A Soldier's Life-Chapter 268: Secret Depths Revealed

Chapter 268: Secret Depths Revealed

I let the men deal with their surprisingly mild hangovers in the morning. I had sampled the ambrosia on a few occasions as a sentry at Kraken Bay. It was a little sweet for my palate, but if you could get it cold, it was better than the best ale. It didn’t take much to get buzzed, and I had never experienced a hangover the following day. I would have to remember to refill the pair of canteens from the black chalice since my companions had drained them.

Ignis gathered the swords and earrings and prepared to make an offer on the smithy. Castile looked much better after a long rest, but her face was still filled with uncertainty. Leaving no room for argument, I told her, “Castile, you and I are going to visit a mage healer this morning. He is an elf and specializes in mages.”

Castile looked skeptical, but changed into her cleanest clothes and joined me. The rest of the men were going to spend the morning on laundry and then register at the Adventurers Guild, Maveith eager to show them the sights. Last night, I had offered to come up with funds for Lirkin to purchase a small tavern or inn in the city, and he was going to scout his options. I guessed the cost would be similar to the smithy, so I would need at least another seven hundred gold.

I shouldered a heavy pack I had prepared for visiting Elaro and left with Castile. As we walked through the city, Castile’s eyes and mind wandered. The myriad of races is what primarily drew her attention. I broke her daze by asking a question. “What do you plan to do now that you are free?”

“Free at a cost,” she murmured testily. She composed herself. “I can still channel aether. It is difficult to focus on casting true spells through the pain, but the spell forms on my core are more manageable. I will find solace as a tutor of magic or perhaps as a bodyguard.” She spoke of the latter profession with derision. Her ability to unweave aether to prevent others from casting spells was one of the spell forms she had inscribed on her core. I assumed that was why she was considering being a bodyguard. Maybe she had planned for the others to join her in the enterprise.

“Why not the Adventurers Guild?” I inquired.

In a tired voice, Castile responded, “I am spent. Not just from being burnt. As a woman mage commander, I could not have a family until after my service was completed. Maybe now …” Her voice faded. We walked for a while before she spoke again. Her throat was a little tight. “Adrian and I … he always said … after we had both escaped the Legion.”

That was shocking news, as I had never seen them be affectionate with each other. Castile chuckled, seeing my bewilderment. “Not with Adrian. We just planned to start families after the Legion. He was always more of a paternal protector than a lover.” I nodded but didn’t want to discuss our dead comrades. We had reached Elaro’s villa, and I spent a moment explaining the flag and the nation of Milvanoris before we knocked.

It wasn’t long before we were seated in his study. Castile marveled at the private library. “I see you have brought a lovely friend with you. Are you experiencing more symptoms, or is this a social visit?”

“My recovery is going well,” I said, as Castile’s questioning look shifted from me to the elf. “We are not here for me today, but for my friend here. Castile has burned her aether channels, and I was hoping you knew of a remedy.”

The elven noble reclined and his lips tightened. “Aether burn. There is only one cure: apex channeling essences.” Castile tensed as hope fled her. “If she doesn’t want to use her aether, I can shield her core as I did for you. It will remove her ability to cast spells, but she will no longer feel any pain. It is a fragile containment, and attempting to use any aether will shatter it.”

“That is not an option,” Castile hissed moodily.

Elaro shrugged. The old elf looked sympathetic, but not invested in Castile’s decision. “The only other thing I can offer is a draft that will numb your pain some. I don’t suggest it, since it is addictive and also numbs your other senses as well. But if you are having trouble sleeping, it can give immense relief.”

“Thank you for your time,” Castile said, ready to leave.

“You are not alone,” Elaro consoled Castile. “I have seen dozens of mages in my time with burnt channels. If it is recent, know that you will adapt in time. The body is amazingly resilient, and you can overcome the pain with some mental training to push aside the effects and form spell forms normally.” I had only lost one point of potential and had managed to acclimate to the burn, but I didn’t mention it. I didn’t want to reveal that my aether burn was cured.

“Can you teach her?” I asked for Castile, who wore a mask of despair.

Elaro exhaled slowly. “While I have knowledge of techniques, I am not a teacher.” 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Ignoring his hesitance, I pulled a bottle of elven red wine from my pack and placed it on the table to my right. “How many lessons would this procure?” I had planned to use the wine as payment for a cure, but since no cure was available, the lessons would do.

Elaro licked his lips instinctively, and I could tell he had enjoyed the last bottle, weakening his negotiating position. “For you, my friend, three dozen.”

“Excellent,” I said, smirking as I added five more bottles, one at a time, from the pack. “That is 216 lessons. Is that enough to learn the techniques?”

Elaro laughed at my bravado. Castile quickly figured out where the bottles had come from by the dust coating them. “I figured I could instruct her successfully in thirty lessons, which is why I offered thirty-six.” He gestured at the bottles. “Do you even know the value of what you have dancing on the edge of the table?”

