by Dante King
I embraced my old friend, thumping him on the back then asking, “What happened to your face?”
“Oh, this? Just a scratch.” He gestured to his wounded forehead and muttered something inaudible.
“He accidentally hit himself in the head with his own sword, after he’d taken shelter in the tavern,” Mistress Blossom whispered to me. I nodded, trying not to laugh. That was Jacques; deadly grace in battle, clumsy as an ox afterward. I would not jibe my friend about it just now.
Most of the villagers who had fled were now back in the square, gathered in front of the tavern. They were waiting for the doors to open. Some would need healing from the Mistress, but others I suspected were simply waiting for a beer to quench their thirst after the battle. They all looked shocked but happy at the events that had just happened.
“Where is the Governor?” I asked Mistress Blossom. I hadn’t forgotten my quest; I still needed information from Arnold about Katlyn’s whereabouts.
“Inside the tavern,” she said. “He took a few nasty knocks and had a bad scare, but he’s all right now. I’ll go get him, shall I?”
“Good idea,” put in Jacques, “and while you’re in there, have a couple of your girls roll a barrel out here. We’re parched!”
Mistress Blossom nodded seriously. “I’ll do that straight away.”
“Look, William,” Veronica said, pointing to the steeple above the tavern as the Mistress disappeared inside the tavern. I followed to where she was pointing and saw vines growing around the steeple, lush and green, with white flowers blossoming.
“Could that be an effect of the tattoo you gave the Mistress?” Amelia asked.
“I can’t think of any other reason for those to be growing,” I said. “That’s the only thing that’s changed.”
“As you suspected, the Beast Cores of those Centaurs must have given her more power than she had before,” Amelia said.
It would be interesting to see what other effects these Beast Cores might have, and what additional effects Cores from other rare creatures might have. I banked the thought for later.
“All right, that’s enough chatter,” Jacques interrupted. “I’m parched, and I think it’s time for a drink.”
As he had requested, four barmaids came around the corner, rolling a beer barrel along the flagstones. Another followed behind, carrying a tray of mugs. Jacques rubbed his hands together in anticipation.
“Let’s get this set up,” he said. “Give me a hand, William.”
Together, we heaved the barrel onto one of the benches beside the tavern door, to allow him enough room to fit the mugs under the tap.
The Mistress reappeared at the door, smiling, as Jacques took a couple of mugs from the barmaid and poured beers for all of us. Several of the villagers grumbled, but the Mistress assured them she would have the tavern open for business in a few minutes.
We raised our mugs. I felt that this was a momentous occasion. “To the freedom of Brightwater!” I shouted, and everyone around us cheered as we each took a swig. I knew that was a sentiment they’d all be able to support right now.
As we drank the refreshing brew and recovered our strength, I saw Arnold, the Governor, coming out from the tavern.
He was of average height, gray-haired and balding, and dressed in fine clothes of dark purple, which were somewhat the worse for wear. His gold chain of office hung around his neck. He looked to be past middle-age, but all the same he appeared to possess significant physical strength. His frame was well-built and filled out. I suspected that in this region no one could afford to let themselves go.
“Here’s the Governor,” said Mistress Blossom. “I’ll leave you to it while I get the tavern open.”
“So good to see you, Arnie,” Jacques called out to the Governor as he approached. I was surprised at such familiarity. Did the Governor allow people here to call him by nicknames? Then I noticed the Governor grimace. Perhaps it was simply a bad habit of Jacques’s.
“I have you to thank for rescuing me,” Arnold said, looking at me. “I truly can’t thank you enough; you saved me from a terrible fate.”
“It was an honor for us all, sir,” I said.
“But I must know,” Arnold said, “who are you, and how did you defeat the Arcanist?”
“My name is William, and this is Amelia. You already know Veronica and my friend Jacques.”
