“What in the name of Dabira,” Romarus said. “I would guess Artemia has come here. Perhaps she killed everyone here.”
“I’ll go knock on a door,” Abe said. “I will go alone, though. I don’t think the citizens will appreciate a young boy or two magi trying to talk to them.”
They agreed, and so the three of them went into an alleyway while Abe knocked on the door. He assumed a rigid posture, like that of a guard would. The door opened. Someone’s alive. That’s a relief.
Eric wished he could see who answered—a father? A child? A soldier?
“Good morning, my name is Marcus Wallace, and I am a soldier of the Syrast Empire,” Abe began. “Ever since what happened here recently, we want to check in on our citizens and make sure all are doing well.”
“I’m sorry, what?” a younger woman’s voice said. She almost accusatory.
Eric put his head in his hand. He didn’t see how Abe would get out of this one.
“I understand recent events have made things difficult—”
“No, I know that, I’m just surprised you’re going around to check in on us,” the woman said. “Why are you doing this? What do you want?”
There’s a surprise. The empire not caring about its people.
“I swear to it, ma’am, we just want to ensure the health and stability of our good city.”
“I see.”
An awkward silence came.
“Truth be told, whoever is in charge now, if they told you to this, I say good for them. Make them emperor. Maybe this way we can live in peace.”
Whoever is in charge now.
What did Artemia do? Is she still here?
“I will pass along your words, ma’am,” Abe said. “I take it then that all is well?”
“The mandatory lockdown isn’t ideal,” the woman said. “My child is sick. My husband is annoyed he didn’t get to gamble with his friends yesterday. But I understand it. Just don’t make it last longer than today. It’s already gone on several days now.”
“I understand. We are working to solve the issue rapidly. Thank you for your time.”
The door closed after some pleasantries, and Abe turned the corner.
“The emperor’s dead,” Abe said. I was afraid of that. “Has to be. That would be the only reason for an endless curfew.”
“And it wouldn’t be Artemia,” Zelda said.
All eyes turned to her.
“She wouldn’t kill the emperor in such a way that the remaining forces enforce this. I know who did this.”
Tetra.
“Tetra.”
It made sense to Eric. She, as Kara, had hated the empire even more than Artemia. But one question remained.
“Do you think she’s still here?”
Zelda shrugged.
“She talked about how this was the only thing she had left,” Zelda said. “She said once she killed the emperor, she had nothing left to live for. But there was also something about Garo’s books in his library, his meditations. I would think that if we go there, we can find her. Or at least know where to start to find her.”
“That is the ideal plan,” Abe said. “But we should move carefully. If this place does have a lockdown with all citizens kept inside, we will stand out like a sore thumb. Even if the emperor has fallen, it’s possible that whoever has taken his place is even more dangerous. We cannot take anything for granted.”
At least they will not be as incompetent as the former emperor.
Which, come to think of it, may not be of benefit to us.
The four of them moved silently through the streets, surprised still to see that no soldier, citizen, or even stray animal awaited them. It still seemed like Artemia had removed the entire population of the town, a fact that would’ve been believable if not for the woman Abe had spoken to.
Dust blew by them as the wind picked up. Eric thought he saw figures in the alleyways, but no one so much as showed a shadow. The terrors of the unknown picked up such that his hand lifted his sword, prepared to do battle at a moment’s notice.
Finally, he came to the turn leading to the palace. Leading the group, he got the first glance.
Hundreds of guards patrolled the area, their postures more rigid than normal and their facial expressions severely taut. He stopped, quickly pushed the rest of the group back, and paused to collect himself.
“Remember what you said, Abe, about them pulling forces inward in preparation for something? You were right. There must be over a couple hundred guards patrolling the area.”
“I was afraid this would happen, even if I wish it hadn’t,” Abe said. “There is no way the four of us will get to the library with ease. Especially since the two of you are magi.”
Eric pondered their next steps. As far as he could tell, the empire’s disgust toward the magi remained intact, even if the man who had enacted it had fallen. It seemed all too plausible that his presumed death had only enhanced their anger, not diminished it.
But…
The empire did not hate him and Abe. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he remembered how much they worshiped him following the fall of Indica. He became something of a legend to the guards.
He could use that to his advantage. He could find out the truth about what happened. This is your chance to serve a greater purpose. Help organize this city. Use your status to promote calm and peace. Do something that Artemia would never do.
“Abe,” he said. “We have to split up.”
“Right after I ran into you? After I thought you dead at the hand of Artemia? You just want to get rid of me, don’t you.”
“No, I mean as the group. The magi go to the library. You and I are going to the palace.”
Zelda looked at him perplexed. Seeking to reassure the young girl, he turned to her with the body posture of a leader. It felt odd leading others, not because he considered himself a follower, but because he had never sought to lead other people before. He preferred to lead himself and keep to himself.
“When we killed Indica, the city gave me the glory of victory. I know the truth. I know you, Tetra, and the other girl, wherever she is, were the ones who killed the dragon. But unfortunately, they will not acknowledge that any time soon. I can use my status to try and learn more, and perhaps even soften feelings toward the magi. I’m the only one in this group who can do that.”
