Completed The Noblest of Deeds

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair only nodded with a soft smile. There was nothing that needed to be said. They had accomplished the mission, or they would when Walter was finally taken back to Vel Anir.

A sense of relief was beginning to wash over Alistair, but a part of him told himself not to let down his guard, yet. The other part wanted this to be done. They had pulled out the mission that Berenger probably did not think they had a real shot at. Sure, he had come close to killing his friend, but that was nothing to worry about.

"Good job, Kristen."

Kristen Pirian

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Her smile only brightened.

Saydor handed the bottle of whiskey to Walter, and the latter said, "Alistair, Kristen, let us go then."

Stepping out from Walter's room and back into the hallway, everything felt so good now. Far gone was that trepidation the day before that this might turn out like Salesia, departed was that slow burn of anticipation as they had waited for night to fall today, and even was there some appreciable alleviation of the turmoil she had experienced only just moments prior with Walter's confession. They had done it. She and Alistair had done it! When the nation depended upon them, when they were the last line before the final recourse of war, they had met the demands of their duty and saw them through cleanly.

A bubbling euphoria for their triumph was rising in Kristen's chest.

"I don't suppose either of you have yet made a habit of drinking," Walter said as they all walked through the hallway.

"Not I," said Kristen. "Other than the occasional wine, I find drinking to be rather distasteful."

Walter chuckled, as did Saydor, and the former uncorked the whiskey and took a drink straight from the bottle, seemingly to care little in the moment for how it looked.

"If you live as long as I have in this life, Kristen," said Saydor, "you'll find a vice."

A little glance then from the Dreadlord to Alistair, suggesting the same of him.

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair graciously accepted the drink and took a swing.

"I drink socially."

It was often polite to drink when dealing with others. It also just happened to be that Alistair had 'social' situations more and more, recently. A social event was not always him enjoying talking with others, but more often than not having to deal with others.

He could not help but realize he had been drinking a lot more since he murdered his dad. Maybe murdering went well with alcoholism.

Kristen Pirian

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Saydor seemed amused by it. In something of a good way, at least by Kristen's lights.

To Alistair the Dreadlord said, "You'll do fine."

As they reached the balcony of the grand staircase in the foyer, Walter said, "Many a man has sought the solace of liquid courage." With a tiny smile and a singular, throaty laugh he added, "It makes speaking with Theodore easier these days."

They started down the staircase.

Saydor said, "Will he press for Jurin, Kelos, and myself to abandon your side?"

"Undoubtedly," Walter said, his hand gliding down one of the staircase railings. "But one good thing about this new 'Reservist' situation is—"

The front doors of Walter's Estate burst open. A group of men in light armor poured in, each of them panting heavily from what must have been a thoroughly exhausting sprint. The lead man looked up, his eyes finding Walter, and he exclaimed, "Lord Banick! They're here! A Republic Army!"

Kristen glanced sidelong to Alistair. She wasn't particularly worried, but the arrival of an Army would almost certainly prove to be hassle, unnecessarily complicating matters and making things take longer. Seemed the efforts of both Berenger and Logan Banick couldn't stop this inefficiency of the Republic from exposing itself.

"Blessed Aionus..."

What inelegant timing.

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair was about to bring the bottle back to his lips for a second drink when the guards ran into the room. He sighed, he had hoped that Logan would be able to hold out for a bit longer, but the Anirian army truly had impeccable timing.

While the inefficiency of the situation annoyed him, Alistair continued moving forward and looked back at Kristen and the others with a surprising degree of confidence for someone of his age.

"No worries. We are already done here...I will handle it."

As they continued towards the wall, Alistair began to trace a rune in the air that follow him as they walked. With the backing of Berenger, and likely the Banick family would be more than happy to end this, so the situation should be well within their hands.

Kristen Pirian

 

[Kristen Pirian]

"You two are earning your marks today," Walter said, and then came a delayed laugh. The thought that an ordeal of this magnitude could be reduced to a matter of grades was amusing. He motioned for the bottle of whiskey back and then took another drink and corked it.

