Curselock

Chapter 175: Inquisitors

Departing the wagon, Leland and Isobel were stopped by a driver from further up the caravan. The man, darker in complexion like he had sat in the sun all his life, sauntered over, a grand smile on his face. He started speaking to them in an unfamiliar language. When it became apparent there was a disconnect, the man turned and waved over a younger woman.

The woman wore a sleeveless vest and a wide straw hat. She, like the man, had a great smile. They spoke for a moment before the woman spoke with a heavy accent, “Either of you speak Galform?”

Isobel answered, “Mother tongue, yes.”

“I thought so,” the woman continued, the man talking in her ear. “From Palemarrow? Not too many of you types here.”

“Life is strange that way.”

“Right so! My father just wanted to thank you for taking care of the monsters. He says it was the easiest ride he has had from the Graverenders to Jyn in decades. Even when the powerful board his wagons!”

Leland smiled at that. Something as simple as Isobel wanting to sleep and not be disturbed was enough to make these people's lives much easier. It was a shame others wouldn’t do the same, but such was life.

“Glad we could help!” Leland said.

Isobel stole a glare. “’We?’”

The woman looked between them quizzically. She hummed, her father whispering something else. She went back and forth with him in their language for a moment, eventually speaking in Galform, “What are you two looking to do here? Need transportation out of Jyn? I can translate and get you a discount if you wish. I know all of the caravans.”

Before Isobel could answer, Leland did. “That would be great. If you could also recommend a place to eat and stay for the night?”

“Perfect! Name is Kris.” She gestured to herself then to the man beside her. “My father Tor.”

“Well Mr Tor, that was one of the smoothest caravan ride’s I’ve ever had,” Leland said.

Kris translated his words then responded with Tor’s, “Glad we could be of service.”

The driver bowed to Leland and Isobel, patted his daughter on the back, then walked off to deal with the wagons.

“Shall we go?” Kris asked.

Leland and Isobel followed, Isobel with a frown that contrasted with Leland’s smile.

The local showed them through the town, pointing out places to eat and sleep as she went. She told them that every establishment was accustomed to communicating through a language barrier. As it turned out, people from far and wide came to Jyn to study the Archons, which also meant there were plenty of magical shops to explore.

Built mainly with imported wood and stone, Jyn was a melting pot. People from all over rushed around, some carrying thick stacks of books, others walking with sacks of herbs or glass vials. Buildings were short and fortified, whether from monster attacks or internal alchemical explosions. Yet there was a distinct lack of guard presence.

Despite most of the town’s population engaging in dangerous experiments, no one seemed to be at odds with each other. In fact, most people knew each other. Jyn wasn’t small by any means, but it wasn’t too large either. And because most were researching Archons, there was a sense of community.

Kris eventually took them to the transportation depo, a shabby shack with a single attendant sitting inside. She handled herself excellently, brokering passage for two west. Where west? It didn’t really matter to Leland and Isobel. Some routes were harder, others cheaper, but as long as they went west, they didn’t care what towns or cities they visited.

“Are you looking to travel all the way by land?” Kris asked. “Because Noir Stone is a very large port. Travel anywhere in the world from there!”

Isobel kept a straight face, but Leland not so much. “Isn’t that the city the Sprawling Mire destroyed?”

Kris frowned a bit. “That was decades ago. They mostly rebuilt. And besides, the Mire was killed years ago.”

The Sprawling Mire, an unnatural disaster. Originally, the Mire was thought to be an oddity when it came to weather and mana or some powerful monster, but quickly local governments found the truth. The Mire was a single person, one of the strongest earth mages ever known. It was said that during the Mire’s crusades, she could destroy entire towns with a single spell. Swallow them up whole, and leave the ground perfectly level afterward.

Knowing that a city was able to survive an attack from the Mire was a nod to the city itself.

Leland glanced at Isobel. She, of course, was looking elsewhere, scanning through the crowd and the like. He sighed, saying, “Noir Stone sounds like a good goal. Maybe a route there that doesn’t go through the marshes?”

Kris nodded, turning to the travel attendant. She came back with a total. “Nine gold chunks.”

