Bones in the Dark

"After Her Eternal Majesty crushed Alphar Likuta and Talia Miral's treacherous attempt at betrayal at the First Battle of Trevayn, she turned her attention south. There, Eldrith Varance ruled with an iron fist, using foul and perverted magics to bend the minds of his subjects to his will. The Undying Queen's forces entered Varance's kingdom from two sides and quickly sent his armies into retreat. The war to bring his tyranny to an end would have been short indeed, if not for the sudden intervention of Talia Miral with a slathering army of putrid undead at her back. She had been thought to have been killed at the First Battle of Trevayn, yet her cowardice had saved her. Once again, the Undying Queen defeated her. This time tearing through her defensive magics in the middle of the battle. Multiple witnesses reported her obliteration in an incredible storm of magic. However, despite her defeat she was once again able to escape, presumably avoiding death by a hair."

Two Thousand Years of Empire by Jahangir Amini

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Aref Tabasi took a sip of wine before looking back to the letter he was writing to Kamran.

Not for the first time, he regretted the fact that he had ended up in Vass Karan. The city had grown on him over the years, but it simply lacked the intellectual scene of Trevayn, or even one of the more central Great Cities. That meant that unless he was willing to expend a great deal of effort, his discussions with his peers could only move at the speed of a man on horseback.

At least Kamran was not so far away, even if the silly man had chosen to live in splendid isolation. Why anyone would want to live in the middle of a forest, Aref did not know, but that was Kamran's problem, not his.

The question was, what to say to Kamran about young Ester. Teaching her had been Kamran's suggestion in the first place, one that frankly would not have occurred to Aref without him. Kamran always had been perceptive when it came to people, which made his decision to live in the middle of nowhere all the stranger.

It was fascinating the way that she had managed to overcome so many of her inherent weaknesses, while still being such a typically foolish girl. Adventure and combat. Ha!

However, for all her impetuousness, she was still a Mage. It was her prerogative to pursue the goals that she wished to.

Still, he had seen the way that her eyes lit up at a proper intellectual challenge. It had surprised him the first time the thought had come to him, but he could see some of himself in her when she got excited about a Schema. If only she could get over her silly ideas. Talent and potential were always hard to measure, but Aref suspected that there was the possibility of greatness in her. Of course she might well grow up to disappoint, most men did, let alone the women, but that did not mean that he should not try.

He was a fair man, he did not want to see someone with real Talent fade into obscurity. There were fewer female Masters than there were Archmages in the Empire. If, and it was a big if, she had the potential to become a Master, then it would very much be a feather in his cap to have guided her there.

That still left the question of how to avoid her getting herself killed though. Their sessions out in the countryside, inflicting destruction on innocent trees had been somewhat diverting. Despite that, they remained utterly unsuitable in his opinion.

If she insisted on pursuing her foolish ideas then they would nevertheless help her stay alive. Or so he hoped. However, he had every intention of continuing to make them as unpleasant as he could within the bounds of reasonable behaviour. It was not much of a stick to deter her with, but under the circumstances, when dealing with a full Mage and actually wanting to help her, it was all he had.

That was why he was also offering her a carrot. Aref was hardly lacking in wealth. Nice as it was to have her working on Schemas for him, he did not need it. That was the cleverest part of his plan, if he did say so himself. She clearly loved the intellectual challenge of it. And the expertise involved in the creation of Schemas was both a worthy expression of magic and an excellent pastime for a Talented young woman. So, where he was harsh out in the fields, he was soft in the workshop. If he could make the experience interesting and pleasant enough, maybe he could divert Ester away from her silly fantasies.

She did not seem to have noticed that a significant chunk of her time 'working' on Schemas was spent with him teaching her the kind of subtleties that she would not have learnt at the Academy. That she thought it was just part of her work was an illustration of her foolish naivety, but she would learn eventually. Or even if she did not, that would still be no bar to greatness in a field like enchantment.

Hopefully, the contrast between Schemas and his improvised attempts at combat magic would help her to realise what would give her a better, more proper, life.

Now, if only he had been given her to teach and shape when she was an apprentice. He could certainly have done a better job than those fools at the Academy. There would be none of this nonsense about adventure and combat, no wasting of her Talent. She certainly would not have been sent off to a dead-end job for failures in the Watch for her indenture. Instead her ability could have been recognised early. He would have nurtured her Talent and at the same time guided her, whether gently or firmly, onto a better, more appropriate path.

He hesitated and then shook his head. No, he was lying to himself there. He probably would have dismissed her as a foolish girl and then focused his attention elsewhere. It was only her penchant for trouble that had turned his attention towards her anyway.

Still, it did not change his views on the professors at the Academy. He was not sure which ones were more foolish for sending her to Vass Karan. The ones who sought to reward her or the ones who sought to punish her. Idiots, the lot of them.

