The Onyx Throne - Ch.80-82

Chapter 80

"I think you have guessed who I am at this point," Mitchell told him. "Am I correct?"

Falen met his eyes and then glanced at Allora before nodding.

"You are to be the next monarch. Allora, through unknown means, has managed to find someone who can bond with Awen. Despite being hunted and on the run, and despite not having the Council of Eight to cast the ritual. That is the only reason I can think that she would be back here."

Mitchell gave him a nod.

"You have the heart stone then, I take it?" Falen asked.

"I do."

Falen shook his head before looking at Allora with clear admiration.

"How in the nine hells did you manage that?"

"It was not easy," Allora said by way of reply.

"If I didn't know you as well as I do, I would offer you a job," he told Allora with a chuckle. "With you at my side, I could take control of the whole city."

"My destiny lies elsewhere," she told him with an almost apologetic smile and then looked at Mitchell.

Falen saw the look and apparently understood the meaning behind it.

"Indeed," he said. Then, perhaps remembering there were more pressing matters, the beleaguered don brought his glassy stare back to Mitchell. "So, what is it you are proposing? Did you arrive from whatever strange land you are from with two thousand crowns? Because and please take this in the spirit in which it is given -- you don't look like you have that much."

"I have nothing I can offer you today. But if I retake the palace and the city, I think I would be in a pretty good position to make up for the loss of crowns you suffered today. Not the least of which would be an immediate end to the checks at every gate in the city."

Falen's face had lost the gentle friendliness he had displayed when talking with Allora. His eyes were dagger sharp and his face hard.

"Having traffic resume through the gates unhindered would definitely help me get my goods moving in and out of the city and, in time, I would recover what I've lost, but that could take weeks. I'm going to need more."

Mitchell nodded, expecting as much. He gave himself a few moments, weighing his options. There was no time to talk this over with Allora, but chances are she wouldn't like anything he could offer anyway, feeling as she did about underworld dealings.

"Once I have control of the city--"

"That is a large presumption, don't you think?" Falen interjected. "Milandris is not actually in residence, but a great many of his people are and they are all on the lookout for her."

Falen pointed a long finger at Allora.

"It is a large presumption, but as you just said, with Allora by your side, you could take control of the whole city. She's not by your side, but she is by mine. Not to mention my other companion, who got us inside the walls to begin with. I like our chances."

Falen arched a blonde eyebrow but didn't comment, so Mitchell pushed on.

"What does someone like you value more than anything else?"

Falen shrugged.

"Power," he said. "Control."

"And information."

"True."

"With that in mind," Mitchell began, taking a deep breath, "I want to offer not a deal, but a partnership. There will be chaos after we take back the city and I will need as much information as I can to be able make decisions going forward. I need ears and eyes on the street. And you will need information as well. Perhaps about rivals. One of my first orders of business once I get the city under control is to start gathering information. Whatever records remain in the palace will be a little outdated and I will want to update them quickly. In return for your generosity today, and you cooperation in the future, I am proposing an information sharing service.

"Where I'm from, we say 'you scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours.' You give me information on things like enemy activity in the city, put me in touch with people who could become crown agents, or people who could be bought or turned, and help me identify threats, and I'll feed you information about rivals that I acquire through my network that might help you in your business. And, as long as your men and women aren't caught doing anything particularly nasty, I'll have the watch know to look the other way. Maybe your shipments get through a little faster than others. Maybe your men and women who do get arrested find their imprisonment orders mixed up with someone else set to go free. And there are many other little ways that you would benefit with a secret relationship with the palace that would increase your power and control."

Mitchell took a deep breath and sat back. That was it, that was his pitch. Guys like Falen always needed more information. Having the favor of the crown could help him in numerous ways, likely ones that Mitchell couldn't even imagine. Falen was clever and determined, that much was obvious. Mitchell could almost see the gears turning as he thought up ways that such a deal could benefit him. He knew Allora would be mad as hell about it, but thankfully she had not tried to argue about it with him. He hated that he had to spring it on her like that, but there really had been no time to work out something better, so Mitchell had played the only card he really had. Fearing the look on her face, however, he opted to keep his eyes on Falen.

"It occurs to me," the gang boss said after a long silence, "that all of those wonderful bits of information you would be sending me only come my way if you actually succeed. If I let you walk out of here and you fail, I get nothing. Even worse, some other person may collect that reward, which, by my counting, is worth three thousand crowns. You will be captured and/or killed and your deals won't be worth the paper you would ink them on. You want me to give all that up on the chance that you, a complete unknown, the last Onyx Knight, and a Black Hand from Varset can take back the city? If you had some other knights with you, or a small army at your back, maybe. But you don't. The knights are all dead and there is no army camping outside the gates."

Mitchell smiled then.

"What?" Falen asked him, seeing the cocky smile and looking a little unnerved by it. "Why are you smiling like that? Is there an army somewhere?"

"I am smiling because I know something you don't know."

Falen looked to Allora and then to Mitchell.

"Well, what is it?"

Mitchell turned then and looked at Allora. Her face wasn't the raging thundercloud he feared, but rather somewhat bemused.

