Mistress Part [1/3]

Mistress

AS he stood on the high balcony -leaning over the railing and taking in the morning light- Thalon heard a door open, followed by the sound of slow footsteps creeping towards him.

         “Good morning Mistress Uul,” he said without turning. “Did you sleep well?”

         Thalon caught a streak of black hair in the corner of his eye as the woman leapt up to sit on top of the stone railing, her feet dangling over the precarious drop.

         “I slept just fine, thank you,” she finally replied. “Nice view you have up here.”

         It was a grand sight indeed, but Thalon found his gaze torn from the sparkling towers of the city, setting his brown eyes on the woman sitting beside him.

         Her features were plain, as was her clothing, but there was something about her that drew his attention. A sense of marvellous strength and alluring mystery that only intensified as her black eyes locked onto his, capturing them in a nearly unbreakable hold.

         She frowned.

         “I thought I told you, I’d prefer it if you called me Faeya, since I’m not at work.”

         “Ah, but isn’t it the business of the Scrollmasters Guild to hunt down rogue mages, such as our Nemesis here?” said Thalon.

         “That’s only a small part of it, and my point is that this isn’t Guild business.”

         “Alright then, Faeya, would you mind telling me what this amazing plan of yours is?” Thalon smiled as he spoke, and he was surprised at how comfortable he felt around this woman despite the tensions of the previous day. There were still many troubling things he didn’t know about Faeya, but her calm gaze put him at ease now.

         She opened her mouth to speak, but Faeya’s words were snatched away by a sudden strong gust of wind. Thalon’s loose silk shirt rippled in that wind, and Faeya’s hair flew about wildly. Squinting his eyes, Thalon looked up towards the horizon, seeing the dark clouds sweeping towards the city. He didn’t mind the wind, but an image of one careless woman being blown off of a balcony flitted through Thalon’s mind.

         “Let’s talk inside,” he insisted, slowly pushing himself away from the railing.

         Faeya surprised him by shaking her head then.

         “No, I don’t mind the wind, it is my element after all.”

         Your weapon, you mean, thought Thalon. He knew the wind could be a useful tool, but he thought it was an unusual choice for an Adept like Faeya -a person born with extraordinary magical ability- as it had rather low lethal potential. By right of blood, Thalon himself could channel the destructive force of a bolt of lightning.

         “Really?” said Thalon. “We have something in common then, the wind is my element as well.”

Faeya seemed to doubt that, but carried on.

         “Anyways, now that I have you, I must return to the Guild before we do anything else,” she began. Thalon arced an eyebrow.

         “You have me?” As if he belonged to her now! Although in all fairness, Thalon had considered Faeya in that same light the previous day; until she had violently corrected him.

         “Now that I have you with me, I meant to say. I wasn’t sure if you would agree to help me, so I only left my Spellweavers with temporary instructions during my absence. More detailed instructions and a few promotions are in order before I can fully dedicate myself to our mission.”

         “Ah…”

         “Afterwards, we’ll be heading to the Megido Woods, just south of the Zendaran border. My sources tell me that there is an ancient Dark Magi temple there, abandoned but not forgotten. It’s currently our best chance of acquiring a copy of the Book of Lysterith.”

         “Wait,” Thalon began incredulously, “Didn’t you say that you’ve interrogated entire cults of Dark Magi? What could this book tell you that you don’t already know?”

         Faeya’s face tightened as if Thalon had crossed a line in questioning her reason. Her anger was not directed at him, however.

         “Our interrogations were not very successful… They have ways of blocking mental intrusions, or destroying their brains before we can tear down their defences. We learned very quickly that trying to insinuate ones self into the mind of an advanced Dark Magi is certain suicide.” Faeya turned fully towards Thalon then, an unsettling smile across her face as she straddled the stone railing. “We did manage to break some of the younger ones though. From them, we were able to gather enough knowledge to enter what they call : The First Layer of Understanding. This initial understanding covers the duties of an acolyte, the central philosophy of the Order, and a basic description of the higher layers.” Faeya frowned. “I’m not sure if Lysterith created a magical book, or if the words simply require deeper contemplation, but details concerning the nature of Demon Wizards are not revealed until The Third Layer of Understanding.”

         “I see, so if we obtain the book, then we gain the understanding, and uncover the path to defeating Nemesis,” said Thalon.

         “Right. As of now, my greatest concern is how to enter a Demon Wizard’s Tower.” Faeya grinned, “If I knocked at Nemesis’s front door right now, he’d probably let me in without a fuss. You however, are an unknown to him, so the doors stay shut.”

         A familiar feeling of paranoia twisted in Thalon’s gut, although Faeya had convinced him that she was his ally the previous day.

         “Why would he let you in so easily when you want to kill him?” he asked carefully.

