by Sam Ryan
“So that leaves Stella, who’s probably best defined by what she is not.” Sophia paused, her expression growing dark. “By what she didn’t believe in,” she whispered, looking at her feet. “She didn’t believe in any gods, she didn’t believe in luck, or fate. She did not believe in existentialism, and by exten-sion in higher morality. But all the same, she had her own set of morals and she cared deeply for people. And more than anything, she wanted to better the world.”
Max could see Sophia’s lip starting to quiver as she spoke and she was no longer making eye contact with either of them, instead glancing down at her feet. Sophia was starting to lose her composure.
“We would argue about how go about doing that,” Sophia pressed on, her voice breaking slightly. “But we both agreed on the end goal.” Sophia raised a hand covering her eyes. “I don’t think she was the smartest or the strongest of us, but there was a fire inside her that burned brighter than all of us. And for the life of me, I can’t remember the last time I saw her. What I said, what we did. Anything.” Sophia sniffled as her shoulders started to heave slightly. “Did we have a fight? Did I tell her to go die? Wouldn’t be the first time I said such things to her.”
Madilyn seemed to realize what she had done and tried to move in to comfort Sophia before she lost it completely, but then stopped herself, not sure how to go about it. If one of her brothers had started crying they would have all laughed in his face and told him to grow a pair. She had no idea how to comfort a woman.
“I just always assumed that I would eventually see her again,” Sophia stated, her voice almost a sob. “It just doesn’t seem real. I never thought that anything like this would ever happen. I thought there would always be a next time.” Sophia used the sleeve of her white shirt to wipe the tears from her eyes. “I’ve watched people die before,” Sophia said, with a sniff. “It was hard watching someone I loved slowly slip away, but at least then I could try to prepare myself for it. But this.” She clinched her hand.
Sophia fell back against the railing and slowly lowered herself until she was sitting down on the deck. Her cane falling to the ground next to her. She was still covering her face to try and hide the tears.
Madilyn moved forward, crouching down beside Sophia. Her hands resting on her knees as she drew in close to the weeping woman.
“Come now,” Madilyn said in her most comforting voice. “It’s not seemly for a lady to cry.” She reached into her pocket and produced a hand-kerchief and used it to wipe the tears from Sophia’s cheeks.
“What’s with the sudden affection?” Sophia laughed, angling her chin up allowing Madilyn room to work.
“What kind of knight would I be to not be softened by a lady’s tears?” Madilyn stated, pulling her handkerchief away from Sophia’s face.
“Thank you.” She nodded, giving one last sniffle.
“No need,” Madilyn said, rising to her feet. She offered her a hand and Sophia gingerly took it. Madilyn grabbed her fingers and pulled Sophia to her feet. “I’ll admit,” Madilyn sighed, releasing Sophia’s hand. “If that was all an act, then it was a damn good one.”
Sophia let out a laugh as she reached down and picked up the cane she had dropped. “I know you still probably don’t trust me, but I will say it anyway. I’m not working for Trevelia. But when my job here is done, I will be heading to Noxiss to help Tara search for my sister’s killer.”
“Then I shall go with you,” Madilyn declared, squaring her shoulders.
“You will?” Max asked, her eyes shooting wide. What was she up to? She couldn’t just go off on her own. That could be viewed as dereliction of duty and for a knight that was an immediate death sentence.
“Wait, what?” Sophia blinked just as confused as Max was.
“I mean it.” Madilyn nodded. Then she flashed Max a cold look warning her not to say anything. Max recoiled, letting her continue. “Lord Malorin knew that a title and some land wasn’t the kind of reward you wanted but he had nothing else to offer you.”
Wait, Sophia was getting a title and land? Max thought. She had not been promised anything for her help. Sure she was military, but still.
“I think that this would be an excellent way to compensate you.” Madilyn stated. “I swear it on my honor as a knight.” She pressed her fist to her chest. “Once we have examined the site tomorrow, I will take you to the capital where we will look for your sister’s murderer.”