"You heard what he said," Mitchell told her. "If we had some other knights."

"Yes," Allora agreed. "That is what he said."

"Do you want to tell him, love?"

"Very much," she said.

"Please."

Allora looked at Falen then, her face wearing an expression as smug as Mitchell felt.

"All of the knights are not dead," she told him. "More are coming. I expect them in a day or two."

Despite himself, Falen's eyes bulged.

"Impossible! All the knights in the service were killed in the coup. All but you. That is well known."

"There were knights that were not actively serving that are making their way to the city as we speak. They are going to aid us in retaking the palace."

"But... knights never leave the service! That is well known, too! If there were a secret cadre of them out there, why--? How have they stayed hidden? It is impossible, I tell you!"

"Yet, it is true."

"I think," Mitchell said, trying not to sound like he was gloating too much, "that you will find where Allora is concerned, words like 'impossible' don't mean much."

Allora turned and looked at him with a smile.

"That is very sweet, thank you, my lord."

She leaned over and gave him a little kiss on his cheek. Mitchell rubbed her leg but kept his attention on Falen.

"So, what do you say, Edrokii Sereg? Do we have a deal?"

Falen sat back in his plush chair looking like he'd had the wind knocked out of him. Mitchell had learned a lot about the knights over the last several weeks. They were respected, admired, feared, and held in reverence by even their enemies. From what had been explained to him, seeing them wiped out had struck a near mortal wound to the very soul of the nation. Hearing that, not just one, but several knights were still alive had stunned even the mob boss. Falen thought he was pointing out the impossible by wishing for other knights, but he had inadvertently given Mitchell the final piece he needed to seal the deal. The impossible was real.

Mitchell leaned back into the sofa and took Allora's hand in his. From the corner of his eye, he saw that Allora was holding Lethelin's hand as well.

Falen recovered himself after a moment and he snapped his fingers.

"We're done," he called out into the room, not speaking to his three guests. "You may leave us."

"What--?" Allora began but before she could finish her thought, the air began to shimmer at several points around the room and, to Mitchell's astonishment, six figures appeared as if the space around them parted and they were stepping through curtains. All of them were heavily armored and armed, each one carrying crossbows, blades, as well as a sevith or a krisa. They all gave a nod to Falen, and then exited the room through the door they had come through.

After the last one left, the trio all turned to look at Falen, who, it seemed, felt it was his turn to give a smug grin.

"A last bit of insurance if your offer failed to impress. Now that I've decided to accept your terms, they are no longer necessary. Granted, we will need to iron out specific details, but I am content to allow your plans to proceed for the time being."

Mitchell debated whether to be angry or not, but ultimately decided against it. A deal had been struck and no one had died. He felt it best to leave it alone.

"I'm glad," Mitchell said at last, and he saw both Lethelin and Allora relax a little. Perhaps they had been expecting him to react differently. "Now, that we're on better terms, there's something else I need from you."

"What's that?"

"Chaos," Mitchell said.

***

It was the wee hours of the morning when their borrowed carriage pulled up outside of The Mighty Nine, the inn where they were to meet Gilriel's contact. Thankfully, Falen's garden had flax lilies so that they could get the three they needed, and the crime boss had procured the yellow ribbon from somewhere.

"Think anyone is still awake?" Lethelin asked while yawning as they stepped down onto the street. Allora quickly followed with a yawn of her own, and Mitchell wasn't far behind. It had been a very long and trying day and they weren't quite done yet.

"There should be watching the front," Allora said. "Even at this hour."

"I don't see why this couldn't wait until morning," Lethelin complained. "A few hours of sleep wouldn't have made any difference."

"It may well have. We need to get this done as soon as we can," Allora said. "Do not forget that they have an ability to scry for me. We do not know how long we have until they locate me again."

Lethelin made a face, but didn't argue further. Mitchell signaled the woman, Britha, and she snapped the rein. The horses took off down the quiet street.

Mitchell looked around to see they were in a rather nice part of the city. The buildings were all two-to-four stories high, made of a mix of wood and stone, almost all of them showing signs of ornamentation. He could make out shops of different varieties, as well as what looked to be cafes or restaurants, and the cobbled street was wide and clean. Mage lights in lanterns cast soft glows about every ten meters and, in the mists of the early morning, Mitchell felt like he was standing on some Victorian London street. He half expected to see Sherlock Holmes emerge from an alley or entryway. The air was crisp and cool in the early summer morning and the scent of all the trees and shrubbery up and down the lane was heavy in the air.

The Mighty Nine was of a similar design as its neighbors. It was four stories, which made it one of the taller buildings on the street, and the ground level was dominated by two large currently dark windows on either side of the central door. A sign that was affixed to the wall of the inn above the left side of the entrance depicted six figures of various sizes in silhouette that looked to be mid-stride in one of those slow-motion shots that superhero movies always liked to do when the good guys were finally assembled to do battle with the final boss.

"There are only six people on the sign," Mitchell said as Allora had begun to make her way up the steps.

"So," Lethelin said.

"But it's called the Mighty Nine. Where are the other three?"