         “I touched on it yesterday. Those years I spent following Nemesis were just a game to force me to use every trick I knew trying to catch up to him. I have no surprises left for him, and therefore, I am no longer a threat. Concerning Prince Thalon however, Nemesis won’t take any unnecessary risks.”

         “Ah, but Faeya can always learn new tricks can she not?” he said slyly.

         A feral grin crossed the woman’s face.

         “Indeed I can, that’s part of what this mission is about.” Her expression straightened before continuing. “As I was going to say, once we break down the doors, we can go about the business of locating and destroying Nemesis’s weak point.”

         “I assume the book will tell us what this is exactly?”

         Faeya nodded.

         “I don’t think it’s the direct source of his power, as a Demon Wizard can travel wherever he wishes, but he will not let the tower stray too far from his magical influence. If he does, he may not be able to hold the doors against a surprise attack.”

         “I see, but what makes you think his demonic army is less of an obstacle than the tower doors?”

         “Hmph, those ‘demons’ are nothing more than soulless golems… Imbued with a bit of dark energy of course. When the time comes, I will contribute as many of my scrollmasters as I can towards the effort, but once you understand how the golems operate, I think your army will have little trouble breaking through to the tower. Nemesis doesn’t have unlimited resources. Once the tower is breached he will be forced to divert his energy towards inner defences,” Faeya explained.

         Thalon brightened.

         “Wow! Aside from the details it seems like you have everything figured out,” said Thalon. Seeing Faeya’s self-satisfied smirk, Thalon quickly added, “Although, once again, I’ll save my applause until I see you actually do something. We could’ve been halfway to Zendara by now, but you had to sit on your ass for twenty hours straight.” The impulsive -childish- jab came out harsher than Thalon had intended, but Faeya took it in stride. She placed her fists on her hips and pouted.

         “Well then rude Prince, if you’ve forgotten already, you have only yourself to blame for that particular turn of events… but since you’re so eager to get going we can begin our journey at first light tomorrow.”

         Thalon stared at her in disbelief. Was she saying that just to spite him? The previous day, Thalon had forced Faeya to swear an oath of truth -which unbeknownst to Faeya at the time, was a potentially deadly spell- and drawn a story out of her concerning her relationship with the man who now called himself Nemesis. She had told her story, and while she hadn’t lied, she’d carefully left out certain details. The consequence of that action was a splitting headache that had left the woman bedridden for the remainder of the day. Faeya had since recovered however.

         “It’s still morning you know, we have plenty of time to get ready and be on our way, today,” Thalon argued.

         Faeya nudged her head out towards her left.

         “You can see the clouds as well as I can, we can’t outrun such a storm.”

         “Look again.” Thalon raised an arm, pointing towards the horizon. “The storm is coming from the west, but Zendara,” he swung his arm roughly ninety degrees, “Is south of here. It will miss us completely.”

         Again, Faeya shot him that smug look.

         “I know exactly where we’re going, Thalon. Just take a look at those clouds again by mid-afternoon, you might be surprised.”

         Thalon threw his hands up in a dismissive gesture.

         “Whatever, even if the storm changes course, are you really that worried about a bit of rain?”

         “No, when I’m at home it often rains. Storms bring more than rain though, they’re violent and unpredictable.”

         Thalon huffed, then thrust his chest forward in a heroic gesture.

         “If you’re worried about lightning you shouldn’t be, you’re travelling with the Prince of Thunder after all.” And indeed, Thalon had commanded his army to march forwards under the dark clouds of a thunderstorm many times. With his affinity for lightning, such a storm was a great source of power for him, and had allowed him to single handedly turn the tides of battle in his favor.

         Thalon deflated.

         Rather than responding, Faeya turned away, gazing at the spectacle of the city and the dark clouds beyond.

         Being ignored aggravated Thalon to no end and she knew it.

         “Faeya-”

         She cut him off by yawning loudly. Nose upturned in a haughty gesture, Faeya glanced down at him through the corner of her eyes.

         “I’m starving, what do you have to eat around here?”

         Thalon merely stared at her. Her gaze was cool and steady as she looked down at him, once again locking his eyes with her own.

         What an arrogant bitch, Thalon thought. Who was she to challenge him?

         Thalon forced himself to calm down then.

         The problem was obvious. As the one and only leader of the Scrollmasters Guild Faeya held tremendous power outside of the Thunder Empire. With the royalty and ruling parties of various nations heeding her words -under the premise of mutual benefit of course- she was used to having her way. All of the time. With very little resistance. Thalon was just as stubborn.

         He needed Faeya’s help to deal with Nemesis, but Thalon still wasn’t sure why he was valuable to her. That gave the clear advantage to Faeya, and she would not hesitate to twist that advantage -painfully- whenever she was contested.

