AO 4 Ch 26 (Patreon)

Chapter 26

Eva glanced back at the two bartering at the counter.

“That seems expensive. Are you sure we couldn’t do it for five?” Vivi twirled her blonde hair and the pretty merchant haggled as she leaned on the counter.

The shopkeeper had unfortunately left his son at the counter and the man couldn’t pull his eyes off Vivi. “Sure.”

“Great.” Vivi stopped leaning forward and bounced on her feet. “It’ll go on House Aldis, purchased by Ard. I’m Vivi and this is Ard’s anchor.” She pointed to Zuri.

The young man’s face fell as Vivi implied that she was Ard’s and all flirting disappeared from the merchant.

Eva couldn’t help but shake her head. This was the third person Vivi had gotten a good deal from just by being bubbly and a little enticing. Peasants were so interesting.

Before Uncle Valken had taken her from the palace, Eva had never stepped outside the Royal grounds. There were plenty of tutors and trainers. They had taken her to all the major cities and stood atop the walls to learn the layouts and the importances of many parts of the city.

Yet today was the first time she was down amongst a thriving city, and it was one of their hesitant ally’s cities.

After all, the Thyrendor Family had slaughtered her ancestors and driven the one surviving heir south with the noble houses that had wanted to stay with them.

Vivi grabbed her hands and pulled her along. “Stop brooding. Let’s keep shopping.”

“I have no idea how you have the energy to shop this much.” Eva said, letting herself be dragged along.

“Because it’s Ard’s money. I can’t let this chance pass me up. It’s rare to shop on someone else’s dime.” Vivi explained as if the concept were the most obvious thing in the world.

“You’re getting great deals though, even if it isn’t your money.” Eva pointed out.

“Haggling is fun. Some people enjoy strategy games of Keeps and Mages, I prefer haggling. Take the bed rolls. Let’s see. They are made of southern cotton, not the best but certainly not the worst. People like the central to central eastern cotton. The azureblooms sometimes tint it the faintest blue, and we know how Avente people love blue. Anyway, the cotton going into one of these is probably two silvers at best after it’s been spooled out and sheeted. One silver for the stuffing then another silver maybe for labor of assembly and another for earnings. Fiver silver is really the best price for a sleeping roll like this. Functional and well made, but not premium.”

Eva frowned at her. “Why aren’t you taking over your father’s business?”

The leggy blonde laughed. “I’m not great with the big numbers and the stuffy meetings.” She made a grouchy face and put her finger under nose while she talked like she was chewing on something. “This cigar is wonderful. Where’s it from? By the way, how do you feel about the deal?”

Eva laughed at her impression. “That doesn’t seem like you, it’s true.”

“I can’t sit still long enough to do those meetings. Instead, I flit around and offer refreshments, maybe learn a morsel or two. That and I’m seriously not great with the big numbers.” Vivi shrugged. She’d long made peace with not inheriting the business, at least not without help.

“You two ready for the next stop?” The dark skinned anchor finished signing a few documents.

Eva had realized that this anchor was the sharpest one among Ard’s group. The anchor had a tactical mind that didn’t let a single detail escape. Also, like Vivi, she had long thin legs.

Compared to the two of them, Eva felt tiny. She had started to feel small since she’d been traveling with Uncle Valken. Standing next to all of these different people, there weren’t many that were shorter than her.

Well, except for the children.

Eva was far from a child, but she was fairly petite compared to the rest of the women she’d crossed while out in the world.

It was interesting and she compared herself to people back home now, wondering if she stood near Zenovia people if she’d see the same comparison.

Even among the palace grounds, there was plenty of space and people gave a royal a wide berth.

“Yes, where to next?” Eva asked.

Zuri pulled out a piece of parchment that she’d scribbled on and talked to herself. “That one might be a little late in the day. We’ll pick up Ard’s coats. He’s pretty excited about them.”

“The manticore ones?” Vivi asked.

“The very same.” Zuri confirmed.

“He killed the manticore that they are made from, right?” Eva asked. It had been an interesting story.

“Oooh.” Vivi made a noise of appreciation. “Never seen one. But I’m told they are huge.”

