Page 11 of Veil of Vasara (Fate of the Five #1)

CHAPTER 11- HESTAN

W hat had I been thinking?

What had I been thinking when I climbed onto that roof? My life would have been far easier had I avoided the temptation to give into curiosity. I would have been at the Palace right now, where I was supposed to be, with Dyna. She had assured me she was happy to be left alone for a while, that she felt safe surrounded by Vasara’s guardsman. That was incredibly na?ve of her. Normally I would have informed her of that, but instead, I was doing the dishonourable thing of using her naivety against her, in order to fulfil my own plans.

Her lessons on trust would have to be postponed. I could only hope Dunlan would never hear of this, of any of this.

Audra’s Prince was completely insufferable, as everyone had said he was. His sly grins, crude comments, and endless questions had made me want to shove him into the river we had been standing beside.

Especially his, “Good for you.” It took everything I had not to do so right there and then.

My intuition told me, however, he was far wiser than people had suggested.

As for his renowned cruelty, that was something which could only be confirmed or refuted by time.

Yet I couldn't help but notice he had found the fear he invoked in others amusing rather than satisfying.

He had found everything amusing, on second thought.

And what to make of his request for a green item? I didn’t know whether he needed it for himself, or for someone else, or why a green item would even be important. But I could not afford to ask such questions. Not now.

The man whose house I had unceremoniously invaded back in Kalnasa, Amdir, had told me all about Gendall in the end. He'd told me Gendall had not only sold Noxstone weapons, but rare gems and jewels, some which were almost impossible to find in certain parts of the world.

If anyone had anything green in Vasara, it would be him.

I was walking towards the North of Vasara’s capital city now, Iloris, where Amdir had told me Gendall was last seen. In the “avenues with the steep steps,” he had explained. I was scaling them now, avenues squeezed narrowly between rows of brick houses, inns, shops, and bars. I stopped at the end of one avenue and turned right. I strolled carefully down an even tighter stretch of walkway, and then left.

In front of me, stood three small buildings at a dead end. The one in the centre was Gendall’s workshop if I had followed the instructions correctly.

I looked around me cautiously, nobody was in sight. This part of Vasara was one of the poorest. Some mice scurried past my feet, the only onlookers to my visit. I jumped, gritting my teeth in discomfort as they brushed past my boots.

I had grown up in poverty, surrounded by mice and rats, and yet the creatures made me shudder, even now.

The door to Gendall’s workshop was partially open. I carefully and quietly placed my palm on its yellow painted surface and eased it forwards.

A loud thud and clatter resounded from behind me. An arrow had flown right past my neck, from inside the workshop. It found itself stuck on a sign stretching from one of the buildings lined down the alley.

I very subtly reached behind my head and pulled the spear off my back.

“I’m not here to hurt you,” I declared to the possible assailant inside. “Amdir sent me.”

There was no answer.

“I’m going to enter now. I am not here to hurt you, I have no intention of harming you. I am a friend of Amdir’s.”

A lie yes, but one that would hopefully stop my lungs from being the next target of this person’s arrows.

I tenderly touched the door once again, but before I could apply any force beneath my fingertips, someone grabbed me by the shoulder and pulled me inside, slamming the tattered door behind us.

He had a blade pressed to my chest. “Who are you?”

Before me, I assumed, stood Gendall. He was very short, as was his dark brown hair. He looked like he hadn’t washed in weeks, or changed his clothes for longer. I quickly scanned the room behind him, a workshop yes, but it was in a state of total disarray, as if someone had desperately been trying to find something amongst all the items, or stolen something from them.

“You listening to me, Kalnasan?” He drew my attention back to his bearded face.

I raised my arms up. “Like I said, I’m a friend of Amdir’s. Gendall, I presume?”

“Amdir friends with the likes of you? I find that hard to believe.” He sneered at my clothes, which looked expensive and clearly implied authority.

“Let us say that Amdir and I… have a mutual understanding.”

“Yeah? And let’s say I cut you open, right here, right now.”

Two death threats in one day. How delightful.

“That would be incredibly unwise, since my absence will be noted very quickly.”

“Someone important, are you?”

“You could say that.”

“What do you want?”

“I only want to ask you some questions.”

“That’s what they said,” he sneered.

“Who said?”

As if being shaken from a stupor, the man turned back to me, aggressively pressing the blade harder against my sternum. I was thankful this was not a weapon of Noxstone. If it had been, my heart would already have been removed from my body.

“You’re one of them," he hissed.

