Shadows 10.3
Sep. 16th, 2007 05:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
measured_wordsI know it has been a while... I actually have 10.4 mostly done, so it may be out by the end of the week!
“There are simply some secrets you are not qualified to keep, Zanne. Your knowledge is great, but it must remain second to mine.”
Hadyn narrowed his eyes in annoyance. “You’re old, master-teacher.” He fairly spat the last words.
“If I die, it will be left to others of the Quiet Sages to collect all I have learned, not you. Your knowledge is second *only* to my own . Live with that.”
Abe’s face was flat, but Hadyn had been around her long enough to know when he’d annoyed her. Well good. “We’ll see.”
She snorted. “Ingrateful beast. Gather your things and your creature. We will be traveling to your Northern city of Bellaboca.”
This was news – he’d heard that the cult’s army had sent out a large contingent from Trylith, and that it as headed south into Castoria. “What do you want there?”
“I wish to examine specimens from this cult. According to your faction, they will have infiltrated their target well in advance of their march.”
“I’ve already given you the information we collected on the Crimson Masks.”
“It is not for you to question me, Zanne. You will prepare to gate us to the city in an hour. Meet me in the courtyard.” With that she walked out of the lab, hardly sparing a glance for Teah, who crouched menacingly outside the doorway.
:Her powers would not protct her from my claws,: she thought as the aged Southern woman passed by. Teah twitched her tail in annoyance.
:I’m sure I have tricks of my own she wouldn’t dismiss so easily, if it came to that.:
:Then why do you allow her to treat you as an inferior?:
Hadyn bristled. ;Nothing’s changed since we came here, Teah. I’m still trapped.:
:Of course.: The great cat turned and slunk into the shadows. She was keeping her opinions to herself – fine. Hadyn knew he could count on her regardless. He retreated further into the lab. It wouldn’t take close to an hour to be ready to leave. He was tempted to check on the progress of his spell instead – the clone he’d planted beneath the city – but he didn’t want to attract Abe’s attention.
He collected a few reference texts and some of his personal notes, but there wasn’t much other material he would need that he didn’t already have ready to leave at a moment’s notice. Even after the months he’d spend in the south, the impulse remained. Teah might fear he was growing complacent in this role, but she was wrong. More and more, the tight reign of Abe’s control chaffed. He felt trapped, and unproductive. She wasn’t teaching him enough to merit his complacency, either. He’d more than fulfilled his obligations to the Quiet Sages. He’d received a letter just recently from Ishitaka, talking about the discoveries they’d made in the Dwarven tunnels.
This expedition, he decided, would be telling. If Abe were as closed-mouthed as ever, he would call her on her treachery. If nothing else, he could unmask her hypocrisy to the rest of her scholarly brotherhood. He wondered if they would care. On a more personal level, it would be reassuring to know for certain whether she was a real enemy or only a stubborn and curmudgeonly old hag.
Less than an hour later, he was waiting outside in the courtyard watching the koi with Teah resting quietly by his side. She perked her ears as Abe approached. The southern woman was dressed for travel with a staff of her own and a small pack. Many of the objects she carried on her person gave off a magical aura – Hadyn had cast a detection spell in anticipation of her arrival. She never explained or even revealed her inventory, but they all held the same strange aura. It was not from any of the major magical schools Hadyn was familiar with. He’d studied it some, as the curse effect that she’d almost ruined his hand with carried the same aura under close scrutiny. He wasn’t confident that he was making any progress unraveling that particular mystery. It was closer to the divine magic he was familiar with on Keth than anything arcane, but with an alien flavour. Some of the Southern shrines he’d visited held some traces, but he’d rarely seen it cast.
Once she’d ascertained that he was ready to leave, Abe had Hadyn lead the way out of the city through one of the upper gates. He imagined that she was using even this as a test, perhaps of his familiarity with the city. Despite her age and small stature, he barely had to slacken his usual traveling pace for her to keep up. Once through the gates, however, she stopped him, and hired a carriage to carry them the rest of the way to the teleport sink. Teah followed on her own, keeping off the roads and away from nervous road patrols.