'My dearest Kamran,

Thank you for your last letter, which I enjoyed most thoroughly. Your idea of taking on more of a mentoring role for young Ester was inspired. I have built on it and hope to be able to guide her…'

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For the last few weeks Ester had been in an unusually good mood. It felt like Vass Karan might not be such a bad place after all. She was busier than she'd ever been, with her duties for the Watch and studying and work with Master Tabasi. Not to mention the hours she spent afterwards thinking about the Schemas and what he'd taught her.

As she settled down at the desk she was starting to think of as hers in the bowels of his mansion, she realised she was actually humming. It really had been a good few weeks. Lessons with Master Tabasi were unpleasant, but she was learning. Her work for him on the other hand was very enjoyable. Even her work for the Watch had improved. People seemed to actually be willing to speak to her for one thing!

Yes, life was good.

A thin sheet of silver lay on the desk with a letter on top of it, along with a golden rod, already engraved with runes. Ester skimmed the letter first.

It seemed simple enough. Master Tabasi wanted her to make a Schema to heat water on the silver and then to deliver the already made gold Schema to Duke Marcni's palace. It wasn't the first time he'd asked her to deliver and explain a more complex Schema and it was a little annoying. But even if she'd have preferred to keep working at the desk and maybe share her thoughts on the Schema's design with him, she really couldn't complain.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

With a shrug she put the letter aside. First things first, she needed to make the silver Schema.

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Ester felt rather odd walking through the streets of Vass Karan, even those of the Palatine Hill, with what must be hundreds of crowns worth of gold in a satchel. It was annoyingly heavy too.

She'd wondered whether she should have asked for an escort. A couple of guards perhaps. But Master Tabasi had seemed to be perfectly happy sending her off by herself. Even if it had only been with silver Schemas in the past. In the end, no thief was going to willingly waylay a Mage. Still, she clutched the satchel a bit closer to herself.

It didn't take Ester long to reach the Governor's Palace. It stood out from the other palaces on the Palatine Hill. Not just because of its size and position dominating the peak, but also because it looked more like a prettily disguised fortress than a luxurious residence. Its walls were still in the smooth black stone typical to Vass Karan, but they were much higher than on the other palaces and crenelated. She could see guards patrolling along the top too. That there were wards went without saying, but they were also strong, an obvious sheet of magic over the building.

Nevertheless, she had no difficulty going through the front gate. The guards' eyes flicked over her and dismissed her. Maybe not such a surprise given the steady flow of people in and out of the complex. Unfortunately, once she was past the guards she wasn't sure where to go. With a mental groan she realised she'd gotten too used to visiting places where she'd be expected.

Ester stoppped in the middle of the courtyard and looked around, trying not to look as awkward as she felt. Maybe she should head straight for the larger doors that had guards on them? She was about to start moving when a servant came bustling officiously towards her, irritation painted across his face.

His eyes flicked over her dress, just like the guards' had and the irritation vanished as if it had never been there. "Can I help you mistress?"

His tone was polite, but she still wished she'd worn the lightning bolts on her dress. It couldn't be helped now though, she hadn't been expecting to be here in the first place. She nodded to the man.

"Yes please goodman. I am lady Ester Mazar, I have a delivery to make for the Duke." She glanced at her satchel. "I was told to give it to Sir Numna on behalf of Master Aref Tabasi." Of course it wouldn't have been directly to the Duke. Even a Chartered Mage wouldn't get his personal attention.

"Lady Mazar…" The servant frowned ever so slightly. "Of course, if you would follow me, I shall be happy to assist."

"Thank you." Ester couldn't help but notice the guard that fell in with the two of them. Not to mention his slightly sceptical tone. She really should have worn the lightning bolts, even if they did make her feel pretentious.

They headed across the corridor and the servant took her through a smaller door into the palace proper. He quickly led her and the guard to a small room.

"If you could wait here my lady, I will see to it that someone more appropriate comes to greet you." He turned to leave and then hesitated. "May I ask my lady, are you from the Vass Karan branch of the Mazar family?"

Ester felt a shot of irritation burn through her. She knew perfectly well that there was no noble family with her name here and most likely none in Trevayn either.

"No, I am from the Chartered Mage branch," she snapped.

The servant paled slightly and bowed low, probably lower than he strictly needed to. "Of course my lady. I shall see to it that you are attended to immediately." He left much faster than he'd arrived, leaving Ester to do her best not to sulk at the suddenly very nervous looking guard.

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It didn't take long for the servant to return with a red-faced, portly man in fine clothes bustling along behind him.

"Lord Rasce, this is Lady Mazar."

"Thank you Jerol." He dismissed the servant with a glance before smiling widely at Ester and bowing low. "Lord Rasce Marcni, brother to the Duke, at your service." There was something oily about his tone and Ester wasn't sure she liked the way he looked at her, although she couldn't quite put her finger on why. "I am afraid Sir Numna was indisposed and so I have the great pleasure of greeting you in his place."

