Heirs of the Enemy (40 page)

The mage’s eyes brightened in understanding, and he smiled at the Knight of Alcea. “You may not be a magician, but you have a powerful magic within you. Every life saved will be a slap to the emperor’s face. That is a challenge that I can heartily accept.”

* * * *

The special agent for Sidney Mercado and his two assistants rode into Farmin through the southern gates. Instead of heading directly towards the Bluff House Inn, Garth turned towards the slums.

“Where are we going?” asked Natia. “The Bluff House is in the other direction.”

“You two can go and get settled in if you want,” replied Garth. “I need to speak to someone.”

“Who?” asked Tedi.

“Fakir Aziz.”

“The Mage is in Farmin?” asked Natia. “Are you sure?”

“The fairies are never wrong. I might be a while. Have the evening meal without me.”

“If Fakir Aziz is in the city,” Tedi responded, “I am going with you. Are you going to ask him about the world rumbling?”

Garth gazed skyward and involuntarily pulled his tunic tighter around his neck. “I think the gods have spoken clearly enough. Winter is coming early. Besides, the Mage is reticent to talk of such of things. He has always been that way, and I don’t expect him to change anytime soon. In any event, I have not come to listen to riddles.”

Garth held up his hand for silence as an army patrol passed by, and the other two Knights of Alcea stopped asking questions. Garth led the small group into the slums. It was not hard to find out where the mages had set up shop. A steady stream of people flowed through the streets and alleys to the very center of the slums. When they reached the building, a long line of people stood in a queue outside the doors. The Knights of Alcea dismounted, and Garth led them around to the rear of the building. People were flowing out the rear door, but Garth politely moved against the flow until he was inside. Tedi and Natia followed.

Inside the door Garth found a huge room with long tables set up in rows extending from one wall to the other. Scores of chairs lined the tables and each of the chairs was occupied. Bowls of soup or stew sat in front of each person, and as soon as a chair was vacant, another citizen was directed to it. The rags the people wore clearly marked them as residing in the slums, but Garth noticed that the people were clean and much healthier than he remembered from his previous visits to the city. He smiled as he made his way across the room and through another door.

The Knights of Alcea passed through the kitchen and into the infirmary. Garth nodded to Eulena and Valera as they worked their healing magics on the infirm. Zynor and another mage, whom Garth had never met, entered the infirmary through a curtained passage. Each of them led an ailing citizen towards a bed. Garth passed through the curtain and found himself in the potion shop. Kalmar stood behind a counter, and a line of people stretched towards the door leading to the street. Garth headed straight for the Koroccan mage.

“Where is Fakir Aziz?” he asked.

Kalmar turned at the sound of Garth’s voice and stared at him with tired eyes. The mage appeared exhausted, and he took a minute to recognize the Knight of Alcea.

Kalmar nodded to another door on the side wall of the shop. “I don’t know, but he spends a good deal of time in the office. I think something weighs heavy on his mind.”

“You look tired, Kalmar,” said Natia. “Perhaps you should rest a bit.”

“There will be time for resting after the evening meal.” The mage smiled weakly. “If you have come to help, there is still plenty of time left in the day. You could free up Zynor and Atule so they can spend more time healing.”

“Tell us what you need done,” Natia volunteered as Garth walked away. “Tedi and I will help. I owe my life to you.”

The conversation faded as Garth strode across the room. He opened the door to the office and found the Mage sitting behind a desk. The old man had his eyes closed with his chin resting on his chest. When Garth closed the door, Fakir’s eyes opened and he looked up.

“Alex,” greeted the Mage. “Do you not have enough to do in the world without visiting old friends?”

“Call me Garth,” smiled the Knight of Alcea.

Fakir waved his hand dismissively. “What is a name? It has nothing to do with the man behind it. I have carried so many names that it is hard to keep track of them.” The Mage sighed wearily and shook his head. “I suppose you felt obligated to interrogate me about the change in the weather. There is nothing I can add to your knowledge that you would understand.”

“Actually,” Garth responded, “I came to speak to Fakir Aziz.”