Hadyn had never traveled to Bellaboca proper. By the time he’d come that far south, Gordon and Walter had joined their small band, and they were avoiding the major population centers. He knew the high accuracy teleportation spells, but didn’t have them prepared that day. The sink outside the Castorian capital, however, should be strong enough to drawn them in as long as his aim was fairly close. He’d looked over Abe’s maps just I case, and traveling from sink to sink afforded extra assurances of arriving at the intended destination.
The exit procedures were much more lax than those required upon arrival at Shiroeki, and they passed through quickly despite the usual anxious glances that Teah garnered. Valentine had once suggested that he might consider leashing her whenever she needed to accompany them through public spaces. Teach herself had quickly let the Elf know just what she thought of his suggestion.
Abe provided he gem, and Hadyn cast his spell. A few disorienting moments later, they were standing in a small, though still impressive, structure. There was salt in the air here – Bellaboca was another port city. Though it was fresh ground for Hadyn, Sterling’s company had trade partners here. They passed through the entrance procedures, notably different and somewhat less bureaucratic than those at Shiroeki. Abe let Hadyn handle them all. That they were scholars from the South here to do research inside the city was apparently a good enough story for the bored-looking duty sergeant. Teah was on her best behaviour, but even so the Sergeant made a special note. Hadyn was displeased at being tracked this way – he was still a target for the cult, who no doubt had information on his familiar. On the other hand, it would surely be easier to discover their agents in the city if hey came to him.
Once through the sink’s gates, the pair made their way into the city to find accommodations. They settled on two adjoining rooms at the Silver Elk – a fancier place than Hadyn would have chosen for himself under normal circumstances, but Abe insisted that her age and experience were due a little luxury. Hadyn wondered what the staff would think when they were returning from their research trips, covered in sewer muck. He also wondered about the possibility of facing the cut in the wood paneled foyer, surrounded by rich tapestries depicting various hunting scenes…. In the end, it wasn’t his problem. He had his own matters to attend to, both to ensure his security, and to prepare for the coming investigation.
“There are simply some secrets you are not qualified to keep, Zanne. Your knowledge is great, but it must remain second to mine.”
Hadyn narrowed his eyes in annoyance. “You’re old, master-teacher.” He fairly spat the last words.
“If I die, it will be left to others of the Quiet Sages to collect all I have learned, not you. Your knowledge is second *only* to my own . Live with that.”
Abe’s face was flat, but Hadyn had been around her long enough to know when he’d annoyed her. Well good. “We’ll see.”
She snorted. “Ingrateful beast. Gather your things and your creature. We will be traveling to your Northern city of Bellaboca.”
This was news – he’d heard that the cult’s army had sent out a large contingent from Trylith, and that it as headed south into Castoria. “What do you want there?”
“I wish to examine specimens from this cult. According to your faction, they will have infiltrated their target well in advance of their march.”
“I’ve already given you the information we collected on the Crimson Masks.”
“It is not for you to question me, Zanne. You will prepare to gate us to the city in an hour. Meet me in the courtyard.” With that she walked out of the lab, hardly sparing a glance for Teah, who crouched menacingly outside the doorway.
:Her powers would not protct her from my claws,: she thought as the aged Southern woman passed by. Teah twitched her tail in annoyance.
:I’m sure I have tricks of my own she wouldn’t dismiss so easily, if it came to that.:
:Then why do you allow her to treat you as an inferior?:
Hadyn bristled. ;Nothing’s changed since we came here, Teah. I’m still trapped.:
:Of course.: The great cat turned and slunk into the shadows. She was keeping her opinions to herself – fine. Hadyn knew he could count on her regardless. He retreated further into the lab. It wouldn’t take close to an hour to be ready to leave. He was tempted to check on the progress of his spell instead – the clone he’d planted beneath the city – but he didn’t want to attract Abe’s attention.
