Authors Corner

I won't grow as a writer if I don't get any criticism, so any feedback is welcome.

Thanks for reading!

Chapter 9 – Out of the frying pan, and into the spire.

Wilson, the meek.

Climbing through the Upper City.

We've been diverted for the second time.

I've been quietly following along, so quietly that even Sav is surprised. He's even in a good mood. I think I just heard him hum.

Which makes me want to ruin his day. I think joining it would be the best possible harassment, but I don't know the tune. His joy is making my knuckles itch.

They've itched worse before, so I won't satisfy them. I'm in relative control. No, I'm in control. I'm in control. I'm … in … control.

Repeating it helps.

It's not helping that wherever we are going is taking forever to get to. I'm getting bored of going up the roads to a set of gates, entering, then descending again to another set. There is only so much architecture I can take interest in, especially the gated kind. We just keep going towards and away from mostly identical gates. How many walls and checkpoints does this city have? It looks orderly from afar, but it's even more of a labyrinth than the Lower City. If I didn't have the easily irritated Sav here, I'd think they are leading us around for fun. I'm hoping Sav will say something if this keeps up any longer. I don't want to make Lady Guard mad with me.

“Oi, what's the idea? We just backtracked, certain.” Sav demands of Lady Guard.

Sav, are you psychic? Thank you. Of course you'd notice that we've backtracked, you're a hunter or something. I think.

“We've had a few issues in the Upper City” Lady Guard replies shortly. She doesn't seem to want to elaborate. She just waits for us to follow her down a dimly lit corridor in one of the fortifications we've just entered for the second time. It will lead us to some other gate, I'm sure. I'm liking Lady Guard less and less.

Sav just goes back to being silent, which is his usual, and then starts watching her suspiciously, which is also his usual.

I like that Sav is on my side for once. I know that he isn't specifically rooting for me, it's just nice to have his scrutiny diverted for a while. Who knows how long it will last, so I'm planning on enjoying it.

I can move absurdly fast and it's hard to see in this lighting.

In only a breath, I steal an unlit sconce from the wall as we walk past and shove between the layers of my robe. The robe creepily reacts and latches onto the sconce, holding it between it's layers.

Okay... That's a fun, yet disturbing feature. This magical robe is weird.

Regardless, I feel a lot better having metal weapon that I can throw or club people with.

Actually, wait a moment, this isn't metal.

It's the mysterious dark wood.

Taking a quick look around to make sure no one notices me, I move part of my outer robe aside and squint at it. I try dragging my fingernail across the surface of the wood. It leaves a scratch, but this is the same fingernail that can scratch metal, so I'm not really impressed. From the effort it took, I can tell this wood is just as strong as metal, and from holding it I can tell it's many times lighter. It's definitely a superior material.

Not like the material really matters to me, I only care about it's killing potential.

I'm glad I lost interest, because as I pulled my robe back to cover the sconce, Sav finally turned around to check on me.

I guess you remembered me after all, Sav. I'm thankful. I thought I had lost you to Lady Guard forever.

Speaking of Lady Guard, she had obviously heard something important from the messenger that just passed by. We had to go back a few steps and take a turn down an even darker hallway.

Is this the crappiest part of the fortress, or are we taking some secret path?

We turn another corner and then start climbing stairs. These stairs are hugging against the softly curved wall and they keep curving around and around as we ascend. After climbing for a few minutes, we finally reach the top. This must be one of the spires of the fortress we've been climbing. I've had glimpses of the city during the ascent. It sure is beautiful from way up here.

I'm overjoyed that I'm not stuck somewhere with a bunch of heavy walls, in case I have to escape, but I'm starting to get the feeling like we're not going to be meeting the person I thought we were. I put my hand inside my robe and lightly get a grip on the sconce.

Sure, it's a feeling with no proof. I'm going to listen to it though.

It's intuition.

---

Phillius Oakbard; Head City Planner of Gol-ta.