The Mage’s brow creased as he waved for Garth to sit down. “I do not see anyone else in this room. What do your words mean?”

“I need to speak to the tutor, historian, and philosopher who has spent his life traveling through the cities of the Federation.”

The Mage raised an eyebrow as he stared at Garth. His eyes suddenly sparkled, and his weariness seemed to evaporate. “What use would you have for an old historian?”

“I believe you once told me that you had the pleasure of tutoring the children of the rich and famous. I am particularly interested in the royal lines of the Federation countries. What can you tell me about them?”

“I do not know if I would characterize the experience as a pleasure,” chuckled Fakir. “Most royal families are rather abnormal. Perhaps it comes from having riches and power laid at your feet without breaking a sweat to have earned the position. Most princes join the military at a young age, but others often become embarrassments for the monarchs. What did you want to know?”

“Everything you can tell me,” answered Garth. “Seeing as the gods have granted Alcea some more time before the invasion, I think it would be wise to make use of it. I cannot spend the entire winter hunting down priests.”

“You must be careful in your pursuit of the demonkin,” warned the Mage. “Do not take that task lightly. The last death in Valdo has shaken the Federation. Expect to find hearty resistance to your efforts in the future. They are wary.”

“I will mind your advice well,” promised the Knight of Alcea, “but I must also plan for the aftermath of the coming war. It serves no purpose to defeat the Federation without changing the culture that exists in this land. Tell me of the heirs.”

“You are wise, Garth Shado. That is a rarity in warriors these days. Where shall I begin?”

“Aerta.”

“The heir to King Anator’s throne is General Alden. I did not personally tutor the heir, but I did tutor his children. They are reasonably intelligent children, but not remarkable. I would say that the Aertans might be among the most normal of the royals.”

“Ertak?”

“General Montero is the eldest son of King Harowin. I did tutor him for a short while. He is a vicious creature, far more cruel than his father. In fact, I would not be surprised if the king fears his son. If he does not, he is a fool.”

“You said he was the eldest son. Is there another?”

“There is.” Fakir Aziz nodded. “His younger brother is Prince Harold, but I doubt the country would accept him if he ever did ascend to the throne. Harold is a sickly boy, always has been, and weakness is not accepted well in the halls of the Royal Palace of Ertak.”

“Does he live in the palace?”

“Goodness, no,” answered the historian. “King Harowin does not want him seen by anyone. He wouldn’t want anyone to infer that weakness runs in the family. They keep him secluded in one of the castles in the Dark Forest. The boy wants for nothing, but he is nothing more than a prisoner. It is a shame in a way. The boy is quite intelligent.”

“Spino?”

“Queen Samir had one son followed by two daughters. By custom, the son should be a general in the army, but he proved to be another embarrassment. Prince Samuel joined an odd religious sect when he came of age, and he ran away. When he was later found in a monastery of the Cult of Everlasting Bounty, the queen decided to leave him there and announce that he had died. I suppose Samir felt that she could hide her shame, but word leaked out and now the people snicker behind her back.”

“What is the Cult of Everlasting Bounty?”

“It is a religious group that thinks the gods have forsaken Spino. It started up in the year of the Collapse, which is when Prince Samuel was born. They considered it quite a coup when they managed to get him to join. Queen Samir threatened to annihilate them, but they used the prince’s life to stave off the attacks. Samir finally tired of it. I think she is more comfortable leaving the country to one of her daughters. She thinks that women are more suited to ruling than men.”

“What about Barouk?”

“The empire is a curious culture. I never was called to tutor any of the imperial children. In fact, the emperor keeps them hidden away out of fear of assassination. In the empire, a coup is only possible if you totally destroy the entire family. If there is any member of the imperial family alive, the army will fight for them.”

“Even if the Grand General is among the usurpers?”

Fakir Aziz frowned and fell silent for a moment. “I do not know the answer to that question, but if I were the usurper, I would not take that chance. I suppose anything is possible.”

“And Candanar?”

“Prince Bultar is King Bartomir’s heir. I am afraid that I know little of him. While Candanar is part of the Federation, the country is seldom spoken of. They have no army that I am aware of, and I have never heard of the king taking part in any Federation meetings. I am afraid that I spent my years along the coast of the Sea of Tears. Perhaps someone else can tell you more.”