Sophia blinked several times in shock then doubt set in and her expres-sion turned into a frown. “And this will really be alright with the Lord Malorin and everyone else?”
“Once I explain things to them, I am sure they will understand,” Madilyn assured.
“Thank you,” Sophia said. “But you really don’t have too.”
“I insist,” Madilyn pressed. “Let this also be my way of making up for accusing you of being a spy.”
Sophia cringed a little but her shoulders slouched as she relented. “I would welcome your help.”
Max was still not so convinced. While she did not say anything and kept to herself, she could tell that Madilyn was up to something. There was no way she would jeopardize everything just because she felt sorry for accusing someone of being a traitor.
“Good,” Madilyn smiled. “Now return to our room and go to bed. We have an early day tomorrow.”
“Are you not coming with?” Sophia asked, cocking her head.
“I need to discuss with the Lieutenant here how to best send word back home,” Madilyn said, planting her hands on her hips and gesturing with her chin at Max. “Since it seems we will not be returning ourselves for a while, we need to inform them of our findings.”
Sophia nodded in understanding, glancing down at Madilyn’s hand still resting on her hips. “Alright then. I’ll see you in the morning I guess.”
“Goodnight,” Madilyn said, bowing her head respectfully.
“Night Sophia.” Max waved to Sophia as she stepped off the ship.
“Now then Lieutenant,” Madilyn said, turning around so she was facing Max. Madilyn puffed out her chest and spoke a little louder than would be considered normal. “Since we will not be returning immediately, we need to figure out a way-”
“She’s gone,” Max said, looking over Madilyn’s shoulder.
“Good.” Madilyn let out a breath, dropping her hands from her hips.
“Are we really heading to Noxiss after this?” Max frowned.
“We are.” She nodded. “But we were going to head there to begin with. This business about a murder is simply a good excuse. Once we determine what caused the explosion it is our duty to retrieve whatever device was used. The most likely place they would store such a thing is near the capital somewhere. Only, I was not sure how I was going to convince Sophia to go along with it. I feared I was going to have to resort to force.”
Max nodded, realizing the depth of what Madilyn was planning. “You’re going to use her sister’s death to manipulate her in continuing this mission.”
“I am,” Madilyn said, without a hint of hesitation or regret.
“That’s cold,” Max stated.
“I must see this mission to the end at all cost.” Madilyn leaned forward so she was glaring directly into Max’s eyes. “If I have to do something slightly unseemly to accomplish this then I will. That is the duty of any knight under his Majesty. And your duty as one of his Majesty’s officers is to follow my orders.”
“Yes sir.” Max gave a sloppy salute with no energy in her tone, returning Madilyn’s cold stare with her own. “I live to serve then die, not to question why.”
“Good,” Madilyn said, pulling back. “We’ll leave for the capital as soon as we return tomorrow, so have the vessel ready to depart by then.” Madilyn then turned and walked off the deck. Her stride long and determined.
Max did not say anything as she watched the woman walk away. She was a good little wind-up soldier and would follow her orders. But she also could not help but wonder if Madilyn was manipulating h
er as well. For all Max knew this was going to be a one way trip and they were never intended to return home.
Dying in the line of duty was something she was to be ready for, but aside from a possible pirate raid, Max was supposed far away from any real danger. She did not want to die and she most certainly did not want to die in some foreign land where she would likely be buried in some unmarked ditch.
If the time did come, she wondered if she would really just serve and die like she was supposed to. But she figured those were questions for later. For now she would do her best to try to go back to sleep. But given everything that had just happened, she doubted that was going to happen any time soon.
CHAPTER 4
The devastation was far worse than Sophia had dared even imagined. For over five miles in every direction there was nothing but a gray barren wasteland. The dirt nothing more than lifeless ash. The worst part was the silence. With no animals, bugs, or even plants to sway in breeze, there was no ambient noise. Sophia was not sure if she had ever been exposed to such stillness in her life.
