“I swear on my honor that I will keep your friends safe and never leave them unconscious again,” Timoran declares as he slumps in his chair and relaxes. “Now, do you need my services immediately or shall we meet after breakfast?”
“We aren’t done here, Sir Wrath,” Nyx states with a cruel grin. “I think you should be taught a lesson.”
Swallowing a lump in his throat, Timoran eyes the half-elven caster as he asks, “What did you have in mind?”
“A simple drinking contest,” Nyx replies with a friendly smile. “I’m sure many of the guards have alcohol on them, so we won’t run out for this challenge. If I win, you will escort me into the woods to scout the area. If you win, I will spend my entire time in Hero’s Gate going wherever you permit me to go.”
“I have no intention of containing you,” he contends. He watches as the other guards begin placing flasks and bottles on the table. “I will agree that it would make my assignment easier, but it is not my place to tell a caster what to do. Besides, you could not possibly drink more than me.”
“I’ve heard that before and it always ends the same way,” Nyx declares, filling two empty cups with random alcohol. “Drink up, Sir Wrath.”
Nyx grabs the cup of unknown alcohol and chugs it in one smooth motion. She licks her lips as she spins the cup on the table, patiently waiting for Timoran. The barbarian takes a deep breath before making a show of lifting the cup into the air, leaning his head back, and pouring the alcohol into his open mouth. Two of the guards refill the cups while three others leave the lounge to gather more alcohol. Nyx casually runs her finger around the rim of her cup before snatching it up and finishing it off. Timoran is already placing his empty cup down as the last of the tart alcohol runs down Nyx’s throat.
“You really want to do this,” Timoran says with a sigh. He swallows his third drink as soon as the cup is filled.
“Unlike Luke and Sari, I’m a drinking heavyweight,” Nyx proudly declares. She follows Timoran’s example and finishes her third drink immediately. “So, would you be willing to go on our excursion after lunch?”
“It might have to wait until tomorrow when you are feeling better,” Timoran retorts, nodding to the guards returning with their arms full of decanters and flasks. “I am sure you will have to spend today with the healers if you insist on continuing this contest.”
Nyx smiles before gulping down her fourth drink with one hand and stealing his cup with her other. She greedily finishes the drink as Timoran stares at her, his expression a mixture of annoyance and concern. With a delicate belch, Nyx slams the cups on the table and slides Timoran’s into his waiting hand.
“Catch up, wild man,” she playfully demands.
Timoran crushes the wooden cup and takes a thin decanter from one of the guards. Nyx rolls her eyes as the barbarian pops the cork off with his thumb and drains the decanter. Refusing to be up-staged, Nyx snaps her fingers at a guard and points at the large, blue wine bottle he is holding. He is unsure what to do until Timoran nods at him, prompting the guard to hand the wine over to her. Nyx creates a blade of fire on the side of her hand and cleanly shears off the top of the bottle. The heat from her magical flame melts the edge, so that it is a smooth, harmless lip. Leaning back in her chair, Nyx drinks the alcohol and magically spins the empty bottle on the tip of her finger.
Minutes flow into an hour and a half when Luke and Sari arrive. They are brought to the lounge where everyone is surprised to find the floor is covered in empty bottles, decanters, and flasks. Sitting with her feet on the table and a wide grin on her face, Nyx casually waves at her friends. Across the table from her is Timoran, who is slumped in his chair and groaning as he tries to bring a half-full bottle of white wine to his lips. With a pathetic whimper, the barbarian drops the bottle and pitches forward to lay his head on the alcohol-soaked table. Nyx gently rubs the top of his head with her booted foot.
“I warned you, Timoran. I’ve never lost a drinking contest. I’m a legend among the taverns of Gaia,” she says before releasing an ear-ringing belch. “I promise to sober you up before lunch.”
Sari leans up to Luke’s ear to whisper, “She uses her aura to process the alcohol and avoid getting drunk. Basically, she cheats.”
“I’ve seen her get drunk off a lot less than this mess, so I was wondering what she did this time,” Luke whispers back.
