Vainglory 3.17 - Pit of Vipers

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Plum

17 – Pit of Vipers

Ward made good on his promise to Grace to eat in that evening. When Haley arrived back at the Assembly Hall in the late afternoon, he already had a feast waiting. After securing his refund from the manager of the Grand Ordo, he’d visited half a dozen food vendors in the square, gathering an extensive sampling—enough for six people, let alone two. He’d also stopped by a wine vendor and picked up two bottles of a dark vintage the man swore would be both deliciously smooth and a perfect digestive aid.

So, when Haley knocked on his door, he swung it wide, and the overpowering aromas of street food hit her full in the face. “Come in! We’re celebrating.”

Grace was eager to see Haley, so as soon as the younger woman stepped through, she started bombarding her with questions, “What was Fitz’s place like? Was he happy to see you? Did you have lunch? Where else did you go? You look tired! Did something happen?”

Haley laughed and shook her head, sending her short, dark hair bouncing. She moved past Grace and flopped into one of the chairs at the little table in Ward’s room, inhaling deeply of the various paper-wrapped foods. “I’m so hungry! To answer one of your questions, Grace, I found an instructor.”

Ward locked the door and went to sit across from her. Meanwhile, Grace leaped atop the table, seemingly kicking the food aside, but Ward knew it wasn’t real. As the incorporeal woman hopped onto the third chair, squatting with her knees pulled close to her chest rather than sitting like a normal person, she commanded, “Tell me more!”

“Well, Master Rose took me as a student, but she was reluctant at first…” As she sampled little fried bits of seasoned dough, Haley told Ward and Grace about her meeting with Rose. Ward listened, happy that Haley had found a mentor, even if it might be temporary, but he also stuffed his face. If Haley was hungry, he was ravenous. He’d held his beast at bay, refusing to eat while waiting for Haley, and his impulse control was slipping fast.

Haley finished describing her afternoon with Master Rose and paused to watch Ward eat for a while, her eyes growing wider and wider as he scarfed down greasy meats, battered and deep-fried vegetables, and little sandwiches that almost looked like tacos. “I thought I was hungry!”

Grace sighed and waved a hand. “Don’t give him attention. He’s capable of more self-control than that.”

Ward wiped his mouth on a paper napkin. He cleared his throat and burped into his elbow. “You don’t know what it’s like! Maybe it’s the regeneration or my added strength and speed, but something makes me need to eat a lot more.”

Grace ignored him. “What about Fitz?”

Haley sighed happily, leaning back to sip a cup of wine Ward had poured her. “He was so nice, Grace! As usual, I suppose. We had a lovely brunch and then he insisted on helping me find a Gopah master. Look—” She took out the little slip of paper Fitz had given her. “—he even wrote down the names of the schools nearby. He’s the one who directed me to Rose.”

“You called her Master Rose at first,” Ward observed.

Haley nodded. “She’s informal. I can call her ‘Rose’ as long as I’m respectful.” She grinned lopsidedly as she sipped her wine again. “She calls me ‘Thorn.’”

“Because you’re sharp?” Grace guessed.

Haley shook her head, still smiling. “Because I irritated her so much she decided to teach me.”

Ward laughed and took a large gulp of his wine. It wasn’t very strong, but it was smooth and washed his food down nicely. “I’m glad you had a nice day, Haley.”

“Well you never explained why we’re celebrating. Why all the street food?” She picked up a meat and vegetable skewer.

“Ward killed another sorcerer today.”

Haley’s eyes bulged out at Grace’s statement, but her mouth was full so she just stared at Ward, awaiting an explanation. He shook his head at Grace, chewing noisily. After swallowing another gulp of wine, he told Haley about Thrund, their duel, and his subsequent ransacking of Thrund’s hotel room. As he wrapped up the tale, he added, “I’ve got that picture and I figure after dinner we can see what kinds of secrets it holds.”

Grace nodded, leaning forward, chin in hands. “Tell her about Coral.”

Haley looked from Grace then back to Ward. “Who?”

“One of the Assembly members who was on the committee that questioned me. He’s kind of on my side, or he claims he is. Well, that’s not exactly right.” Ward frowned, standing up from his chair to walk over to his bed where he’d thrown his satchel. “It was more that he’s against Veylan and thinks he’s up to no good. He thinks the cult we fought in Westview is present here and Veylan is part of it. He didn’t have much in the way of evidence, but if I can tie this drawing to Veylan, I’ll at least know he’s trying to get me killed.”