He collected a few reference texts and some of his personal notes, but there wasn’t much other material he would need that he didn’t already have ready to leave at a moment’s notice. Even after the months he’d spend in the south, the impulse remained. Teah might fear he was growing complacent in this role, but she was wrong. More and more, the tight reign of Abe’s control chaffed. He felt trapped, and unproductive. She wasn’t teaching him enough to merit his complacency, either. He’d more than fulfilled his obligations to the Quiet Sages. He’d received a letter just recently from Ishitaka, talking about the discoveries they’d made in the Dwarven tunnels.
This expedition, he decided, would be telling. If Abe were as closed-mouthed as ever, he would call her on her treachery. If nothing else, he could unmask her hypocrisy to the rest of her scholarly brotherhood. He wondered if they would care. On a more personal level, it would be reassuring to know for certain whether she was a real enemy or only a stubborn and curmudgeonly old hag.
Less than an hour later, he was waiting outside in the courtyard watching the koi with Teah resting quietly by his side. She perked her ears as Abe approached. The southern woman was dressed for travel with a staff of her own and a small pack. Many of the objects she carried on her person gave off a magical aura – Hadyn had cast a detection spell in anticipation of her arrival. She never explained or even revealed her inventory, but they all held the same strange aura. It was not from any of the major magical schools Hadyn was familiar with. He’d studied it some, as the curse effect that she’d almost ruined his hand with carried the same aura under close scrutiny. He wasn’t confident that he was making any progress unraveling that particular mystery. It was closer to the divine magic he was familiar with on Keth than anything arcane, but with an alien flavour. Some of the Southern shrines he’d visited held some traces, but he’d rarely seen it cast.
Once she’d ascertained that he was ready to leave, Abe had Hadyn lead the way out of the city through one of the upper gates. He imagined that she was using even this as a test, perhaps of his familiarity with the city. Despite her age and small stature, he barely had to slacken his usual traveling pace for her to keep up. Once through the gates, however, she stopped him, and hired a carriage to carry them the rest of the way to the teleport sink. Teah followed on her own, keeping off the roads and away from nervous road patrols.
Hadyn had never traveled to Bellaboca proper. By the time he’d come that far south, Gordon and Walter had joined their small band, and they were avoiding the major population centers. He knew the high accuracy teleportation spells, but didn’t have them prepared that day. The sink outside the Castorian capital, however, should be strong enough to drawn them in as long as his aim was fairly close. He’d looked over Abe’s maps just I case, and traveling from sink to sink afforded extra assurances of arriving at the intended destination.
The exit procedures were much more lax than those required upon arrival at Shiroeki, and they passed through quickly despite the usual anxious glances that Teah garnered. Valentine had once suggested that he might consider leashing her whenever she needed to accompany them through public spaces. Teach herself had quickly let the Elf know just what she thought of his suggestion.
Abe provided he gem, and Hadyn cast his spell. A few disorienting moments later, they were standing in a small, though still impressive, structure. There was salt in the air here – Bellaboca was another port city. Though it was fresh ground for Hadyn, Sterling’s company had trade partners here. They passed through the entrance procedures, notably different and somewhat less bureaucratic than those at Shiroeki. Abe let Hadyn handle them all. That they were scholars from the South here to do research inside the city was apparently a good enough story for the bored-looking duty sergeant. Teah was on her best behaviour, but even so the Sergeant made a special note. Hadyn was displeased at being tracked this way – he was still a target for the cult, who no doubt had information on his familiar. On the other hand, it would surely be easier to discover their agents in the city if hey came to him.
Once through the sink’s gates, the pair made their way into the city to find accommodations. They settled on two adjoining rooms at the Silver Elk – a fancier place than Hadyn would have chosen for himself under normal circumstances, but Abe insisted that her age and experience were due a little luxury. Hadyn wondered what the staff would think when they were returning from their research trips, covered in sewer muck. He also wondered about the possibility of facing the cut in the wood paneled foyer, surrounded by rich tapestries depicting various hunting scenes…. In the end, it wasn’t his problem. He had his own matters to attend to, both to ensure his security, and to prepare for the coming investigation.
