Each of them seemed to be chanting welcome to the huge lines of passing people, not all of whom were escorted by large groups of guards. There appeared to be nobles, merchants, and many commoners making their way across and into the huge building. Aiden had little idea of what to make of it all.
When they finally entered the huge edifice, it became less clear what the purpose of the building actually was. Everything was beautifully carved, decorated, or painted, and there seemed to be a large open-air center rising up within the building itself. Criss-crossing over the expanse from what seemed a never-ending series of balconies were yet more decorative flags, banners, and lanterns obscuring the sea of humanity moving before them.
Aiden paused, looking first up and then down. He could hear music, some soft and some loud, coming from a variety of places and a never-ending babble of voices. At the bottom where he thought might be a courtyard, he could see water and beings apparently frolicking amongst an almost fairy-tale collection of sitting areas, slides, and grottos.
Professor Reivus slid up next to him. He looked even more out of place than Aiden felt. The old man was staring around at the riot of color and noise, clearly uncertain where to rest his eyes. “Oh, my. Just… Oh, my! Riften is certainly living up to its reputation. I’ve not been here in … well, quite a while.”
“Why do you say that, Professor?” Aiden asked, thankful to be distracted from everything around them.
“Oh! Aiden!” The Professor blinked at him, looking equally happy to be distracted. “I didn’t see you there! My goodness, it would be easy to get lost in a place like this. But to answer your question,” he leaned in, whispering conspiratorially and wiggling his eyebrows. “Back in the ancient days this wasn’t exactly a city, it was simply called The Rift. It was the place for people to come and find entertainment of all types. The whole settlement area was a huge entertainment complex, except even more spectacular.”
Aiden nodded, not really sure if he could imagine something more outrageously chaotic than what they were witnessing, but nodded anyway. “But what do they do here, sir? I hear music and such, but it seems too large to be a tavern.”
“Not just music to be sure. Each floor or set of floors has their own specialty. Some are plays, some are music, some for gambling, and still others are for massages and baths, or even swimming,” the old man said, gesturing downward toward the water below. “Probably even stranger things I cannot even think of. That reminds me, you should be aware there are places you should not visit. If I recall, the upper floors will be more…eh, adult entertainments you should avoid exploring.”
Aiden watched the Professor blush profusely, amused at what the old man was speaking of but agreeing with him. He’d seen a few signs and shops out on the streets that looked to be of that type, and he had no intention of seeking them out. Feeling his own discomfort rising, he nodded.
“Here,“ the Professor patted Aiden's arms and pointed, “we’re finally moving.”
Aiden looked up and saw the Duke and Romald were being led forward by a well-dressed servant. They were taken quickly through the halls and down some stairs until they reached an ornate arch. Beyond it was not a room, but a huge inset depression easily large enough to handle hundreds of people. There were pillars set at intervals around the thick railings ringing the grand area and beyond it the teeming masses of people walking by. It at once kept it as a private place, but also a spectacle. To Aiden, it looked like they were being put on display.
Within the expanse were sections filled with seats and tables, all ringing a central stage. Some of the attendees were easy to identify with a specific duchy, but others were not and there was more than a little mixing between areas as people chatted or glared at each other as the case took them.
Aiden’s eyes were drawn to one particular man standing and chatting with several other people; Duke Feldar. The man who had made his life particularly miserable for the past few months. He knew he probably shouldn’t be staring, but he couldn’t help himself. He chuckled darkly to himself, thinking glaring probably made him fit in more than stand out.
“Exciting, isn’t it, Aiden?” Romald said suddenly from Aiden’s left, amusement dripping from his voice. When Aiden turned, the man was actually grinning from ear to ear at the mass in front of them. “Half of them want to kill the other half, but you’d never guess which by looking at them. But all of them are nervous being watched by the masses.” The man actually chuckled and rubbed his hands together.
Aiden eyed him for a long moment with a small frown on his face. “It’s just a game to you, isn’t it?”
Rather than be upset, Romald only nodded and grinned wider. “Oh yes, Aiden. Yes indeed, there is no greater game on the planet than what you see before you. A board littered with pieces of gold and silver or sticks and stones. Each with its own use and breaking point. My family has spent their lives for generations learning it, and I assure you, no man is an expert. But,” he shook a finger in the air and winked conspiratorially, “there is always a winner and always a loser.”
“I wouldn’t know,” Aiden said, for some reason upset with the man’s good cheer and wanting him to go away.
“Ah, well, I would have to say I beg to differ,” Romald said before taking a sip from his glass. “No one looks at Duke Feldar like that if he weren’t already playing the game. I completely understand why you dislike the man, considering he’s been after you for quite a while, but my question is how you actually recognize him.”
Aiden cursed silently to himself. Romald was perhaps the most observant person he’d ever known and for some reason, Aiden had become his most favorite plaything. However, Glowby didn’t seem to be bothered by the man at all, floating around behind him before darting out over the crowd. It was the only thing that kept him from running away and hiding.
