Adventuresome

Chapter 15

What a bunch of weirdos, was all Perrin could think as they snuck through the streets to yet another elite estate.

This was not the adventure she had been planning for when she got on that airship yesterday.

Oh spirits, it's not even been twenty-four hours since the airship burned.

It felt like it had been weeks.

Lilliana was a noble mage, but the more Perrin watched her and Dominick interact, the less sure she was that Lilliana even controlled him. She had the staff he was part of, yes, but Dominick was an incredibly powerful spirit. And somehow, Lilliana just seemed to lack the confidence to control him. And Dominick, well, he was by far the rudest spirit she had ever heard of. Ancient and powerful or not, he was an obnoxious addition to the group. Lilliana's mother had seemed...cold and sort of hollow. And her father...Perrin had only seen his death from a distance. While they were getting supplies Dominick had finally clued her in to why the death of the tall man had affected Lilliana so drastically.

It was a strange family. And Perrin was already looking forward to being rid of the lot of them. As soon as they all got out of this city she would try to leave them on whatever journey they were heading out on. It would be a poor thank you for saving her life, but if the night's events gave any hint, she was fairly certain their idea of "danger" was different than hers. So far, no one had even told her why everyone was risking their lives or, in the case of several people so far, actually losing their lives.

All she knew was she wanted out of this city before the chaos got even worse. It might be between the soldiers and the nobles for now, but sure enough it would spread and the whole city would be fighting. If it was difficult leaving the city now, it would only get harder the longer they stayed.

She was just glad she had Galandat strapped to her back. Worst case scenario, at least she had her sword.

When they reached the next estate, this one significantly less lavish than the Harwin estate, Lilliana furtively knocked on the door. It opened and an ancient looking man stood there in a rumpled looking red robe. He blinked at Perrin.

"Who are... you?"

"Um..." Perrin looked expectantly at Lilliana.

"Mr. Wallis, I am here to see your wife, Senator Yula."

"Ooooh." His words trailed on surprisingly long. "I seee. Hmm. My wife. Yes. I think she may be asleep. It is, umm, well, rather late in the eeevening."

"I know, and I beg your forgiveness for the lateness of our call. However, Senator Yula knew that I was coming to see her tonight."

"Oh did she now? Hmm. Well then. I suppooose she may be...awake then."

Perrin glanced around them, just waiting for soldiers to show up. Impatient, she poked a finger at Lilliana. The mage swatted her hand away.

"Mr. Wallis, may we come inside? I am sure your wife is still waiting for us. It's, um, a bit chilly outside."

"Hmm, I see no reason why you cannot come...inside." Ever so slowly, he stepped out of the way. Lilliana walked in first.

The inside was also much plainer than the Harwin estate, that much was obvious to Perrin. The style seemed even stricter and simple. Far more so than she would have expected from a noble's estate. It was almost...austere.

Perrin eyed the old man who had let them in as he tottered out of the room to find a servant who could then find his wife. If this was the senator's husband, how old was the senator? If she was as old and slow as her husband they would never leave this city before morning.

Without warning, a middle aged woman swept into the room. She stood ramrod straight and walked with a firm step. Her severe gown was stiff and looked freshly starched even though it had to be nearly three in the morning. Her light hair was pulled sharply away from her head, as if that would be enough to pull the wrinkles from her skin. It was not.

"Senator Yula!"

"Lady Lilliana, it is hours past when your father said to expect you should all go smoothly. So I must assume things have not gone smoothly." It was not a question, but she arched her eyebrows as if she expected a fully detailed explanation.

Lilliana lifted her chin, but could not erase the sadness in her expression.

"Lord Tibol and my father Lord Olian were murdered tonight. I fear my Mother Lady Henrietta and Lady Tibol are also in significant danger, if not already murdered."

Perrin swallowed hard. Put that way, this night was turning into a massacre. One she did not wish to join in.

If Perrin had expected Senator Yula to react with shock and horror, however, she was disappointed. Senator Yula's expression remained almost completely indifferent. She did not seemed surprised, or even upset.

Some ally, Perrin thought bitterly. Not even upset when she hears two of her allies are definitely dead and two more are quite possibly dead. Though, she conceded, It will make for a useful skill in hiding the fact that we were here.

"Now listen to me, Lady Lilliana," Yula's voice was hard as ice. "You know what this means for Dominick do you not?"

"I do."

"And you know what Tancred the Leech wants to do with Dominick do you not?"

"I do."

"You must also know that if Dominick were to fall into such hands that the consequences could be dire, do you not?"

"I do."

"Then you know how important it is for you to leave the city as soon as possible."

"I do."

"Good. Then follow me."

Perrin had hardly followed the conversation. She knew too little about spirits being connected to mages to know quite what they had been talking about, but it had sounded serious. All she knew was that Senator Yula also agreed that they had to get out of the city sooner rather than later. Perrin could have kissed the old woman she was so glad. Finally someone was going to actually get them out of here. So far, Lilliana's "plans" had seemed mostly run away from soldiers to random houses without the means to get them out of the city. Now they were finally leaving. Perrin walked with a new spring in her step.

She had never wanted to be in the middle of political chaos. Now that she truly was in the middle of it, she knew she had had good reason for not wanting to mess with politics. Soon, however, this chaos would be receding in the distance behind them.

Senator Yula led them down a series of halls and then into an enormous courtyard. The rest of the estate had seemed small but this, this courtyard was easily twice the size of the main estate buildings. But there was only one thing inside the courtyard. No decorations, no fountains, not even flowers, not even grass.

The entire couryard was covered in hard packed earth, and harnessed to the ground was a tiny airship.

"Oh yes." Perrin breathed.