One thing Sophia was sure of was that she did not like it. Just being there in a field of nothingness made her feel sick.
“Alright Ms. Relic Expert,” Madilyn said. “What do you think?”
Sophia glanced over her shoulder from the crouching position she was in back at the knight currently scanning the area around them. Her hand resting on the hilt of her saber as she paced back and forth, her head turning like a lighthouse. She seemed on edge, though Sophia was not sure if that was because of the uneasy feeling this place gave off or if she still thought Sophia a traitor and they would soon be ambushed.
She had to give the knight credit, Sophia had not noticed that she was being watched back in the pub while she was talking with Tara. She was not sure if that was due to the distracting nature of their conversation or if Madilyn was simply that skilled at hiding her presence. Sophia tended to think it was a mixture of both.
Madilyn had also done well pretending to have only just arrived at the pub as Sophia was leaving, but her cold demeanor had given her away. Sophia knew something was wrong so she had pretended to fall asleep in hopes that Madilyn would reveal her hand.
Sophia might have been better off packing up her bags and skipping town after Madilyn had slipped out last night and just be done with it all. The more she thought about it, the more Stella’s death weighed on her. She should be out there with Tara looking for answers. But it was not outside the realm of possibility that these two things were somehow connected.
For Stella to be somehow murdered shortly before the government that she worked with tested a kind of super weapon seemed a little too coinci-dental. And for the entire thousand years of Sophia’s life, she had yet to see a true coincidence and doubted she would suddenly see one now.
No, these two things were connected in some way, even if only slightly. Perhaps Stella had been against the use of Relics and that had gained her some enemies. It made sense, but it still did not explain how anyone had managed to kill an Immortal.
“How long ago do you think this happened?” Sophia asked, looking up at Elistien sitting atop his horse. He had exchanged his finer merchant clothing for more travel fitting attire. He wore a brown vest and a simple white cotton shirt, his balding head hidden under a dusty bowler hat.
“I learned about it a little over a month ago,” Elistien stated. He readjusted his grip on the reigns of Sophia and Madilyn’s horses that flanked his own. “I started investigating when I saw some strange activity around the city a few weeks before that.”
“And has it rained in that time?” Sophia asked.
“Several times.” He nodded.
“Why?” Madilyn asked, moving up behind her. “What is it?”
“Look around you,” Sophia said, resting her hands on her knees. She was still crouched down on her toes, her cane resting in the dirt beside her. “What’s wrong with this site?”
Madilyn glanced around, not sure what Sophia was getting at. “Every-thing?” she offered.
Sophia let out a sigh. “It has been nearly two months since this happened and it has rained several times since then, and yet there is no plant life. This place should be covered with little green saplings by now.”
Madilyn took in a breath as she realized what Sophia was saying. “You’re right. But what does that mean?”
“If this was caused by a simple fire explosion,” Sophia stated. “Then the blast would work out and up from the center.” She touched the tips of her fingers together and expanded her hands out in demonstration. “But if it was magic, then the blast would go both down and out.” She turned her hands and expanded them again. “Killing off all the seeds in the ground, as well any bugs and insects. Also,” Sophia grabbed a handful of dirt. She opened her hand and held out her palm to Madilyn.
Madilyn stepped closer looking closely at the dirt in her hand. “What am I looking for?” Madilyn asked.
“You see those little shiny rocks?” Sophia asked, shaking her hand so some of the dirt fell away, leaving the larger clumps behind. “Those are pieces of glass.”
“Glass?” Madilyn frowned, pulling back.
“Yup.” Sophia nodded, retracting her hand and pouring the dirt back on the ground. “The explosion was so hot that it turned some of the freshly made sand into glass. Like lightning hitting a beach. Only powerful magic could have done that.”
“So then this was caused by a Legendary Relic,” Madilyn said in a bit of a whisper, her worst fear coming true.