         Thalon had relished the feeling of control he had had over this strange woman the day before. Faeya had been terrified to realize that a few simple words had placed her life at the mercy of the Thundergod’s judgement, that a simple lie could reduce her to a pile of ash. Thalon hadn’t wanted to control her with fear however, they were going to have to work as a team after all. He had wanted to earn her trust so he had casually broken that deadly spell later the same day.

         He very much regretted that act of kindness at that moment, but it was too late to go back on his decision.

         Grinning fiercely, Thalon finally broke the silence, pushing himself from the railing.

         “What do we have to eat, you ask? Whatever you desire of course!”

         “Oooh! I’ve never sat at an Emperor’s dining table, can we eat there?”

         “Of course Faeya, of course. I’ll have the servants prepare a feast for us.”

         Faeya beamed.

         “A feast?” she asked.

         “A feast!” Thalon proclaimed.

         “Yes!” Faeya pumped a fist in the air and danced across the balcony as she followed Thalon towards to door.

         He held the door open for her, still grinning fiercely as he invited her inside. As Faeya skipped past Thalon, their gazes locked for a brief instant.

         Above Faeya’s smile her eyes were aflame with victory, mocking him.

         And above Thalon’s grin his eyes were cold and narrow, as if to grudgingly say:

         Yes, you won this time, enjoy it while it lasts.

         He shut the door.

*          *          *

SITTING in an ornate regal chair at the head of the long table, Thalon glanced to his right and couldn’t suppress a grin. As the servants periodically placed more and more food on the table, Faeya’s eyes sparkled excitedly, accompanied by the occasional squeal of delight.

         Is she trying to be cute? Thalon thought. Well damn, it’s working.

         “Looks good, doesn’t it?” he asked.

         “Mhmm.”

         The two continued to watch as silver plates, platters, and bowls were placed in front of them. The steaming contents bathed them in mouth watering aromas, rich and savoury.

         “It’s so much though…” Faeya said.

         Thalon nodded slowly.

         His head suddenly snapped to the left, staring into the far side of the room.

         “Yulius!” he called.

         A tall white haired man stepped forward, bowing slightly as he neared Thalon.

         “Yes, my Prince?” said the master servant.

         “Sit down and have a meal with us will you.”

         Yulius raised a hand, opening his mouth as if to protest, but catching Thalon’s eye he merely smiled and said, “Thank you Thalon,” before taking his seat. Rather than sitting directly to Thalon’s left -a chair typically reserved for the imperial heir- Yulius moved farther down the table, leaving an empty golden seat between them.

         “Can we eat now?” Faeya was staring intently at a slab of red meat on the table in front of her.

         “Soon,” said Thalon. He nudged his chin towards a female servant. “You there, summon my father please.”

         But just then, the dining hall doors burst open and a deep voice thundered into the room.

         “That won’t be necessary.” A large, dark man with shining golden eyes strode into the room. He wore a flowing dark-grey cape -traced with intricate lines of white- and a suit to match.

         The servants lining the room all bowed in unison to this man, whose god-like presence totally eclipsed that of everyone else in the room.

         “How is everyone this morning?” he asked.

         “I am well, Excellency, and yourself?” greeted Yulius.

         “Fine,” said Thalon.

         Faeya continued staring at the food.

         “Your sitting in my seat, boy.” The Emperors face was placid -composed- as his golden eyes settled on his son.

         “Excuse me, sir, but there is an empty seat right here,” said Thalon as he motioned to his left.

         Silence.

         Catching his fathers patient, but warning, gaze, Thalon lifted both hands in a calming gesture. He smiled helplessly as he rose and stepped around the edge of the table to take his customary seat. Once Emperor Thundell had settled in at the head of the table, Thalon clapped his hands together.

         “Alright everyone, let’s eat!”

         Thalon reached across to scoop some rice and beans into his plate, but stopped midway to the sound of a loud, wet, thud, as an inch thick slab of beef was violently slammed down. The three men briefly exchanged uncomfortable glances as Faeya heaped her plate high with a selection of meat, meat, and more meat.

         On the other end of the spectrum, Yulius had himself a variety of vegetables, lightly drizzled with a sweet and spicy sauce. Thalon had a balanced meal, with steamed vegetables and roasted chicken to add to his rice. Thundell had the most plain meal, a bowl of oatmeal porridge and a medley of cut fruit.

         As Thalon ate, he sipped from a glass of water, occasionally lifting his gaze to witness Faeya’s assault on Meat Mountain.

         He watched as she filled a large glass with red liquid from a pitcher. Thalon hastily swallowed his mouthful of food before speaking.

         “That’s wine, you know.” But Faeya paid him no mind, gulping the stuff like water. She hastily wiped a sleeve across her face as a bit of the drink dripped down her chin, then refilled her glass and took another swig.

         As the four finished up their meals, Thalon clasped his hands behind his head and turned to his father.

