CITY OF BRIDGES

4

Questions to be Answered

Back on the street, Leonie remained vigilant as she headed to her humble home. Hidden within the attic of a little-used warehouse, it provided easy access to the roof. Being strategically located on the corner provided a good view of the streets below.

Once inside, she swapped the satchel for a backpack, tossing in a change of clothing along with the Seer’s Codex. She grabbed an old travelling cloak from a peg on the wall and donned it before heading off. Avoiding as many people as possible, she made her way to North Mall and the warehouse Feiron mentioned.

On arrival, she noticed one of its two main doors ajar. Peering into the dim interior, she counted four stalls along each side wall. There was a bald man harnessing a small cart to a di’anth, toward the rear of the building. Quietly, she slipped inside and approached from the shadows, using a stack of wine barrels as cover. There was no vorien in sight.

The di’anth’s odour was pungent, and sometimes she wished her sense of smell wasn’t so acute. The seven-foot reptoid’s legs were muscular and slightly bowed, ending in large webbed feet. Its thick tail swishing on the straw-riddled floor. Within moments her keen nose picked out the familiar illios scent emanating from the direction of the old man.

“Need a hand?” She stepped up behind him. If she had startled him by her sudden appearance, he did not show it, much to her disappointment.

“Almost done, thanks.” Feiron now used a soft, high-pitched voice, but nowhere near as irritating as the vorien lisp. “I gather things went okay with your boss?”

Leonie considered what to say. She’d known him over a year. In that time, she could not recall him ever losing his cool. It was only fair to let him know the risks involved.

“You could say that.” She moved closer, lowering her voice. “I have a package to deliver.” She held paws up to fend off questions. “I should also tell you others might be searching for it.”

“Oh, well.” Finished with the harness, he straightened up. “Maybe this trip won’t be as boring as I had expected… unless we meet wyverns.”

“We’ll most probably be in danger,” she insisted. “We may have assassins after us if they find out we have this. I want you to know—”

A young stable hand entered through a side door. Leonie glanced at him warily. Everyone was a potential informant in this city.

“This is Argus.” Feiron filled the silence, pointing to the beast.

“Are we ready to go?” Leonie asked as she gave the animal a rub on his thick neck. “The sooner we’re out of here the better.”

“Argus can’t answer you,” her companion quipped. “Yes, we’re packed.” Walking around the cart, he conducted a final check.

Leonie nodded, climbing onto the seat. She politely waved to the kid as he wheeled a barrow towards the door. Feiron joined her a moment later. “Who are we now?” she asked.

“Oh, sorry. Like my new disguise? I am Hectr, a merchant of some success who keeps on the move. This way, I can come and go as I please.”

“A smuggler you mean. Good.” Discreetly, she removed the codex from her backpack. “Can you hide this somewhere secure?” she asked Feiron quietly. “There might be searches.”

“Sure.” The illios took the book and, with a manoeuvre hard on the eyes, encompassed it within his body mass. The book seemed to slide into him.

“Ugh.” Leonie stared in equal amounts of fascination and disgust.

“How do I look?”

“Looks like you’re getting fat.” Pulling the hood up, she covered her distinctive ears.

He chuckled and flicked the reins. Argus lurched off towards the open door and the cobbled street beyond, his webbed feet slapping the ground with each stride. As they turned onto the street, Leonie spotted an armoured squad on horseback in the distance, heading in their direction. They didn’t appear to be in a rush, so no alarm. Yet.

“I’d like to get to the gates before they do.” She tactfully pointed. “Without being too obvious, I suggest more speed, otherwise this might be a short venture.”

With the loosening of the reins, Argus leant forward. Judicious handling by Feiron kept the di’anth’s speed in check. Their actions didn’t merit undue attention, and the approaching guards didn’t hail them.

Nearer the gates, the road widened into a small square. In the centre of the square, an obelisk stuck out from a well-tended garden circle. Leonie dared a quick glance to see if it was glowing. It was. She made sure she was well-covered with her hood and cloak.

The cart trundled along the road and soon reached the main gate. The usual four guards were on duty, looking tired after a long, boring watch. Three men stepped up to the cart, leaving one by the gate with his spear at the ready.

“Leavin’ our fair city, are we?” The senior guardsman asked while the others made a close inspection of the cart’s contents.

“Greetings to you too, constable. I’m Hectr Cerrin. We’re off to Indras to drop off supplies, thence on to Sorbaa to exchange more goods.” Feiron handed over documents from a small chest under the seat. “The reason for our departure is that Shi-Ela, Goddess of Luck, isn’t with me. I lost most of my money on a game of Dare, and lack the funds for another night—”

“Don’t need a speech,” the guard said brusquely. “Been here long?”

“Unfortunately, no. In and out,” Hectr replied. “Too busy to sightsee; and now too poor to indulge in the many cultural wonders.”

Leonie noted the guard examined the papers carefully. He turned his attention to the search when they uncovered the back of the cart.

Feiron also noted the extra scrutiny. “Someone steal the crown jewels?”

“Smart-arse,” the corporal muttered. He turned to Leonie. “And who might you be?” He spat onto the road.

“She’s my associate,” Hectr said, casually passing a couple of coins when the corporal handed back the papers. “Also, my guard and general assistant. As you saw, our papers are in order.”

“Yeah sure.” He winked at his fellow guards who joined him. “Ya know, if yer that broke, perhaps we can come to a good price for her. We could use some ‘assisting’ ourselves.” His colleagues chuckled.

Leonie’s skin crawled. How dare he consider me as property! She had to concentrate on stopping her claws slide out.

“Perhaps under other circumstances, but she’s far more valuable to me as a bodyguard,” the old merchant replied curtly. “In my experience, the North Road can be unsafe.”

