Kingdom of Magicians

by Timothy L. Cerepaka

  Chapter Ten

  Keo, Dlaine, and Jola escaped the forest and were back on the road in short order. They ran into no Gatherers or Riders on their way out, although they heard the battle cries of the fighting brigands, as well as the clanging of metal against metal, and even a few explosions every now and then. It appeared that the Gatherers and Riders were indeed too preoccupied with their own battles to notice their escape. Even so, Keo kept expecting Celeresis to show up out of nowhere and try to kill all three of them, although he also hoped that Yuras would kill her or that maybe they both would kill each other, because he didn't like either of the twins very much.

  Upon leaving the forest, Keo, Dlaine, and Jola ran as fast as they could through the countryside, trying to put as much distance between themselves and the warring brigands as they possibly could. They ran even when the sun set and darkness fell over the whole land, although they did eventually set up camp on the side of the road once they got too tired to keep running. As before, Jola stayed up to watch the road and surrounding wilderness in case of attack, which made Keo wonder if she ever actually slept, although when she used her magic to heal his shoulder wound, he decided not to question her too much.

  In the morning after breakfast, the three travelers made their way through the winding hills of the southern countryside. There were fewer trees here, which made Keo feel far too vulnerable, because there were fewer places to hide in case of attack. And of the few trees that were present among or on the hills, they were smaller and thinner than the ones in either the Low Woods or the forest back where the Gatherers and Riders fought. Dlaine did not seem too bothered by the lack of trees, but then, Keo was under the impression that Dlaine was rarely bothered by anything, because he no doubt had seen many strange and exotic locations during his travels around Lamaira, although he remembered his agreement not to ask Dlaine questions about his past and so kept such thoughts to himself.

  It was mid-morning before they crested a hill and saw a town sprawling out before them. It was larger than New Ora, but not by much, although the houses and buildings within it looked a lot nicer than New Ora's, as if the inhabitants of this town were wealthier, though the western part of the town did look rundown for some reason. Indeed, Keo noticed a large domed building on the west side of the town that looked like nothing he had seen in New Ora, as well as the Magician's Tower rising from the center. The town walls were high and thick, with armed guards patrolling them, guards who wore armor that looked a lot cleaner and shinier than the armor worn by the guards of New Ora.

  “That's Torgan,” said Dlaine, pointing at the town. “New Ora's sister town and our next stop.”

  Keo looked at Dlaine. “Have you ever been there before?”

  “A few times,” said Dlaine. “It's pretty nice. They've got a big theater there that puts on plays about once a week, although the price for tickets is pretty steep.”

  “Is Torgan richer than New Ora?” said Keo.

  “Yep,” said Dlaine, nodding. He gestured to the west. “There are some gold mines nearby that have provided them with their wealth, in addition to the theater, which draws people from all over the country to visit. They're not quite as rich as Capitika, but they are richer than New Ora.”

  “Who is the Magician in charge?” said Keo, pointing at the bone white Tower rising from the town's center.

  “Magician Erawa,” said Dlaine. “Granted, the last time I visited this place was a few years ago, so she might not be in charge anymore, but she was the Magician in charge last time I was here.”

  “Is she kinder than Skran?” said Keo.

  “Yeah, but she was always … eccentric,” said Dlaine. He scratched the back of his head. “It's kind of hard to explain, but she used to be a stage actress before she became the town's Magician, so she has some of that strangeness about her that most actors and actresses do.”

  “Is it a bad eccentric?” said Keo with a gulp.

  “Not really,” said Dlaine, shaking his head. “But it doesn't really matter. We're not going to stay here long anyway. We'll stock up on some supplies and then make our way to the Silver Falls to the east.”

  “Okay,” said Keo. “Then lead the way.”

  So Keo, Dlaine, and Jola made their way down the hill toward Torgan's front gates. As they got closer, Keo saw two guards standing in front of the gates. They were two rather tall, large men with muscles like carved rock, armed with spears and shields that looked very fancy to Keo. They had a strange symbol on the shields—a flaming arrow—which made Keo wonder if that was the symbol of the town or not.

  Dlaine approached the guards with confidence. He stopped before them and said, “Hi there. We're a couple of travelers who are just passing through. Mind letting us in?”

  “State your names and your business,” said one of the guards.