         “That’s all you’re having?” the prince asked.

         “Yulius and I have the right idea,” Thundell replied, “Most of this food is too heavy for breakfast.” He glanced not too subtlety at Faeya, whose plate had been reduced to a pile of bones.

         “So, Miss Faeya,” Thundell continued slyly, “What did you and my son do in the bedroom yesterday?”

         Faeya’s head shot up as if noticing the Emperor for the first time.

         “S-Sleep,” she squeaked. Her face reddened then, before she hastily continued. “I mean, we talked. And then I slept. Alone. He slept somewhere else.” Faeya then stared off at a blank spot on the wall.

         Thalon was always amazed at how easily his father put people off balance, an ability that he had replicated with only moderate success. Even so, Faeya’s unusually nervous reaction went beyond simple discomfort. She was afraid.

         “Ah, so you kicked him out then?” Thundell teased. “Wait,” he said in mock surprise, “Thalon, don’t tell me you haven’t yet attempted to woo this fine young lady?”

         “Don’t be ridiculous, old man,” Thalon replied, brushing aside the notion.

         Thundell and Yulius exchanged secretive smiles, and suspicion clenched at Thalon’s gut. Even in jest, the Emperor rarely spoke out without reason. What does he know? Is he trying to say something about Faeya? Thalon also recalled his suspicion regarding Faeya’s appearance yesterday. Did she really travel all this way just to speak to me? Or did Father summon her? For what purpose?

         As the questions flashed through Thalon’s mind like lightning, Thundell stood up.

         “As much as I’d like to stay and chat, there is important work to be done today. Excuse me.” Thundell strode off, but turned when he reached the door. “Oh, and safe travels you two,” he winked.

         What the hell…

         Glancing at the table a moment later, Thalon noticed that most of the food was untouched, and he stood up to address the servants.

         “Thank you all for your hard work, the food was wonderful. Please help yourselves to what’s left.

         The numerous servants bowed in response. Yulius smiled.

         “That’s very generous of you Thalon.”

         The prince shrugged. He didn’t think it was, it only made sense not to waste such good food.

         He left the room then, motioning for Faeya to follow.

         “I need a bath,” she said.

         Thalon nodded.

         “Certainly, I’ll have the servants prepare some clean clothes for you as well.”

         Faeya looked down at herself then, noticing the food stains on her white button-down shirt.

         “That would be nice.”



         Some time later. Faeya emerged from her bath, carrying a fresh aroma and wearing a clean grey shirt and pants.

         As Faeya stepped out into the brightly lit room, Thalon rose from his seat to greet her.

         “Alright! Now, since we won’t be travelling today, I was thinking I should show you around town. There are countless sites to visit. I could show you some of my favourite taverns and restaurants, or we could see a show. If you prefer, the city also has several museums, art, history, whatever you like.”

         Faeya merely stared at him.

         “Ah…” Thalon began, trying to keep his rhythm, “Oh! You should see Thorville at night Faeya, the lights of the city outshine the stars themselves!” he said with wonderment.

         Faeya sniffed, then shook her head wildly, freeing a few drops of water from her still damp hair.

         “No thanks,” she said, “Although, if you have a library around here, that would be nice.”

         Thalon suppressed a sigh to hide his disappointment.

         “We have one here in the palace, let me show you.”



         Once they reached the library Faeya immediately activated the search console, tapping away at glowing keys and scanning the blue screen until she located a particular book, then rushing up a staircase to grab a heavy tome from the shelves at the far end of the library. Finally, Faeya slapped the book down on a table, hunching over in a wooden chair and burying herself in the words.

         In contrast, Thalon meandered about for many minutes, not sure if he even wanted to read anything at the moment, and finally settled on a book detailing the key features of Zendara.

         Sitting down across from Faeya, Thalon began to read. Most of the introduction covered things Thalon already knew. He had first heard  of Zendara due to its close proximity to Shirestone; the small mountainous kingdom was famous for its monopoly on I-gems, magical blue crystals that were a key component in many of the world’s technological devices.

         The gems powered everything from simple archiving mechanism like the library console, to navigational tools, and -more recently- complex machines.

         As Shirestone’s close neighbour, Zendara was a central hub of several key trade routes. Besides being the location of the Scrollmasters Guild’s main headquarters, Zendara was also home to the most intact ruins on the entire western continent. While most of the colossal floating structures had been demolished by the super weapons of ancient humans, the Auzjere city of Cthun had remained relatively unscathed.

         Interesting stuff, Thalon thought. But it wasn’t exactly engrossing.

         He looked over at Faeya just as she turned another page. Sitting up in his chair, Thalon noted that she was reading an ancient tome written in pure Auzjere script.

