The Evermen Saga 01 - Enchantress

by James Maxwell

  She began to play with the material of her skirt.

  Then Miro noticed she never moved far from a particular part of the stage she was dancing on. Looking down, he saw her ankle was chained to the stage, a heavy manacle around her delicate foot.

  "Tuok! Lord of the Sky! Look..."

  Miro started to run towards the stage.

  Tuok grabbed Miro and dragged him away. They both had to move quickly to push through the crowd and rejoin the delegation. Fortunately Captain Sloan hadn’t noticed their absence. Some of the soldiers smirked.

  "Take care, Miro," Tuok said. "You are a stranger here, do nothing except what you are told." He roughly pushed Miro away from him, his one-eye blazing. Miro had never seen him so angry.

  Miro resolved to stay quiet for the remainder of their journey.

  Finally the group entered the district of market houses, the financial centre of the Tingaran Empire. Each raj had its own market house: great square structures where the goods manufactured by the raja were bought and sold. Services could also be bought — for the right price even elementalists could be hired.

  Tuok’s good humour returned. "Want to buy a magic sword, build a big glowing fortress, blow it up with prismatic orbs, and have little wooden men put it back together? This is where you come."

  It was also well known that the market houses were the diplomatic centres for the raja, where information was worth good gilden. They had all been told to be on the lookout for spies.

  Some said that the origin of the term ‘house’ being used for the raja came from these buildings.

  Miro saw the Torakon raj hada on the huge building they were currently passing. Then it was the raj hada for the artificers of Loua Louna. The Veznan market house was on the other side of the street. Then, next to the animators’ building, they came to the Alturan market house.

  The delegation from Altura had arrived.

  ~

  THE men were quickly settled in their new lodgings. Miro, Tuok, and two others were sharing a room in the east wing. They had barely been there for five minutes when Captain Sloan called the soldiers out.

  After they lined up in front of him, he regarded them for a moment, and then assigned various guard duties. "Remember, men, we’re far from home. Keep your wits about you and do not trust anyone."

  He signalled Tuok and five other soldiers, ignoring Miro. "We’re on special duty, come with me."

  "And Miro?" Tuok ventured.

  Captain Sloan regarded Tuok with a level gaze. "If you can find someone who would rather stay here."

  Miro wasn’t sure what that meant. He looked over at Tuok, who grinned at him and nodded.

  ~

  THE streets were quieter in the market district, populated with a less lively crowd. The men wore golden rings on their fingers and some had their noses or ears pierced. Many openly displayed an affiliation with a particular house — emerald for the green of Altura, amber for the brown of Halaran, or turquoise for the blue of Loua Louna. Many perhaps prudently wore imperial purple, or showed no affiliation at all.

  One of the bladesingers spoke briefly with Captain Sloan, then was followed a moment later by the other nine bladesingers and High Lord Tessolar himself. Lord Marshal Devon said something to High Lord Tessolar, who nodded.

  It was the first time Miro had seen the High Lord up close. Lord of the Sky, he was old! His eyes were sunken and what was left of his hair tufted out in wisps. Miro wondered if Lady Katherine’s death had affected him badly.

  Tessolar wore a flowing green cloak with an immense collar, the sword and flower raj hada woven into the fabric on his chest. The cloak was covered in runes; Miro assumed they gave the cloak similar properties to the armoursilk worn by the bladesingers.

  The soldiers fanned out, with the bladesingers occupying the inner circle close to the High Lord.

  Miro was surprised to see that it was only a short journey they took, to the market house of Raj Halaran. The Halrana raj hada was displayed proudly above the formal entrance — an open hand with an eye in the centre.

  The heavy doors opened, and a tall man stood regally in the centre of a crowd, his arms open with welcome. Miro realised this must be Legasa Telmarran, High Lord of Raj Halaran.

  The Halrana High Lord wore a brown robe, his raj hada on a torque around his neck. So this was the man whose sister had been married to the Emperor, and whose father died in the Rebellion.

