The Vengekeep Prophecies

by Brian Farrey

  Standing behind them were three mages—two women and a man—in skullcaps and burgundy robes with golden embroidery. The clear jewels sewn on their robed shoulders like rank insignias identified them as members of the Palatinate’s Lordcourt. While the Castellan and the other Vengekeep officials stared at me and my family, the Lord Mages watched Talian intently as he offered his version of events.

  “So you see,” Talian said, decked out in his emerald mage robes and matching skullcap, “it occurred to me on my journey from the Palatinate to Vengekeep that while a curse couldn’t possibly have been placed on the entire town-state, there was a very real possibility that a curse had been placed on the tapestry. In the five centuries that Vengekeep has heeded the tapestries of the Twins, never once have they predicted such horrible events. It seemed logical to conclude that a curse to create these terrible events had been placed on the tapestry years ago. Quite possibly just as it was first sealed into its glass tube.”

  The Castellan threw a cautious look over his shoulder to the Lord Mages, who frowned as one. For a long time, they said nothing. Then one of the Lord Mages cleared her throat. She’d introduced herself at the start of the proceedings as Nalia. She looked slightly younger than Ma, with shiny black hair that stopped near her chin. In her right eye, she held an elegant, gold-rimmed monocle. Officially, no single member of the Lordcourt outranked another. But I got the idea the other two mages deferred to her.

  “Our investigation has concluded,” said Nalia, “that the source of Vengekeep’s problems has indeed been eliminated.” I found my eyes going to her often. Her raven-colored hair reminded me of Ma, but there was nothing gentle in her stony face. And from time to time, I caught her stealing glances at me.

  As one, the Castellan and Aronas exhaled. It had taken a week of pleading to convince the Chancellor and the Lordcourt to enter the city gates in order to verify that the “curse” had been lifted.

  “Although,” Nalia continued, raising an eyebrow at Talian, “we are curious about reports that you had disappeared, Master Talian. You had been branded a deserter.”

  Talian nodded. “An unfortunate misunderstanding. As I contemplated Vengekeep’s woes on the trip back, it occurred to me that spiderbat milk might counteract the curse. I was travelling through Cindervale, on my way to the aircaves, when I was mistakenly arrested.”

  This was the riskiest part of Talian’s story. It wouldn’t take much to verify that Talian had been living in Cindervale for weeks, not just passing through. But if anyone suspected he was lying, no one said a word.

  “I realize now that my haste to save Vengekeep prevented me from sending word of my plan to the Palatinate. I can understand why they would believe I’d gone rogue, and their actions were just. I only regret that my thoughtlessness caused such confusion.”

  Under the table, I felt Callie squeeze my knee with her good arm and I gave a secret nod. We’d all spent the better part of this last week crafting an airtight story that cast Talian in the role of hero and kept my family as far removed from this as possible. Now, reciting with absolute conviction this slightly skewed version of events, Talian could teach my family a thing or two about believable lies.

  Captain Aronas narrowed his eyes at Vengekeep’s new town mage. “And you had nothing to do with this … cursebreaker?”

  Talian shook his head. “No. In fact, I don’t believe he was a cursebreaker of any kind. When I arrived to destroy the tapestry, he attempted to stop me. In our struggle, I noticed a brand on his forearm. I believe him to be an escaped criminal under death sentence.” At this, Talian turned to the Chancellor. “You might check with the Provincial Guard to see if they have any records of someone matching the man’s description. He disappeared after the tapestry was destroyed.”

  My mind flashed to Edilman. I wondered if there ever really was a ship that could take him from the Provinces and his death sentence. Was he headed there now? Or was the ship just another lie and had he already moved on to his next con?

  “A curse on the tapestry makes sense,” Jorn said thoughtfully. “It could explain why the Grimjinxes were so cruelly thrust into the middle of all this.”

  He wasn’t fooling anyone. What he really meant was A curse is the only thing that would ever make the Grimjinxes out to be heroes. But Jorn was smart to hide his contempt.

