The councillor slapped him over the back of the head. “You let him stab you? What kind of plan is that?”
He chuckled and caught the councillor’s wrist before she could hit him again. “You know, you probably shouldn’t be hitting me if you’re worried about my health. You might give me brain damage.”
“I would argue that you already have brain damage if your idea of a good plan involves letting people stab you.”
“It might not sound like a good plan, but it worked. When he stabbed me, I grabbed his wrist to hold him in place and then hit him with my shovel.” He shrugged. “I won although I did have to walk around with a sword sticking out of me until I was ready to use a potion.” He laughed. “I still have that sword. It’s a good one, not that I use swords very often.”
“What if he’d poisoned the blade, master?” Katie asked. He had insisted on her keeping poison handy for the daggers she had begun to carry. Anyone good enough to get close to her was exactly the sort of person she couldn’t afford to take lightly, but big muscles and determination wouldn’t do much against the right poison. Rembrandt had been only too happy to recommend several especially deadly ones, as well as a few non-lethal paralytics in case she need to capture someone.
“Relax. It’s not like I let him stab me right at the start. I checked first. I’m not a total idiot.”
“Then sit still and let me heal you.” The councillor’s eyes gleamed, and glowing chains made of light formed. “Or do I have to tie you up?”
“Fine.” He sat down on the bed. “Has anyone told you how unbelievably bossy you are?”
“I’m the Supreme Cleric and a member of the Council. Bossy is what I do.” The councillor poked him in the shoulder. “And I wouldn’t be bossing you around if you had the good sense to get healed instead of leaving it.”
“Just be glad you’ve got someone around to heal you, master.” Katie giggled. “You know what overdosing on healing potions can do.”
“Yes, yes.” Like her, he was well aware of the many, many things that could go wrong from taking too many healing potions. “Side effects of excessive healing potion use include – but are not limited to – constipation, baldness, temporary insanity, organ explosion, and death.” He pursed his lips. “I should also check to see if anyone Spot healed has suffered any complications. As far as I can tell, his healing fire doesn’t have any drawbacks, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. I do not want any of the dwarves mutating or something.”
“What is Spot doing now?” Katie asked. “The last time I saw him, he said something about going fishing.”
“He was eating some giant tuna the last time I saw him. He caught enough for Chomp and the rats too. Presumably, they’ll be cooking some later.” He relaxed ever so slightly as the councillor began to heal him. “Hmm… that’s not bad.”
The councillor gave him a gentle bonk on the head. “You need to remember that you’re not actually invincible – mainly just persistent and ingenious. I might be able to shrug off a boulder or a ballista bolt with my magic, but you’re a lot squishier.” She grinned. “By the way, how was Beaky? I forgot to ask him how you two did during the battle, and he’s gone fishing with some of the other griffins. They might not like water much, but they do like fish.”
“He was certainly happy to see me. I think he misses the days when we used to prank James.”
“He was pretty friendly,” Katie added. “Although he did pick me up and shake me. Other than that, he seemed nice.”
“He was just teasing you,” the councillor said. “He’s actually quite friendly, so long as you’re not one of his enemies.” She beamed with pride. “I raised him from a hatchling, you know. My parents gave his egg to me when I was only four years old, and he’s been with me ever since. When he was smaller, he used to sleep in my room. He still does from time to time although it’s harder now because of how big he is. I had to put in a bigger window, so he could get in.”
“Kind of like Spot, huh?”
“Yes, although he’s never tried to eat my hair. Apparently, that’s something Spot does on a regular basis if Timmy is to be believed.” The councillor examined some of his older wounds and shook her head before getting to work on those as well. “He eats less too, and it won’t be long before Spot is bigger than him.”
“I don’t think anyone except maybe Sam can eat more than Spot.” Katie giggled as she remembered how annoyed Spot had been to lose an eating contest to the protoplasmic horror. “Has Beaky had any hatchlings yet? He’s about old enough to have some, isn’t he?”