"Oh," Lethelin said, rubbing some sleep from her eye. "It's an old tale about a band of adventurers that slew one of the dragons after Yuliana Blood Scale was killed. Some general of hers or something. They called themselves the Nine, even though there were only six of them. No one knows why."

On the stoop Allora reached up and tugged at a chain. A small mage light appeared in a sconce affixed to the right of the door that Mitchell hadn't noticed before, and bathed the area in a warm yellow glow. From inside, he heard the quiet tinkling of a bell.

"That's a neat trick," Mitchell said, looking at the illumination. He was once again pleasantly surprised by the simple yet ingenious knack they had for using magic here.

"It's a standard rune," Allora told him as they waited for the door to open. "It's carved into the door's frame and the chain is connected on the inside to a charged gemstone. Pulling it brings the gemstone inline with a bit of wire running through the wood of the door, usually gold or silver, and that channels a small amount of the mana from the stone into the rune, which powers the mage light."

Lethelin stepped closer and leaned her weary head against his chest as they waited.

"Doing okay?" he asked her.

"Just really want to sleep," she said, exhaustion present in every syllable.

"Yeah, me too," he told her, and kissed her scalp.

The door clicked and Allora stepped back allowing it to open fully.

A tired looking human woman with auburn hair pulled back in a messy ponytail and wearing a loose-fitting pale dress with a simple tie around the waist peered out, taking them in one at a time. She looked to be about twenty-five or so and it was clear she was trying to find the strength not to snap at late arrivals for disturbing her at such an hour.

"Stollar's blessings on you lot and all that, but do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Apologies, good lady," Allora said and ducked her head in a slight bow, "but we come on a matter of some urgency. Might we enter, if it be Stollar's will?"

The girl looked at Allora more closely, as if deciding whether or not to trust her.

"We have business with the mistress of the house, Cenedra. Please, we have traveled far and only just arrived."

"Fine, fine. But keep it down. Our other guests are sleeping."

The woman stepped to the side and held the thick wooden door open and Allora thanked her once again and beckoned for Mitchell and Lethelin to follow.

Almost carrying Lethelin, Mitchell climbed up the steps and followed Allora inside.

Chapter 81

Cenedra stared across the desk at them with eyes as tired as Mitchell felt. The elf was probably close to two hundred years old, which gave her a face that looked like a youthful sixty. She had a delicate crow's feet framing golden-yellow eyes and laugh lines around a supple mouth. Her dark brown hair had a few lines of gray in it and Mitchell could also detect the slightest drooping in her pointed ears. Truth be told, she was the oldest elf he had met thus far and she was still attractive, in a cougar sort of way. In her hands, she held the three flax lilies which had been the only thing that had gotten her out of her bed at this pre-dawn hour.

"Gilriel said you would be coming, be it Stollar's will, and it seems it was. Faster than I expected, but we'll make do."

"Did she say when she would arrive?" Allora asked. "I don't know how much time we have before those that hunt for me locate me in the city."

"I expect she will be here within a day or two, with the others in tow."

"Do you know how many other knights will come with her?" Mitchell asked. "She wasn't sure how many would return."

"She told me to prepare space for six, so if they've all agreed to join you in taking back the city, that's what you'll have."

Allora inhaled in surprise.

"Almost a full squad."

Lethelin whistled.

"What can you tell us about the mood of the city," Mitchell asked. "Are people generally happy with how things are going?"

Cenedra snorted.

"Hardly. It wasn't so bad up until about a month ago. That's when they started checking everyone and everything that arrived. Looking for you, no doubt," Cenedra said with a grin aimed at Allora. "But that's put skitterbacks down everyone's pants and there have been more and more skirmishes with what passes for the city watch these days. Troops were brought in last week to help deal with the additional disturbances. Trade has slowed to a crawl, foodstuffs are rotting waiting to be shipped, merchants are near to rioting, and even the thieves have been getting fed up. They can't steal what's not there to steal."

"Sounds perfect for what we need," Mitchell said, smiling at their bit of good fortune.

Cenedra arched a dark eyebrow.

"What do you have in mind?"

"A distraction," he told her. "A very big distraction that I hope pulls enough people away from the palace perimeter so that we can get inside. Feel like lending a hand?"

Cenedra held up one finger, indicating he should wait. With her other hand she pulled open a drawer in her desk and took out a flask, which she promptly unscrewed and added to her steaming mug of spiced wine. Then she tossed it back and hissed. Her whole body shuddered.

"Stollar's balls!" she shouted as she settled back down and opened her eyes, which Mitchell could see now were wet with tears. "That will put some hair on your sack, no doubt about it!"

An acrid scent wafted across the desk and assaulted Mitchell's nose. For a moment he thought his sinuses had started bleeding and he sneezed violently. Then his eyes started to water.

"Balls," he croaked. "What is that?"

"Orcish ale," Cenedra said with a raspy laugh. "Puts fire in your belly and I think we're going to need it. Want a swig?"

She held it out to the three of them and Mitchell passed, as did Allora. Lethelin looked tempted, but in the end she declined as well.

Cenedra shrugged and put the flask back in her drawer.

"Alright then. Tell me what you need me to do."