“I can’t say for sure yet.” Sophia shook her head, brushing the dirt off her hand as she stood back up. “I can only say with certainty that magic was the cause.”
“But there is nothing here that proves a Legendary Relic wasn’t the cause,” Madilyn said.
“Correct,” Sophia admitted reluctantly. “But we still don’t know how they would ever be able to activate one. I still don’t believe anyone alive today has the magical ability needed to do such a thing. It would take an army of mages to even attempt it.”
“What about those lamps in town?” Madilyn reminded. “You said that resembled the power the Relics used.”
“Right.” Sophia had nearly forgotten about those strange lamps. She rubbed her chin, deep in thought, trying to figure out the connection. She looked up at Elistien, still sitting on his horse. “Do you know anything about those street lamps in New Dentin and how they are powered?”
“Only a little,” he admitted. “I know they run on some sort of electrical current. And when I asked around I found it’s apparently generated from a large coal factory somewhere in the city. But I don’t have a clue as to how they do it.”
“How long have they had this ability?” Madilyn asked.
Elistien bobbed his head as he thought about it. “For a few years now, I would say. They came in, ripping up the street and laying copper wiring down. Then suddenly those lamps glowed without the need for oil.”
Sophia let out a regretful sigh as she readied herself to admit something she never would have thought she would have to. “I can’t say with complete certainty until I study this strange energy a little more. But it could be possible to take this artificial energy and use it to activate a Legendary Relic. The explosion might have been a byproduct of them using such a brute force method of activation.”
“So this might not have been a weapons test after all?” Madilyn said. She seemed relieved by the implication.
“Well, if they were using this energy as the catalyst then it would make for a very poor weapon,” Sophia said. “They would have to set up the power device with the relic, then pump it full of power so it exploded, destroying all the machinery along with it. I would also imagine they would have to be close to the source of this power in order transfer the energy. That would mean building a factory in the place they wished to destroy.”
“I see.” Madilyn nodded, touching her finger to her chin. “That is good news then. We can safely report back that
even if they do have a Relic, it’s not currently suitable for military use. At least not in any way we initially thought. I guess that means we are done here.”
“And that’s it?” Sophia blinked. “They will just say ‘that’s fine’ and be done with it?”
“I doubt that.” Madilyn shook her head. “They will no doubt send other people here to gather more information as well as try to ascertain the Relic’s exact location. But they can rest easy that there is no immediate threat. Regardless of what they may do later, our mission here is done.”
Sophia stared at the woman for a long moment. Her relief seemed genuine enough but her smile seemed forced. Sophia wondered if Madilyn still did not fully trust her, hence the reason for her apparent dismissal of the situation.
Sophia then felt a slight humming in her chest. She frowned as she twirled around, searching for the source of the vibration. Madilyn seemed to notice the sensation moments later and started scanning the area as well.
“What’s wrong?” Elistien asked, struggling to keep the horses under control as they grew restless.
“Machinery,” Madilyn stated. “Something large or numerous is approa-ching. Doubt I would have noticed if this place wasn’t so dead quiet.” She crouched down resting her hand against the dirt as she tried to feel out the vibrations. She shook her head seeming to have failed.
“They’re not coming by land,” Sophia stated as her heart sank. She raised her gaze towards the sky, already knowing what she would find. “They’re coming by air.” She pointed at the dozen black dots that spotted the horizon.
Sophia could hear Madilyn let out a curse as she reached for her saber.
“I swear it wasn’t me,” Sophia said, raising her hands, trying to be as nonthreatening as possible.
“You could have easily have told your contact that we were going to be here today,” Madilyn stated, drawing her blade and pointing the tip at Sophia’s throat.
This was bad. Not for Sophia as she knew she could easily survive anything they threw at her. At least she assumed she could. Who she was really worried for was Madilyn and Elistien. If they were caught here they would both be tortured and then executed. If they were lucky.
