Adam yawned, he yelped as stinging pain shot up his leg. His eyes widened, and he shook himself. Beside him, Tony grinned playfully, pretending he hadn't just struck Adam. Mana manipulation class so far mostly composed of professor Nijel explaining the basics. Staying up late last night had certainly not helped Adam's focus today. He was so excited for the end of the day that he was only pretending to listen to Nijel as the man talked about proper channeling basics.
" So, how did your first day go? I heard that class is only available because they are looking for someone to take the position of historian."Said Tony.
" I had a lot of fun. It was great, because I am the only student. The professor is really passionate about his work. He stayed and lectured until nearly midnight." said Adam yawning, and pushing aside a frizzy strand of dark black hair.
" While you were having a date with an old man, I met this beautiful, fierce young lady. At first, I thought she was there to question me about the runaway mind mage, but she was there on business. Not on inquisition business. She approached me and convinced me to set up a meeting with my father." said Tony, smiling wistfully.
" Really? How did she convince you to do that? Isn't your father some important noble?" asked Adam curiously.
"Yes, but the way she flashed her blue inquisitor's badge with no fear of my last name, that was something. I can't wait to see her again at the meeting with my father tomorrow. With another chance, I will convince her to come out with me. You should see her, she is so fierce. She just has something most young woman don't have. " Said Tony, grinning, staring at the ceiling in thought.
" She is a one of the church inquisitors?" asked Adam.
" Ya, she must be pretty high in the rankings to be brokering a contract with my father." said Tony, smoothing his hands through his silky brown hair. The mans hand caught in a silver tassel that he twirled unconsciously in his fingers.
"What did you hear about an investigation of a mind mage? I heard nothing about that." Said Adam curiously. Surely they didn't know Reskeme was in the city, as he was wanted for that very thing.
" From what I heard, it was a group of three, a father in two children. Apparently They were walking down the street when an out-of-control carriage got out of control. The horses panicked and barreled down the pathway towards them. Something must've spooked the horses as they ran out of control and just before the horses slammed into father, the horses screamed a high-pitched death cry and collapsed. If the horse's handn't been so big halting the cart, the carriage would have driven right over them. " Said Tony.
" How did they know it was mind magic?" Asked Adam, anxiety welling in his chest.
" Because a nearby of duty guard saw the whole thing. When he moved in to arrest the three, he too collapsed unconscious. Whoever this mind mage is, they are powerful. The horses and the guards were leaking blood from their mouths, and eyes." Said Tony.
" How long ago did this happen?" Asked Adam. It could be coincidence, but Michael still hadn't shown up yet to the academy. After hearing the story, worry rose in his chest.
" I heard about it yesterday, so it's probably been only two days since the mind mage escaped. I am surprised you haven't heard of this." said Tony.
"Its been a busy several days." said Adam nodding his head, listening intently.
" That's why for the last two days, the inquisition has been going out and searching amongst the city, doing their best to find these three and the accursed mind mages. They even have a poster for the father of the two children." Said Tony, grinning, clearly excited to share gossip.
" Where were they last seen?" Asked Adam.
" They disappeared into a side alley in the merchant's quarter by Bilges tavern." Said Tony, waving away the questions.
" Enough about that, don't forget to come join me at the tavern. That will be a lot more fun than walking through cold allies looking for a bunch of criminals. Maybe we can even find you a beautiful young lady," said, winking playfully.
You are hopeless. All it takes is a woman to put a fancy badge in your face and you're smitten?" asked Adam. He said that but then he realised he couldn't really blame Tony. The one person who made Adam's heart race also wore a blue amulet.
"Well, I do like a strong, commanding woman. You should come to the tavern this evening. I can wait up for you after classes." Asked Tony.
"Alright, but i have my language class in the evening. You will need to wait until that's over." Said Adam, excitement welling in his chest. As off on cue, the bell tolled, signaling Nijels' class was over.