***

About an hour later, with Mitchell's eyes burning from lack of sleep and his head throbbing, Cenedra told them they needed to rest.

"You'll be no good to anyone exhausted as you are. I'll take care of it from here. I'll have runners going at first light. You all get some rest. I have a warded bedchamber in the basement. It hasn't been used in a fair while, so give me twenty minutes or so that me and my girls can get it aired out and stocked with some fresh linens, so you'll have a warm bed to sleep in. It will be a little cramped with three of you, but it's what we've got."

"It will be fine, Mistress Cenedra," Allora said. "We are most appreciative."

"Mistress Cenedra," Lethelin said suddenly. "You mentioned runners. I wonder if you could see to something for me."

"I'm sure I can. What is it you need?"

"There is a young girl, about twelve high suns old, at a tavern in the Maka called The Drake Rider. Her name is Eraphys."

Mitchell turned then, looking at Lethelin, suddenly curious.

"Would you send a runner for her and bring her here? Tell the runner to tell her that Leth sent him and if she still has doubts, tell her that my pet shadow cat is getting hungry and I need her hand."

"Your pet shadow cat?" Cenedra said.

"It's a joke between us. And when she gets here, don't be shy about putting her to work if we're still sleeping. I'll talk to her when I get up."

"I'll see it done," the innkeeper nodded. Then she left to see to the room.

"Something you forgot to tell us?" Mitchell asked her.

"I... sort of adopted a stray. She tried to pick my pocket and I hired her instead. She set me on the path to Jonan."

Lethelin went on to explain the short encounter she'd had and, while Mitchell wasn't sure what they were going to do with a tween half-elf, he agreed that getting her out of the Maka and away from this Erik fellow was a good idea.

"So we will have two thieves now?" Allora said. "Wonderful."

"Oh, be quiet, you dried up reef carp," Lethelin said and put her weary head on Allora's shoulder and closed her eyes. "You'd have done the same."

"You cannot talk to me that way, dock rat. I am the..." Allora began but stopped mid-sentence for a powerful yawn. "I am the Lord Captain now. I could have you whipped."

Allora rested her head on top of Lethelin's.

"Don't threaten me with a good time," Lethelin mumbled, already half asleep.

Mitchell wasn't even sure Allora heard that last part as she was fading fast as well. He leaned his head back against the sofa, his right hand in Allora's, and smiled. He would just close his eyes for a minute. Cenedra would be back shortly and then they could get into a real bed.

***

"So that's the palace," Mitchell said, staring at the slightly opaque barrier across the parkland that filled the area from the end of the Cloud District to the Onyx Palace's main gate.

"That's it," Falen said, standing beside him.

"It's both bigger than I thought and also kind of smaller, too."

Falen grunted, but didn't comment. Instead, he studied the patrols of the city watch as Mitchell took in the sight. They began walking as casually as they could, trying to look like two gentlemen out for a stroll. Their attire didn't match very well as Mitchell was wearing his traveling gear and Falen was dressed up like an Awenorian dandy, with his tight breeches and somewhat foppish toga shirt again, but there were enough people that they didn't stand out. Even under occupation, business needed to get done.

Feeling much better after a decent sleep snuggled up between Allora and Lethelin, Mitchell had met Falen in his carriage early that afternoon and they had traveled to the palace grounds as had been agreed upon the night before. Mitchell needed to get a lay of the land before everything was set into motion. They'd received a message from Gilriel that she expected to be in the city by the next morning, which Mitchell thought worked out well as it gave them some additional time to plan. Allora, sadly, was confined to that warded basement room as it sounded like they knew she was nearby, while Lethelin was seeing to her new charge, whom Mitchell had not yet gotten a chance to meet.

Falen had received reports from some of his people that squads had started moving into the city early that morning and street patrols had been increased, which indicated that they knew Allora had made it to the city. Any elfin woman with dark hair was stopped and questioned, and this further soured the mood of the citizenry. Thankfully, he was still an unknown. As much as he'd hated having to kill that squad in the forest the week before, he saw the wisdom of it now. This would have been much harder if he had had to hide from the patrols as well.

The palace was surrounded by thirty-foot high walls of onyx, which he supposed fit the whole motif. It was made of five foot-by-five foot blocks of gray stone veined with various different hues. He could make out silver, pale white, some cream colors, and what looked like blues and reds, all swirled together.

The main gate itself had a large and imposing guard station on the right-hand side and the huge metal doors, nearly two-thirds the height of the wall made of black steel. It was engraved with the figure of a man with his arms spread wide, and a tall nude woman behind him with her arms spread as well. When Mitchell had asked about it, Falen had said it was Lorivast, the first monarch, and the nude woman behind him was, of course, Awen. Mitchell had surmised as much as he'd seen her in that form when he had first received the heart stone, but had not been so sure about the man. From this vantage point Mitchell could see nothing beyond the walls, so the actual palace grounds remained a mystery.

The wall was not the most imposing structure, however. Granted, it was massive, and he could only imagine the difficulty in getting through it when it was fully defended by soldiers and casters, but what impressed him the most were the giant statues of pure black onyx carved into the barrier. Spaced every hundred feet or so and glistening in the afternoon sunlight, each one was different. Elves, humans, just about every race was represented by at least one statue, although he didn't see any cambions.

