by Jason Kenyon
‘Ah, Dendroth,’ Diojin said. ‘You have come back.’
‘Greetings, your lordship,’ Dendroth said.
‘How did Ferrina treat you?’
‘Well enough,’ Dendroth replied. He dropped his satchel on Diojin’s desk and his grin widened. ‘I found that book of Mellara’s.’
‘Ah, she left it behind at the mansion?’ Diojin asked, and he carefully opened the satchel and retrieved the ancient tome within. He smiled, recalling how she’d shown it to him as her one treasure she’d brought back from that other realm, and how its contents had concerned him at the time. He’d originally wanted nothing to do with it, but now that he had all this vistarium at his disposal, a lot of the impossibilities suddenly seemed within reason.
‘Yep, and it doesn’t look like anything’s missing from it either,’ Dendroth replied. ‘This could really turn things in our favour.’
‘I see,’ Diojin said. ‘Will it be difficult?’
‘It will take time, more than anything,’ Dendroth replied. ‘I’ve put together a list of what we’ll need, and we can go through that later. But for now, I need a good, stiff drink!’
‘Then you shall have one,’ Diojin said, stroking the book’s cover. ‘As many as you want.’
*
Archimegadon stared out from the ship on which he’d purchased passage. In his reckless current mood, he’d given away almost all of his coin for a journey to the fabled Isles of Filikis. If he was going to retire from adventuring, then he was going to do it in style.
He watched the city of Arenfel shrink away behind the ship, and wondered just how long this journey would take. He only hoped he’d find a way to eke out a living once he arrived there. As far as he’d heard, some other Valanthians had set up in a village there, so perhaps he’d be able to attach himself to that.
He regretted leaving them all behind – Obdo, Neurion, Mellara, Anjilo, and Tharanor – but neither did he want to be responsible for them any longer, not after nearly getting them killed so many times. And he knew it was cowardice, but he expected that they’d have talked him out of leaving if he’d actually given them the chance to speak to him.
Nope, it was better for everyone involved if he simply left Valanthas and never returned.
*
Mellara dashed along the harbour front, not caring who she barged, or indeed who noticed her red eyes. She’d deal with all that later.
The Arenfel harbour was enormous, and she’d completely underestimated how much ground she’d need to cover in her search for Archie. Moreover, she could hardly go around shouting his name, just in case his disappearance had been noticed at the royal palace.
But it was no good. It was an impossible task in a harbour of this size, and, as the sun began to set, she was forced to give up and leave before any guards came looking for her.
Mellara sighed with regret. She’d not meant to throw all the blame at Archie. She’d been upset, frustrated, and not thinking straight. It had never been her intention to chase Archie out of Valanthas entirely, not after all the times they’d spent together in their fights against the Order.
She rubbed her forehead and took a deep breath. Somehow it felt like it would be a lot more difficult from here out. Would the group look to her to lead them with Archie gone? Did any of them even like her, given that she was essentially just one of Diojin’s mercenaries to them?
She smiled wryly to herself. Perhaps she really was closer to Valia than she’d thought.
Well, there was nothing else for her to do now. She slipped out of the city gates and headed back towards the others, wondering just how to deliver the bad news. Perhaps things would feel better in the morning.