Kristen, still with a touch of iciness to Walter but with the earnest attempt to warm it away via humor, said, "Such is the life."

And at that Saydor had a healthy laugh himself, perhaps remembering some similarly trying ordeal during his Initiate phase in which an otherwise grand accomplishment was narrowed down to sterile "marks."

A long walk to the gates of Ostia Anir. All along the avenue there were squads of Banick soldiers hurrying to positions along the wall or throughout the city. They were expecting the worst it seemed, as if the Republic Army had come with siege towers already built, battering ram poised to be rolled to the gates, a legion of ladders to scale the walls, or mayhap a few select Dreadlords to blow open holes in Ostia Anir's defenses and thus begin an assault that way.

They would get some good news, at least, when the order came to stand down—that there would be no fighting. All Kristen and Alistair needed to do was inform the Republic Commander and it would be so.

Then before the massive gates themselves, Walter called up to the gatehouse. "Open the gates!"

One of the soldiers up there poked his out, looked down, saw who it was and his surprise was eminently visible even in the gloom and soft firelights. His surprise and his confusion. "Sir??"

Walter repeated his command, and then the soldier disappeared back into the gatehouse. Loud clanking and rattling came as metal cranks and chains began to move. Wood groaned, and slowly the doors were swinging open.

Kristen looked to Alistair. "Time to tidy up an unfortunate mess, I suppose."

* * * * *​

Commander Vogel sat mounted on his warhorse before his vast brigade of Guardsmen arrayed in the fields at Ostia Anir's front. And the one thought going through his mind now was that he would return to Vel Anir covered in glory and at last be promoted to Major.

He had been passed up for an opportunity for command at the siege at Wissburg, just like he had been passed up many times before. His career was stalling at Commander as if he were cursed by some horrid god from Cortos! But this was his chance. That capricious Cortosi god was asleep perhaps, and fortune was his for the taking. There were those within Parliament who wanted to take a soft hand to this matter in Ostia Anir, and then there were those who wanted a more definitive answer. With this latter group of interests did Vogel eagerly ingratiate himself.

And now he was here, ready to pave his way to Major over Walter Banick's decisive defeat.

Vogel saw from the House Banick encampment that some of those nobles were coming his way. Eager to place themselves on his side, he imagined. Or to pester him like Logan Banick did.

What caught his attention more, however, was that the gates of Ostia Anir were opening.

"Captains, have archers ready arrows," Vogel bellowed, and his subordinate captains all began to pass down the order to their own troops. "Dreadlords," Vogel said to the few of said battlemages behind him, "with me."

And he started forward at a trot toward the opening gates. He would entertain Walter's paltry demands.

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

As they stepped out past the gates, Alistair finally got a good look at the Anirian army. He had been correct in the statement that Walter would have lost. Ignoring quality, the quantity was just too different. For just a moment, Alistair finally took a moment to realize just how many lives were riding on their success. They had voiced the idea many times during negotiations, but it was only when he could look upon the lives that the weight of that really began to set it.

Alistair's scanned the army and strained his eyes to see the banner being flown. For once, he thanked his father's insistence on learning about anyone who had even a remote position of importance and Vel Anir. What was the name of this man, Bogel, no he believed he remembered it to be Vogel.

Alistair started speaking long before Vogel and his men were directly in front of them, but the glowing rune that hung in the air amplified his voice and carried it to the man's ears.

"Good day, Commander Vogel. I am Alistair Krixus, sent on behalf of Counselor Otto Berenger. I am pleased to report that the situation has been defused and your army is no longer needed."

The rune served two purposes, it allowed Alistair to begin the de-escalation of this situation as quickly as possible, but it also allowed for some in the army to also overhear the words. If he could not calm down the Commander quickly, then maybe he could calm down portions of the army. He only needed some to hear his words, as word of no fighting would spread rapidly through the ranks.

