Looming Shadow: Journey to Chaos book 2

by Brian Wilkerson

  “It was a disaster. All he succeeded in doing was reanimating corpses with a pre-programmed script. When he submitted them to the Knight of Magic, she was so repulsed that I was left with no choice but to blame The Trickster and cancel the project.”

  Daven stirred, sat up, and Kasile instantly fluttered over to him. He was terrified to see her and the pile of ashes all around him, but she shushed him and calmed his nerves even while the much older man struggled to assemble a presentable report. Her motherly facade was scratched when she noticed a burn mark on his forehead.

  “Why don't you show this to your friend in the infirmary?” she suggested sweetly. “Tell her I sent you to the Royal Magic Tower and you had a run-in with a fire-breathing monster.” She winked. “I'll think she'll appreciate it.”

  The boy smiled widely and winked in return. “I will, Your Majesty!”

  He jumped up, then remembered his manners, and bent over to bow. Kasile caught him by the arm before he could fall. The new recruit scratched the back of his neck, then dashed out the door and into someone else.

  “Daven!”

  “Karley? What are you doing here?”

  “I was looking for you, but don't get the wrong idea! I didn't come because I was worried about you. You make us recruits look bad with your lack of discipline.” It wasn't until then that she noticed Kasile. “Your Majesty! Uh...” She pushed Daven's head down and then bowed her own. “Please forgive him, Your Majesty. He's very sorry, aren't you?”

  “Yes... I am.”

  “He's an idiot, to be sure, but he's sincere in his desire to serve you.”

  “I don't mind. The flame of ambition leads us to greatness. As for yourself...”

  “M-me, Your Majesty?”

  “Soldiers who look after their comrades are prime officer material.”

  “T-thank you, Your Majesty!” Karley grabbed Daven's ear and pulled him toward the door. “Hurry up! If the drill sergeant finds out you were here, he'll be pissed!”

  Henpecked husband? Eric asked Kasile.

  Most likely.

  The Royal Mage at last stood at attention in front of Kasile with a stack of papers in a folder under his arm. He remained in that pose until Kasile gestured for him to speak. She did and he talked about his preliminary research and the unique approach of his formula and also about Basilard's “rude refusal” to share any secret Bladi clan knowledge and his “effrontery” for claiming that his goal was impossible until Kasile cut him off and asked him for a model to illustrate his words. He paused and looked about the calf-deep ash that remained of his test subjects, struggling to find a way to explain his inability to grant her request without pointing out that she was the reason why. Eric mentally chuckled at the glee radiating from their link.

  He must have become a greater mage before either of us were born...how frustrating must it be to take orders from one much younger?

  Shadow Dengel appeared beside the Royal Mage and scowled at the younger mages. I know just how frustrating it is and how ungrateful youth can be to their elders.

  “Ciceron Squattor.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty?” he asked with dread.

  “Your results and Chief Bladi's recommendation are disheartening. I had hoped you would succeed, but now I see that is not possible. You are hereby ordered to cease and desist your current project and rejoin the broader effort to reverse the effects of mana mutation. Understand?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.”

  Shadow Dengel glowered at the young queen. It pains me to see such a brilliant mind shackled to such an impudent girl. The head turned ninety degrees to sneer at Eric. Take a good look, novice, for this will be YOU in time.

  At once, Kasile was all benevolent smiles. “Wonderful. As you are a first-rate mage, I expect first-rate work. I’m looking forward to what you will present at the Mana Mutation Summit.”

  She beckoned Eric and left the room. They descended the tower in silence. Kasile held up her skirts with one hand and used the other to send a message on her scry. Eric watched, bemused as always by the contrast. At the threshold of the tower, she stood and turned to face her friend.

  “Thanks for coming today. I will summon you again tomorrow for pressing matters of state.”

  Eric grinned. “You mean listening to more rants and giving you more hugs?”

  She blushed and looked away. “Oh, shut up.”

  She brushed off stray ash, checked her make-up, took another calming breath, and then gestured for Eric to open the door for her. He obliged his friend “Kas” and Her Majesty the Queen walked out into the open. The ordercraft team was waiting for her.