“It was a whole nest. Three young and two adults.” Zuri added. “Though one wasn’t suitable for coats with how it was killed. Ard just wants to poke what he considers the ridiculous fashion of high society.”

“It’s a little silly how much it changes. There have been too many times where I’ve been behind the new styles and shown up to an event looking completely out of place.” Vivi agreed.

Eva had no idea what to say to that and instead stayed quiet. She just normally got a new dress delivered every time a new event came up. She of course understood that fashion changed, but she was always perfectly at the forefront of it for events.

“Ard wants to set the fashion with something ridiculous and watch it catch on. I’m not sure if he has the pull for that yet, but he wants to try.” Zuri folded up the parchment. “Let’s go.” She left the shop motioning for the other two to follow her.

Eva hurried to keep up, her eyes scanning the surroundings as they went. This was the higher end of the city, and they should be safe. Yet, she kept feeling like she needed to keep an eye out for trouble.

Without Uncle Valken, she felt particularly vulnerable.

“You don’t need to worry.” Zuri glanced back at her. “The city is relatively safe and with me here it would be stupid of anyone to bother us.”

“I would have said it was stupid to send fifty anchors after Gwen Aldis too. Didn’t stop them.” Eva was quick to shoot back.

Zuri didn’t have a response to that, not that she needed one as she quickly found the shop she was looking for and led them both inside.

“These are fabulous. I must have them.” A woman who was practically gilded in gold and jewels gushed over a rack of red fur coats.

“Sorry, Ma’am. They are a pickup order for another customer.” The old lady who seemed to be the owner tried to calm down the gilded woman.

“That would be us.” Zuri shoved herself into the conversation. “These are the ones that Arden Aldis had made?” She scanned over what Eva could clearly see were manticore pelt coats.

“House Aldis is a failing house.” The gilded woman asserted. “It would be much better to lose them and sell them to me. I’ll pay double.”

“Arden paid in spare manticore pelts.” Zuri crossed her arms and stared the woman down. “He killed the manticores himself.” She hooked a thumb at the rack. “These are his trophies.”

“Manticores aren’t hard to hunt, just rare.” The gilded woman was unimpressed and had still failed to introduce herself. Eva wondered if everyone else knew who she was already.

“Ma’am, as a business owner, I must insist on filling a customer's order. If you can acquire the pelts, then I can of course make you one too.”

She turned and faced Eva. “Sell them to me.”

“Why me?” Eva blurted out.

“You’re the mage of your group.” The gilded woman rolled her eyes.

That’s when Eva realized despite all of her pomp, this woman was a mage as well. “I’m sorry, but they cannot be sold.”

“Don’t let some young man determine what you can and cannot do. Sell them to me, or do you not know who I am?”

Eva was stunned by the way this woman was talking to her. Never in her life had she been spoken to in this way. “No, I don’t.” She felt her magic stir in the shadows of everyone in the room.

“Oh.” The woman was taken aback. “Then we can solve this easily. I’m the third consort of King Thyrendor. Now, please step aside for my coats.” She went to walk forward like she expected Eva to dive out of the way.

Yet, Eva found herself using the shadows to coil around her legs to hold her firm even as the golden woman slammed into her.

“What are you doing?” The woman blinked and stared down. “Tell me, which word in that sentence was too hard for you?” Anger danced across her eyes as spheres of light formed behind her.

“None of them. The coats are not for sale. I don’t understand what difficulty you are having with language, but presenting your name does not get you everything that I own.” Eva’s eyes burned with anger, not just at the current situation, but that these arrogant people were the ones that ruled after casting out her ancestors!

Shadows pulled from the ground and coiled around the woman’s little spheres of light, crushing them.

The gilded woman gasped and went to slap Eva, only her hand stopped short.

Zuri stood there with an impassive face holding the woman’s arm.

“Guards.” The woman shouted and two anchors lept out from the back of the store. Their blades already pulled from their sheaths.

Fear spiked in Eva and she pulled on her soul magic, making her shadows deeper than just swallowing light as the two anchors sank into their shadows as tendrils shot up and pulled them under.

The gilded concubine gasped and staggered back, watching her two anchors disappear.

They were both dead, but that wasn’t what had shocked the woman. They were just gone, without a trace.

