BOOK 12: CHAPTER 15: CITADEL

15 – Citadel

Victor stood with arms folded, face devoid of expression, as he ran his eyes over his three young charges. He was pleased to see they were taking things seriously. Each was dressed professionally. Cora wore a pleated gray skirt and a stylish hand-embroidered yellow blouse. Deyni and Dalla both wore slacks, though Deyni’s vest-style blouse kept her wiry, muscular arms bare, and Dalla sported a more conservative, silken blouse with a matching capelet.

Their clothes were finely made, and their accessories—polished belts, shoes, and glittering jewelry—announced their high status. Bloodshot eyes and puffy skin told Victor the tale of a sleepless night, however. Considering their relatively high Energy levels, he had a feeling their exhausted status had more to do with too much alcohol and perhaps some tearful goodbyes.

“You look presentable,” he said, nodding slowly as he summoned his portal array. Holding the components in outstretched hands, he said, “Cora, prepare the portal.”

She rushed to comply, and Victor scanned the crowd that had gathered, against his wishes, on the grassy meadow to watch them depart. Thayla saw him looking and waved, so he relented and returned the gesture. He supposed he couldn’t blame them. The adults—guardians and household staff alike—were worried about the girls. It was their first time off-world, and the lack of escorts accompanying them had caused more than a few to approach Victor to voice their concerns over the last few days.

Even Efanie had come to him with second thoughts that morning, but Victor had held firm. He looked back at the girls before someone else could catch his eye and grow bold enough to approach again. “Did you remember your texts?”

Dalla nodded. “Yes, sir. We both have all of our school texts and the books you gave us.”

“And you remember the name of the Degh chieftain who you’ll be reporting to?”

“Lord Ardek,” Deyni replied. Even she had lost her familiar, teasing tone with Victor. Her left hand worried at the leather tail of her belt, and he knew she wasn’t aware of the nervous fidgeting. There wasn’t a chance she’d let it show if she was.

“Done, Victor—um, sir.”

Victor smiled at Cora. “You can call me Victor in private. When we’re in the presence of other leaders or military commanders, though, be sure to use my honorifics.” He turned toward Deyni and Dalla. “That goes for you two as well, though I won’t be with you long. Ardek is meeting us on the other side; I just messaged him.”

He heard Deyni catch her breath, and he looked at her expectantly. After a second’s pause, she blurted, “I thought we’d have more time with you. To, um, get familiar with the, um…”

“Zaafor,” Dalla hastily filled in for her.

“Right, the world and the city,” Deyni added, releasing her belt and clutching at Dalla’s hand.

Victor squatted before them. He’d increased his height to something more appropriate for dealing with the Degh—fourteen feet or so. “Relax, you two. We’re sharing Farscribe books, and you can contact Efanie and Thayla the same way. You’re going to be fine. Think of all the adventurers and soldiers who started their careers even younger than you.” He stretched out a massive hand, making it into a fist. “Come on. Give it a punch. Show me what you’re made of.”

Deyni immediately grinned and punched his knuckles with a thwap. Dalla was a little slower to act, but soon she grunted and added her fist to the mix. Victor chuckled, nodding. “That’s what I’m talking about. Don’t be afraid to be fierce, but always consider the consequences of your actions…and words.”

Finally, some of Deyni’s spunk resurfaced as she said, “You’ve told us that a thousand times, Victor!”

“Must be important, then, yeah?” He winked at her, then stood, clutching the destination orb for his portal array. “Ready? It’s probably going to be noisy. Ardek’s sure to have put together a crowd.” When the girls all nodded, he focused on a memory of the great courtyard outside the Warlord’s citadel. With it firmly in mind, he sent some Energy into the orb. It took longer than usual, and Victor felt the drain on his Core for several seconds, but eventually, the portal crackled to life. “This is just about the furthest this portal array can reach, I think. Zaafor is in this section of the universe, but it’s a good distance from Sojourn and Fanwath.”

“Is—” Deyni licked her lips, glancing at the grassy slope where her mother and Tellen stood with the others. “Is it safe?”

“Yeah, sure it is. The portal won’t form if it’s too far.” Deyni was still looking toward her parents, so he added with a chuckle, “Go on, give them another hug.” He waved his arm. “You too, Cora and Dalla. Hug Miss Efanie goodbye.”