  Talian shrugged. “Perhaps. As it is, I do need to thank Jaxter Grimjinx. He proved invaluable by assisting me in the tapestry’s destruction. That part of the prophecy played out correctly: a Grimjinx did contribute to the salvation of Vengekeep.”

  I blinked. This hadn’t been part of the story we’d rehearsed. But Talian had found a way to acknowledge my role without casting suspicion on my family. I did my best to smile modestly at the panel of magistrates. But, and I’m just being honest, Grimjinxes are terrible at modesty.

  Nalia raised an eyebrow. “Indeed. How fortunate young Jaxter was there to help.” My eyes met hers again and I was certain she was looking through me.

  The Castellan folded his hands and leaned forward. “It’s a shame the curse tainted the tapestry’s true message. Apparently, we’ll have to rely on our own mettle and deal with what comes the rest of the year without any guidance.” He never took his eyes off Ma and Da, who smiled innocently back at him. I got the idea that he still wasn’t convinced of Talian’s story, but at this point, I think he was so happy that the quarantine had been lifted and the disasters were over that he’d decided not to push the issue.

  The other female Lord Mage—Lorina—held out a piece of parchment. “With the question of your ‘desertion’ put to rest,” she said to Talian, in a far kinder tone than Nalia’s, “I am to offer you a commendation for your role in the capture of the renegade, Xerrus.”

  Talian nodded humbly. “Thank you. It was shocking to learn of the existence of an Onyx Fortress. I hope it will be destroyed as the others were.”

  I sensed tension between Talian and the Lord Mages. If I hadn’t known better, I’d have thought there was a tone of accusation in Talian’s voice. If the Lord Mages were offended by the mild challenge, they gave no sign. Nalia smiled a distant, ingenuous smile and said, “The matter is being dealt with as we speak.”

  The male Lord Mage, whose name I’d missed, nodded. “It seems Vengekeep will be busy rebuilding. As we’re no longer needed, we’ll be returning to the Palatinate.”

  Talian rose and bowed to the Lord Mages, who returned the gesture. He followed them out of the room with the High Laird’s Chancellor in tow. As the rest of us stood, Neryn, the head of the town-state council, said, “Just a moment.”

  We all froze. The Castellan and Aronas looked at each other and scowled. But as Neryn turned to address my parents, she smiled widely. “Mr. Grimjinx, the town-state council met recently to discuss your role in recent events.”

  We Grimjinxes all looked to one another, each of our brains readying an alibi to protect us from whatever she said next.

  “You showed a great deal of courage and leadership during the crises,” Neryn continued. “You assisted the Castellan with a plan to save the town-state from flooding, you and your family provided disaster relief during the firestorm, and you consistently came to Vengekeep’s aid throughout these trying times.” She paused, tilting her head just slightly. “Not quite what we’ve come to expect from the Grimjinxes, to be sure.”

  “Oh, we’re full of surprises,” Nanni said.

  Neryn concurred. “The town-state council asked me to convey their deepest regrets”—she hit the last word, casting a glare at the Castellan and Aronas—“at your arrest and treatment when the alleged cursebreaker arrived. This was not a fitting response to someone who had spent the preceding months defending Vengekeep. To acknowledge the contribution you’ve made and to demonstrate the trust you have earned, we would like to offer you the post of Protectorate, a seat on the town-state council.”

  My jaw dropped as Callie elbowed me in the ribs. Everyone in my family looked at one another in shock. Ne
ryn was, in short, asking Da to be head of Vengekeep’s law enforcement. He would be Aronas’s boss and work closely with the Castellan on the security and safety of the town-state.

  Ma’s tapestry had certainly never predicted that.

  Da stammered for quite some time, but in the end he stunned us all by accepting. Even the Castellan and Aronas could hardly believe Da was saying yes. As Neryn shook Da’s hand, the Castellan banged his gavel to put an end to the session before skulking angrily from the council chambers.

  Back at the house, Callie joined us for a celebratory dinner. Outside, work crews sifting through the damage and rebuilding Vengekeep had become a common and welcome sound. With the threat of the remaining prophecies extinguished, life in our little town-state looked to be headed back to normal.