“As a matter of fact, he and his mate are waiting on their first clutch. His mate is back home waiting since there’s only another week or so left before they hatch. I’m hoping they turn out as well as he did.”
“They’ll be fine.” Her master chuckled. “Just make sure you teach them properly. Beaky might be too big to sneak into James’s house now, but the hatchlings should be able to manage it.” He glanced at Katie. “Why don’t you go check on Spot? I’m sure he wouldn’t mind the company, and there are some nice places out there to take a nap.”
“Sure.” Katie wouldn’t mind taking a nap in a nice quiet spot, and with Spot and the rats around – to say nothing of the dwarves on patrol – it should be perfectly safe.
“Maybe get Gerald to come with you too. If I know the rats, they’ll be playing cards, and Gerald could use some relaxation. He’s not too bad although his poker face could use some work. Plus, the rats usually play for peanuts. It’s not like he has to get stressed about losing money.”
“I’ll ask him.” Katie’s brows furrowed. “Although I might have to see if he can lend me some peanuts. There’s usually a small buy in, and I don’t have any peanuts with me at the moment.”
* * *
Gerald sank onto the bench wearily. The last few days of his life had been exceedingly stressful. He’d gone from fighting goblins, which was horrible enough, to fighting cosmic fungi, which had been absolutely terrifying, to fighting off seemingly endless hordes of imperials troops, which had somehow managed to be even worse. Admittedly, he’d spent a lot of the fighting helping the healers and the engineers, but that hadn’t been easy either.
The dwarves were tough, hardy folk, but healing magic was rare amongst them. Instead, they relied heavily on techniques like potions, poultices, ointments, surgeries, and the like. Keeping them well supplied had been of critical importance, and it had been something uniquely suited to his abilities. As someone who had been paranoid about injury and illness his whole life, Gerald had amassed enough medical supplies to heal an army, which was basically what he’d done. But could it really be called paranoia? Given the twists and turns his life had taken recently, his concerns looked completely legitimate. Admittedly, they’d yet to run into a plague, but he wasn’t about to rule out the possibility although after seeing what Timmy and Katie had unleashed against the goblins, it was entirely possible that they would be the ones wielding a plague as a weapon.
He now knew firsthand how much damage a dwarf could take and still live. It was amazing, and it was both gratifying and humbling to realise he’d helped save so many lives. But he hadn’t been able to save all of them. His hands still shook thinking about it. The dwarves here were all experienced warriors. They’d met their deaths without fear, and overwhelmingly, the sentiments they’d expressed hadn’t been sorrow or grief – they had been determination and satisfaction. If their deaths could mean something, then their spirits could rest easy in the gilded halls of feasting and plenty that all brave and honourable dwarves went to when they died. Well, they had nothing to worry about on that account. Their sacrifices had not been in vain. They’d won, and he was proud of himself. He hadn’t run away when his friends and allies had needed him. He’d been scared – terrified, actually – but he’d still done what he could to help. The dwarves had thanked him, and they’d even given him a dwarf name as a sign of respect. He might not be a warrior, but that didn’t mean he was usel
ess.
Admittedly, he’d been in a bit of a funk until Katie had found him and dragged him outside to play a few games of cards with Spot and the rats, but he was in a much better mood now. Spot was, quite frankly, awful at cards, but he was still very young. It was the rats he had to watch out for. They were devious to the extreme, and cheating was basically encouraged, provided they didn’t get caught. Thankfully, he, Spot, and Katie had all joined forces to keep the cheating to a minimum. He’d eventually bowed out after giving his peanuts to Katie, and the girl was doing a decent job of holding on as Seurat began to assert himself with a series of daring bluffs.
Now, though, he was sitting on the bench and eating a tuna sandwich made from some of the tuna Spot had caught. It was a remarkably normal thing to do, which was wonderfully soothing after several days of extremely unusual and potentially deadly events. The only thing missing was a nice cup of tea, and he was able to remedy that with his magic. He closed his eyes and breathed in the relaxing scent of the tea before taking a small sip. It was perfect, exactly the kind of thing he needed to unwind. One of the ninja rats hopped onto the bench beside him and gave him a hopeful look while holding up a tiny cup.