" I can't wait, we are going to get wasted." Said Tony, the lanky man sauntering away. Gracefully striding away, Tony paused next to two young women out in the halls and gave them a bow. Adam shook his head as he turned the opposite way towards his language class.
" I dare say, ladies, you both look stunning this evening. Would you happen to be free tonight? The night is young and I know a fine tavern that might interest you?" said Tony.
" Sorry, but we have homework to do." Said the short brunette.
" Maybe some other time, we will let you know." said the other, a tall Dark skinned woman.
Adam shook his head. Where did tony get that kind of confidants? Sure he was rich, and tall, but he was lanky, his arms rail thin, lacking a toned physique many associated with good-looking men.
Adam pondered this conundrum. Understanding women or how to get them was like swimming underwater. In each situation, you thought you were just fine until you smacked into a wall. He pushed on the heavy door to the classroom labeled ancient languages.
Professor Tanis sat in one of the room's chairs instead of standing at the lecturn. Adam approached cautiously, pulling a piece of parchment from his coat and placed it in front of Tanis.
" What do you think of my translation?" asked Adam, pacing in front of the professor. Before his conversation with Tony, Adam had been exited for language class. Now he was nervous and anxious about what happened to Michael.
Tanis took the paper and read it over for several seconds.
" You need to work on your penmanship. It's hard to understand your Laurentian, much less the Dacian." grunted Professor Tanis.
" It's not that bad. I can read my writing just fine."said Adam defensively.
" If you use imprecise runes like this in a ritual, then the inquisitor won't need to arrest you. They will send a team with a shovel and cleaning supplies to clean up your remains." said Tanis.
"Alright, I will work on my writing. What do you have for me today?" asked Adam.
" Today i want you to write out the entire alphabet of Dacian. You will keep doing that until you can do it from memories."said Tanis leaning back in his chair.
" That sounds dreadfully boring." said Adam.
" Well, it is, but writing out the alphabet is the quickest way to improve your writing skills and teach you the letters of the alphabet."said Professor Tanis..
Professor Tanis stood and walked up to the blackboard. He then wrote the Alphabet, sounding each word as he spoke.
Adam sat back in the soft wool lined chair of the classroom. He then copied the letters as Tanis wrote them on the blackboard. Each time Tanis wrote a letter he made the sound, and then gestured Adam to copy the sound. How the man remembered what each word was supposed to sound like was a mystery to Adam.
Unlike the previous day, Adam was more than willing to call it a day after the first couple hours. Tanis held his latest attempt up to the light. Lit in the orange light from a nearby rune lantern Tanis shook his head at Adams newest attempt.
" Maybe we should do projects in Laurentian to teach you our language before we learn something like Dacian. At least you appear to be improving." said Tanis.
" Well, writing is difficult to learn. It takes constant practice and repetition." said Tanis. The bell signalling class was over tolled and Adam stood up.
" Sorry to cut the practice short, but i need to meet up with a friend of mine this evening." said Adam.
" Thats alright, just translate another line of that journal for me. Maybe tomorrow it will make more sense." said Professor Tanis.
Adam left the lecture room and immediately headed for the exit of the building. With his head down, he strode down the empty halls of the Academy until he reached the front door to the building. Adam pulled his cloak tightly around his blue academy robes and stepped outside.
Once alone in the street, Adam felt along his ribs. He felt a leather harness through his new Academy robes. The sheath of throwing knives was still tucked solidly against his skin, perfectly hidden on his left side. Adam didn't expect violence, but he couldn't be too careful.
By the time his class in ancient languages ended, the sun had already set, and the stars were glowing, filling the night sky. In the light of the stars, Adam strode down the street towards the usually bustling merchants' quarter. He strode along the mostly empty streets. Adam didn't walk in the middle of the street, but in the shadows along the sides. He searched the signs and kept an eye out for the many homeless he knew would be out and about..