“A pleasure, I’m sure.” The Governor nodded to Amelia and me. “But you both seem to be unarmed except for your shortswords. How did you fight the monster? Surely those shortswords are not magical vectors? How did you work such powerful spells?”
I chuckled at the question and extended my arms for Arnold to see. He grimaced momentarily as he saw my tattoos, and uncertainty clouded his brow.
“I am an Ink Mage,” I said. “I can draw tattoos that allow the wearer to cast spells.”
“Tattoos?” the Governor repeated. “But I thought only vagabonds wore such markings.”
“That’s what the Arcanists want you to believe,” Amelia retorted hotly.
I smiled at her zeal and put a hand on her shoulder, afraid she might attack the Governor then and there.
“I also didn’t understand these markings properly until recently, sir,” I said. “But it seems that we have not been told the truth about them. These runes allow me to cast magic; they don’t seem to be the domain of common vagabonds anymore.”
“Think of it this way,” Amelia explained, a little more calmly this time. “Ink Mages can cast magic without any kind of interference from the Arcanists, which threatens their monopoly. You saw today what the Arcanists will do to protect that.”
“You make an interesting point. I’ve never heard of such a thing as an ... Ink Mage before.” The Governor paused to consider.
I heard some of the bystanders whispering the name Ink Mage too. It seemed this would be big news beyond Brightwater before long.
“I’m not the only one who’s special,” I said, my voice getting louder. “These women you see before me, including your beloved Mistress of the Sticks and Stones Tavern, are Rune Sorcerers.”
This name caused more whispers among the bystanders.
“A fetching title,” Governor Arnold said. “So, my life and the lives of all Brightwater’s peoples were saved by an Ink Mage and his Rune Sorcerers?”
“That’s correct,” I said. “But I’m the last of my kind, so you can call me the Ink Mage.”
“The Ink Mage,” Arnold said quietly, pondering the title. “Well, you have given me much to think on. I am more prepared to trust you rather than the vultures who try to take what little we earn to fund their slave industry in the mines. I think you all deserve a reward for the bravery you showed today.”
“If I may, sir,” I began.
“Please, call me Arnold.”
“Not Arnie?” Jacques asked, with a grin. “Are you sure?”
The Governor sighed. I suspected he’d had to put up with this for a while now.
“If I may, Arnold,” I continued. “There’s only one reward that really matters to me right now.”
“And what would that be? If it is within my power to grant it, I will do so.”
“A woman who is dear to me has been taken to the mines as a slave.”
The Governor’s face clouded. “I am terribly sorry to hear that. I’m afraid there’s not much that can be done at this point. The Arcanists guard their mines jealously. Many of the slaves who get sent there are Elementally Sensitive. Far too valuable to be allowed to escape.”
I felt a knot of despair forming in my stomach. I knew this would be difficult, but the Governor’s words were only making me fear the worst.
Veronica spoke up. “If I may, Arnold, we know that you have the records of transactions in Brightwater. This woman’s caravan was seen passing through Brightwater only a few days ago.”
“Ah,” Arnold said. “That may perhaps be a different matter then.”
“Are you able to find out for us which
mine she was being taken to?” Veronica asked.
“That’s the one reward I really need for what we did here today,” I said.
“I can certainly do that for you,” Arnold said. “I do whatever I can to hinder this disgusting trade in slaves; secretly, of course.”
I breathed a sigh of relief.
“I will retrieve that information for you shortly. In the meantime, however, I would nonetheless like to offer you a reward from the stores the Arcanist brought in his retinue. He brought with him many Beast Cores, as well as his leaving his own magical items behind. Please, see what may be of use to you. With the taxes that we can recover from his caravan, we are amply compensated for anything you may see fit to take with you.”
The Governor briefly spoke with a couple of villagers and sent them to fetch the wagon with the Arcanist’s supplies.
“Thank you, Arnold,” I said. “The Beast Cores will be especially valuable to me. I can use them to enhance our strength with new tattoos.”