  High Lord Legasa’s hair was stiffly erect in the formal Halrana style. In contrast, High Lord Tessolar cut a less imposing figure, but seemed wiser in his years.

  High Lord Tessolar touched his fingers to his lips and then his forehead in the Alturan manner, and then High Lord Legasa touched his breast and swept back a leg, looking briefly at the ground before meeting High Lord Tessolar’s eyes.

  "Raj Halaran welcomes Raj Altura to our House," the Halrana High Lord called loudly. "I, Legasa Telmarran, High Lord of Raj Halaran, give welcome."

  In a thinner voice but audible to all, High Lord Tessolar responded. "I, Tessolar Mandragore, High Lord of Raj Altura, accept the welcome of our traditional allies. We thank the Lord of the Sky for bringing us together."

  "We thank the Lord of the Earth for bringing us together," said High Lord Legasa.

  The Alturan lords and soldiers entered the Halrana market house and were led down a corridor to a reception chamber, decorated with Halrana art — paintings of the land and the harvest, with colours of brown and red. The lords took seats around a stone table, and the heavy chamber door closed with a boom.

  A bladesinger stood behind each Alturan lord while the Alturan soldiers lined against the wall. Behind each Halrana lord stood a black figure, polished to a high gloss and standing motionless. Beautifully crafted, perfectly in proportion, Miro realised they must be iron golems. He measured one against his height and realised they were nearly seven feet tall. Symbols covered the golems, the runes glowing red, indicating they had been activated. The constructs were alive.

  Halrana in brown robes lined the wall behind the golems. Each wore a torque around his neck and carried a small tablet in his hands. These were the men who could control the golems.

  Then Miro forgot everything when High Lord Legasa spoke his first words, staring directly at High Lord Tessolar.

  "Our Lexicon has been stolen. We need to know, what do you know of this?"

  All in the room tensed.

  Miro glanced at the closed door.

  8

  Do you know what the problem with the world is? Too many houses open their doors to unwelcome guests.

  — Emperor Xenovere V, 532 Y.E.

  STUDENTS at the Pens were given only a basic class in lore before their abilities in swordsmanship were developed, honed and tested.

  Those who proved themselves at the Pens were accepted into bladesinger training. Miro assumed this was where a bladesinger’s knowledge of the runes was taught.

  Ella was the real expert. Sometimes Miro felt she knew things he wouldn’t understand if she spent a lifetime trying to explain them.

  He pictured her now, her eyes lit up with excitement, explaining to Miro the things only an enchanter knew about Lexicons. He’d found it fascinating.

  "Each house has its own lore," Ella had said. "Halrana animators bring golems of wood and bone to life, while Alturan enchanters make the sharpest swords and the toughest armour. Builders from Torakon construct the tallest towers and strongest fortresses. Petryan elementalists can heat the air or draw moisture from it. Louan artificers use their skills to create everything from timepieces to mortars. A Lexicon is the key to all of a house’s lore."

  "So everything an enchanter needs to know is in our Lexicon?" Miro had asked. If this was the case, why were there so many books on enchantment?

  "No, there’s more to it than that. In the pages of the Lexicon are the perfect representations of the rune structures. Something like an alphabet, combined with a dictionary."

  Miro nodded. He hadn’t particu
larly enjoyed grammar.

  "At places like the Academy of Enchanters in Sarostar, new methods and techniques are always being created — ways of arranging runes into matrices for stronger steel, for example — but the runes themselves, drawn by hand by a fallible human, well they can only approximate the perfection of the Lexicon."

  "Is that all?"

  Ella sighed in exasperation. "No, that’s not all. A Lexicon is a relic of the Evermen — they weren’t created by human hands, and from a Lexicon stems the power that allows the magic to function. Our Lexicon must be protected at all costs, not only for the knowledge, but also so it can be renewed. Just like enchanted items need renewal, so does a Lexicon. Our High Enchantress would not be able to renew our Lexicon if it was lost, which means the runes would fade, and the magic would no longer work."

  "All magic?"

  "Everything that was made with those rune structures. In our case that means all of our enchantments — zenblades, armoursilk, nightlamps — everything."

