Spellscribed: Conviction (38 page)

Jalyin looked concerned. “I laugh in the face of many threats, Valzoa, but even I wouldn’t joke like that about one of the masters.”

“Endrance will be polite, won’t you?” Valzoa asked.

The young mage nodded. “Of course.” he said. “But we’re getting off subject.”

“Oh yes.” Valzoa snapped his fingers. “Our long term practitioners are all at least a millennia into the pursuit, and have woven magics the likes of which you won’t see in human lands. They protect our borders from magical transportation, whether it’s over the sea, or land, or sky, or even stepping beyond.”

“Your mother would have to literally walk across the Sea of Glass without magical transport, something I can confirm she lacks the kind of support to do.” Jalyin said. “Though, I suppose she could always steal Joven’s horse.”

“Wait… how did you know about that?” Endrance asked.

Jalyin shrugged. “Because I was there.” She admitted. “Actually the most difficult part of our little journey.”

“I don’t understand.”

Jalyin rolled her eyes. “I was literally your shadow, Endrance. Or, at least part of it.” She explained. “I was with you from the day you left Ironsoul.”

“You were?” Endrance knew it was possible. She had the ability to literally meld into shadows, becoming essentially undetectable to all but his ability to sense active magic. “I didn’t detect you with us the whole time.”

“Thank you.” She replied. “It took me a while to figure it out, but you can only sense when I activate my abilities, not while they are in use. Afterward, I learned that it was relatively easy to slip from shadow to shadow until I met up with yours.”

“That trip took weeks.” Endrance said. “And then in Kaelob’s fort…”

“I stayed well away from that hole in space.” Jalyin replied. “Though, I did take the time waiting for you to return to poke around Kaelob’s basement.”

“How did you know I was still alive?” Endrance asked.

“Your familiar hadn’t disappeared.” She replied. “Oh, and you should wait until you’re given permission to recall him. I know that the fire elementalists would love to have a chat with him.”

Endrance sat quietly for a moment, sipping his wine. “Were you the one who jabbed me in the foot?” Endrance asked.

“In the Sunken Tower? Yes.” Jalyin said. “I needed you to be on guard.”

“Why?” the wizard asked in response. “Did you know that the sand hornets would attack?”

“I’ll tell you in a bit.” Jalyin snapped. “First, we need to discuss your itinerary while you’re here.”

“Fine.” Endrance speared a vegetable and took a bite out of it, while he reined in his frustration. Whatever it was, it looked like a purple carrot and was delicious.

“You are to meet with Ambassador Rasmiel.” Valzoa said, “But since our political affairs take some time, we had our appointment pushed back a little bit.”

“Okay.” Endrance said after swallowing. “How long? A few days?”

Valzoa shook his head. “Not so lucky, I’m afraid.” He replied. “We should be able to see him in a few seasons. Probably nine months or so. A year at most.”

“Nine months!” Endrance exclaimed. “I’m only supposed to be here for three years!”

“In our eyes, that’s like a visiting dignitary spending a month in your kingdom.” Jalyin replied.

Endrance sighed. “So what am I going to do in the meantime?” he took a bite of another vegetable, and swallowed without tasting it. “What are my companions going to do in the meantime?”

“I’m glad you asked, my friend.” Valzoa responded. “I’ve already dropped a little pocket money, and I’ve got a few of our best tutors lined up to teach you everything you can learn about how our politics work here.”

“Great.” Endrance said flatly. “That sounds exciting.”

“It will likely be so boring, that you’d rather Jalyin be trying to kill you again.” Valzoa admitted. “I’m sorry.”

“Actually I will be trying to kill you.” Jalyin added.

“Great.” Endrance said, not registering what she said until a second later. “Wait, what?” Endrance exclaimed, scooting back in his seat.

Jalyin chuckled. “Not like I was before.” She said. “Every evening, after the suns go down, I’ve got you to myself for a few hours.”

“Lucky.” Valzoa jokingly grumbled.