Kristen Pirian

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Vogel and his entourage stopped a healthy distance from the party of Alistair, Kristen, Walter, and Saydor. The gap was such that calling out was necessary, and an amplification rune like the one Alistair employed was helpful indeed.

Kristen, like Alistair, scanned the breadth of the Republic Army now arrayed before Ostia Anir and found herself in awe at the scale of it. Each element of the Army, aglow with torchbearers, stretched from one end of the night's gloom to the other, perhaps (though she couldn't tell for certainty) matching the width of Ostia Anir's walls themselves.

Nothing underscored the importance of her and Alistair's mission quite like the sight of it.

From the Banick encampment, a small group of noblemen were approaching Vogel's entourage from the side. Theodore Banick as at the head of them, as well as Logan Banick right behind him.

Vogel snorted (and by coincidence, his horse also snorted) when Alistair had finished speaking. "Defused," he said flippantly, glancing over his shoulder to the Dreadlords and elite bodyguards behind him, eliciting small laughs. "Hear that, gentlemen? We're no longer needed." More laughs.

Vogel, still with a touch of that mocking mirth, called back to Alistair, "How convenient."

Walter Banick spoke up then, slightly incensed but biting his annoyance back from his tone, calling out, "I have come to an arrangement with Councilor Berenger's representatives, and—"

"We know," interrupted Vogel harshly, "that this is a matter of sedition. That everyone within Ostia Anir is potentially compromised with ideas of treason and misguided loyalty."

"Now you wait a minute!" Theodore Banick shouted, having heard what was being said and trying to interject. A few of Vogel's bodyguards kept the Banick noblemen at bay.

"Commander Vogel!" Kristen called out, aghast at what he'd said. "I am Lady Kris—!"

"Your name," interrupted Vogel again, "carries no weight with me." And then to Alistair, "And neither does yours. Nor the name Otto Berenger, when it leaves your...suspect lips."

Smugly, proudly, indulgently, and all so self-satisfied with this chance to finally earn Major, Vogel announced in a stately tone peppered lightly with that small taste of glee:

"I have my orders."

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

"Your orders were to subdue a rebellious entity, which is no longer the case."

Alistair wrestled the annoyance in his chest. He could already see what type of man Vogel was, and he was the worst. A man willing to do anything for little gain, that might be why he was not been promoted yet.

"There is no need to waste the lives of so many men for nothing to gain. To battle here would just be spending Anirian resources."

He still maintained a relaxed posture, but his eyes had moved from scanning the army to locking in on this commander.

The arrival of Theodore was a welcome help.

"We came to save the Republic time and lives, and now you question or lips because we are successful?"

Kristen Pirian

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Theodore Banick, knowing enough from the exchange that Walter had finally made a deal, was quick to side with Alistair. "Hear him!" he shouted to Commander Vogel. "The deal is done! Your orders are superseded! This is over!"

"Your input is not required here, Lord Banick," Vogel said sharply to Theodore. His cool, smug self-assurance had been rattled slightly by what Alistair had said. Nothing to gain. Nothing to gain? He had everything to gain! He had been given this golden opportunity, and he could not squander it!

To the source of his vexation he returned his attention, calling back to Alistair, "I question your lips because you may very well be in league with him! It is my charge to crush this rebellion utterly!"

Walter, now starting to fume with frustration, shouted, "There is nothing to crush! This matter has already been resolved."

"I think not," called Vogel. "I am to accept nothing less than your complete and unconditional surrender."

Walter looked incensed. "I have already finished negotiations with the Republic. That's preposterous!"

"Preposterous." Vogel laughed mockingly. "Then make ready your defenses, Walter Banick."

"You cannot be serious!" Kristen shouted. She cast an alarmed gaze to Alistair. This was insanity! Of all the people Berenger's opponents in the Parliament could've picked for their "solution" to this crisis in Ostia Anir, they sent this man.

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair's eyes were cold, but he took several steps forward to draw closer to Vogel.