“I suppose this is where you tell me I overpaid,” I said, laughing softly but not really concerned.

“Quite so,” Elaro said, smiling. He rose from his oversized reading chair and walked to the small table, starting to clean the dust off the bottles. “Each bottle is worth a few dozen gold on its own for the artwork and the preservation runes woven into the glass.”

He worked through the bottles as he talked. “The Caelorian elves were master craftsmen, and the artwork reflects the wine’s deeper meaning—not that I can discern it without some research. The wine itself …” He paused, considering. “I couldn’t place a value on it. To a drunkard—a silver. To a human king or wealthy merchant, for the prestige of drinking wine over a thousand years old—maybe a hundred gold. A few-fold of that to the right elf who can truly appreciate it—and afford it.”

Castile was looking on, somewhat numb to the sums being mentioned. I could see her thinking and read her thoughts. We had left behind thousands of these bottles in Caelora. “What would you pay for a bottle?” I asked.

Elaro sighed. “While I am not destitute by any means, I do not have extensive funds. My income is minimal, and as I informed you on your last visit, I frequently assist refugees from my defunct kingdom.”

It didn’t take me long to make an offer. “Are there those in Gramney that could pay the price? Would you be willing to serve as a broker for four bottles and keep the fifth as your fee?” The sixth bottle was for Castile’s lessons. I added quickly, “Of course, leaving the true origin of the wine out of the equation.”

Elaro’s eyebrows danced in amused thought. “Perhaps. The ambassador from Esenhem, for one, would pay.” He started to nod. “I agree to your offer.” We shook wrists on it.

“You can give the gold to Castile,” I said, stepping back after we shook. Elaro seemed eager to peddle the wine, and I assumed it was a way for him to gain some prestige in the court.

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As we were walking back, Castile said, “You didn’t have to do that.” I didn’t know which part she was referring to—the lessons or selling the wine.

I shrugged as we walked. “It’s fine. I still have fifty bottles in my space. I will leave a dozen more with you.” I didn’t notice that she had stopped walking for a few steps. I walked back and collected her. “Lirkin is staying behind to watch over you, Castile. He is looking to purchase a tavern or inn. You can facilitate its purchase with the coin Elaro gets for you.”

“What else are you hiding in your space?” she said, trying to hide a smile at my loyalty and generosity. I may not have been able to solve her aether burn, but she was being put in a comfortable position. I didn’t want to give her false hope, but Maveith’s homeland was supposedly flush with manticores, and those creatures had yielded channeling essences for me. I had no idea if I could gather the amount required to heal Castile, or if my path would even take me there, so I didn’t mention it.

I handed her a hot meat bun, which she juggled for a moment before biting into it. Even though no one was near us, I sent an earth pulse out to confirm we were alone and to reveal anyone invisible. Satisfied, I continued talking. “I have collected quite a few odds and ends. One of them I was hoping for your help with.”

“This is good,” she said, about the meat bun. “What do you need help with?” Her mood had changed drastically since she had gained some hope for the future. I wasn’t sure about revealing the full power of my dimensional space to Castile, but she could keep my secrets. She already knew I was an otherworlder.

“A First Citizen Mage,” I said as we walked.

She thought about it for a moment. “It shouldn’t be hard to dispose of the body. Just bury it in the woods. Why do you need my help?”

“The problem is, she is still alive. I just don’t want Benito and the others to know. I am not sure if they can keep it a secret.” Castile had stopped walking again, the meat bun hovering in front of her mouth. I had to walk back and collect her again. Since she was paralyzed, I continued talking normally. “Her name is Selene Greco. I was tasked with killing her by Centurion Sergius when I was a Hound. I don’t think she will be happy or cooperative when I bring her out.”

I waited for Castile to process this. The street was fairly empty, but I sent out another earth pulse to ease my paranoia. It would be best to move the conversation inside. I ushered her into a small tavern and got a private booth. It was still early morning, and the place only had one other customer. I ordered drinks and food for us and waited for Castile’s disbelief to catch up with the conversation. She eventually spoke. “You have a mage in your dimensional pocket—alive?”

“Yes. She is bound, poisoned, and sedated, so she can’t use her magic, but yes, I do.” Some crispy fried bread was placed in front of us. It was a bit too greasy, but I took a bite, and it reminded me of garlic bread.

Castile was slowly processing the implications. “Then …” I nodded before she finished. “And when …” I nodded again. “Why did you stay in the Legion?”

I shrugged, keeping my voice low. “I am just an ignorant otherworlder, Castile. If I thought I could have run, I would have. Konstantin kept telling me it was a death sentence, and I believed him. Now, what are we going to do about the mage?” I didn’t want to discuss my dimensional space further, which she understood by my tone.

Castile ate numbly for a time before returning to the topic of the mage. “The Grecos? I heard something about the orcs killing Baron Greco,” Castile said. “They had a daughter, but I don’t know if I ever met her. My company cleared one of their deep silver mine shafts of kobolds four or five years ago. The Baron was a reasonable First Citizen for the power he wielded and even entertained the company for two days at his estate to thank us.”