         The more commonly used Runic writing broke the flowing script down into individual characters that could be easily read. Of this pure script however, Thalon could barely decipher individual letters, let alone an entire sentence, and it didn’t help that he was reading upside down.

         He half stood up in his chair, leaning over  the table to get a better look. Thalon squinted as he slowly mouthed the words.

         CZTS D SOLS SECARE SANGUIS.

         Shards of light to cut the blood? Thalon knew the translation wasn’t exact, but close enough he figured.

         Faeya cleared her throat and glared at Thalon, who’s shadow was obscuring her vision.

         “Oh, sorry,” he leaned back in his chair, gazing up at the ceiling.

         Thalon gradually lost track of time, he tried to get back into his book, but ended up simply staring into space, following whatever random train of thought that crossed his mind.

         Faeya yawned loudly, followed by the sound of the book slamming shut.

         “Finished?” Thalon asked.

         “For now, although I’d like to take it with me,” said Faeya.

         “If you want to finish it later that’s fine, but you’re not leaving the palace with it.”

         “I’ll pay for it of course, we don’t have this one back at the Guild. Could you let me speak with your librarian?”

         Thalon shrugged, and led the way back to the front of the library. He called towards a door just behind the front desk, and the librarian scurried out a moment later.

         Faeya leapt into a heated discussion with the shorter, older woman. The Imperial library was already very well funded, and apparently this was a very rare book they were dealing with. It was several minutes before the librarian grudgingly accepted Faeya’s offer -likely an outrageous sum- and wrote out a receipt.

         Thalon had tuned himself out of the whole exchange, then Faeya pinched his elbow to grab his attention. She was smiling as she held the heavy tome in her hand, and Thalon asked her about it as they walked out of the library.

         “What’s so special about that book?”

         Faeya stepped ahead of him then, turning around and holding the book out so Thalon could see the dark brown cover.

         “Can you read that?” she asked.

         Taking a moment to decipher and translate the strange script, Thalon spoke.

         “The Truth Within the Stone?”

         “Not quite… It’s: “Inner Purity of The Heart,” one of the books that were stolen by Nemesis when he attacked the Guild. It’s an Auzjere study of the Heart of Magnus, using tools that are no longer available to us.”

         “I see.”

         Faeya grunted at his lack of enthusiasm before turning to continue. Seeing a familiar door a few moments later, Thalon realized that Faeya had led them back towards his chambers.

         “Going to grab your coat?” he asked hopefully.

         “No, I’m going to sleep,” she said, stepping into the central room. She turned the latch on the bedroom door to the left, before glancing back at Thalon. “Good night.”

         “It’s half past two!”

         Faeya shrugged as she stepped into the bedroom, gently closing the door behind her.

         Thalon sighed, then walked through the door directly across from the entrance to his chambers. A light breeze brushed against his face as he walked out onto the balcony, and Thalon noted that the sky was clear and blue.

         He rushed up to the tip of the balcony, leaning over to get a clear look at the southern horizon. Sure enough, the mass of dark clouds could be seen there, having missed the city completely, just as Faeya had suggested.

         “Seems I don’t know as much about thunderstorms as I thought,” Thalon said to himself. Or perhaps it had much more to do with the driving winds than the nature of the storm itself.

         Thalon considered how he should spend the day. He didn't feel like going out by himself, but he supposed his father could use a hand with some work.

         As it turned out, there was plenty to do indeed.  He busied himself signing documents, accepting or denying written requests for goods and services from neighbouring countries, and copying down reports to be stored in the Imperial Archives.

         It wasn't exciting work, but Thalon wasn't unused to it and it did well to pass the time.



         After many hours of hard work, Thalon returned to his chambers. He peeked into the bedroom to see Faeya still sleeping. Not wanting to disturb her, he stepped outside to stand at his familiar spot, although it was quite dark out now.

         Hearing a noise behind him, Thalon turned to see Faeya shuffle out onto the balcony. Weary eyes peered out from her damp face -which had been hastily washed- her hair was a tangled mess and sweat drenched clothing clung to her skin.

         “Sleep well?” Thalon asked without thinking.

         “Terrible,” she groaned.

         Thalon laughed.

         “Not surprising considering the way you eat.”

         Faeya slowly swung her feet over the stone railing, sitting there and taking in the view.

         “Brighter than the stars themselves,” she breathed.

         And it was true, above them a half-moon shone brightly, and a few stars could still be seen, but these paled in comparison to the scene below.

         Bright yellow street lamps and glowing blue windows threw light far up into the air so that the whole place glowed in a multi-hued aura. The various mirrored surfaces and faceted minerals that comprised the cities great crystalline towers could be disorienting and chaotic during the day, but at night they all came together in a grand spectacle that gave Thorville it’s title:

         Jewel of the Empire.

         All of those reflecting and refracting surfaces scattered the already dazzling glow into a million twinkling points of rainbow lightning, like a miniature galaxy.

