James landed atop a rise a distance from the capital. It wasn't his destination, but after flying over the royal woods for hours, his already damaged witch factor was threatening to tear his body asunder. Besides, flying Southwards, a journey that would normally have taken at least ten hours would now take less than one.
He didn't let himself rest long, and soon he could see it. The academy, and the town that had grown around it. The town would have been abandoned had he come even a week earlier, but now the businesses that benefited from the large student populations were starting to open up again.
Those who stayed too far were already arriving, and most new students were coming to settle in early too. There were those few who'd decided to stay over the now fleeting summer vacation. The town was still bustling enough, but he supposed he'd expected more. At least from the way Jason had seen it.
It was no where near the capital, but this town sat on a small river port. The river had been widened on its Southern border to almost look like a small lake. The buildings were not small either, and here there was little division of classes. The town was on more flattened land than the capital, so it gave it a quaint air, and with the less than maximum activity right now, it felt very peaceful in comparison. This was a town that had developed to feed future aristocrats of the kingdom, so the quality was quite self explanatory.
Perhaps one of many reasons it wasn't a city yet, the house of Bladhaven had refused other noble houses from constructing palaces or mansions here. If their children wanted to stay outside the campus provided accommodations, then they had to rent the houses they had built. James had a house outside the campus, though he supposed if he was to bring all his party over, it might be less than ideal.
He looked over at the Bladhaven castle. This was their land, so they'd built their main castle in the town. Would the Ravens take it if they took over the Central dominion? Would Crescida invite him over if he helped her and her family in their time of need?
He shook his head. Their was no time for that. He'd not come here with the intention of sightseeing, had he? He pulled his cloak a little tighter over his head.
It was suspicious. Everyone coming from the North was at least tied to a caravan or something. There were not very many settlements between this town and the capital. Most of the land was held either by the royal family or the Ducal family. The guards had already started giving him funny looks, and he remembered madam Vi had identified him from his eyes alone.
He sighed as the arched post of the wooden gate crept closer into view. He couldn't very well have come in from the port via a river barge. It would have been even more suspicious.
"State your business," the guard declared with professional impartiality.
His scan of his body one too many times was very telling though.
"I was sent here by my employer to see about a house. A rental house, that maybe getting back on the market."
"Proof," the man held out a hand.
James pulled out the small token he'd received the first time he'd gone to his off campus house all those months back. It wasn't the same person, but he had James's memories.
"And you walked all the way here by your lonesome? Not even a horse?"
He shrugged. The guard had the token tasted against a certain list he was holding, a light emanated from it.
"That's strange. This master of yours one for getting into trouble?" the guard asked.
James shrugged again, trying his level best to keep a neutral face.
"I wouldn't know."
"I hope you've not got some sort of nefarious plan, have you, sonny?!" the man laughed as he slapped James on the shoulder to usher him into the town.
James gave a light chuckle as he walked by. There were rarely ever any big crimes in this quaint little town. It had its own dedicated platoon of knights, not to mention a corps of warrior mages. James had spent a few nights in the cells though.
It smelled different from the royal capital, and even from Uluth town in the North. Maybe it was the river, but it smelled fresher somehow. The trees here seemed older, and the forest that extended far as the eye could see to the West almost looked impenetrable. Each block had uniform houses, built as if by the same person.
There were newer buildings up on the Eastern side, and the forest land on the West was showing signs of reclamation. The town was almost half the size of Halden city, and it would keep growing until it rivaled the capital. Yet only one house was monopolising all this potential, monopolising a whole city. It was no doubt this town was the Bladhaven's main claim to power.
Perhaps even the Royal family was feeling threatened by them. But if they were threatened by the Bladhaven, then what about the Halden? They were richer, already had a city that even if small was very prosperous, and they had extensive farms even with their gold mines, all not owned by the state. Could the Royal family be plotting to take the mines, and the academy too?
These were all just assumptions, but more and more, James was starting to put together the political puzzle from the pieces he had. It was nothing pretty. All the more reason he needed more power. He now had to save his family as well.
He'd also become just a little bit interested in helping Crescida Bladhaven. Some of the things in the novel were now starting to make sense. Some of the reasons he hated the third prince Mikhail. She would suffer the most at the gathering two days hence. The war in the North was also starting to feel more like an incited incident. The king was a little too conniving, even if he put on the face of a bored and politically inept brute.
It had seemed that Emily was winning the struggle in the novel, but no one had been able to uncover Mikhail's involvement in the revolution. It was almost certain the boy was puppeteering the whole Royal family, puppeteering the whole kingdom.
In any case, helping Crescida was certainly important, but it was not a priority. He would help her if he got a chance, or if she called in her favour. It was just too risky to go out of his way otherwise.