  "So it needs to be protected."

  "That’s right. Each house appoints one individual above all whose responsibility it is to maintain and protect their Lexicon. Unlike the lords, whose position is hereditary, the loremaster is a position that can only be reached with intelligence, skill, and dedication."

  Miro had nodded. From what he had heard, even High Lord Tessolar deferred to High Enchantress Evora Guinestor.

  ~

  LORD Marshall Devon was the first to speak. "You have lost your Lexicon? But how?"

  Next to him, High Lord Tessolar placed a hand on Devon’s arm. "This is a grave and serious matter. We offer our sympathies, and our full support. This is the first occasion we have had to know about this."

  High Lord Legasa nodded, as if confirming something.

  The Alturan High Lord continued, "But I have to agree with Lord Devon. This comes as a shock. How did you lose your Lexicon? What of the High Animator? Were there safeguards in place?"

  High Lord Legasa motioned with a wave of his hand. There was a creak, and the heavy chamber door opened. A newcomer entered, wearing a brown robe similar to High Lord Legasa’s, but where Legasa’s was plain, his shimmered with runes and the torque around his neck glowed with flickering lights. As he stepped forward he rested his weight on a thin wooden cane, and when he reached the table, he released the cane and placed his hands on the stone, peering at each face in turn, his gaze strangely intense.

  Miro gaped in astonishment as the cane sprouted tiny wooden legs and walked into the corner, resting itself against the wall.

  "I think I am best suited to answer your questions, High Lord," the newcomer said.

  "May I introduce High Animator Gazzio Marcado," said High Lord Legasa.

  All of the Alturans in the room stood and touched their fingers to their lips and forehead — even High Lord Tessolar.

  "It is an honour, High Animator," said High Lord Tessolar. It was rare for a loremaster to leave his homeland.

  "High Lord," said High Animator Gazzio. "Please, sit down. You asked how our Lexicon was stolen from us. My answer is: I do not know. I personally administered the safeguards, the traps and wards. The thief went through them like they did not exist."

  Legasa took up the dialogue. "We tracked the thief for a time before he vanished completely. He went east."

  "To Torakon?" said Tessolar.

  "That way, yes. But he could have been heading for Tingara. As we speak our Lexicon could be somewhere in Seranthia. The High Animator is investigating."

  "How long has it been?" Devon spoke.

  "Over a week," said the High Animator. There were gasps from around the chamber. "I renewed our Lexicon not long before the theft, but in time, our magic will fade."

  "May I offer you the support of some of our men — perhaps a few of our bladesingers could help get some tongues moving?" said Tessolar.

  "Your offer is appreciated. However we will not require your assistance at this stage."

  "Money," said Captain Sloan.

  All eyes turned to the reticent guard captain. "I’m sorry, captain?" said Tessolar.

  Captain Sloan faltered, and then spoke up. "Fear will only get you so far in Seranthia. You need plenty of money. Offer the right sum for knowledge leading to the whereabouts of the Halrana Lexicon and word will get out. There’s a chance you’ll get your results."

  "I don’t think..." Devon began.

  Legasa held up his hand. "An excellent piece of advice, Captain. We will see to it."

  "Do you think this is in any way connected to Emperor Xenovere’s reasons for calling the Chorum?" Tessolar said.

  Legasa nodded. "It could be. At any rate we will know tomorrow."

  "What about the Primate? Have you spoken with anyone from the Assembly of Templars?"

  Legasa shook his head. "Melovar Aspen seems too interested in his relics of late. He declined a meeting."

  "High Lord Legasa, I need to know," Tessolar said delicately. "Does this affect our stance?"

  "I’m afraid it does. We need to swiftly increase our presence, before our runes fade and we are seriously weakened."