"Commander, Vogel. May I have a word with you in private?" He motioned to meet with him.

Vogel's pompous ass was building the tension in this situation to palpable levels. If he failed to come to an agreement in the next seconds then all of this would have been for not. All of their work would be crushed by the ambitions of this second-rate military commander.

The rune that hovered around Alistair flipped, reversing and the area around Alistair suddenly went silent. It would be nearly impossible for anyone besides Alistair and the person he was immediately talking to, to hear the conversation.

Kristen Pirian

 

[Kristen Pirian]

"That's close enough!" Vogel shouted, his voice cracking ever so slightly on the word enough. Evidence, however small and easy to overlook, of why his career had stalled. He was a fair-weather commander, cool and collected when he thought things were going his way, but rattled when he thought they were not.

He glanced to one of the Dreadlords in his entourage. The Dreadlord shook his head and said of Alistair's magic that he'd just deployed, "It's not lethal."

Satisfied, some of that smugness and self-assurance came back to Vogel. He called out in general, "The poison of sedition often runs deep. Therefore, no one is allowed to leave Ostia Anir! Any attempts..."

His eyes settled squarely on Alistair.

"...and I will order you to be fired upon."

Saydor dropped a protective and precautionary hand on Walter's shoulder at this. Theodore and Logan tried to protest, but they were ignored and pushed further back by the bodyguards.

"Commander Vogel, we are envoys sent by Councilor Berenger," Kristen said, motioning frantically, desperately, between herself and Alistair some few steps away. "Will you not at least hear us??"

"And be known to have consorted with suspected seditious parties?" Vogel laughed again, a haughty sound. "I...think...not."

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Anger flared in Alistair's eyes for the briefest of moments at the idea that all of his work would be ruined because of this childish buffoon. With a wave, if his hand, the rune dropped, and Alistair's voice was no longer being amplified or subdued.

Instead, he used his normal voice, knowing he was now close enough for Vogel to hear.

"Before you continue on in this poor mistake for a power grab. I would like for us to put all our cards on the table. First, I and my comrade are being backed by powerful individuals. Otto Berenger, the Pirians, and now the Banicks to name a few, and yes there are more. You, on the other hand, are not backed by many of note, because if you were then you would have been promoted a year ago, but you were not. Second, if you choose to continue forward in this decision, then not only will I pull every string I can find to ensure you are not promoted, but I will go further to ensure you are demoted. After all, there is no place in leadership for someone who would so easily waste Anirian life. Third, if you choose to fight, I and my comrade will be forced to assist in this battle in the name of Vel Anir against a rogue commanding officer. That person being you just to be clear."

Alistair paused in his speech, choosing to opt for threats seeing now what the type of man Vogel was, and yes, his anger was getting to him. Although he grew angry, Alistair's voice never rose but sounded more like he was giving a lecture at some college.

"Finally, there is one other option, you call off this mistake and assist me in escorting Lord Walter Banick to Vel Anir. When we arrive, the report will include the incredible help of you and your army. You would inevitably have several important groups, which I have already mentioned, ensuring a promotion for a commander such as yourself that was instrumental in the de-escalation of this issue...Please, give it some thought before you give your next response."

Alistair finished his monologue and turned to walk back to Kristen, Walter, and his guard. He would fight if he had to. No matter what, if Vogel chose a fight, Alistair would ensure that the fool was never promoted.

Kristen Pirian

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Alistair's speech burrowed deep into Vogel's mind.

Throughout the duration of Alistair speaking it, little flickers of Vogel's incorrigible attitude flared up across his face: the mayhem of his brows, the twisting and turning of his lips, the quivering of his right eye (yes, the right one in particular was his tick). Vitriol flashed through his thoughts. W-w-who was this boy of Krixus to him? Yes! Who did he think he was to say such things? Vogel had the official backing of the Republic on his side! What did this Alistair have? He stood in with the lot of traitors, the likes of Walter Banick! There couldn't possibly be any merit to what...