  “So,” Callie said wistfully, “that’s it then. The Grimjinxes are going straight.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Da said, a gleam in his eyes. “I would think that serving as Protectorate might make it easier for me to cover up some of the family’s more nefarious exploits.”

  It was Ma, of course, who remained practical. “However, in light of recent events, I think it’s safe to say we’ll be cutting back on our … other activities quite a bit. Now we have two legitimate sources of income. It could be fun to see how the other half lives for a while.”

  Aside from my father’s new post as Protectorate, the second source of income to which Ma referred was the phydollotry shop. While we were gone, Nanni and Aubrin had rallied to get Ma out of her depression. The three of them took over the phydollotry shop and made it into something real: a doll-making shop! They’d been in business since the second week after Callie and I left Vengekeep. They’d even managed to make a bit of money doing it.

  “How’s your arm, Callie?” Aubrin asked.

  Callie smiled. “I’ll be using it again in no time. I need two good arms to assist Talian.”

  A couple days earlier, Talian had asked Callie to be his apprentice. He’d admired how she’d handled herself with the spiderbat queen, saying her poise reflected all the qualities necessary in a mage. Callie still needed to go through several interviews with the Palatinate, who had become notorious of late for accepting fewer apprentice candidates. But once she got their approval, they could begin formal training.

  While everyone enjoyed Da’s burnwillow crumble, I pulled Aubrin aside. “So, Jinxface,” I said quietly, “are you going to tell me why it took you so long to speak?”

  She brushed her hair from her eyes and gave me the oddest, saddest smile. “When it matters, you’ll know.”

  Bangers. I’d always hoped Aubrin would start speaking. I never dreamed she’d be so cryptic. “At least show me everything you wrote,” I said, reaching for the black book in her hand.

  She snatched it away and shook her finger. “It’s not time.”

  Nanni, who’d disappeared to her room after we returned home, came downstairs and joined the family at the kitchen table. She looked at me and smiled, cradling the family album.

  “As keeper of the family album detailing all significant events in Grimjinx history,” she said, “I’ve noticed that our records have become terribly outdated. It’s time to correct this.”

  Nanni took a seat and laid the book on the table. Da passed her a quill and a pot of ink. Nanni nudged Callie. “You too. You’re one of us, you know.”

  Callie beamed and slid her chair closer to mine. Quill in hand, Nanni wrote swiftly as Callie and I spent the next hour recounting our adventure. Graywillow Market, Edilman, the Dowager, Xerrus … When we were finished, the family applauded and Nanni closed the book carefully.

  “Not bad,” she said. “Although, I think it’s the first time a Grimjinx story didn’t end with ‘And then we were rich beyond belief.’”

  Dinner continued. But for all the jokes and stories, I couldn’t take my eyes off the family album. I was in there. Now and forever.

  So why did it feel wrong?

  As evening fell, I walked Callie home. People smiled at both of us as they passed in the streets. It seemed unlikely I’d ever get used to people not hiding their moneypurses when I walked by.

  “Feels good, doesn’t it?” she asked. “To be able to just stroll quietly without being chased down by crazed peddlers or living statues or jackal creatures.”

  “I dunno,” I said, not very convincingly, “I was just getting adjusted to life as a night bandit.”

  Callie laughed. “So does that mean you’re off to find your fortune as a master thief in training?”

  “Um, no. If I’ve learned anything from this, it’s that I don’t have what it takes to make it as a thief, master or otherwise.”

  I’m not exactly sure when that realization had hit. In the gaol at Cindervale? Trekking to Splitscar Gorge? I loved my family dearly and I loved the skills and knowledge they had given me. But my interests definitely lay elsewhere. I just wasn’t quite sure how to tell them that. It helped that, for the most part, the Grimjinxes would be lying low with our illicit activities. But if I feared disappointing them because I was an incapable thief, I was even more afraid of telling them that I couldn’t be one at all.

  Callie must have read my mind. “So what are you going to tell your parents?”

  “I’m going to tell them,” I said plainly, “there’s something I don’t want to do, but it’s something I have to do.”

  28

  The New Apprentice

  “Fate is a lazy man’s excuse for avoiding curiosity.”

