"Sorry, we couldn't exactly turn around," Vincent said.
"So, where's that troublemaking wizard anyway? I want to give Falric a piece of my mind. I warned him quite clearly." Celes had a look in her eye that caused even Alrion to shrink back.
"He's no longer with us," Vincent said.
Celes stopped, and her mood changed completely. She stopped pacing around and her expression visibly softened. "I'm sorry, I had no idea. What kind of mess is this?" she said.
"Take a seat, we will talk you through it," Vincent said.
Certan rose and started to leave the room.
"Stay and listen, please. You’re a part of this now," Alrion said. Certan hesitated, then returned.
"What I will say, must not leave this room," Vincent started to tell the story, and let Alrion take over in the parts where they were separated.
Celes showed no reaction until the story was finished. "I am sorry for my outburst," she said. Immediately she rose and walked over to Alrion, giving him a huge hug. He returned it, happy to have his mother back. His eyes teared up a bit, and he turned away to hide them. Celes returned to where she was sitting.
"Don't worry about any of that, I am happy to accept the blame. I should have explained more," Vincent said.
"What now?" Alrion said.
"I can't stop what is already in motion. But I can influence what happens next. I'll even support this quest you are on. But before we can leave, you two need to pass a test." Celes pointed at Certan and Lara.
"What kind of test?" Lara said.
"For you, it's simple. You will accompany Alrion and me on a little recovery mission. Vincent knows what it is," Celes said, looking at Vincent and smiling. Vincent laughed after a moment of recognition but didn't say anything. Celes turned to Certan next.
"For you, it's even easier. Go retrieve your scarf and return to us dressed as a person who has pride in his appearance. That will signify to me that are you ready," Celes said.
"I haven't even agreed to go anywhere, why would I undertake your test?" Certan said.
"Because you have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. I only just met you, but I can tell that a life of wandering is not fulfilling. You have made a mistake, now go rectify it," Celes said. Certan looked at her with a strange expression, like he was trying to puzzle out the meaning of her words. He looked away, deep in thought.
"I accept," he said and left the room without looking back.
"Wow, that was quick," Alrion said.
"He would have agreed eventually, I just sped up the process," Celes said.
"That's one problem solved. Maybe you can now explain our part of the test?" Lara said.
"It is better to show you. Let's go." Celes left the room and waited for them at the front door. Alrion gave his father a confused look, but followed along. Lara was quicker to move, and sidled up to Celes. Alrion couldn't make out what they were saying. But it looked like the two women were challenging each other.
"I feel like I don't know who mum is," Alrion said.
"Don't worry, she's the same. It's just a side of her that she hasn't needed for a long time. You'll be fine," Vincent said.
Alrion was not completely satisfied with the answer, but rushed to join Lara and his mother at the front door.
"We are off to the Market District," Celes said, and opened the door. She walked out onto the street with confidence, as if she knew the place well.
"How did you find us?" Lara said.
"Easy. Vincent and I stayed here many years ago, before we had Alrion." For a brief moment Celes let a smile dart across her face. But a serious gaze soon replaced it.
"Oh, that's interesting. You have a history here."
"We do, which will be explained soon," Celes said. A strong silence hung over them as they walked. Alrion looked at his mother with a confused expression. The strong, nurturing figure he had always known didn't quite fit with the person he was observing. There was a piece missing, which was driving him crazy.
"I hope this makes sense soon," he thought. He could see Lara trying to puzzle it out as well, with furtive sidelong glances.
The Market District was teeming with people, much more so than the night before. The stalls were packed full of interesting trinkets, and the cries of sellers competing for attention made it quite noisy. There were even food vendors set up, peddling fruit or cooked meat on sticks. They wove their way through the crowd and bustle and headed to a far corner of the district. As they progressed the crowds thinned out, until there were only a few passing people.
"Where are we going?" Alrion said.
"Wilhelm's Fine Wares," Celes said. Sure enough, they stopped in front of a large building that looked like it was a mansion. Anywhere else he would have assumed that a person of immense importance resided there.
"Does someone live here?"
"Yes, the owner lives here and also operates the front as a gallery and showroom." Celes walked up to the burly guard outside the front door and held up her hands. The guard patted her down and ushered her through.
"What's this?" Alrion said.
"Weapon and tool checks," the guard said. His voice was as rough as his face.
"They want to make sure we aren't going to steal anything," Celes said.
"Sure, nothing to hide here." Alrion raised his arms and had the same check done. Lara stepped up next.
The guard checked her the same way, then stopped suddenly. "What's this?" he said.
"Sorry, I forgot about those. I wasn't expecting to come here," Lara said innocently. She retrieved a stack of daggers from the small of her back.
"I'll hold them until you are done shopping," the guard said with a healthy measure of sarcasm.
"Thanks." Lara joined the others inside the building.
Alrion was shocked at the room on display. There were polished marble floors and cabinets full of jewels, treasures, and fine cloths. One table had rings, another amulets and earrings. In the middle of the whole collection was a stone pedestal. On it was a red velvet cushion with a clear dome over it. Inside was most incredible jewel Alrion had ever seen. "What is that?" he whispered to Celes.
