by Aaron Oster
Since no one understood the magic of the item well enough, and those that won never wanted to risk it in an experiment, the tournament was still ongoing. It was possibly the only time when all four kingdoms came together in one area, without being at odds. This year might be different, however, seeing as the North was at war with the Central Kingdom. While all the kingdoms would skirmish at their borders from time to time, none had ever declared outright war on another.
Then again, the Skyflare might not allow the winner to take it if the North Kingdom wasn’t involved in the tournament. It made for an interesting conundrum. Would they be allowed to participate, or not? And if yes, how would the other kingdoms guard themselves against possible treachery.
Either way, Katherine knew that her father would not voluntarily give up on a prize as great as that. After all, he had personally won the Skyflare over two hundred years ago, and the benefits gave him power greater than any super of his rank could hope to match. Even if she had reached the maximum rank of 50, Katherine knew that she would still not hold a candle to him in a straight fight. That was why taking him by surprise had been such a crucial element in her plan.
When Gwendolyn had told her earlier that her plans had been discovered, she’d begun to despair, but now she knew there was a very good chance of getting to Edmund. He wouldn’t be allowed to compete in the tournament as he’d already won once, but he would be assigning a champion. And if he accompanied that champion, he would be vulnerable.
A smile found its way onto Katherine’s face, and she saw it mirrored by Gwendolyn.
“I’m glad to see that your mind is still sharp as ever, despite your loss in rank. I’m sorry about that, by the way, but the skill I used comes with a heavy price.”
Katherine shook her head.
“There is no need to apologize. Had you not used your skill, I would have died. I can always regain my lost progress. I can’t do that if I’m dead, though,” she said with a small laugh. Her smile quickly fell from her face as she remembered what they’d just been discussing.
“What I don’t understand about your plan is why you sent Morgan into the West Kingdom right before the tournament is going to start. If anyone finds out who, or what he is, there’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll be drafted into fighting for that kingdom.”
While the person who won the tournament would receive the Skyflare, the kingdoms had decided to make it more exciting by throwing in a few other prizes. Items that would entice the other kingdoms to support their champion.
The winner of the last tournament - the South Kingdom - received a rank 31 pinnacle beast core in addition to the Skyflare, and the South Kingdom itself received one-hundred-thousand platinum from each of the other kingdoms. Suffice it to say, there was a lot on the line, which meant that the other kingdoms would try their damnedest to win.
There were strict rules about who was allowed to compete, but those rules were strictly rank based to assure that it would be a fair fight. Katherine and Gwendolyn both knew that there was no rule prohibiting a supermage from competing, so if one of the kingdoms had a supermage fighting for them, it would give them a distinct advantage over the others.
“I’m counting on it, actually,” Gwendolyn said with a soft smile. “The Skyflare is an extremely powerful item and I believe that it can help Morgan regain his memories. Not only the ones from his two-year gap, but also the ones he’s missing from his time living in the West Kingdom. Something about that calamity always seemed off to me, and as far as I know, he is the only one to have survived it. I’m hoping that he enters and wins, as that artifact can help him in more ways than one.”
Katherine let out a long sigh as Gwendolyn said this. She had a pretty good idea of what she was referring to, but she still wanted to make sure.
“When you say ‘in more ways than one,’ do you mean…”
“Yes,” Gwendolyn said with a nod of her head. “It can restore his body to the way it should have been all along. It should, in theory, fix all the damage that was done to him.”
***
Loquin stared up at the sky, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She was currently seated outside, in the small rock garden on the side of the manor. She had been waiting for a couple of people to answer her summons, when a very distinct purple streak flashed across the sky, leaving a trail of dispersing red and blue in its wake.
The Skyflare!
There was a light scraping sound from behind her, and she turned to see Arnold and Grub, the former doing his best not to stare and the latter looking distinctly unhappy. She was currently in her ‘Headmistress body,’ as she liked to think of it. This was the face she used for most interactions these days, only rarely reverting back to her original form.
In this form, Loquin had long brown hair, light blue eyes and a body that, while similar to her actual appearance, didn’t quite match its eye-catching splendor. Her curves were a lot less defined, and her figure a lot less striking. Still, she seemed to catch the eye of just about everyone she met.
Loquin grinned when she saw Arnold’s obvious interest. No matter how much she hated to admit as much, she was extremely vain about her looks. It pained her to tone down her natural beauty to such a degree, but the fact that she still seemed to turn heads, somewhat made up for that.
“You wanted to see us?” Arnold asked, doing his best to compose his face into a neutral expression.
“Yes,” Loquin said, rising gracefully from her seated position and standing with her hands clasped behind her back. “I have a mission for the two of you. We will be leaving immediately.”
“Wait. What?!” Grub exclaimed, now gawking at her open-mouthed. “I don’t take orders from you!”
“While your father is away on business, I do believe that I am the highest ranking member here,” Loquin replied smoothly. “Am I mistaken?”
Grub clenched his fists in annoyance but reluctantly nodded in agreement.