  “I'm Dlaine of the Fist,” said Dlaine. He nodded at Keo. “And this is Keo of the Sword. Like I said, we're—”

  “Hold it,” said the first guard, holding up a hand. “Did you just say that you are Dlaine of the Fist and your companion is Keo of the Sword?”

  Dlaine nodded, looking rather annoyed at being interrupted. “Yes, I did. Why?”

  Without warning, the second guard slammed his spear at Dlaine's side. The blow knocked Dlaine flat off his feet, but before he could get up again, the second guard pointed the sharp tip of his spear at Dlaine's throat.

  Keo immediately unsheathed Gildshine, but as soon as he did, the first guard pointed the tip of his spear against his throat faster than Keo's eyes could follow. Keo froze, although he still held Gildshine in his hand.

  “Don't make a move, criminal,” said the first guard, his voice harsh and authoritative. “By the laws of the Council, we guards have the right to kill any criminals who resist arrest.”

  “Criminals?” said Keo, making sure not to move his head too much in order to avoid impaling it on the guard's spear tip. “What are you talking about? Dlaine and I have never committed any crime. Right, Dlaine?”

  “Uh, right,” said Dlaine, though he didn't say it very convincingly. “We're just peaceful travelers.”

  “Don't lie to us,” said the first guard. “We received a message from Magician Skran of New Ora that two wanted criminals, Keo of the Sword and Dlaine of the Fist, escaped New Ora two days ago and assaulted Skran while they were at it. We were given orders to keep an eye out for them, but I didn't think you'd be so stupid as to walk right up to the gate and declare your identities to us like a couple of arrogant fools.”

  Damn it, Keo thought. Should have seen this coming.

  “Now, Keo of the Sword, drop your weapon and allow us to arrest you peacefully,” said the first guard. “We'll take you to jail and then ship you back to New Ora in the morning.”

  Keo bit his lower lip. He knew that there was no way that he or Dlaine could get out of this situation unharmed or even alive, especially when he noticed the guards on the ramparts coming down to aid their fellow guards in arresting the criminals. He hoped Jola would do something to help, but he did not hear or see Jola doing anything. He supposed that even Jola might not be able to help here, seeing as these guards certainly looked more than ready to kill Dlaine and him if they needed to.

  But neither did Keo want to comply with the guard's orders. With the demons rising in only a few weeks, Keo could not afford to waste any time in a jail cell. Besides, he was getting tired of getting captured or arrested by now, although he still saw no way to get Dlaine and him out of this alive.

  Just as Keo was about to lower his sword, someone behind him shouted, “Wait!”

  That voice—which Keo did not recognize at all—made him look over his shoulder, despite the fact that the guard before him was still pointing his spear at his throat.

  A woman was walking down the road, a woman who Keo had never seen before. She looked older than Keo, but not as old as Dlaine, and she wore a brown traveling cloak. Her hair was short, but streaked with red, like she had dyed it that way.
She had a walking stick that looked like it had been elaborately carved by an expert carpenter and she moved quickly, like a mouse, and was almost as small as one, too.

  “Don't arrest them!” the woman called as she approached the guards and Keo and Dlaine. “There's been a mistake!”

  “Woman, just who do you think you are?” said the first guard. “State your name and your business.”

  The woman stopped a few feet away from Keo and Dlaine and looked at the guards without fear in her eyes. “My name is Sadia of the Foot. And I am here to enter Torgan and also stop you from making a terrible mistake.”

  The first guard and second guard exchanged puzzled looks, as did Keo and Dlaine. Keo hoped that Dlaine might know who this woman was, but Dlaine looked just as confused as he felt, which did not reassure Keo that this woman could be trusted, whoever she was.

  “A terrible mistake?” said the first guard. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean that these two men are not the dangerous criminals you suppose them to be,” said Sadia, gesturing at Keo and Dlaine. “They are, in fact, innocent of any wrongdoing in New Ora or wherever else they may have been.”

  “Why should we listen to you?” said the first guard. “We received a report—”

  “It was a mistake,” Sadia said. “Magician Skran confused these two men with a couple of other criminals who escaped that same night. Keo and Dlaine are, in fact, innocent men who were released from jail once it was clear they had committed no crimes, but there was a mix-up among the Enforcers and as a result you were given the wrong report.”

  That sounded like a far-fetched story to Keo, but the two guards looked at each other with doubt, as if they had experienced this sort of thing before.