So why, Aiden thought, was he so bothered? If everything he’d heard since they had gotten to Riften was true, Romald was a master spy. Maybe he had information Aiden could use. Maybe it was time to start surprising the man. That seemed to be the one sure way to get his attention, and maybe his help.
“Because I’ve seen him before,” Aiden said calmly.
Romald’s smile didn’t slip at all, but his eyes narrowed slightly. “Seen him before?” he said slowly, digesting what Aiden had said. “Very interesting, since this trip is the first time you’ve been away from Terek City and I can assure you, Duke Feldar has not been to visit your corner of the world within his lifetime. Did you travel when you were younger?”
Aiden shook his head and watched as the man’s nose began to twitch. He’d never seen someone’s nose actually twitch before. He thought it was time to tease the mouse a bit further and hoped he wasn’t making a mistake. “I’ve never been physically away from Terek City before, nor have I ever seen a painting of the man, if you were wondering.”
Romald’s nose began to twitch faster as his smile left his face. “I think you are my new favorite person, Aiden. Clearly, there is more to you than meets the eye, but I already knew that. What I do not know is how much more. Come. I think I have a private place we can talk.”
The little man led Aiden away from their party and off through the warrens of the Welcome House. Curiously, he stepped into a small room with another man dressed as one of the house’s servants. Aiden was looking around when the man closed small half-height doors and suddenly, the room began to move upwards. Startled, Aiden let out a cry and almost stumbled, kept from the floor by the quick hand of Romald.
“Ah, yes! You’ve never ridden in an elevator before, have you?” Romald said, patting Aiden’s arms as Glowby flitted excitedly around the small room. “Wonderful devices, these. A little manpower below with some weights and pulleys, and voila! Rising of floors without all the huffing and puffing. I should despise them, but they make people so wonderfully lazy and arrogant. Much easier to get information out of.”
Aiden nodded, not trusting himself to speak as he looked over the edge and down thro
ugh the center shaft of the building. He thought he was used to heights by now, but the way the small room was shaking and trembling made him think it would fall at any moment. Romald pulled him back just before they passed a heavy beam Aiden’s head would have smacked soundly against.
They went up several floors, and as they rose it got quieter and held fewer people. Aiden was becoming concerned because Professor Reivus had warned him away from the uppermost floors, but before he could say anything the small room stopped, and the small doors opened enough to let them step off.
In front of them was a large and colorful recess from the hallway they were now standing in. At the back of it were several closed doors and what appeared to be men dressed in costumes and face paint out front trying to entice people to enter. They appeared to be acting out some minor scenes from a play. Romald led Aiden into the alcove, nodding to a man standing to the side at what looked like a ticket booth before going inside.
Once they entered, it appeared they had entered a dark theater with a play being performed on a stage. There were only a few people within, but rather than take Aiden straight down the aisle, Romald quickly turned left and walked up a few stairs into a semi-enclosed boxed area. There was no one else here, and as they sat Romald turned to Aiden and spoke quietly.
“It is easier to speak where people do not expect you to speak. There are always people watching, but this small place is laced with my people and at least I will be able to control who sells the information.”
“Sells?” Aiden asked, worried.
Romald nodded. “Simply put, yes. Disseminating information can be equally as powerful as receiving it. Trust me, young Aiden, it is all part of the game.” The small man leaned back and considered Aiden carefully. “Now. You wish to trade information but you have no clue what to do now, yes?”
Aiden bit his lip. It couldn’t be very good when the person you were trying to manipulate was telling you what to do next, but he really didn’t have a choice. He was out of his depth, and he needed help. Lord Dolgren, the Scratchers, Duke Feldar and at the top of the heap, the Mourning Lord; all people trying to give him nightmares or end them forever. As far as he knew, there was one lurking in the darkness around them. Taking a deep breath, he nodded.
“Yes, that about sums it up.” Aiden said dismally. “I’m really not doing well at this, am I?”
Romald laughed softly and shook his head. “Tut, tut. No one starts out a master spy or politician, Aiden. There are some places with certain…advantages. Riften is one such place because anything and everything can be bought and sold here, including information. It is a natural thing for us. But other places, not so much. Stumbling into the game is far more common than you might think. So if I were to make my guess, what you want to trade your information for is tied to the man you were glaring at not so long ago, yes?”
Aiden nodded. Duke Feldar was important. Maybe not at the top of the heap, but he was certainly behind much of the terrible things happening to Aiden and his friends lately. “I already know he’s working for the Mourning Lords and he’s paying a man named Lord Dolgren to find me. What I need to know is how to defeat them. Or at least how to keep them away from my friends.”