As they ran off, he stood with folded arms, watching. Thankfully, their last-minute extra goodbyes were quick, and they hurried back, sniffling and wiping at their eyes. After they’d gathered themselves, Victor waved to the assembled adults and stepped through the portal.

The heat of the Zaaforian sun bore down on him as he emerged from the other side, and the thunderous crash of thousands of giant-sized boots hitting the cobbles ensured he was wide awake. As horns blared a fanfare, and drums sounded the rhythm of their steps, an honor guard of giants, resplendent in their dress uniforms and black-plumed helmets, escorted the former War Captain Black toward Victor and the shimmering portal. 𝐫𝐚𝐍οBÊ𝐒

“Lord Victor!” Ardek roared, slamming his fist to his chest. Victor nodded, his obsidian crown tilting on his brow as he regarded the assembled army. Then, he thumped his own fist against his chest in a matching salute.

“Lord Ardek. It’s been too long.”

The giant—fallen titan, really—stepped forward with his hand extended, and Victor smiled, grasping it. As they shook, the three girls emerged from the portal. A second later, a fifth traveler burst through the magical doorway with a piercing shriek. Victor released Ardek’s hand and shaded his eyes, squinting into the sky, watching as Deyni’s juvenile drake flew high overhead.

“I told him to stay!” Deyni cried.

Victor shook his head. “Just don’t let him fly outside the city. There are creatures in the wastes who will see him as a snack.”

As he spoke, the portal shimmered and faded—Cora had remembered to collect the portal stones before stepping through. Victor turned to regard the girls, clasping Ardek’s shoulder as he motioned for Cora to step forward. “May I introduce Cora, my ward and Regent Apprentice?”

Cora’s cheeks flushed as she curtsied. Ardek took her tiny hand in his, bowing deeply. “I am honored.”

As the Degh Lord straightened, Victor gestured to Deyni and Dalla. “And these two—Mistresses Deyni and Dalla, Spirit Casters of renown—who are here, at great personal expense to aid you in the recovery of your Ancestor Stone.”

The two girls curtseyed and, to Victor’s surprise and delight, Ardek fell to his knees before them, bowing his head. “I am at your service, Mistresses! My people will forever sing your song; your names will be marked—nay, your likenesses will be sculpted in places of honor, and my children’s grandchildren will know your stories!”

As Deyni and Dalla looked at Victor in alarm, he chuckled softly and put a hand on Ardek’s shoulder. “You honor us with your praise and deference, old friend. Still, it is I who should be thanking them. Did I not promise you that I’d help with your Ancestor Stone?”

“And you have. By removing the Warlord, you’ve allowed us to pursue peace and to search for the fragments. Rest assured that your name will be written in our history books as well.” He grunted as Victor put a hand under his arm and pulled him to his feet, then he gestured to the great, hulking fortification at the center of the vast square. “Speaking of shards, do you think you’ll have time to retrieve those that the Warlord held in his citadel?”

“It’s why I’m here.” Victor nodded toward the assembled army. “Nice of you to put on this display, but I’ll go ahead into the citadel now. Cora will accompany me, but I’ll leave these ladies to your care. See that they’re well-treated.”

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“Like my own daughters!”

Victor nodded, turning to look Deyni in the eyes. “Remember what I told you about your totems.”

She nodded. “Always summon them before Spirit Walking here.”

“That’s right. Lord Ardek will see that you’re guarded, but there are factions on Zaafor who hate the idea of peace, and they’ll do anything to disrupt the reconstruction of the Ancestor Stone.”

“Lord Victor speaks true,” Ardek replied, “but let it be known that I will swim in my own blood before you come to harm.”

Victor clapped his shoulder again. “Let’s not let things come to that.” As Ardek nodded, Victor turned and motioned for Cora to follow him. “Let’s get to work.”

“Wait!” Ardek cried. “We have a parade prepared, and a great feast!”

Victor laughed, shaking his head. “Thank you, Ardek. I’m honored by your people’s generosity; however, the ones who deserve their attention are here.” Victor pointed at Deyni and Dalla, who both glared at him while valiantly remaining silent. “As for me, my time grows short. I have much to do on many worlds, and I begin to feel the pressure of those demands.” He waved a hand toward the enormous square stone structure. “I don’t know how long it will take me to unravel the mysteries of that citadel, but before I leave, I’ll get you your Ancestor Shards, and I’ll install an…ambassador to Zaafor in this place.”