"That's the Pure Diamond. It is the biggest diamond in the world, and said to have been created with magic. There's even talk that it glows blue when encountering those tainted with the Blight."
"Wow, that's incredible," Alrion turned to look at Lara to see her reaction. Her eyes were darting around the room, taking it all in.
"A girl after my own heart," Celes said softly. Alrion walked closer to take a closer look. He was immediately stopped by a thin man dressed all in black. Alrion hadn't even seen him.
"Excuse me," Alrion said.
"No closer. You cannot approach the diamond without prior approval," the man said. Alrion examined the man's face. It was hard and emotionless, with piercing blue eyes.
"Sure, I just thought it looked incredible," Alrion said. The man nodded and waved him away. Alrion diverted his attention to inspecting the table of rings. However, he also watched his mother and Lara wander through the room. It looked like they were just browsing, but he sensed a different intent and purpose from them. It was so methodical. "Thick as thieves," Alrion thought to himself. Then he had a sudden epiphany. There was a reason his mother seemed so different and was instantly so critical of Lara. Maybe his mother used to be a thief too. He wanted to blurt it out, then realised that it wasn't wise given their current situation. But the more he thought about it, the more he was convinced.
"I can see that look on your face, save it for later," Celes said to him. Alrion nodded and found some more jewellery to examine. He didn't know much about it, but everything looked expensive and well-made. He could tell the craftsmanship was incredible.
"Thanks for your time," Celes said to nobody in particular and headed for the door. Lara was close behind her, and Alrion rushed to join them. They left the premises, Lara collected her daggers with a smile and a wink and the three of them walked off in sile
nce. After they were almost out of the Market District, Celes led them into a quiet alley and stopped.
"I can tell you have questions," Celes said.
"More like statements. You want us to steal that jewel. And you're also a thief. And maybe you tried to steal it when you were here before," Alrion said quickly.
"That's actually quite correct. When I met your father, I was a thief. This jewel was my target. And we failed to steal it, and had to leave the city."
"We? He was in on it?"
"Of course. Who do you think crafted the keys for me?" Celes said with a sly smile. Alrion couldn't believe it. His father had always been so straight and by the letter of the law.
"Seems like a lot of security," Lara said.
"I didn't notice much. One guard out front and a man inside?" Alrion said.
"There's many more hidden around the place. And magical traps I'm guessing," Celes said.
"So, what's the plan?" Alrion said.
"I'm still working through it. But we will go tonight."
"Sounds good to me. This will be a real thrill. I'm excited," Lara said. Celes gave her a questioning look but didn't say anything.
"I'm going to investigate the area a little more, but we will draw too much attention as a group. You two go back to the house," Celes said.
"Sure, let's go," Alrion said to Lara.
"You don't want any help?" Lara said.
"No, I've got this. I need to see how much things have changed," Celes said.
"Understood, we'll see you later," Lara said. The two of them walked out of the laneway, leaving Celes alone.
"I can't believe it, she's a thief. I never knew," Alrion said once they were a safe distance away.
"I must admit, I had my suspicions when she showed up," Lara said.
"How could you tell?"
"The way she was dressed initially. Normal looking clothing, but it is light, protective, and quiet. She had lots of pockets for stashing tools, and she was very particular about assessing the situation."
"What's so unusual about being careful?"
"It was the type of careful. When you're … retrieving something, you don't want any surprises. You must be able to predict everything that will happen, and plan ahead. You also have to be very adaptable and change things on the fly as required."
"So how many so-called retrieval jobs have you done?"
"More than I care to remember. But only a few really memorable ones."
"Have you ever been caught?"
"Once or twice when I was starting out. But I didn't know what I was doing, and it was small stakes. That doesn't happen later on. Not if you're careful and learn from your mistakes."
"So, what does happen?"
"You have an escape plan, and you abandon the job. If you get away, you can retry another day. You never stick around, that's suicide."
"I'll remember that," Alrion said.
"Yeah, if things go wrong on the job, you need to cut and run. It's not worth it."
"Got it. Have you had a job like they did with this one? Where you had to abandon?"
"Yes. Just the one."
"What happened?"
"I don't really want to talk about it. Another time.” Lara avoided eye contact and started focusing on something in the distance. Alrion took her cue and stopped asking questions.
Once they arrived back at the house, Alrion looked for his father but couldn't find him.
"He'll be working on those swords," Lara said.
"Good point. So how do I prepare for one of these jobs?" Alrion said.
"In a day? No chance you'll be prepared. But I'll teach you one thing.
"What's that?"
"How to walk quietly.” Lara walked across the room soundlessly, doing a pirouette at the other end.
"Now you're just showing off," Alrion said, impressed but laughing.
"Why not? Don't worry you'll be dancing along in silence in no time.” Lara stepped back to Alrion then started demonstrating her footwork.
"Take a normal step," she said. Alrion did as instructed, his boot making a resounding thud.
"I think you overdid it, but that's fine. Now what you need to do is imagine that you are spreading out your entire weight over the entire surface of your foot. And gently rolling your weight as you step." Lara demonstrated in slow motion.