  “Well, the Enforcers at New Ora have been known to make that kind of mistake before,” said the first guard, somewhat grudgingly. “Like the time they claimed that Manfa of the Bread was a dangerous murderer only for it to turn out that he was just a normal man unlucky enough to share a name with an actual murderer who escaped from New Ora. That was embarrassing.”

  “And the situation here is the same,” said Sadia, folding her arms across her chest. “You must listen to me because I am a messenger sent from Skran himself, who told me to come here and correct the mistake before you arrested any innocent people.”

  The two guards again exchanged puzzled looks, while Keo and Dlaine kept quiet. Keo could not recall ever hearing about a woman named Sadia working for Skran, but then, it was often said that Magicians had many different servants working for them at any one time and that many of them worked behind the scenes where you could not see them. In any case, Keo decided not to utter a word, because if this woman could save Dlaine and him from being arrested and hauled back to New Ora, then he was quite content to let her talk.

  “But they identified themselves as Keo of the Sword and Dlaine of the Fist,” the first guard said. “And the report we received explicitly said that the names of the two criminals were Keo of the Sword and Dlaine of the Fist.”

  “Like I said, it was a mistake,” said Sadia. “Whoever sent you that report must have mixed up Keo and Dlaine with the real criminals.”

  “And those would be …?” said the first guard with a skeptical look on his face.

  “Ceo of the Knife and Flaine of the Hand,” Sadia said. “I can see how you might confuse them, however, because their names are quite similar.”

  “Figures,” said the second guard under his breath. “Skran's men always send us mixed up reports. Surprised the Council hasn't revoked Skran's license for being such a screw up.”

  “Well, now that you know, you can let them both go,” said Sadia, gesturing at Keo and Dlaine. “Or into Torgan, as the case obviously is.”

  The two guards once again exchanged doubtful looks, but as Sadia had laid out her case rather convincingly, the two clearly had no reason to arrest Keo and Dlaine. So they removed their spear tips from the two, allowing Keo to step back, while Dlaine scrambled to his feet, dusting off the dirt on his clothes and glaring at the guards.

  “You're lucky that I'm not going to tell Magician Erawa about how you assaulted a couple of innocent people,” said Dlaine. “Otherwise, you wouldn't have a job in this town ever again.”

  The second guard merely glared at Dlaine, while the first guard said, “Well, since you two are obviously innocent travelers, we can let you into the town.”

  Keo looked at the guard in surprise. “You mean we don't have to give up our weapons?”

  “Nope,” said the first guard, shaking his head. “Magician Erawa has decreed that all travelers may carry their weapons into Torgan, but you are not allowed to use them except for self-defense and they can be taken away from you if you are deemed a threat to the public.”

  “Wonderful,” said Sadia, who had appeared between Keo and Dlaine suddenly. She slipped her arms through their own and said, “Then why don't we enter together? It's almost lunchtime and I, for one, am very hungry.”

  The first guard nodded, while the second guard walked over to a lever and pulled it down, allowing the gates to creak open. As soon as they had opened wide enough for Sadia to enter, she pulled both Keo and Dlaine in with her, smiling all the while at the guards, while the first guard looked embarrassed and the second looked annoyed. And although Sadia was clearly not a physical match for Keo or Dlaine, she managed to drag them along with her anyway because they were too surprised by this strange turn of events to stop her.

  As for Torgan itself, it reminded Keo heavily of New Ora, except the streets were wider and nicer, and the houses and buildings appeared cleaner. There were also a lot more people walking about, a few looking at Keo and Dlaine being pulled along by Sadia, but most of the townspeople seemed to mind their own business and paid the new arrivals little attention.

  But Keo did not get to see much else of the town, however, because Sadia immediately dragged Keo and Dlaine into an alleyway between two houses, well out of the sight of the guards and the general public. She then let go of them and peered out into the street before pulling her head back in and turning to face the two of them again. Only now, her smile was gone, replaced by an annoyed expression that contrasted sharply with her earlier kindly demeanor and her hands were on her hips.

  “You idiots,” said Sadia. She shoved them both in the chest. “I should have just let the guards take you. It's what you deserve for being so goddamn stupid.”

  “Hey,” said Dlaine, regaining his balance and glaring at her. “Just where do you get off calling us idiots? We don't even know you. Nor did we ask for your help.”

  “I agree with Dlaine,” said Keo, folding his arms over his chest. “While we appreciate the help, we don't appreciate a complete stranger like you insulting our intelligence for no reason.”

