Chapter 11: One with the Sea
If there was ever a true indication that Ballan was still far from becoming an Archmage, it was setting foot in Boots' tower for the first time. The tower was situated just outside the university walls, and had a small iron fence surrounding it. The tower seemed to be only four stories tall, and had a small garden pond with a table next to it, but no chairs. As Boots ushered them through the gate, and then the door, Ballan found himself staring.
The first floor was clearly a library of some sort, with every available bit of wall covered in shelving and filled with books. The area was surprisingly organized, and when the object within sprang to life as they entered, he immediately understood why: The entire tower, and nearly everything in it, was enchanted. Books sorted themselves, brooms tidied the floors without hands to guide them, and there were even several tomes taking their own notes atop an enormous desk. A set of spiral stairs looped around the outside of the room, leading upwards.
"Welcome to my humble abode!" Boots welcomed them grandiosely, putting too much emphasis on 'humble'. "The dormitory is on the second floor - give me a moment to conjure the rooms…" And without further explanation, Boots raised his paws into the air, closed his eyes, and began incanting. Distantly, the sound of rumbling stone could be heard.
"He can conjure… rooms?" Tilda asked.
"Didn't encounter the recursive room trap, did you" Boots mentioned as he finished casting the spell. "Your 'Trav' must have been skilled indeed to avoid such a thing. It is little wonder all my protections were for naught!" Tilda rubbed the back of her head, and shrugged.
"Hey, he didn't mention anything about that." She complained. "Just said he could bypass the magical stuff, and I'd have to do the, y'know… mechanical part." She wiggled her fingers at the front door. "Locks and stuff." Boots only nodded sagely, and then looked at Krakkus.
"…And what was your part in this little break-in?" Boots asked, genuinely curious.
"Muscle." Krakkus replied, nodding at Tilda, who began to turn red. "Tilda is like a kitten, fierce but harmless. Mages like to festoon their towers with monsters and demons, so…" Krakkus made a chopping motion.
"Well, I'm sorry to have rendered your services redundant - I have no such defenses here." Boots apologized, and Krakkus just laughed.
"What a bear you are, apologizing to me for robbing you!" He clapped Boots on the shoulder. "Now, I haven't had a proper sleep since they clapped me in irons! Where can I find rest?"
For his part, Ballan did not feel tired at all. As Boots led them upstairs, he found himself standing in a small, communal sitting room. A low table dominated the center of the space, surrounded by cushioned chairs covered in velvet. The spiral staircase continued to lead upwards, and five doors were present around the outside wall. Each one was labeled with their names… though Ballan was having a hard time seeing how these doors could lead to anywhere but open air. Boots noticed his look of confusion, and nudged him toward the door with his name on it.
"Well, go on!" Boots insisted. Ballan just shrugged, and opened the door.
Sure enough, the relatively spacious and well-appointed bedroom revealed itself, complete with an attached bathchamber. There was a small writing desk, as well as a bookshelf filled with grimoires on magical theory. A small cabinet proved to be stocked with all manner of arcane materials - perfect for practice and spell preparation. As he explored the room, he heard the others making similar discoveries in their own chambers.
"Each room is filled with necessities unique to each of you. If there is anything else you require, simply make it known to me and I will do my best to provide it." Boots bowed deeply, before gesturing above them. "Now, the kitchen is on the third floor, and my private study is on the fourth. Some of you have already been inside…" He glanced placidly at Tilda. "…But I must ask that you refrain from entering the study for the duration of your stay. The Arcanum Crystals aren't the only dangerous thing found within."
"I didn't go into your study." Tilda pointed out, a little petulant. "Trav said it was too dangerous, said he'd snag the crystals." Boots stroked his chin thoughtfully as she explained.
"Hmm, the plot thickens. How long was this individual casing my tower…?" He sighed, and shook his head. "A problem for later! For now, please, take your ease. As for me, well, I have a jar of specialty honey upstairs calling my name…" And without further ado, Boots wandered upstairs, leaving them all to their own devices. Krakkus immediately bid them good afternoon and shut himself within his room. Tilda did not seem much in the mood for socialization, and followed suit.
With Holgith spending the evening at the Grand Cathedral, Ballan was left standing awkwardly in the central area with Kahya.