“And he failed to mention that he also recruited a few of our practitioners to tutor you in our magic before those lessons.” Jalyin added, elbowing Valzoa in the ribs. “You’re going to be so busy, that I doubt that you’ll get much time to do any sightseeing, I’m afraid.”

“What part of your magic will I be studying?” Endrance inquired.

Jalyin and Valzoa exchanged a glance. “He says it’s to round out your incomplete education, but I think it’s the best chance you have of destroying Valeria.” Jalyin stated. “For either reason, it’s going to be our life magic.”

Endrance couldn’t help but smile. “Fantastic!” He said. “I can’t tell you how many times I found myself wishing I had that already.”

“Good.” Valzoa said. “So, shall I show you around before we begin?”

“What about my friends? What about Giselle?” Endrance asked. “I don’t want them to be neglected, especially Giselle.”

“Your adopted daughter is going to be well taken care of, and given an education along with our children.” Valzoa assured him. “And she will be able to spend the mornings with you, before you go through your training. Her room is also right next to yours.”

“And the others?”

“They are already exploring Salthimere, with guides of course.” Jalyin added. “They’ll be encouraged to try out our lifestyle for the time being, and take on a pursuit.”

“Their rooms are also near yours, so you will all be able to spend time together in the mornings before the day’s events.” Valzoa finished. “I’m sure they will have many great things to tell you.”

Endrance closed his eyes, thinking. He took another sip of his wine. This place had an air of serenity that made him feel at ease. Perhaps the elves would treat him as an inferior, but here he was almost entirely clear of any of Valeria’s influence. He could do his duty to his kingdom of origin, and learn a magic that was practically ignored by his own circle of practitioners.

He didn’t exactly like the idea of Jalyin training him in the evenings, but he would have to endure it as best as possible. She was no longer after him… right?

“All right.” He said, opening his eyes. “Your proposal makes sense.”

“Excellent!” Valzoa said, standing. “We should get started now. With only three years to get you into shape, we have very little time.”

“Maybe for an elf, my friend.” Endrance countered. “You’ll be surprised how much a human can get done in just a year.”

Valzoa slightly bowed his head towards him. “Of course.” He replied. “Of course.”

* * *

“This is Pullar, a secondary attendant to Ambassador Rasmiel.” Valzoa introduced a lean, young looking elf to Endrance. “He will be instructing you on our political landscape, and proper courtesies during negotiations.”

Endrance, Valzoa, and the attendant Pullar were standing in a small meeting room in the base of the Dawntree of Salthimere. The tree was so large, Endrance thought that he might be able to see Talos’ tower from the top branches, if he could climb to the top. The room itself was a small chamber grown into the tree’s trunk, small, roughly spherical with a smooth flat floor covered in a decorative, brightly colored rug. In the center of the room, rose a single-legged table through a hole cut in the rug. The table was perfectly round, and the grain swirled through the top surface in a pretty, undulating wave pattern. There were no chairs, but the wall to the right of the door had a shelf grown out of the wood that held a decanter of water and two expertly crafted glasses that had been made to look like cupped rose petals.

The male was taller than Endrance, but actually leaner, smooth-skinned and baby faced. Endrance’s appearance hadn’t exactly hardened or anything, but he had grown a little since he had set out. His cheeks had lost some of their roundness, and his body had finally started filling out. He hoped that perhaps, in another year or two, people would stop confusing him for a woman, at the least.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Endrance of Ironsoul.” Pullar said graciously, bowing his head. Endrance noted that while he bowed, he never bowed so low that he took his eyes off of him. Endrance mirrored the gesture, keeping his eyes on the man as well.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, too, Attendant Pullar.” Endrance responded. “I will do everything I can to learn quickly and effectively.”

“Of that I have been assured.” Pullar replied. “I risk a minor reprimand if I get discovered aiding a foreign party, but such things are not strictly outlawed either.”

“Though I’m sure that Rasmiel will move to have it outlawed, if he finds out.” Valzoa remarked, rolling his eyes.

