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  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Stargazers

  Bram avoided a frontation with the manse’s guards by promising to pay for the broken gate, and with a hefty bag of griffins, earry into the house as guests instead of prisoners. From the expansive main hall that looked as shabby as its exterior—the trappings of once-great fortune in dee—the party was ushered into a dusty sitting room where they waited for a representative to meet with them.

  “The tea’s quite good.” Having pulled off her hood, Rowan now enjoyed another sip of the tea a servant had brought into the sitting room. “Oh, do sit down, My Prince. Fretting about won’t hasten our host’s arrival.”

  As usual, waiting was a challenge for Bram, who, like Hajime, ag around in the room. Though, unlike Hajime, who, along with Bridget, marveled at every sorcerous bauble they discovered, Bram’s attention remained fixed on the closed door.

  “I’ll see what’s keeping them,” he proposed.

  “Or”—Roatted the seat o hers, with bits of dust flying at her touch—“you could sit and enjoy the tea whilst we wait.”

  Bram sighed, though he gave in and sat o her.

  Funnily enough, the door to the sitting room opened as soon as the prince chose to quiet his impatience. A nky, pale-faced, blue-eyed man with -length dark blue hair—the racial trait of a Shamvan—who wore an embroidered silk robe of varying green tones appeared through the open doorway.

  “I apologize for the wait,” he said in a quiet, genial tohat carried no hint of a Shamvan’s highnd at. “I thought I might dress appropriately first since we have such important guests visiting.”

  Strangely, the Shamvan’s face—the long-hooked nose over the lips that were painted blue, the high cheekbones, and the narrow —was a face that Bram thought familiar. It took him a sed loo realize that this sorcerer who’d ehe room had been the same servant who’d brought them tea earlier. Undoubtedly, he had also been the guard whose long-fingered hands received the bag of griffins Bram had bribed the with.

  I see I’m not the only one adept at disguises…

  “You up nicely,” Rowan said iing.

  She too had noticed the Shamvan’s identity.

  “And you’re even more beautiful than the rumors cim, Lady Rowan,” he replied.

  It seemed this Shamvan was also practiced in intrigue.

  “I am Ravi Samal, Vice Master of the of Stargazers.” The Shamvan introduced himself with a bow to Bram, showing he indeed knew who had e to call on him.

  “Do vice masters usually serve tea to guests?” Rowan asked.

  “Sadly, you’ve visited at a time when many of my have gone off on an expedition. I do what I while I mind the house.” He fshed Rowan with a pleasant smile. Ourned on Bram . “Despite being uaffed, those who remain are capable sorcerers who provide excellent services to our new governor… So, how we help?”

  Though the prince was certain Ravi Samal was hiding something behind his smile, he didn’t dislike this obvious attempt to show off one’s ability in information gathering. And so, looking more favorably at their host, Bram said, “We’ve e tain.”

  “Oh?” One of Ravi’s painted blue eyebrows hitched upward. “What sort of bargain?”

  The prince was gd that the Shamvan seemed ied. Had he shown the slightest hesitation, Bram would have left without sharing his proposal because he couldn’t risk revealing the great uaking to potential enemies.

  “It’s well-known that the of Stargazers are talented summoners.” Bram started things off with a bit of fttery. “Lotharin needs your ’s talents now so we might rise from years of fetid waters to touch the sky.”

  “Lotharin,” Ravi repeated as if he thought the prince’s choice of words was iing.

  This was Bram’s i. Within that one speech, he revealed his great ambition while also setting himself as the people’s representative.

  A sheepish smile fshed on Ravi’s face. “Five me for saying so, Yhness, but the people don’t know their new governor…and those that do—”

  “Think very little of me.” Bram fihe Shamvan’s thought. “I’m aware.”

  He made a show of gng around the room, his gaze pausing at the obvious signs of dee around them.

  “I hear the people of Bellen hold you in the same regard these days,” Bram said provokingly.

