by Mark Albany
“News,” Norel said simply, finishing with my hand. “It should be a bit sensitive for the rest of the day, but you’ll find that fading. It’ll be better than new come tomorrow.”
“What kind of news?” Aliana asked. “Did you find the dark djinn?”
“There have been a few sightings,” Norel said as we started to move back toward the house. “It would appear that she’s already found a way out of the underworld where we sent her, which is good news, but still… nothing concrete.”
“How is that good news?” I asked, picking up my shirt from where I’d left it behind when we started training.
“It shows that she has enough power to bring herself out of that place,” Aliana explained, offering me a towel which I happily accepted. “Which means she has enough power to get us there in turn.”
“Fantastic,” I muttered sarcastically. I was not looking forward to meeting with the dark djinn again, even though I was coming to terms with the fact that it was going to happen whether I wanted it to or not.
“We can’t just wait around for her to come and attack us again,” Aliana pointed out. “It’s not like wards hold her back.”
“There’s no real reason to believe she’ll be coming back anyway,” I said, lightly stroking the ring in my pocket. I’d come to the decision that having it touching my skin was probably helping the dark djinn connect to me. That didn’t really make sense as I thought about it, but the ugly piece of jewelry still made my skin crawl. I didn’t want to throw it away since Aliana had told me it was a magical artifact of some power, which made leaving it for someone else to find potentially dangerous.
“What about Cyron?” I asked as we stepped into the blessedly cool shade inside the house. “Any sign of him?”
“Members of the circle have informed their contacts to look out for him,” Norel said. “But unlike the djinn, there’s really nothing about his use of power that calls attention. A few reported sightings here and there, but nothing we can reliably act upon.”
“I’m getting sick of this,” I said, shaking my head. “No offense, of course, this is a lovely home, but just sitting around and waiting for something to happen is grating my nerves raw.”
“No offense taken, and I agree, Grant,” Norel said, shaking her head. “I made inquiries about the mage that has been trapped in the Lancers’ dungeons, and it would appear that he is still there. I am aware that he can’t be trusted, but at this point, our other options are almost nil. We need to do something now, and contacting this mage is my suggestion.”
I shrugged. “I don’t really have any other ideas.”
Aliana nodded, saying that she was similarly lacking in any other options for us to pursue.
Norel looked at both of us, surprised that there was no contention to her plan. It wasn’t a great plan, I had to admit, but all things considered, we couldn’t afford to be overly picky. Whatever Cyron was planning was going to come to fruition eventually and if we just sat on our collective asses, chances were that we’d be beaten into a paste.
“Well, then,” Norel finally said. “I say we visit him first thing tomorrow morning. For now, we can prepare in case he gives us something useful which we can act on immediately.”
“Getting ready for a trip before knowing if we’ll need to take it,” I said with a small smile. “That’s not going to jinx our chances at all.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Norel said, turning around and making her way deeper into the house. “There’s no such thing as jinxes.”
I opened my mouth to protest but quickly shut it again. If she didn’t believe, there was nothing I could say that would convince her otherwise. I hated the fact I was now anticipating something going wrong, if only to rub it in her face.
I smirked, shaking my head as Norel quickly laid out what we might need for the trip. Aliana was to collect food for our journey, preferably the stuff that would last a while should any trip we ended up taking last longer than expected. Norel would be working with her, while I was left with just preparing my things. I wondered if I was being pushed away because the two sisters wanted to spend some time alone with each other. I couldn’t think of what they might be talking about, but considering how much shared history they had I didn’t doubt they would think of something.
I delayed heading back to my room, finding myself near the ruins of the room where we’d had our fight with the djinn the night before. I looked around the place, picking my way through the rubble and destruction. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes to better imagine what the place had looked like when the fight was happening. The djinn wasn’t difficult to visualize. Small yet somehow immeasurably powerful, more so than Aliana. It was odd, I thought. Aliana was a djinn just like the dark one that had attacked us, which begged the question of the disparity between their abilities. Was embracing the darkness Aliana had mentioned somehow connected to just how powerful the djinn was? If so, was Aliana giving up power to keep herself from turning into that?
There was the question of their different appearances as well. The other djinn had no horns or wings. What was the difference? Was that a factor in the darkness as well or was there something else entirely?
I turned around, unconsciously tilting my head in thought as I moved over to the corner of the room. Oddly enough, I could feel something triggering the nausea and vertigo I experienced when a portal was opened near me. They were weaker than when the portal had been open, but still there, like a gaping scar hanging in the air.
No, it wasn’t in the air, I realized, looking around. I wasn’t standing where the portal had been opened. I looked around. wondering for a moment if there was a portal being opened right here, signaling an attack. I raised my hands to prepare for it, but nothing came. I continued looking around then glanced down, seeing something gleaming in the middle of the rubble.
I squatted, pushing the broken bricks and mortar aside until I found what had caught my eye. It was a shard about the size of my finger, and was the largest piece of the orb that had survived Norel’s attempt to wrest it away from the djinn with a lightning attack.