And beneath all of his conscious rambling thoughts, the unconscious feeling: he had his orders, this was his chance, they were trying to take that from him, and on it went.

Vogel's ultimate character flaw, revealed only after his charmed and easy rise through the ranks via cushy assignments and politicking ceased at Commander, was his propensity to double down on a faulty course of action even to the point of irrationality.

And as he bristled atop his warhorse, he dug in his stubborn heels to yet another erroneous course of action. Assured, though, by the malicious thought that he would have to make certain that Alistair Krixus, Kristen Pirian, and Walter Banick all perished as unequivocal traitors here in Ostia Anir.

Yes. Only then his promotion to Major would be secured!

* * * * *​

Kristen smiled proudly as Alistair returned. The manner in which he had conducted himself in dealing with Commander Vogel was admirable; if only she had a fraction of that composure, she'd not have made a mess of herself during Walter's confession!

When he was close, Kristen touched his arm lightly. Said with no shortage of quiet admiration, "Impressive display, Alistair. You did well."

Meanwhile, Vogel was distant from them, seeming to be deep in thought over what Alistair had said.

Walter, after the appropriate amount of time had came and gone for a suitable response from Vogel, called out to the Commander, "Well?"

"I HAVE! MY ORDERS!" Vogel shouted back suddenly and forcefully. Another crack of his voice at the word orders. And then he called in a manner more in control of himself, "Nothing less than your complete and unconditional surrender. Until then, it is war. May the best man win."

With that, Vogel sharply turned his horse around. He and his entourage began to return to the massive formation of Guardsmen. Walter swore loudly and shook his head. Theodore and Logan and some of the other Banicks were now openly excoriating Commander Vogel, but the man would have none of it and the bodyguard foot soldiers were physically forcing the Banicks back into their encampment.

Logan desperately looked Kristen and Alistair's way as he was being pushed back. Made eye contact with them. But in the present situation there was nothing he could do.

Kristen glanced back at the entrance back into Ostia Anir.

"Alistair," she said, thinking quickly. "I-I may have an idea!"

And she motioned for him to follow.

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair frowned at the man's poor choice, but he had expected it. So in the end, it had come down to fighting. How very Anirian, and how very disappointing. He first looked at Walter.

"Sir, I suggest you return to the walls and prepare to defend yourself...We will join you shortly."

Alistair drifted over to where Kristen was hoping she had a better plan than his own, which involved killing Vogel, only after he utterly embarrassed the man. He also needed to get in contact with Berenger, but he would not be able to do that until he got a moment to sit down and get to some pen and paper.

"I'm all ears, Kristen. Anything that stops a war?"

Kristen Pirian

 

[Kristen Pirian]

"It seems so," said Walter, taking a moment longer to glare Vogel's way before at last he turned. He and Saydor began to walk back inside.

Kristen, meanwhile, was walking rapidly. Her mail and her plate armor clinked and rattled with each quick step.

"We need to get a message to Vel Anir," she said, without knowing it plucking one of the very thoughts from Alistair's mind. "I pray to Aionus that there's time, that Vogel's preparations for an assault are setback by mishap and misfortune of any sort."

She started snapping her fingers. The goal was clear, but the throughline to it needed to be fleshed out. She was thinking aloud as she walked, bouncing ideas off of Alistair.

"There's two ways I can see. Either by land, o-or by sea!"

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Ok, so Kristen's idea was actually pretty similar to his own, but a message by land would never be quick enough, and the sea. The shape of the coast would make that difficult.

"What if by air?"

He had seen the magic used in Vel Anir, but he did not know how far the range would be. It might take a few tweaks to the spell to ensure that it can make it so far. He also knew of devices that were connected by magic, but they had none.

"We need paper and ink..."

Alistair reached for his belt but realized he had left his supplies in the room they had rented in case of emergency. He looked to Kristen hopefully, but he was already picking up the pace back towards the city.

Other ideas were forming in his head, maybe the could try sound magic, but what would he direct the spell at. There was no one in the city that he had familiar enough knowledge with that could receive the message and then actually do anything about it.