  Thanks to Ser Anthony’s report, Bram had e to Bellen knowing that the Stargazers were the least reized among the walled city’s three s. It wasn’t always so, but something had happeo their in the past year to influeheir dee to the point that its vice master handled even the menial task of servio guests.

  “How long has it been since you received a ission from the city lord?” Bram asked.

  “Not in a long while, sidering the state of this abode,” Rowan weighed in.

  Ravi frowned. “Your point?”

  Bram didn’t mean to offend, but discussing the ’s dee was his way of sweetening the bait he was about to dangle under Ravi’s nose.

  “e under me, and I won’t just ission you for simple magic tricks… I’ll give you wealth, honor, prestige…and even a worthy purpose,” he proposed.

  Ravi’s eyes widened slightly. “You…want to sponsor us?”

  “More than simply sp you, we would like to put you to work on a great uaking,” Rowan crified.

  Bram could picture the cogs turning ihe Shamvan’s brain, and he wondered if Ravi would notice. Bram hoped he would. He’d brought such stelr examples of their product just to see if Ravi had suffit skill to detect their true nature.

  “You mentioned our summoning talents…” A pale blue light sparked in the depths of the Shamvan’s irises. This pair of glowing blue eyes flitted toward the faces of the three otherworlders behind Bram and Rowan. “I assume you mean them… Your panions aren’t from around here.”

  Rowan smiled. “He noticed it quickly… Impressive.”

  “Could other members of your easily dis the truth of my panions like you have?” he asked.

  “Thanks to ret trends, not many sorcerers practice the Summoning Arts,” Ravi expined in a disappoione. “Our is the only one in Lotharin, though not many of my brethren have the eyes to see what mine detect.”

  “What do you see?” Hajime asked curiously.

  “I see the distortions in your forms like flecks of stardust ging to your bodies. It’s the same effect that appears whenever we summon aal from another realm,” Ravi revealed, adding, “Though you seem to possess actual bodies instead of an astral form… Astounding.”

  Bram gnced sideways at Rowan just in time to see the smugness fsh on her expression.

  Ravi noticed too.

  He ined his head toward her in a sign of respect. “The rumors about you were downpyed, Lady Rowan.”

  “‘Tis a simple task”—Roced her empty teacup oable—“that I wouldn’t mind showing you should your decide to accept our proposal.”

  Learning rare and advanced sorcery was a great iive for any sorcerer, but Bram could still see the hesitation on Ravi’s face.

  “To be able to summon humans from another world…it’s an unpreted aplishment,” he admitted, though he sighed soon after. “But it’s also a crime with grim sequences…”

  Ravi bowed his head.

  “Apologies, Yhness,” he said. “I ot accept your offer of salvation at the risk of itting taboo…”

  Bram raised his hand. “That’s ly true.”

  “But it is,” Ravi insisted, further expining, “It’s explicitly stated iion Seven of Article Sixteen of the Sorcerous Codex, detailing the proper rites aions of the Summoning Arts… The summoning of living beings in their ey is expressly forbidden, for a plete being of mind, body, and soul may not be bound in tract with their summoo summon such existences risks bringing havoc to the world should such beings — demons, elementals, spirits, and the like — prove hostile to the people of Aarde.”

  “Then we’ve not broken the w of the Codex,” Bram insisted back.

  Rowan giggled.

  Ravi couldn’t help but look fused. “You didn’t summon these otherworlders?”

  “We did,” Bram admitted.

  “Then—”

  “But we never summohem in their ey… Only their souls were brought to Aarde,” Bram revealed.

  “Only their souls…” Ravi’s gaze drifted over to the otherworlders.

  All three of them waved back at him.

  Ravi’s brow creased. “But their bodies—”

  “Created through sorcery,” Rowan cut in—to which Bram added, “Right before they signed a tract with us.”

  “We couldn’t cause havoc without the prince’s say so… Not that we’d want to,” Bridget added.

  “Blessed Pals,” Ravi breathed.