  —Sirilias Grimjinx, liaison to the par-Goblin Rogue Triumvirate

  “Let me go!” I cried, as the pair of brutish Provincial Guards threw me forward. I tripped on the transparent grass and landed with my face just inches from an empty space that once was home to walking, talking mushrooms. I wondered where they were.

  The thunderous chug-chug-chug of the Dowager’s steam-powered machines rang throughout the foyer. Nearby, the magical rain cloud that watered the plants rumbled, as if even it was angry to see me again. Oxric, the majordomo, stared down at me with his yellow eyes narrowed to mere slits.

  “It’s not what you think!” I shouted. “This is all a mistake!”

  “Oxric, what is the commotion?”

  The Dowager appeared at the top of the stairs, decked out in her leather uniform. As she pulled the goggles from her face, she gasped to look down and see me on all fours.

  “These guards arrested the boy, ma’am,” Oxric announced, as the Dowager descended the staircase.

  The first guard, looking menacing with a battle-ax in one hand, bowed to the Dowager. “Your Majesty.” He spoke loudly to be heard behind the visor of his helmet. “We found the boy in Vengekeep.”

  The second guard, wearing a similar helmet, stepped forward and presented the chest of jewels that had been found among the “cursebreaker’s” abandoned possessions. “We saw Your Majesty’s seal on the box and knew this belonged to you,” she said. “We believe he was trying to sell these. He claims he was going to return them to you.”

  “I was!” I said quickly, looking up at the Dowager with baleful eyes. “They nabbed me while I was leaving Vengekeep. I was on my way to bring them back.”

  The Dowager looked down coldly and I could feel her disappointment burn into my skull. “You’ve done well, Guards. I assume the boy will be disciplined?”

  “Oh, yes, ma’am,” the male guard said with a grunt. “Very stiff penalties for this sort of thing in Vengekeep. First, he’ll be covered in sparkleeches—”

  “What?” Neither the Dowager nor Oxric could contain their shock.

  “Sparkleeches, ma’am,” the female guard said, wriggling her finger like a sparkleech. “All over his body. Then the meanest children of the town-state get to come spit on him and pull the leeches off.”

  “That’s barbaric!” the Dowager cried, clutching her throat.

  “That’s justice!” the male guard declared proudly.

  “Dowager, please,” I begg
ed. “I was going to return—”

  “And after the sparkleeches,” the female guard said, “he’ll be taken to the Vengekeep gaol and tied to the rack. He’s a mite small, isn’t he? Well, he won’t be, after a good stretchin’.”

  I cringed and whimpered as the guards took turns describing more of the horrific and grisly punishments that awaited me back in Vengekeep. When she first arrived, the Dowager looked ready to enforce any punishment herself. But as the guards continued—in very vivid detail—I could see her opinion on my fate change.

  “You’re treating him like a common thief,” the Dowager said in disgust. “Which … I suppose in many ways he is. But this boy has potential. You can’t just take him and—”

  “Castellan Jorn has already signed the papers,” the male guard said, shrugging. “He believes that if the thieves of Vengekeep are too dumb—”

  “This is not a dumb boy,” the Dowager said. “He has a brain.”

  “Oh, sorry, ma’am,” the female guard said, bowing her head. “We understand now. If you’d like to pop around and collect his brain from what’s left when we’re done with him—”

  “Enough!” the Dowager shouted, tossing her goggles to the ground. She snapped her fingers and Oxric helped me to my feet. “You will not harm a hair on this boy’s head. Because … this boy … is my apprentice!”

  The ice that had filled my chest since my return to Redvalor Castle shattered when I heard her say this. I did my best to look stunned instead of happy. Which was easy because I was a little of both.

  The Dowager took the box of jewels from the female guard. “Yes. My apprentice. As a member of the royal family, I am invoking my privilege to … to … not let you hack my apprentice to pieces. I asked the boy to sell the jewels … as part of an experiment. And … it worked. Very well. You’re both to be commended for your duty. Wait here.”

  The Dowager turned on her heel and strode from the room, Oxric close at her side. The second she was gone, I exhaled long and loud. “Well, that was easier than I thought.”