64. Rooster and Herbs (Patreon)

Ike headed down the stairs to the kitchen, Loup at his heels. He came out into a cozy stone space. Herbs hung overhead in bunches. Bottles of oil and wine sat along the wall at the rear of the countertop. Ket worked over an open fire at the back of the room, stewing the chicken in a wine-based sauce. He sprinkled a handful of dried herbs over the pot, then glanced up. “Hey. Hungry?”

“A bit, yeah,” Ike said. Beside him, Loup lifted her nose and sniffed, curious.

“Well, sit back and watch the master at work. Did you know that there are mages who use all their skills to become chefs?” Ket asked, turning back to his work.

“Oh, really?”

“Yep. I’m not one of them, but there are mages like that. There’s also mages who devote their entire lives to becoming healers or potion masters.”

“I know about that,” Ike said.

“It’s a pretty similar set of skills, did you know that? Between potion masters and chefs, they both need the same basic skills. After all, when you think about it, the potion masters are just making herb stew,” Ket pointed out. He stirred the pot. Lifting the spoon, he tasted the broth, then added another sprinkle of dried herbs.

“I did not know that. Makes sense, though,” Ike said.

Ket nodded. “Right? So what did you come down here to ask me? Or did you just come down to watch the pot boil?”

Ike leaned up against a countertop. He watched Ket cook for a moment, then sighed. “When you said you and Tana failed.”

“Hmm?”

“To deliver the message to the city lord. How, exactly, did you wind up…in that situation where I found you two?” Ike asked.

Ket sighed. He stirred the pot, then set the ladle down. Moving to the door, he checked the hallway, then shut the kitchen door. He leaned against an opposite countertop and crossed his arms. “I take it you’ve guessed at Tana’s rank in the city?”

“I’ve…made guesses,” Ike allowed.

Ket snorted. “Smart, kid. Never admit exactly what you know.” He glanced at Ike. “She’s the daughter of the previous queen.”

“The…princess? Wait, but the queen is dead…” Ike fell silent. Royal ascension is more complicated than it seems, but if she is a direct line princess, she should probably be living better than ‘Ket’s musty old house on the edge of town.’

Ket looked up. His eyes flashed with dangerous light. “Among mages, blood means little in the face of strength. Between Tana and myself, I have more right to claim the throne.”

Ike’s eyes widened. A second later, he narrowed them. But then, Ket’s subservient attitude…

“But I have no interest in the throne,” Ket said, waving the tension away. “I’m a wanderer, a dead man. I’d rather support Tana’s claim than take it myself.”

“So you’re the true source of Tana’s claim to the throne, then,” Ike said.

“Not quite. Blood still counts for something, and there’s traditionalists who support Tana for her lineage, who don’t care whether she’s a powerful mage yet or not. But…it wouldn’t be incorrect to see it that way,” Ket allowed.

Ike nodded slowly. “I take it there’s other people who want the throne, then.”

“Correct. Very correct. In fact, the throne is currently occupied. It’s only by the graces of the occupant that Tana and I are still allowed within the bounds of Abyssal…though I suspect that will change soon,” he added darkly.

“Ryan…is he a follower of the person on the throne right now?” Ike asked, suddenly realizing something.

“Ryan is his own problem. But yes. He is employed by the Arkfes Family.”

Then, the trouble that they ran into, was it caused by Abyssal infighting? Ike wondered.

Ket cut his eyes at Ike. “I tell you all this to provide context. To offer that there is another explanation for the events that transpired. But I do not think Abyssal’s infighting is the reason we failed to deliver our message.”

“No?” Ike asked.

“No.” The pot began to boil, and Ket turned, stirring it back to a simmer. He stood up straight again and looked Ike in the eye. “What I’m about to tell you doesn’t leave this room. Understood?”

Ike nodded. “Understood.”