“In that case, all the better,” Arnold said with a grim smile. “I have a feeling you will need all the strength you can get to face the Arcanists before long.”
“As will you. Surely word will reach them of what has happened today before long,” I said.
“I’m afraid it will. Brightwater has been a quiet bastion of resistance to tyranny for many years now. It’s been a long time since they received taxes from us, although this is one of the most valuable regions to tax, since it profits from the trade in the mines. Many of the other towns peppered throughout the north have succumbed to the will of the Arcanists, but Brightwater remained steadfast. Evidently the Arcanists have finally turned their attention to us, and it may not be long before we begin seeing more of them.”
“Whatever happens,” I said, “I will not leave Brightwater to suffer alone for standing up to tyrants. I will do what I can to help you fight for your freedom.”
“I’m sure I speak on behalf of the people of Brightwater when I say that we are all grateful for your courageous assistance.”
A handful of villagers nearby cheered as they overheard these words. The rest appeared to be preoccupied with getting into the tavern.
The men who had gone to fetch the wagon with the Arcanist’s supplies returned.
“If you will excuse me,” Arnold said, “I will go and find the information about which mine your friend has been taken to. There ought only to have been one caravan passing through here to the mines in the last week, so it won’t take me long to find, provided my assistant made the entry correctly.”
My gut clenched as he said that. If the entry were incorrect, we might never be able to find Katlyn.
“I hope you find it,” I said.
“You will know soon enough,” said Arnold. “In the meantime, please, peruse the wares in this wagon and take whatever will be of assistance to you.”
The Governor left and walked to the trading house nearby. We all went over to the wagon to see what was inside. It was mostly filled with chests of gold, the tax money taken from the people of Brightwater. I could see why they were happy about our help. The Arcanist had taken a lot of gold.
Aside from that, we found his collection of Beast Cores and some magical equipment. The equipment appeared to be Maximillian's own personal equipment, whatever he hadn’t worn into battle. It all had a Nature affinity. I decided to give it to the Mistress to look after. If I ever gained a Nature affinity, it was possible that the equipment could be useful to me later, though I still wasn’t sure if I could use equipment, or how it compared with tattoos.
We took all the Beast Cores. They all had Fire, Cold, or Lightning affinity. Either these were more common elements for monsters, or the Arcanist we’d killed came from a mine where these were prevalent. I looked forward to being able to give my whole team upgrades.
As we finished going through the items in the Arcanist’s wagon, the Governor returned from the Trading House. This was it. I hoped he could give us good news.
“My assistant made the correct entry yesterday,” Arnold began, “and I was able to determine which mine Katlyn is being taken to.”
We all audibly sighed with relief.
“The bad news is, she is being taken to Blackrock Mines.”
Veronica and Jacques gasped.
“I’m sorry,” the Governor said.
“What’s significant about Blackrock Mines?” Amelia asked, voicing my question.
“Those mines are the most brutal toward slaves,” Veronica explained. “No one has been known to survive more than a few weeks in that place. The taskmasters are vicious, and the monsters are dangerous. It seems that your friend was. . . ” He paused to correct himself. “. . . is an Elemental Sensitive. All the slaves taken to Blackrock are Sensitives.”
Arnold’s words confirmed for me that Katlyn must have been an Elemental Sensitive. If she had the Fire affinity, that would explain how I’d unlocked it. I hoped I could get to her in time to get answers to these questions. And to rescue her of course.
“How far away are these mines?” I asked.
“About three days walk,” Arnold explained. “Five days for a caravan of wagons. I’d offer you horses to ride, but I’m afraid we don’t have any to spare. We generally don’t use them, since the roads around here are so rough. Ox-drawn wagons are the only common transportation, but they’re so slow that you’ll be quicker walking. If you hurry, you may still be able to catch up to the wagons.”
The caravan already had a head start, and I assumed that closer to the mines it would be harder to attack a caravan of slavers without attracting the attention of the Arcanists as well.
