Chapter 22: Chapter 22: A Storm Brews

Serafina sat in a chair, a cup of hot tea in one hand and a small book in the other. Eyes moved from left to right, drinking in the words as she took a sip. Heat flowed down her throat and sank into her belly. The elder raven barely blinked as she read, the book titled, “The Fabled Catacombs”.

The sound of a boot slamming down on the porch outside woke her up from her reading. Putting the book and teacup down a small side table, she was standing up when the front door slammed open. Her eyes widened a hair as Symon and Tarron stepped in, carrying the kobolds in their arms. Seeing Qin covered in blood and gashes caused her to take charge.

“Put them each on the couch,” she directed.

Symon and Tarron did as they were told. Symon put Nyana on a side couch as Tarron put Qin on the center couch.

Serafina was already moving to a cabinet. She opened it and stuck her hand inside. Fingers touched the hidden switch and a secret compartment opened within. She reached in and took hold of two potions before pulling her hand out. She turned and walked to the couch with Qin.

The kobold coughed before moaning in pain. He clutched at his broken ribs, his breath wheezing. Tarron stepped back as he looked down on the wounded kobold. When Serafina obscured his gaze with her back, he looked down at his hands and arms, covered in kobold blood.

“Who was it?” Serafina asked as she pulled the cork and lifted the rim of the potion vial to the kobold’s lips.

“We don’t know,” Symon said as he looked down on the unconscious Nyana.

Qin parted his mouth and the healing potion splashed on his pointed tongue.

Symon knelt down by Nyana, his ringer touching her neck. She had a weak pulse, and her breathing was a little ragged.

When the potions finished spilling down Qin’s throat, the kobold gave Serafina a small, painful smile before passing out. The elder raven stood up and stepped over to Nyana and Symon. She checked the kobold’s pulse with one hand, and potion in the other. After a few seconds, she put the potion in her dress pocket.

“A healing potion will not help her at this time,” Serafina said before looking at Symon. “Did she use a spell?”

“I’m not sure. I just knew I had to get back to them. They were in a book shop, shopping for spellbooks. When I was…” Symon trailed off for a second. “I was across the street when I felt a presence and I knew something was wrong.”

Serafina nodded. “Was the shop locked from the inside?”

“Yes,” Symon answered.

The elder raven glanced back down at Nyana. “She mentioned to me the single spell she knows. There is a reason why mages use spellbooks and spell ink and this is why. Using your own mana is dangerous. Push a spell too far, and it will use every drop of your living life. She needs more training to understand that.”

Serafina stood up straight. Symon did the same. The two looked at each other with worry in their hearts.

“When we have a moment, I will need every detail of the ambush. For now, the important thing is they both need rest. The potion will help heal Qin. As for Nyana, we have to wait for her to wake up.”

Symon nodded.

The pair turned and faced Tarron, who was still there, looking at his blood-covered hands.

The elf put his hands down and looked at them with wide eyes. Serafina eyed him suspiciously as Symon looked at him in relief.

Tarron read their expressions and parted his lips. “I was making my rounds when I saw a commotion. When I rushed in, I saw what was happening.”

“He helped us escape,” Symon said to Serafina.

The elder raven gave the elf a small nod. “You sure you had nothing to do with this.”

Tarron shook his head. “All of you helped save my life. To some, that won’t account for anything, but to me, it means much more. I didn’t say it the last time I was here, but I’m saying it now.”

Serafina’s expression softened. “Stay here while I get some warm water.”

The elder raven left the room and entered the kitchen.

Symon turned to Tarron, the elf standing with a dim shock in his eyes. “Are you okay?”

Tarron turned his gaze to the young man and gave him a nod. “I’ll be okay. What happened this evening was a little sudden.”

The elf regained some of his composure. “The last time I was here, I left before properly thanking you for drawing the smaller umbra beast away. It surely would have slaughtered all of us if you hadn’t done so. Thank you,” he said with a bow.

“It’s okay. We had the same idea. Glad we could help save them together.”