Alrion tried it, and stepped very quietly. He looked up at her in shock.
"If you go slow enough it's easy. The trick is doing it at pace.”
Lara darted into the next room and even though Alrion was watching and listening closely he could barely hear her footsteps.
"Shouldn't be too hard," he thought. He started walking softly as Lara had demonstrated, and quickly sped up. For a moment, he was swift and silent, and feeling like a gliding shadow. However, he started to lose his balance and came to a sudden stop with a loud stamping of his feet.
"That's going to get us into trouble. What's the saying? You need learn to walk before you can run?" Lara said. Her eyes sparkled with amusement and she laughed heartily at Alrion.
"Hey, I'm a wizard, I don't have to obey the normal rules," Alrion said, joining her in the laughter.
"Just practice a bit more so we can rely on you tonight," Lara said.
"Of course. I was just thinking though, maybe there's a way I can do it with magic." Alrion ran to get his spell book and look through it.
Lara watched him go and just shook her head gently.
7
A Test
Certan left the house in a hurry. Partly because he had a purpose, partly because he had to get out of there. His crazy wild ride had crashed and burned in style.
"I can't believe what I have gotten myself into," he thought. Less than a day ago, he was living his practically unconscious life of oblivion. He had hit rock bottom, giving away the last precious memento of his time with the monks. The fact that he thought of the monks as another people also saddened him.
"This is your second chance," a voice inside him said. It was right. For some time, he didn't believe that he deserved it. But these people thought so, and they needed his help. So, he had to earn their trust.
Certan started to head to the Entertainment District, but then thought twice about it. Even if he could find the man who now had his scarf, he had nothing to bargain with. And he certainly looked like a mess. Certan glanced at a nearby puddle and saw his reflection. He had tried to ignore it, but he forced himself to look properly. He had been living hard, and it had taken its toll.
"Enough is enough," he said. He changed course and headed for the Blacksmith district. With any luck, he could pick up some work as a labourer or assistant. The Blacksmith District was alive with action, the clanging could be easily heard as he approached.
"It's a numbers game," Certan said to himself. As he entered he wandered up to the first workshop.
"We don't have any handouts, move on," a bearded man said as Certan approached.
"I'm just looking for an honest day's work," Certan said.
"Keep looking," the man said and turned his back.
"Thanks," Certan said, not even sarcastically. If he wanted to succeed he needed to return to the self that he was with the monks. In control and humble, throwing his ego to the winds. He continued to the next workshop. This time he at least managed to make eye contact with someone and speak first.
"Hello, I am looking for some work. Do you need a strong pair of hands?" Certan said.
"I'm sorry, we're fine right now. I appreciate the offer though. My brother works in the last workshop. Right before the restricted weapon section, why don't you give him a try?" the blacksmith said.
"I will do, thanks for the tip.” Certan bowed and continued walking.
He ignored the rest of the workshops, and continued to the next set of gates. The workshop he was after was quite obvious, it was humongous and was the only one right next to the gates. Before he could approach though, he saw a commotion up ahead.
"Stop! Thief
!" a male voiced shouted. Certan could see one of the local guards chasing after a young man. The youth was carrying a bag full of something and brandishing a sword. Without thinking twice, Certan moved into the youth's path to intercept him. The youth swung his sword, hoping to scare Certan away. But Certan didn't flinch, he dodged the attack and grabbed the young man's arm and nimbly threw him to the ground. The young thief was quick, and darted back to his feet, but Certan was standing in front of him.
"Move it or I'll cut you down," the youth said.
"You cannot. Accept that you have been caught," Certan said. The youth lashed out at Certan's legs with the sword. Certan saw the attack just in time to dodge, and kicked the sword so hard it clattered against a nearby building. The guard in pursuit finally caught up to them, panting with the exertion.
"Thanks for your help, citizen. We aren't equipped for foot chases and he had a head start."
"Happy to help out since I was here anyway," Certan said. The guard looked him over, a confused expression on his face.
"Are you some kind of monk? Or just homeless?"
"Probably both are accurate. I have been wandering for a time. I'm looking for some work now though."
"I have something for you. My friend runs security for a place in the Market District. They are always looking for more help, and you're quite capable. Here take this," the guard said, handing Certan a coin.
"I cannot accept this," Certan said.
"Just take it, I get a commission for anyone I send over anyway. Get yourself cleaned up and some better clothes. They will provide you everything else you need. Report to the Wondrous Wall Inn and tell them that Sean sent you for a job," Sean said.
"Thank you for your help, I really appreciate it."
"Don't mention it, you've helped me out and I get paid if they hire you so it's a win for me either way. What's your name by the way?"
"Certan."
"Well Certan, you take care of yourself. See you around."
"Thanks, Sean.” Certan bowed and turned back the way he had come. "This is the break I needed. The money I earn from this job can buy back my scarf and I'll be back on the path. The right path," Certan thought to himself. Things had turned the corner.
Vault of Silence (The Hidden Wizard Book 2) Page 5