  Chapter 7 A Trickster's Fun

  “Royal Ordercraft Team Leader Kimberly.”

  The blonde stepped forward. “Yes, Your Majesty?”

  “Was ordercraft present in my Royal Mage tower in the last hour?”

  Kimberly gestured to Daniel and pointed at the tower. She nodded and raised her right hand to the bottom of the tower. It glowed with eldritch light and then fired a needle-thin beam of the same at the base. It traced the tower to its top and then back again. The eldritch light faded and she reported, “Ordercraft was present on the tower you refer to within the time period you designated. It was enough for The Trickster to spot and inform Your Majesty.”

  “Thank you, Ms. Daniel. Leader Kimberly, are you and or your team responsible for any illegal and unsanctioned ordercraft in the last hour such as this incident?”

  “No, Your Majesty.”

  “Are you able to discover who is?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.”

  “Will you tell me as soon as you find out?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty?”

  “Dismissed.”

  The five of them mimed a curtsey and walked away. Kasile brought her scry back out and checked news feeds. Eric stayed where he was. Ordercraft was one of the subjects not available at the public library and even the internet offered little more than speculation. Aside from who gave it and the basics of what it did, he didn’t know much about it. He couldn't imagine why Kasile would take them at their word.

  Geis! That's it, isn't it?

  Shadow Dengel manifested in front of him with a condescending look on his face. Aww! Look at the little human! He thinks he is brilliant for stating the obvious.

  Yes. Kasile didn't look away from her device. Indeed, to an onlooker, it would seem she was ignoring Eric. Deception leads to confusion and promise-breaking leads to discord. Both are chaotic acts and only the chaotic may partake in them. Order does not abide lies.

  The five ordercrafters suddenly tripped because the ground was pulled out from under their feet, like a rug. When they stood up, their eye color matched their hair color and both were solid without any grey. Tasio appeared before them as a giant full-length mirror and they were so shocked at their appearance they brought out their own mirrors. By the time Eric arrived to scold him, they curtseyed in gratitude.

  “Overturner of Fortune,” they chorused.

  The mirror bent over in a bow.” Ladies.” It disappeared in a poof.

  Eric looked from one to the other. “What was that all about?”

  The four looked to their leader, who said, “That's classified.”

  Identity. That’s what it is. The hair color, the mannerisms, the repeated use of their names is about identity. They’re deliberately distinguishing themselves to diminish the side effects of using Order’s power. It must help them kept their free will safe from him.

  Eric nodded and walked back to the main castle building. Tasio poofed into existence beside him. There was silence as the mage ignored him and The Trickster threw pomegranates into the air and caught them in his mouth. Finally, Tasio said, “You're welcome.”

  “If you knew I was in trouble, then you could have helped me yourself.”

  “That wouldn't be any fun. Now I get to enjoy holy-flame-arrow gossip when I deflate this evening's royal soufflé.”

  “Don't you have anything better to
do?”

  “Yes, and I'm doing it right now.” He straightened out and slung an arm around Eric's shoulder. “Nothing could be more important than spending quality time with my two chosen.”

  “Kallen's in the castle?”

  Tasio nodded. “She's playing 'princess and handmaiden' with Emily in the royal bed chamber. Judging from the sounds I heard, they were having fun.”

  An image popped into Eric's head and suddenly, he felt hot and uncomfortable. Then Tasio chuckled and he face-palmed.

  “I can't believe I fell for that...”

  Tasio made his stomach into a looking glass and displayed Kallen sitting in Kasile's room. She wearing one of Kasile's gowns and sitting at Kasile's table and drinking Kasile's tea, which Emily, also dressed royally, was serving her. Then she looked directly at Eric and said, “Is that a staff in your pants or do I just look that good?”

  A servant walked in on the vision and shouted, “That's Her Majesty's dress!”

  “Uh-oh!”