“Sir, I am one of nothing, I am simply myself.”

“Lies,” he said through his teeth, but I could see the doubt in his eyes.

“Amdir told me you closed your workshop and stopped your business five months ago, why?”

“I didn’t stop you fool. They stopped me.”

“Who are they ?”

“I’m not telling you shit.”

I held my palms up higher. “I can help you.”

“Nobody can help me.”

“How will you know that, unless you hear what I have to say?” I kept my hands raised, on either side of my head.

Gendall looked at me curiously. He took what felt like several minutes to ponder whether he would listen to me. “Go on,” he finally prompted.

“Someone forced you to stop your business. Did it have something to do with the Noxstone?”

“It did,” he groaned.

I had suspected, but I had hoped I might be wrong.

“An unknown individual or group, with access to the blades has become a threat to my security.” I decided to tell a partial, rather than whole truth. “I need to know more about them, and about who was interested in the weapons. Amdir told me you could help.”

“Did he now?” he sounded irritated.

“Let me finish,” I interrupted him. “You tell me who did this” – I glanced at the state of his workshop— “You tell me more about Noxstone, and I’ll make sure you’re escorted back to Kalnasa safely.”

This would cost more money. Wonderful.

“How can I be sure you’ll keep your word?”

“You can’t, but it doesn’t appear as if you have any other options.”

“At least my other options guarantee my heart will stay beating.”

“For how long?”

“Is that a threat pretty eyes?”

“No…” I sighed at his comment. “It’s a warning. The people who did this to you do not care for your life. I would not rely on their generosity forever if I were in your position.”

After a few moments of contemplation, Gendall removed the blade.

“They took all of them.”

“The weapons of Noxstone?”

He nodded. “Told me if I ever forged another Noxstone blade again, they’d find out about it and kill me, real slow, with those weapons, they said. Noxstone can inflict such pain you’ll wish you were never born. It was easier to close up shop all together, than to explain to the customers why I’d stopped selling those weapons.”

“How many of them were there?”

“It was dark when they came. They took me into the back.” He pointed behind him. “I didn’t see them all, but I think about three, maybe four.”

A discreet operation then. “What did they look like?”

“It was dark, like I just said. They all had their faces covered with some kind of metal masks and they were in dark clothing too. I couldn’t tell if they were men or women neither.”

“How many people bought weapons of Noxstone from you? Did you have any regular customers?”

“A few. But they never gave their names. They usually covered their faces too, but with hoods, cloaks, a scarf, or something.”

Noxstone was hard to acquire, It was no wonder those who managed to do so wished for their possession of such a weapon to remain a secret.

“Can you describe them?”

“How are you going to get me out?” He changed the topic.

I straightened up. “A group I was travelling with is still in the city. We arrived this morning. They are resting now before returning to Kalnasa later. I trust those people implicitly and they trust me. They will take you with them.”

He remained still for a few moments and then nodded in agreement.

“So, these customers?”

“The first was an older, middle-aged man, I think. Tall, pale, auburn, maybe brown hair that I could tell. Another was younger, just grown into manhood, muscular, well built, tanned. I couldn’t see the colour of his hair underneath his hood though. The rest were just occasional buyers.”

“Do you know if there is anywhere you can purchase Noxstone weaponry now? Outside of Audra?”

“As far as I’m aware, no. There were reports of someone in Jurasa selling it around a year ago, but they vanished.”

“The reports or—"

“The seller.”

Troubling. Somebody was trying to either get rid of or acquire all the Noxstone weapons across the Five Kingdoms. Most would assume the obvious culprit to be Audra, in order to ensure they would be the sole owner of the material. But Audra already owned it in such high quantities that removing what little there was across the other Kingdoms would be a pointless task.

“Is that all they said to you?”

“Yes…well, no, they also said they would be watching. They could be watching us right now.”

I groaned. He could have told me that much earlier.

“Do you think they are?” He eyed me worriedly.

“I couldn’t say.”

Yes, I thought, yes, I did think they were watching, which meant I was now a target of theirs.

“But we have little time if they are. Come with me now.” I walked towards the door with Gendall at my heels and suddenly remembered.

“Jewels.”

“What?” Gendall looked baffled.

“You’ll need to take something with you, to sell once you get to Kalnasa, for money. I assume you’re running low. Weapons will be too heavy. Jewels are easy to carry.”

“I…yes, yes,” Gendall stuttered.

“Where are they? Let me acquire some for you quickly.”