But that wasn’t going to stop me. I would do everything in my power to save Katlyn.
“Thank you for your help,” I said to Arnold.
“Thank you,” he replied. “You have saved us all from a menace in that Arcanist, and I’m glad to help you on your journey. I hope you are successful.”
We said goodbye to the Governor, then stopped outside the Sticks and Stones Tavern. Standing by the door was Sophie, the barmaid, and she was kind enough to fetch the Mistress for us. A number of tavern patrons crowded to the door when they heard that we were leaving as well.
The Mistress looked troubled when she heard that Katlyn was being sent to Blackrock Mines. “I do hope you can free her. While you are gone, I will seek out the whereabouts of the seer who can help you understand the prophecy. As soon as I do, I will find you.”
“How will you find me?” I asked.
“Don’t you worry about that; nature speaks to me.” She turned to the barmaid, who was still standing outside by the door. “Sophie, please fetch the satchels I prepared for our guests.”
“You’re very kind, Mistress Blossom,” I said.
“Not at all. You have been delightful guests; it’s been a true pleasure hosting you.”
The way she intoned the word pleasure made me smile. “It’s been a pleasure for us too,” I said.
“I know it has.” She gave a knowing nod to Veronica and me.
Veronica reddened slightly.
Sophie returned, bringing the satchels the Mistress had prepared for us. There were three of them, which Amelia, Veronica, and Jacques wore. I wore the rucksack with Amelia’s book and the Beast Cores inside.
“This should be enough food and drink for a couple of weeks,” Mistress Blossom said. “I do hope I will have news of the seer in a matter of days. When I do, I’ll want to see Katlyn by your side, William.” She gave me a stern look.
“I’ll find her,” I promised.
Several of the villagers standing outside the tavern raised their beers as we hitched our packs onto our backs and prepared to leave. “Three cheers for the Ink Mage!” they shouted. We smiled and waved. It was good to know we would be welcome in Brightwater again.
Just as I was about to turn and walk away, Mistress Blossom suddenly left the doorway of the tavern and ran over to me. I turned, wondering if there was somethin
g she’d forgotten to say. Instead, she put her arms round me, stood on tiptoe, and planted a warm, firm kiss on my lips.
“What was that for?” I asked, smiling.
She smiled back. “Just something to make sure you know this isn’t goodbye.”
I laughed at the obvious suggestion in her eyes. “I don’t even know your first name yet!”
She looked me straight in the eye. “Not many people do. Usually, I’m just known as the Mistress, but for you I’ll make an exception.”
Then she leaned in and whispered her name in my ear. Her sweet-scented breath was warm on my skin. “Lucy,” she whispered, then broke the embrace and stepped back toward the tavern.
I smiled. For some reason, I had expected her to have a more nature-based first name, something flowery like Plum, or Rose.
“Lucy,” I repeated, under my breath. I was glad this wouldn’t be goodbye to the Mistress.
My companions fell in beside me as we made our way to the north gate and left Brightwater behind us. The day was turning bright and clear, and we could see the road winding away from us, curving around the lakes and ascending up into the mountains.
“I must say, I’m looking forward to our first adventure as a team,” Jacques said.
“It is good not to be fighting alone, this time,” Veronica added.
“We can finally rescue Katlyn,” Amelia said. “And solve the mysteries of the prophecy, and the escaping monsters in the mines.”
It was good to have a team like this by my side.
I was looking forward to upgrading my own skills and those of my women as we ventured into dangerous, unknown territory. But that wasn’t my primary thought as we made our way northward.
Mana burned in me, and my tattoos tingled with each step I took. My magic was bubbling beneath the surface, like a boiling cauldron, waiting to be unleashed on the slavers who had captured Katlyn.
End of Book 1
Thanks for reading! If you’d like to see the sequel to Ink Mage, the best thing you can do is leave a review, letting me know that you want another book! You can Click here to review on Amazon.
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