“That’s not all,” Grace said while Ward dug through his satchel. “He says he can help us get into the Garden Gates and he had his pet sorceress give Ward a spell. Oh, and he’s a lycan.”

“What?” Haley cried. “Ward, you had an eventful day!”

“Mmhmm,” Ward replied absently. “Did Fitz say he could get us into the challenge?”

“He says he can, but it might take him some time. He wants to talk to you about the terms of our arrangement.”

Ward pulled his grimoire, the spell Gwen had given him, and the envelope containing the drawing from his satchel and returned to the table. “Arrangement?”

“He’s trying to start an adventuring company, Ward! You know that!” Haley leaned earnestly over the table. “Don’t you want to give him any credit if he gets us into the challenge?”

“Yeah, of course, but maybe we don’t need him. I mean if Coral can—”

“Ward!” Grace growled. “Don’t be a jerk. You know Haley doesn’t want to cut Fitz out. Besides, Coral said to have our representative contact him.”

Ward sighed, scowling at Grace. “Can’t I have any fun? I was just teasing Haley a little.”

Haley leaned back, smiling. “Thank you, Grace.”

Ward ignored them as they continued talking about Fitz and the details of Haley’s day. He was busy fitting his new spell into his grimoire. As he did so, he studied the words of power, Trahl Veskarun. They slipped around in his mind as he tried to read them, and he knew they’d be tough to memorize. They didn’t cause any discomfort, though, and when he silently whispered the words to himself, they didn’t seem dangerous to him. Beneath the diagrams for the meditative forms, Gwen had written him a note:

Some spells are meant for thieves and assassins—this is not one of them. ‘Web of Obscurity’ will tangle the prying eyes of men and magic alike, but only if you stay still and keep your wits about you. If you shift more than a step or two, the web frays, and you’ll find yourself exposed. It’s best used to vanish in plain sight or to whisper secrets without unwanted listeners catching wind of your words. Just remember—stillness is your ally, impatience your undoing.

As he closed his grimoire and unfolded the drawing of his likeness, Ward realized he had a problem. “My brain's full,” he sighed.

Grance snorted, breaking off her conversation with Haley to look at him with an arched eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“I memorized Mana Bolt and Chains of Silence, but I didn’t use them in the duel. I don’t have room for another big spell like Reveal Secrets. Isn’t there a way to forget a spell?”

Haley laughed, pouring herself more wine. “That’s a strange problem to have. None of the stories about great sorcerers mention anything like that.”

“Well, yeah, maybe if I had a teacher I’d know what to do.”

“Just cast the silence spell on Haley. It’s not permanent, right?”

“Excuse me?” Haley stared at Grace, betrayed. “Why me?”

Ward grinned. “You know, that’s a good point, Haley. I know this spell works on people, but what if I need to silence an evil, bodiless entity?”

“You wouldn’t!” Grace hissed, leaping out of her chair and moving around behind Haley.

“Are you hiding behind me?” Haley giggled, clearly affected by the wine. “Ward, do it! Silence her!”

Ward grinned, caught up in Haley’s hysterics. He focused on Grace and said, “Trahl vrothun slenvek!” To his surprise, the words hurt going out; he’d never cast the spell before, and he knew it was a strong one, but when he’d memorized the words, he’d been able to focus on each without much discomfort. Nevertheless, when he cast the spell, reciting them one after the other, he felt a sharp pain between his eyes, and hot blood drizzled out of his nose.

Meanwhile, the words slithered around the room, clicking and scraping against the wood paneling and then coalescing in a crescendo around Grace, even as she tried to flee, running toward the far wall like she could jump out the window. When the spell struck home, she whirled on Ward, furious, and opened her mouth to scream. No sound emerged.

While Ward grabbed a napkin to catch the blood flowing from his nose, Haley leaped up and ran toward Grace. “What’s it like?” she asked, breathless. Grace frowned at her, arms folded over her chest. “Oh! You can’t tell me!” Another fit of giggles overcame her and Grace mimed choking her, grimacing.

“Try to talk, Grace,” Ward said. “I mean for research’s sake.”

Grace glared at him, and then she mouthed something vulgar.