“So, what do you guys want to do today?” Nyx asks, hopping off her chair and approaching her friends. She suddenly feels dizzy and reaches out to grab a nearby guard for support. “I might need to rest today.”
“You can rest after our meeting,” Luke promises her. He gently detaches her from the guard and helps her walk into the hallway. “Lord Highrider returned this morning and wants to talk to us.”
5
Lord Highrider struggles to keep his eyes open after having traveled for days with barely any rest. Instead of his platemail, the tall knight is wearing a simple, short-sleeved tunic and well-worn breeches. His armor and weapons have been piled in a corner of the room, waiting for him to find the time and energy to clean them. The half-orc feels naked without his armor, but he is also relieved to feel a gentle breeze on his smooth, hairless arms. He yawns and cringes at the horrible smell of his own breath, which he silently prays will go unnoticed by his guests. Shaking his head clear, Lord Highrider finally manages to focus on the three adventurers sitting at his dining room table.
“I thank you for seeing me on short notice,” Lord Highrider says, his voice raspy and strained. “Before we begin, I have a question that’s been nagging me this morning.”
He stops when Sari holds up her hand and gets to her feet. The gypsy gracefully moves to a small table where a large jug of water and several cups are sitting, accidentally forgotten by Lord Highrider. Sari pours a cup and adds a generous pinch of herbs from one of her skirt pockets. She brings the drink to Nyx, who groggily stares at her for a few seconds before she figures out what the gypsy is doing. The caster touches the cup, her finger turning red and causing a faint plume of steam to rise from the cup. Using her top skirt layer to protect her hands, Sari brings the hot tea to Lord Highrider and places it in front of him.
“For your throat,” she whispers with a friendly smile.
“Thank you,” the knight coughs. He takes a sip of the tea and immediately feels the soreness in his throat fade away. “Now, about my question-”
“Sari and I are sorry about the bar fight,” Luke interrupts.
“That wasn’t what I wanted to talk about.”
“I only yelled at people because they were harassing me. I never cast any spells,” Nyx defensively assures the knight. “Okay, I cast a defense spell.”
“That isn’t what I wanted to talk about either,” Lord Highrider claims. He shoots a glance at Sari, who lets her mouth snap closed. “I want to know how you three got him into my dining room without help from the guards.”
Lord Highrider points at the sleeping form of Timoran, who has been laid out on a small sofa. The barbarian is snoring peacefully with his legs draped over one of the sofa arms. The pillow Nyx had placed under his head is now over his face due to all of his shifting. Lord Highrider still knows it is Timoran because of the vibrant, red hair sticking out from under the pillow and the assortment of scars on the muscular body. Try as he might, the knight cannot believe the three adventurers have the combined strength to lift the large man, much less carry him from the barracks.
“That’s your question? After everything you’ve heard about our short time here, you’re surprised about Timoran being in your dining room?” Nyx asks in amusement. She sighs and walks over to the sofa, an aura of yellow energy enveloping her body. With a low grunt, she lifts the sofa over her head and holds it there for a minute. “With the krypters able to feed off my magic, I have no reason to conserve my aura and avoid mundane tasks. So, I boosted my strength enough to carry Timoran.”
“You should have seen the looks we got when we were walking over here,�
�� Sari says with a musical laugh. “Timoran is going to get some friendly ribbing from the citizens, but it serves him right for trying to out-drink Nyx. Though, we should probably tell him that she cheated when he wakes up.”
“It’s only cheating if there’s a ‘no magic’ rule,” Nyx contends as she gently puts the sofa down and returns to the table.
Lord Highrider chuckles and breathes a deep sigh of relief. “It’s good to see you three are in such high spirits. I was worried that Tzefira would have issues with you and that Nyx would be met with violence. The report I was sent by Tzefira tells me that you had some unexpected setbacks and plans will be changed. Most importantly, we must keep Nyx away from the krypters at all costs. She described the effects of Nyx’s magic on the krypters, which worries me. According to Tzefira, there’s a possibility that they will hunt Nyx to devour her and transform into something stronger. It could be that their current form is incomplete because there was not enough residual aura in the air after the genocide spell faded.”
