"Ah!" Do'vak said, "Good morning!"
Katerin opened her eyes—blinking the sleep from them—to see the man carrying a tray on one hand, almost dancing in place. Fykes stirred beside her and as she looked at him she felt her face redden.
"Coffee for the lovebirds?" Do'vak crooned, smiling ear to ear, as if he was witnessing some miracle.
Katerin could not speak, so instead she shakily took the mug from Do'vak's hand, hoping that she was dreaming. Just as she thought things could not get any worse, the curtain moved again and Arjiah came through the doorway.
Oh, of all the times to have a meeting in the morning, she thought, forcing her face into composure and stretching her arms. Fykes pulled his arm from her shoulders to take a cup from Do'vak, brushing his somehow untangled hair from his face.
"Oh!" Arjiah exclaimed, smiling. "Good morning."
"Hi," Katerin said, her voice too high pitched for this early in the morning.
"Thanks," Fykes said, gesturing with his cup. "What're you about?"
"Just waiting for you two," Arjiah said, "You're not usually such late sleepers."
Katerin burrowed her face in her cup and tried to ignore her mounting embarrassment. Stupid, stupid, stupid, she thought.
Brazen poked his head in the curtain, mouth already full, looking at them expectantly, and smiling to Katerin innocently.
Do'vak's grin never left. "There is food when you are ready," he said, then turned and swiftly left the room.
Arjiah flashed a silly, fangy grin at them before she followed him out, taking Brazen along with her.
"Morning," Katerin said, once the room had emptied.
Fykes smiled and set his cup aside. "Did you sleep well?"
"You're a comfortable pillow."
"Mhm I know."
They both took a minute to blink away the haze of their night's rest, sipping on large mugs of strong, flavored coffee. To her, the silence felt awkward, but Fykes seemed unperturbed by it all. When she stopped yawning with every word she tried to form, she combed her hair, Fykes fastened his armor, and they found the kitchen in its typical style—piled full of various foods.
Do'vak and Arjiah sat side by side, leaning over a book and talking excitedly, when Katerin and Fykes entered, Do'vak ushered them into their chairs and moved all the food, so it nearly surrounded them.
After they had eaten, Do'vak looked across at them, a wide grin seemingly permanent on his features. "So what is it you will do now?"
As he asked, they all turned to Katerin. Save for Brazen, who was still eating. He had no use for food, but at some point, Fykes had thought it a good idea for him to eat anyway. Which had now become a strange and expensive habit—harmless, but expensive.
"Uh." Her brow furrowed. "Go back to O'siaris for now, I suppose." She took another bite of food, hiding her uncertainty behind her breakfast. "Graiden might have more news about my mother."
Fykes nodded. "He might have some work for us, too," he said, mouth full. "I hear there are bounty boards around here and O'siaris."
Do'vak nodded. "Indeed! Check them before you leave. The pay is very good. You'll provide well for your children," he said, grinning widely at her.
Arjiah snickered. "That could be fun."
"I agree," Katerin said, ignoring Do'vak's words as much as she could. "The coin would be nice."
"All that gambling catching up to you?" Fykes asked Katerin rolled her eyes.
"You mean all the winning?" She turned to Arjiah. "Won't you need to return to Anklestrap at some point?"
Arjiah shrugged. "If I wanted to, I could. But I'm not needed for the time being."
They all enjoyed a long morning, talking about the festivities the night before and about Ky'lei'mei itself. When they finally excused themselves from the table, they left Do'vak's feeling refreshed and much less injured than they had been the day before, though soreness still remained, despite Arjiah's insistence on healing their wounds further.
They found the bounty board, and Katerin stared at it, as if willing the words to make sense. After a moment she shook her head. "Hold on, I can't read this on my own." She cast a spell as she passed a hand over her eyes.
"There's quite a few," Fykes said, squinting at the language it was written in.
Arjiah nodded, looking over Katerin's shoulder. "It's their native tongue. I've been learning a little from Do'vak."
"Most of these are simple," Katerin said, as she flipped the parchments back and forth. "There are some big crocodiles that need to be thinned out in the swamps northeast of here." She paused, folding the pages of parchment back as she scanned them. "A herd of... reptiles. Needs thinning near the mountain passes and... ohh—a moving spire someone wants investigated along the mountain range."
"That could be interesting," Fykes agreed.
The Hobbling Leper was bustling and alive, on the evening they made it back to O'siaris. Comfortable and lively as ever. They easily found their usual seats, and of course, they found Jon lounging across a couch with a drink in his hand.
They settled into the comfortable bustle for the evening, and even Mary paused in her busy routine to welcome them back.
Katerin tried not to fret as she studied her spell book, trying to learn just a bit more, or find some spell that she had forgotten to make this search go smoother. She felt she had surpassed her earlier levels of study by now. The Tower had taught her more than she could have wished for, but being out here, and using her magic daily was not only strengthening her grasp of her magic but stretching her boundaries. And it was a good distraction. She had checked with Graiden upon their return, but there was still no news on her mother's appearance. She told herself it was all fine, that Sulea might still be with the Brothers of the mountain or traveling between.
