"It must have been reacting to your Spark. That's a good sign."
"What is it?"
"That will be revealed in time. It looks like a magical notebook to me," Falric said with a wry smile.
"Did you see that?" Vincent said pointing at Falric.
"Yes, I believe you would call that a textbook wizard answer," Alrion said.
"Good, you're learning," Vincent said. Alrion couldn't help cracking a smile himself. It was nice to break the tension of what had just happened.
"Well, I think we should get a move on. The sooner we leave this place the better," Falric said.
"Do you think he will come back?" Alrion said.
"The wizard? I doubt it. I feel like this was a show of power, and a test of sorts."
"Some test. I don't want to see the final exam," Vincent muttered.
"I must clarify that we don't do tests like that at the academy," Falric said as they walked.
"I had assumed not, but I'm glad you clarified that," Alrion said. The adrenalin was still pumping through him, although he tried to relax as they walked. He felt useless and powerless after those two encounters. He had screwed up back in the cave and was rescued in the forest. Rationally he knew that everything was fine and that he had survived. But he just felt like he wasn't useful at all.
"I'm going to have to fix that," Alrion thought as they walked.
It was still quite dark as they set out, being so early in the morning. It made the walk seem longer than it was. The trees continued their relentless rhythmic swaying, and the just-inaudible whispers kept up. Thankfully, though, they didn't seem to address Alrion any longer.
"I wonder if that wizard was playing tricks on me," Alrion thought. But a worse thing than that came to mind. If that was true, then the wizard already knew who he was. He couldn't explain why that was so chilling, but Alrion got the shivers at the idea. He shoved the thought away and focused again on walking.
Hours passed, without any breaks.
"We can't afford to waste any more time in the forest," Vincent explained. Falric was in agreement and Alrion could see why. He told his stomach to be quiet and kept walking. Finally, he saw a change in the mist. For so long it had hung before them, obscuring the path. But now it seemed to be thinning.
"Are we almost out?" Alrion said.
"I think so. Did you notice the mist?" Vincent said.
"Yes, that was it. Although I'm not sure when it changed."
"Not that long ago, it was a fairly quick transition. What do you say Falric?"
"We should be out within minutes if it's like this," Falric said.
"Good," Vincent said and increased his walking pace. Alrion matched it, keen to see the sun again. It hadn't even been that long, but he had never been in such a strange place before either. Each step granted him additional strength and optimism, and he could see further and further ahead. Finally, he could see a space outside the forest and almost ran towards it.
"This is it," Vincent said as they emerged from the path.
They stepped onto a dusty track, in a deserted area. There were patches of brush and shrubs but no structures or any trees.
"I feel like I can breathe again," Alrion said.
"It's no wonder people avoid going through that, but we made good time. All things considered," Vincent said.
"Very good time, but too eventful for my liking," Falric said.
"No arguments here," Vincent said and Alrion nodded too.
"How far to the next town? That's where we are going right?" he said.
"It's pretty close, maybe an hour? I think we should push through and stop there. It's called Altarbright," Vincent said.
"That's an interesting name, why is it called that?" Alrion said.
"I'll let the good wizard fill you in."
"It's actually a very simple name. Before this town became such an important trading hub, it was a sacred place where an ancient people worshipped a goddess in the lake. They created a large altar to worship her, and it was made from a bright gold that was polished daily to maintain its shine. On a still day, you could see the reflection of the altar in the water, and the people believed it was the goddess giving her approval," Falric said.
"Is it still there? The altar?" Alrion said.
"No, it was stolen many years ago. But the name stuck, so we still call it Altarbright."
"That's a shame."
"Yes, it is. But you can see where it used to stand."
"So, it's a big town?" Alrion said.
"Yes, very big. Avaria has grown from strength to strength. As much as those two back in the forest were hiding something, they were right about what happened when Granthion cleansed the Blight from here. Trade from other countries exploded and Altarbright was the prime spot to conduct trade. The lake is a natural border to some of our neighbours," Falric said.
"Are we crossing the lake?"
"Yes."
"Are we leaving Avaria?" Vincent said, trying again to figure out their destination.
"No, but we can use the lake as a shortcut," Falric said, revealing no more. As they rode on Alrion started to see signs of something in the distance. They came upon a crossroads and noticed that many people were streaming in towards the town in the distance, but from other directions.
"I guess nobody comes the way we did," Alrion said.
"For good reason," Vincent said, laughing. Alrion looked over at the others on the road ahead. There were some people walking, others on horses and some driving coaches or wagons, multiple horses pulling them along.
"Are they all merchants?" Alrion said.
"Not all but many. Some are just travellers, others are people looking for a better life in a bigger town," Falric said.
"Why would life be better here?"
"A lot of money flows through Altarbright. That means opportunities to make a living, both honestly and not," Vincent said.
"I wonder if that thief will be there," Alrion thought, remembering how his ring had been stolen at Carford.