Ardek nodded. “As you say, Lord Victor. I will have someone stationed outside the gates at all hours, awaiting word from you.”

“Good. Until then.” Victor nodded to the Degh commander, then, without another word, he started down the avenue created by the assembled soldiers, smiling as the front row on either side stomped their feet and tilted their great polearms in salute. He could hear the falter in Cora’s steps before she hurried to keep up with him. She’d never been in the presence of so many giant-sized individuals. She’d never even seen a military display of that size.

The veterans of the Ninth back home put on parades now and then, but they were small, quaint affairs in comparison. The drums pounded, the horns blared, and the long walk to the citadel must have felt like miles to the poor girl. Still, she had Victor beside her; meanwhile, he’d tossed Deyni and Dalla to the wolves. “So to speak,” he said to himself, chuckling. It wasn’t like they’d be treated as anything less than royalty.

Cora didn’t seem to notice him speaking to himself; it wasn’t surprising, considering the racket of drums and horns. When they finally passed into the shade of the gatehouse, the Degh sergeants hollered out commands, and the soldiers turned and began to march. Victor had a feeling that they were escorting Deyni and Dalla to the “parade,” and he chuckled again, clicking his tongue. “Pobrecitas

.”

“Deyni and Dalla?” Cora asked.

“Yeah. They’re going to be overwhelmed for a while, but it’ll be good for them.”

“I suppose you think the same of me.”

“Something like that.” Victor walked up to the enormous metal-bound gates. They were sealed with magic, and he could feel the pulse of the Energy as he approached. The seal was centered on a silver plate that had been nailed over the hair-thin gap between the perfectly balanced gates. Runes were etched in the surface—a powerful binding spell—but they were attuned to him, waiting for him to dismiss them, or so Ardek’s correspondence had indicated.

Victor put his hand on the metal plate, and, just as promised, he felt the powerful binding Energy unravel. The nails disappeared in puffs of smoke, and the plate slid out from under his palm to clang against the black marble tiles. “That’s that, I guess.”

“You disarmed the wards?”

“They were crafted for me. I only had to touch the plate.”

“You must be well-respected here.”

Victor chuckled. “Wasn’t it obvious?”

Cora licked her lips, glancing back to the enormous courtyard where the tail-end of the army could still be seen marching down the broad boulevard. “I mean, of course, yes. I’m sorry, I’m a little flustered.”

“We’re not in Kansas anymore, huh?”

“What? Kansas?”

Victor waved a hand. “Forget it—just a stupid saying from my homeworld. Honestly, I’m not even sure where I learned it. That’s the problem with all these points in intelligence: I find myself pulling up memories that used to be totally lost to me.”

“Intelligence is a focus of yours?” Cora sounded shocked, and Victor laughed, giving her shoulder a shove.

“Don’t you start with that shit! Are you trying to fill Edeya’s shoes?”

Cora blushed furiously, shaking her head. “I didn’t mean it like that, Victor! I swear! It’s just I always assumed…” She trailed off, shaking her head and muttering in embarrassment.

Victor let her off the hook, grabbing hold of the left-side gate and pulling. The great door creaked open, revealing the grand, boulevard-sized central corridor of the Warlord’s citadel. Cora gasped in amazement, stretching her neck to peer up at the cavernous ceiling, her eyes drawn to the frescoes and sculptures carved into the dark marble of the canyon-like walls.

“Something else, isn’t it?”

“And it’s yours?” Cora asked, looking at Victor, wide-eyed.

“Yep. I claimed it when I killed the Warlord. When I brought the news of his death and delivered the Ancestor Shard I’d been carrying to Ardek, I told him I wanted the citadel. He agreed, but asked that I not try to fill the Warlord’s shoes, ruling over the world. I accepted his terms, but not because I had to—because I wanted to see the people of this world have a chance to have a taste of freedom.”

“Amazing,” Cora breathed, walking forward, her hard-soled shoes clicking on the marble. “It’s empty?”

Victor nodded. “Should be. Ardek’s soldiers chased everyone out before he sealed it.” Victor started forward, and Cora had to hustle to keep up. “Let’s go. I know a few things about this place, but I have a plan for finding its deeper secrets.”

“A plan?” Cora asked, already short of breath as she jogged to keep up with his giant-sized strides.

“Yep.”