“Duke Octavian and Centurion Sergius had them killed to get their silver and gold mines. You have something in common. You both hate Duke Octavian.” Castile was staring at me like she didn’t know me. I just sipped on my sour ale and waited for her to catch up.

“If you can … then did you kill creatures with it?” Castile guessed. I was surprised she had made the connection so fast.

“Yes. The bulette, manticore, and wyvern. It is also how Maveith and I survived the dungeon, but we had to bloody our weapons many times as well. Yes, he knows.” It sounded like I was boasting, so I felt the need to add my failure too: “The summoner was too strong and resisted, so I had to kill him the hard way. I killed his ice drake that way.” It felt good getting the secret off my chest.

I could see Castile had an avalanche of questions. I tried to answer them as quickly as I could. I wasn’t surprised when she asked if I had kept any food from the company in the Ruins of Caelora. I admitted I had the summoner’s apprentice pack and that there had been a few days of food in it, but I hadn’t known about it until after I entered the dungeon.

Castile slowly acclimated to the new reality of what a monster I truly was. Her disposition had changed greatly in the last few hours. “I will take care of your mage problem,” she affirmed after I answered her bevy of questions.

“Great. I will leave her with you when we leave. She has a pack of gold and silver trinkets that should placate her when she finds herself alive and gets them back. Her ring and amulet were given to Centurion Sergius if she asks about them.” I had taken the aether shield amulet from Corvus, but I was not returning it—I considered it a transportation fee.

Another thought occurred to me. “Her two legionnaires may come looking for her. Helena and Sylph. I gave them a clue she might be here, but I don’t know if they will puzzle it out.”

I let Castile finish her meal, as she needed the calories. “Are you ready to return to the others?” I asked. Castile still looked at me like she didn’t know me, but at least the initial shock had worn off.

When we got back to the suite, it smelled foul. The men had laid out all the gear in their packs and were repacking with new gear and rations they had purchased at the Adventurers Guild. Drying clothes hung from cordage strung across the room, adding to the unpleasant odor.

Guild medallions hung proudly from their necks as they worked. “Look, Eryk.” Benito held up his token. “They let me join! Mateo thought they might not because there was a height requirement, but there were three dwarves in the common room there, so I knew I was tall enough!” Mateo hid his amused snicker.

Maveith’s deep voice cut through everyone’s conversations. “We got everything we need. Do you want us to get horses as well? I don’t know how to ride.” I considered the question. There were large mounts for someone of Maveith’s bulk, but I was uncertain of the cost and availability.

“I will check with the portal office this afternoon. If there are no scheduled portals to Artiria, we will get everyone a mount,” I announced. It appeared I was going to be in charge of our little band—or at least I was going to be the one paying our way.

Ignis returned a short time later. She had liquidated the platinum earrings and runic weapons. She had a tentative agreement for the smithy she wanted in place. I thought about waiting for her to craft everyone armor, but I knew Maveith had waited long enough. He had been patient, but I could see the delay weighing on him.

Everyone had piecemeal leather armor to go with their black legionnaire greaves and vambraces. It made us look like proper mercenary adventurers. It looked like they still had their runic weapons from Caelora, but they had wrapped their hilts to hide their true natures.

When Lirkin returned, I took the opportunity to leave and check the portal office. I left some silver for them to get food from the tavern below. Maveith joined me as I left the inn. “We are leaving soon?” he asked as we walked, handing me a pouch. I took the pouch and checked it, curious. It contained several gold coins. “Your half of the payment for delivering the message from Sanco to the Guildmaster here.”

“You can keep it.” I handed it back to him. There were about twenty gold in the pouch. “We will leave as soon as we can. We still need to find an orc guide, but we can do that tomorrow. If we can’t find one here, we can get one in the Caliphate.”

Maveith talked as we walked, telling me about his morning and their time in the Guild Hall. Maveith had paid for the others to register, and there had been no issues other than a few people recognizing their accents as Telhian. He got the impression that Telhians were not well liked.

When we reached the portal office, Fortuna was smiling on us. A tentative portal to Artiria was scheduled for four days later. The cost was five gold per person and ten gold for a horse. We were definitely not getting any mounts, and it was time for Ginger to get used to my dimensional space.

Maveith was confused when I only paid for passage for six people. “Is Ginger staying with Castile? Who is the sixth person?” he asked as we walked back to the inn.

“I cleared some space for Ginger. The sixth person is the orc guide if we find one. I didn’t want to risk the portal getting sold out,” I explained. The number of people was limited for each teleport, but we had gotten lucky, as the portal registry had recently opened. There was a chance the portal would not occur if the elven displacement mage didn’t arrive, though.

“Ginger will fit? Will I fit too?” Maveith asked, more as speculation than practicality.

“Maybe one day we will find out,” I said, laughing menacingly.

“You will not cage me, foul mage,” Maveith said in mock worry, moving to the other side of the road in jest.

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