Ward smiled. “I love you too, Grace—in my way.”

Grace threw her hands up and silently ranted, her lips moving far too quickly for Ward to guess what she was saying. She must have known he wanted to see how long the spell would last because she kept up the soundless monologue, pacing back and forth, waving her hands in the air until, about a minute later, her voice suddenly returned, “…and then, if you’re lucky, I might give you a moment’s peace…” She trailed off, turning to grin evilly at Ward, the fires in her eyes flickering brightly.

“Sorry, Grace!” Haley hiccupped.

“Oh, I can’t blame you. I suggested he cast it on you first, didn’t I?”

“Very reasonable,” Ward agreed, opening his grimoire so he could memorize Reveal Secrets.

“Oh, yes. I’m reasonable. Perhaps my fury will fade as I bide my time, waiting for the perfect opportunity.” She was suddenly standing behind Ward, her polished, sharp nails, gently tickling the nape of his neck. She leaned close and whispered in his ear as goosebumps raced down his shoulders and onto his arms. “I’m patient.”

Ward abruptly stood, pretending not to be bothered. He walked over to the rug at the foot of his bed. “Give me a few minutes to memorize this spell.”

While he sat down and began to go through the forms, breathing steadily and focusing on his heartbeat to ground himself, he heard Haley talking to Grace. He knew Grace was just playing around—at least, he hoped so. He’d memorized Reveal Secrets many times by then, and it went quickly and smoothly. When he stood and looked over to the table, he saw Haley and Grace studying his likeness on the paper he’d taken from Thrund’s room.

“Bring that over here, will you?”

As Haley handed it to him, she said, “I think it’s an excellent drawing. The artist was talented.”

Ward nodded. “Listen, you two. When I cast this spell, don’t talk about what we see. I don’t think I can manage my new spell to hide from prying eyes and ears while also casting Reveal Secrets, so just observe quietly. When it’s over, if we need to make plans, I’ll prepare the other spell and cast it.”

Grace smiled, walking over to stand beside Haley. “I agree. Hopefully, you’ll find something worthwhile.”

Ward set the page down on the rug at the center of their little three-person circle, then focused on it and said, “Shrovak gnyrath!” Reveal Secrets felt like honey sliding off his tongue compared to the Chains of Silence. The words slithered through the air, echoing in whispers as the lights faded and the shadows gathered. Ghostly, ethereal figures began to take shape almost immediately and Ward took a step back to make room for the scene that was playing out before their eyes.

A small woman in a lovely, embroidered dress held a blank page in her hand. She had short, curly hair, and Ward recognized her immediately—Adjudicator Reembak from his hearing. She’d certainly seemed to be on his side, working against Veylan’s attempts to find him guilty, but as she spoke, he began to realize how wrong his impression had been. “Trahl vrekhunar!” she hissed.

As her phantom spoke the words of power, the page in her hand began to populate with ink, creating a likeness of Ward, precisely like the one on the floor at their feet. Reembak shook the finished image and held it up before another phantom—Thrund. “This is he—a middling novice of sorcery. The sooner you slay him, the greater your reward. Veylan has arranged for him to stay at the Assembly Hall so look for him in the square. I’m sure he’ll come and go frequently; there’s nothing for him in the building.”

Thrund shrugged. “Right. Well, so long as he’s on the Road. You’re certain I’m not too far above—”

“I said middling—like you.” She shoved the page at him. “Take it.”

“Thank you, madam. That was quite the spell—such intricate control. The forms must be complex—”

Reembak’s voice was sharp and cruel—a far cry from how she’d spoken in the committee hearing—as she interrupted him. “I am not your mentor. Don’t trifle with my time trying to fish a lesson from me. Get gone from here, and only return when you’ve succeeded.”

Thrund snatched the page and bowed, backing away without meeting Reembak’s gaze. “As you say. Apologies.”

Ward caught one last look at Reembak’s angry, cold gaze as the lights began to brighten and the shadows broke apart. He felt a shudder overtake him as the phantom, still scowling, strode straight toward him, fading into nothingness right before they collided. “Holy shit,” he muttered.

Grace punched his shoulder and held a finger to her lips. Ward nodded, reaching for his spellbook. He sat down, flipping through the pages until he came to the new spell Gwen had given him. “This might take a while. Talk about something else.”