“Good,” she continued, pulling a portal scroll from her belt sash and laying it on the ground. She didn’t need it, but it would blow her cover if she just transported the two of them without it.
She eyed them up and down, noting that Grub wasn’t exactly dressed for the climate they would be heading to.
Too bad for him, then, she thought, flooding the scroll with mana. She had told them to dress for a colder climate, but only Arnold had listened. Grub would pay the price for his disobedience.
A swirling portal opened a moment later, and Loquin motioned the two of them to step through. Arnold did so right away, moving through the portal without a moment’s hesitation. Grub dragged his feet, glaring at her the entire time, right up until the moment when he stepped through.
That boy has to be taken care of sooner rather than later, she thought, stepping through after them.
A blast of icy wind slammed into her as she exited the portal, emerging onto the edge of a massive ice flow. Arnold was already standing at attention, looking around at the surrounding landscape curiously. Grub was not so indifferent, however.
“What the hell, Loquin? It’s freezing out here!” he exclaimed, teeth chattering as he attempted to warm himself through the light robe he’d been wearing.
“I did tell you to wear something warm,” Loquin replied with a shrug. “It’s not my fault you didn’t listen.”
She looked around, noting a small wooden shack sitting next to the massive fissure in the side of the glacier. Even from here, she could feel the Pinnacle King’s power as he threw his might against the bonds holding him.
His influence has spread since the last time, she noted as she began heading to the shack. It hadn’t increased by much, only a few dozen feet or so, but it was increasing.
She could hear the telltale crunch of snow from behind her as Arnold followed and just a moment later, could make out the lighter shuffling footsteps of Grub.
As they approached the shack, Hint emerged. He looked the same as he had for the last six or so years, eve
r since she’d changed his appearance so he could operate without being recognized. A slight, wiry frame, dark brown eyes, and a slightly weathered face that gave off the impression of age, without actually showing it. While Hint was a man in his late seventies, he only appeared to be in his thirties.
Loquin gave him a smile and a wink as she approached, and saw the telltale twitch his right eye gave whenever she teased him.
He always thought he hid his facial expressions so well, but she could read him like an open book.
“So, what have you got for me?” she asked, getting right to the point.
It wouldn’t do to flirt with Arnold and Grub here. They might get the wrong idea.
The man composed himself, clasping his hands behind his back, and looked straight ahead, not even meeting her gaze.
“After a thorough examination of the surrounding area, I can say with confidence that the beast will not be free for another ninety-seven days. Anything after that will be pure guesswork as to when he’ll break free.”
Loquin nodded to herself, doing a quick mental calculation.
That was more than enough time and if not, she could always get someone to hold it off for a week or two.
“Good. Your work here is done. I have another mission for you, so step through the portal, and I’ll meet you back there in a few minutes.”
The man nodded curtly, before walking past her and heading towards the still open portal.
Turning back to the two men she’d brought with her, Loquin gave them both a smile.
“Your job here is simple. Just sit here and watch the entrance. If you see or hear anything, give me a call.”
She pulled another scroll from her belt and handed it to Arnold.
“Wait,” Grub said, glaring at her now. “You want us to sit here and watch a crack in a slab of ice for the next ninety-seven days?”
“No,” Loquin replied, already walking past them and heading to the portal herself. “I’ll be coming back for Arnold in about a week or two, so you’ll likely end up watching this place alone after that.”
“What the fu…!”
But Grub’s last words were lost on her as she stepped through the portal and back to the warmth of the South Kingdom.
7
“So, where am I off to this time?” the man formerly known as Hint asked.
Loquin, who had shifted back to her original form, grinned at him, then pouted.
“Aww, you really are no fun, you know that? All it is with you is work, work, work. Why don’t you ever wanna relax and just have some fun?” she winked at him, tugging at the collar of her top suggestively.
The man just grimaced at her.
“I assume that you have something important for me to do, otherwise you wouldn’t have pulled me from my mission three hours early.”
The man had a valid point, so Loquin decided to skip the teasing, just this once.
“Fine,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I wasn’t planning on pulling you out, but a certain artifact has shown up a few weeks earlier than expected. I’m guessing that my dear friend Gold had something to do with this, but I could, of course, be wrong.”
“Your good friend? I wasn’t aware you had any of those,” the man replied dryly.
“I don’t, but it doesn’t hurt to fantasize,” Loquin said with a wistful sigh. “Anyways, back to the point. Our young friend has gone on a foray into the West Kingdom, back to the place he once called home and I think it’s about time the two of you had a reunion.”
The man’s eyes widened just a hair, and Loquin had to suppress another grin.
She really did enjoy messing with him.
“Not to tell him who you are, of course,” she added after a few seconds. “Merely to give a short history lesson, and point him in the right direction.”
“And which direction might that be?” the man asked, crossing his arms over his chest and staring at her with a steely gaze.
Loquin held out a hand to him, her grin widening.
“Come with me, and I’ll tell you along the way.”