  The Alturan leader’s eyes darkened, and Miro felt the tension in the room grow. He became very aware of the glistening black golems, still motionless but coiled with pent up power. "I fear we might be taking actions that offend…"

  "We are dealing with uncertainty, High Lord Tessolar, but above all we must be decisive. We once said that with the Ring Forts again under our control we could build alliances and do something about our pitiful essence ration. With this setback, we need to move faster than we might wish. The Emperor needs to be challenged, and we are the raja the other houses are looking to for leadership. I have assurances from High Lord Dimitri of Vezna, and while the Petryans, as always, are an unknown, I believe the Louans and the Primate will support us against the growing power of Raj Tingara."

  Tessolar licked his lips. "Yes, but we must be careful to avoid confrontation."

  Legasa’s eyebrows grew closer, "You want to avoid confrontation? What about us? We lost more blood than you in the Rebellion!"

  "It was your war!" said Devon.

  His ruler silenced him with an angry glare. "It was a just war," said Tessolar. "You called and we supported you. And some still say the day may have been ours. I am not one of those people."

  Miro grew cold. He avoided sharing glances with the other soldiers.

  "We have been biding our time at your request, gathering our strength," said Legasa. "Now the Emperor has called a Chorum. We cannot afford to let him grow in power."

  "We will fight," Tessolar bit the words off. "But first you need to find your Lexicon."

  "This discussion is over," said High Lord Legasa standing up. His lords stood beside him; the Alturan lords reluctantly followed suit. "We will reconvene after the Chorum."

  Shaking his head, High Lord Tessolar led his men from the room.

  9

  Yes, most of the relics are here in Stonewater, but I know of many that are being held by the houses. Shouldn’t they be here, where they belong?

  — Primate Melovar Aspen to High Templar Saryah, 540 Y.E.

  TUOK found Miro preparing for bed.

  "We’ve got the night off," said Tuok with a wicked grin.

  Miro paused midway between pulling off his boots.

  "But if you’d rather stay here with the merchants, that’s fine with me. Perhaps you can find some work selling nightlamps to old women, young lord."

  Miro grinned back, "The whole night?"

  "The whole night. And most of tomorrow, too."

  "Doesn’t the High Lord need us?"

  "Tomorrow’s the Chorum, lad. The Chorum is under the Primate’s protection, and so are the market houses; it’s the one thing that remains inviolate. Good news for us?"

  "Good news for us," Miro echoed, punching Tuok in the arm.

  Tuok punched him back. Miro chuckled, unable to hold back a grimace of pain.

  Tuok
left the room laughing. When he was sure Miro wasn’t watching he rubbed at his arm. Lord of the Sky, the boy didn’t know his own strength!

  ~

  TUOK took Miro to an area called the Tenamet, assuring Miro it would be the best place to see what he called "the real Seranthia".

  They first passed through a wealthy neighbourhood called Fortune, where the merchants who worked at the market houses had their manses. Miro couldn’t believe the size of the manors. Nothing like the Crystal Palace, of course. But these weren’t even lords — they were just men who sold wares in markets!

  From Fortune to the Tenamet was a surprisingly short distance. The manses gave way to a sparse area spotted here and there with rectangular storage buildings. There were few people walking the streets here, and those there were seemed like the kind Miro was in no hurry to meet. At one point Tuok grabbed Miro by the shoulder and forcibly crossed him to the other side of the road.

  "What—" Miro said. He then noticed the twisted expression of the man who had been walking towards them. The man held a club of some sort and was cursing as he strode purposefully on the path, beating the walls with his club as he went.

  His cursing rose in intensity as he passed Miro and Tuok on the other side of the road.

  "Ignore him," Tuok muttered.

  The man shook his fist at them and continued walking.

  "Redberry," said Tuok. "Never cross a man on redberry."

  "Was he in pain?" Miro said.

  "Far from it, in his own mind he was probably having the time of his life."

  Miro shook his head.

  The frequency of other passers-by began to increase.

  "Are we late?" Miro asked. "I’m guessing most people will have gone home, given the hour."

  Tuok snorted. "In Seranthia the celebrations don’t really kick off until after midnight."

  "After midnight? When do they finish?"

  "Dawn. Sometimes after dawn. Sometimes through the next day. And because tomorrow is the Chorum and there are newcomers in the city, I’m thinking there’ll be more revellers out than usual."