“Of course.” Gerald carefully poured the rat some tea. The rat took a sip of his tea and squeaked thoughtfully. “Yes, I don’t think any of us quite expected to find the Sky City, fight off cosmic fungi, and destroy an imperial naval base.” The rat squeaked again, and Gerald’s lips twitched. “You know, I’m not sure. I’ll have to check, but I think we will get paid extra for this mission since we’ve gone far beyond what was required of us.”
There was an amused chuckled from behind him, and Gerald turned to find Councillor Winters smiling at him. “I remember you once told me that you weren’t fond of rats, yet here you are having tea with one.”
“Councillor!” Gerald would have stood to greet her, but she gently pushed him back onto the bench as she sat down beside him. The rat chuckled and gave Gerald a mock scowl. “In fairness, I was talking about normal rats. Ninja rats are different.” He grinned and patted the rat on the back. “Ninja rats are far more intelligent, wise, and noble than normal rats.” The ninja rat puffed up with pride, finished his tea, and then hopped off the bench to join the card game.
“They are adorable, aren’t they?” the councillor murmured. “Until you remember how deadly they can be.” She smiled at Gerald. “I’ve asked a lot of you lately, Gerald, and you have never failed to impress me. When you started this mission – I don’t mean this mission but the mission – you were a simple bureaucrat. The closest you got to danger was stubbing your toe or dropping a book on your foot. Yet since then you’ve been asked to do so much. You’ve helped to kill a legendary dragon, fought off a demon lord, and raided several key enemy bases, not to mention, you’ve participated in fighting off a goblin invasion and finding a flying city that has been lost in another dimension for centuries. You’ve even helped to break a former councillor out of arguably the most secure prison in the world.”
“When you put it like that,” Gerald said quietly. “It does seem a bit crazy.” He took another sip of his tea. “I’m just doing my job.”
There were people who dreamed of becoming heroes. He wasn’t one of them. He just wanted to do his job well and go home each day to a warm bed, some tasty dinner, and a good book or two. And the castle for all of its strangeness, like young eldritch horrors trying to steal his food or rats waking him up in the morning because a giant carnivorous plant was roaming the corridors, the castle had become home. And the people in it…
“I’ve never been good with people,” Gerald admitted. “I’ve always been better with books and paperwork. Books and paperwork make sense, and they don’t make fun of you or think you’re strange. If you follow the rules, then everything works out.” He smiled faintly. “Even amongst other bureaucrats, I’ve never had a lot of friends. But Timmy and the others… they are my friends, and when your friends are in trouble, you help them. Even I know that. It doesn’t matter if it’s scary or dangerous, you go… you go because you trust them and they trust you.”
The councillor’s smile was radiant. “Yes, Gerald, I know exactly what you mean. You’ve gone over and above the call of duty again and again, and I thank you from the very bottom of my heart.” She stood up and bowed before sitting back down again as he gaped in disbelief. Her voice softened, and she patted him on the shoulder. “I don’t have as many friends as you’d think, Gerald. Oh, I have colleagues and followers aplenty, and there are many people who would gladly follow my orders or lay down their lives for me if I asked them too. But there are also plenty of hangers on, people who’re only there to win my favour. True friends – real friends – are harder to find and infinitely more precious. I doubt most people ever have more than a dozen true friends – the kind who’d fight a giant cosmic fungus for them – in their entire lives. Timmy is… precious to me, Gerald, and you’ve been doing a lot to keep him safe. Thank you.”
“You are most welcome,” Gerald said at last. “And to be honest, I think he’s saved my life a lot more than I’ve saved his.” He laughed. “I haven’t known him for as long as you, but I think it’s safe to say he’s not an easy man to keep down. He has a knack for winning, and I have no idea how he manages to do it most of the time.”