"So, what was that totem the archbishop gave you?" Ballan asked, desperate to break the silence. Kahya blinked once, as if remembering something, and retrieved the totem from her rucksack. She placed it on the low table, and took a seat to inspect it. Ballan joined her.
"This is Qilalugaq - She was a narwhal, I believe your people call them." She explained patiently. "She was an Ancient… er, an Augmentus, though she died long before I was born. Her patience and wisdom taught my ancestors how to tame the seas and snows of the frozen north. This totem was gifted to the city of Avony as part of an exchange of good faith. I remember seeing the ivory statue of the Goddess in the village center, before…" She trailed off.
Before the Nuit had been wiped out.
Ballan stared at the wooden totem. The creature was clearly heavily stylized, but he could tell what the totem was trying to depict: A narwhal peaking out of the ocean, surrounded by kayaks and joyful people.
"What happened to her?" Ballan asked, though Kahya just shrugged.
"One day she appeared before our people and told us she was going to a place we could not yet follow." Kahya sighed. "Some thought she was making a pilgrimage that we would one day follow her on. Most simply believed her time in this world had come to an end." Kahya placed her hand on the totem. "Wherever she is, I hope it has brought her joy."
Ballan stared at the totem for a while, frowning. Suddenly, he had an idea: he produced his brand new spellbook, an inkpot, and a quill, and began inscribing his first spell on the first page.
"Do you think it's magical?" Ballan asked Kahya, nodding at the totem.
"I…" Kahya picked up the totem, inspecting it. "I'm not sure." Ballan nodded - that was the answer he was expecting.
"I can check for you, if you'd like." He explained. "It could be a good field test for my spellbook, and maybe we'll learn something worthwhile…?"
Kahya blinked at him, then gave him a small smile, and nodded.
Ballan focused on finishing the inscription - it took up almost the entire first page. A spell of magic detection was simple - and also easy to fool, if the caster of the magical effect being detected wanted to conceal it. Still, it was useful for identifying the properties of magical things that people were not trying to hide.
"Ok, here goes nothing…" Ballan muttered, cleared his throat, and then began to recite the incantation. He felt the mana begin to coalesce around him, centered around his hand. When he completed the incantation and touched the totem, he immediately felt the spell take hold. To his eyes, the totem glowed brightly with white light, so much so that he had to look away briefly. Information flooded his senses… The totem was indeed magical - very magical. A powerful spell of protection had been cast upon it… to either protect it from the passage of time or… prevent its misuse? There was something else… divination magic… a phrase… He closed his eyes, trying to listen to the words…
"Atausiq tariurmi…" Ballan whispered, and then repeated himself so Kahya could hear.
"Your spell taught you my language?" Kahya asked, cocking her head. Ballan laughed as the spell faded.
"No, that was a phrase I heard… Well, it was more like it appeared within my mind." Kahya was giving him a dubious look, so he cleared his throat and changed the subject. "What does it mean?" Kahya shrugged.
"A simple statement: One with the Sea." She translated, picking up the totem. "It was Qilalugaq's first lesson to us, or so the stories go. Our ancestors fought the sea their whole lives, and Qilalugaq taught them how to coexist with it." Kahya stared at the totem. "Atausiq tariurmi…" She whispered.
Then her eyes began to glow white, and her mouth dropped open.
"Kahya?" Ballan called out to her, startled, but received no response. He waved his hand in front of her face, but she just sat there, eyes aglow, her mouth slightly agape. "Kahya!" He grabbed her shoulder and shook, and she finally took a deep breath, shaking her head. When she looked at him, there was wonder in her eyes - the glow had vanished.
"I… I had a vision!" She explained. "Qilalugaq, she spoke to me… She told me an ancient peril shadows my heels… that I will need to be prepared to join the fight, when the time is right. And she…" Kahya was at a loss for words, simply showing Ballan her hands. There was nothing different about them.
Ballan looked at them, but said nothing, sitting back in his chair. Kahya looked down at her hands as well, perplexed.
"In the vision, there were runes." She explained. "On my palms. They allowed me to…" Kahya shook her head, and Boots trundled down the steps at that moment, an enormous tea tray filled with cups and kettles floating behind him as he upended a jar of honey into his mouth. Kahya stood up immediately, and reached her hand out towards the tray.