“They didn’t seem too interested in Nyxie when we first met them,” Sari points out while patting Nyx on the leg. “Even after they ate her spell, they went after all of us. Unless you saw them single her out, Luke. You were looking back more than the rest of us.”
“I think Tzefira has good reason to worry about Nyx,” Luke states, his eyes closed as he remembers their encounter with the krypters. “They were ignoring us until Nyx cast her spell. As soon as the spell left her hands, they were drawn to it. Remember that the large krypter ate the dead ones before it went after us. It probably thought that since the others were dead, Nyx’s aura was free for the taking. After that, the krypter went exclusively for Tzefira and Nyx until they separated and then it went entirely for Nyx. The only time it paid the rest of us any attention was when we tried to run back to help and even then it was a half-hearted attack to keep us away. So, I can see why Tzefira would believe they are drawn to Nyx.”
“It’s more than that,” Nyx admits, nervously rubbing her shoulders. “I felt something pulling me as I watched the krypters, but I thought it was anxiety. It was a faint pull in my stomach, which grew stronger once I cast my spell. At first, I thought I froze from fear when I saw them eat my spell and change. Now, I’m wondering if it was paralytic backlash that the krypters sent along my aura threads before I disconnect from my spell. It could be an ability they were created with to help them devour me.”
“This is why you won’t go outside the city without Timoran,” Lord Highrider firmly states after finishing his tea. “We were hoping you would be the key to defeating the krypters, but it seems you’re their key to transforming. I sincerely apologize for putting you in this position, Lady Nyx. Be assured that the city guards and Salamander Army will do everything in to protect you from the krypters.”
“Thank you, Lord Highrider,” Nyx says with a gentle nod of her head. “I plan on traveling into the forest to investigate the goblins once Timoran is done resting. Though, the trip might not be until tomorrow. I believe I can be in the forest without attracting the krypters if I stay away from the swamp. I’ll use my magic sparingly and depend more on Timoran’s strength if we run into any trouble.”
Lord Highrider yawns, stretching his arms in a sudden show of exhaustion. “I shall consider your plan and discuss it with Tzefira. I’m sure she will agree since you are taking Timoran and staying away from the swamp. Now, Tzefira has requested that I deliver assignments to Luke and Sari. She would have done so herself, but she had a morning hunt to attend to.”
“Tzefira already asked me to act as a scout,” Luke claims, hoping to save Lord Highrider from a lengthy explanation. “I’m going to visit the camp this afternoon to go over the details with her.”
Lord Highrider pulls a thin scroll out from under the table and rolls it to Luke. The forest tracker carefully examines the scroll, an eyebrow raised in curiosity at the sight of the wax seal shaped like a sword in a tree stump. He is about to break the seal when Lord Highrider clears his throat and shakes his head.
“That message is to be delivered to Tzefira,” the knight explains. He can see the confusion on Luke’s face, so he softens his voice to calm the young warrior. “That scroll is from Selenia who has been asked by me to give you a letter of recommendation. Duke Solomon, as your previous employer, would normally be asked for this, but he’s the current employer of Tzefira, which makes his recommendation impossible.”
“You got that pretty quickly,” Sari says with a smirk.
“Magic and a sense of urgency,” Lord Highrider replies, chuckling at a funny thought. “Selenia was quick to act when Tzefira was mentioned. Though, she only calls her the Mercenary Queen.”
“Why do I have to join Salamander Army?” Luke asks, tucking the scroll into his boot. “Will I get paid like a mercenary?”
“Luke!” Nyx snaps, smacking his shoulder.
“She wants you to temporarily join her army to confirm your loyalty,” Lord Highrider answers before he releases another wide yawn. “She agrees to pay you in the same manner she pays her mercenaries. A daily pay of five gold coins and an extra silver coin for every enemy you defeat or capture.”
“There’s probably a catch, Luke,” Sari interrupts.