"A pleasure my lord," she lied as she returned his bow. "I have a Schema prepared by Master Aref Tabasi for the Duke. Given the spate of thefts across the city, he asked me to deliver it directly to you and to explain its operation." She didn't let her bemusement at the Schema show on her face. Why would anyone spend a small fortune on a custom made Schema that could be used to play music? She was fairly sure an entire band could be hired for a fraction of the cost.

"Of course, of course. We Marcnis are used to such things, I am sure it will fit right in with our myriad treasures" He gestured expansively at the door. "Come, we shall take it to the vaults. You may explain it to me there."

Ester allowed him to direct her down a corridor, she hoped it wasn't too far. The man looked so puffed up with his own self-importance she was surprised he wasn't floating away.

"I know I would remember you if I had seen you before, so you must be new to the city my lady?" Lord Rasce didn't wait for an answer. "I often host the most exciting soirées here, you really must come. I would be delighted to help you settle in and introduce you to everyone. Why, at my last one I had no less than four Great Houses in attendance!"

Lord Rasce barely stopped talking as they walked, leaping from one unsubtle bit of bragging to another boastful topic without pausing in between. Ester tried her best to nod along, but she was quickly finding herself resenting the size of the palace. It was huge and it seemed like the Duke's vaults were deep into the complex, with endless, grandly decorated corridors between her and their destination.

"So that is why we Marcnis have ruled Vass Karan for so long. Of course the Duke acts as governor for the Throne, but I can tell you, without my help he would struggle." Lord Rasce grinned and puffed out his rather large chest.

"Of course my lord." Ester started reciting the Four Precepts of Magic in reverse order in her head.

"What about you my lady? You are delightfully young for a Mage, it must be very exci… Ah, we have arrived."

Two guards stood in front of a pair of smooth, iron doors. They looked thick and imposing even from down the wide corridor and a pair of guards stood in front of them. Ester didn't even need to concentrate to feel the wards running across the door and the walls around it.

As they got closer to the guards Lord Rasce reached out to take her arm and then remembered himself and pulled his hand back just before she could recoil. "Come Lady Ester, may I call you that?"

"I…"

"Wonderful. Let me see, we can take the Schema into the Outer Vaults. I think you would enjoy seeing them, there are some truly exquisite art works in there too. I would show you the Inner Vaults too, but my brother might get annoyed," Lord Rasce chuckled as if he'd made a joke. He trusts me absolutely, of course, but perhaps another time, if we get to know each other better."

"My lord, my lady." One of the guards stepped forward and bowed. Ester's eyes were immediately drawn to him. Partly because he was actually rather handsome, tall with nicely defined cheekbones, and partly because his armour was practically crawling with magic.

"Ah yes. I am taking Lady Mazar here into the outer vaults to secure a new Schema." The guard glanced back at his colleague, his face unreadable. Lord Rasce took a couple more steps forward before pausing when the guard didn't move. "Very well. The checks of course." He shot a supercilious smile over his shoulder at Ester. "As you can see, we Marcnis take our security very seriously."

The guard pulled a golden rod from his belt and handed it to Lord Rasce. "My lord."

"Yes yes." The moment he touched it a dazzling array of runes spiralled over him. Something to do with mind, but fire too. It was confusing. For a moment Ester wondered if she could get her hands on the Schema, just for an hour or so. "I am Lord Rasce Marcni, brother to Duke Marcni. I am here to help the delightful Lady Mazar place a Schema within it."

To mundane eyes nothing happened, but Ester could see the magic spiraling around Lord Rasce's head. A truth Schema perhaps? She wasn't totally sure.

Whatever it was, the guard took the Schema back, apparently satisfied. He must have been very trusted to be allowed to use that Schema. It would have been worth… Probably even more than the one in her satchel.

The guard bowed again. "Thank you my lord." He hesitated. "However, the lady… Are you sure that you wish to… Your brother has said… and Lord Cerve is already…"

"Nonsense!" Lord Rasce's face reddened. "There is no harm to it and I shall not have you questioning Lady Mazar's honour!"

"Of course not my lord, but…"

"I do not wish to hear another word. I am permitted to enter the vault am I not guardsman?"

The guard exchanged another look with his comrade. "Yes my lord."

"Very well then. Come along my lady, I apologise for their boorish behaviour."

Ester desperately wanted to protest that she didn't need to see inside the vault, but at this point it would just make things more awkward and she didn't want to offend the brother to the most powerful man in the city. Especially when she was there representing Master Tabasi.

"Of course, I am not offended. They are just doing their duty." She smiled apologetically at the guards.

Lord Rasce ignored her and walked up to the iron doors. "Now this part is quite fascinating if I do say so myself, although it takes the stomach of a strong man to do it."