         “It’s beautiful,” Faeya said.

         The two exchanged glances -smiling- before returning to watch the lights sparkle away.

         “Achoo!” Faeya sneezed.

         “Let me grab your coat,” Thalon offered.

         “No, I can get it.” And she did, going inside then returning a moment later wearing her wide brimmed white hat and black trench coat. She walked up to stand beside Thalon then, hugging the thick fabric tightly around herself.

         Many moments passed before Thalon stretched out and let out a yawn.

         “I’m gonna catch some shut-eye, you coming in?”

         “No, I think I’ll stay out here a while longer.”

         “Suit yourself,” Thalon said, leaving Faeya alone on the balcony.

         As she stood there, hugging herself, Faeya tried very hard to clear her mind, engraving every detail of this night-time view into her memory.

         For while she was still young, Faeya had seen many things in her lifetime, and had learned to savour these peaceful moments.

         A great many things she had desperately tried to forget.

         They were truly horrible indeed.

*          *          *

THE next morning, Thalon peeked into the bedroom, expecting to find Faeya there. The sheets were rumpled and Faeya was nowhere to be seen however. Back in the main room, Thalon grew irritated when he saw Faeya’s boots still standing on a rack by the door. She had told him that they would leave at first light today, and it had already been at least two hours since then.

         No more delays, Thalon told himself.

         He looked through the windows then, spotting a dark bundle amongst the shadows on the balcony.

         Thalon strode out the doors, and sure enough, there was Faeya. She was curled up on the floor, knees pulled up to her chest, her black hair splayed out across the stone tiles, and her wide-brimmed white hat covering her face. Sleeping soundly it seemed.

         No, not soundly, Thalon realized as Faeya shifted. She kicked one leg out, twisting wildly as her hands twitched and she mumbled something. The motion caused Faeya’s hat to half fall off of her head, so that Thalon could clearly see her face.

         She had been crying in her sleep.

         “Faeya?” Thalon called, gently at first, then louder, “Faeya.”

         The woman didn’t respond, still trapped in her restless slumber, so Thalon walked over, stooping down beside her, and shaking her by the shoulder. She twitched, but didn’t wake, so Thalon shook her again and she lashed out an arm in response. He was faster though, catching Faeya’s wrist, then shoving his other hand into her armpit and roughly hoisting her to her feet.

         She fought him wildly then, arm slapping away at him and feet skidding on the ground as she leaned back, using her weight to try and pull herself away from him. The commotion sent her hat tumbling to the ground, her black hair obscuring her face as she shook her head wildly from side to side. Faeya’s free hand sailed towards Thalon’s face, but he caught it, pulling her closer to him. Her whole body trembled as she struggled with all of her might to try to push away from him, Thalon could hear what she had been mumbling then.

         “No. Stop. No, no, no no no. No!”

         “Faeya!” Thalon shouted.

         The woman’s face shot up at him, eyes wide as she suddenly went still.

         Thalon let go of her and Faeya nearly stumbled to the floor.

         “What the hell is your problem!” she screamed hoarsely.

         “We were supposed to leave two hours ago, take a look around!” Thalon shot back.

         And she did look around then, glancing out over the city, which was now a mere glimmer in the early morning light, compared to the dazzling display of the previous night. She spun back to Thalon then.

         “Well, I uh…” Faeya trailed off, head drooping as she swayed.

         Thalon rushed forward to steady her, and Faeya looked up then, smiling faintly as she saw the concern on his face.

         “Don’t worry about me Thalon, I’ll be fine, I’m just-”

         “I was just worried that you’d caught cold and were going to delay our journey even further,” Thalon interrupted, taking his hands off of her shoulders.

         Faeya scowled in response, and as Thalon studied her tear streaked face he realized something.

         She’s weak, he thought. He recalled the previous day, how Nemesis no longer considered her a threat, and how much she feared the Emperor. She’s weak, so she needs someone strong. That’s why she came to me. Well, it’s only natural that the strong should lead.

         “Get ready, quickly, and we’ll be on our way,” said Thalon.

         “No need for that. Since you’re so eager to get going, we can leave right away.”  She tried to move around him, but Thalon moved to intercept her, wrinkling his nose.

         “You stink.”

         “Well, you’ll just have to keep your distance then,” Faeya snapped, sweeping up her hat and heading inside.

         Despite those words, Faeya did head to the bathroom though, washing her hair and changing into her old clothes -which had been washed the previous day- before slipping into her knee high leather boots.

         Thalon himself, deciding to heed his father’s advice, did not wear his distinctive black plate armour openly. Instead he wore a loose black shirt with a brown vest, and thick traveling pants to match. His large round shield was strapped to his back -the gold plating disguising the black tantagium beneath-, with the Sword of Thunder mostly hidden beneath it, the dark grey bands of the hilt with it’s cut yellow pommel stone peeking out over his shoulder, and the black tip of the scabbard showing near his hip, it’s distinctive silver tracings hidden by the shield.