Gendall, clearly too perturbed and overwhelmed by the whole situation, agreed almost immediately. He pointed me in the direction of the gems, in the back room.

I stopped abruptly on seeing the collection. There were gems here I’d never seen before. I had seen sapphires, pearls, moonstones, and amethysts in Kalnasa, but I had never seen some of the others. There were those Vasarans wore frequently such as rubies, ambers, and garnets, and those the other Kingdoms adorned like diamonds, aquamarines, topazes, and there…emeralds.

An emerald necklace. It was so simple, one circular ring of emerald upon emerald with small diamonds in between. I lifted it. It was so radiant, so bright, I almost forgot for a moment we were likely being watched by deadly assailants.

I took it and placed it in the pouch by my hips, the one which carried my constantly dwindling gold pieces. I would like to have added more jewels to my own pouch to make up for my losses, but we didn’t have the time, and I didn’t have the heart to steal from this man, even if he had tried to kill me.

I grabbed him by the wrist and led him towards the door, throwing the small bag of jewels I had gathered into his arms.

“Stay here, let me check outside first.”

Gendall remained frozen in place. I stepped outside with a growing sense of unease. I knew how to scout an area. I did so all the time on the Hunt. I couldn’t see anything, but there was a chance someone was out there, and was extremely well hidden.

Still, we would have to take the risk.

I waved Gendall towards me. He didn’t move.

“I can’t stay long. I’m honouring my word. Either I help you now, or not at all.”

Gendall dipped his head and followed me out of his workshop.

The walk back to the Palace was intense and filled with the constant threat of an arrow piercing through our skulls. On it, I realised reluctantly and with great dread, that I would have to get used to such a feeling. Even if nobody had been watching us just now, the people watching Gendall would undoubtedly find out about his escape, and possibly about my association with him, since the people in Vasara had eyes to see with and tongues to speak with.

I was always on my guard, especially in Kingdoms other than Kalnasa, but it seemed I would have to be on it tenfold this time, if I wanted to return to Kalnasa alive.

I left Gendall with two of the guards I had arrived with. One was Captain Mulani. I told them he was a dear friend of a friend, who required safe transport back to Kalnasa. I had done all I could, what he did once he arrived at Kalnasa was up to him.

“A friend of a friend you say?” Mulani regarded me with suspicion.

“That’s right. I hope this will not cause you too much trouble?”

“It won't, Captain,” she said.

Gendall’s eyes shot up in alarm when he heard my title.

“Good luck,” I said to him quietly.

“Thank you,” he replied “Captain?”

“Yes?”

“Be careful.”

Mulani and the other guard were glancing between us with confusion.

“I will.” I smiled tightly and made my way to the river, where the Prince would be.

He was already there. I had assumed he would be late, but he was sitting on the side of the riverbank with one arm resting on his right knee. It was unnerving to see the effect he had on people. It was as if he were the centre of a large circle people dared not cross the boundaries of.

His golden eyes flicked towards my direction as he heard me approach, even from afar. His hearing must have been particularly keen, to detect my footsteps so easily.

He didn’t get up, he patted beside him, suggesting I sit down.

I bent my head down to face him. “Your Highness.”

“Won’t you sit, Captain? I’d imagine your legs are tired after running around on my errand this past hour.”

“I’m a member of the Hunt, Your Highness. If my legs became tired after an hour, I would have succumbed to its ‘perils’ long ago.”

He tilted his neck up, smirking again, most likely at my choice of words, borrowed from his earlier ones. “I understand. You’re a strong warrior etcetera, etcetera.” He swayed his hands in front of him.

He jolted up quickly. His movements were very fast and clean. “Was it successful?”

That is not the word I would have used to describe my encounter with Gendall.

Without answering, I drew the necklace from my pouch. The Prince placed his hand over his mouth, quickly stroking the sides of his face. He laughed, but with his mouth closed, so it appeared more like a vibration in his chest and throat.

“Very good, Captain.” He caressed the gems tenderly, as if afraid to break them.

Then, as swiftly as he had stood, he placed the necklace around his own neck.

“Suits me nicely, don't you think?” He pointed at his neck.

This man was utterly confusing. “It’s… a beautiful piece,” I said carefully.

“As is this.” Contradicting his earlier concerns, the Prince pulled the sword out from his belt and placed it delicately across one of his palms, grasping its hilt in the other.

Gasps could be heard from around us, as the Prince sliced the air with it. “Here.” He walked towards me, holding the end of the hilt, leaving me just enough room to grip the top of it. “Quickly, before I scandalise the whole town.”