A rune glowed on the palm of her hand, and the tea inside the kettles… flew out in a torrent. Kahya pulled her hand back towards herself, and the water created a stream in midair, before flying around her and forming a ring. With a flick of her wrist, the tea returned to the pot. Ballan leaned back in shock, and Boots licked his lips.
"My, my! Found the command word already, did you? That was quick!" Boots exclaimed, gesturing for the tray to set itself down on the table. "And I daresay you cooled the tea perfectly." He poured himself a cup, and took a contented sip. Ballan rolled his eyes. Of course Boots already knew the totem was magical. He turned his attention to Kahya.
"So you can manipulate water? That's amazing!" Ballan had not sensed any mana involved in Kahya's stunt. He wondered if, like Holgith inheriting the might of Mortrunk, Kahya had been given a portion of Qilalaguq's power over water. "Is there a limit…" Ballan trailed off as Kahya began to look a little faint.
"I think… I can control more… with practice." She sat back in the chair, taking a deep breath. "Was that magic?" She asked. Boots and Ballan glanced at each other.
"Probably." Ballan hedged.
"Almost certainly." Boots agreed, placing a large paw on Kahya's shoulder. "You're a regular wizard."
For some reason, Kahya devolved into a fit of giggles. Boots laughed alongside her, and poured her a cup of tea. Shortly after, she retired to her room for the afternoon. Boots sat on the floor beside Ballan - he was more than tall enough to eat at the table while seated on the ground anyway.
"What say you and I get this spellbook filled out?" Boots offered, a myriad of tomes and writing equipment floating up from downstairs. "It certainly won't fill itself! Not yet, anyway." Ballan agreed, and spent the afternoon - and a large portion of the evening - adding all the spells he could remember to his tome. For that brief amount of time, he forgot about the rest of his worries.
Holgith returned the following morning, some time after Krakkus and Kahya awoke but well before Tilda and Ballan were out of bed. The mighty orc was already shoveling large portions of bacon into his mouth in the kitchen when Ballan walked in blearily. Holgith's face and arms were covered in bandages, but he seemed to be in good spirits. He explained through mouthfuls of food that the 'nice people' at the 'white building' had removed his curse entirely, and that the flesh would heal, although there would certainly be scarring.
"Holgith likes scars." He waggled his one good eyebrow at Ballan. "Make Holgith look tough." Ballan thought that, if it was intimidation Holgith was going for, he probably should have stuck with the exposed muscle and bone look. Still, he was glad Holgith was not in pain anymore.
Kahya was staring intently at a mug in front of her, watching the contents within, grasping it firmly with both hands. The spoon within the cup spun by itself as she watched, and it took Ballan a moment to realize she was stirring the contents with her new gift. Practice would make perfect, it seemed.
Tilda, of course, showed up to breakfast later than everyone else. Unlike everyone else, however, she seemed perfectly alert and entirely ready for the day. She took a look around the kitchen testily, before pointing at Ballan and Krakkus.
"Get the lead out, you two, we've got legwork today - you're not even dressed." Tilda hopped up onto a stool, and then standing on it, brushed several plates of breakfast out of the way and placed a map of the city on the table. Ballan didn't bother getting up yet, as it was clear Tilda had something she wanted to explain.
"Alright, so we're here next to the University in the Scholar's Quarter." She pointed at the northwestern portion of the map. "Nothing but eccentrics, college kids, and mages up here. If Trav is trying to keep a low profile, he'll avoid this place like the plague. Too easy to track a mage if you're a mage." Tilda produced a red pencil, and outlined the Scholar's Quarters in it. "We can rule it out as a hiding spot for now."
"How do you know he's still in the city?" Krakkus asked, sipping something green and fragrant from his cup. Ballan had never seen a beverage like that before - he'd have to ask him about it later.
"Because Lord Malcolm's people are searching for him in the city." Tilda pointed out. "I confirmed as much when I went out last night."
"You went out last night?" Ballan asked. He had not seen her leave, and he and Boots had been in the sitting room until nearly the eleventh hour. She gave him a cocky grin.