  Kallen grabbed Emily's wrist and jumped out of the rear window and out of the looking glass. Now in free fall from the queen’s penthouse, Kallen chanted a wind spell and their voluminous skirts functioned as parachutes for the long way down. Emily was horrifically embarrassed, but Kallen waved to the people who had dropped whatever they were doing to stare at the poser princesses floating over their heads. When they finally landed, Kallen hiked up her skirts and shouted, “Merry mischief to all, and to all a good night!”

  She ran out of the castle and across the drawbridge unopposed. All the guards were either too surprised, too jaded, or too busy laughing to stop them.

  Why me!? And why today!? Kasile shouted in Eric's head. GET HIM OUT OF HERE!

  Wincing, Eric said, “Hey, Tasio, how would you like to embarrass me in front of Annala?”

  Tasio perked up like a schoolboy and clapped his hands together. “Ohhh! That sounds like fun!”

  “Great! Let's go over to the school.”

  You owe me for this, Kas.

  I know...I know...just keep him away from the castle until tomorrow!

  Side by side with the Founder of Practical Jokes, Eric walked across the courtyard. From soldier to messenger and merchant to craftsman and all the other people in service to the crown, he was given a wide berth. Everyone stared at him as if he were as strange as the two girls that just ran by.

  Do you have something special going on?

  Yes. Formal approval for the Mana Mutation Summit. The Trickster hovering over me would either seal the deal or drive them away in panic.

  Yes, Tasio thought to them both. It is a toss-up.

  Eric paused so suddenly that a rumor sprang up about him having soul pains because of Dengel. Kasile stopped so suddenly that one of her ladies-in-waiting tripped on her hem and fell backwards on the lady behind her, thus causing a domino effect of silk and jewels. Tasio laughed at both. You're surprised? I'm the one who set up this link and Eric's standing right next to me. Don't worry; I won't say anything to anybody – unless it would be funny.

  Eric grabbed Tasio by the ear and pulled hard enough to invert the trickster's position. Suddenly, he was staring at the ground while his feet dangled in the air. Eric looked him in the eyes and the age-old deity felt the full force of a young mortal's Evil Eye.

  “Don't you dare eavesdrop, Tasio. What Kasile says to me over our private line is private. If you ever expose her secrets, I'll make you regret it.”

  Tasio's eyes turned malevolent and his harmless smile shifted to a cruel grimace.

  “How, pray tell, will you do that?”

  “You have something planned for me. I don't know what it is, but I'd wager it's worth more to you than whatever cheap amusement you could mine from Kasile. When I find out what it is, I will refuse to help you on principle.”

  Tasio teleported out of Eric's grasp and then reappeared in front of him, smiling a genuinely happy smile. “If it means that much to you, then of course I'll stay out of your private talk. I value your opinion as one of my chosen.”

  The pair of them crossed the threshold of the castle into the town proper. As they walked and floated down the street, crowds parted to let them pass. Whether human, beastfolk, or otherwise, people whispered and sent suspicious and/or annoyed and/or amused looks. Many of them took pictures and Eric knew they would be all over the net in seconds.

  “Why'd you choose me for that anyway? Is it because I'm the ideal straight man?”

  Tasio shrugged. “I like making friends with kindred spirits. Doesn't everyone?”

  Eric stopped again. “Kindred spirit? Me?” Tasio nodded. “You're a blob of chaos that pranks people for fun and occasionally helps them, also for fun. I'm nothing like you.”

  Tasio grinned again. “Oh yes you are. Remember the prank you pulled on Culmus when he was asleep in the infirmary? Or how about your secondary motivation in the New Scepter Competition? Finally, just today, you had a great laugh at Daven's expense while goading him into greater confidence and unlocking his Videlicet Mens, thus making him the envy of all the other recruits and showing his potential to their instructor. “

  All three moments played themselves over in Eric's mind. He did all those things without provocation. Messing with Culmus had been a delight and he deeply enjoyed messing with Daven. No matter how he turned it over, he couldn't refute The Trickster's words.

  “We're not so different, you and I. We both enjoy a Trickster's Fun.”

  Before Eric could respond, he disappeared.