“It’s just as well, Zelda,” Romarus said. “We need to find Tetra and Yeva. Tetra will know the truth about what happened since she probably caused it. We need to rally her to help defeat Artemia as well. No one else in this city will help us in that goal more than those two.”
Eric could see the gears turning in the young girl’s head. He wondered, observing her, just how much she was like him. She seemed to have more innocence about her, but appearances often masked a darker side. Only his gender and his age reduced his image of innocence. No one would ever mistake him for it. But some might for her.
He had nothing to base that on, though. Aside from some brief encounters during their assault on Indica and the last few days, he knew nothing of her. But he knew a young mage who had suffered as she had would have some brooding, dark thoughts. Maybe we all have a little bit of Artemia inside us.
“All right,” she said. “Abe? Do you think this is a good idea?”
Eric noticed how she seemed to regard Abe as almost like a father figure. Maybe she, too, didn’t know her father.
“It’s the best idea we’ve got so far,” he said. “Whether that’s a good idea or not depends on how well we execute it.”
“Then I’ll do it,” Zelda said.
“You’re going to have to go first,” Romarus said, pointing to the two hunters. “The sooner the guards become infatuated with your return, the sooner we can make our way to the library relatively undetected.”
“Understood,” Eric said.
He took a breath, looked at Abe, who gave a reassuring pat on his shoulder, and reminded himself, “Walk tall.”
; He moved forward and toward the courtyard. Dozens of guards immediately looked upon him with suspicion. Eric tried not to sweat, but his stomach lurched in a way that seemed unbecoming of a boy trying to act like a leader. He had no backup plan. The guards would overwhelm the magi if an attack broke out.
“Halt!” the soldier closest to him said. “You have a lot of guts being out here at this hour. Go back to your home!”
“My home,” Eric said, before pausing to collect himself. He wanted to make sure he chose his words carefully, for he could see everyone, not just the guard speaking to him, watched him with the utmost suspicion. Just remember me, please. “Is here. My name is Eric Garland. I saved your city from Indica about a month ago. I have returned to let you know that we have done the same with Ragnor. We slaughtered the beast. The empire is safe.”
Utmost confusion spread across the soldier’s face. He wrestled with something mentally, but Eric could only guess at what until he spoke. He had a pretty good idea with what, though.
“Arthur!” he shouted.
An older guard with a thick gray beard and a more formal attire, bearing the imperial crest on his chest and robes from behind, approached. Immediately, Eric didn’t like the man, but he maintained a professional posture.
“Do you remember a boy by the name of Eric Garland?”
“Indeed, I do,” Arthur said, and a smile came over his face. Relief temporarily washed over Eric. He couldn’t ignore how much Arthur’s eyes reminded him of Artemia. “You have returned from your time in the southern lands, I see. And you conquered Ragnor?”
“Yes,” Eric said without hesitation. “I did so with my partner, Abe. I went with Artemia, but we got separated.”
“So I noticed,” Arthur said. “Eric, are you aware that she came here just days ago?”
Eric had his suspicions, but he kept them to himself. He pretended to be dumbfounded by this statement.
“Come with me, the both of you,” Arthur said.
Eric nodded to Abe, who seemed unfazed. Eric couldn’t imagine, with his status in the empire, that anything bad would come of this journey inside the palace.
Still, whoever this Arthur was, Eric needed to size him up carefully. Not everyone shared the love of the hunters as he did. Jealousy spread easily.
Arthur took them inside a private room, the one where he, Abe, and Artemia had sat before, discussing their strategy for Ragnor over breakfast.
“Let me outline the current situation for you,” Arthur said. “A few days ago, Artemia came back. She had some monsters with her that our people had never even imagined, let alone seen, before. She claimed that she got them from defeating Ragnor and that you two had perished on the journey home. Do you know anything about this?”
Eric didn’t see any harm in telling the truth.
“Yes,” he said. “After we killed Ragnor, Artemia tried to kill me so that she could claim the essence of Ragnor. She came closer than I wished to succeeding. The crystal gave her the power to summon and control those monsters somehow. I followed behind with Ro… with Abe when I ran into him shortly after. But yes, I’m aware of this.”
“That lines up with what we suspected, though you will forgive us for not pressing the issue with the guild master. Now then. Artemia stayed until yesterday, at which point she left with the monsters and four ships. She did so in broad daylight. Our beloved Emperor Syrast sent her off, and then returned here to govern the people.”
A sympathizer. Don’t overplay your status.
“This morning, however, we found him and three guards savagely murdered. It could not have been Artemia, because even with her monsters, she does not have the sudden ability to teleport. None of her monsters are small enough to evade our sight. Instead, while we don’t technically have proof of this, we can say with great certainty that Kara has returned and done this.”
The hunt for the magi has returned. And it’s only about to get worse.
“So here is the plan, then. We must hunt down Kara, kill her, and make an example of her for what she has done. We must also do the same for any magi we run across. We have placed this entire city on lockdown. We did so as soon as dawn broke in preparation for this afternoon, at which point we will go door to door in search of any magi and, hopefully, Kara.”
