Krystof borrowed the Valois airship in order to beat Tyr to Kochi. While he could use his family"s ship, it would require some negotiations with his father. He had been avoiding his family since he got together with Luna. In no way was he ashamed of their relationship, but he did not want to see their smug faces when they found out. For years his father tried to convince him to pursue her and now it felt like he played right into the family"s wishes.Luna sent a letter to her mother, explaining the situation. She knew Hrod would not have any complaints because Tyr wanted to join a war that he did not need to be in. Since he was the head of the household and still did not have a son, this would anger their mother. The family airship remained docked in Ma.r.s.eille in case Tyr ever wanted to use it. Ever since their father died, he had taken on the responsibilities a.s.sociated with running the family businesses as well.
Tyr had a one week lead on Krystof, but with the use of the airship, Krystof hoped to reach Kochi before Tyr by a week or two. It was an early lead, but he needed to make preparations to ensure he stopped his friend before enlistment happened.
When Krystof got off the ship, he rummaged through his pockets. It was years since he put on the gold ring that had a large aquamarine cabochon engraved with the Lichnowsky crest. He twirled his family ring around in his hands before slipping it onto his finger. The weight of the ring reminded him of the weight of his responsibilities. His parents had continually reminded him of his station in life and how he was not like the other children.
Despite hating everything the ring represented, he still wanted to wear it in Kochi. In this country, he did not want to be taken as a normal civilian. Kochi was a city that kowtowed to the rich and took advantage of the poor. It was very possible for a poor tourist or a civilian to lose their lives here.
The first thing Krystof did was find a room to rent in an upscale area of the city. He then asked the proprietor to hire some men to keep an eye out for Tyr. Of course, he offered a large reward for whoever brought Tyr to him. If possible, he wanted Tyr to come to him before going to the enlistment office.
****
Tyr regretted not turning around to talk with Macha. Under any other condition, he would have been overjoyed that she confessed to him. After days on the road, he realized he acted rashly and hastily formed his a.s.sumptions. Although he loved her, the thought of her betraying him terrified him. If she really did cheat on him, then he feared no one would ever love him.
As he sat under the cool shade of a tree, he picked at a piece of cooked meat. He debated going back to talk with her. It had been two weeks since he left and he replayed the scene and Freyr"s reactions in his mind many times. Tyr rubbed his finger on his lips. The situation was so complicated and he did not know what to do.
Tyr gazed into the distance and looked at Kochi, which was half a day"s travel away. It was a city full of trees and tall skysc.r.a.pers. It had ports, like Ma.r.s.eille, but was located in more of a jungle region compared to Ma.r.s.eille"s hills and valleys. He reflected on how the city"s jungles would be destroyed by their upcoming war. The idea caused him to shake his head in disgust. He hated how wars changed the landscapes and often created more problems than solutions.
While he contemplated the war, Tyr heard a noise coming from his left. He immediately dropped his food and stood up drawing his lances. It was a possibility that Toowoomba"s forces could attack Kochi and they might mistake him for a Kochi citizen.
An adlet appeared, its red fur shone, and it stared at Tyr. She had a pretty human face, with soft features and red hair. From the neck down she possessed a wolf"s body that had powerful muscles which were tense from running. "Are you Lord Tyr Valois?" she inquired. Her voice came out gruff and low.
Tyr lowered his weapons but did not put them away. His cold green eyes studied the woman, "Yes. Why?" He did not expect the adlet to utter his name but realized that people often used them for tracking individuals.
She gave a bow, lowering her head. "I"m Romy. Your friend, Lord Lichnowsky, is looking for you. If you come with me, I can lead you to him." Romy wanted this man to follow her so she could collect the finding bonus. Lord Lichnowsky offered a high reward to whoever brought Lord Tyr to him. She wanted to use this money to relocate her family to a different city since Kochi had been forced into a war with Toowoomba. She worried her pups would be in danger if they stayed.
Tyr put his weapons away and Aži relaxed. "Krystof? Why is he in Kochi?" Tyr felt confident that Romy came from Kochi, it was unlike adlets to travel alone for long distances. Her fur looked clean, so he was certain she had not been in the Outer-Reaches for too long.
Romy shook her head. "You will have to ask him yourself. I don"t know the specifics. Will you please come with me?" It was obvious from his armor that she would not win in a fight against him. The only way she would be able to get the bonus is if he agreed to let her guide him.