"What's the story with the statues?" Mitchell had asked Falen, as they'd made a circuit of the entire palace.

"They're called the Defenders," Falen said as they tried to keep a careful distance from any patrolling guards. "Each one is a likeness of either a monarch or a member of the Council of Eight, or a former Lord Captain of the Knights. The last one was added, oh, fifty or sixty years ago, after Travelor's successor died. You know about him, right? Allora's father?"

Mitchell nodded.

"He was a good Lord Captain. He tried to get Baylor in line, but ultimately the old whoreson succumbed to drink and sex and could barely be bothered to dress himself towards the end. I doubt the bastard will be getting a statue on the wall. Baylor, not Travelor."

They walked along a little bit more and Falen pointed out one.

"That one. Lord Captain Thurgulf Warbreaker. Ne Warbreaker, if you follow the regular naming convention, but not everyone does that. Humans and elves do, dwarves sometimes and orcs occasionally, but it varies from region to region. But the Defenders are supposed to come to the city's aid if it's ever threatened. It didn't seem to matter when Milandris showed up, though so take that with a fairy's promise."

Despite neither Mitchell nor Allora saying he was from off world, Falen seemed to have worked it out, and Mitchell made a mental note not to forget that the man was sharp.

"Why are all their eyes closed?"

"No idea. It does seem a strange convention, though, I'll admit."

Mitchell stared at the statue and noticed that Thurgulf did look a bit newer than the others. Like the other ones, each was done up in armor that looked similar to what he'd seen Allora wearing at Gilriel's when she'd been making her adjustments to her own set. As he studied the statutes while they walked, he could notice style changes or what appeared to be ornamentation that varied slightly from one statue to the next. All of them were carrying real weapons, though. At least weapons that had been resized for the statues. No normal-sized person could wield them. Even the statue of Thurgulf Warbreaker was nearly eighteen feet tall, if Mitchell had to guess, and he was on the shorter side as he was a dwarf.

They made a full circuit of the palace grounds, and it took the better part of two hours. Despite himself, Mitchell found that he was warming to Falen. He thought under better circumstances, they might have become actual friends. As it was, he found that he was hesitant to reveal anything more than he absolutely had to.

"You know," Falen told him as they walked out of earshot of a squad of several soldiers who were questioning a trio of women, one of which was an elf. "There was a bit of an uproar around my manor this morning."

"Really?"

Falen gave him a sidelong glance that was close cousin to a glare.

"It seems that my neighbor's prize jivi was eaten at some point in the night. It was a racing breed. Worth close to a thousand crowns."

Mitchell tried not to let shock show on his face.

"That sounds terrible," Mitchell said, as casually as he could manage.

"Guards were called. They brought in a caster, and even dragged a ranger in from somewhere who said it looked like a shadow cat attack. But that would be impossible, wouldn't it? A shadow cat, here in the city?"

"As I understand it," Mitchell said cautiously, "shadow cats are quite deadly. Unstoppable killing machines. If one was in the city, surely it wouldn't have stopped at just a single jivi."

"Indeed. It's just the kind of thing that could kill three armed and trained men if they approached it in the dark."

"Yeah," Mitchell said, nodding. "I think you're probably right. If there was one in the city," he added quickly. "But, as you said, that would be impossible."

"And, as I recall, you said that when it comes to a certain warrior woman we both know, that word doesn't mean much."

It was Mitchell's turn to glance at the crime boss, and he couldn't keep the grin from his face, this time.

"Still," Falen continued with a sigh of only mild frustration, "I suppose I should thank whomever or whatever did slaughter that arrogant ass's jivi for not doing the same to any of my guards or my gnolhounds."

Mitchell grunted his agreement, then added, "And, maybe rounding up some dohas or some athis and letting them run around your grounds would be a good way to show your thanks, also."

Falen arched his eyebrow again, which he seemed to be fond of doing.

"I'll see what I can do."

Much of the rest of the walk was spent discussing what Falen knew of guard tactics and their general preparedness level. Mitchell asked a lot of questions about civil disturbances in the past and if they were likely to have much experience in dealing with them. Falen seemed impressed by the quality of his questions.

"Are you a military strategist, or did you serve in the regional forces of this Jamka?"

Mitchell chuckled.

"Not quite. But I went through a phase when I was younger where I devoured a lot of military history from my... uh, from the lands around Jamka."

At last, they came full circle, arriving back at the palace's main gate. All of it awash in the pearlescent, slightly transparent shield that sparkled lightly as something small came into contact with it. Mitchell studied the open areas that, in happier times, served as a public park and garden but was now somewhat of a no-man's land that had been left to become overgrown and used only for patrolling groups of soldiers or city watch. Anyone who tried to enter the park proper was turned away immediately. Knowing he had as much as info as he could get at the moment, Mitchell probed at that connection between himself and Awen. It was something he didn't do often as he felt like it was a struggle for the elemental to focus solely on him. She had said that it was easier now that they were in Awenor, but he tried not to bother her unless he felt it was pressing.