“Oh, I know. Timmy is no slouch. He is exceedingly difficult to kill – and believe me plenty of people have tried – and he rarely loses the same way twice, but I’d rather he not come back from each mission half dead. You and the others have certainly helped with that.” She handed him a satchel. “I was planning to give this to you on your birthday, but all things considered, I think I’ll give it to you now. I’ll have to find you something else for you birthday, but you most definitely deserve this.”
Gerald opened the satchel. Inside it was a book. He gasped. “This is… The Administration of Everton – a Founder’s Guide!”
“I would have gotten you a first edition,” she said. “But all of those belong to people who do not want to sell, and my magic would make any attempts at theft fairly easy to pin on me. How many glowing people are there who can fly and go through walls? However, this is a second edition. It’s even signed too, with a handwritten note from the author on the inside cover. I believe he gave it to an aspiring bureaucrat only a few years before his death. I’ve already put protective magic on it, so unless you’re planning on blocking one of Avraniel’s attacks with it, it should be fine.”
“Thank you!” He hugged the book to his chest. The author was one of his idols, a senior bureaucrat who had helped to lay the foundations for Everton’s centuries of success. “I love it.”
“And if you have any questions about the content, you can always ask Amanda. She and the author were friends, I believe.” Councillor Winters shook her head in fond exasperation. “It is very easy to forget how old she is, and I do think she would enjoy the chance to share some of her stories.” Her gaze turned gentle. “She’s the only one left who really remembers most of these people as people and not just as the legends and heroes they eventually became. It’s a pity. They were people long before they were heroes.”
“I think I will ask her about a few things.” Gerald leaned back on the bench. His lower back was killing him, and his legs ached. On the upside, his newfound fitness had allowed him to escape from all of the murderous goblins, bizarre eldritch fungi, and angry imperial soldiers they’d encountered over the past several days. “So… what happens now? Where do we go from here?”
“For now, I think the empire will retreat and lick its wounds.” The councillor stared out toward the horizon. They weren’t high enough for the air to grow too thin for comfortable breathing, but they were high enough to notice some of the lower clouds. “I’ve spoken with the king and the commander of the Sky City. We took casualties – far more than I would like but also far less than we could have – but the damage we inflicted in return was significant. The naval base is essentially a non-factor.
The cosmic fungus was still attacking it when we left, and I’d be amazed if there was anything left except a giant crater. Almost all of their essential facilities are in ruins, and the fleet stationed there was almost completely wiped out. They had a lot of ships there, Gerald. Losing so many of them means they took sizeable losses in terms of sailors, equipment, supplies, and naval power. They took casualties in the air as well, and griffin knights, war drakes, wyvern riders, and the like are not easy to replace. We’re talking about years of training, to say nothing of how long it can take some of those animals to reach maturity. This was a heavy, heavy blow, Gerald.” Her lips curled. “Not a fatal one, but certainly not something they can shrug off. They’ll feel the sting of this loss for some time, and any ambitions they had of swiftly and easily crushing the Shimmering Isles and launching attacks on our outlying islands will have to be… adjusted.”
“Did they do the right thing?” Gerald asked. He didn’t have Timmy’s gift for strategy or Avraniel’s instinctive grasp of combat, but the councillor was an excellent commander. “I mean… the empire… did they do the right thing attacking us like that?”
“It is easy to judge a course of action solely by its results, but you have to remember that even the best plans can go awry. I do think they did the right thing, given the circumstances and the information they had to work with. The Sky City is simply too valuable a prize to ignore. Destroying it would rob us of a powerful asset and deal a massive psychological blow to the dwarves. Seizing it would give the empire a tremendous advantage. One of the key issues with aerial troops is that they need to land at some point to rest since arriving at a battle exhausted basically guarantees defeat. Many creatures are far more vulnerable on the ground than in the air, and ambushes and the like are far more likely to succeed when the target isn’t flying hundreds of yards in the air. The Sky City removes that weakness. It provides aerial troops with a mobile sanctuary that also boasts the firepower of a traditional fortress.”
Two Necromancers, a Dwarf Kingdom, and a Sky City Page 61