"Wow, this is incredible. I can barely recognise the place," Vincent said. Alrion looked up and was impressed. Huge stone gates rose up before them, with a wall going all the way around the perimeter. Alrion could see lots of large buildings, with a few incredibly tall towers further back.
"Are they wizard towers?"
"No, I believe they are for the officials that overlook the port," Falric said.
"Now this is going to be an adventure," Vincent said, taking in the town.
"I couldn't agree more," thought Alrion, excited at the possibilities.
18
Regrouping
Entering Altarbright reminded Alrion of Carford, only everything was twice as big. The road was twice as wide, the gates twice as tall and twice as many people flowed through. There were a large number of guards milling around, and even guard posts at each end of the gate. People were being let through, but larger vehicles were being stopped for inspections.
"Why are they stopping them?" Alrion said as a nearby wagon was halted.
"They are looking for smuggled goods I suspect," Vincent said.
"Smuggled?"
"As this is a key entry point into Avaria they are very wary of what comes in and out. This looks much stricter, though."
"Since Avaria has been free of the Blight, officials have been trying to keep it that way," Falric said.
"It can't be that free of the Blight, considering what we ran into yesterday," Alrion said.
"And that's an important lesson," Falric said. Alrion thought it over as they continued into the town. Unlike the main street that dominated the other places they had visited, Altarbright was a sprawling place with dozens of streets. Even Vincent was wide-eyed, trying to take in the enormity of it.
"I can see the looks on your faces. You can tell the town is bursting at the seams," Falric said. He noticed that they had heard him, but didn't respond. Once they reached the first crossroad, Vincent stopped.
"The first th
ing we should do is resupply," Vincent said.
"Agreed," Falric said. "I know a good place."
"Lead the way," Vincent said. Falric turned left and the other two followed him. They walked along another busy street, then turned abruptly into an alley.
"I don't like the look of this," Vincent said.
"You're not supposed to," Falric said. Vincent was quiet and looked around for trouble. Halfway down the alley, they stopped before a door and Falric knocked three times. The door opened and he stepped through. Vincent walked through next and Alrion was last. The interior of the building was quite spacious. They were in a shop of some kind, which was stocked with just about everything and anything. There were racks of clothes, supplies, equipment, and herbs.
"Who runs this place?" Vincent said.
"It's a store run by the wizards. Seeing as how Altarbright is such a hub, there's value in us having a presence here," Falric said.
"I see, looks well-stocked."
"We take pride in it. Although I admit it is somewhat easier to do here considering the amount of trade goods that flow through this town," Falric said while looking around.
"Is there anyone else here?" Alrion said as he wandered.
"No, there's nobody tending the place right now. From time to time wizards get an assignment here, but generally, it is maintained on an as-needed basis by those who use it," Falric said. He picked up a book and had a look.
"Nobody has been here for a few months," he said and put the book back down.
"Don't suppose you got horses back here?" Vincent said.
"No, I'm afraid we don't. But we should be fine from here on. I wouldn't want to take them on the boat anyway."
"Fair enough," Vincent said. He was looking through the available clothing.
"Is this all normal stuff?" he said.
"Yes, none of it is magical. We need to blend in sometimes," Falric said.
"Now seems like a good time."
"Definitely. That's the idea."
"Pick yourself something from here," Vincent said to Alrion. The young wizard picked through the rack and selected a green cloak with a hood. It was quite plain, save for a jewelled broach, and stretched down past his hips when he tried it on.
"The fit looks alright, and you can pull over the hood as required," Vincent said, checking Alrion's shoulders.
"How do I look?" Alrion said.
"Like a young merchant, I think that's appropriate," Falric said. "You next." Vincent grabbed something similar, in a dark navy colour. Falric found a plain light brown cloak that he could wear.
"Isn't that too close to your robe?" Vincent said.
"Not at all. Trust me, an old man like myself is more likely to insulate himself from the cold wind," Falric said. Vincent laughed.
"Fair enough. I'll see what supplies I can rustle up," he said and walked through the room.
"So, we leave our robes here?" Alrion said.
"Yes, someone will either use them or return them to the academy," Falric said, returning his robe to one of the racks. Alrion had a closer look and noticed that it was different to his own. It was white inside and had a variety of colours along the trim.
"Is this special?" he asked Falric.
"Yes, only the head wizard wears that one," Falric said.
"Don't you feel odd taking it off?"
"Yes, but wearing it this far was an indulgence. I should have removed it back at the academy."
"I see. It's a new time for us all."
"It sure is," Falric said before noticing Vincent waiting. "Are we ready?"
"Yes, let's head out," Vincent said. He handed out a leather pack to both Alrion and Falric.
"There are a few essentials within to keep us going," Vincent said. Alrion rummaged through and found some food and some blankets. He closed the pack back up, slung it over his shoulder and left the room.
"Where to next?" Alrion said.
"We need to go to the docks and book passage on a boat," Falric said.
"Sure," Alrion said and followed along. They returned to the main road from the alley and followed the flow of people towards the docks.