Romald was watching Aiden intently, his eyes bright and nose twitching until Aiden had finished speaking, then leaned back and frowned. “You really aren’t very good at this. Fortunately you are speaking to me. It’s tempting, but I won’t cheat you much, or at all really. We knew he was after you, but we didn’t know why. That last little tidbit was something I had suspected but hadn’t confirmed: The Mourning Lords are behind it all.” Romald sighed softly and closed his eyes for a moment. “This is not good news, Aiden. Not good at all and I’m afraid while you are at the center of it, it is far larger than you are, now.”
“What do you mean?” Aiden asked, worried at the man’s sudden serious turn.
“What I mean, Aiden,” Romald said, leaning forward suddenly and whispering even more softly, “is this whole farce of a Council Meeting makes more sense now. There are certain Dukes that pushed for this. That brought us all together here for a reason that has nothing to do with Skimmers or trials. Dukes we know are working with the Mourning Lords and acting like they have nothing in the world to be afraid of here in the center of our power. Most of them didn’t even bring their full complement of troops, an act that is almost impossible for some of them.”
“Unless they were expecting more to come,” Aiden said, finishing the man’s thought.
Romald just nodded slowly. “But how? There is no way they could have troop ships within days of Riften. We have too many spies and ships out on the waters. It is impossible for them to land men anywhere near our city without us knowing about it.” Romald stopped for a moment, looking at Aiden intently. “Tell me, Aiden. These communicators of yours that the Duke has shown us. My wife has been able to speak to her sister over them without any issues at all. I’ve had no reports of them before, are these a new thing? One perhaps you’ve made them recently?”
Aiden bit his lip but finally nodded. He’d already gone this far. “Yes. Yes, we made them on the trip here and I took them to the Duchess myself.”
Romald’s eyes widened as he stared at Aiden. “Truly? How did you do this thing? I’ve never heard of this power before…” he paused and his eyes narrowed. “Or have I? We have had reports through the centuries the Mourning Lords themselves have appeared both suddenly and unexpectedly. There were questions. Do you think this is the same power you have used, Aiden?”
“Yes. I think so, anyway. I’m still learning how it works, but I’ve been able to move places in an instant.” Aiden paused, remembering the blackened, charred figures of the Scratchers. “I don’t think you can bring other people through, though. I tried it once and killed several Scratchers. It wasn’t pretty.”
Romald nodded, watching Aiden closely. “But as you have said, you are learning. It is a shame you have no one to teach you. I’ve certainly never heard of any of this from the engineers or read it in their books. No matter how closely they guard their secrets, I would know.”
Aiden paused. He didn’t want to give up Professor Reivus’ secrets but it was enough for the sharp-eyed little man to see he was hiding something.
“Do you know of someone that may know more?” Romald asked slowly, looking at Aiden out of the side of his eyes.
“It's not my secret to give but perhaps I do know someone.”
Romald nodded, dropping the issue for the moment. “Very well, perhaps that is a good place for you to start. If there is a way for our enemies to get troops into the city this may be one of the ways and we need to know. For my part, here are the names you need to be wary of, young Aiden. If all of them have the same master as I suspect, then all of them will be your enemy.
Aiden wasn’t surprised by the names Feldar, Brun, or Noropon but Renz was a haven for pirates and he hadn’t thought they were coordinated enough, and Duke Chreen was never mentioned as a place of hardship or trouble.
Romald stood, nodding to Aiden. “I must go look into a few things, Aiden, and inform the Duchess and my other spouses of what we’ve spoken of. When you are ready to return, just ask any of the attendants to bring you back to the ceremony and they will know where you must go.”
Aiden nodded, leaning back in his chair and turning toward the stage. There were a number of people cavorting about, speaking lines that didn’t make any sense to him but he just sat in shock for a few minutes, letting the information sink in. That many Dukes were puppets for the Mourning Lords? He hadn’t known what to do with just one, how was he going to handle five?
Several minutes passed as Aiden stared sadly at the players on the stage. The names given to him by Romald kept racing through his head over and over. He should probably go identify them, at least. That way he would know who to curse when they tracked him down and killed him. As he went to stand, a hand reached out and grasped his forearm. Startled, he could only stare at it in terrified wo
nderment.
It was a hand he recognized. Bathed in red silk with intricate metal claws wrapping around each of the fingers. It was the Mourning Lord’s Hand.
“Please stay for a moment, will you, Aiden? We have much to discuss.”
Chapter 22
Aiden felt like his heart was going to hammer out of his chest as he sat, sweat immediately breaking out on his forehead. The thing’s hand was on his arm and Aiden could feel the cool touch of the intricately woven metal along with the smooth feel of the silk. Except the silk was moving. Unnaturally. His gaze was locked upon the hollow holes of the metal mask where its eyes should be. He decided to bolt, but when he tried, he found he couldn’t move his arm from beneath the Mourning Lord’s hand.
In fact, he couldn’t move any of his muscles, they all seemed to be locked into place.
A second later, the terrifying figure lifted his hand and then turned, relaxing into his seat as if to watch the play going on before them. “By now, you’ve realized you cannot move. One of the most interesting abilities of my pet,” he said, reaching over and caressing his own arm.
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