Scourge Thirty - Sharp

“Templars?” I ask. “What are they doing here?”

“I dunno,” Felix says with a shrug. “I figured I should tell you before we run into a bunch of them. Might have a fight on our hands, you know?”

“Let’s avoid that if we can,” I say. “Did you get any details? Did you see them yourself? How many are there? Come on, spill.”

Felix shakes her head. “Bianca and me were talking to the old guy by the counter. He mentioned that a few templars came over yesterday to check on some books. I think he was nervous, maybe? They did do that whole book-stealing thing in Montele.”

“We’re in another kingdom,” I point out.

“And it’s Bianca and I, not Bianca and me,” Esme adds. “Also, that’s barely any information at all. Couldn’t you have waited until we were done looking at books?”

Felix rolls her eyes. “Fine, you two have your fun. But if a squad of them burst in here, I get first crack at telling you that I told you so, okay?”

Esme and I nod while Felix returns to the front and continues her chat with the old man by the counter. Our book perusal is mostly quiet, and honestly, it’s a little half-hearted. I can’t help but think back to the templars.

What are they doing here? I bet they have something to do with Altum.

But then, Heroe is a mean, arrogant jerk of a god, but he’s not the sort to ally himself with a god like Altum. Sure, they both dislike my mom, but Heroe’s more of the... the enemy of my enemy is a second enemy sort.

Are they here because of the undead thing? I’m pretty sure Heroe has a bit of a thing against those, as do a few gods on his end of the pantheon.

It’s possible that the templars being here has nothing to do with any of that... but I doubt it. Too many coincidences happening all at once. “Esme, stay here for a bit, I need to write a letter, I think.”

“Need help?” she asks.

“No, I’ll be fine, thanks.”

I move over to the front counter where the old man is still chatting amicably with Bianca. When I ask him if he has a writing desk, he points to one in the corner. “We do dictate letters here, if you need the assistance or don’t want to strain your hand.”

“No, I can manage, I just need pen and paper,” I say. That ends up costing me a few copper pieces.

I sit down, and then take a couple of seconds to think before jotting down a quick letter. It’s not much. Hellos to mom, some assurances that I’m fine and that we’ve been having lots of fun so far. A passing mention of the zombies that tried to eat us, and then a few questions about Heroé

and Altum and if the two dislike each other.

I fold everything up. Melt the top of a wax rod inside of a lamp next to the table, then I unhook the clasp on the front of my cloak and press that into the gob of hot wax I pour onto the letter’s fold. It leaves a distinct pattern on the front. Tiny isis and edelweiss and lavender flowers twisted together.

I thank the shopkeep when he offers to take care of my letter as long as I know where it’s meant to go. “I can figure out a way to send it, no worries,” I say.

“Well, if you need the help, I know a merchant or two who’ll deliver a letter or package for a small fee.”

I smile at him, bob my head, then skitter back to where Esme’s inspecting the stacks. She’s gotten to the second floor already and has appropriated a cart to carry the half-dozen books she’s found.

“I got some for you too,” she says with a gesture to the cart.

“Oh?”

“Yeah. You know the author of Nutmeg Pie? The latest book’s been released early here. You’d be stuck waiting for months back at Luci-- er, your home.”

“Oh!” I oohed as I rushed over to the pile. She’d actually picked out a few books that I would have taken too. “Thanks Esme.”

Esme nods solemnly. “It’s my duty as a proper librarian to know what books will interest everyone.” She glances back towards me, then down the rows of books she hasn’t checked yet. “I think I’m pretty much done here, actually. Do you think we’ll be staying in this town for a while?”

“We still need to find transportation out to the capital, and we might be going by monster even after that. I’m thinking at least one or two more days? We’re not really in that much of a rush, and I wouldn’t mind relaxing a bit more before we hit the road again.”

“In that case, I can always come back later. I imagine Felix’s attention span can’t handle much more of a wait, and I don’t want Bianca to be bored on my account.”

I shake my head. “Esme, if you’re having fun, then that’s fine. You don’t need to not have fun just for our sake. How often will you have the opportunity to snoop around a bookstore halfway across the world?”

“It’s hardly halfway,” she says. She smiles though, then leans in a bit closer to me. I know an invitation for a hug when I see one, and I don’t usually say no.

“So! You found some books for me,” I say as I give her a good squeeze. “What did you find for yourself?”

“Oh, a few things,” she says. “The book selection’s not entirely different from what we’d find in Montele, but there are some stark differences. More in what you won’t find. Way fewer books about the gods and various religions and cults. A lot more nonfiction about building, farming, settlement work. I don’t know if it’s because this city is so young or if it’s more of a culture-wide thing. I wonder what local bibliophiles are like?”

I laugh. “There’s a library to Semper in the capital, right? Maybe we can stop by and you can ask?”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Esme agrees.

We continue looking through the books for a bit, but I sense that Esme’s a bit distracted. She keeps looking my way, and when I turn to her she snaps back to staring at spines.

“Okay,” she says as she reaches the end of a long row of books. “That’s it.”

“There’s only like... seventeen books here,” I say as I look at her pile.

“Well, I know it’s not much, but we can always look at other shops. There were a few more around, right?”

“Sure!” I say. “We can visit them just the two of us next time, that way Felix won’t be bored.”

“Th-that sounds nice, yes,” Esme says. “Anyway, let’s head out?”

I nod, pick up a few books, then realise I can’t carry half of them all at once. So I cast my shield spell and use it as a shelf to carry books on.

The shopkeeper downstairs looks a little confused at our method of carrying books, but he doesn’t complain when I start fishing out gold to pay him with.

“Do you think you can deliver these for us?” I ask. “We don’t want to head back to our inn right away. I’ll give you a bit extra.”

The old man agrees to have all the books delivered to our inn for a couple of coppers. He has a nephew that’s got strong arms, apparently.

I leave before he can try selling us on his nice nephew any more.

“So, where to next?” I ask.

“There, I think,” Bianca says. She’s pointing across the street at... a weapon’s shop?

“Why there?” I ask.

“Because while we were inside, I saw a pair of templars enter the shop, and I must admit to a certain level of curiosity. It might not be much, but it’s entirely possible that we’ll find out why they’re here. That is, if you wish to know as much.”

I consider it for just a moment before I nod. “Yeah, sure. But let me sneak into an alleyway first. I have a letter to send to mom.”

I can’t help but wonder, as I give my letter to a little beetle buddy, what mom would think of our adventures so far.

I hope it’s all positive. I mean, I haven’t been hurt at all yet.

... I am too old for punishment, right?

Yeah, I have to be.

“Okay, I’m done!” I say as I barge out of the alley, a monster friend flitting off and away from the city. “Let’s check out the sharp and pointy things!

***