James reached the town centre. If he'd continued straight, past the fountain built under a statue that sometimes represented the god of light, father to the sun and moon and shadow gods, He'd be seeing the academy gates. 'Why does the god of light look so much like a dragon that can stand on its two hind limbs?'
Perhaps it had something to do with the connection between the dragons and divine abilities he was picking up. And that reminded him. He looked back without warning, and it disappeared again. That black presence that seemed so intent on stalking him to the ends of the world.
He hadn't come for a glimpse at the magical front of the academy though. He'd come to pick up something buried here. He turned left, walked into a cluster of buildings, took a few turns, and sure enough, just like the novel had described he could see the main market. It wasn't as bustling now, but the smell of fish in many stages of preparation sold him on it. He only bought some of the deep fried stuff because it would have been suspicious to walk past without trying it.
Not because he missed street food or anything of the like. He was a noble now. That sort of thing was unbecoming, or so he thought at least. But he went further, and finally he reached a crop of trees. Even that he'd been accelerating whenever he reached an abandoned alley or so, it had taken an hour to get to the Western edge of the town.
The forest acted as a sort of natural barrier, as did the river far to the South. The East and North had walls, although the East wall was always being felled and readjusted as long as funds were present.
According to the novel, it was a few months yet until they discovered the treasure they had hidden just on the edge of the woods. James could see the signs of trees having been cleared for lumber. He was unsure whether his mother's ring would help him this time.
The only option he had was to explore as much as he could. The forest was indeed thick, so he didn't like the idea of going in there at all. And he didn't have to. Only problem though, just moving along the forest for hours would draw attention. And even if the shadows it cast were starting to appear like they were pointing East, they were still too short for him to make use of them.
He had to go further into the town and instead walk along the western age of the constructed area. He hoped he would know it when he saw it. And so he did. It felt like his very soul sung at the moment. He didn't know if the ring reacted, but he didn't check. How it had taken the mages at the academy so long to discover what that deep black tree -thin and short for its species, resting on a mound of earth and every tree around it cut- James would never know.
He was running before he could think better of it. He remembered how he'd gained his first power. He'd just touched the tree, and something in his soul had resonated with it. This time was different.
The power sent him flying in a shower of dust and debris, and consciousness fled him for a while. It had felt like his soul was being wrenched. He was definitely still too young to bond more than one of these ancient gifts. No wonder using the full power of his first divine gift had left him in bad shape. He was sure half the town had heard all the racket.
So the first thing he did when he came to was try to rise using his hands for support. He tasted something tangy, and the smell was nauseating. Then he was heaving blood and he was falling down into it. Someone was shouting something. He tried to move his head to look, all he could see in his blood tainted vision was black. 'What the hell?!'
'...human! human! huuummman!...'
"Guods! I ca' h'ar you jus' fine. Y'dn't ave t'shout."
'You're alive! Why are you speaking like that?!'
"Argh!" James fished for a healing potion from his satchel, realised he'd forgotten to carry one, and resigned himself to the pain.
Already he could feel that his soul was lighter. His body was another matter though. It felt like the blood had been the only effect. His body felt great even. As for why he'd suddenly developed an inexplicable accent, he could only hope it was temporary.
'I said not to shout,' he sent mentally. 'How long have I been unconscious?'
'I don't know, but I took you away from that place when the other humans came.'
'Huh? Humans came? And how the hell didn't I take more damage from that tumble?'
'It was incredible! I wanted to jump in, but then you had this blue like armour protecting you. It was grande, human!'
'Yeah, whatever. Listen, you've been following me around for days. Not that I don't appreciate those times you saved my life, but I thought you were going to be cleansed?'
'According to the old guy, I still had some unfinished business here, and so here I am. Aren't you happy I didn't cross over?'
'I'm not exactly thrilled about it. What are you now anyway? You're definitely not a dragon, at least.'
Their mental conversation halted, and it was so quiet in his mind for the longest time, that James thought the cloud of blackness -for that was what it had become- was not going to answer. But then he did.
'I don't know.' And the small voice sounded so unsure, so lost, that James almost felt sorry for it.
'Yeah well that's not my problem. I wish you good luck in finding out. Now stop following me around.'
'Hmph! Humans don't tell dragons what to do!' It declared in a reinvigorated voice.
His mind was starting to fade again. Perhaps it was hunger or something else. He felt fine physically, and his soul was lightening by the second, yet his mind seemed to get more lethargic by the minute.
'...human!'
Was that a slap. James felt it remotely. This stupid incorporeal thing had just slapped him. He gritted his teeth, trying to fight for every second of clarity.
'Take...me...home,' he forced out, and then all was black.