It was the source of the feeling, I realized, and holding it just made it all worse. I gritted my teeth, pushing it aside. There appeared to still be some magic attached to this little piece of crystal glass, and, like with the ring, just discarding it seemed ill-advised. I wrapped it up in a piece of cloth and put it in my pocket next to the ring then headed away to find my room.
14
When morning came I found myself in a tangle of limbs between Aliana and Norel, who had come to join us in the middle of the night. I had been half-awake at the time so I just barely remembered hearing her say something about sleeping better with company before squeezing her way between me and Aliana. A few minutes later, Frarris joined us too, making it a bit of a full bed by the time all was said and done.
I didn’t mind. Sleeping with company was a taste I’d acquired a while ago and had been reluctant to give up ever since.
We left the manse early, only taking the time for a quick bite to eat as the sun was rising. We made our way through the city just as people were starting to wake up. Despite the deserted streets, Aliana was hearing a heavy cloak to cover her wings and horns and Norel had taken on a simple disguise to hide her prominent elvish features.
There was no sign that any more fires had been set during the night but even at this hour, the tension in the city was palpable. Windows and doors had been boarded up and the sight of what looked like a small riot could be seen in one of the squares as the three of us made our way toward the Lancers’ dungeon.
Thoughts of avoiding this place had filled my every waking thought during my time as Vis’ pet burglar, so the thought of walking in there of my own volition just roared against every part of me. I guessed that was my roguish side.
“So,” I said, giving my thoughts voice as the massive building came into view, its towers cutting into the slowly-brightening sky like daggers. “Do either of you know of a go
od way for us to get in there? I have to imagine they have some sort of protection set up against portals like Aliana’s. Some kind of ward that will trap us and alert the Lancers to our presence.”
“No need for anything quite so devious,” Norel said with a small smile. “Your title as Varion is more than just something for you to use when it feels important. It officially makes you a member of the Lancers, which means they know to let you just walk right in. They know to offer Aliana and myself the same courtesy, though our appearances have been somewhat masked to avoid annoying questions we have no time for.”
“And… huh,” I grunted. I had actually thought it was just some title Norel had come up with to avoid bringing up the fact that I had been little more than a slave only a few months ago. I’d never thought it was a title that came with real responsibilities, and more importantly, real perks.
We made our way to one of the gates leading into the building. One of the Lancers moved forward, raising a hand to stop us and making my heart jump into my throat, but whether he recognized me or just the robes I was wearing, he quickly backed away and lightly tapped his closed fist to the breastplate he was wearing.
I resisted the urge to grin like an idiot as we made our way into the dungeons. None of the armored men even thought to stop us or question what our intentions were. I wondered just how highly a Varion was supposed to be ranked. Who was I supposed to be reporting to? Were any of them supposed to be reporting to me?
No, I doubted that. It was a job given to people outside their actual ranks, and while I was to be treated as one of them, I was unencumbered by the usual tasks that fell on the shoulders of the men wearing the black and red armor.
We made our way down staircases leading deep into the dungeons. The smell and feel of death was rampant, making me feel ill at ease. We were about three levels below the surface before Norel led us into a dank, torch-lit hallway before bringing us to a halt. One of the Lancers was standing guard. Like the others, he lightly tapped his chest as we approached, not saying a word. I wondered if that was an odd thing among them, though the way Norel was acting told me there was nothing to worry about at the moment. She’d been a noble among them for a long time, so I had to believe she knew what to expect from these men.
“This one,” she said, without so much as a greeting. He didn’t seem surprised by her treatment as she pointed to one of the cell doors. He unhooked a ring of keys from his belt and unlocked the cell Norel had indicated.
I smiled as the man took a step back, fidgeting at the ring that was hanging from my neck. Aliana had given me a silver chain to hang it from, something that would help to dampen any kind of draw that it had for other magical entities. My mind turned to the shard of the orb tucked away in the pack I was carrying. Time would tell if it would be of any use to us but keeping it out of the hands of anyone who might want to use it against us seemed to be a good reason to keep it tucked away.
We stepped into the cell, with Norel taking possession of one of the torches hanging from the wall to show us what was inside.
It was a simple cell, completely unadorned and lacking furniture of any kind. The only break from the bleak and darkened stones were the chains hanging from the wall and ceiling. They were all connected to a man and held him against the wall. His eyes were open, watching us with something akin to terror in them. There was a sealed gag covering his mouth, preventing him from casting any spells. His hands were manacled to chains hanging from the ceiling, with steel mitts in place to keep him from using his fingers for the same reason. His feet were held by short chains hanging from the wall behind him.
There was no doubt that this was our man, I realized as Norel turned to the guard, who was looking into the room and studying the prisoner closely.
“You are to lock this door and make sure that we are not disturbed for the duration of this session,” Norel ordered. “Under no circumstances are you to open this door unless I tell you to. Have I made myself clear?”
He nodded, still not saying a word as he did as he was told, closing the wooden door behind us and locking it.
I gulped, staring at the door for a moment until Aliana came over to me, running a finger up my spine.