"I don't suppose there are any secret passages underneath the palace that would let us sneak in," he asked Awen, once he felt that spark across their connection.

"There are not," she told him, almost mournfully. "In fact, the ground beneath the palace has been hardened over the years to make any attempts to tunnel beneath it or shift the ground as difficult as possible. A powerful transmutation magic user could do significant damage, otherwise."

Of course it wouldn't be that easy, Mitchell thought to himself.

"I am afraid I have some additional bad news," Awen added.

"What's that?"

"The barrier wards are failing. After our last discussion, I devoted considerable effort into examining them as closely as I could. It took many days for me to focus my awareness into the runes and the gemstones powering them. Between the occasional attacks on the barrier carried out by the forces in the city as they probe for weaknesses and the time it has been in place, it is near to failing."

"Well, we are here now. Hopefully I'll be inside the palace by the end of the day tomorrow and I can complete the ritual. Will they last another day?"

"Yes, but that is not the problem," she told him, and Mitchell could almost feel the hesitation in her voice. "It is likely that you passing through the barrier will bring it down."

Mitchell felt his stomach drop into his balls.

"Oh, fuck," he said aloud, which got Falen's attention, but Mitchell held up a hand to forestall any questions as he focused back on Awen.

"The plan was to pass through the barrier, hopefully with the girls, and make it to the throne room with the barrier still up," he told Awen, working hard to keep the panic out of his thoughts. "If the barrier comes down when we enter, we'll have every soldier in the city on our heels."

"I am sorry, Mitchell. There is no way for me to reinforce it. The barrier, in allowing you passage, has to weaken a section of itself to permit you through. So many runes have degraded and so many gemstones have burned out, that I do not think it would survive the power fluctuations as it tried to reestablish itself after you gained entry."

"Well, that would solve one problem, at least," he told her, trying to find something positive about the situation.

"What is that?"

"I had worried about the girls not making it through the barrier with me. But if it's going to come down anyway, they'll be able to join me in the palace."

"There is that, I suppose."

"We need to get back," he told Falen. "I need to talk to the girls. We have a problem."

The edrokii, not liking the dour look on Mitchell's face, nodded, and they headed back to where they had parked the carriage.

Chapter 82

"Well," Mitchell said with a heavy sigh. "What do you think? I don't expect I will have any trouble getting you in, but we'll likely have every soldier after us as soon as they realize what we've done."

Allora and Lethelin sat on the bed and stared at him for several seconds as the weight of the situation settled onto their shoulders. It was Lethelin who broke the silence first.

"Balls and bloody fucking taint," she said. "Nothing ever goes easy."

"No," Mitchell agreed. "No, it doesn't."

He turned his attention to Allora whose brows were knit together as they often were when she was deep in thought.

"Will the shield go down immediately?" she finally asked.

"Awen is not sure," he told her. "She suspects it will flicker and begin to weaken at random points around the dome as the spell tries to reassert itself and the gemstones channeling the mana begin to fail at random. It could be as little as a couple of minutes, to maybe up to a half an hour before it collapses entirely."

"That is good news, then," she told him.

"How do you figure?" Lethelin asked. "Once they see the shield start to collapse, they'll drop everything and head right for us. Even with Gilriel and her squad, we won't be able to stop them."

"Once Mitchell is on the throne, it will not matter."

"Okay, about that," Mitchell cut in. "I know it's supposed to envelop me somehow, but what then?"

"My apologies, you are right. I should have told you weeks ago, but there always seemed to be a more important topic to discuss. It is not that complicated, however. The throne is not made of metal, or wood, it is made of pure onyx. It was grown by Awen in her geode and is a living part of her."

"I thought that was a myth," Lethelin said. "That would be worth the price of a kingdom alone."

"It is no myth," she told the thief before looking back to Mitchell. "Once you sit in the throne and you are ensconced within, her power will flow into you. It has made your body strong enough to withstand the transfer. Once it is complete, everything will be amplified."

"More than I already have been?"

Allora nodded.

"But it is more than that. You will be able to connect with Awen more directly and, through her, to the land itself. You will be able to feel it. I do not know how it is done, but you will sense the land in a similar way to her, if you try. In the past, this is how the monarchs were able to aid in the defense of the kingdom and what made it so difficult to attack us. You will be able to feel where troops are. You can direct your commanders. It would be impossible to move large forces of enemy soldiers through our territory without you sensing it. Working with Awen, you would even be able to bend the land to its own defense in some limited ways."

Mitchell was stunned by that revelation. Such knowledge could make his forces almost unbeatable. To always know where the enemy's troops were, to always be ready to meet them, to never be caught off guard by troop movements or where they were gathered for an attack? It started to make sense to him now why, after Iletish was defeated, none of the other seven kingdoms ever tried to attack again. They would literally have nowhere to hide, their every movement would be felt.

"But there is a more immediate benefit," she told him, breaking through his thoughts.

"What's that?"

"Once the full bonding is complete, you will be able to activate the palace defenses."

"If the palace has such good defenses, how were they able to take it the first time?" Lethelin asked, almost demanding.