Many chose to ignore the homeless children that were left by parentless children left by the war. Reskeme, having grown up as a homeless child, knew how to spot those not wanting to be seen.. Reskeme kept his eyes on the shadows, his vision piercing the darkness to catch the rats he knew were there.
Fabric rustled, and a figure moved. Angling himself away, Reskeme over closer, not looking at the alley directly until he was several feet away. He glanced down the alley and spotted a small dark bundle. If not for his unusual ability to see in the dark, Reskeme would have missed the small boy in the alley. Reskeme, crouching, approached the young boy, noting the kids' uncontrolled shivering.
The boy noticed him and lept to his feet, staggering back, his face a mask of fear.
" Hold on, I'm not here to hurt you." said Reskeme soothingly. Not that the boy wasn't hiding under his tattered blanket, Reskeme could tell he was perhaps nine or ten. Reskeme pulled a copper coin from his purse and tossed it to the boy's feet. The boy scrambled and picked up the coin.
" What do ya want?" asked the boy, sounding extremely nervous. The boy clasped the coin in a white knuckled grip and repeatedly glanced to the street beyond Reskeme.
" I was wondering if you know anyone anything about the carriage crash that happened two days ago?" asked Reskeme.
" I think I remember the one. It happened round the corner front of Bilges tavern?" asked the Boy. Reskeme had to focus hard to understand. The boy's gutter slang taking a second to understand.
"Ya, that one. Do you know where the three people who were in the accident went?" asked Reskeme.
"I have a friend who knows some bout it. He told me bout the accident." Said the boy.
" Can you take me to this friend of yours? I will give you another copper."said Reskeme.
In the alley the boy's eyes widened. He licked his cracked lips.
" You're not with the inquisitors, are you?" asked the boy, terror crossing his face again.
" No, I'm not. I'm just looking for some friends of mine."said Adam.
" If I bring you back to the den and your and inquisitor, they will force me to sleep in the streets for more nights."said the young boy, shivering.
"I will tell you what, if you go get your friend. I will give you both twenty copper each to take back to your den leader." said Reskeme..
The boy's mouth dropped open.
Reskeme pulled ten coppers from his purse and placed them in a pile on the stone. He backed away, and the boy rushed over, clasping the coppers in disbelief.
" Thats only ten coppers." said the boy.
" Ten now. When you bring your friend, I will give you the rest."said Reskeme. The boy nodded his head..
" Wait here and i will be back with my friend."said the boy. Reskeme watched as the boy ran down the street. He left the alley and crossed the street, finding a dark hiding spot in a window eve to wait. There was no way Reskeme was going to allow himself to be boxed in that alley. He pulled his cloak tightly and shivered. Reskeme breathed down his shirt, not wanting to give away his position with his foggy breath.
He only had to wait twenty minutes before four shadowy figures in cloaks crept quietly down the street. Two adults and two children, the adults carrying clubs with sharp metal nails at the ends. The young boy from earlier gestured to the alley and the two adults rushed forwards. The two grown men rushed around the corner, their breath steaming in the night air.
After finding the alley empty, one of the two men angrily stomped his way to the small young boy from earlier.
" There is no one her ya damned wharf rat." shouted the man angrily. The shouting man didn't slow and buried his fist into the boy's chest, knocking him to his knees. The boy wretched violently onto the cobbles, his meager breakfast steaming in the light of the stars.
" He was here, he must have left."said the boy.
" Pitch, it's fine. Whoever it is, they are gone. Apparently, they aren't as stupid as we thought. Who waits around knowing thieves are coming." said the second man.
" I guess you're right, Gurvan. You, boy, instead of one night out on the street. Now you're sleeping two nights on the streets. Until you can bring me another eight coppers, no shelter for you."said the still irate man.
Leaving the boy still gasping for air, the two grown men strode away down the street. They left the prone boy and another, bigger boy crouching next to him.
" I wasn't lying Briar, there was someone here."said the young boy.