“What’s the matter?” she asked, watching me.
“Nothing,” I lied. “Just a whole lot of fears and nightmares coming true right now.”
She grinned in response. “Is there anything I can do make you feel better? And maybe give your power a bit of a boost besides?”
I turned to her, wondering what she meant until I felt her fingers gripping at my ass, showing her intent.
“Now seems like neither the time nor the place,” I said, a small smile touching my face. “But know that the gesture is appreciated, and will be returned in kind presently.”
She tilted her head and licked her lips. “I’ll hold you to that.”
“If you two don’t mind,” Norel interjected, “could we focus on the task at hand?”
I nodded, turning back to face the prisoner. He was a tall man, taller than I, and even though he looked gaunt and underfed he didn’t lack for power and strength. His black, curly hair was long and unkept and a scraggly beard covered most of his face.
His eyes were dark as well. There had been terror written in them before as he stared at us, but now it was joined by confusion. We weren’t his regular interrogators, and he was starting to wonder what we were here for.
“Should I put up some wards to keep people from listening in on our conversation?” Aliana asked, looking around.
“Don’t bother,” Norel replied, shaking her head. “These walls were built with wards to make sure that anything that happens within these cells goes unheard by anyone outside. I think you can imagine the reason why. Nobody can eavesdrop on us, not even using magic.”
I sighed, gritting my teeth as I walked over to the chained man and looked up into his eyes. He was studying me and likely questioning why someone as young as I looked was in the cell with him.
“I’m going to take the gag off,” I told him. “But I’m going to need your word that you won’t try to harm us in the form of some nasty spell.”
The man grumbled something from behind the gag. I couldn’t understand it, but the exasperation was clear, as was the insult intended behind it. What kind of word could he give me from behind his gag?”
“Know that we do not intend to torture you for the information we seek,” Norel said, moving up beside me with a pleasant smile painted on her delicate features. “There’s a more interesting drive for you to be cooperative. Tell us what we want to know, and we’ll set you free.”
He raised an eyebrow at her, tilting his head. He was interested even if he didn’t really believe we would release him, but after a few seconds of thought, I could see in his eyes that he clearly had nothing to lose, one way or another. He gave us a simple nod.
I leaned in, undoing the latch keeping the gag in place, tugging it away. The man spat the mouthguard out, coughing and licking his lips as I pulled it away and tossed it aside.
“For the record,” the man said, his voice cracking and dry from thirst. “I don’t actually believe you’ll release me for my help here, but since you’re the first ones not to try digging into my skull with magic or steel, I’ll spare you my nasty spells.” He grinned at me while saying that..
“What is your name?” I asked taking a step back from him.
“Oronin,” he replied with a small smirk.
“Yes, Oronin,” Norel interjected with a smile. “Your history with djinn is the reason for our little visit, and the reason why one of the rewards for helping us would mean your freedom. Share with us what you know about tracking them down.”
“It would be a lesson spanning many years,” Oronin said with a small grin. “I’ve dedicated my life to the task, and what I know cannot be shared in the meager hours we have to spend here. So many believe djinn to be extinct, and think I’m a madman for pursuing them. Why do you believe different?”
“Do you know how to track them?” Norel asked, ignoring the man’s question. “Bind them to an action when they are free?”
Oronin looked at her with a confused but curious expression on his face. “I do. That, and more. I’ve mostly killed them when encountered, but certain experiments have been done in the past. For academic purposes, I assure you.”
Norel nodded. “Good enough for me.” She raised her hand and with a flick of her fingers, one of the manacles holding the man’s right hand opened.
“What are you doing?” I asked, tensing as the man looked down at his freed hand.
“Why risk taking what the man says to heart when he can help us bring the dark djinn down himself?” Norel asked, looking over at me. “It’s like he said. Everything we need to know about hunting a djinn could take days, even months to learn.”
“Aren’t you forgetting one very crucial detail?” I asked, nodding my head to indicate the djinn who was in the room with us, someone I would rather not leave at the mercy of a stranger who looked almost too happy when talking about killing beings like her.
“We’ll cross that particular bridge when we get there,” Norel said. “For the moment, we need him, wouldn’t you agree?”
I looked over at Aliana. It was her life we were risking with this little endeavor of ours. She grinned, shrugging to show that she had nothing against it. I took a deep breath and finally nodded.
“What are you doing?” Oronin asked as Norel quickly undid the rest of his chains.
“Getting you out of here, as promised,” Norel explained with a small smile. “The price of which is you helping us to hunt down and capture a particularly troublesome dark djinn whose help we need. Do you agree to those terms?”
Oronin looked at her like she was insane while gingerly rubbing his wrists, which had been chewed raw by the manacles.
“They seem agreeable,” the man said after a long pause. “But that doesn’t change the fact that we are in the middle of the dungeon and the Lancers have been told to hold me here for the rest of my days. I don’t know who the three of you are, but only the Emperor himself has the power to countermand such an order. I’ve met the man, and none of you are him.”