Eric did his best not to betray any emotion. He kept his face lined and his lips taut. But if the guards held the line on their mission, he didn’t see how Zelda, Romarus, and possibly Tetra would escape. Unless they can hide in the Shadow’s headquarters. They did it before.
“It brings me great joy to see that you and Abe have returned, Eric. At this moment, as a general in the army, I have assumed control of this empire until the former emperor’s advisers can figure out a course of action. But the soldiers’ morale has suffered. Your return can elevate it. We ask that you help us hunt the magi. Can you do that, Eric?”
Eric needed to act and speak fast, and he knew it. Any hesitation on his part would mark him as less than the hero the emperor had made him at best, and a magi sympathizer at worst.
“With all respect, General Arthur,” Eric said slowly, the better to give him time to speak. “I think you have a far bigger problem with Artemia. You do understand she seeks to kill Bahamut, correct?”
“Very much so,” Arthur replied, his voice also stable. “But it will take her quite some time to get that far. And then, will she succeed? The odds seem quite low.”
“But not impossible.”
Now Arthur got caught tongue-tied. He had no response. I have a chance.
“I understand the concerns of the empire, and nothing pains me more than to see a gruesome end for the emperor,” Eric said. “Most especially because his son perished at the hands of Kara as well. But our city mourns the loss of our leader. It has not yet rioted or imploded. If Artemia succeeds in defeating Bahamut, there is no telling what will happen.”
“Eric—”
“Arthur, please,” Eric begged, and the intensity of his voice seemed to sway the commander into silence once more. “After we killed Indica, the seas became a nightmare to explore. Monsters of the deep seem intent on destroying any ships we have. After we killed Ragnor, its monsters attached themselves to the person who possessed the dragon’s crystal. What monsters will awaken if Bahamut falls?”
Arthur grimaced as his mind seemed to race. Eric could tell the general had never taken the time to understand magi lore, but now had no choice with what had transpired over the past couple of months.
Then an idea came to Eric that felt so dangerous—yet so filled with potential—he had to request it. Only his status made him even consider the possibility.
“Give Abe and I a ship,” he said. “And send any magi you come across on it.”
“I’m sorry?”
Arthur looked like he had just heard a request for his own death.
“I know it sounds peculiar, but please. Like it or not,” Eric said, pausing. He had to choose his next words as carefully as anything he had ever said. “When we fought Indica, yes, Abe and I defeated the dragon. But a major part of the battle went in our favor because of the magi’s capabilities. With Bahamut, we will need far more at hand than just Abe and I, especially since Artemia has multiple monsters. I…”
He thought about mentioning that he had a sliver of the essence of Indica, but thought better of it. Not every man needed to know his every secret.
“I believe this will help all of us. We will get the magi out of your hair in Caia and take them to Mathos. That town is so small that they can remain there, out of the way of the empire. We will stop Artemia, and I will command the magi to remain in Mathos.”
“I don’t like giving so much as a sliver of a hair to the magi,” Arthur said. “For the violent crimes they have committed over the years, they don’t deserve the benefit of compromise or freedom. But you make valid points. We can clear out this city of the murderous scum, and you can stop Artemia.”
“Precisely. And in turn, you benefit. The em
pire remains intact. Caia is safer. And you have no more magi to worry about.”
Arthur leaned back, and for the first time since they’d gotten inside the room, Eric glanced at Abe. The elder dragon hunter did not pay him mind, perhaps for the best. A mutual glance might have raised suspicion. But the upright posture and relaxed demeanor Abe presented made Eric feel a bit at ease.
Just a bit, though. He knew what he’d proposed sounded a bit extreme. To give the magi an out had only happened once before with Indica, and that came with the burning of Dabira as a sign of gratitude.
“I will allow it,” Arthur said. “Under two conditions. One, whatever magi we collect must fit on one boat. If you cannot fit them all on one boat, then you will have to leave them behind, at which point they will suffer as they must.”
“Understood,” Eric said.
He wondered if automatically accepting that condition made him a terrible person. Depending on the number of magi in town, that criteria could lead to nothing at all or it could result in the deaths of multiple people, too many to count. He hoped that he had not just sent multiple families to their deaths—but the alternative would mean certain death for all families.
“Two, if we find Kara, you leave her with us.”
That pained Eric to hear. Not because of any old emotions or anything that had faded with time. But because she had too much power to leave behind. He didn’t know if they would stand a chance without someone as powerful as Tetra.
“You seem uncertain about that. Is there a problem, Eric?”
Don’t deny your doubts. It’ll cast suspicion upon you.
“Kara has power which no magi can rival,” Eric said. “She would make for an invaluable ally in the battle against Artemia. If I may suggest, if you find her, let her come with us and in return, promise a lighter sentence.”
Then he said the words that he feared confirmed the dark side of his soul. Chrystos, forgive me.
“I do not care if you still intend to kill her after. If you want to lie about the lighter sentence, so be it. But I do not want to leave anyone of potential value behind. She and any other magi should come. She could spell the difference between success and failure.”
Legends of the War (War of the Magi Book 3) Page 14