" I know Ricky. But you gotta remember, smart people will run away when they hear about thieves coming."said Briar helping Ricky to his feet.
Reskeme listened in for another minute, making sure the two men were gone before he rose from his hiding spot and slowly crossed the street.
Briar looked up and his face paled as Reskeme stopped several feet away.
" So are you the one who seen the accident?" Asked Reskeme calmly. The only reason Reskeme was willing to show himself like this was because, in the starlight, the boys wouldn't be able to make out anything other than his academy robes.
" Ya, what about it? "Asked Briar, speaking slowly in an obvious attempt to hide his inflection.
" Do you know where the three people who ran away from the guard went?" asked Reskeme
Briar held out a hand, and Reskeme tossed him a copper coin.
" After the girl killed the horses and nocked out the guard with her creepy magic, then the father took her and the boy." said Briar, his tone still slow to hide his inflection. For a gutter rat around fourteen, Briar was getting good at hiding his street speech. When the boy paused, Reskeme tossed him two coppers to continue. Breathing deeply and glancing around, Reskeme tucked his hands into his pockets.
" I followed them through the city. I don't think many people seen what happened as no one followed them but me. I thought they might get away until we reached the eastern edge of the city. I passed into rival guild territory and watched as a group of Drifters picked them up." said Briar.
" Drifters? I didn't know they were big in Laurentia." said Reskeme.
" They have been moving in and taking over some of the pit vipers' territory these past few weeks ever since Victor was killed." said Briar.
"What do the Drifters specialise in?" asked Reskeme, his heart beating rapidly.
" Enforcing, but I heard they do some trafficking if it's a high value target."said Briar.
"Damnit! How in the nine hells am I going to find them!" cursed Reskeme, passing seven more copper coins to Briar. The boy grinned as he clutched the ten copper coins. Beside him, Ricky stares at the coins as well, smiling.
" Anything else? Do you know where they are keeping the father and the two kids?" asked Reskeme.
" Nope, I got out before someone caught me snooping in enemy territory."said Briar grinning.
" Soo, these Drifters are taking up the eastern edge of the city?" asked Reskeme.
" Ya. I would just give up if I were you. The Drifters are really good and making people go missing."said Briar, his face falling.
Reskeme strode away from the two boys, not wanting them to see his worried expression.
" See, I told you he would give us ten coppers." said Ricky from behind.
" You were right. I can't wait to get some fresh meat."replied Briar, his voice sounding excited.
" Make sure not to tell Durlan and we can eat well for a week."said Ricky in excitement.
He took a long route. He had no desire for more thugs to show up at Maybell's inn later and beat the shit out of him. After making sure no one had been following, Reskeme entered the back door of the inn. He nervously scanned the shadows, seeing no one watching Reskeme entered the inn. He locked the door behind him and silently enter his room.
Reskeme sighed as he settled down on his bed. He had really done it now. How in the nine hells was he going to find them? Traffickers were good at their jobs. If the city guard and the inquisition hadn't found them already, Reskeme had little hope.
Reskeme sighed. Why would a thief's guild want a mind mage? That was the only reason he could think of that they would go through so much effort to kidnap and hide their tracks. His stomach did a flip as he wondered what these Drifters might do to his friends. Rory and Alex Reskeme clenched his fist, gathering a ball of cotton in his grasp. He had promised to protect them, and he had left them to get captured by some thieves' guild.
For the life of him, Reskeme couldn't think of a reason. Mind mages were usually arrested and executed along with those harboring them. Reskeme sighed. He shut his eyes. At least the church and the royal guard were already searching for Michael, Rory, and Alex. Reskeme would need to monitor the inquisitors investigating the case. If they found Rory before he did, Reskeme would to know so he could rescue the little girl. His heart sank. Reskeme wondered if the church would release Michael and Alex if they arrested Rory? As he drifted off to sleep, he thought of all the places he could search tomorrow evening.