"Kristen, is your father in Vel Anir?"

Kristen Pirian

 

[Kristen Pirian]

"By air!" Kristen said, marveled. "Alistair, I could kiss you right now."

If he could make that work, it would be brilliant! So many chances were there for a message sent by land or sea to be intercepted. But by air! And by air the message could quite literally get to Vel Anir "as the crow flies," cutting down the time of everything dramatically!

The arch of the Ostia Anirian gates swooped by overhead, and they were back inside the city, carried along by their swift plotting and even swifter footsteps.

"Paper. Ink. Our room. It isn't far."

More thoughts. More pieces to patch together. Logan was an asset outside of the walls, but they would very much only have the chance to summon his attention once. Especially if and when Commander Vogel caught wind that Logan might be "conspiring with traitors."

Kristen is your father in Vel Anir?

"Yes! Yes he is! What are you thinking, Alistair?"

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

What was he thinking? Sound waves had frequencies that traveled far distances, but how do you anchor a frequency to another place if it wasn't already built to receive the frequency? No, that would be an experiment, but they had no time for it.

"Let's just grab the pen and paper, and I think we can craft some sort of origami bird and then transmute-"

Alistair was cut off as they entered their room. Along with the writing supplies, another thing he had left in the room...a mirror. That was it. A tool sitting in front of him, and he had nearly overlooked it. He snatched up the writing supplies and went running out of the room. He called back to Kristen.

"We need to get to Saydor! We can use him."

The man's abilities dealt with reflections, right? Then they could send a message through the mirrors. If it was an issue of range, then Alistair could work with that. There were plenty of runes that amplified powers or allowed other mages to channel magic energy into one another.

Kristen Pirian

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Quickly.

Quickly.

It might take days for the actual assault to begin, but this unique window of opportunity before the Republic Army truly entrenched itself around the walls of Ostia Anir wouldn't last for nearly as long. Hurriedly into the Lessat and Pneria they went, up to their room, pen and paper—

A new idea struck Alistair, and from the doorway to their room she snapped her gaze over and looked to him. Her eyes widened.

"Saydor! Yes, brilliant, we should consult with him immediately!"

Kristen went running with Alistair out of the L&P, breaking into a full sprint once back out on the main avenue. Proctor Magomo always said in the first few weeks of his training regimen in making Kristen run laps around the Academy perimeter that she would be thanking Kress for it. Maybe not to Kress, but Kristen was most certainly thankful that she had pushed through those hard times and allowed herself to develop. Here she was now, sprinting in her full battle gear and feeling good in her stride!

Back toward the gates, they figured. Walter and Saydor were likely observing the particular movements of Vogel's Army. And indeed, up on the ramparts by the gatehouse, Walter stood with a spyglass, Saydor right next to him.

"Saydor!" Kristen called out even as she ran up the nearby stairs leading to the ramparts. Once before the Dreadlord, panting only lightly from their run, Kristen said again, "Saydor, we need your assistance!"

Saydor turned to face them, eyes studying both of them, mildly intrigued. "What is it, then?"

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair arrived with Kristen at the ramparts, slightly out of breath. He placed a piece of paper on the flattest surface that could manage for a table. He started drawing intricated runes in a circular pattern.

"Explain your abilities to me Saydor, in detail. They have something to do with reflections, right? Like mirrors?"

First, he needed runes to amplify Saydor. He could add runes that would allow Alistair, Krixus, and some of the other Dreadlords to add their magical energy. It would operate like the stones Edric had given him to share his powers, except it would effectively be the worst.

They would need a way to focus on the city of Vel Anir. That would be Saydor, hopefully. Kristen would have to guess where her father would be at in the given moment.

Alistair wanted to get this message out as quickly as possible because he wanted to give them time to get through any beaurocracy and still have time for the stand-down order to arrive with plenty of time.

"Lord Banick, do you happen to have a map near by?"