Leland didn’t know how much a “chunk” was. He had only ever used coins. He asked Isobel. “Does that sound right?”

Isobel was staring off ahead and didn’t answer.

Sighing, Leland asked Kris, “Is there a conversation rate for Palemarrow gold coins to ‘chunks?’”

She nodded, “By weight, yes.”

Leland reached for his back pocket, summing a dozen gold coins to his hand from his ring. While not incredibly rare, inventory rings did bring unwanted attention most of the time. Pickpockets were one, another was just normal people gawking at the wealth.

Kris handed the money over, receiving some back in change. She then handed Leland a scratchy piece of paper with a date and time.

“Leaves in two days. Caravan called the ‘Long Whip.’”

Leland made the same gesture to his back pocket, putting the paper into his ring. “It’s going to be dark soon. Mind walking us back to one of those inns you showed us?”

Kris nodded. “Of course.”

And that was what they did. Through the market and research district, past the statue of an artist’s depiction of a “Grand Archon.” Leland read the plaque, learning that the artist had never actually seen an Archon and that there was no such thing as a “Grand Archon.” Still, the statue was rather well made, just too human-like with not enough veils or gems.

At the thought, Leland silently hoped Sapphire made it to wherever she was supposed to be.

As the setting sun cast the town in amber, Leland noticed a change in the air. Maybe it was living in the wild and sleeping under the threat of attack for the last few weeks that had his senses honed. Life or death battles had become commonplace for him and he had yet to relax from that fact.

“Isobel?” he whispered, Kris leading the way just a few steps ahead.

“Inquisitors,” the Huntress spat, her eyes leading a trail through the crowd.

Leland followed it, coming to a man and a woman wearing the familiar colors of the Palemarrow Inquisitors. Their armor was simple polished steel with golden trim and a deep red cloak, one wore a sword on their hip, the other wore black enchanted gloves – a caster of some sort.

“We should—”

“Stop,” Isobel commanded, her eyes turning to those of an eagle. “Can you see what they are holding?”

Squinting, Leland wished he could cast invisibly. He had the perfect contract for situations like this. “Are those wanted posters?”

Isobel growled, spinning on her heel and pushing Leland down the street in the opposite direction, leaving Kris behind. She pushed him quickly, her strength easily overpowering him. Knowing it was futile, he didn’t fight it.

They ducked behind a building. “What?” Leland asked.

“Those posters were of us,” she spat. “Sybil, you, and me. We had ‘dead or alive’ pricing.”

Oh that was… Leland thought for a moment. “How much am I worth?”

Isobel sneered at him.

“I’m just saying—”

“We are fugitives, boy, do you not get it? They think we kidnapped the princess. And if the Inquisitors are all the way over here, then they are desperate.”

Leland gave her a look. “I do get that. But I – we – also know that Sybil was sent home. So, there shouldn’t be a problem, should there?”

Isobel looked at him like he was dumb. “You are a Harbinger and I am a rogue operative. Regardless of the kidnapping thing, you are kill on sight and I am detain on sight with killing me being an acceptable outcome.”

“Sybil wouldn’t allow that to happen. She would protect us. She’s probably already told Aunty P. everything that has happened.”

Actually agreeing to that, Isobel peered past the building. “But information like that takes time to organize and send out. Right now, we are wanted. Maybe those Inquisitors will have their orders recalled, but as of right now, we are in danger.”

Leland saw reason in that. “So we just ignore them, then? Don’t get caught? We are leaving in a caravan in a few days anyway. We can lay low until then.”

Isobel took a long second. “No, no we are not.”

“Don’t tell me—”

“We are traveling by foot.” She smiled. “Or should I say, we are flying.”

Slow realization overcame Leland. He smiled. “We need a place to stay for the night and I’ll need a list of Lords to petition… although, I know the Crow Lord and my Lord have a thing.”

“A ‘thing?’”

“She killed the original Crow Lord years and years ago. It was implied that the current Crow Lord will do anything to stay on her good side.”

Isobel had been leaning past the wall peering at the crowd, but at that declaration she slowly retracted herself. She stared at Leland for more time than was comfortable, then she shook her head.

“Whatever works,” she muttered.