The next morning, as she and Brazen made their way to the lower floor of the inn, she found only one of her companions in their normal place around the hearth of the back room. Arjiah was reclining on one of the couches, sipping a cup of tea with yet another book in her hands. The woman could read a book faster than the tides changed, it seemed.
Katerin looked around in confusion at the silence of the room. "Where'd Fykes and Jon get off to?" It was odd not to see them here. They were always the first to be awake, and the first to be drinking and lazing about. Sometimes she wondered if they slept, or if they simply stayed up through the night.
"I'm not sure... Fykes left this. It's to the both of us, so I wanted to wait for you," Arjiah said as she tapped a paper-wrapped package with her toe.
Brazen had already disappeared toward the counter, likely seeking breakfast. For one who felt no hunger pains, he surely had a routine.
Two large, paper-wrapped bundles sat on top of the table. With a letter on the top. The front was scrawled in an elegant hand. ~To my girls, it said. Katerin opened it, holding it out so Arjiah could read it as well.
Jon and I had a few things to do. Testing out his new leg and all, but we'll be back before you can miss us.
These are just some things I found that I think will suit you both.
- Prince of the Crescent Moon
Katerin handed the top package to Arjiah, as it was marked with an elegant 'A'.
Arjiah opened it to find a beautiful set of scaled armor. Dark shifting blue that danced in the light and looked as though it would fit her perfectly. Arjiah held it up with a smile as Katerin admired it.
"It's beautiful," Katerin said. She reached for the second package, and just inside was another letter. As she opened the package, she saw what looked to be a slightly faded set of red leather armor, with metal studs across it and a number of scratches. She had never been one for armor, as it tended to interfere with her comfort and focus, and limit her movement, though she supposed that not being so easily stabbed was a counterpoint that might well be worth the trade. She opened the letter and grinned as she read the note.
Please try it on before you make that face, Katerin. I think you'll like it more than your first glance will tell you. I am sorry, though, it's not new. Something of mine from a long time ago.
I promise I had it cleaned.
- Fykes
She could feel a magic to it, but she was not sure what it was. "I'll be right back," she said, picking up the armor.
Arjiah grinned and gave her a wave as she made for the stairs and found the privacy of her room.
As she tightened the last strap on the armor, she frowned. It was not heavy, but it was tight. It fit her well as far as armor went, but she had never trained in armor, so her movement was awkward, to say the least. She had done plenty of sparring matches, but the point of those had always been to use spells to keep a distance, and avoid the pointy ends of her opponents' weapons. She walked around in it for several minutes, pacing back and forth. Trying to get used to it—to no avail. It was too uncomfortable, too strange.
She wished she had been wearing something far less constricting and the image of a soft flowing gown she had left at home came to mind, and suddenly the weight and tension of the armor disappeared. She looked down to see that same gown—a deep purple—flowing loose around her. It felt exactly how the fabric should feel. She patted her shoulder and her hand met leather, and cold metal studs. She grinned, thinking of another type of clothing. She thought back to the colorful women of Errwood Bay, and as she watched the armor changed again, to an outfit of loose shorts and colorful sashes. "Ha!" she exclaimed, as Brazen walked through her door.
"What?" he asked, looking around in alarm.
"Watch!" She focused, and changed the armor changed again. This time to a loose summer dress in a light blue color.
He looked at it blankly. "It just changed colors."
"Isn't it nice? It's comfortable, too."
"You find armor uncomfortable?" he asked, looking at her sideways.
She frowned. "You don't?"
He shook his head, "No. Armor is important." He smiled, or at least tried to. "I brought your coffee. Mary said it was getting cold and I shouldn't let that happen."
Katerin took it from him, letting the armor settle back into something akin to what she normally wore. Leather leggings and a long-sleeved tunic. "Mary is right," she said, patting his shoulder. "Thank you."
"She also said there's food for you, and Graiden asked to see you," he said, looking as if he was trying to remember more.
Katerin laughed, shaking her head. "They've got you trying to do everything."
*
Katerin's breakfast was a heaping plate of food, fresh eggs, bread and a mixture of root vegetables, perfectly seasoned as they always were. As she ate, she watched Arjiah. She could tell from her expression that whatever book she was reading had her entrapped. "Good book?"
Arjiah nodded, "You'll have to read it, soon. You'll be amazed."
"What are your plans for the day?"
Arjiah thought for a moment. "I was going to see if you'd join me and check out the new tower."
Katerin sat up. "Think they'll have some interesting things?" In the time since they had left to face Val'esis and returned, there was a new building in O'siaris. A tall, multi-colored tower, that rose into the sky and ended in a sharp point. It was supposedly home to a few of Sahn-Raidar's higher ranked mages. Which was the only plausible reason for a new structure, so soon.