“Right—” Grace flopped onto the bed. “—Haley, tell me more about Fitz’s place. I want to know what you ate. Did he have many servants?”

While Haley obliged and the two women chatted on Ward’s bed, he went through the arduous process of learning the meditative positions and finicky timing of the new spell’s mantra, “Trahl veskarun.” It was interesting to him that “trahl” was in this spell as well as in Chains of Silence. He supposed it made sense, considering they both had to do with silencing something. The meditative poses were entirely different, though, which made part of his mind speculate as to why.

He supposed that, in Chains of Silence, “trahl” was used as an attack. It was being directed at a target. In Web of Obscurity, it created a blanket of silence—an area of effect. The insight seemed important, so he made a note of it on one of the blank pages of his spellbook. He hoped that, as he continued to discover things like that, he’d eventually begin to understand the language of the spells and the meditative forms rather than simply memorizing the work of other spell casters.

It took him nearly an hour to get the meditation right and coax the words into existence in his mind. When he finished, he could see them there, floating, dark, and secretive. They felt easy on his tongue as he tasted their feel, careful not to vocalize. He was sure he could cast the spell without harming himself. “I’m ready,” he said, beckoning Haley and Grace to gather close. When they were huddled together at the center of the rug, Ward said, “Trahl veskarun.”

Unlike when Gwen cast the spell, Ward was aware of what was happening as the words seemed to glide stealthily around them, echoing and hissing as they passed between them, under them, and over them: they were creating a web of silence and shadow. They were hiding Ward and those near him. He could feel the strands of the spell, taut against his clothes and flesh, and he knew that if he moved too much, they’d snap and fall apart. “We’re good,” he said, and his voice felt faint and muffled to his ears.

“That bitch!” Grace said. “She was playing us, pretending to be a friendly face in the hearing!”

“Playing me, but yeah, your point stands.”

“She was friendly?” Haley asked, eyes wide. “I thought she was terrifying.”

Ward nodded. “I guess she’s a good actress.”

“She’s going to come to you,” Grace said. “She’ll pretend to be your friend. She might even say she wants to help you against Veylan. If Coral hadn’t given you this spell, I’d be just as suspicious of him!”

Ward frowned, rubbing his chin. “Yeah. This place is a pit of vipers.”

“Politicians,” Grace sighed.

Haley shook her head and surprised them both by saying, “They’re not just political creatures. There’s evil in this city. Master Rose, said so. She said we’re up against something dangerous that’s rotting the heart of this city.” Her eyes were wide, and Ward hated to see some fear in them. “I’m not sure we’re ready for this.”

Ward reached out and pulled her closer, gripping her shoulder firmly. “We’re going to be careful. Coral said as much—we need to build our strength. Let’s see about getting into that challenge sooner rather than later. If we’re in there, we’re safe from the schemes. In the meantime, we can’t let Reembak know that we know. You understand?”

Haley nodded and when Ward looked at Grace she smiled and shrugged. “Not like I can do anything anyway. I’ll be hiding from that woman; something tells me she wouldn’t be kind if she knew I was sharing your vessel.”

“Right.” Ward gestured around the strangely dim, quiet room. “When this spell drops, no more talking about schemes. I think I understand why Coral had Gwen give me this spell. Both Veylan and Reembak can use magic, Reembak more so, but still; if there’s such a thing as a spying spell—”

“Scrying,” Grace interrupted, nodding. “We have to be more careful. I hope you weren’t observed earlier.”

“Let’s hope.” Ward locked his eyes with Haley’s. “In the meantime, let’s get ahold of Fitz and have him meet with Coral. We need to get into that challenge.” When she nodded, Ward reached up and waved his hand around, shredding the web of silence. His ears popped and the lights suddenly seemed brighter. “Oof, I ate too much,” he said with an exaggerated wink.

“Thank you for dinner, Ward.” Haley walked toward the door. “I’ll go to sleep. I’m exhausted. See you in the morning?”

Ward joined her by the door, pulling it open. “See you then.” He watched her cross the hall and enter her room, but he didn’t close his door until he heard her lock click. When he turned, he was disturbed to see Grace was gone. She was “hiding,” no doubt afraid Reembak would scry her out. He locked his door and sat on the rug to memorize his new spell again. He had a feeling he’d be casting it a lot.