“Yo—you.” She pulled her hand back from Zuri and pointed a fat finger at Eva. “Monster! There’s a monster here!” She shrieked and ran out.

Zuri glanced at the shopkeeper. “It seems we’ve caused trouble.”

The older woman went over to the spot where both anchors disappeared and scuffed her shoe across the floor. “At least there’s no blood. I’ll stay with my family for a few days. Take the coats and get out. I stand by my work and won’t sell someone else's commission to anyone. Not the first time I’ve upset a noble. It will take me ten minutes to lock up. Please be out by then.”

Vivi was already pulling one of the coats off the rack and putting it on. “So soft.” She wrapped herself in the coat.

“What are you doing?” Eva asked.

“Feeling what it must be like to be one of Arden’s women.” Vivi twirled in the red coat in front of a mirror and struck up a seductive pose.

Zuri was working on carefully stacking the coats on a bag.

Eva saw one that wasn’t too long that it would drag if she wore it and pulled it off the rack. “There are a lot of these.”

“More than Ard ordered.” Zuri said. “I think the shopkeeper used most of the material to make some extras. Clearly they are all for us.”

The coat was a little big, but Eva really liked it. The thing was bound to be so warm you couldn’t get cold even in the mountains. Though, it was heavy. The anchors wouldn’t notice the weight, and it could probably stop an arrow or bolt.

“These are incredibly nice.” Vivi continued to look at herself in the mirror. “Mind if I wear it back?”

“Less for me to carry.” Zuri finished tying the giant bag and throwing it over her shoulder. “Let’s get out of here.”

Eva buried her face in the fur of the coat and hurried out after the two of them. She wanted to keep it. “Sorry about that, I… uh…”

“Killed two anchors. At least you didn’t kill the woman.” Zuri shrugged. “Someone with her personality probably considers anchors expendable.”

“Not Ard though.” Vivi hurried to add. “I heard the oaths he has you all swear. Ard’s Oath.” She glanced off into the distance with a wry smile. “It’s very Ard.”

“It is.” Zuri picked up the pace with her long legs.

Eva had to jog to keep up with the leggy anchor. With the heavy coat, she could feel her legs start to burn in just a few minutes.

The guards at the Aldis Estate perked up seeing Zuri’s stride.

“Is Ard here?” She asked quickly.

“Master Arden came back from his assessment and hasn’t left.” One said.

“That we’ve seen.” The other added. “He flew off with a magic carriage earlier. I don’t know if he’ll always use the front gate.”

“If he doesn’t use the front gate, how will he show off?” Zuri threw out before barging into the estate with her giant bag of coats.

Vivi danced after her while Eva cast a glance at the two guards.

“We had a moderate run in with a concubine of the king. If someone comes, please make sure to get Arden or I.” She felt like that was the correct thing to do.

“Of course, Lady.” They bowed low to her.

It wasn’t because she was a princess this time. It was because they thought she was Ard’s woman.

Her cheeks heated up and she buried her face in the coat as she hurried after the other two.

***

Aurelia followed her mother through the manor to the library where book after book was stacked among the shelves.

“Ah. Our rising star.” An old man grabbed his cane and lifted himself to his feet. Despite his age, his eyes shined with vigor.

Aurelia knew he was among the oldest of their family. The two sphere mage that operated as their librarian and guardian of their estate was pushing four hundred years old.

“You honor me.” She bowed. “I came to report several unique findings while out with my mage.”

Even her mother stood respectfully, with her hands folded behind her back in front of the old Virel.

“No need to keep up with formalities. You aren’t a child. Come sit, your Unci Silver still remembers when you were this tall and ran around wanting to look at the drawings in the beastiary.” He held his hand down low to the ground and used the name a child would call him.

Aurelia was so incredibly happy that Ard wasn’t here to hear that. Once again, her thought shot straight to him like a puppy missing its owner. “Uncle Silver.” She nodded her head and pushed those thoughts aside, only to be replaced by the nerves of reporting to know more than a book of monstrous knowledge that was over five thousand years old. The family bestiary predated the Thyrendor rule.

Back before House Virel was a noble house, they were mercenaries for hire to clear out monsters.

“Ah. They grow up so fast, don’t they Louise?”

“Too fast. This one has become a little willful.” Her mother grinned.