"Because of how they struck," she said. "The monarch must be on the throne to use these powers. It connects them to the palace. Milandris's forces attacked late at night. They worked through spies, snuck soldiers in disguised as workers, servants, laborers, delivery people. Baylor was not on the throne and we had no warning. He was killed before he ever made it out of his quarters."

"Wait, so all of that exact stuff has to be done from the throne?" Mitchell asked.

"Your physical and magical improvements will be a part of you," Allora explained. "But your access to the knowledge of the land, your ability to work with Awen to devise strategies for how to use it to our advantage, and -- in this case -- control the palace defenses, must be done while you are sitting on the throne."

That revelation destroyed Mitchell's hopes of being a general that led from the front. If he wanted to have maximum advantage, he would have to somehow coordinate from Lorivin. He wasn't sure he was comfortable with that. Then a thought occurred to him. He reached out to Awen.

"I thought you could already alter the land," he asked her. "Why do I need to be in the chair for you to do that?"

"My power works slowly," she said, and Mitchell could almost detect a note of frustration in her voice. "The collapse of the cliff I told you about before, do you remember it?"

"Yes."

"It took several weeks of preparation. I had to direct roots go grow in such a way as would weaken the rocks. I had to try and channel ground water up from deep below the earth to weaken the base. And I had to time it such that it would only collapse when his casters were passing by. I identified the route his reinforcements most often traveled and was able to plan accordingly. My power does not work the same as yours, but by combining our two different kinds of magic, we can aid each other."

"So, what will I be able to do when we are joined?"

"Channeling your mana through the throne and into me will allow me to harness those forces directly. I can use your mana to effect things much faster. Instead of taking a month to saturate the soil beneath where his soldiers are camped it could be done in a day. But even that is limited by how much mana you can provide."

Mitchell took a moment to process that while the girls waited. They had learned to recognize when he was in conversation with Awen and waited patiently, knowing he would tell them when he was done.

"Okay, I think I understand," he told her, and broke the connection.

Once he was done explaining what he had learned Mitchell asked about the palace defense.

"There are several layers, but perhaps the most formidable will be the Guardians on the walls, and the Defenders within."

"Falen told me about those," Mitchell said with interest. "He said they were supposed to protect the palace if it came under attack but it sounded like he didn't believe it. Especially since they hadn't activated during the coup two years ago. But if they only work if the monarch is on the throne..."

"They have not been activated since the war with Iletish centuries ago. Many people probably assume that it is just a legend at this point. But they will answer the monarch's call."

Mitchell tried to imagine a small army of 15-20ft stone golems marching under his orders. The idea almost made him giddy.

"And what are the Defenders?" he asked.

"They are smaller statues throughout the palace and the grounds. They function much the same way as the Guardians do, but they are less powerful. Still, there are more of them. And there are offensive and defensive runes all through the palace that can be activated from the throne to strike at enemies if they manage to breach the walls."

"That sounds amazing," Lethelin said, a note of awe in her voice.

"It is. Much of the improvements were made after the war with Iletish and, even though they have never been utilized as we never faced invasion again, the protections were always maintained. Every knight in the academy spends time learning about them and even how to maintain some of the more basic ones should repairs be necessary. They are our last line of defense."

"So, as long as I can get to the throne and complete the bond, we'll be okay?"

Allora nodded.

"In theory, anyway. We will still have to hold the great hall, where the throne is located, while you are being fully bonded with Awen. If we are overrun, they could destroy the throne while you are in the midst of the transfer and it would likely kill you."

"No pressure, then?" Mitchell asked sardonically. "How long does it usually take?"

"I do not know. It will depend on you, I think. On how quickly you can withstand the bonding process and if you are able to recover quickly enough after to be of use to us. I--"

Just then, there was a light knock on the door of the basement where they were sitting.

"Enter," Mitchell said, looking behind him to the door.

It opened slowly and Mitchell saw small fingers curl around the door and then a small girl with glistening honey-blonde hair the color of a Kansas wheat field followed soon after. The girl's wide, sparkling hazel eyes took in the room nervously until she spotted Lethelin.

"Your package has arrived, Miss Leth. Miss Cenedra said I should bring it to you."

Mitchell and Allora both looked to Lethelin who shrugged.

"What? I needed some things."

The thief waved the girl in.

"Come meet my friends, Eraphys."

The young girl stepped into the room, closing the door behind her, and Mitchell got a proper look at her. She was tall for her age, and she had the kind of fresh-face that would blossom into beauty when she was older. Her eyes were large and expressive and glittered in that way that Mitchell now understood was unique to people who were half human and half elf. Falen's blue eyes had the same quality, and so did this girl. Her body was a little gangly, but he thought that, if he gave her a few years, she would likely be as tall as Allora, or nearly so.

She looked nervously at Mitchell, but stood tall and met his gaze, giving him a small bow. Then she looked at Allora and some of the color drained from her face, but again she bowed slightly.

"Eraphys, this is Mitchell and this is Allora."

"Stollar's blessings on you, my lord Mitchell. And on you, my lady Allora."

Allora raised one dark eyebrow and looked at the thief.