I reached for it.

“Don’t” – he placed his hand on top of my arm and drew the blade back towards him – “touch the blade itself. You’re not used to handling this metal, It will slice right through your bone.”

His voice had suddenly changed, taking on a much more serious quality.

I nodded in confirmation of my understanding. I very warily, placed my fingers around the hilt.

The rumours had not been a lie. Holding the sword was almost like holding air itself. It was practically weightless. I could only imagine how hard it would be to train and fight with these weapons. I had trained all my life to move with and wield a blade or spear of some weight in my hand, to balance with it. Going from that, to holding this, being able to interchange between the two weapons and fight with the same level of skill, must have been an incredibly difficult task.

The Prince noticed my stunned silence.

“So? What do you think?” He sounded genuinely curious.

“It’s…How do you wield this, Your Highness?”

The Prince shrugged, “It takes time. I’ve been learning since I was young.”

“Is it easier or harder?”

“Oh, much harder. It requires more focus, more concentration, much more precision.”

“Have you ever taken a life with one?”

The Prince looked confused by the question. “It would make little sense to possess a weapon you had no intent on using, would it, Captain?”

“Not all weapons are used to kill.”

He chuckled “For what then? Polishing?”

There it was, the streak of cruelty people had mentioned, I assumed.

“To defend, to disarm, to protect,” I said dryly.

He closed his eyes and smiled, speaking as he did. “To defend someone from death, to disarm someone to prevent them from killing you, to protect yourself from being mortally wounded… by another weapon.” He opened one eye, looking at me with interest.

“A cynical view,” I replied, dropping my voice.

“Is it?” he asked confidently. I could tell the question was rhetorical.

I was still holding the blade. “Could I come to look at it, from time to time, Your Highness?”

I had to find a way to access this blade again. It was hardly as if I could pull the Noxscroll out in front of the Prince and begin to read it. After all, Noxscroll originated from his Kingdom. It could have been written by someone who knew him, or by the Prince himself.

“You plan on staying in Vasara?” he asked.

“Yes. For the Courting Season.”

Understanding spread across his facial features. “You must be the escort for Kalnasa.”

“Yes.”

“As am I, for Audra.”

The Prince noticed my confusion. Candidates were escorted by members of a King’s army, guards, or warrior personnel, but not a member of the Royal Family or nobility.

“Yes, yes, I know what you’re thinking, but I volunteered. I haven’t been here for a while and wanted an excuse to take a trip away.”

“I thought being a Prince wasn’t so challenging,” I probed him, raising my brows.

Why I had done so, did not make any sense even to myself.

“What happened to ‘Your Highness’ ?” The Prince chuckled, noticing the absence of my formal address.

“Your Highness,” I added flatly.

“Not all my decisions are related to being a Prince.” His voice softened. “You are more than welcome to visit me, Captain. You are by far the least tedious person I have met at one of these Royal events for some time.”

“Thank you, Your Highness, you honour me,” I lied.

“No, I don’t.” He smiled again and outstretched his hand to take his sword back. I passed it to him.

He placed it back in his belt. “I’ll see you at the opening, I take it?”

“You will, Your Highness.”

“Well, at least that means there’ll be somebody I know present.”

I wouldn’t exactly say we knew each other. If anything, I knew him less than when I had only heard rumours of him.

“Do we… know each other, Your Highness?” I asked.

The Prince looked impressed. “We know more than we did yesterday.” He gestured at his sword, then at the necklace around his neck. “And as someone I know and despise has always said, knowledge is a weapon is it not?”

I frowned. He raised his eyebrows, his hand still rested on the gems around his neck.

“Do you intend to use it?” I asked, tensing my fingers behind my back.

“Not unless I have to, Captain.” His voice had taken on that serious quality once more.

This, this was a warning. The Prince knew I wanted the sword for something other than my own personal interest. He had offered to let me see it in the future, but he had also let me know that should the need arise, he would find out what I wanted it for, and he would use that information against me. He would let me see the sword, not out of generosity, but because it would benefit him.

“You will not have to, Your Highness.” I lifted my chin up.

“I very much hope that is true. For your sake.” He looked at me one final time. He began walking backwards at first, then he strolled away, a path cleared for him as he did.

And just like that, the Prince became another person added to the list of those who would watch my every moment.

Just like that, I had gone from being free to having multiple targets on my back.

Which one, I wondered, would be struck first.