  As if the revetion of these otherworlders caused him to feel lightheaded, the Shamvan was forced to sit on the couch opposite Bram’s and Rowan’s. It would be a while ter, after a full swig of the zesty tea, when he finally found his voice again.

  “I suppose you’d want us to move to Bastille,” he began.

  At st, the vice master seemed ready tain in ear.

  “There are too many eyes and ears at the capital. A nice house in the tryside might be better,” Bram answered, with Rowan adding, “Have you heard of a town called Reise?”

  “No,” Ravi admitted as he poured more tea for her.

  “You’ll like it.” She took back her teacup. “It has all the amenities one could need. Or it will soon enough.”

  Bram briefly expihat he would build new facilities in Reise to serve as the operatioer for their great uaking. This would include the rge summoning hall that was crucial to their pns.

  “Your lodgings shall have enough space to fit all your research materials, including the rge Stargazing Mirror I noticed on your roof,” Bram promised.

  “That would be appreciated…” Agaiation fshed on Ravi’s face. “You promised to give my wealth, honor, and prestige… I assume all of this will be tied to the new purpose you have in mind for us?”

  Bram noticed Rowan scratch the tip of her his was the sign they’d agreed upon beforehand to subtly expin that she could glean no disturban Ravi’s emotions that could suggest deceit. It would have beeer if she read his mind more accurately, but su act required casting a spell that an experienced sorcerer would most certainly notice.

  Still, Bram thought Ravi could be vinced. Not just because of Rowan’s lure of newfound power, but because he could see a glint of desire in the Shamvan’s eyes. Bram had seen such a look enough times among the favored courtiers of the Sn’s court to know its meaning.

  “We’ll need mas and minds to help Lotharin prosper.” The prince made a show of gng over his shoulder. “Hearts and minds that have yet to be tainted by the s of the Imperium.”

  Realization fshed on Ravi’s face.

  “You want to summon more otherworlders to Aarde…” His gaze drifted to the trickster who was sippiea. “…Much more than Lady Rowan alone could handle.”

  Bram nodded.

  Ravi gulped. “What will you do with such a rge force…?”

  Again, realization fshed on the Shamvan’s face.

  “The brewing flict with the north…you pn to use otherworlders against Rhynend,” he deduced.

  “flict may be the most immediate ,” Bram admitted, “but we also pn to use the knowledge of the other world to elevate the people’s quality of life.”

  “How?” Ravi asked.

  “Better roads, for one,” Bram answered quickly.

  The prince couldn’t help frowning while he recalled the Sn’s Road that they’d taken north to Bellen and pared its rough stoh to the paved gray roads of the gss city in his visions. He was determihat such roads be made in Lotharin.

  “Healing Arts more advahan the Imperium’s,” Bram added.

  Skepticism fshed on Ravi’s face.

  These days, the ‘Healing Arts’ was quite advanced. Sorcery that could restore even lost limbs, herbal medies to bat pgues, and even divies that stave off curses, the Sn’s court spared no expense in improving the quality of health of the Imperium’s citizens.

  “They have a cure for the malignance,” Bram revealed.

  Ravi’s eyes widened.

  Despite ret advas in the healing arts, malignance, like old age, was the ohing that could not be cured. The appearance of its tumors in a body was akin to a death senten Aarde. It was such a powerful curse that many s were dedicated solely to solving its ghastly riddle.

  “Is this true?” Ravi’s questioning gaze drifted to Chris who looked to be the most reliable of the trio.

  Chris nodded. “But it’ll still depend on what kind of cer y’all got and how far along it is.”

  He raised three fingers.

  “Anything uage three and it’s doable,” Chris expined, his brow creasing when he added, “Stage four’s terminal. At that point, it’s in the hands of the Almighty.”

  Excitement filled Ravi’s face. “What kind of sorcery does your world wield?”

  “We don’t use sorcery,” Hajime answered.

  One of Ravi’s painted blue eyebrows hitched upward. “Then how do you cure the vile malignance?”