“It isn’t too hard to figure out,” Nyx says. She gets to her feet and pours herself a glass of water. “She’s going to use Luke to take care of the krypters. It makes the most amount of sense since I go near touch them and Sari would be a horrible choice for the job. Luke is the perfect weapon to hunt those creatures down. He’s fast enough to escape them and strong enough to fight them if he’s cornered. That’s not counting his griffin form. Stop blushing, Luke. You love this praise, so don’t try to act humble.”
Lord Highrider turns to Sari, who is fidgeting in her chair. The gypsy pulls a thin, crystal bottle out of her sleeve and takes a sip of the sweet water. Her face glows slightly and a magical shimmer ripples through her blue hair. She spreads her hands on the table, her back arching as her tense muscles stretch. The gypsy smiles as Nyx sits next to her until the half-elf snatches the thin bottle out of her hands. Sari whimpers at her friend and feebly attempts to grab the bottle, but her body is too relaxed to move quickly.
“Where did you get fae water from?” Nyx asks in a low voice. “This stuff is expensive.”
“I found a pool of it when we made camp two days ago. I’ve always stumbled onto fae water when it’s nearby,” Sari answers before taking the bottle back and tucking it away. “I’m going to need a sense of utter peace if my job is what I think it is. You and Tzefira want me to take care of the thieves, Lord Highrider?”
“It’s the smart move,” the knight politely admits. He rubs his eyes, barely able to open them again. “We can supply you with any disguise materials you need since you have already been seen with your friends. Our hope is that you can infiltrate the new guild and discover what they are after. If you have the opportunity to undo the guild then you are free to take action without our knowledge.”
“It’s probably best that you have no knowledge of anything I do,” Sari suggests with a mischievous smile. “I should be able to get into their hideout within a few days. They’re too new to have attracted any master thieves beyond the handful of founders. If they’ve gone into the shadows like Tzefira said then I won’t have to face a founder until a street agent takes me to the hideout.”
“How will you get into the guild?” Luke asks. He fails to hide the concern in his voice, which prompts Sari move her seat closer to him.
Sari reaches out to stroke Luke on the cheek and gives him a playful kiss on the nose. “Your concern is touching, hero, but that’s a secret best kept to myself. Just have some faith in my ability to get into places that I have no business being in. Nyx can tell you that I have a natural gift for infiltration.”
“It’s true,” Nyx attests, laughing at the distant memories. “She snuck into Rainbow Tower all the time. One time she got into a nobleman’s heavily guarded prope
rty because she wanted to play with his pet ostrich. She was there for an hour before the owner stumbled onto her in the garden. I believe that was the fifth time I had to get you out of jail, Sari.”
“Seventh,” the gypsy corrects her. “The fifth time was when I broke into the griffin stables and took one for a joy ride. The sixth time was an accident. I needed a place to sleep and the jail was the nearest public building with beds.” Sari notices Lord Highrider’s curious stare and bashfully stares at her lap. “I was an adventurous child.”
“Sounds more like you were a stereotypical gypsy child,” the knight says with a friendly smile. “Now, I must get some sleep. I trust you three are able to handle your assignments without my guidance.”
“What about Timoran?” Luke asks as their host rises to his feet.
Lord Highrider looks at the snoring barbarian, but his eyes are starting to close against his will. With a tired shrug, he turns away from the table and walks out of the room. They can hear him yawn again before the door gently closes. Luke and Sari turn to Nyx, who is filling another glass with water. She carries it to the small table near Timoran’s head and places it on a wooden coaster. The caster takes the pillow off the barbarian’s face and gets close to him, her lips inches away from his ear.
“Luchada dorvedor mikagalza,” Nyx softly chants in a steady, rhythmic voice.
Timoran’s eyes quickly open and he gets off the couch, his hair skimming Nyx’s nose. He is breathing heavy as he scrambles across the floor to get away from her. It takes him several minutes to calm down and realize that he is no longer in the barracks. With extreme caution, Timoran stands and walks toward Luke and Sari. Nyx magically floats the glass of water to him, which he nervously takes and finishes in one gulp.
Legends of Windemere: 03 - Family of the Tri-Rune Page 13