         Thalon slung  a bag of supplies over his shoulder, while Faeya slipped a couple of water bottles into a holster on the belt of her coat, and slid the precious book into an inside pocket.

         When Faeya was ready, Thalon merely glanced at her coolly, then walked out the door and into the hallway. After a moment, Faeya followed.

         Swiftly navigating the long, winding corridors, the two soon descended down to the courtyard. There were large stables to either side, and to his left, Thalon could see the round eyes of a huge, long-legged bird, poking over the top of one stall. Icharamdo’s were much faster than any other mount widely available, but their limited endurance and specialized diets meant that they weren’t ideal for long distance travel. Instead, Thalon lead them to his right, where the horses were stabled.

         Yulius was already waiting for them there. He bowed.

         “Good morning Prince Thalon, and you, Miss Faeya. I’ve already prepared your mounts, and their saddle bags have been filled with supplies for your trip,” he said.

         “Thank you Yulius,” said Thalon. He wasted no time then, running, then jumping up onto his black stallion. As soon as Faeya had carefully lifted herself up onto her brown mare, Thalon urged his horse into a steady gallop, picking up speed as he raced through the gates.

         “Thalon, wait!” Faeya called. “Thalon!”

         But he was already out of sight, and Faeya had no choice but to rush after him.

         Fortunately, the main road leading away from Thorville Castle also cut a clear path to the city gates, so Faeya had no trouble spotting Thalon once she was on the road. There were still many people on the road at this early hour however, so she had to slow down every so often to swerve around meandering wagons, or stop as a portable shop rolled across her path. The roads were a bit clearer once they left the city though, so Faeya urged her horse on to full speed, chasing after the dark figure as the road snaked it‘s way across the golden plains. It was many moments before she caught up to Thalon, and Faeya slowed to match his pace.

         “Hey!” she called.

         Thalon didn’t even acknowledge her presence, other than to speed up.

         “Idiot,” Faeya cursed under her breath. But as she continued to watch Thalon speed ahead, a dangerous grin crossed her features.

         So, it’s a race then, she thought.

         Faeya leaned forward against her mount then, kicking in her heels. The mare followed suit, charging with head down and neck outstretched. Hooves thudded against the paved road loudly, but that sound was soon drowned out by the roaring of the wind, Faeya’s coat flapping wildly in the air. The wind broke before them then, propelling them forward, and they seemed to fly across the ground, catching up to the impatient prince in an instant.

         She rode up close on his right, then reached out with her left hand, grabbing Thalon’s reigns and pulling on them roughly. The well trained stallion quickly slowed to a stop.

         As they sat there, side by side, Thalon glared at Faeya. He looked about ready to start a shouting match, but Faeya was quicker.

         “Where exactly do you think you’re going?” she asked, her voice steady.

         Thalon regarded her for a moment, regaining his composure before responding.

         “This road takes us directly to Zendara, and you said yourself that we’re headed to Zendara. So. Let’s go?” He shifted as if to start moving again, but Faeya reached over and grabbed his hand, forcing his attention to her. Thalon glanced at the back of her hand on his -the Auzjere symbol for blood traced in bold black lines there- then up into Faeya’s calm black eyes.

         I was foolish to judge her so quickly, Thalon berated himself. He couldn’t deny the strength behind the woman’s gaze, yet he had brushed it off as bravado after witnessing her in a moment of vulnerability. Her distress had unsettled him, and he hadn’t known how to react other than to shout at her. She must have her reasons, he suspected, and he couldn’t hope to understand those reasons after knowing Faeya for only a short time. She had watched as Nemesis had killed her parents, Experimented on them,  and while Thalon could understand that feeling of loss -and eventually, of vengeance- he didn’t understand how traumatizing such an experience would’ve been on a young girl.

         Thalon sighed.

         “I’m sorry Faeya, I don’t know what came over me.”

         Faeya smiled warmly.

         “Well now that you’re not rushing off into oblivion, I can explain what route we’re going to take.” She released Thalon’s hand then, pulling out an engraved I-Gem which generated the blue hovering image of the continental map before them. She began tracing out their path, Thalon nodding along with her explanation.

         “You see, all the main roads funnel out over here,” she said, jabbing a finger at a mountain pass on the projection, “…at Goron’s Pass, which exits on the far western side of Zendara. That would force us to circle around the highlands, because where we really want to go is here: the Guild headquarters in the far east. These smaller roads here, should take us to my place by nightfall the day after tomorrow, and there are a few towns along the way where we can restock if necessary.”

         “Yulius packed us enough food to last a week, so I doubt we’ll need to,” said Thalon.