“That’s how it goes. I could remind you of the time that you threw an absolute fit when Gwen Aldis became unresponsive.” He ambled through the library to an utterly massive tome that sat on a pedestal.

The pages were a lesson on how parchment faded with age, and how newer paper was made differently. The pages had been rebound several times as the bestiary continued to grow.

“Ah. I used to hold you up and flip these pages.” Uncle Silver shook his head. “You wish to add to it? I shall be the judge of that.”

Aurelia nodded sharply and cleared her throat. “First there’s the giant wyrm living in the mountains.”

“An ancient wyrm. There are several known examples of such.” The old man put on a glove and carefully flipped the pages, knowing the book like the back of his hand. “The Tyrant is one such that is known to live in the barbaric north. Another has been seen in the sea known as the Deep One.” He flipped the pages a few times looking for something. “We do not have a record of the one that attacked Faylin.” He reached over and took a quill. “Have you named this one?”

Aurelia hesitated. “Arden Aldis, the four sphere mage named it.” She closed her eyes for a moment. “He calls it Big Bertha and my mage healed its young to get it to leave the city. Ard… he talked with it, like it was intelligent enough to understand his intention, but not his language.”

“Interesting.” Uncle Silver took out a piece of paper rather than writing on the bestiary itself and scribbled down as Aurelia gave a more detailed recounting of what she experienced. “And Arden named the young Freddie?”

“Yes. The young one wanted to stay with him, but Ard knew that it had to go back with its mother.” She continued.

“He certainly sounds like an interesting mage… the next four sphere.” Uncle Silver shook his head. “The next thing you encountered was a Creslin?”

“Yes.” Aurelia perked up. This one was more interesting. She went on to describe the monster and the situation. Particularly the death magic was new, perhaps the other ones hadn’t been cornered and had not fought so ferociously.

“Interesting. Now, how did it die?” Uncle Silver asked such an obvious question.

“Ard killed it.” Aurelia said.

“Far less detail than the rest of the encounter.” Her uncle tapped the quill on the side of the ink pot. “Care to elaborate.”

Aurelia wrung her lips as she thought about how to go about sharing the right amount of information. “Ard is likely stronger than any other mage in the kingdom.” She said slowly. “There are secrets to his magic that he doesn’t wish to be revealed.”

Uncle Silver nodded and turned to her mother. “Leave.” His tone was flat and without his usual mirth.

Louise said nothing, only turned on her heels and marched, one foot in front of the other out of the library.

Uncle Silver left his quill in the ink pot and moved through the library dodging several stacks of books without looking before stopping at a shelf and pulling a particular book, causing a thunk as a book spilled out of another shelf. “Pick that one up for me please.” He pointed to the book.

Aurelia picked it up gingerly. The book had to be ancient. The leather was oiled like it had been taken care of lately. Still, the passage of time had been brutal to it and the leather split, revealing the aged parchment. There was no title on it and she dared not open it before handing it to Uncle Silver.

“Hmm.” He hummed and placed it atop the Bestiary to open it. “This is the record of extraordinary mages. There was a time where our family prepared to fight them as well.”

Aurelia swallowed and stared at the book with horror. “Are you adding Arden to that?”

“No.” He said simply. “Instead, I thought I’d share with you some of the magic that House Virel had witnessed over its five thousand year history. Including the magic that past True Mages used.

“Of course, I would also like to understand what magic your mage used. That knowledge is important.” Uncle Silver was clearly offering a trade.

One that would likely get more of Aurelia’s experiences into the bestiary and even this secret book.

Yet she found herself dipping her head in apology to the old man. “I’m sorry. These are my mage’s secrets.”

Her uncle seemed disappointed.

“However, he will come for the funeral. At that time, I’d like to introduce you to him and you can ask him yourself. He’ll likely tell you without anything else offered, but I ask that you share the contents of that book with him.” She nodded toward the book that he’d taken out from the secret panel, but kept her head down.

Uncle Silver put a hand on her shoulder. “Raise your head little one. I am sorry I was disappointed. In my tenure I had read the feats of this book like a child seeing wonders for the first time. It was a small dream of mine to add to this book and I pushed you. Please introduce me to the man who’s made you so fierce, even to your Unci.”