Tarron looked away. “I should be going. I shouldn’t be seen here.”

“You don’t have to leave just yet. Stay and make sure the kobolds are okay,” Symon smiled.

Tarron shook his head. “I know what you mean by staying. I cannot be part of this kind of life. I’m indebted to you and most of the people in this house, but I cannot break my oath. I swore to defend Gray Gate and my fellow Shield Guards. We are the line that keeps the city from falling into chaos.”

Serafina stepped out with a bowl of hot water and few white towels over her arm.

“What good is an oath if not everyone follows it,” she said as she knelt down beside the couch with Qin.

Tarron and Symon turned to the elder raven as she put the bowl down on the small table, picked up a towel and dipped the end in the steamy water. She then turned to Qin and began wiping away blood as his wound began to pucker and close slowly.

Serafina continued to speak without looking back, her gaze on Qin as she cleaned his bloody body. “What happened to your people was a tragedy. Scattered to the winds and searching for a new home because of those monsters in the ice. No one should have to endure a life of servitude after such a terrible moment in history.”

Tarron’s cordial look turned angry. “Do not speak to me of the pain of loss like we are old friends having a drink in some tavern. What I do, is to protect the greater good. What you do, is take everything you can and destroying livelihoods.

“I’m no stranger to the guilds and how they function. It isn’t simply about taking what’s not yours or earned. The guilds hunt down mythics. They perform assassinations.  Your lot are the root of darkness in this city!”

“You must know that the guilds function in service to the mages,” Symon stated with a blank expression.

Tarron’s anger cooled a degree, but the flame of anger remained. “A necessary evil in these times. The mana of Norr will return. It must heal from what was done by mages in the past.

“Once the world heals, there will be no need to hunt those with greater amounts of mana in their blood and bones.”

“But that day has not come yet,” Serafina said as she put a bloody towel on the table and picked up a clean one. “And it wasn’t many mages, but a single, mad one. We all know the stories, but that doesn’t make things any better. We all want the world to heal, but until it does, we have to make our time here count for something.”

Tarron barked out a laugh. “Count for something? That is what I am doing!”

“We’re not here to fight,” Symon said with a diplomatic tone. “You helped me, Nyana, and Qin escape. You could have taken us in, but chose to help us get out of Old Town. That act alone is enough to strip you of your armor and sword.”

Tarron clenched his fists at his sides. “Threats will not work on me. If my superiors know what happened, and hand me an unfavorable judgment, I will gladly hand over my armor and my sword.”

“And then what?” Serafina said with a cool tone. “What will you do when you run out of coin? Where will you go and feel safe from those who would harvest you for what’s in your veins?”

Tarron’s eyes carried a fiery edge, before they diffused and he looked to the side. “I’ll manage.”

“Spoken like an elf with nothing left to lose,” Serafina said with an edge.

The elf glared down at the elder raven. “You know nothing of my life!”

“I know many things,” Serafina said as she methodically cleaned blood from Qin’s scales. “After you left us before, I did my research on you. You lost everything in the umbra beast attack. You’ve been staying at the barracks, since you no longer have a home.”

The elder raven turned her head and looked up at the elf with a single eye. “I mean no disrespect when I say this, but I know about the Sanguine Parlors. I do not judge you, giving them your blood for a silver knight at a time, but you can be so much more than a pawn in their games.”

“Pawn?” Tarron said with a smirk. “Like your guilds who must answer to the mages?”

Serafina stood up and turned around. She used a clean edge of the bloody tower to wipe her hands before tossing it onto the table with a wet splat.

“You misunderstand the situation. The guilds are not pawns, but partners for the mages. The Shield Guard are pawns. Guilds hold a lot of secrets for the mages, as the mages hold secrets about us. We work together to do what needs to be done in a time of doubt and chaos.”

A small smile bloomed along Serafina’s lips. “Besides, you pretend that none of your fellow Shield Guards are secretly part of any guilds.”

Tarron shook his head. “I’ve heard enough.”