"You had your nose pretty deep in that fancy new book of yours." She returned her attention to the map. "He's here in the city - we just gotta find out where. Luckily, I've ruled out a couple of other places…" She outlined three more locations: The Dredge, Carnival Hill, and the Temple District. "There's a reward out for his capture, though the wanted posters don't have much of a description to go on. The Wardsworn have been fielding false reports basically since the posters went up. Hiding out in the Dredge or Carnivall hill would have the beggars there turning on him in a moment. He's too savvy for that."
"What about the Temple District?" Ballan asked.
"What, the most secure place in the city?" Tilda scoffed. "No way. That leaves…"
"The Merchant District, the Burroughs, or the Mason's District?" Kahya asked, looking at what was left on the map. Tilda nodded.
"Just so, there's a problem with the Merchant District, however…" Tilda grimaced. "I spoke with a friend of mine there. He'd heard Kills-the-Joke is back in town. They're looking for him too. I don't know what he's doing here, but we probably want to give him a wide berth." She glanced at Ballan, and then Holgith. "…For obvious reasons."
"Heh. Holgith make cooked bird of him next time. You'll see." Holgith stated casually, still, somehow, eating.
"I have no doubt about that, I just don't want to get into a scrap in the middle of the city." Tilda pointed out dryly. Holgith frowned, but did not press the issue. "Anyway, despite the fact that Trav left me and Krakkus holding the bag, it seems as though the 'esteemed' Lord Malcolm has completely forgotten about our involvement - if he even knew about it in the first place. Honestly, Kills-the-Joke breaking out alongside us was an incredible stroke of luck. He's taken all the heat for the jailbreak."
Tilda produced a poster. On it, the grim face of Kills-the-Joke stared back. It read:
WANTED
The Kurkrai Kills-the-Joke has been found guilty of murder, evading justice, larceny, theft, and manslaughter. He is to be considered armed and dangerous.
REWARD for information leading to capture: 600 avonian gold pieces.
REWARD for capture DEAD or ALIVE: 2000 avonian gold pieces.
Please report any and all sightings to Ward Captain Devon Ruminus
Ballan whistled lowly. That was a small fortune. Tilda nodded solemnly.
"I know. I'd turn the bird in myself if I could, maybe take a nice vacation." She shook her head wistfully. "Best not involve ourselves, though."
"Agreed." Ballan nodded. The fewer interactions they had with the pirate, the better, lest their culpability in the jailbreak come to light.
"If Trav's in the Burroughs, it'll take weeks to track him down." Tilda continued, griping. "Our best bet is to rule out the Mason's District first, and then put our nose to the ground in the Burroughs and see what turns up." She rapped the map once with her knuckle, and began to roll it up. "One last complication: I'd have bet money on him trying to move the crystals as soon as possible, but as far as I can tell, none of the fences I know have even seen an Arcanum Crystal - and most wouldn't even try to move it now that the Wardsworn are out in force." She shook her head. "So if he wasn't going to sell them, why did he have us help him steal the damn things?"
Silence fell over the table as everyone present - except perhaps Holgith, who finished his breakfast sat back contentedly - contemplated that mystery.
"Lots of ground to cover in the Mason's District." Krakkus stated, standing up. "We should get ready, and begin." With that, Krakkus left to see to his preparation. Kahya nodded at Ballan, and they both left to get ready as well. When they were prepared, they met in the library on the bottom floor. Ballan glanced around at everyone when he arrived.
"Where's Boots?" Ballan asked, and a mighty snore reached his ears from four stories up. Ballan cleared his throat as Tilda rolled her eyes. "…I'm sure he'll join us later?" Ballan offered.
"He's so much like a bear, and yet so much like a wizard." Krakkus mused idly, scratching his chin. "I think you have found a good teacher, Ballan, my friend."
"He sort of found me." Ballan replied honestly, and Krakkus just laughed.
"Let's get a move on." Tilda grumbled, hopping up to grab the door handle before kicking the door open. They followed her out into the city, and Ballan looked up at the skyline. Buildings, as far as the eye could see - which was not very far. And streets full of strangers… He had no idea how they were going to find anybody in this place - let alone someone who did not want to be found.
He had a feeling they were going to be here for a while. For some reason, that thought buoyed him as they began their search. He was beginning to like it here.