"She is quite well-mannered. What is she doing with you?"

The tone was lofty, but the small grin on Allora's face was playful.

"I just haven't beat it out of her yet," Lethelin said.

The girl sucked in a breath but didn't comment.

"Oh, relax, silly girl. No one is going to beat you. I was just joking. Let me see what you brought."

"Yes, Miss Leth."

The girl stepped forward and held out a small package wrapped in a coarse-looking brown paper and tied securely with twine.

"Is Cenedra keeping you busy upstairs?" Lethelin asked her, as she pulled a tiny knife from somewhere on her person and cut the twine. Then she slid the edge along the paper and pulled the wrapping off, revealing a dark lacquered box with a two crossed tridents burned into the grain.

"Yes, Miss Leth," Eraphys nodded, staring at the box curiously. "I am helping the staff prepare the common room for meals. Everyone is very nice."

"You're looking much better now after a bath, I see. How are the scratches?"

Eraphys held out her arms and pulled back the sleeves of the simple cotton shirt she wore. Mitchell could see several small scratches and bite marks that were scabbed over, and others that had the rosy color of new flesh.

"The cream that Miss Cenedra gave me is helping a lot," the girl said with a smile. "They don't even itch anymore."

"Good," Lethelin said, before patting the bed next to her. "Come sit, I want to show you something."

Eraphys glanced at Mitchell and then at Allora, who was sitting on the bed also, but did as she was asked, sitting with a little bounce on the mattress between the two women.

With care, Lethelin slid the lid of the lacquered box open, revealing a small collection of several small vials, as well as a some pouches and what almost looked like a small chemistry set that had been disassembled and nestled into the box. Eraphys's liquid eyes widened at the site.

"This is a standard poisoner's kit," Lethelin explained. "Although I have asked for a few specialty items."

"Lethelin," Allora hissed at the revelation. "Is that the proper thing to be showing to a young girl?"

The assassin looked up at the knight.

"The girl can't go into her father's trade now, and she needs a new one. It might as well be this one. She's my first recruit."

"Your what?"

It was then that Mitchell realized that, in all the commotion of the last several days, he had never explained what Lethelin's role would be if they pulled this off.

"I'll explain later," Mitchell told Allora quickly.

Allora looked at him hard, as if she could extract the information from his brain through the power of her glare alone, but she didn't challenge him.

"This," Lethelin continued, pulling a black vial from among the collection, "is skitterback blood. Never, ever open this in the sunlight unless you have decided that you don't want your fingers anymore. But..." Lethelin paused, searching among the vials and checking labels until she found the one she wanted, "if you mix it with fire drake blood, two-to-one, and place it inside a glass arrowhead, do you know what you get?"

Eraphys wobbled her head, eyes alight and eager.

"No, Miss Leth."

"You get an explosive arrowhead that will blow a hole the size of a orc's hand in plate armor and into the body beyond it. It won't work in the dark though. Needs to be outside in the sunlight. Only use black glass or obsidian arrowheads for it. Anything else and they will blow up in your hand as soon as the sunlight hits it. Understand?"

Eraphys nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes, Miss Leth."

"Good. That's your lesson for today. Do what Cenedra of her staff tells you and I'll teach you more tomorrow. Now, scoot. Back to work with you, or I'll have that hand. My shadow cat hasn't had little girl meat in awhile and he's been bothering me for another treat. Don't give me a reason."

Eraphys giggled and Allora nearly choked.

"Yes, Miss Leth,"

Then she hopped off the bed, gave a small bow to Mitchell and Allora, and hurried out of the room.

Lethelin got up, cradling the large box, and went over to the writing desk, shooing Mitchell out of the chair so she could use it.

"Where did you get that?" Mitchell asked her as she settled in and started taking out various different bottles and erecting the little chemistry set.

"I asked Falen to get it for me. Mine is in Varset. There are some things I want if we're going into battle."

Allora stepped up beside Mitchell, watching the thief work.

"Is it safe to be in here while you do that?"

Lethelin paused as she was screwing together a stand of some sort.

"Actually, maybe I should see if Cenedra has an open room upstairs. Something with a window. Since you can't leave the room, it might be better if I go up there."

Lethelin gave a bashful grin, and began to pack everything back up. Another knock came at the door then. Mitchell walked over and opened it to find Cenedra.

"It's started," the woman said. "Reports are beginning to filter in. The watch is going crazy."

"See," Mitchell said to Allora. "I told you it would work."

Allora grinned.

"But how did you know?" she asked him in return.

"It happens all the time on my world. Whenever someone famous is wanted by the po--by the watch, people call in tips all day, saying they saw them at a restaurant, or in a park, or in a market. And the watch have to chase down each one. It's even worse when there is a big reward offered. Falen's people have spread all throughout the city and they're reporting sightings of you at every opportunity. The authorities are going to be run ragged, exhausted, and numb by this time tomorrow. The angrier they get, the more likely they are to lash out at the people. That will stoke resentment in the city and make them eager to push back. Then the real fun begins."

Allora laughed and kissed him on the cheek.

"Have I told you how sexy you are when you're clever, my lord?"