Tyr picked up his bag and fixed it on his black lizard mount. "Yeah. Let me put out the fire." Now he wondered why and how Krystof got to Kochi before him. Krystof hated wars more than himself. By nature, his friend was a lover and a bon vivant. The other thing that made Krystof despise war was the fact that he was a clean freak. He hated how dirty he became during wartime.
****
Macha trained with Sierra for over a week before they a.s.signed her to Freyr"s side. At first, he seemed relieved that no harm came to her, but his happiness quickly turned to dissatisfaction. In the end, she only lasted half a day as his personal guard.
While she thought she did a good job, he ordered for her to be transferred to guard duty, overseeing a room they rarely used. In the sweetest voice she ever heard from him, he explained that she had been too business-like and cold. Since Freyr refused to have her be that way around him, he placed her in a boring and safe position far removed from him.
His reaction surprised Macha. She did not understand why he would expect her to act friendly with him while she needed to protect his life. If anything happened to Freyr, then all of Ma.r.s.eille would blame her. It was not a job that would allow her to relax and joke around with him.
Macha stood alone in the dimly lit room, there were no windows and only one door. The only light in the room came from a large sigil which lay on the ground. Since other people actually guarded the door and the hallway, Macha"s job was to just stand in the room. Her commanding officer explained that she did not need to do anything else, her only responsibility was to have her presence in the room.
While Macha let the hours pa.s.s, she exercised and practiced her stances. No one ever came in because the caretaker"s hours were during the night shift and she had the day shift. Macha hated this job and wondered if Freyr would be displeased if she quit. She felt no growth in the job and knew they paid her much more than she should be getting.
While Macha did her 213th pushup, she heard the door opening. She quickly scrambled to her feet and wiped the sweat off her brow. Despite being the sentinel for this room, this was the first time a visitor entered the room for two weeks. The break from the mundane excited her and she wanted to seem as professional as possible. She straightened her back and squared her shoulders.
A young woman who wore a dark grey cloak entered the room. She had black hair and dark brown eyes. When her eyes fell on Macha, she hesitated for a moment but continued with what she was doing. The woman studied the sigil before moving toward it.
Macha greeted the woman but found herself ignored. Deciding to be quiet, she watched as the woman took out a vial of black vitriol and sprinkled it on the sigil. As the woman did this, she looked up to see what Macha was doing, then continued with her task. After she emptied the vial, the woman left and the door closed.
"What an uneventful visit" Macha thought with a shrug. The young woman had not been friendly, but Macha did her job. She went over to peek at what the woman did. The black vitriol looked like hot tar as it ate away at the sigil. The reaction made a strong corrosive odor that burned her nose, but her job was to remain in the room. To lessen the stench, she covered her nose with a handkerchief.
A few hours pa.s.sed and the door opened again. This time Freyr entered the room. He wore a light v-neck sweater and a pair of slacks. It did not seem like he left the palace today since he was dressed so casually.
Macha was ecstatic to have so much action in one day. In a cheerful voice, she exclaimed, "Freyr! What brings you here?"
Freyr took a small candy out of his pocket and handed one to Macha. "I figured you were bored and could use some company. How do you like this position?" He unwrapped a candy for himself and popped it into his mouth. He enjoyed the lemon and honey flavor that soothed his throat. Freyr had been talking in meetings all morning which tired his throat.
It bothered him that despite living under the same roof as Macha, he hardly got to see her. He had been contemplating a solution but also wanted to give her time to get over Tyr. The end of their relationship still was not decisive enough for Freyr and he wanted to double check with his cousin before he pursued her in earnest.
Macha unraveled the sweet and popped it into her mouth. She looked down at the ground. "I"m thankful for the job, but it"s quite boring. I"ve been in here for two weeks and today was the most excitement I"ve ever gotten. Two visitors in two weeks," she stated. Macha held two fingers up to emphasize the number two.
Freyr thought it was odd that Macha held her fingers up with her index and middle finger to indicate the number two. Attributing it to a cultural difference, he smiled. He always enjoyed seeing her, but then he realized she said, two visitors. His brows furrowed, "What do you mean two visitors?" Freyr specifically had Macha put in this room because he wanted her to avoid any danger. No one should ever enter the room during her shift.
Macha nodded her head. "Two. You and that other woman who came in a few hours ago. She did some sort of cleaning or something over there." She pointed to the place where the vitriol had dissolved the sigil.
Freyr"s eyes grew wide. "s.h.i.t." He picked Macha up and ran out the door to find his Cardinal Mage. Macha tried to speak, but he did not have time to answer her. He focused his energy into his legs and sped through the castle to reach the Cardinal"s office.