“I thank you for the knowledge that you were able to give me.”

“And what will you do with it? Will you hold a boy or a man accountable for the deeds of his mother or father?”

“Every man is accountable for his own deeds,” answered the Knight of Alcea, “but I will not allow the unfortunate people of the Federation to fall prey to another group of tyrants. If Alcea is successful in the coming war, I plan to be prepared for what comes after.”

Fakir Aziz pressed his lips tightly together and nodded as if he knew what the future held, but refused to reveal it. Garth rose from his chair and bowed respectfully to the Mage. He slipped out of the room and went in search of Juggler, the head thief of Farmin.

The knock on the door was soft but persistent. Tedi rolled out of bed, grasping his staff as he rose to his feet. Natia’s head rose off the pillow and stared into the darkness.

“Is that our door?” she whispered. “It sounds too soft.”

“It is our door,” insisted Tedi. “Prepare yourself.”

Natia slid out of bed and reached for her belt while Tedi softly padded into the sitting room and towards the door to the corridor. He moved slowly despite the persistent knocking to give Natia time to prepare. When he heard her come into the room behind him, he reached for the door and unlocked it. He opened the door a crack and peeked into the torch-lit corridor. A Federation officer stood with one hand raised to knock once again. Tedi involuntarily tensed, but when his eyes recognized the man, he threw the door open wide, letting the torchlight flood the room. The colonel marched into the sitting room and tossed some garments on the couch. Tedi promptly closed the door and locked it before lighting a lantern.

“It is the middle of the night,” complained Natia. “What is this all about?”

“The uniform should be a decent fit for Tedi,” stated Garth. “The black cloak is for you.”

“Captain?” Tedi balked humorously as he leaned his staff up against the couch and examined the Federation uniform that Garth had thrown on the couch. “I don’t get to be a colonel like you?”

“That is Colonel Belasko to you, Captain,” smiled Garth. “Get dressed quickly. We have leagues to go, and I want to be out of the city before dawn.”

“It doesn’t take that long for us to get dressed,” frowned Natia. “What aren’t you telling us?”

“We need six horses,” Garth replied. “I require a gypsy to procure them. Make sure that the horses won’t be missed before morning.”

Natia grinned broadly as she snatched the black cloak from the couch and disappeared into the bedroom. Tedi pulled on the uniform while Garth nodded with satisfaction.

“Why six horses?” asked Tedi as Button landed on his shoulder and stared at the pocket of the uniform. “And why the uniforms? Shouldn’t we wait until we are outside the city to put them on?”

“We need to portray soldiers for this mission,” explained Garth, “and we would never get the horses out of the city unless we were soldiers. It is simpler to don our disguises now.”

“And the six extra horses?” Natia asked as she returned to the sitting room.

Garth examined Natia’s disguise. He reached out and pulled her hood further forward to hide her soft features. “Some of Juggler’s men are going with us. Bring the horses to the center of the slums near the healing shop. We will meet you there. Take Button with you just in case.”

Natia nodded and quietly left the suite, the fairy leaping from Tedi’s shoulder and darting out the door with her. Tedi frowned with concern.

“Just putting her in a black cloak will not give her magical powers. What are you up to?”

“She will not need to perform magic,” answered Garth. “She is to play a part just like the rest of us.”

“And what are Federation soldiers and a black-cloak needed for?”

“To steal the king’s crown,” grinned Garth. “I will explain along the way.”

* * * *

General Forshire waited impatiently as he stared at Sergeant Nekra and Morro on the rocks ahead. Eventually his patience wore thin. With a signal to the rest of his men to stay where they were, he mounted his horse and rode forward. Morro and Nekra looked up as he approached.

“I am sorry, General,” stated the sergeant. “Neither of us can follow tracks across bare rock. I am afraid that we have lost them.”

Clint remained mounted as his eyes swept over the rocky terrain. The sun was already touching the peaks of the nearby Barrier, and dusk would soon be upon them. He sighed with frustration and nodded.