Victor led her through the park-like central atrium, pausing only briefly to see that the System stone was still there, locked behind the gates that had kept the public at bay for centuries. The guardians and the strange, porcelain-fleshed attendant were gone. Victor wondered how they’d responded to their freedom. Were they still in Coloss? On Zaafor? Had the otherworldly woman returned to whatever world she called home?

He pushed the questions from his mind and walked through cavernous, echoing corridors, up stairs—Cora used the human-sized steps, and he the giant ones—and then, after a mile or more of winding hallways, he came to the steps leading to the Warlord’s cultivation chamber. “Any guesses what’s behind that door?” he asked, gesturing to the massive, rune-covered metal barrier.

“A treasury?”

Victor tilted his head, considering. “I guess that’s kind of accurate. It’s the Warlord’s cultivation chamber, and I’m sure the objects inside are worth as much as whatever he’s got in his actual treasury.” Victor climbed the steps and put his hand on the metal control plate, hoping against hope that the Warlord had neglected to revoke his permissions to access the chamber. His hopes were in vain: the metal was cool to the touch, and nothing happened when he pressed against it.

“Can you open it?” Cora asked, panting as she leaned on her knees to regain her breath.

“I’m sure I can smash through with Lifedrinker, but I have another idea. See this?” Victor pointed to an intricate, circular keyhole beside the control plate.

“There’s a key?”

“Yeah. If this were my cultivation chamber, the key would be in my spirit space—”

“Wouldn’t it be lost then, since the Warlord is dead?”

Victor nodded. “Yeah, but I was talking about me, not the Warlord. You see, this cultivation chamber had existed for hundreds of years before the Warlord had a spirit space. Something tells me that he had it stashed in his citadel—probably in the same place where he kept other valuable things—before he developed a spirit space. I’m hoping he was a creature of habit and wouldn’t have moved it.”

“It makes sense,” Cora agreed, holding up a finger as she made her point. “Since the door was attuned to him, he’d have no reason to seek out the key. His touch would open and lock it.”

“Yep, exactly.” Victor concentrated briefly, then, with a flood of inspiration-attuned Energy, summoned his pack of coyotes. They burst from white-gold clouds of Energy, yipping and crying, pacing around the landing and the stairs. They sniffed Cora, rubbing against her legs like giant cats, and she giggled with delight, running her hands through their brindled fur.

“I haven’t seen them in ages!”

Victor chuckled. “Okay, you little shits, quit trying to get extra pats and do your job.” He concentrated, using his will to convey what he wanted, and then the coyotes, one by one, stood on their hind legs and sniffed the control plate and the keyhole in the door. “Find something that smells and feels like that. Can you do it, hermanitos?”

Yipping and crying, they ran off, and he could hear their howls and cries echoing through the hallways of the citadel. Cora watched after them, a smile plastered on her face. After a minute, she looked at Victor, still beaming. “They’re so amazing! Can they really smell out something like that?”

Victor rubbed his chin and shrugged. “I think so. Their senses are far beyond yours and mine—they have a knack for finding things, too.”

“Do you think you could help me with a spell? Miss Efanie was trying, but she said she needed to do some research.”

Victor cocked his head at her, curious about the change in subject. “What kind of spell?”

“It’s different from what you and my sisters cast to summon your totems, but I think it’s related. I’m basing it on a familiar-summoning spell that I learned at the academy. Well, I didn’t learn it, but I found it in one of the texts.”

“A familiar, huh?”

“Based on a spell like that, yes. However, I’m borrowing aspects of Deyni and Dalla’s Spirit Totem spell. I want to use blood-attuned Energy to create a familiar, but I want to imbue it with a shard of my spirit, the way your magic does with your totems.”

“Sounds… intriguing!” Victor had an image flash through his mind—one in which he and Cora were poring over a spell pattern on one of the tables in his spirit space. He didn’t need to question why the thought occurred to him; he wanted to look at her spell idea through the lens of elder magic, and he didn’t want the damn System to know about it. He didn’t want to get Cora labeled as a disruptor—at least not yet.

“So you’ll help me?” she asked, grabbing his sleeve and peering up at him earnestly.

“I’ll think about it. You can show me what you have, but not right now. Right now, I’ve got a lot on my—” He stopped speaking suddenly as one of his coyotes sent him a mental alert. It had found something that felt like what it was hunting for, but also something else—something dangerous.

“Cora, get out your rapier”—he’d yet to give her an axe—“and stay behind me. We need to check something out.”