Chapter 41: Interlude - Boring Developments (1)

Chapter 41: Interlude - Boring Developments (1)

Three weeks, Purattu thought. I cant believe Ive been on Sin-Amuhhu for three weeks. I feel like Ive barely scratched the surface of the area around the school.

He was currently in a location not too far away from the Sin-Amuhhu Institute of Military Magic. It was an innocuous-looking gated manor at the end of a meandering residential street on the other side of Gula Bazaar.

From the outside, the manor looked ordinary in every aspect. However, its walls were infused with powerful spell formations that made it impervious to the mage sight of even High Archons. The manor had an outer courtyard, an inner banquet room, guest quarters and the like, but at the moment they were all empty. The staff had been given the day off.

The inner courtyard was immaculately tended by a master gardener. It had an olive tree in the corner, a fish pond opposite it, and a table decorated with copper and jewels, surrounded by matching chairs padded with felt. Sitting in one of those chairs was Purattu. He had been shopping at the bazaar recently, where hed spent a few dozen shekels on things such as a golden girdle and a mage hat of polished whalebone.

Directly across from him was Archon Shabadras, with his gaunt cheekbones and crooked nose. To the right was General Kamaru-Ayyabu, who was Unsighted, but at the same time was one of the highest-ranking members of the Sin-Amuhhu military. He was a bear of a man, with salt-and-pepper hair and a well-tended beard. The man had a hand-rolled cheroot between his fingers that spewed out a steady stream of smoke.

Not one of the students of the Epitome tested into the officer group? Purattu asked, waving some of the smoke away from his face.

The one named Xerxes came close, Archon Sabadras said. Its a shame. His combat skills are superb, and he clearly has a good foundation in magic. But his written test was abysmal. Plus, the boy seems distracted.

It doesnt matter, said General Kamaru-Ayyabu. All of this has been orchestrated for a greater purpose.

I know, Purattu said. Still, Id hoped at least one of them would show some promise. To find followers of the Epitome together in such a backwater location is odd.

Archon Sabadras nodded. Thats true, and we plan to look into it further once things have calmed down. But there are greater concerns at the moment. The Abhorrent activity in Ira starisles is clearly winding down. Now were getting reports of incidents in Pira, Lira, Ki-Suhi, and others.

Purattu tapped his finger on the smooth table. So the Ira invasion was a probe.

I still think so, the General said. Regardless, once we confirm Ira has cooled down, we can think about how to go in and retrieve the Gateway Key.

Eyes narrowing, Purattu said, What exactly does that mean, General? Wont I just go there, grab it, and come back here?

Archon Shabadras frowned. Too risky.

Purattus eyes shifted to Archon Shabadras. Something happened, didnt it? Was the mission compromised?

We dont know for sure. Last night High Mystic Fila was found dead.

Purattu forced his face to stay neutral. Fila, like most of his peers, was a fool and an idiot. But that didnt mean hed ever wished her harm. Fila? Dead?

Why be so vague, Shabadras? the general said. She was ripped apart. Very violent. My guess painful.

Purattu looked at him. Plots within plots?

You and the other High Mystics will be leaving first, the general said. Youll do your best to draw out any enemies, or at least confuse them. The group assigned to the starisle with the Gateway Key will be unaware of the true nature of their task. At least initially. We can include sealed orders to be opened by the commanding officer at a certain point.

Youll need to seal the orders with a spell formation. Something flashy. Like the kind that destroys the orders if the wrong person tries to open them.

The general looked at Shabadras. That can be done?

Of course, Shabadras replied.

Purattu waved some more smoke out of his face. Your plan isnt very well thought out. Too many holes. Too many potential complications. For one thing, theyre teenagers, for the Monads sake. Are you really going to trust something so important to kids?

Theyre legally adults, as you know, Kamaru-Ayyabu said. And as you also know, we follow Macrides war treatises, and he was a proponent of young officers getting field experience as early as possible.

Purattu had never been a fan of Macrides, but he decided not to beleaguer the point. Fine. But there are other problems. For instance, what if I buried the Key out in the middle of a swamp with no markers, in a place that only I can find?

You buried the Key in a swamp?

Purattu smirked. No. But I did put it somewhere no one will think to look. And even if they did look, they wouldnt find it. Wasnt that the entire point of this thing?

The general drummed his fingers on the table. Are you saying you cant devise written instructions for how to retrieve it?

I never said that.

Archon Shabadras huffed. This isnt a game, High Mystic.

I beg to differ. This whole thing is a game. A very important, potentially deadly game. And this plan of yours is the culmination of it all. Except it needs work. A lot of work.

The general exhaled a smoke ring. I said its the kernel of an idea. We still have months to refine it. Besides, its also possible that you could eventually circle around and meet up with the group. Hell, once the path is clear, and were sure an ambush hasnt been laid or something along those lines, you can just go ahead of them and get the Key yourself.

So, theyre sending in the kids as sacrificial lambs, Purattu thought. Or, at the very least, bait.

He didnt like it. But unfortunately, there was too much at stake. If the Abhorrent got their hands on the Gateway Key, what was currently a minor problem for lesser starisles could quickly turn into something much more dramatic.

For now, the general continued, the main thing we need to do is set up a cover mission. Can you think of a reasonable justification to send an army down to where exactly did you hide the Key?