  I'm not a trickster, I'm not a trickster, I'm not a trickster. Absentmindedly, he weaved through crowds without anyone noticing him and when he crossed streets, he did so by slipping in the gap between carts. In the full light of day, he subconsciously made himself invisible. I'm not a trick – oww!

  He was so busy living in denial that he bumped into someone and they both fell over. The girl checked her shoelaces before standing up, then reached behind her back for anything taped there. She looked around but didn’t see anyone. There was no one was around except the invisible mercenary.

  “The Trickster plays me for a fool…” she muttered.

  She hurried through the doors of Roalt Public High, muttering about teachers who might notice her absence.

  Oh yeah...Tasio was going to embarrass me in front of Annala... A grin that wouldn't look out of place on The Trickster's face spread across his own. As long as I'm here...I'll continue the Archivist's plan. It's my civic duty.

  Inside, he found posters advertising the Pan Human-Elf Cultural Awareness Club, a.k.a. the Dengel Haters. Its founding members were listed as Annala Enaz and Norej Darwoss. Beneath them and set against a wall was a signup sheet with pamphlets about the new club. It had several names. Shadow Dengel clawed it in vain.

  Ungrateful worms! I pray that Nulso violates her in the most humiliating way imaginable!

  Next to the sign-up sheet was a copy of the Darwoss Herald. The front page read “Dengel Tymh the Villain” and featured the List of Infamy. He read it while waiting for the class to end. He hadn’t heard any of it from Dengel himself, but none of it surprised him. The bell rang and students left their classrooms for their next stops. Many of them carried the paper copies of the Darwoss Herald and he suspected others had digital copies.

  He pushed through the crowds to find his friends and eventually found two of them waiting outside the girl's restroom. Revas was wearing a high-collared shirt with drooping sleeves while his scaly friend had a button-up shirt and slacks. Both of them were reading the Darwoss Herald.

  “Let me guess: School Picture Day.”

  They nodded and returned to reading. He leaned next to them, but after a minute, he fidgeted. What if Nulso is waiting for her there and he's dragged her off to –

  Remedial human! Not a full day has passed since his promise. Order does not abide lies. If you ask an ordercrafter to break their promise, you may as well ask a fish to fly because you will discover the same result. It is precisely this so
rt of stupidity that will prevent you from surpassing me.

  His patience expired just as the door opened. Out stepped Annala in a white sundress and small heels. Eric's blood quickened at the sight of her and when she saw Eric, she blushed and tugged an ear.

  “I hope you didn’t mind waiting for me to get changed.”

  “Not at all.”

  The four of them walked to the gym where other students milled about and talked while waiting for the photographer to show up. Eric spied on them all with Magic Hearing and was pleased to hear Dengel gossip. He was not pleased to hear how many boys signed up solely to spend time with its female founder.

  “What's this club about?”

  “Increasing human and elf awareness of each other’s culture and history. Our first topic is Dengel's legacy of villainy and that the truth behind his title as a ‘Founder of Magecraft’ is neither clean nor deserved. It's something humans need to know about for the sake of their full education and cultural respect, and Norej is providing the platform.”

  “The Darwoss are hardly the best ambassadors for any message short of bigotry.”

  “I know. That's why you're going to convince the Heleti to help.”

  “I am? But Nolien won't –”

  Annala pouted with puppy-dog eyes. “Please?”

  Eric groaned and looked away. “Fine. Whatever you want.”

  Annala smiled. “Thanks.”

  The photo studio had been set up in advance: a color background and velvet ground cover surrounded by lamps with a camera set up on a tripod at the opposite end from the background. Each area was marked off with colored tape, cones, and signs. The only thing out of place was an over-hanging microphone. Basilard walked in and fiddled with it, his fingers sparking golden-brown. Eric rubbed his eyes and it was gone.

  “Daylra...what are you doing here?”

  Basilard moseyed over to his student. “I was trying to donate one of my Road Romance novels to the school library. For some reason, it was rejected.” His gaze became a glower. “Do not leave my supervision without permission. I don't care how old you are on Threa; here, you are a minor under my responsibility, understand?”