and I don’t want to deal with the bloodshed.”
Oya Dihya finally put the dagger down and walked over, nodding. “To delay would invite what you are trying to avoid, Valeran. We must leave now. If you want Aiden to study the armor, may I suggest we bring only the helmet? It has aspects from all parts of the armor and will teach him all he needs to know. We will leave it on the skimmer when it returns to the castle.”
Aiden only half listened as he held onto the sleeve of the armored coat. He could feel its ancient tendrils reaching out to him and wanted to dive into its story but knew they didn’t have enough time. Reluctantly, he pulled his hand back as Valeran put the coat back inside the case and re-attached the breastplate to the stand. Taking the helmet from Gavin, he turned and shuffled through a small case off to the side. It only took him a few moments before pulling out a velvet bag the helmet would fit inside before leading them all out of the miraculous treasure room.
Quickly they made their way back upstairs and out toward the skydocks. It was evening, but there were enough lights around the skydocks as well as the eerie never-wavering soft glow on the ships themselves. Aiden loved the looks of the craft and while his personal skiff was amazing in its own right, these were not only grand but fantastically beautiful in their sleek, trimaran elegance.
As they crossed over the gangplank onto the still deck of the large skimmer, Gavin stopped to talk to Markam who was already on board. The large boy had become more polite to Aiden after the trial. He was by no means warm, but he was friendlier now that Gavin was no longer keeping secrets from his father.
Ashrak clapped him on the shoulder and grinned like he was just about to get a piece of pie. “Ah, Aiden, I almost want to call you Orphan Boy again. Don’t forget what I told you in the baths. Don’t slow down, and don’t stop for anything.” Aiden glowered at his retreating back as Ashrak bounded forward next to Chari, smiling at her as they shared a joke. He was just about to say something snide when Professor Reivus bumped into him as he also crossed onto the Skywitch, peering up with his usual cheery smile back on his face.
“Aiden? Aiden! Is that you, my boy? Looks like we’re on another adventure now! Off to the Island of Reid earlier than planned. Mystery! Always the stuff to get one’s heart braced and beating. At least, if I had one, eh? Well, never mind, are you ready to make some more silverware? I’m sure they don’t have enough on the Skywitch though I’ve been thinking about what you said earlier. Maybe we can graduate up to something else. What do you say?”
Aiden blinked but began to smile. Maybe he wouldn’t have to hide anything from the Professor, after all? “Of course! I’d love to make something else, sir. When do we start?”
The Professor beamed at him, nodding enthusiastically. “Tonight, of course! It’s still early in the evening. You’re not tired, are you? I know it has been a long day. I heard about what happened. Must have been awful, being chased by all those men. Very well, we’ll start on flagons. Everyone needs to drink. Yes, good strong flagons.”
The Professor turned and began to walk away, missing completely the cloud that fell over Aiden’s face. Flagons? Ugh. Just figures, he thought. Well, at least I have something else to study. His eyes, glinting in the low light, strayed to the large bag in Valeran’s hands before turning to follow the Professor.
Chapter 4
“Why is the skimmer going so slow?” Aiden asked the next day as he followed Chari, Gavin, and Stelios below decks. The bag with the helmet was tucked under Stelio’s arm as they moved into one of the Skywitch’s small conference rooms. It wasn’t large but would suit their purposes just fine now that the forward thinking room was no longer an option.
One of the first things the Duke had done after they’d confessed to using the forward weapon at the cutter fish races was taken Aiden and his friends to a deserted coastline and had Aiden show how the thing worked. They’d then spent a rather enjoyable afternoon shooting up offensive rocks, waves, and even the occasional tree just to see how it would affect something organic. Valeran was obviously thrilled, but afterward, he’d immediately declared the room off limits to almost everyone but select officers and crew.
Notwithstanding the fact that it had remained hidden for centuries, he was concerned one of the random guests might find their way forward and accidently fire on something below. Fortunately, Professor Reivus had shown him how the ship could recognize individuals so that only those authorized could even work the controls. Now his secret as a glimmer man was out, he could tell the Duke more about the ships than before and had worked with the Duke to educate his men.
The large skimmers, while not ever meant to be warships, had still been intended to be heavily-armed rapid-response patrol ships when they had been made four thousand years earlier. Of the local police force, they were the only ones equipped with energy weapons and even had a limited form of shielding. The lowest setting, which was the only one the Duke had ever known about, was useful for keeping the wind off of the decks. It had also proven useful when recovering bodies after the trench serpent attack at the cutter fish races by letting them actually settle into the water like a bubble of air. However, it was more versatile than that, and could also be strengthened to the point of going deeper in the water, and even had limited ability to leave the atmosphere for short periods of time.
The Duke had not yet talked his wife into letting him do that one.
Stelios shrugged, setting the bag with the helmet in it on a side table next to a small bench. “Valeran wanted to give you some time to play with the helmet before we have to leave the ship. We could probably meet up with the Gerevat within a coup
le of hours if we really wanted to, but we’re several days early and the ship won’t be there if we go too fast.”
“We aren’t going to land on the Island?” Chari asked, reflecting the question all of them had.
“No,” Stelios answered, taking the helmet out of the bag and placing it in front of Aiden, “it's not allowed. The agreement that Duke Gerevat made with the Naiadens precludes any glimmer steel from going onto, or over, the island on pain of death.” The last four words were made while Stelios made quotation marks in the air. “Or almost anything else for that matter. The Duke has always left on a wooden skiff, then returned the same way within a few weeks. He has never spoken about what happens nor is he allowed to. No guards or other travelers have been allowed to go with him, until now. I never did like this part of the job, letting the Duke go all alone.”
“Has anyone ever tried to disobey or sneak onto the island?”
“A few times in the past, though neither Valeran or I have ever tried. Every single time, the particular Duke who attempted the stunt has been sent back white as a sheet and with the offending parties wrapped up in funeral shrouds. They never speak of what happened except to reiterate the order not to try.”
The Glimmer Steel Saga, Boxed Set, Books 1 - 4 Page 36