Elsewhere in the Upper City

I'm shuffling along the corridors of the Inner Court. I'm not as young as I used to be, but it isn't that. I'm taking my time reading over reports that my subordinates brought me. There is trouble in my territory.

Trouble. Hmm.

I'm going to crush it. There is no profit to be had from rash action, so I going to wait until I can see the whole problem before I sever it at the neck.

The details I'm reading making it fairly obvious what is happening. I had heard reports a while ago that two nearby city-states were warring, but I never thought that it would escalate this much. Their spies have started killing each other right here in my city, which is a neutral area. Normally, this would only cause me mild amusement, but since most of the spies are in the Upper city, it's causing chaos. If they think that my reputation for neutrality is exploitable, they would be mistaken. My neutrality only means I'm even handed in my punishment. Both sides will regret bringing their problems here.

I hate chaos.

I don't have to worry about the spies themselves because my staff can easily handle the cleanup. It's what I trained them for. I'm having them go so far as to comb through the identities of the deceased spies. The chance is very low that I'll find any useful inconsistencies, but it doesn't matter. I'll take every edge that is freely offered to me.

It's a brief respite, reminiscing that people have always unknowingly given me slivers of power. I'm happy thinking that my careful collection of these tiny daggers has caused all my enemies over the years to slowly bleed themselves out. One by one, they all fell down, wondering how it all went wrong.

This alone makes my responsibilities as the Head of the city tolerable.

What's currently causing me frustration is the mass relocation of important people and offices in the Upper City. The relocation includes me. The guards are finishing helping me clear out my office. Everything I will need for the next few days piles up to a considerable amount of boxes, all of which are in the process of being moved to the newly constructed temporary office on the other side of the Court. They are trying to bring my furniture, but I don't care about any of it except for my family heirloom, so I order them away. I don't have the time to spare to wait leisurely while my office is relocated, so I'm having to do paperwork and read reports while following the guards across the Inner Court.

I hate having to move.

The collar of my gray vest is scratching away at my skin. The light makes reading hard on my eyes. The heat of the sun is unpleasant. I want to sit at my desk with a cool drink and read the reports in relative peace.

One of the messenger boys nearly bumps into me as he runs by, scattering a couple of my papers. He didn't even slow down enough for me to reprimand him.

I've had enough of this.

“You there, find the closest room with a view, if it's occupied, kick them out. Also, bring along my desk and chair as well as that box.” I start pointing out my items to one of the guards.

“Yes, sir”

They don't waste any time on pleasantries. They'd better not, wasting time isn't what I pay them for.

After he finishing conversing with his senior, he rushes over to grab the box.

“Follow me, sir”

I follow him for only a few minutes before we end up at a room with a pleasant view.

“You can put the desk anywhere, just hurry up” I'm getting impatient.

The train of guards that were behind me come in a set down my desk and chair to face the door. The moment after they've dropped everything off, I order them out.

“Fetch me a cold glass of water and don't let anyone bother me unless they have an appointment.” I instruct them on their way out.

Easing into my chair, I lean back and enjoy the quiet for a brief moment.

Much better.

I don't have more time than that, so I lean forward and wipe the specks of dust off my desk.

Then I slowly begin to spread out my paperwork, running my finger along each page as I do so, to pick up where I left off. One of the servants comes in with the cold water I asked for.

Much better, indeed.

I shake off my second moment of relaxation, and get back to work.

I only have time to go through a score of pages before I hear a knock at the door.

My guards had clear instructions about disturbing me, and they better than to disobey, so that knock means I can finally rectify one of the other disturbances in this City.

I take my time to rise from my chair. I have to greet the cause.

I love new assets, so it won't be hard dusting off my smile.

“Enter.” I finally say.

The door opens and people make their way in. One in particular is the one I've wanted to talk to.

“Hello, esteemed Mage, and welcome to the city. I'm the Head City Planner, Phillius Oakbard. I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't know me by my past profession, because Sav, being uncivilized, refuses to refer to me in any other way.”

“He calls me the Merchant.”

I hear a hollow thud.

I look to see what it was.

Why is there a sconce on my floor?

---