***
Simon stared at the blank mirror standing in the center of King Edmund’s large desk. He was seated in the King’s private office set up near the border of the Central and North Kingdoms. This location put him in the perfect position to either advance or retreat if the situation arose, all while giving him the comfort of sleeping under an actual roof, and not some military camp.
They had both seen the purple streak in the sky earlier, and while most had thought it a passing curiosity, Simon and Edmund had known better. All of the Five Kingdoms knew about the Skyflare Tournament, but most thought it was just a tournament for money and prestige. None aside from the nobility and those chose to fight in the tournament, knew of the true prize.
As soon as the Skyflare had appeared, Simon had received a message from one of his least favorite conspirators, Loquin, the new Executive head of the Merchants Guild. She’d tasked him with setting up a meeting between her and Edmund for five that evening to discuss the upcoming tournament.
Now here they sat, waiting for the devious wench to contact them.
“Tell me again, why we have agreed to this meeting?” Edmund asked.
He was standing with his back to the far wall, with his arms crossed over his chest. He had a scowl on his face, an expression which had been there ever since he discovered the treachery of his oldest daughter, and heir to the throne, Katherine.
She had been his most powerful fighter and the likely choice to represent the North in the upcoming tournament. Simon could not have been more thrilled by her betrayal. This meant that his son would inherit the throne, and if Sarah were to marry him, she would be Queen one day.
He had to resist the temptation to smile and instead forced his own face into a scowl, which wasn’t too hard to do when he remembered who they would be speaking with in just a few minutes.
“We agreed because she may have some good information. Despite that woman’s lack of decorum and respect for your station, she did deliver on her promise,” Simon replied.
Edmund grunted, and began pacing back and forth in the small room. Simon decided to take the opportunity to try and persuade the king of his idea for the ideal candidate.
“Your Highness, if I may offer a bit of advice on who to pick for the upcoming tournament,” Simon began, but before he could complete his thought, the mirror of the table began to fuzz over with black and white static.
Damn that woman’s poor timing, Simon inwardly cursed as Loquin’s face appeared in the mirror, her Cheshire’s grin already in place.
“King Edmund,” she exclaimed, batting her eyelashes at the man. “It is so good to see you again!”
“I can’t say the same about you, woman,” Edmund replied curtly. “Now tell me what you want.”
“Oh my, why so cold, Eddy? I thought we were friends,” Loquin said with a pout.
Simon winced as Edmund’s grip on the table involuntarily tightened, and a chunk of it came away in his fist with a loud crack.
“Tell me what you want, you infernal woman, or I’m ending this meeting right now,” Edmund said through clenched teeth.
“Of course,” Loquin said, giving Simon a wink over his shoulder. “I’m just calling to say that if you were considering sitting out the Tournament this time, you might want to reconsider.”
“And why might that be?” Edmund asked.
He had indeed, been considering just that. With Katherine gone, he didn’t really have anyone that he wanted to represent the North for him. With the war ongoing, he couldn’t leave the front lines to go to the West Kingdom.
“Because,” Loquin said, giving Simon a knowing look before shifting her gaze back to Edmund. “A certain person of interest will be competing there this time.”
“Who?” Edmund asked bluntly.
Loquin giggled at that, her grin growing just a touch wider.
“That would ruin the surprise. Suffice it to say, that a certain
girl you’ve been looking for will be there, and that’s all I’ll say. Until then gentlemen,” Loquin blew Edmund a kiss, then the mirror went blank.
“What the hell was that blasted woman talking about?” Edmund yelled, slamming his fist down on the table. He showing a lot more restraint than Simon normally did and didn’t shatter the expensive piece of furniture.
Simon had grown very still at Loquin’s words.
“I believe she may have been talking about my daughter,” he said in a quiet voice, mind already racing.
Could she finally have ditched that loser Morgan and gone to the West Kingdom for some reason? Had she grown powerful enough to compete herself? What was she doing there in the first place?
“How can you be sure?” Edmund asked, his interest now piqued.
He’d heard the story of Sarah, who had supposedly been hoodwinked into leaving by some street urchin. He knew that Sarah was a girl of great beauty and a prodigy by all accounts. The two of them had come to an arrangement to marry her off to his oldest son, but retrieving her had been troublesome thus far.
Only two days prior, a note had been left for Simon by the Assassins Guild, saying that their contract had been terminated. No reason was given, and the fortune he’d paid had not been returned. It had been a huge blow to Simon when that had happened, but this could be his opportunity to save face and make it all back.
“There is only one girl that we have both been looking for, and that would be her,” Simon replied.
“How do you know she wasn’t referring to my wayward daughter?” Edmund asked.
“She could be,” Simon said, “but I don’t think she is. If she had been talking about your daughter, wouldn’t she have referred to her as a woman, not a girl?”
Edmund thought about that for a moment, before slowly nodding.
“You are probably right about that,” he said, taking a seat and interlacing his fingers. “That woman does seem to enjoy word games.”