  A long discussion about the sd teology of Earth ensued with the Shamvan enraptured by every word spilling from the otherworlders’ lips. At the end of their tale, it almost seemed to Bram that Ravi salivated at the prospect of introdug suovelties as toilet seat warmers, same-day delivery services, and carbonated beverages to Lotharin.

  “I’m more hopeful for ema,” Rowan remarked.

  “These are the moving pictures you discussed?” Ravi firmed.

  “We just call them movies,” Bridget answered.

  The thought of rec a celebrated py into a devid then sharing that rec with more people than could fit even the grand theaters of the Imperium’s capital seemed like su innovative idea to the three Aarders. More importantly, the wealth su industry could bring would certainly help Lotharin rise from its status of being the poorest of the twelve kingdoms and perhaps bee a ter of eai for the Imperium.

  “Imagine,” Bram raised his hands in the gesture of ‘air quotes’ Bridget had retly taught him, “the sorcery of the ema Arts.”

  “Su innovation would make the sonusgraph obsolete,” Ravi whispered.

  “What’s a sonusgraph?” Bridget asked.

  Ravi poio a bronze box sitting on a nearby desk. When the Shamvan snapped his fingers, the box popped open like a cloae revealing its inner ws. It was a bronze horn wheeling around itself, its open half rising to the top while its poiip slid down to the base of a broe. Mounted on that pte was a crystal der with grooves engraved on its surface.

  “This is a sonusgraph,” Ravi expined.

  The crystal der that was about the size of a soda began to rotate clockwise so that the horn’s poiip slid along the grooves etched on its surface. A slight trembling raced up the bronze horn. When that trembling reached the top, a song began to py.

  “Oh,” Bridget grinned in delight, “it’s like an old record pyer.”

  The song pying on the sonusgraph had a mournful melody that apanied a female bard singing of forlorn love and iy.

  “I love a good bald,” Bridget ented.

  Hajime frowned. “Isn’t this too sad, Bridget?”

  “The sadder the better,” she replied. “What’s it called?”

  “Loveless,” Bram answered.

  He’d sung this song himself a few times and could easily recall its tale; the nymph loved by a goddess who ter spurned her after she’d been raped by that goddess’ husband, anod who’d been jealous of his wife’s lover.

  From the er of his eye, Bram caught Rowan’s frown. He assumed this was because she hated being reminded of the gods’ transgressions against their children, a tragedy he guessed she’d experienced herself once upon a time.

  Ravi’s face turned ptive. “Loveless could make an iing story for one of your movies.”

  “Then you agree with us?” Bram asked.

  For the third time, he noticed hesitation fsh on Ravi’s face.

  “You’ve painted a picture of stars so dazzling that I would be a fool to refuse your offer, Yhness…” Ravi bowed sio Bram. “However, this isn’t a decision I make without the master’s approval.”

  From what he read in Ser Anthony’s report, the prinew this was impossible.

  “Your master…where is she?” Bram asked.

  The hand that held Ravi’s teacup shook slightly. “You know she’s missing…”

  Bram nodded.

  It was written in Ser Anthony’s report that the master of the Stargazers had been missing for nearly a year. Right around the time that the troubles of the Red Forest began.

  “How deep in the forest did your expedition go?” Bram pressed.

  Ravi sighed. “A month’s ride to the west, in an unexplored regiohe foot of the Vinnd Mountains.”

  Bram g Rowan. “Ring any bells?”

  “A few,” she ceded, “but I would have to go there to know for certain.”

  “Y-You want to go?” Ravi asked.

  The Shamvan couldn’t keep hope from showing on his face.

  “Should we mao find the members of your expedition…” Bram refrained from saying ‘rescue’ because he wasn’t certain anyone from their expedition would still be alive after all this time. “… I assume your will agree to serve me?”

  “A thousand yesses!” Ravi bowed his head once more. Lower this time. “If you bring them home, we will pledge ourselves to your cause.”

  ‘Ping!’

  Right ohe party’s first quest notification arrived.

  URGENT QUEST: Save the Master, Save the World!

  GD_Cruz