Endrance grimaced. “That bad, huh?” he asked.

Pullar gave Valzoa a stern look. “Ambassador Rasmiel has the best interests of Salthimere at heart, which is how he got to the most esteemed position of Ambassador in the first place.” He stated. “His dedication to keeping the land safe from outside harm is what makes him the most qualified to be our voice to other countries.”

“It sounds like I have my work cut out for me.” Endrance stated. “If he won’t even talk to our ambassadors, why does Salthimere even bother with the pretense of being open to negotiations?”

Pullar looked at him, somewhat confused. “I never said he wouldn’t talk to you.” He clarified. “But you do need to know where he stands, as our representative. His decisions weigh on millennia of elven heritage and lives, and every choice that he makes, must be weighed completely before it is made.”

“I see.” Endrance murmured.

Pullar’s posture stiffened slightly. “You would be the first, then.” He said, looking puzzled. “Every diplomat your kingdom has sent us has been so self-important and demanding, they hardly took time to breathe, much less close their mouths to listen.”

Endrance felt a twinge of sympathy for the aide. “Well, I was able to forge an initial peace between the wolfmen and Balator by listening first, and keeping an open mind to the possibility of peace.”

“I see.”             

“It helped that the leader of one of those groups was actively looking for peace.” Endrance added, not wanting to deceive the male. “Gnaeus, leader of the largest local pack of wolfmen, was willing to come forward to work it out between their peoples.”

“And the status of that peace now?” Pullar asked.

Endrance shrugged. “You may have heard that I came with a wolfman’s child under my care. Giselle is my surrogate daughter, as much as one of our girls, Kaie, is a surrogate daughter of their pack.”

“I wondered what she was doing with humans.” Pullar said. “We have seen a few of their kind, but most don’t risk trying to cross the Sea of Glass or sail our oceans.”

Endrance thought about the scrolls he had in his pack, still unopened in his room. “Perhaps in time we can work out some kind of trade agreement in the future.” Endrance supplied. “But for now, I believe my goal is the fostering of a lasting peace agreement between the elves and man.”

“A high hope, I suspect.” Pullar replied. He turned to Valzoa. “Return in three hours. I have much to cover with him and little time to do it.”

Valzoa wordlessly nodded, turned, and strode from the small meeting room. Pullar glided to the side shelf and poured water into the two glasses. “Please, step up to the table.” He instructed, carrying the two glasses back. “I believe the first thing we need to discuss is the disparity of our perceptions regarding the passage of time.”

Endrance accepted the glass, noting that the water was chilled, though it had been sitting for several minutes untouched. He looked down into the water and saw it gently swirling, seemingly disturbed by an invisible swimmer. “There seems to be something in my water.” Endrance observed. He narrowed his eyes at the glass as he concentrated on extending his senses towards it.

He felt a presence within his glass. It had a similar feeling to the one within his staff, but it was so small in comparison it was a thousandth, no, a ten-thousandth of the vastness he had felt within the Grandstaff.

“Yes,” the elf noted. “The water we drink has been awakened, so that the spirit of it is capable of keeping it cool and clean of contamination.”

“Is it… safe to drink?” Endrance asked. “I mean, for humans?”

Pullar nodded. “Several of your people have drunk it before, and other than a little getting used to the sensation, it is harmless. However, you are the first mage Ironsoul has sent under the title of Ambassador and you are most certainly not entirely human either.”

Endrance raised an eyebrow. “You’re right, I’m half Mercanian. How did you know?”

Pullar was happy to explain. “My father fought in the latter half of our war against the Mercanians nearly a thousand years ago. Many of our parents’ generation fought them for most of their lives. Mercanian appearances are still fresh memories in their minds.”

“Oh.” Endrance replied, feeling self-conscious. “Should I be worried about discrimination?”

“I don’t suspect that it will have much effect on our negotiations.” Pullar responded. “You have… what would you humans call it? You give off a human vibe, but are obviously marked like a Mercanian.”