  Sadia sighed and rubbed her forehead. “Let me state it plainly: When you are a wanted criminal whose name is known in every town throughout the general area, do you really think that it is wise to go up to a couple of big, beefy guards, and announce to them that you are the criminal that they were warned about?”

  “When you put it that way, it does make us sound foolish,” Keo said. “But how were we supposed to know that we're wanted criminals? Or that the Enforcers in New Ora are talking to the guards in Torgan?”

  “You should have known because that's how the Magicians operate,” said Sadia, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “If one criminal from their territory escapes, they immediately alert their nearest fellow Magicians about it. It's an effective system that makes it hard for your average criminal to simply move to a different town and try to lay low because there will already be a ton of people looking out for them no matter where they go.”

  “I probably should have realized that,” said Dlaine, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. “In my travels, I've seen that same system in action myself more than a few times. It's why I've—eh, well, I know what she's talking about.”

  “Thankfully, they don't have
any drawings of you two yet, so the other Magicians and their Enforcers in this area can't identify you guys by sight,” said Sadia. “But I really don't think you two should stay in Torgan for even a day. The guards have to report everyone who enters or exits Torgan to Magician Erawa at the end of every day, and she's the kind of Magician to investigate people like me who claim to work for Skran or other Magicians.”

  “Wait, so you don't work for Skran?” said Keo. “Was that all a lie?”

  “Of course it was,” said Sadia, waving off Keo's shock like it meant nothing. “But it kept you guys from having to spend the night in Torgan's dirtiest jail cell tonight, so I think you should be thanking me rather than acting all high and mighty because I lied.”

  “Right,” said Keo. “Well, if you aren't one of Skran's servants, then who are you? Why did you even help us?” He looked at Dlaine. “Dlaine, you wouldn't happen to recognize her, would you?”

  “If I had, I would have mentioned it already,” said Dlaine. “I've never seen this girl in my life.”

  “I guess it's safe to introduce myself,” said Sadia. “First off, my name is indeed Sadia of the Foot. So you don't have to worry about that.”

  “I wasn't, but thanks for letting us know anyway,” said Keo.

  “Anyway, I saved you two because, well, I'm not a big fan of the Magicians, to be honest,” said Sadia. She looked around suddenly again, like she expected to see someone eavesdropping on her, even though the alleyway in which they stood was quite empty. “I've been secretly fighting against the Magicians because I don't approve of their rule. Me and several others.”

  “Rebels?” said Keo. “I've heard stories of groups of Rebels fighting against the Council's rule, but I didn't think I'd ever get to actually meet one.”

  “Well, we exist and we're here and everywhere,” said Sadia. “We have men in New Ora who learned of your predicament and spread word of your capture to the other Rebels in the area. We didn't actually know where you were going, but Torgan seemed like a likely location, so I came here to see if I could intercept you before the city guards arrested you, which they nearly did.”

  “Why are you helping us, though?” said Keo, tilting his head to the side. “We're not Rebels, you know.”

  Sadia sighed heavily, like Keo was starting to test her patience. “The reason I am helping you is because we Rebels don't want the Magicians to unjustly imprison innocent people like you two anymore. We know that you two didn't do anything wrong and that you two are certainly not dangerous criminals who should be behind bars for the rest of your lives.”

  “So you basically helped us because you hate the Magicians, is that it?” said Dlaine.

  “More or less,” said Sadia with a shrug.

  “Do you expect us to join you Rebels or something?” said Keo.

  “No,” said Sadia, shaking her head. “We understand that you guys are trying to reach Capitika, so we're not going to ask you to join us. We just wanted to mess with the Magicians' plans by helping you guys get into Torgan without being arrested.”

  “Well, that's rather kind of you,” said Keo. “I—”

  Dlaine tapped Keo on the shoulder, causing Keo to look at him and say, “Yes?”

  “Can we talk in private for a moment?” said Dlaine. He then looked at Sadia pointedly. “And that does not include you.”

  Sadia shrugged like she didn't care.

  “All right,” said Keo. “Let's talk.”

  Keo and Dlaine walked several feet down the alleyway, away from Sadia, who had her hands in the pockets of her robes and was looking around like she expected something to jump out and attack her at any moment.

  Then Dlaine stopped and said, in a harsh whisper, “I don't trust her.”

  Keo glanced at Sadia, who did not appear to be trying to listen to their conversation. “Why? She saved us from being thrown in jail.”