"A library," Arjiah said, her eyes gleaming and her expression taking on a familiar enamored looked Katerin herself got when she thought of books. She was sold on those words alone. "One we won't have to dispose of."
Katerin gave her a grimace but Arjiah waved a hand through the air.
"It was a joke, dear. Nothing more. You know I stand with you on that."
Katerin only nodded, sipping from her mug. It still bugged her, but she still thought it no less necessary. As they departed for the tower, Katerin paused and waited for Mary to bustle by. "Did Graiden say if it was urgent?"
"No, no. He just said when you could stop by he'd appreciate it," Mary reassured, as she carried a full tray across the room.
Arjiah gave her a curious look and she shrugged. "I can speak to him later. If it was urgent, he'd have said so."
*
The Abstract Imblemgnomium was the name of the strange tower. It looked out of place in the small and humble town with its half-crooked, mismatched buildings. Though to be honest, it would have looked out of place anywhere. It was as if someone had taken and stretched a piece of taffy far beyond its limits, and then deemed it a building.
As they walked through the door, they heard mumbling and shuffling above them. A multitude of bookshelves filled the space, some only half full, with the other half of the tomes and scrolls still in crates. In fact, there were so many texts that the place already smelled like parchment and ink.
"Hello?" Arjiah called, leaning up the broad pastel colored stairway.
There was a loud noise, and yet more shuffling, as a tall, slender dragon-kin appeared at the top of the stairs. His long face had metallic shrills around its sides, and thickly framed glasses rimmed his cat-like eyes. "Hello," he blustered. "Here for the library?" He wore long but simple robes in the Sahn-Raidar colors of teal and black, and beneath the folds, they could see bronze-colored scales gleaming on his chest.
Katerin nodded. "We were hoping we could take a look."
He scrunched up his face, for only a moment, "Of course! Please come in. I am Typhon, and my companion—" Another loud scuffle could be heard up the stairs, along with what sounded like a muted explosion. "—is Wiggus," he said with a sigh and a defeated shake of his snout.
Arjiah gave a slight bow, hiding a smile. "Wonderful to meet you," she said, before introducing herself and Katerin.
Typhon led them up the stairs to another floor, still a pastel imitation of the exterior of the tower. "The bottom floor will be the library, and this floor will be our workshop. We will have our enchantments for sale, here." He gestured across the room, which was already being filled with crates, workbenches, scarred and ink-stained tables.
A small, wiry, red-haired gnome sat in a tall chair at one desk. He turned as they entered and his too-large blue eyes peered at them from behind goggles that distorted his whole face. "Hello!" he shouted. His voice was caustic, scratchy, and quite high pitched. His hair and clothing were scorched and patches of both were missing, as if burnt away. Soot and ash covered part of his goggles and were smeared across one side of his chin.
"Hi," Katerin said, unsure what to say, and unsure what to think of the odd man.
Typhon cleared his throat. "The floor above us will be open in another day or so. It's a teleportation circle, commissioned by Sahn-Raidar."
Katerin's eyes shot up. "Really?"
Typhon nodded, pride in his expression. "It is already working. We are just taking a bit of time to finish getting unpacked." His voice was deep, almost a low growl, but it had a very scholarly sound to it, refined and eloquent.
"It's a nice place you have here," Arjiah said.
There was a sudden screech from Wiggus as an array of colors filled the room with a burst of sparks and smoke that blinded them all temporarily.
Wiggus turned with soot-covered goggles and giggled.
Typhon sighed, and picked up a soot-stained cloth, cleaning off the goggles and part of the gnome's face. "Thank you. Don't mind our... experiments, please," he said. "They hardly ever hurt anyone but their creator."
"What is it you're working on?" Katerin asked.
Wiggus blinked and tilted his head, wiry curls falling across one side of his face. "Light show! But it can do more. Very complex spell," he explained. "Needs many components, and focus... I must focus."
Katerin just nodded, trying to keep her thoughts to herself. She had seen some eccentric practitioners of magic, but Wiggus ranked very high on the list, so far.
"We create new spells and tweak old ones. I myself like to handle the... less dangerous ones." Typhon sighed again, giving a sideways glance to the Gnome. "Wiggus likes to experiment with fire."
Arjiah laughed. "Quite a bit of work you have," she told him, and she watched as the frills around his neck ruffled.
"Yes, yes." He smiled warmly at them. "If you would like to spend some time reading, please do. There are a few chairs... somewhere down there."
They nodded and left the odd pair to their work. Their library had books on every subject imaginable, and Katerin and Arjiah spent many hours reading, jumping when the occasional explosion happened above them. Once, they rose in alarm to check on the strange pair, as smoke billowed from the work station above and wafted down to them, along with a string of curses from Typhon, hurried footsteps, and several sounds of panic.
Katerin and Arjiah's day continued in the same fashion: study and excitement, interrupted by explosions, smoke, and curses from Typhon in a number of languages—until Brazen wandered in the doors to find them both for dinner.