         “Excellent. Well, let’s be on our way then.” Faeya turned her horse around and Thalon followed her closely. After a bit of backtracking, they turned off onto a dirt path, and within an hour of riding that path led them out to a worn cobblestone road that shot southward, towards some hills and sparse woodland. They passed a few travelers on the way, and had to step off the narrow road to allow a merchant caravan to pass by them -travelling to Thorville to sell their wares- but otherwise, the road was relatively clear and they made good time that day.

         Thalon had never travelled out this way before, and was surprised to see how vast stretches of the Thunder Plains had been converted into fertile farmland, spreading out in a wide web far away from the city.

         As night descended upon them, Thalon pointed towards the lights of a nearby farmhouse.

         “We can stay over there,” he said.

         Faeya narrowed her eyes incredulously.

         “Don’t people live there though?”

         “Yes, but we’re still within the Empire, they would not deny my request,” Thalon shrugged.

         “I’d rather leave them be.”

         “Well, it won’t be cold out tonight so I suppose we could sleep outside if you prefer.”

         Faeya nodded, so they looked around for a suitable campsite, locating an old fire pit near some trees not too far off the road. They hopped off of their mounts, tying the horses to those trees, and ensuring that they were properly fed and watered. Thalon heaped the pit high with branches and leaves -most of it very poor fire material- then brought out an egg-shaped grey stone with a single rune inscribed on one face. He blew across that stone gently, and wherever he breathed the stone turned red, fading away at the edges as if he were blowing on a pane of glass. Thalon persisted however, and soon the stone was pure red, glowing with heat as he tossed it into the fire pit. The green fuel Thalon had heaped into the pit, eventually dried out and ignited, and the two gathered around the warmth of the fire to eat their meals.

         As Thalon sat down, he felt a coldness at the seat of his pants, sitting back up shortly afterwards. Although it had been bright out all day, in the shade of the trees the ground was still damp from yesterdays’ storm. He rummaged through his pack, pulling out a light-coloured roll of waterproof material, and partially unrolled it to make himself a seat. Finally he sat down and began unwrapping one of the small parcels that Yulius had prepared for him. Although it wasn’t much, the food was delicious, and surprisingly filling. The two sat and ate in silence, and soon the moon rose and the sky darkened to a deep blue. Faeya stared off towards the north, and Thalon followed her gaze towards the lights of the city, which could still clearly be seen on the horizon.

         “The city always seems to have a strange effect on people,” Thalon mused.

         “What do you mean? It’s quite a memorable sight after all.”

         “Eh, I guess I’ve just gotten used to it.”

         Silence.

         Thalon considered asking Faeya to tell him more about herself, but as he pondered where to begin, he realized something. She hasn’t asked me anything about myself… How much does she already know? Or maybe she just doesn’t care.

         “So…” Thalon began.

         “I think we’d better get to sleep so we can continue our journey early tomorrow,” said Faeya crisply.

         “Right.”

         As Thalon pulled out  a cushioned bed roll and a sleeping bag, Faeya pulled a small dark-green object out of one of the saddle bags. She moved it close to her lips, whispering something, then tossed it onto the ground, some distance away from the fire. Thalon watched in surprise as the thing suddenly -and rapidly- expanded, making a sound like a balloon being swiftly inflated. It was a dome-shaped self assembling tent. He jumped up then, rushing over to the base of the tree where he’d placed his saddlebags.

         “What the hell, did I get one of those?” he exclaimed.

         Faeya smiled, and shook her head.

         “I doubt it, it’s one of the few things I brought with me on my way here. One of the many perks of being a member of the Scrollmasters Guild is easy access to little gadgets like these.” As Thalon stared on, Faeya peeled open the flap of the tent, untying and slipping out of her tall boots before she began to step inside. When she was halfway in, Thalon called to her.

         “Hey! Is there room in there for two?”

         “Barely.”

         “May I join you?”

         Faeya shot him a mischievous look.

         “Goodnight Thalon,” she said, before stepping inside and sealing the flap shut.

         Well, it was worth a shot… Thalon sighed, then began the business of un-strapping his shield and scabbard from his back, followed by his belt and boots, and finally slipping out of his vest and neatly setting it aside. He went through a brief bedtime routine of brushing his teeth and stretching his stiff muscles, then setting himself up a few feet from the fire. He supposed that at some point during their journey they would have to sleep in shifts, but the countryside was well tamed -especially this close to the capitol- by regular patrols that repelled or captured the highwaymen and bandits that plagued the roads of smaller nations, as well as slaying the roaming gruynt clans and other wild menaces.

         Thalon slipped into his sleeping bag and closed his eyes. There was a slight breeze, Thalon noted, but it was defeated by the warmth of the fire, and it wasn’t long before sleep found him.

*          *          *