  “Because she's a Rebel,” said Dlaine. “Tell me, what do you know about the Rebels?”

  Keo frowned, thinking about everything that Master Tiram and the other people from New Ora had told him about the Rebels. “I know they aren't very well organized and tend to strike anywhere they please. I also know that no one knows their true numbers, so the Magicians don't know how to deal with them.”

  “Yeah, but there's a lot more to them than that,” said Dlaine. He also glanced at Sadia and then leaned in closer to Keo and continued speaking, but in a much lower whisper. “The Rebels are crazy. They've been known to start riots and brawls everywhere they go, and without any good reason. I got caught in one of their riots back in Takzo a few years back and nearly got burned down with the inn I was staying at.”

  “Oh,” said Keo, putting a hand on his mouth, though he made sure to keep his voice low so that Sadia did not hear him either. “What are the Rebels trying to do, exactly?”

  “Destabilize the Magical Council's rule,” said Dlaine. “They consider it illegitimate because the Council asserted its rule over South Lamaira after King Riuno's death.”

  “What do they want to replace it with?” asked Keo. “Their own king?”

  “They don't have any idea of what they want to replace it with, as far as I know,” said Dlaine in disgust. “And that's the problem. They demand that things change, but they don't seem to know what kind of change they want. They could end up backing a would-be tyrant and they wouldn't care as long as he wasn't a Magician.”

  Keo glanced at Sadia again, who still didn't seem to be eavesdropping. “Okay, but what does that have to do with us? Sadia already said that she doesn't expect us to join them.”

  “Yeah, but if Magician Erawa learns that we were helped by a Rebel, then that's just going to make it that much harder for us to get to Capitika,” Dlaine said, nodding at Sadia. “Remember, the Magical Council has given orders to all Magicians and their Enforcers to arrest any Rebels or anyone related to the Rebels that they find, which includes us at the moment, in case you didn't know.”

  Keo put a hand over his mouth. “Oh my god. What do we do, then?”

  “Leave Sadia alone, get what supplies we need from here, and then leave Torgan and never look back,” said Dlaine. “Right now, it seems like the government of Torgan doesn't know that Sadia is a Rebel, so we might be able to leave before anyone starts asking questions. Even so, every minute we spend in this town now makes it that much more likely that the government will arrest us, especially if they learn that we are indeed the Keo and Dlaine that Skran warned them about.”

  “All right,” said Keo. “Sounds like a good idea. But why don't we say good bye to Sadia first? Just to thank her for getting us out of that tight situation.”

  Dlaine looked like he would rather that they did not, but then he shrugged and said, “You can do it if you want. As for me, I'm just going to wait here.”

  Keo nodded and then walked back over to Sadia, who had not yet moved from where she stood. She looked up at Keo as he approached and said, “Yes?”

  “Sadia, I just wanted to thank you for helping us, but this is where we have to part ways I'm afraid,” said Keo. “For safety reasons, you must understand.”

  Sadia nodded. “Oh, sure. I understand completely. Besides, I have some things I need to do as well, things that I need to do without you, so I was planning to leave you two alone anyway. But if you ever need help, just go to The Overflowing Mug.”

  With that, Sadia turned and walked down the alleyway back into the crowded street and soon vanished among the throngs of people. It was amazing how easily she vanished from view, almost like magic, even though Keo was quite sure that Sadia was not a Magician herself.

  Shaking his head, Keo turned and walked back to Dlaine and said, “Where to next?”

  “We find the marketplace, get whatever we need, and leave,” Dlaine said. “And we do it quickly, before sundown. If we do, then by the time the Enforcers realize who we are—if they realize who we are—we will be long gone.”

  Keo nodded and soon the two were walking down the alley
way back into the streets of Torgan, except now they were heading toward the marketplace, which according to Dlaine was near the Torgan Theater, on the west side of the town. No one seemed to pay attention to the two of them exiting the alleyway, but they made sure not to draw any attention to themselves just the same.

  Even so, Keo thought he felt someone watching them. He looked around and spotted an elderly woman standing in the window on the second floor of a nearby building, looking down directly at Dlaine and him. But then she backed away out of view, which made Keo wonder if whether she had backed away because she did not want to be seen by him.

  But he did not mention it to Dlaine, because he figured that that was simply a strange older woman who likely lived by herself and was probably of no threat to him or anyone else.

  ***