The Book of Days: Reign of Darkness

XVI: Homecoming

"Where did you say you're from?" The sergeant questioned, quill poised over parchment. Chatham sighed. "Are you deaf? I said I'm from Survival. It's just fifty miles west of here. It was an old refugee camp ages ago."

"There's no such place in our records," the sergeant insisted. "You think you're funny, kid? Think you're just gonna pull one over on the ol' sergeant? There's no such place, I'm telling you."

"And I'm telling you there is. No joke. No funny business. If you'll ride with me, I'll take you there and show you."

"Alright, I get it. We've just never heard of that place. In fact, His Excellency just might be interested to learn about this little ghost town of yours."

"It's no ghost town."

"Whatever. Anyway, there's someone His Excellency wants to find, and she just might be in this 'Survival' place. We've been receiving orders for months now to keep our eyes out for a particular girl, but we wouldn't know her if she spat in our faces."

"I think I know exactly the one he's looking for," Chatham proudly said. The sergeant stared up at him for a moment, and then said, "I'd better get General Kempler."

In minutes, Chatham was seated at a rich mahogany table with the general, a hot plate of pork sausages in front of him. "Sergeant Delwin here tells me you've got information on someone the Emperor wants. Spill, and you're on your way to a promotion."

The sausages in front of him smelled incredibly tempting, and he reached for one tentatively. "Go ahead, help yourself," Kempler smiled. "What, did you think I just wanted you to stare at them the whole time?"

He bit into one, relishing the smoky flavor and the savory grease. "So," he said when he had swallowed. "Her name is Thalia Breton. No one knows where she came from, only that she was adopted by the blacksmith. I've overheard my Dad talking to the butcher, saying that she was brought to town by a mysterious woman one night. She told no one her name, and simply left the child there with hardly a word."

Kempler stroked his handlebar mustache thoughtfully. "A mysterious woman... yes... yes... and, tell me Chatham, what does this 'Thalia' look like?"

"She's about yay tall--" he held his hand roughly five and a half feet off the floor to illustrate-- "with black hair and blue eyes. Her father is the blacksmith, Jim Breton."

Chatham sank his teeth into another sausage, as Kempler beamed. "Chatham, my boy, you've done a great service to the Empire. And you may have exposed a dangerous enemy of the state. Have all the sausages you want, and when those are done, if you want more, just say the word. You are the man of the hour."

He didn't really understand how Thalia No-name could be a 'dangerous enemy of the state,' but he knew that he'd secured favor for himself with the general. And that was even more delicious than the sausages.

Kempler signed and sealed a letter, and sent it to Sinomera, the capital city.

The Emperor was having a bad day. He had redoubled his efforts Scrying, but to no greater avail than before. The Obscuring enchantment still mocked and stymied him, seeming only to grow stronger the more he pushed against it.

But as he watched a courier ride up to the palace with a red 'urgent message' flag on his arm, he thought that maybe his day would take a turn for the better...

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As Thalia lay down to sleep that night, she thought of her father's words. It may soon be time for you to learn your true identity. She was so excited, and relieved. Soon it would be over. Soon she would know the truth. She happily drifted off to sleep, eager to see Garret again...