“Too bad.”

“Can you tell me what the road conditions are like ahead?”

Ignoring the question, the guard spat on the ground again and sauntered off with the others.

Leonie watched them return to the shade of the wall. Glancing up, she saw the crystal was still glowing. “Time to go I reckon,” she muttered, pulling at her hood to cover her face more.

With a flick of the reins, the cart lurched through the gates.

A short distance past the city boundary, Feiron stopped at a traveller’s shrine. He climbed off to toss in a few coins and mumble a brief prayer before he climbed back. “All part of the disguise,” he said in response to Leonie’s curious look. “Not doing this might be suspect. One never knows who’s looking.”

“I have a fair idea. Ever see those obelisks glowing?”

“Glowing? No. But now that you mention it, my mentor always suggested I avoid them when possible. She never said why, which I thought strange, but she’s a strange woman.”

“We best go now. If the guard tells them a rrell passed through, they might come after us.”

Leaving the city behind, buildings became scarce, giving way to the encroaching jungle and swamp. True to its name, Delta was established on a delta. The road twisted and turned to avoid the worst of it, with dozens of bridges spanning the many waterways.

Leonie kept glancing over her shoulder for any sign of pursuit. Even though the road remained clear, she didn’t relax for well over an hour.

Hanging low, dark-leafed ferns hemmed the dank path. Argus stretched his neck in an attempt to eat a few fronds. Tree trunks, enveloped with a pallid fungus, loomed overhead. The air was heavy and damp and full of insects. Shortly after, Leonie climbed in the back in search of repellent.

“I knew that’d come in handy,” Feiron said. “Luckily, I don’t need it for myself.”

“Maybe because your odour keeps them away?” She smiled to take the sting out of her words.

“Are we going to get onto that subject again?” Reverting to his original form, Feiron deposited the tome on the seat between them during the process. He didn’t like to hold different shapes for more than a few hours.

“That’s something I don’t want to see again in a hurry,” she grimaced.

At first, they followed the Urmaq River, but as the swamp became more prevalent, the road curved away to higher, firmer ground. Gradually moving inland, they lost the view of the river. Fetid air surrounded them. Little wind penetrated the dense foliage. Buzzing insects moved across the path in annoying clouds, making Leonie wish she was back in Delta already.

“What’s the book about?” he asked. “It’s heavy.”

“Prophecy, spells, and other esoteric ranting.” She shrugged. “Other than that, I couldn’t say. I have to deliver it to a rollo—”

“An hroltahg? I’ve not seen one before. This will be exciting.”

They had been on the road for a few hours before darkness descended, Leonie took over the reins since her night-vision was better than the shapechanger’s. Eating as they drove, they continued to put as much distance as possible between them, the city, and any potential followers.

Feiron plied her with questions since the sky was heavy with clouds and too dark for him to examine the book. She told him of the courier’s death and retelling Jade’s information. Around midnight they stopped near the base of a hill; one of several through which the road meandered.

“I’m going to hide further in the foliage,” Leonie said. “I don’t expect anyone to be out at this time of night, but you never know.”

A few minutes later, they found a suitable site obscured from the road by a small hillock and dense foliage, and they proceeded to set up the tent.

“If what you say is true, this Seer’s Codex is no doubt full of prophetic events, perhaps it mentions the coming of these ‘high ones’?” Feiron spoke as they worked. “If I recall, they predicted the city being built. It all seems coincidental.”

“I don’t believe in coincidences.”

“Maybe fate… or destiny then. Those with the gift of foresight suggest what may occur.” He paused. “A few hroltahgs have this gift.”

“I see.” She shrugged, but seeing how much interest Feiron had, she tried to sound enthusiastic. “How’s the city involved?”

He followed her as she unhitched the cart and tethered Argus closer to the trees where he could graze on the leaves.

“When the ‘high ones’ arrived, they brought new ideas and techniques, including a different form of magic. They soon controlled the brotherhood, or at least influenced them greatly. When word spread of this ‘arrival’, many people flocked here. As the city grew, the palace increased in size. Over the decades, it swallowed the old monastery tower. Many newcomers were powershapers and representatives of other religious orders. That’s why Delta has several temples; they think it’s special – blessed even.”

“Ha,” Leonie scoffed. “They can have it.”

“Does anyone know who these High Ones are?”

“I thought it was obvious.” Feiron shrugged. “The Lords Zander, and Brendon, and the Lady Dianah arrived under strange circumstances over a hundred and fifty years ago. Around the same time as this ‘arrival’.”

“How many years?” Leonie saw a bolt of lightning crease the sky. Thunder rolled across the hills shortly after. It looked as if the dark clouds threatening rain all evening were finally about to fulfil their promise.

“That’s what the scholars say.” Feiron oozed into the tent. “Zander’s the patron of Eternix and has been since his arrival. That’s why the Eternix brothers, known as ‘the Watchers’ are so invested with him.”

“I think the scholars you’ve been talking to smoke too much lingorsa weed.” Leonie ducked into the tent after him as the first drops fell around her. She yawned, closed the tent flap and settled down on her blanket. “It’ll take a lot to convince me Zander is anything special. Didn’t Lady Dianah and Lord Brendon die in that fire too?” She watched Feiron go to ‘bed’. It was fascinating to observe the illios get into a barrel. His blob shape flowed up around the sides and ‘poured’ into the hollow.

“That is unclear. No one has been able to locate, or identify, their bodies. They strongly believe they have merely ‘returned to their origins’, not died.”

“Crazy people,” was all she said.

The drumming of the rain on the tent grew louder. Leonie checked her calf. The stab wound was healing well; she always healed quickly. Back under the covers and lulled by the rhythm of the rain, she finally dozed off.

* * *