The elf turned and stepped toward the front door. When he reached it, he grabbed the doorknob, ready to turn it when a voice behind him spoke up.

“I apologize,” Serafina said.

The elf stood at the door, his back to ravens.

“Seeing some of my family hurt, tends to awaken a part of me I wasn’t sure I had. You are a kind, and honorable elf. I meant no disrespect. We all have our paths in the world and it was wrong of me to belittle the one you have chosen.

“But before you go, if things become too much, or need a place to stay for a while, this house is open to you.”

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“Of if you need to talk,” Symon added with a smile.

Tarron turned his head slightly, but didn’t look back. “Thank you, for the apology, and the kind words.”

The elf turned the knob and opened the front door. He stepped out and closed the door behind him, never looking back.

Symon and Serafina stared at the door as they heard his footsteps walk away until they were gone.

The elder raven turned to the younger one. She reached up and touched his chin, turning it as she looked over dark bruises covering his cheek and by his nose.

“They worked you over pretty well,” she said as she continued to inspect him.

“You should see how they look,” Symon said with a weak smile.

Serafina let go and simply looked into Symon’s eyes. “You feel a kinship with him, and the kobolds.”

Symon nodded. “We all know what it means to live here, knowing that if someone is brave or desperate enough, they can try and take us and sell us to someone who wants the mana in our bodies.”            

The young man looked away. “Hearing what Lord Chambers had to say, and the ambush tonight, has diminished my hope a little. What if we can’t get the guild stone? We all can be dead in a matter of weeks.”

“Hush,” Serafina said softly. “I understand your concerns for I have them as well. I didn’t expect any of the guilds to be as brazen as attack any of us in Old Town. The Moth Guild have their fingers, or better yet, their wings in the Book District. They prize knowledge and secrets, but to allow another guild to come and send a message is a bit too far, even for them.”

“Could they have had a hand in the attack?” Symon asked.

Serafina shook her head. “It’s not like them. They trade in secrets, listening to everything that happens in the city. They only use violence when they absolutely have to.”

At that moment, there was a thud on the porch.

Symon and Serafina turned to the front door. They glanced at each other before the pair stepped to door. Symon opened it as Serafina walked out. Symon stepped to her side and they both looked down at a small sack and a rolled-up note pinned to it.

The elder raven reached down and scooped it up. She pulled the scroll from the sack and pushed the sack to Symon’s chest. He took into his hands as Serafina walked back inside while unfurling the scroll.

Once inside, Symon closed the door. He then opened the sack and looked down at a dozen gold queens.

Serafina turned around and let the arm drop to her side with the scroll.

“It would appear, the Moth Guild had nothing to do with what happened in the Book District. The worker at Mort’s Book Shop was paid off by another guild, but they didn’t name who it was. They do apologize for what happened, the queens are payment for any damages done.

“They also said, the worker won’t be returning and we will never see them again.”

Symon suppressed a chill down his spine. “Never see them again?”

The elder raven nodded. “I know the Moth Guild. If we want more information, we will have to pay them. For now, we have more important things to consider.”

Serafina rolled up the scroll and threw it into the crackling hearth. The parchment took and turned to ash instantly.

“We need to ensure Olivia and Cedric are not caught in this web of violence. Go find them and bring them back,” Serafina said before sticking her hand in a pocket and pulling out a ring. “Take this with you. If you run into any trouble, I will be there as quickly as I can.”

Symon nodded as he took the ring and put it on.

The raven turned for the door as Serafina spoke.

“A storm is brewing, but not by the other guilds. It will begin with us and our rightful return. Bring back your fellow ravens for we have a lot to discuss.”

Symon nodded and made for the door.

Once outside, Symon too a deep inhale of cold, night air.      

We have to make this work, for all of our sakes.

Stepping off the porch, the young man made his way deeper into New Town.

Time moved in an uneven flow. Knowing Olivia’s favorite places in New Town, he set out to check them. She had been visiting several locations to find hopefuls for the academies. When he reached a wide intersection, he spotted his fellow raven. Olivia crossed the cobblestone street to him with a smile. Her smile vanished when she saw the bruises on his face and the haunted expression in his eyes.