"Do you mind if I wander around and meet you there? It looks like if I just follow this group I can find my way," Alrion said as they walked. Falric looked at Vincent.
"I suppose so. There's not much of interest there for you anyway. If you lose your way, return to the wizard store."
"Yes, good idea. Knock three times and the door will respond to you," Falric said.
"Don't get into any trouble, we've had enough already," Vincent said.
"Promise. I just want an opportunity to explore a bit while we are here."
"You have one hour," Vincent said.
"Done," Alrion said. He diverted to turn right at the next crossroads.
"I wonder what got into him?" Falric said.
"It's a big place, probably just wants to check it out by himself," Vincent said as they walked. Alrion didn't hear them, he was already walking fast in a different direction. He had flirted with the idea of exploring the town himself, but it had suddenly become an urgent idea once he had spotted her.
He tried to blend into the crowd as he walked, to not let her catch on. He had recognised her instantly, even though he hadn't seen her since Carford.
"Let's see what you have to say for yourself," Alrion thought as he closed in. She was wearing the same clothes and appeared to be walking casually down the road in no hurry. Not once did she look back, so Alrion felt like he could get closer. As he started to approach her, she darted into a side street. Alrion quickly ran after her. He couldn't see her once he turned the corner, but there were multiple cross alleys, so he kept running until he could look to see where she went. Once he reached the first set, he slowed and whirled around to look at the other directions. But he felt a presence behind him.
"Hello again," she said. Alrion turned fully to face her.
"That was my line," he said.
"Why? Because you thought you had snuck up on me?"
"I did."
"No, I let you see me and you followed me here," she said gesturing at the dark street they were in. "If I was up to no good, you would be in real trouble. Consider this a free lesson."
"What about stealing? Doesn't that count as up to no good?"
"No, that's just a habit. And pretty fun. But I'm glad I did it because once I saw what it was, you piqued my interest."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you were carrying a magic ring. Then looking closer at you, I started to see an interesting picture emerging. An old wizard, a young man presumably also a wizard, and a strange man accompanying them both. Probably a mercenary. "
"You think you know a lot."
"I do know a lot, Alrion," she said. She laughed as she watched his reaction. "Don't act so surprised that I knew your name, I've been paying attention."
"What's your name then?"
"Lara."
"Well, Lara, if you have been paying attention then maybe you would have noticed that the strange man accompanying us is my father, and he's also a blacksmith, not a mercenary."
"So cute of you to provide me with all that information, but I don't buy that. I've never seen a blacksmith with such slim arms. They are usually thick as tree trunks," Lara said.
"I don't even know why we are arguing about this. What are you after?"
"I'm just after something interesting to do. And following your little group has been just the distraction I was looking for. My you've had some adventures already."
"You've been following us? The whole time?"
"Of course! How else did you think I made it here, just as you arrived."
"I still don't get it. Do you want to rob us again? Following us to look for a bigger score?" Alrion said, the frustration showing in his voice.
"I thieve, but I'm not a thief. There's a difference. There's not a lot of value in things, but once you realise they can be taken so effortlessly you get a different per
spective. Experiences are worth something, and following you all has been quite the experience already."
"Fine, why don't you hand over my ring then if you don't see the value in it."
"Oh, but you clearly do, so I'll hold onto it for now. I'm glad we could have this chat Alrion, but we both need to be places," Lara said. She didn't wait for a response, but turned and ran away.
"Wait!" Alrion called out, but she paid no attention. He saw an old crate against the alley wall and lashed out at it. Without really thinking he shoved the crate with extreme force, hurtling it on a collision course with Lara. She turned to hear the sound, and once she noticed the crate she bent down, vaulted off the ground and landed on it as it travelled, riding it for a few seconds before jumping off and continuing on her way. She turned and gave Alrion a little wave before she disappeared around the corner.
"She's gone," Alrion thought. He didn't try to follow but instead inspected his hands, as if expecting to see something on them.
"What just happened there? How did I lash out so quickly? And what if I'd hurt her or someone else?" Alrion wondered. He had just been given a lesson on the value of control. Nothing serious had come of it, but he had thrown that crate with great speed and little thought. He was a little scared of what he was capable of, even after such little training.
"Maybe because of such little training," Alrion said to himself. Yes, he had to watch himself and judge his reactions. He had the power to harm already, and without a doubt, his power would grow and grow. He walked away, trying to find his way back to the main streets. It wouldn't look good if he couldn't find his father and Falric at the docks.
He took a few wrong turns but found his way back to the main road that he recognised eventually. Following it returned him to where they originally parted ways. From there it was easy enough to let the crowds lead him to the docks. Alrion didn't look at too much as he went, he was trying to solve the puzzle around Lara.
"Who is she?" he wondered. She was always dressed in plain clothes, which were not feminine at all. She was clearly an adept thief, as she had stolen his ring without any trouble at all. He panicked as he felt through his pockets again. But nothing else was missing.
Pool of Knowledge (The Hidden Wizard Book 1) Page 12