Kristen Pirian

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Saydor, with an ingrained defensiveness about his magic, looked offended and guarded that Alistair would even ask such a question at first. He looked first to Kristen, who bared her clenched teeth in a grimacing, apologetic fashion. He then looked to Walter as if confirmation. Walter caught his glance and gave a small nod.

Breaking through the last barriers of hesitation instilled by the old way, Saydor said, "I can tap into reflective surfaces to see through them, project images of my choosing or alter images already present. Useful for spying and beguiling, these tricks. More importantly, reflective surfaces are a platform through which I may launch other, more lethal, magics." He seemed to have gotten some gist of what Alistair and Kristen were up to, and said further, "Effective for a large radius around me, but distance complicates matters. Distortion comes in and becomes worse and worse."

"Mayhap something can be done about that," Kristen said.

Saydor nodded; disciplined, loyal, steady, he was one of the better products of the bygone old way it seemed.

Walter, meanwhile, turned to shout into the gatehouse, "Sir Keating! Map! Bring out a map."

Only a moment latter did Walter's bannerman Keating, clad in his full battle armor, come out onto the ramparts with map in hand and unrolled it, holding it up for the four of them to see. It was an older map, for the heading still read: The Kingdom of Vel Anir. But for their purposes it would easily serve.

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Perfect. Saydor's description of his powers was exactly what he and Kristen had already suspected. If anything, they were more complete.

"Something can and it will..."

The man's powers worked in a radius. Well, Alistair was going to cut that off by placing anti-magical runes all around him except in one direction. He was going to turn that radius into a straight line, then all they had to do was point it in the right direction.

As the map came out, Alistair spent a minute looking off into the distance, trying to measure something in his head. "It should be right there." He wrote several runes down on the paper in some type of formula.

"Saydor, it's going to feel a lot like I just shut off all your senses, but then went and gave you the best hearing in the world...I need you to focus on that. The message we send will be of Kristen to her father."

The inherent problem in all of this was what mirror was going to be at the place that Kristen's father had to be.

"Kris, it is up to you to pick the exact location. Where would he be at just this moment? Also, inform him of the situation and tell him to speak to Berenger. It has to be quick. We do not know how long this setup will last. Got it?"

 

[Kristen Pirian]

"Rune magic," Saydor said after Alistair's explanation. Then, almost wistfully, "It's been a while."

Nevertheless, he reached into his robe pocket and produced a large pocket mirror, flipping open its cover and holding it in his palm. Ready.

Kristen ran a hand through her hair, rolling her head back on her shoulders and looking upward into the night sky. All of this had to go right. All of this had to go just right, or else they would have to rely on a message sent by land or sea (or air!). Viable options all, but did time allow for them? Vogel's men were presently half at work, digging trenches and constructing tents, and half on guard, so there was some time. Days? Weeks? They just didn't know what Vogel's plan was.

Alright. Focus.

She leveled her gaze on Alistair and said, "With the lateness of the hour, I suspect he may well be asleep in his bedchambers. Yet all is not lost. Servants and sentries will be awake in the Pirian Estate. Mayhap the best scenario would be if he just so happens to need to use the privy when—"

Kristen's cheeks were then scorched with the fire of embarrassment for having said that. Even if it was, technically, true. Her pinched eyes were evidence of her mind hard at work scrubbing out the unfortunate mental image, however.

Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

"So, he is sleeping? Does he not have a mirror in his room? We can just make the message loud."

Well, loud might not be the best word. Saydor had said he could send lethal magic through, then just send something with more bang than bite. That would wake up the lord, and possibly the rest of his house. He shot a glance at Saydor to see if he understood what he was getting at.

The runes were beginning to line up nicely, but a rune was only as good as the material that were used. He had some gold and rare inks that he was using, but he felt like he needed more. Well, when in doubt, blood magic always worked...only if he absolutely had too.

"I think I would rather you talk to your father while he is a little spooked rather than while he is going to the bathroom."

Kristen Pirian