When they met, Symon told her what happened.

Olivia’s eyes gleamed with worry. When Symon took her hand, the pair ran down a street and made their way toward Old Town.

Before they reached the South Gate of Old Town, Cedric was walking out with a confident swagger. The author looked to his fellow ravens and held out his arms in a welcoming gesture. He had a wide, toothy smile as he approached, but it too vanished when he saw the looks in Symon and Olivia’s eyes. The three met on the street and talked for a bit, Symon detailing what happened.

“Bastards! Foul and dreadful cretins! Are we going back to find them and make them pay?” he asked with a fire in his eyes.

“No. We have other plans. Let’s get back to the guild house. There’s a lot to talk about,” Symon said and led the way.

The walk back to the guild house was slow. All three looked around with suspicious eyes and alert senses. Symon told Serafina through the ring connection he had his fellow ravens. She was relieved and told them to hurry home.

The trio picked up the pace. A time later, they rushed into the home and closed the door.

Symon, Cedric, and Olivia looked at the couch, Qin sitting up with a small smile along his snout and Nyana slowly blinking as she laid on the other couch.

“It’s about time,” Qin grinned with sharp teeth.

Cedric rushed over and fell to his knees before the kobold on the couch. “You have to be the toughest kobold in Norr.”

Qin chuckled. “I’ll settle for the toughest kobold in Gray Gate.”

Symon and Olivia walked over to Nyana and knelt down beside the kobold. She looked at them with a small smile and sleepy eyes.

“We’re glad you’re awake,” Symon whispered.

“I’m…happy…to…see…you,” Nyana said with her sleepy gaze met Symon’s gaze.

“Everyone, pull up a chair,” Serafina ordered as she moved her high-backed seat closer to the couches in the room.

Everyone did as they were told, grabbing seats and pulling them closer. Olivia sat on the same couch as Nyana, her hand touching the kobold’s hand and she grasping onto hers. Cedric pulled up a chair and sat on it, beside the couch with Qin. Symon grabbed a seat and pulled it closer to Serafina’s side.

The room settled and Serafina began.

“Qin told me the details of what happened in the book shop. The more I listened, the more I discovered this was a very amateur operation and not sanctioned by any of the guild leaders. Be that as it may, this is only a symptom to a larger problem we are facing. The rumors of our guild’s eventual rise from the ashes have angered many. The ambush was a foolhardy attempt to place fear in our hearts, but we will not let it stand.”

The elder raven leaned in a little, as did everyone else who was sitting up.

“The true fear is their fear of our return. We all have been working hard to fulfill our obligations, but it is not enough. We must take the offensive, and by offensive, we must take back our guild stone.

“We have less than two weeks to further prepare. We have come a long way with many hopeful mages ready to join the Necromancy Academy.”

“We are short of our goal,” Cedric mentioned.

Serafina nodded. “It will have to wait. Beginning tomorrow, we will begin further training. All of you have earned enough coin to learn new skills. It will not be a gentle stroll through a garden. All of us will have to go beyond our best to achieve what needs to be done.”

Eyes took on a gleam of conviction as heads nodded in agreement.

“I will lay out the basic plan. Afterwards, I want all of you to get some rest,” Serafina said before turning her gaze to Symon. “Because of the past, I cannot be anywhere near the place of the auction and the guild stone. This place, our home, is always watched because they fear me taking back the stone.

“They will also be watching all of you. We are at the tipping point and we will tip it in our favor. To ensure there is a leader running the job, I have appointed Symon to be that leader. He will be the soul and direction we take back what is ours.”

Everyone looked to Symon and gave an approving nod.

Symon remained silent, eager to hear more from his mentor and friend.

Serafina smiled. “Take heart, we will be victorious,” the elder raven said before laying out the bones of her plan.

The young ravens listened as the night beyond the warm home grew colder.

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