Ket paused for another few moments, watching the pot. Just as Ike was beginning to wonder if he’d ever speak, he looked up. “When we set off, all was as usual. The Abyss was no more or less dangerous than usual. But once we left the Abyss, we were beset by powerful beasts. You know the large monsters that come out once you’ve hunted too many of the little ones?”

“Yes,” Ike said. In his mind’s eye, he could see the giant toad or the enormous rooster. To some extent, even the Salamander was somewhat like that.

“We call those Kings. King of the Forest, King of the Swamp. They’re nearly impossible to find unless they’re provoked. But two were waiting for us when we exited the Abyss.”

Ike frowned. That’s pretty strange, I have to agree. It took significant effort on my part to find two Kings, and I had to travel a significant distance between the two.

“I exhausted the majority of my lunam battling them off. I suggested returning to the Abyss to regroup, but Tana thought it was too urgent. That we needed to pass the message along now. I still had some lunam, so I agreed. However, the Kings were only the start of our troubles.”

“Only the start?” Ike asked, startled.

Ket nodded. “As we walked, we encountered hostile mages, bandits, fierce monsters, everything you can imagine. Before the day had passed, I completely exhausted my lunam, and so had Tana. At that point, we agreed to turn back, but it was too late. We were no longer strong enough to return. As we rested, we encountered that shithead of a hunter, and you know the rest of the story.” Ket’s face turned dark. Murderous aura swirled around him. Death shone in his eyes. “If I could kill that man…”

Ike backed away instinctively. The air grew heavy, and he struggled to breathe. Ike’s grip on the countertop went white-knuckled. Beside him, Loup raised her hackles, stepping protectively in front of Ike.

Abruptly, Ket beamed. “But he’s already dead.”

The spell broke. Ike sucked a breath of air. He rubbed his forehead and smiled back, but a tiny part of him remained wary of Ket. I can’t forget he’s a Rank 3. More powerful than my uncle. If he wants me dead, it’s a flick of his fingers.

Ket waved his hand. He stirred the pot again. From the corner of his strange inverse eyes, he regarded Ike. “But that’s not the point. No one in Abyssal has any power outside of the Abyss. Putting the Kings aside, everyone down here is either an outcast, or has spent decades in the Abyss; in either case, they lack the power to influence humans or mages outside the Abyss. They might be able to call the winds and the rain in the Abyss, but they lack the power to move so much as a leaf outside it.”

“You’re suggesting someone outside the Abyss wanted to prevent the message from being delivered,” Ike said.

Ket pointed up. “There are few mages with the power to control the Kings and mobilize that many mages against us. When you consider that we caught no sign of his tail, no connecting theme to tie it all together, that number narrows significantly. In my opinion…down to one.” Ket lowered his head, looking Ike firmly in the eye.

“The city lord himself,” Ike breathed. It makes sense. If I’m right, it makes sense. He wouldn’t want his own citizens to know about the puppet army, nor his own mages. He could turn aside the messengers, or invite them in and not listen, but there’s always a chance they mention their quest to someone else that way. Better to not take the risk at all, and block their path with low-ranking mages, so they never have the chance to deliver the message at all.

Of course, I can’t neglect that it also makes sense if the enemy army wants to prevent Tana and Ket from alerting the city lord, but… would an outside army have the power to mobilize that many local mages or the Kings against them, within the city’s territory?

Ket smiled mysteriously. He opened his hands, spreading his palms slowly. “Who knows? Perhaps.”

Beside Ike, Loup whined. Her eyes locked onto the pot beside Ket, and she wagged her tail.

Ket chuckled. “It looks like our dinner is ready. I’ll set it out, so would you mind calling Tana down? And remember, not a word of what I told you outside of this room.”

“Yes, of course,” Ike said. He dashed off, leaving Ket behind. Loup hesitated a second, drawn by the siren’s call of the finished stew, then followed after Ike.

Left all alone, Ket smiled after Ike. “He’s a clever kid. Maybe too clever. Be a pity if he dies young.”

Chuckling under his breath, he turned back to his stew.